Fasting is a way to abstain from food or drink for a particular period of time. Dieticians and fitness experts know there’s a connection between fasting and weight loss.

There are several types of fasting programs, and we can say a bit about them here:

Missing meals could be deliberate or unintentional.

• Well if it is unintentional, beware! You may skip a meal and then eat like an epicure at the next meal. Ask me how I know.  … I’m a thoroughly familiar with the concept of “eating like a bear coming out of hibernation”. I tell you I know exactly what it is like, because I have been there, done that, and bought 3 t-shirts.

Cutting short your eating window:

• Many people start a fasting to lose weight diet, by eating only 2 meals a day. When you follow this fast, you eat breakfast later in the day and dinner earlier in the day. This creates a longer time to fast in the night.

• Although you may not be accustomed to it, you might decide to eat only two meals per day instead of the traditional three meals. This process would lead you to eat both breakfast and dinner and nothing in between.

• If you want to fast for one day out of every 2, you should know it’s a very extreme fast and shouldn’t happen very often – maybe only one week a couple of times a year. Your doctor needs to be in the loop if you are interested in an every-other-day fast.

Fasting every other day:

This is an aggressive kind of fast and should be done only for a week or once or twice in a year. You definitely should also be under medical supervision if you want to try this.

Doing a Master Cleanse or Lemonade Diet:

• This is the “Big Kahuna” of fasting. For many people, this is the only way to do a fast. During the lemonade diet, you will eat, or rather drink, only the following items: lemon juice, maple syrup, delicate cayenne pepper, water, and salt water.
• In the past, I’ve been able to maintain this fast for only a few days; however, I do know people who have stuck it out on this fast for 9-10 days. This pretty aggressive approach should only be embarked upon under the direct supervision of a physician. Any health problems or pre-existing conditions can be exacerbated by fasting to lose weight.

Basically, fasting means to directly abstain yourself from food or severely limit your food intake.

• If you are in doubt whether fasting will help you in losing weight or not, then the answer is an absolute ‘YES’. When you fast, several things take place in your body.
• First of all, the amount of undigested food items deposited in your digestive tract decreases to a considerable extent. As your body still needs energy, the food stored in your body gets consumed, including your muscles.
• If you continue to fast, your muscle and fat will start burning, thus contributing a lot in your weight loss. But it can be harmful to you health to have your body burn muscle as fuel.

Generally, fasting for a long period of time is considered to be dangerous for the human body because depriving yourself of the essential nutrients is by no means a good idea. But if you choose to fast for a shorter span, then the desired results can be achieved without affecting your health adversely. Some of the benefits of short term fasting include detoxification, weight loss and healing.

When you start fasting to lose weight, you also detoxify your body.

As you lose weight and burn fat, you can become healthier. When you fast and eat only small amounts of food, you are simply consuming a low-calorie diet. Therefore, fasting and weight loss generally go hand-in-hand. This can be a very effective short-term weight loss strategy if used carefully and under medical supervision.

When you fast, you also become psychologically stronger and more disciplined. This will help you in following a strict exercise regimen, which will further help you in losing weight. Before fasting, ask yourself how long you are going to fast.

Can you keep your weight loss in check, and what will you do after your fast ends? This is the time when many people regain the weight that they lost during the fast, and they may even gain more weight than they lost.  They really haven’t changed their eating habits.  During the fast, your body goes into starvation mode, and it begins to cling to every morsel of food that you eat. When you begin to eat agin, your body holds on to even more food – just in case you decide to fast again. So, fasting to lose weight doesn’t work for most people.

If you insist on fasting, you should refrain yourself from eating too much food when you break your fast.  Don’t even try to compensate for the food you could not consume during your fast.

It will take commitment on your part, but you’ll soon look and feel wonderful as you lose weight. It’s the kind of exercise you can do anywhere at any moment, and there’s no extra equipment to purchase.

