Toady's weight: 11stone 2.5 pounds - Lost 1.5 pounds
Loosing a pound and a half in one day is quite exciting, two weeks like that and I would be at my target. However its not all what it seems. When fasting it is anticipated that you can loose anything from 1 - 3 pounds a day initially. When your body adapts to the fast, weight loss is slower.
When I woke up this morning I didn't feel hungry or lacking in energy, though I did feel quite tired. I still had an overwhelming psychophysical desire to eat, but physical hunger was totally absent. To be honest I had imagined it would be harder than this, that the hunger pains would be more acute, that my every waking thought would be devoted to food. Inside it is more the act of eating I miss. The daily refuelling rituals Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are now times which have to be filled with other activities. You do however become acutely aware of your senses, the triggers such as smells sight and sound associated with food become even more distinctive.
For breakfast I had a glass of orange squash which was as boring as it sounds. By 2pm my physical hunger had returned and sought anyway possible to distract my thoughts.
Friday, 4 February 2011
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Day 1 - The Fast
Having done a great deal of research into weight loss techniques, the method which struck the greatest amount of fear, apprehension and dread was fasting. Starving for days on end without a morsel of food is not really my idea of fun, but then is there really a weight loss method that is? Most importantly for me this diet is pretty black and white - if you don't eat, you're going to loose weight and hopefully pretty quickly.
Fasting has been used for centuries as a religious, spiritual and political statement, reflecting faith, patience and dedication. Though it may not be the most practical, easy or safest way to shed those extra pounds, the ability to loose weight rapidly has made it a popular diet for many.
The way in which people approach a fast can vary a great deal, some opt for drinking nothing but water,some only eat raw foods for a period of one or more days, while others restrict food on alternate days. Certain fasting dieters only consume liquids like water, juice or herbal teas while others dramatically cut calories but do not eliminate food all together.
I am, by nature an all or nothing kind of person. The reason the majority of diets have failed in the past is because one piece of chocolate soon turns into the 5 and before you know it the whole bar is gone. I'm not good at restricting my calorie intake, once I start its more difficult to stop, so the theory is - if I never start,then there's no threat of not stopping. It is for this reason that fasting appeals to me and why I have chosen to begin my experiment with this method.
The main benefit of fasting is it is believed to be its ability to cleanse the body of impurities, essentially the most efficient way to detox. While people often report an initial dip in energy levels, particularly during the first 48 hours, long term fasting seemingly increases concentration, energy, motivation and alertness. Water fasting in particular cleanses the body aggressively removing toxins rapidly and can be more beneficial than juice fasting in combating more persistent forms of cancer, cleansing the tissues more aggressively. What's more studies into the effects of fasting in humans appear to indicate a connection between calorie restriction and living longer. In one study of overweight men and women, a calorie-restricted diet improved markers of aging, such as insulin level and body temperature. Fasting might also improve longevity by delaying the onset of age-related diseases including Alzheimer's, heart disease, and diabetes. After reading these numerous health benefits I didn't really need any further persuading.
As with all diets there are cons to counter the pros as well as numerous side effects. Aside from the obvious hunger pains and cravings to eat the main concerns about fasting in order to loose weight steam from the belief that it slows the metabolism. When you eat less food, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Then, when you go back to your usual diet, your lowered metabolism may cause you to store more energy, meaning that you will probably gain back the weight you lost and possibly even put on more weight when eating the same calories you did before the fast. Other symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, constipation, dehydration, gallstones, and cold intolerance.
However this wouldn't be an experiment if I wasn't prepared to test all methods available or make some serious sacrifices in the name of weight loss.
So this is day one of my fast. I currently weigh 11 stone 4 pounds and for the next 28 days I am on a strict water diet to see if it will result in rapid weight loss. This form of water fasting means I can only consume water, flavoured water such as orange squash and tea (without milk).
The main issues for me today have been hunger, not unbearable, but nonetheless uncomfortable hunger pains. It was around 4pm that I had the greatest urge to eat and by 7pm I no longer felt hungry. To be honest it is more the habit and ritual of eating that I miss, the distraction that it offers, particularly when bored. Now I need to constantly remain busy in order to distract my attention from food. Apart from this not eating for almost 24 hours has resulted in no other notable side-effects.
Tomorrow I will provide an update on my weight and a diary of day 2.
Fasting has been used for centuries as a religious, spiritual and political statement, reflecting faith, patience and dedication. Though it may not be the most practical, easy or safest way to shed those extra pounds, the ability to loose weight rapidly has made it a popular diet for many.
The way in which people approach a fast can vary a great deal, some opt for drinking nothing but water,some only eat raw foods for a period of one or more days, while others restrict food on alternate days. Certain fasting dieters only consume liquids like water, juice or herbal teas while others dramatically cut calories but do not eliminate food all together.
