Summer is coming but how far would you go to slim down? It comes as no surprise that people are starving themselves to accomplish those goals as evidenced by the growing popularity of the Fast Diet (also known as the 5:2 diet). This new fad diet has made its way here from the UK and is joining the ranks of other extreme diets.

The basis of the diet is intermittent fasting. You dedicate two fasting days during the week; on those two days, you are allotted only 500 calories if youre a woman or 600 calories if youre a man. Youre then allowed to eat what youd like the other five days. Hence, the 5:2 diet. This diet would not be safe for those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or have a history of eating disorders.

This concept was developed by a British physician, Michael Mosley, who tried the diet himself after reviewing studies about fasting and longevity. Many studies have shown the benefits of eating fewer calories from reducing the risk of developing Alzheimers disease to having a longer lifespan.

However, theres little research that specifically shows how effective or safe the Fast Diet actually is. After reviewing the research myself, Im conflicted. Heres why.

First of all, dieting by starving or extreme calorie restriction is never a good way to lose weight. You not only risk pushing your body in starvation mode, but your stressed body tends to crave sweets and starchy foods. This is also why I always recommend having a full breakfast every morning. Starving yourself just makes you hungrier for junk food later.

There are many other healthier diets that can help you lose weight in a safer way. You can also make simple lifestyle modifications that dont have a diet label, which include not eating past 7 or 8 p.m., drinking more water, or sticking to a clean diet (choosing foods that have no preservatives, additives, or chemicals in the ingredient list).

With that said, Im always interested in new ways of thinking about dieting, weight loss and wellness, especially in the face of our obesity epidemic. One Brazilian study published last month suggested that intermittent fasting has caused positive changes in blood sugar, fat loss and an increased resistance to stress.

More research is necessary to prove whether this diet is effective. Its important to note that fasting for two days, and overeating, indulging, and making poor food choices the other five days of the week will not get you to your goals. Youve got to be smart about what youre eating all the time if you want to achieve results the right way.

In the meantime, read an excerpt from my book, YOU: On a Diet, which discusses simple, practical methods of dieting and how to avoid the most common dieting pitfalls from both a physiological and psychological perspective.

Read the original here:
Is the Fast Diet Safe? | The Oz Blog

Knowing when to break a fast is your key to safe fasting. (Assuming you've read Who Can Fast and are sure you're a proper candidate for fasting.) When fasting, our bodies change from normal functioning to that of healing and recuperation. An internal cleansing of toxins and inferior materials can begin because so much energy is now freed up that used to go to digestion.

Without eating though, how are we fueling our body? Ketosis is a complex metabolic process used by the body when there is insufficient glucose--the body's main fuel. This is said to be "muscle sparing" as without it, the body would breakdown muscle to provide the components necessary to produce the required glucose. Instead of breaking down muscle tissue, your body will break down fatty deposits, producing ketones for fuel.

After about 3 days of water fasting, you will be in the state of ketosis. This state is usually high energy with a clear mental capability. But a unique facet of it is a total lack of hunger.

Some fasters, not all, can go for weeks without food and yet never feel hungry. As you might expect, those who are overweight can go longer, whereas thin individuals must stop sooner. But don't let a lot of excess weight fool you into thinking you can go any certain length of time.

To deny food when true hunger has signaled is to begin the act of starvation. The body is telling you it now needs outside nutrition as it has depleted its reserves, or its ability to rely on those reserves. If it has been operating in the state of ketosis, it is telling you it no longer can safely.

True hunger is a sensation in the mouth and throat, similar to thirst, and not a gnawing pain in the stomach. The way it will get your attention is that comes after many days of experiencing no hunger. Seemingly out of the blue, you'll have an intense desire for food.

When food is taken at this point, it tastes extraordinarily wonderful, a real sensual treat. And the act of eating itself is fulfilling, creating feelings of contentment and pleasure. This is the experience eating is supposed to be.

Having once experienced this "true hunger", you will no longer confuse it with the emotional desire or physical discomfort we usually associate with hunger. Such physical "hunger pains" felt either in the stomach, or as "hunger headaches", are said to actually be withdrawal and detox symptoms from rich foods, chemicals, and stimulants.

The reason they go away when you eat something is because you have stopped the cleansing detox as your body must once again put its energy into digestion and assimilation.

After fasting, when you've returned to a regular (but healthier) diet, you'll be able to tell when you are truly hungry, experiencing "real hunger", versus when you just think you're hungry because you feel like eating.

Rapid heart rate, drop in heart rate, or irregular heart beat are all signs to end the fast. During a water fast, general weakness developing over time is considered normal as the body seeks to conserve energy, but sudden and extreme weakness should be taken seriously by ending the fast.