The correct way to walk:

• Do you want to maximize weight loss through walking? If so, you need to make sure that you are walking correctly or not. The proper way is the following:
• Your elbows should be at 90 and your arms should swing back and forth naturally to add intensity.
• While walking at high or medium speed take smaller, quicker strides.

Don’t slouch!

• When you walk, stand erect with your back straight and your head held high. It will make it much easier for you to breathe well and put less pressure on your shoulders, back, and neck.
• Posture is important when walking. It is essential that you stand straight and do not slump – this will help you to breathe more easily and put less stress on your back, neck and shoulders.

Walk pretty quickly.

• You’re going fast enough if you can cover about 3.5 miles in one hour. Another benchmark for you walking activities is if you are able to cover a mile in about 15 minutes. Then you can be certain that you are walking at the right speed.
• You should monitor the intensity of your walking.
• You can pretend as if you are going to catch a bus or are late for a meeting.
• Even if you follow all these tips, you should make sure that you are walking for at least 30 to 60 minutes. It will be better to include some hilly tracks in your walking routine so that the intensity levels are increased.

Variety and comfort are essential!

• Vary your walking paths and destinations. We all like to see new scenery and landscapes. So don’t walk the same area every day.
• Wear shoes that are comfortable to walk in. I also suggest that you wear clothing that doesn’t bind and that will wick perspiration away from your body.

Farther and faster:

You will have a tendency to perspire when you walk at a brisk invigorating pace. You definitely will not want all of that moisture and sweat to remain on your skin. Generally, I start out at a fast gait and slow down a little as the walk progresses.

When you’re out walking, feel free to go at a fast clip at the beginning because you’ll probably slow down toward the end. Dress for comfort, with sturdy walking shoes and layers that you can remove as you work up a sweat during your walk.

Set a goal such as walking faster by one minute per week so that you may even be able to speed walk soon.

Another way is to just walk farther every week. Both ways can work.

How walking and weight loss are interconnected:

Most overweight people are not fit, mainly due to lack of exercise. As a result, their muscles and energy system lose efficiency. Because obese people are not fit, they cannot afford to jog or run to burn off their calories and that is the reason brisk walking helps them in losing weight without much exertion.

The exercise of walking helps you to do your workout steadily and consistently, making you use up fat more efficiently. There are other exercises and out door activities like soccer, baseball and tennis that need much more energy that is stored up in your body if you happen to be obese. It is true that walking is a slow and steady activity and that you expend fat more efficiently, in spite of the fact that you may not be 100% healthy.

Enjoy the possible social aspects of walking to lose weight.

Whenever possible, I try to invite friends and family to walk with me, and they usually accept my invitation because they want you support my desire to lose weight fast.

Often, we get a chance to chat about lots of things we probably never would have discussed if we were not out walking together. You can also increase your walking time when you are out shopping or strolling through the malls. So, this can be quite a pleasant time for you if you want to make it so.

I have been morbidly obese for more than 3 decades, and I’ve tried for years to lose weight. After researching the best lose weight fast diets, I am determined to lose those extra pounds. This year, I plan to lose 100 pounds. Can I do it?

Keep up to date on my plans to lose weight efforts by subscribing to my monthly newsletter.  That’s the surest way to get my most recent weight loss tips.

raw organic beets

raw organic bok choy

raw organic bok choy

wholesome bread

curly kale

dandelion greens 2

dandelion greens

Garlic Scapes

lacinato kale

lacinato kale 2

more bread [1600x1200]

peas 2

English peas

pickling cucumbers

ranier cherries

red leaf lettuce

scallions 2

scallions

Swiss Chard

zucchini

I’m a proud member of the Farm Direct Co-Op. It has three locations or depots in my local area. The Co-op has hundreds of member who purchase shares of raw, organic fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, local raw organic cheeses, and sometimes breads during the summer and fall.

