Hi,

In our last post on losing weight by fasting we looked at some of the problems with your ability to lose weight by fasting.

One of the other issues is the fact that since your metabolism gets lowered when fasting, once you stop the fasting you will regain the weight back really quickly.

This is because you start eating more right when your metabolism is at its lowest point.  Guess what, you have just made it really easy to gain weight quickly. 

I can add a few personal comments here.  I have been pretty good at maintaining a four pack out of the elusive 6 pack abs that everyone wants.  I have done this for several years.

Every once in a while I could start to see the outline of the other two, but never quite got there.

So I decided to try one of the fasting + exercise programs out there to see if it lived up to its name.

It was a five week program and you fasted once every 5 days.  And there was a pretty decent exercise program that went along with it.

I followed it all 5 weeks.  And I did lose weight.  5 pounds.  I also kept records of my measurements.  I lost size in my arms, my chest, and my legs.  I did not lose even 1 centimeter in my waist. 

Not quite what I had in mind. 

But, this program did me in.  I was fatigued and irritable.  I had no energy. 

At first the fasting did not bother me, which surprised me.  But, as it went on I felt drained of all energy. 

So, for me fasting is not an option. 

However, that does not mean you can’t use it and here are some of my thoughts on how best to use it.

You already fast for several hours a day when you are sleeping.  You can extend this time frame by not eating after your last meal of the day or after 7 – 8 pm. 

While I believe in eating a good breakfast, if you are not already eating a breakfast, then continue your fast for a 2-3 more hours before you eat your first meal.

You could also try skipping a lunch once a week.  Or skip a lunch and dinner once a week.

This might be easier for some of you. 

Thinking and worrying about what you eat and how much at every meal is pretty hard to do when you are on a diet.  If you only have to worry about not eating at all for a couple of meals a week, you might find that easier.

After all, even though not talked about much, if your mind is fatigued from worrying about your diet, it makes staying on a diet much harder.

Fasting might be a help in that area.

Losing weight by fasting is possible.  Just remember it is not the be all and end all. 

If you are going to fast make sure you add some exercising for strength and cardio. 

Also, as a warning, make sure you talk to your doctor first.  Fasting can have some consequences.  For example, if you are a diabetic, you have to be concerned with the drop in your blood sugar levels that fasting can cause. 

So start your fasting program like outlined above.  Please don’t go out and try to lose 50 pounds by fasting for 2 months straight.  That goes even if you are on a juice fast or raw foods fast.

Be sensible.

Thanks