If any of these conditions present themselves, break the fast with some fresh juice or a small piece of fresh fruit. Watermelon is frequently used to break a fast because of the high water content, but any juicy fruit will do. If using juice, drink 6-8 ounces of diluted juice, sipping slowly. Do this every 2 hours.

Side effects such as those above are more common during fasts of longer duration. Shorter fasts of 2-3 days won't usually be accompanied by such symptoms.

Listen to your intuition as well. If you're feeling like something may be wrong or something feels "off" to you, maybe you should stop. You can always fast another day.

See Guidelines for Breaking a Fast for greater understanding of the breaking process.

If we want to have a safe fasting experience, we need to make the space to listen to our bodies. And educate ourselves as much as possible before beginning. Consider getting professional supervision for longer fasts or for treating chronic conditions.

Return to top Return from Safe Fasting page to What is Fasting? page

Link:
Your Key to Safe Fasting | AllAboutFasting

Safety Information Consult with a doctor before using this product if you are being treated for any medical condition and/or you have a condition that requires you to take prescription drugs of any kind.

Indications For use as a DIETARY SUPPLEMENT when managing your diet in an effort to control appetite, reduce body fat and maintain weight loss, using a proprietary blend of clinically proven, all-natural ingredients, antioxidants and multi-vitamins. This product contains caffeine. Individuals who are caffeine sensitive may experience symptoms including, but not limited to, headache, restlessness, palpitations or insomnia. Do not mix with other sources of caffeine. For best results, use in conjunction with a proper diet and regular exercise. **Consult a physician before starting any diet or exercise program.

Ingredients Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCl) Vit B12 (Cyanocobalamin) Citrus aurantium 30% Guarana 22% Caffeine Anhydrous Bioperine Bacopa Monniera Vinpocetine Choline Bitartrate Phenylthylamine Tyrosine Green Coffee Bean Ext Svetol Green Coffee Raspberry Ketones Evodiamine 98% Green Tea Ext Norcoclaurine HCL (Higenamine) Rhodiola rosea Root Ext Quercetin Ashwaganda Rt

Directions DOSAGE and DIRECTIONS For Liporidex MAX: Take TWO CAPSULES in the morning, along with a tall glass of water, preferably on an empty stomach and ONE CAPSULE 5-6 hours later in the mid-afternoon, for a TOTAL of 3 Capsules a day. Do NOT Exceed 4 Capsules in a 24 hour period. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to avoid dehydration. When first using the product, take only ONE capsule to first establish you're not caffeine/stimulant sensitive.

Legal Disclaimer FDA Statement: Results may vary. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This product is not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. These statements are based upon studies on the effects of specific key individual ingredients contained in the supplement and not any any study on the combination of ingredients. Consult with your doctor or physician before beginning any supplement or weight loss program. lipoRIDEX, lipoRIDEX MAXTM, lipoRIDEX PLUSTM lipoRIDEX NRGTM, and lipoRIDEX PMTM are trademarks of Nuretix Research Labs, LLC.

Actual product packaging and materials may contain more and different information than what is shown on our website. We recommend that you do not rely solely on the information presented and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before using or consuming a product. Please see our full disclaimer below.

See original here:
Amazon.com: Fat Burner That Works Fast - Liporidex MAX ...

WebMD Feature Archive Diets for Fast Weight Loss continued...

Besides jotting down what you ate, and when, you might also want to note how you were feeling right before you ate it. Were you angry, sad, or bored? We often focus so much on foods and calories, but our emotions are a huge part of our eating habits.

If you see a persistent pattern in your emotional eating, please consider talking to a counselor about it. They can be a big help in finding other ways to handle your feelings.

It's time to move more! Losing weight requires close to an hour a day of moderate exercise, one study shows.

Plan to do cardio and strength training.

"Cardio burns the most calories, so it is ideal for fast weight loss, but afterward you need to include a few hours a week of strength training," Dansinger says. To burn the most fat, try to break a sweat after your warm-up and keep sweating for the entire hour, Dansinger says.

If you're not exercising now, and you have a chronic condition or a lot of weight to lose, it's wise to check in with your health care provider first. They'll be rooting for you! And they'll make sure that you're ready to work out.

Pace yourself. Don't do too much, too soon -- work your way up to help prevent injury.

One way to step up the intensity is to do interval training -- brief bursts of high-intensity, followed by a more mellow pace, and repeating that pattern throughout your workout.

"Interval training allows people to work harder without having to spend the entire time at the higher level, and over time, the more you do it, the easier it becomes to burn more calories," Blatner says.

I know how tempting diet crazes can sound, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose. You hear about stars who did it and look incredible.

But remember, if a diet plan sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Also, please skip any programs that promote detoxification pills, laxatives, fasting, or potions, and any that promise weight loss faster than 2-3 pounds per week.

Go here to see the original:
How To Lose Weight Fast and Safely - WebMD - Exercise ...

