Fasting for Weight Loss
Published by Nanni on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
As anyone who wishes to lose weight knows, there are all sorts of diets, products, and programs that are designed to help people take off excess pounds. One approach to losing weight that has gained a lot of attention is undergoing periods of fasting. While fasting, especially when combined with a sensible diet between fasts and regular exercise, can be effective, it is very important to go about abstaining from food in the right way. Here are some things to keep in mind if you plan on fasting for weight loss.
First, your general health may or may not allow you to utilize fasting as part of your weight loss program. For this reason, it’s a good idea to talk with your physician before you attempt a fast that is even as long as a day or two. Assuming that there is no existing health problem that would be exacerbated by fasting, there is a good chance that you can look forward to receiving the benefits of this practice, while not encountering unpleasant side effects.
Another consideration is the duration of your fast. When first beginning this type of regiment, it is important to keep in mind that you are not likely to be able to abstain from food and drink for as long as those who have used the practice for some time. This is true whether your acquaintances use fasting as a weight loss strategy, as part of a religious observance, or even just as a discipline. Instead of jumping in for a long fast, start out with periods of fasting that are short-term. For example, you could decide to refrain from food and drink from lunchtime one day to lunchtime the next, and see how you do. Over time, you will find a simple twenty-four hour fast is not only tolerable, but seems to be beneficial. As this happens, you can consider fasting for longer periods, if this would be helpful in retraining your eating habits.
It is important to remember that fasting for any purpose involves more than simply not eating and drinking. The idea is to take the time and energy that would normally be devoted to preparing and consuming food and do something else that is constructive with that time. Thus, you may use the time for meditation, reading, light exercise, or anything else that will make the time productive and happy for you. This approach can go along way in retraining the way you think about food, by reminding you that there are other pleasures in life that can make you just as happy.
Don’t try to fast on your own. Get an expert to help you get started. This is something that many people fail to do, then wonder why fasting is so hard and produces so few results. Someone well seasoned in the physical, spiritual, and emotional process of fasting can help you avoid approaches that will undermine your efforts, while teaching you concepts and processes that will make the fasting a positive experience on every level.
Keep in mind that some forms of fasting for weight loss do not involve totally abstaining from all food and drink. You may want to try a juice fast, allowing yourself a limited amount of freshly squeezed juice at specific points in the fast. Others choose to abstain from consuming food, but allow themselves to have water when and as they desire. All these approaches are found among different types of fasting for weight loss programs; consider each one and decide what approach is best for your circumstances.
First, your general health may or may not allow you to utilize fasting as part of your weight loss program. For this reason, it’s a good idea to talk with your physician before you attempt a fast that is even as long as a day or two. Assuming that there is no existing health problem that would be exacerbated by fasting, there is a good chance that you can look forward to receiving the benefits of this practice, while not encountering unpleasant side effects.
Another consideration is the duration of your fast. When first beginning this type of regiment, it is important to keep in mind that you are not likely to be able to abstain from food and drink for as long as those who have used the practice for some time. This is true whether your acquaintances use fasting as a weight loss strategy, as part of a religious observance, or even just as a discipline. Instead of jumping in for a long fast, start out with periods of fasting that are short-term. For example, you could decide to refrain from food and drink from lunchtime one day to lunchtime the next, and see how you do. Over time, you will find a simple twenty-four hour fast is not only tolerable, but seems to be beneficial. As this happens, you can consider fasting for longer periods, if this would be helpful in retraining your eating habits.
It is important to remember that fasting for any purpose involves more than simply not eating and drinking. The idea is to take the time and energy that would normally be devoted to preparing and consuming food and do something else that is constructive with that time. Thus, you may use the time for meditation, reading, light exercise, or anything else that will make the time productive and happy for you. This approach can go along way in retraining the way you think about food, by reminding you that there are other pleasures in life that can make you just as happy.
Don’t try to fast on your own. Get an expert to help you get started. This is something that many people fail to do, then wonder why fasting is so hard and produces so few results. Someone well seasoned in the physical, spiritual, and emotional process of fasting can help you avoid approaches that will undermine your efforts, while teaching you concepts and processes that will make the fasting a positive experience on every level.
Keep in mind that some forms of fasting for weight loss do not involve totally abstaining from all food and drink. You may want to try a juice fast, allowing yourself a limited amount of freshly squeezed juice at specific points in the fast. Others choose to abstain from consuming food, but allow themselves to have water when and as they desire. All these approaches are found among different types of fasting for weight loss programs; consider each one and decide what approach is best for your circumstances.
| Posted in »
0 comments: Responses to “ Fasting for Weight Loss ”