Re: successful permanent weight loss with fasting????
Hi Sara,
There are no hard and fast rules, I actually think it is a big mistake to follow rules rigidly, the answer lies not in a set of external rules written by someone else so don't look for them, they lie within you.
So I would say, do what your body really wants, get rest, relaxation, aim for a simple stress free life. Understand what rubbish goes into commercially produced food, such as transfats, chemicals, hormones designed to make animals artificially fat. Know that they are intended to taste good, in order to make you part with your cash. Know that the sellers of these foods and their shareholders want you to come back for more, so expect them to be nutritionally poor, good tasting, and addictive.
After fasting, compare, say a supermarket pork pie with a freshly picked apple. Think how that pie was produced, how old it is, what goes into it, how much perto-chemicals and CO2 are used in its production, and what are the possible consequences upon your health. Then compare with an apple that came from a single seed, nurtured by water, soil and sunlight. To me, an apple is a miracle, a work of art. An apple is the result of 1000s of years worth of evolution, and is bursting with nutrients that are just great for your health.
Anyway, a 20 or 30 day fast, perhaps less even, should be enough to make you appreciate what's really good in this world, because your body will be stripped of all its junk food addictions and will enjoy the benefits of real food. After that, you should find weight loss is sustained by healthy eating, without you really having to make any conscientious effort (apart from avoiding rows and rows of vividly coloured plastic pots illuminated by bright fluorescent lights). Now I normally fast for 7 - 10 days, and I am wondering if I should take a break from that even, as my weight loss is now self sustaining anyway. However, fasting always serves to reminds me of what's good and what's not so good, so I keep doing it.
Here's my weight loss again, most of it is non fasting
http://www.tickerfactory.com/weight-loss/wjfZGk0/.
Oh and by the way - in case you hadn't noticed - I like apples :)
Another thing I have done since fasting - put my name down for a local allotment. However, my learning curve is going to be a little steep on that front!!