Fasting

[jazzkat]

I've been a bit worried about how I would cope doing a decent riding distance on a fast day.
Today (fast day no1 of the week) I rode forty miles in three hours. I started to struggle a bit at the end, but I'm not sure that it was just tiredness as I did a hilly time trial last night.
After a cup of coffee I felt ok. I know that now, at 3:15pm, I really could do with something to eat.
It's not something I'd want to do regularly, I'd really just swap fast days, but I was interested to see if/what was possible. I did take some food out in case I bonked, but didn't need it.
Stats so far - Down to 32" waist trousers and weighing in at approx 72kgs and feeling great!!

 

[Garz]

My weight has plateaued however I need to stop eating s^%t on my normal days. Will give it another two weeks till I review the program. The good thing is I am back on the bike so getting the leg strength back is just as important as any weight loss.

 

[jazzkat]

My weight has plateaued however I need to stop eating s^%t on my normal days. Will give it another two weeks till I review the program. The good thing is I am back on the bike so getting the leg strength back is just as important as any weight loss.

I know what you mean about eating badly on none-fast days, but you'd have to eat a hell of a lot of s^%t for it to add up to the calorie deficit from the day before.
I know that as I start to ride more and for longer I'll see even greater gains, or reductions depending on whether you look at my health or waistline

Yesterday I ended up having my usual 500ish calories at tea time. I must admit that I didn't feel great but that's to be expected. My HRM was saying the ride used 1880 calories. Ok that will be wildly inaccurate but it means I was well behind on the calorie intake before I even did any fasting. The good news is I'm still here and after a nice big bowl of porridge with honey and sultanas and a banana for breakfast I'm ready to take on the day

 

[Scoosh]

I find that, if I eat breakfast in the morning, I get hungry around lunchtime.
If I don't eat any breakfast, I'm fine through till about 3pm.

I'm also well aware of my 'danger times' (any day ) - post 8.30pm - when I can all too easily get a severe attack of The Munchies .

Mrs Scoosh and I both do the 5:2, Monday/Thursday and it's been working well for a couple of months now. No great weight loss - but, much as I would like to loose some more, it's not really essential, as we are both well within tolerances.

 

[uclown2002]

I find that, if I eat breakfast in the morning, I get hungry around lunchtime.
If I don't eat any breakfast, I'm fine through till about 3pm.

I'm similar. I can easily go to 3pm before eating but it's normally game over if I have a (morning) breakfast! Once I start eating I feel like eating more, so that is why I do 16/8; 16 being the fasting hours, and 8 being the feeding window. I usually confine my eating to the 3-11pm window, although rarely eat up until 11pm.

For those struggling on 5/2 or those wanting to try something new then this might suit some of you. I always ride in a fasted state and it has not affected my performance. On my days off I do like to time my rides to return after 3 pm though, so I can get stuck into my nosebag straight away should I feel like it.

 

[Speicher]

Today is my second fasting day for this week.

I have tried to start fasting days in the last six weeks, but failed because of the attack of the late-night Munchies.

Perhaps it is the slightly warmer weather that is encouraging me to start again.

 

[Scoosh]

What is this 'slightly warmer weather' of which you speak ?

How do I get some ?

I have found it harder to keep warm when asleep after a fasting day, as I have usually only have salad and boiled iggs for my 'main meal'. One night, we had a M&S 'Feel Fuller for Longer' ready meal , which was a nice change - and hot .

 

[jazzkat]

I have found it harder to keep warm when asleep after a fasting day, .

I've found exactly the same, no fuel on the fire! I've also found that now I've got 'a bit less insulation' I feel the cold more.

I agree about the breakfast thing too. I find I'm better not eating anything 'til late afternoon/evening meal time.

 

[Garz]

I always ride in a fasted state and it has not affected my performance.

How far do you ride and at what pace? I ask due to a long ride or a high interval effort you will at some point exhaust all energy and will require food.

The wife guilted me into not eating an extra 100 cals on the fast day as she said it is not a 'fast' if you eat more... she has a point.

 

[Garz]

The good news is I'm still here and after a nice big bowl of porridge with honey and sultanas and a banana for breakfast I'm ready to take on the day

?

If I had that breakfast it would consume most of the days quota, what do you eat for the rest of the day?

 

[ColinJ]

?

If I had that breakfast it would consume most of the days quota, what do you eat for the rest of the day?

It's almost exactly what I have on non-fasting days and I reckon it comes to about 500 calories!

 

[jazzkat]

?

If I had that breakfast it would consume most of the days quota, what do you eat for the rest of the day?

Sorry a misunderstanding, yesterday was fast day. This is my non fast day breakfast

 

[uclown2002]

How far do you ride and at what pace? I ask due to a long ride or a high interval effort you will at some point exhaust all energy and will require food.

The wife guilted me into not eating an extra 100 cals on the fast day as she said it is not a 'fast' if you eat more... she has a point.

Typically 2-3 hrs @ 16-18 mph.

 

[Garz]

Typically 2-3 hrs @ 16-18 mph.

To me that seems to be pushing to the limit, but if you can get away with it you must be fitter than most!

 

[uclown2002]

To me that seems to be pushing to the limit, but if you can get away with it you must be fitter than most!

For some years now, the Kenyan distance runners do some training in a fasted state, in an effort to condition their bodies to use fat for energy more effectively, once their glycogen stores are depleted.
In the early days of fasting I had 1 or 2 wobbles but now rarely suffer from riding fasted. TBH I don't even take on much water during my rides, preferring to drink when thirsty rather than as a matter of course.

I'm pretty fit for an old man (50 this year) so maybe that helps but I don't know. I do know that the human body is very adaptable to change once it has been reconditioned. How many here have trouble with the fasting programs? Not many I guess once the body adapts.