We can purchase single shares or family-sized shares.  We can request home delivery or pick up our produce from the depot every week.  We can help keep costs low by volunteering out time to work at the depot, write for the newsletter, research article and recipes, etc.

This is my first year in the coop, and I am very glad I did my due diligence to locate such a valuable resource.  It has been a tremendous asset as I seek to eat healthy, lose weight, and live longer.

Here’s how a co-op can work.

We basically help the local farmers pay their costs of production by making a commitment to purchase from them when their produce ripens.  In some instances we pay the farmers in advance to grow certain crops.  We are committed to farmers who are certified organic farmers.  When the crops ripen, we take our shares of the produce and distribute it to our members.

That way, we can eat organic – at a reasonable cost – for at least 20 weeks out of the year.  My co-op provides food from early June to last September.  We can purchase extended shares which can provide us with locally-grown, certified organic foods until December.

If I have peaked your interest in joining a food coop, you can do a web search of Community Supported Agriculture.  There are hundreds and perhaps thousands of locations throughout the country.

I really do feel like a green grocer, and just knowing that I can eat freshly picked fruits and vegetables at the precise moment when they have the most food value and nutrition is tremendously empowering.  I don’t have to worry about where my food is coming from or how it has been handled.  I can even go to the farms to watch my food grow. It’s remarkable – even for an old-school zoomer (boomer with zip), like myself.

I feel like I am doing my part to encourage organic gardening and to keep those farmers in business, while I am also making positive steps to eat healthy, lose weight, and live longer.  It’s definitely a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Check out the community supported agriculture in your area, and please leave a comment below to let me know what you think and how this might work for you.

Angela Arnold and her Raw Zucchini Lasagna

Prana’s Raw Food Restaurant

Raw Food Smoothies and Juices

Prana's Raw Food Restaurant - Smoothie and Ice Cream Welcome Board

Raw Food - Sea Vegi Salad

Raw Food - Organic Chia Seed Pudding

Raw Food - Organic Garlic Dill Pickles and Garlic Kraut

Raw Food - Organic Kelp Noodles

Raw Food Gang at Prana's 2

Raw Food Gang at Prana's

Raw Food Lunch Specials

raw organic chia seeds

raw organic cacao nibs

Yummy raw food snacks

raw organic lucuma powder

raw organic cacao powder

raw organic cashews

raw organic nut snacks

raw organic sunflower seeds

Raw Organic Santa Fe Trail Mix

Candyland Trail Mix

raw organic nori sheets, raw organic pitted olives

raw food - mango slices, flax focaccia

raw organic nut butters

Raw organic olives and raw nut butters

Goji berries, maca powder, coconut oil

raw nut butters

Raw food - Curried sunflower and almonds

Angela Arnold and her Raw Zucchini Lasagna

Raw Zucchini Lasagna and Salad

Raw Food Mexican Taco Salad

raw food nori

yummy organic kale chips

Eating delicious raw food

Larabar - The original fruit and nut food bar

Organic Raw Kombucha - Cosmic Cranberry

Thanks a lot.

Hi,  everyone,

I am well on my way to losing a lot of excess weight and fat.  I have accomplished this without any starvation dieting.  In fact, some days, I rub my stomach, and say, “I had quite a bit to eat today, but it was all good food.”

One of the things I have done is eat a lot more raw food.  My diet or meal plan now consists of at least 50% raw food.  I am eating delicious, raw, organic, locally grown fruits and vegetables.  I am trying out foods that I have never tried before. I am adding at least one new food every week.

I thought you might like to see this video of a few of my raw-foodist acquaintances at a Prana’s, raw food restaurant in Newton, MA.  We had a blast, so please enjoy the video and the pics.  The food was delicious although the service was very slow.

One of the things that has helped me to release excess pounds and inches is eating a lot more raw food.  My diet or meal plan now consists of at least 50% raw food.  I am eating delicious, raw, organic, locally grown fruits and vegetables.  I am trying out foods that I have never tried before. I am adding at least one new food every week.

