The Fast Diet – Does It Work?
Like many people, especially ladies of a certain age, I now battle with my weight. Something that I never thought about before I was forty.
When I was approaching my 50th birthday, apart from wondering where the years have gone, my husband and I decided to go on a top notch 6 star cruise with Seabourn.
I decided if I couldn’t lose weight for this, I was never going to do it, as I want to feel good and look good in my lovely dresses.
A lady who is a regular client came into the clinic the same day I booked the cruise, a day after I had read ‘The Fast Diet’ book by Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer. (Also referred to as the 5:2 diet.) She suffers with hypothyroid problems. It means she has a low metabolism so losing weight is really difficult. She was very upset having put a stone on in weight, despite doing lots of exercise and boot camps several days a week. In her words, she was desperate to lose weight.
We decided to start the diet plan together. We texted each other every week and she came for reflexology each week for 6 weeks. I got off to a dodgy start and lost nothing for 3 weeks, despite following the plan, but I felt better. My lady lost 3lb each week for 3 weeks. We both exercised. I went to the gym 3-4 times a week rowing and cycling.
By week 4 I suddenly lost 4lb and we were both feeling really motivated.
By week 8, my lady lost a stone and 3lb! She had worked harder at it than me as she had a holiday booked 6 weeks from our starting date. I had more time so went more slowly.
By the time I went on holiday, which was 14 weeks from when I started, I had lost 22lbs. I felt full of energy, I was wearing clothes I hadn’t worn for years and felt fantastic.
I also started measuring myself, including my neck and the area between under bust and waist. In fact I took 9 measurements to make sure I wasn’t missing any! I also bought some new scales to measure visceral (or bad) fat, and BMI. All this helped me keep motivated as there were times I didn’t lose weight, but when I took measurements, I had lost size.
I lost 3 inches off my bust, 4 off my waist, 3 inches off my bum and 4 inches each from my abdomen and thighs. Oh, and 3/4 of an inch off my neck! It all counts in my book!
I did so well, lots of my regular clients were asking me how I had done it and started the regime. Everyone who followed the plan lost weight and felt well.
I insisted they all read the book first and took medical advice if they had any health issues or were taking medication. This is especially important for diabetics.
Many people who come for colonics want to lose weight. In my experience there are many factors to consider.
We all know to lose weight we need to eat less and change your diet for good. But most of us need a quick start to motivate us, and this is where I think it can be as important to be ‘on a diet’ for a time, before changing eating habits long term.
Sometimes trying to make small changes doesn’t work as we just fall back to old habits. A big change in eating focuses your mind and as the weight starts to move, you are more likely to stick to it. By the time you are bored with it, you are very likely to then look into changing to a sustainable healthy balanced diet, where a bit of what you fancy does you good, and too much of anything is bad for you. It also makes a big difference if you can take some exercise too. It doesn’t have to be difficult, but it will enhance and speed up weight loss. Muscles burn more calories than fat and exercising burns calories too.
Everyone is different so this plan isn’t suitable for everyone. your diet needs to fit with you to work, so it depends what you like to eat, when, how often and must fit your lifestyle. Remember, there’s no such thing as a ‘free food’. Also, your body needs a proper balance of nutrients so excluding food groups or eating only certain foods is never a good idea.
If you want help or advice with your diet please contact me for advice.
You should consult your doctor or seek medical advice if you have any health problems or take any medication before starting any dietery change. Also, you must seek medical advice if you suffer sudden weight loss for no apparent reason.