The fast I advocate is not a weight-loss program. This is a cleansing program, not a diet. I need to say that again, and I want you to say it with me: This is a cleansing program, not a diet. A three-day fast is a great introduction to a new way of being with food, and yes, if you are overweight, you will probably lose some weight. That's great. But the fast is not a diet. It can help drop you to your "natural" weight, but if your natural weight is only one pound less than you weigh now, you are not going to drop any further. This can be frustrating to anyone who is desperate to lose five pounds.
I just worked with a woman who was absolutely miserable because she couldn't lose any weight. She exercised every morning, played tennis every afternoon, swam after tennis, and then maybe had a piece of fruit and half a dry, toasted bagel. She was in incredible shape, but in her mind, she had to lose five pounds to be at her perfect weight. She was certain that fasting would bring her weight down. It didn't. She did lose three pounds during her fast, which got her very excited, but two pounds came back within a few days, and that made her miserable. I told her that her body needed the weight. She told me she felt like a failure. Despite the fact that I discouraged this woman from having any kind of expectations concerning weight loss, she was so unhappy that she was unable to appreciate the many wonderful things that fasting was bringing her.
This fast lasts only three days. Three days is all you need, and three days is all I recommend. If you are searching for a diet, you need to find a way of eating that you can practice for longer periods of time, if not all the time. Fasting, in my opinion, is just not the answer. Besides, I don't believe in diets; I believe in changing your lifestyle. Weight loss is a challenge to many men and women, and there are a million programs out there designed to help people eat right and/or exercise more. But cleaning out is another story. We are talking about doing a different level of work here. This is an emotional, spiritual, and physical program.
Now here's a surprise I need to prepare you for: on the first day or two of the fast, your body might bloat up from the toxins and you could actually gain a little weight. This is particularly true for many women who have a history of dieting and deprivation. What happens is that the thought of going on a fast actually scares the body. The body retaliates by instantly saying "not again," and you start to put on weight. People ask me, "How can I be gaining weight during a fast?" If this happens to you, understand that your body is still frightened by your dieting history and it doesn't trust this new process yet. But it will. Once it starts feeling good from emptying out, something will let go and the weight you gained will drop off.
You should also know that on this fast, you may not lose any weight until several days after your fast is over. The juices you will be drinking stop your body from losing those initial few pounds of water weight that come off in the beginning of most diets (and go back on shortly thereafter). That can be disappointing to people who are used to losing five quick pounds whenever they start any kind of a controlled food regimen. This is why I ask everyone PLEASE, do not step on a scale during your fast. Do not weigh yourself. Don't even think about it. You don't want to get confused, you don't want to become obsessed, and you don't want to sabotage the process.
By staying off the scale, you will be doing yourself a great favor, and keeping your focus off the issue of weight as much as possible. I'm going to say it one last time: This fast is not a diet, and should never be used for dieting purposes. Fasting is an extraordinary way to learn about your body's relationship to food, and how you can change that relationship. I find that within one year of their first fast, most people have completely changed the way they eat. A three-day cleansing fast will help your body get rid of the memory of all that sugar, wheat, caffeine, and processed food. Then when you reintroduce these and other foods back into your diet, typically your reactions will make you aware of your specific sensitivities.
Fasting teaches you about the foods that make you anxious, the foods that make you gaseous, the foods that make you sad, the foods that slow you down, and the foods that make you sick. Fasting teaches you about all the foods you can live very happily without, and all the foods you can live very happily with. But it is a teacher. It is not a lifestyle.
Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Articleinput.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.
Note: This article was sent to us by: Darlene Meyers at 06162010
1. Eat often foods that speed metabolism and become healthy and thin
All articles are property of their respective authors. Please read our Privacy Policy!
© 2009 ArticleInput.com.