Last week alone, I ate the following foods for the first time:

Organic Swiss Chard

• Swiss chard - Swiss chard is is an great vegetable to eat. It contains a great deal of vitamins A, K and C. It is also a fantastic source of fiber, minerals, and protein.

Multi-colored radishes

• Cooked reddish purple radishes – Sorry … I didn’t think to photograpph them until after I had washed them and removed the tops.
• White salad radishes – I cut these greens off before I took the photos. These white rashes were delicious. I’ll tell you how I prepared them in a future blog post.

Fennel

• Raw fennel -Fennel is very aromatic, and I avoided it for years because I knew it tasted like licorice, and I don’t like licorice.  I finally decided to give fennel another chance.  I ate some raw in a salad. It was scrumptious. I also added fennel to a stir-fry. Wonderful. Yum-yum. It gives food a nice pleasant kick, so don’t let the licorice smell turn you off. It’s a wonderful (and now, a long-term) addition to my food selection.

Garlic Scape

• Garlic scape – A garlic scape is the top part of the garlic plant.  If permitted to grow, it would form a flower.  It tastes wonderful. It has the kick of a garlic, but it is not as fiery. It’s more mellow and chilled out. You can use it in salads, stir-frys, etc. Try it. You’ll like it.

The whole point of the raw food movement is to become healthier, and that’s just what I am doing.  It’s not really about weight loss, but eliminating a lot of fats and toxins (and the associated weight), is exactly what happens when you eat a lot of raw food.

Your raw food diet is also a detox diet.  That’s how weight loss works. Because your fat cells hold a great deal of toxins, and when you lose weight and when you lose fat, you release those toxins. So you automatically become healthier. It’s actually a cleanse.

My body sings with renewed vibrancy and energy.  That’s why I am so convinced that I won’t go back to my former unhealthy habits.

Take care, and I’ll see you soon.

Hi, everyone,

Here’s my update concerning my foray into my lose weight fast diets program.

I survived. No, more than that, I thrived. It was a challenge though, but mark down win number one for me. I daydreamed about hoagies and Philly cheesesteaks, but I didn’t submit to my fantasies.

I felt a bit light-headed in the afternoon, but I guess that’s because I am used to eating a more substantial meal by lunchtime. Anyway, here’s what I ate all day.

Liquid Diet Meal for the day

Lose Weight Fast Diets – Day 1 -What I ate yesterday

• Garden of Greens VegeSplash: Apple and Carrot

This beverage was quite bland. I think I may have put too much water in it. It didn’t taste bad, and it didn’t taste good. This super ORAC concentrate drink mix contains the following ingredients: carrots, Hawaiian blue-green algae, onion, barley grass, wheat grass, alfalfa, dulse, green tea extract, broccoli, tomato, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beet, celery, kale, spinach, radish, leek or yellow pepper, cabbage, kombu seaweed, wakame seaweed, nori seaweed, garlic, fiber blend, and a few other chemical blends. One serving is 55 calories.  Mix one scoop (enclosed in the package) with eight ounces of water, and you’re good to go.

• Garden of Greens Essential Greens:  Garden Greens Blend (Very Berry Flavor)

This super ORAC concentrate drink mix tasted pretty good. It had more flavor than Apple and Carrot Blend I drank for breakfast. This powdered drink mix contains 10 green foods including aloe vera gel, Hawaiian blue-green algae, chlorella, barley greens, wheat grass, green tea, prebiotic fibers and plant-based enzymes with 14 vegetables including carrots, tomato, kale, spinach,… I liked this beverage a lot better that the VegeSplash I had in the morning. It has a nice flavor, and I made sure not to dilute it with too much water. One serving is 50 calories.  The directions are the same –mix one scoop (enclosed in the package) with eight ounces of water, and you’re good to go.

