QuestionHi, I am about 20 pounds over weight for my age/height and I'd like to loss the extra weight, now going to a gym isnt psosible I can't afford it nor can I afford home exercise equitment, I was wondering how many calories should be in my daily diet while I'm dieting? also I do sit up/stumick crunches for a few minutes several times daily and go for a walk every evening the walk is ussaly at lest 20 minutes long as I walk with my dog then go to the stores near by and walk around for a bit before returning. I am also intrested in possible fasting every now and then for two/three days as I've heard of people doing this... I was wondering thou how long can someone go with just a bowl of ceral in the morning? and just water all day? as that would be my one meal of choice and water is my perfered bevrage anyways. Would fasting on and off throught the month along with a low cal diet and the exercise I'm getting now reduce my weight at all? I'd like to lose all 20 extra pounds. also what does a good diet consist of? what can I and can I not eat? please let me know if you can help me thanks in advance.
AnswerDear To Whom It May Concern, (Sorry, I don't have your name),
As I keep telling people:I am not a weight-loss or exercise expert. I don't believe in diets for weight-loss but since my healthy way of eating (the proper description of the word "diet") has brought people down or up to or accepting of their "natural" weight (not to be found on any charts or calculated by statistcis) I thought I would address two of your queries.
I have fasted a few times in my life, usually a week in one go, on a vegetable coctail (1 litre) and 1/2 litre of fruit juice (the cleansing ones: berries/apple) with about 5-6 litres of water to cleanse. Some recommend flushing of bowels whilst on this type of fast, but I found just fasting eliminates sufficient toxins (intestinal bugs and slush and what's more you really rather not know! ) for me, since I was a vegetarian and ate wholefoods previously.
A bowl of cereal is a bad start to a fast (milk plays havock on your gut: slimy stuff...). You will find yourself becoming very cold and sluggish and horrifically irritable unless you have a high spiritual/emotional motivation for fasting that must stretch beyond body-image.
Most fasts have been devised and handed down by religious traditions. Modern fasts need extremely close professional monitoring, and I personally don't understand them.
From experience and research it seem clear that fasts should never be used as a fresh start of a diet. First,your body needs to become acclamatised to "health" by a regular healthy eating plan which iseasy to maintain. It is crucial for your overall health to go in on a fast with a strong constitution and to have something sure and simple to help you climb on out of it again.The great thing about a good, well structured fast is that it can help change your cravings and readjust your taste buds. Providing there are no temptations after the fast you will intuitively reach for only healthy foods (your greatest craving will be a slice of wholemeal bread!). There are many little ins and outs you need to bear in mind with fasting, and also a one day (lemon juice) fast needs ample preparation before hand for any noticeable effects to take place.
So, a fast might be an option as a cleasing and a ritual but it is not specifically a weight loss tool, especially since it's actually more likely to set you off on a yo-yo pattern (losing weight too fast means inevitably gaining double at some stage!).
This brings me to the second query of calories: while it can be useful to become calorie-conscious as a guide for controlling how much food to take in, never let it rule what foods to take in. This should be ruled by an understanding of nutrition and your unique physical needs (the building blocks and energy suppliers found in proteins/vitamins/fibre/fats/ carohydrates etc).The lowest advisable amount of calories for a woman, depending somewhat on height/age, is typically set at 1800, especially if you exercise or do significant brainwork - anything below that and you are on a so called "starvation diet" and too many people have put their health at risk because of this. (Besides, I always feel it's an insult to your priviliged circumstances.).
Dieting is also a lot about mind-set: so a 20 minute walk sounds good, but mind you create a more disciplined regime (the real purpose of diet). The "loitering" a bit around the shops is not stringent enough attitude for a "dieter"! Another useful tip may be that instead of expecting to lose 20 pounds, use a target that you can really "pin": an item of clothing you want to fit into, or an exercise you want to be able to do with ease (ever more crunches without a huff or an ache, for example). Because I urge you to consider that your desire to lose weight is actually a keen intent to better know yourself (getting to know the little unconscious compartments of your being) and a wish to train up your character into making you a stronger (willed) and more loving (not only loveable) person.
I wish you well with your regime and may you enjoy your delicious slimming meals/health food with relish.
Good luck,
Evelyn
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