Fasting

Recently Answered

• QWhy doesn't fasting lead to weight loss?

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  A Shannon Sorrels, CPT , Fitness, answered on behalf of Physix - Fitness Training and Nutrition

  If you do it long enough, it will - look at starving nations for proof. This method of weight loss is NOT recommended.

  If you fast for a few days expecting some crazy loss rate, you may or may not see it. Chances are, your body started convincing you a nap sounded really good, let's skip the gym today and watch some extra TV. If you do manage to see some loss, you probably won't hang onto it. When you get to eat again, you probably overeat.

  Just stick to 500-750 calories/day less and get out and walk more. Stay on your feet!

• QWhy does fasting make me store more fat?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  When you starve yourself for more than 12 hours, your metabolic rate actually goes down by 40 percent. Your body senses a dietary disaster and quickly goes into storage mode, rather than burning mode. That's the primary reason why deprivation diets don't work. Your body panics about going into a famine, so it slows metabolism into emergency-storing mode, rather than a steady state of burning. Breakfast eaters are on average thinner than those who skip breakfast because they keep their metabolism genes turned on, which means calories are more likely to be burned off before they can turn into fat.

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• QHow can I make fasting easier for myself?

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  A Lisa Oz , Health Education, answered

  One thing that helps is to schedule your fast while your kitchen is under construction so that any temptation to cheat is thwarted by the mere absence of food. If major renovations are not an option, take a weekend at a spa where everyone else is fasting too (especially if you have never done it before). But, if you are going to white-knuckle it alone, here are some tips:

  1. Start small: Try all raw foods one day a month. When you have done that a couple of times, move on to a simple juice fast. Stay away from the sweet fruit juices, since they will give you sugar highs and crashes. Invest in a good juicer and make your own delicious combinations of fruit and vegetables. You can throw in a tiny piece of ginger too if you like it. As the single-day fast becomes easier, you can progress to three days a month and work your way up to a week a few times a year.
  2. Make the cleanse comprehensive: See if you can use this period to cut out the emotional junk as well as the physical. Avoid surfing the Internet and watching TV. Do not spend time with people who drain you, and find quiet time for reflection each day. Fasting brings up a lot of issues - especially when you are one of those people who use food to suppress them.
  3. Enlist the people around you as your support team: Let your family and friends know what you are embarking upon so that they do not inadvertently sabotage your efforts by inviting you to a wine tasting on day four.