Lose weight in 2012 - find an effective fast diet to get rid of that extra weight and look great.
The Fast and Easy way to lose weight
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The information presented on this site is for general use only and is not intended to provide personal medical advice or substitute for the advice of your physician.
Always consult your doctor or medical professional before beginning any diet or exercise plan.
Juice Diet
Juice Diet - lose pounds in a few daysYou want to lose weight fast in order to slip into that party dress or just look good quickly, so what are the options? We hear about detox diets helping celebrities drop weight quickly, so do they work? Many 'fasting' type diets promise rapid results with claims of losing you around 7 pounds in a week, which can appeal if you have a 'posh do' to go to and need to look slim! Is just juice a healthy option? There are differing opinions as to whether this type of quick-fix diet is a healthy option. The recommended juices are made from fresh fruit and vegetables, and generally include various supplements, such as psyllium husks to increase the fibre, so are basically a healthy source of vitamins,minerals and antioxidants. However, some dieticians believe that if you cut your calorie intake too much then the body's metabolic rate will drop, and as a result burn calories more slowly. Detox diet kick-start Starting a Juice Diet You will need lots of fresh fruit and vegetables - organic is best, to avoid pesticides. Most juice diets recommend using a mix of sweet apples, pineapple, blueberries, avocado, carrots, spinach, watercress, kale, beetroot, celery, ginger, lemons and limes. You will also need a juice extractor. You can drink herbal teas, and hot water with a slice of lemon to replace caffeine-filled tea and coffee. It's important to keep drinking plenty of water and to get enough rest during your juice diet or detox. Read our 7 day blog from Katie, one of our team, who was brave enough to try a juice diet, in order to drop a dress size in a week. Day 1 I am feeling very determined to make this work, and quite excited at the prospect of losing around half a stone by next week! Yesterday I bought everything I will need to get through the first few days. As the diet I've chosen is based around fresh fruit and veg then I am going to buy it every few days so its all nice and juicy and green! Instead of my wake-up coffee I had hot water with a slice of lemon. Then for breakfast I had a juice mix. I made up enough juice to last all day at work.
I have the beginnings of a headache this evening so go to bed early - no doubt due to a caffeine withdrawal, I usually drink around 3-4 cups of coffee and even more cups of tea every day.* Day 2 Have woken up with a really bad headache, and the smell of my partner's
morning coffee really isn't helping as I sip my hot water! Went to yoga again this evening, but 'downward facing dog' position made my head throb!* Feeling tired, so even earlier bed tonight. Am disappointed that I haven't experienced the energy surge as promised by drinking all this fresh fruit and veg. Day 3 Woke an hour early - before my alarm which is unheard of! However, I still have a headache. Am drinking lots of water to hopefully flush away all my toxins. I really can't face my breakfast juice, so just put it into pots to take with me to work. I really hope I'm going to be able to continue with this, but I don't feel brilliant at the moment. Will try to stick with it - I've got my new gorgeous dress for next week's party hanging on my bedroom door, and I really want to be able to wear it! Managed 3 juice mixes today and didn't get my usual drowsy feeling at my desk around 4pm. I definitely have more energy and am speeding through my work. Am chewing parsley every now and then, just in case my breath has started to smell - I read this can be a side effect of a detox diet. Going for a swim this evening and headache has thankfully gone. My waistband is already feeling looser. Day 4
I have added some psyllium husks I got from the health food shop to my breakfast juice to help tackle my constipation problem. I am pleased that I have got over half way through my detox plan, and I'm impressed at my will power. The down side is that I am getting pretty bored with the taste of the juices, and I have become a bit anti-social this week, as I can't face going out after work with the team tragically clutching a flask of juice! I keep telling myself it will be worth it. Feeling lighter and energised - am certainly going to eat more fruit and veg in my diet from now on, as it seems to be doing me good! Day 5 It's nearly the weekend and I'm feeling much slimmer. The extra fibre in the juices really worked. My bloating has gone and my tummy is definitely flatter, so I wear my pencil skirt. I'm beginning to look forward to the party next week with my smaller waistline. The tiredness has passed and I feel great, although a bit light-headed every now and then. To be honest though I will be really pleased to pack up my juice extractor and put it back into the cupboard under the stairs where it lives normally! Aspirations of being a regular juicer are starting to diminish, I am fantasising about a nice juicy steak!
