Fasting for Weight Loss and Well Being
Many of us have the wrong idea about fasting, particularly when it is used for weight loss.
However fasting is a common method used to promote weight loss and general wellbeing.
Fasting is not starving ourselves in order to reduce our calorie intake or about punishing ourselves to shed those unwanted excess pounds.
We should instead look at fasting as a way to overhaul of our dietary habits.
If we are carrying excess weight, we have probably been guilty of employing some bad habits that caused our weight to escalate.
Perhaps we eat lots of junk food, do very little exercise, and neglect our body in general.
Maybe we over-indulge on sweets, drink too much alcohol or sugary soda drinks and eat excessively large potions of food.
Perhaps we are guilty of all the examples above.
Fasting is an excellent way of banishing these bad habits and progressing to a healthier lifestyle.
As with many issues regarding aspects of weight loss, fasting can be challenging, especially if we have never tried it before.
There are several forms of fasting, some of which are much easier for beginners.
One of the most common types of fasting is water fasting.
Water fasting involves eating no solid food for a period of 1 to 30 days.
This is the more extreme and challenging form of fasting, but there are alternative e easier methods such as juice fasting and partial fasting.
Partial fasting involves abstaining from certain foods, or fasting for only part of each day.
For example we could drink fruit and vegetable juice for breakfast and dinner, but eat a small nutritious lunch.
Juice fasting involves drinking freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice (not bottled varieties) several times throughout each day.
Beginners would be better off starting with a more gentle form of fasting such as juice fasting or partial fasting, gradually building up to a more intense form of fasting if they have the inclination.
Once we have fasted for a couple of days, we need to gradually make the transition into eating solid food once again.
However the solid foods which we will be consuming will be much different from the ones that we normally eat.
Instead of reverting back to eating unhealthy foods, we have to consume nutritious, wholesome, natural foods.
This will promote weight loss and improve our general health and wellbeing.
We should bear in mind that it is not necessary or advisable to fast until we have lost our excess weight.
If we need to lose 5 to 10 pounds, then we may be successful and lose all this weight during a fast.
If we need to lose in excess of 20 pounds, it is highly unlikely that we will shed all this weight during a fast.
It is the actions and steps that we take after the fast which will help us to lose the remaining weight.
We need to be aware that fasting may not be safe for all of us so it is advisable to consult a doctor before embarking on a fast, particularly if we are taking medication or are having treatment for an illness or condition.
Many qualified practitioners endorse fasting and can give advice on our individual fasting programmes if we feel that this is the way we would like to progress.
However fasting is a common method used to promote weight loss and general wellbeing.
Fasting is not starving ourselves in order to reduce our calorie intake or about punishing ourselves to shed those unwanted excess pounds.
We should instead look at fasting as a way to overhaul of our dietary habits.
If we are carrying excess weight, we have probably been guilty of employing some bad habits that caused our weight to escalate.
Perhaps we eat lots of junk food, do very little exercise, and neglect our body in general.
Maybe we over-indulge on sweets, drink too much alcohol or sugary soda drinks and eat excessively large potions of food.
Perhaps we are guilty of all the examples above.
Fasting is an excellent way of banishing these bad habits and progressing to a healthier lifestyle.
As with many issues regarding aspects of weight loss, fasting can be challenging, especially if we have never tried it before.
There are several forms of fasting, some of which are much easier for beginners.
One of the most common types of fasting is water fasting.
Water fasting involves eating no solid food for a period of 1 to 30 days.
This is the more extreme and challenging form of fasting, but there are alternative e easier methods such as juice fasting and partial fasting.
Partial fasting involves abstaining from certain foods, or fasting for only part of each day.
For example we could drink fruit and vegetable juice for breakfast and dinner, but eat a small nutritious lunch.
Juice fasting involves drinking freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice (not bottled varieties) several times throughout each day.
Beginners would be better off starting with a more gentle form of fasting such as juice fasting or partial fasting, gradually building up to a more intense form of fasting if they have the inclination.
Once we have fasted for a couple of days, we need to gradually make the transition into eating solid food once again.
However the solid foods which we will be consuming will be much different from the ones that we normally eat.
Instead of reverting back to eating unhealthy foods, we have to consume nutritious, wholesome, natural foods.
This will promote weight loss and improve our general health and wellbeing.
We should bear in mind that it is not necessary or advisable to fast until we have lost our excess weight.
If we need to lose 5 to 10 pounds, then we may be successful and lose all this weight during a fast.
If we need to lose in excess of 20 pounds, it is highly unlikely that we will shed all this weight during a fast.
It is the actions and steps that we take after the fast which will help us to lose the remaining weight.
We need to be aware that fasting may not be safe for all of us so it is advisable to consult a doctor before embarking on a fast, particularly if we are taking medication or are having treatment for an illness or condition.
Many qualified practitioners endorse fasting and can give advice on our individual fasting programmes if we feel that this is the way we would like to progress.
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