Day Two: The when

My blueberries taste funny. It occurs to me that I'm not entirely sure what they are supposed to taste like. I have eaten them before, of course, but never on their own, or more than a few at a time. They taste slightly earthy. I'm not sure if I like them. I am sure that I'm not going to eat the entire punnet. They seemed like such a good idea when they were sitting on the shelf next to the strawberries I bought on Tuesday. Never mind, that's 100 kCal I can "spend" on something else.

So here I am again, fast day number 2. There is a lot of discussion and variation amongst the IF community about what days to fast on. Some people like to do two days in a row, others prefer to spread them out. Some people like to do them on days they are busy, others on days when they are resting. The general consensus is that as far as the health and weight loss benefits of the strategy goes, it doesn't seem to make any difference. Again, it can be varied to suit the individual.

When I first considered trying this strategy, my immediate thought was that I couldn't fast on days I work in my office. I commute about 30 miles by train into London, three days a week, and generally find my office days quite exhausting. The thought of doing that on an empty stomach seemed far too difficult. However I ended up doing Day 1 on an office day, simply because I had decided to do it and wanted to get started as soon as possible. As Mimi Spencer says in the BOOK, when asked when is a good time to start fasting, the answer is "yesterday".

As it turns out, fasting on a work day is a very good idea for me. I'm busy and therefore distracted, and am not in proximity to my kitchen full of goodies at home. The day goes faster (see what I did there?) so it seems less challenging. Luckily for me I rarely eat lunch with colleagues at work, so I don't have to deal with dropping out of that activity. It looks like my regular days will be Tuesday and Thursday. Possibly slightly closer together than I would have liked - Monday and and Thursday feels more natural, but I work at home on a Monday and suspect I would struggle. Having said that, next week my work pattern is all messed up due to kids holidays, so I will have to make alterations. Hurrah for a flexible strategy.

This evening is another mini-challenge, as I won't be going home for dinner. I'm meeting my wonderful sister (hello sis!) and going out to the theatre. As always, I can rely on Dream to come up with a perfect solution for me. She has pointed me at Pret a Manger, which has a branch very close to my office. Their completely scrumptious salad boxes come in at between 200 and 300 kCal (without dressing, which I never put on anyway). So I will be scoffing down one of those before going out.


http://www.pret.com/menu/sushi_salads_soups/tuna_nicoise_salad_PUK5185.shtm

My beloved Dream is doing her very own Day 1 today in much more challenging circumstances - on her own in her employer's house. I am sending her encouraging and un-hungry vibes. Tomorrow we breakfast at the local greasy spoon, with guilt free consciences.