I am, by nature an all or nothing kind of person. The reason the majority of diets have failed in the past is because one piece of chocolate soon turns into the 5 and before you know it the whole bar is gone. I'm not good at restricting my calorie intake, once I start its more difficult to stop, so the theory is - if I never start,then there's no threat of not stopping. It is for this reason that fasting appeals to me and why I have chosen to begin my experiment with this method.
The main benefit of fasting is it is believed to be its ability to cleanse the body of impurities, essentially the most efficient way to detox. While people often report an initial dip in energy levels, particularly during the first 48 hours, long term fasting seemingly increases concentration, energy, motivation and alertness. Water fasting in particular cleanses the body aggressively removing toxins rapidly and can be more beneficial than juice fasting in combating more persistent forms of cancer, cleansing the tissues more aggressively. What's more studies into the effects of fasting in humans appear to indicate a connection between calorie restriction and living longer. In one study of overweight men and women, a calorie-restricted diet improved markers of aging, such as insulin level and body temperature. Fasting might also improve longevity by delaying the onset of age-related diseases including Alzheimer's, heart disease, and diabetes. After reading these numerous health benefits I didn't really need any further persuading.
As with all diets there are cons to counter the pros as well as numerous side effects. Aside from the obvious hunger pains and cravings to eat the main concerns about fasting in order to loose weight steam from the belief that it slows the metabolism. When you eat less food, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Then, when you go back to your usual diet, your lowered metabolism may cause you to store more energy, meaning that you will probably gain back the weight you lost and possibly even put on more weight when eating the same calories you did before the fast. Other symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, constipation, dehydration, gallstones, and cold intolerance.
However this wouldn't be an experiment if I wasn't prepared to test all methods available or make some serious sacrifices in the name of weight loss.
So this is day one of my fast. I currently weigh 11 stone 4 pounds and for the next 28 days I am on a strict water diet to see if it will result in rapid weight loss. This form of water fasting means I can only consume water, flavoured water such as orange squash and tea (without milk).
The main issues for me today have been hunger, not unbearable, but nonetheless uncomfortable hunger pains. It was around 4pm that I had the greatest urge to eat and by 7pm I no longer felt hungry. To be honest it is more the habit and ritual of eating that I miss, the distraction that it offers, particularly when bored. Now I need to constantly remain busy in order to distract my attention from food. Apart from this not eating for almost 24 hours has resulted in no other notable side-effects.
Tomorrow I will provide an update on my weight and a diary of day 2.
The beginning
For those who are interested in loosing weight then you may now regard me as your very own virtual guinea-pig. I shall endeavour to trial all the weight loss methods available to the average person including an array of diet plans, exercise regimes, diet pills, fasting, self help methods and anything else that may come to my attention.
What we all really want to know is a: what works and b: what works the quickest. So to save you the hassle of experimenting I shall provide you with a frank and brutally honest daily update and review of the most popular diet techniques.
I will test each method independently for one month, revealing the positives, negatives the ups and downs and most importantly the results.
So, to start you need to know a bit about me, my health, my stats and my current outlook on food and exercise.
Firstly I am female, 24, 5 ft 7 and weighing in at 11 stone 4 pounds. I am all in all healthy and have had a full medical once over in order to ensure I am ready to embark on this experiment. I am what psychologists would refer to as an emotional eater, I eat when I'm stressed, bored, upset and happy. I need to find a method that breaks this cycle or at least a way to begin a more sustainable lifestyle for weight loss.
Now of course we all have different physical and psychological make-up, therefore inevitably my results will not be the same for everyone. I do however regard myself as pretty average, I am not a fitness freak, I do not religiously consume my five a day and I do need to loose some weight. So I do believe my results will be more or less similar for you or if nothing else some interesting reading...enjoy
What we all really want to know is a: what works and b: what works the quickest. So to save you the hassle of experimenting I shall provide you with a frank and brutally honest daily update and review of the most popular diet techniques.
I will test each method independently for one month, revealing the positives, negatives the ups and downs and most importantly the results.
So, to start you need to know a bit about me, my health, my stats and my current outlook on food and exercise.
Firstly I am female, 24, 5 ft 7 and weighing in at 11 stone 4 pounds. I am all in all healthy and have had a full medical once over in order to ensure I am ready to embark on this experiment. I am what psychologists would refer to as an emotional eater, I eat when I'm stressed, bored, upset and happy. I need to find a method that breaks this cycle or at least a way to begin a more sustainable lifestyle for weight loss.
Now of course we all have different physical and psychological make-up, therefore inevitably my results will not be the same for everyone. I do however regard myself as pretty average, I am not a fitness freak, I do not religiously consume my five a day and I do need to loose some weight. So I do believe my results will be more or less similar for you or if nothing else some interesting reading...enjoy
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