The first day of the weekend and I am finding it difficult to keep going. I have read since starting this diet, that it is better to begin it on a Wednesday, rather than choosing a Monday ,as otherwise the last days fall on the weekend and temptations to give up are everywhere.
I didn't manage to do the complete juice diet plan, but I got the result I wanted in 5 days anyway. It was very hard-going though, mainly I think due to the caffeine withdrawal. So for that reason I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, unless they have a steely determination to drop pounds quickly. A juice diet is hard but it certainly works. It may mainly be water that I've lost, but I don't care because the dress fits! In my opinion the juice diet is ok for an emergency situation, when you are desperate to lose weight fast, and I'm sure it could be helpful to kick-start a reduced calorie diet. Being on the juice plan has made me look closely at my eating habits; I can't face the prospect of a juice for a long time, but I have switched to de-caffinated tea and coffee and am going to increase my fruit and veg intake! |
I
certainly haven't been hungry, in fact the opposite. I went to a
yoga class this evening, as I read that when you are detoxing it
helps to do some form of exercise, to help clear all the toxins
out. I'm also dry skin brushing in the morning before my shower,
as that is also supposed to help eliminate toxins and exfoliates
the body as well.
No
trouble getting up this morning, and I am actually getting used
to my lemony hot water. Bit spotty today, but could be part of the
detox process. Am feeling a bit bloated, so missed out one of my
morning juices.
I
have to admit defeat I'm afraid, I took my juice to a brunch with
friends, but caved in to temptation and ate a small portion of scrambled
egg! So when I got home I tried on the dress and it was a perfect
fit! I jumped on the scales and found I have lost 5 lbs, so am thrilled.*When undertaking a detox diet including avoiding caffeine, if you are used to drinking quite a few cups of coffee and tea it is less of a shock to your system if you can cut down before you go on your detox. more on caffeine withdrawal
*When you are detoxing and experiencing a caffeine withdrawal headache it is better to avoid inverted yoga positions like downward-facing dog, head or shoulder stands and forward bends. Practising gentle yoga with sitting or lying positions, combined with meditation, can really help you to get through the detox.
It is generally accepted that any quick-fix diet is not sustainable, and that it is your daily eating habits and lifestyle that you need to address. It has been proven many times that losing around 2 lbs a week by gradually reducing your calories and increasing your exercise is much more effective with weight loss, and most importantly the weight is far more likely to stay off.
Change your lifestyle with a healthier eating plan rather than using a quick fix is the repeated advice from diet experts.
Consult your doctor or medical professional before beginning any diet or exercise plan.
Emma's
Diet Tip 
Eating raw foods can help increase your metabolism and detoxify the body - they take longer for your body to digest, so burn more calories and you don't lose any vitamins through cooking.
Top Detox Fruit and Veg
Apple - full of pectin which helps get rid of toxins
also a rich source of flavonoids - a powerful antioxidant.
Avocado - teeming with essential fatty acids, antioxidants
and fibre to help prevent constipation.
Beetroot - aids in easy digestion of food and has been shown to reduce blood pressure.
Celery - contain minerals that reduce acidity, help lower chloresterol and act as a natural laxative.
Cucumber - a natural diuretic, this will aid your detox and is full of antioxidants and vitamins
Lemon - contains flavonoids which have antioxidant
and anti-cancer properties. This delicious fruit is also a natural antiseptic
and aids digestion.
Pineapple - this contains bromelain which helps your
digestive system remove 'bad bacteria' in your gut.
Spinach - full of beta-carotene and vitamin C which help protect the digestive system from the harmful effects of free radicals. Detoxifies and a source of iron.