Lose Weight – Fast
Although my mother doesn’t have a weight problem, she sometimes gets distraught by a few extra unwanted pounds that she claims are impossible to lose. Her attempt to shed them either takes an eternity or fails altogether, until recently.
It seems hypocritical for me to be touting about any diet because I am not a big fan of temporary fixes or trendy substitutions to practical nutrition. But when I heard about “The Fast Diet” and its popularity in the UK, I was intrigued.
The Fast Diet, the book by Dr. Michael Mosley and the former columnist for The National, Mimi Spencer, that is currently topping Amazon’s book charts and taking the UK by storm states, “this seems less like a monotonous calorie-counting trudge through the week and more like an achievable challenge.”
The secret behind the diet is fasting for just two days a week and eating as you normally would the rest of the week. On the two fasting days, adults consume about 25-percent of normal calorie intake, about 500 calories for women and 600 for men.
What happens after the brain is deprived of food is scientific and spectacular. It starts producing a protein called brain derived neurotrophic factors. Repair and revitalization of dying neurons in the brain begins which makes you feel happier and smarter. This protein can also help to reverse and further delay the progression of diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other ocular diseases.
“The trick is to keep busy on the fast days,” says Spencer. “Drink black tea or coffee. Have a Fast Friend who’s on the same regime and ‘gets it’ and can offer support if you’re feeling hungry. And remember that tomorrow is another day, a day when you can eat freely. And if you’re really desperate, a little snack is okay – carrots and hummus, a handful of almonds.”
“As your appetite changes and you’ve weaned yourself off constant grazing and high-calorie, quick-release carb foods, you stop craving foods that you once relied upon and you start wanting to eat more healthily, even on non-fast days. It’s a positive feedback loop,” says Spencer.
Do your research, talk to your doctor and lose weight, fast. It worked for my Mom, and who knows it may work for you as well.
For questions or comments email: suzannemcginnis@me.com