Why I Dont Fast To Lose Weight

Article #5: Why I Don’t Fast To Lose Weight By Marti Fry

I have a tendency to overeat because I, like so many others, greatly enjoy eating. I find it difficult to consistently control myself when it comes to how much I eat and how often. It takes determination. It also takes pursuit of other activities, such as studying, hiking and conversing, that give me my “kicks” in more wholesome ways than “recreational eating.”

I was about ten pounds overweight a couple of years ago, and, on my small frame, it looked like a lot because the fat concentrated around my middle. I fasted every week for one to three days and lost my extra weight—but I gained it back when I stopped my weekly fasts because I was accustomed to eating too much on the days when I wasn’t fasting.

Next I tried a single long fast for a couple of weeks. Again I lost my extra weight. But, again I gained it back, this time because I had such a raving appetite and experienced such a keen enjoyment of my food. (Food tastes better after a fast because of the enhancement of our sensory perceptions when we are less toxic.)

I spoke with Dr. Vivian V. Vetrano, a professional Hygienic practitioner, about my problem of keeping excess pounds off. She recommended that I stop fasting to lose weight. Instead, she said, I should develop good daily habits. She advised me to eat slightly less than I would for weight maintenance, to refrain from snacking, to engage in daily vigorous exercise, and to get plenty of rest and sleep. She said I would lose about two to three pounds a week and keep it off.

I didn’t lose two to three pounds a week. In fact, I lost only about a pound a week because I didn’t cut down on how much I ate as much as I should have. But I did lose weight—and I did keep it off!

In the last month or so I gained a couple of extra pounds. I fasted for 36 hours last week and lost them. But, after the fast my appetite was enormous. It took larger portions of food to fill me up, and I got hungry more often. This lasted for a couple days after my fast. My appetite was great and my eating capacity was temporarily increased.

Eating more heavily and more often than normal immediately after my fast got me started on a bad habit of overeating. Not only did I regain the weight lost, but I also gained an extra pound or two! So now it’s time for me to forget about fasting and get back in the habit of moderate eating every day.

Note: Many people find fasting to be the easiest, quickest, and most effective way to lose weight. Others, like myself, find it better not to fast to lose weight. But all people keep their weight off by healthful living and eating habits.