• 1 Royal Gala Apple –

This was my only solid meal of the day, and boy did it taste good.

Lose Weight Fast Diets – Day 1 –How I felt yesterday

As I mentioned, I was a bit light-headed and woozy during the early part of the day. I felt a little fatigued mid-afternoon, so I took a 15-minute power nap.  That’s all I needed to feel refreshed and rejuvenated. I suggest this little energizer to those who need it.

I slept more soundly than I have in quite a while. So, for me, it was a very good day. Now let’s see what tomorrow brings.

I just want to remind everyone that I am not offering weight loss advice. You should consult your physician for that. What I am doing is writing about my desire to lose weight, and I am telling anyone who chooses to read my blog what I am doing about it. I am not advocating any particular course of action for you. I’m simply telling you what I am doing and how effective my actions are.

Best Lose Weight Fast Diets –Day 1

Today is Day One of my lose weight fast diets …

And I feel terrific. Let me tell you what my plan is.

I will tell you on a regular basis exactly how I am progressing. Of course, I had planned to blog daily, but that just is not going to happen. But, I promise to post regularly.

I’ll tell you what I am eating. How I am feeling. I’ll tell you if I exercised or not. At the end of each month, I’ll tell you if I lost any weight, and how much I loss, if anything.

I want to jump start my diet.  Nothing succeeds like excess – excess weight loss that is.

I am starting with a combo liquid diet / detox diet. I used to do a lot of juicing, and fresh organic juice is the very best for us. It tastes great, but it would be a real pain for me to do that now.  So, I am using the following products.

Part of my lose weight fast diets – Garden Greens

This is my stash of garden greens products.

Super ORAC Green Powders

I told you I don’t like monotony,so I’ll be trying out several different flavor varieties every day.

You see my little mini-blender in the corner. I like to use this because it mixes the powders well in about 1-2 seconds. You will probably have a few lumps if you mix by hands,and that just tastes yucky,as far as I am concerned.

This is a detox diet for me.

I know that anyone carrying around a bunch of weight has a lot of toxins that their bodies must eliminate. So,I want to do that right away to ease the strain on my body. Detox diets are great when you start any lose weight fast diets.

There’s an interesting article,“Do detox diets offer any health benefits?”

Dr. Michael Picco states:

“Detox diets vary. But the basic premise is to temporarily give up certain foods that are thought to contain “toxins,”such as meat,sugar,certain grains,dairy products and caffeine. Detox diets typically start with fasting followed by a strict diet of raw vegetables,fruit and fruit juices,and water. In addition,some detox diets advocate using herbal laxatives,antioxidants and colon cleansing (enemas) to help “clean”out the intestine and liver. The duration of such regimens often ranges from seven to 10 days.”

You’ll have to decide for yourself if detox diets make you feel better. I know that the answer for me is a resounding “yes”. I just can’t stay on a detox diet for more than a week because I get too hungry,but I feel great during and after the diet.

Now,let’s go back to my quest to lose

100 Pounds in 1 Year

In order to lose 100 pounds in one year, I must lose on average about two pounds a week.

Ideal lose weight fast diets combine eating less and exercising more. We all know that diet combined with exercise is the way to go. You need to cut your caloric consumption and increase your metabolism through exercise. That’s the sure-fire and proven way to lose weight.

I consider any meal plan that permits me to lose two pounds a week or more – to be one of the lose weight fast diets. For the first 3-4 months, I will focus on decreasing the number of calories I ingest.  I will concentrate primarily on reducing carbs because starches and sugars are my Achilles heel.

That’s priority number one for me. I’ll increase my exercise later – slowly but surely.

I just want to remind everyone that I am not offering weight loss advice. You should consult your physician for that. What I am doing is writing about my desire to lose weight,and I am telling anyone who chooses to read my blog what I am doing about it. I am not advocating any particular course of action for you. I’m simply telling you what I am doing and how effective my actions are.