The Diet The Perfect Health Diet

Heres our Perfect Health Diet food plate:

NOTE: This is our new food plate, updated 2015. Foreign translations of the original food plate may be found here.

We recommend:

By weight, the diet works out to about 3/4 plant foods, 1/4 animal foods. By calories, it works out to about 600 carb calories, primarily from starches; around 300 protein calories; and fats supply a majority (50-60%) of daily calories.

In the shadow of the apple are foods forbidden because of their high toxin content. Notably:

We highly recommend certain foods for their micronutrients. These include liver, kidney, egg yolks, seaweeds, shellfish, fermented vegetables, and bone broths.

We also recommend augmenting the diet with certain supplements. See our Supplement Recommendations page. These nutrients are deficient in modern diets due to removal of minerals from drinking water by treatment, depletion of minerals from soil by agriculture, or modern lifestyles that deprive us of vitamin D by indoor living.

We recommend tweaking the diet for certain diseases. Neurological disorders often benefit from a diet that is ketogenic; other conditions may benefit from lower carb diets. These variations are discussed in the book:

The rest is here:
The Diet - Perfect Health Diet | Perfect Health Diet

I was all set to write todays blog, until I saw a headline reviewing The 17 Day Diet. Rrrrrrt! Change of plan Once again, leading doctors and nutritionists have spoken: successful weight loss should be based on eating healthy foods in reasonable portions; limiting sugars, alcohol, and refined starches; and getting plenty of exercise. In their expert eyes, The 17 Day Diet falls short in its beginning by requiring limits and restrictions on certain fruits and vegetables.

Thank you experts! Randy and I, both, tried The 17 Day Diet and couldnt agree more. Truly, the above medical advice is the base line we follow for our good health. Oh, we have tried a few diet trends. But in the end we always agree, Lets just stick to eating healthy and exercising.

Randy and I may agree with the experts, but thats not to say that The 17 Day Diet is a flop. We did learn some new and valuable information weve added to our eating habits (probiotic yogurt is awesome for you, but thats another blog). Let me tell you a little about this diet and our experience on it

The 17 Day Diet is Doctor Michael Morenos strategy for rapid weight loss. Its based on 3 cycles, each lasting 17 days, plus a 4th long-term maintenance cycle. Moreno claims whether its 10 pounds or 100 pounds, this plan can help you lose weight quickly, avoid the dreaded plateaus, and revamp your metabolism.

Cycle 1 is what Dr. Moreno calls the accelerate cycle: includes eating lots of lean protein, cleansing vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, and low-sugar fruits such as berries and apples (no fruit after 2pm), healthy fats (olive oil, flaxseed oil), low-fat yogurt, water and green tea.

It prohibits many foods including most fast foods, fried foods, processed foods, starchy carbohydrates such as bagels, pasta, crackers and white bread, and fruits such as pineapple and bananas.

Moreno writes, Most people can expect to lose 10 to 15 pounds during the first 17 days. And I do think this is true for the most part, if those people have the will power to follow cycle 1 to the tee.

Randy and I started out on cycle 1 ok, but truthfully, we gave up after day 4. The menu was too restrictive. Both of us were physically tired and drained of energy. This was terrible, considering we have 2 little kids and a baby to keep up with. We were moody, even a little shaky sometimes (I think from low blood sugar). This had to be the result of lacking in calories and cutting too many healthy varieties of foods. It was obvious that this cycle wasnt balanced nutritionally for us, and as a result, we caved.

Those 4 days were not without some success though. We did lose weight. I lost 4 pounds and Randy lost 2 1/2. But, 4 pounds in 4 days? Thats a pound a day and to what expense!?!

Needless to say, Randy and I did not move onto to experience the next 3 cycles. Kathleen M Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, an expert at WebMD, offers a detailed explanation of these cycles, how they work, and how to eat while following them, please see WebMD. I found her review to be very informative and on spot when describing the book.

Please check out the link provide above, read more information about the book, and decide for yourself if this diet is right for you. With some preparation and serious dedication, it really could help you lose weight quickly. I will give Dr. Moreno credit for addressing such willpower and other issues like emotional eating, portion control, and identifying food triggers.

All in all, Randy and I do think if you are determined to lose weight fast and are mentally prepared for the rules of The 17 Day Diet accompanied with lots of support, you can lose weight and fast! For some of you, Dr. Morenos plan may fit. I cannot say we didnt lose weight, and in all fairness, Randy and I did not see it through to the last cycle. Considering our 4 day experience, though, even with the success of losing weight, we still agree, Lets just stick to eating healthy and exercising.

Amy

P.S. If you want to check out The 17 Day Diet for yourself Amazon has it for half the price of the official website

Read more:
The 17 Day Diet Review - Does It Work Or Is It A Scam?