General Motors Weight Loss Diet in Detail

I've personally done this program and it works! If you're looking to lose weight fast, get toned muscles and detoxify, this is the best diet for you. I recommend that you try it today, don't waste no time. Your body will thank you for it.

The following diet and health program was developed for employees and dependents of General Motors, Inc. and is intended for their exclusive use. This program was developed in conjunction with a grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. It was field tested at the Johns Hopkins Research Centre and was approved for distribution by the Board of Directors, General Motors Corp. at a general meeting on August 15, 1985. General Motors Corp. wholly endorses this program and is making it available to all employees and families. This program will be available at all General Motors Food Service Facilities. It is management's intention to facilitate a wellness and fitness program for everyone.

Vegetable Stir-fry

Over the weekend i decided to prepare a vegetable stir-fry for my family. I had never cooked it before so it was all on a trial and error basis. I went to the market and got the ingredients below.

The ingredients

Weigh-In after Fruits & Vegies Diet

Spicy Rice Recipe

Since i started the General Motors Weight Loss Diet, i've been learning new recipes everyday. I'm considering going vegetarian for the next 2-3weeks so i'm researching as much as i can about fruits and vegetables. Everyday, i'm discovering new things i didn't know about fruits and vegies. Below is a recipe for spicy rice which i've just learnt to prepare. Quite nice if cooked properly.

Banana & Milk: Bad, Bad, Bad!

Yesterday was day 4 of the General Motors Weight-Loss Diet and we are supposed to drink 3 glasses of milk and have up to 8 bananas. I did have those and i've never felt so uncomfortable in my life. I was bloated the whole day, had trouble sitting up straight and was farting all day and all through the night.

General Motors Weight Loss Diet

So my sister introduced me the this diet termed General Motors Weight Loss Diet and i thought i'd have a shot at it.

Summer Fat Flush: Day 29

Starting yesterday, i'm on a fruits and vegies only diet for a whole week. I also get to eat a cup of rice on two days, i drink fruit juice and at least 3litres of water each day.

For breakfast, yesterday, i had apricots. Lunch i had apples and i slept on carrots. Woke up feeling so light in the morning. I did have a headache through-out the whole day but i woke up feeling better.

Summer Fat Flush: Day 22

Woohoo! Just realised i'm getting fitter and fitter by the day. Yesterday, after my workout at the gym, i waited for the boyfriend (Mr. S) to come pick me up. While waiting, another gym class starts and i'm like, what the hell, might as well do it again. I joined the others for a run and guess what... wait for it... i ran 800m non-stop! A first in my life. Yay!!!

Summer Fat Flush: Day 21

Been away from both Blogger and the gym for the past week and a half. I've been detoxifying so i just didn't have the energy to exercise and didn't have anything to write about. The past week has been pretty hectic, with so much work to do and so many events to prepare for and attend. I did good, anyway, because i made through all the hustles.

Summer Fat Flush: Day 9

So for the past two days i haven't been able to attend both my exercise sessions and zumba classes due to reasons beyond my control.

Been missing the work~outs plus everyone from my class. Sartuday is weigh~in day and i`m just not ready. I`m afraid i`m going to be the only person with no weight change. I am so dreading Sartuday. Ughr!

Summer Fat Flush: Day 7

I must say that i was rather energetic this morning. We didn't have any sessions over the weekend so we got to rest and relax. As is custom, i cheated. Treated myself to a pizza and didn't even feel guilty about it because i knew i was going to work it all off.

Summer Fat Flush: First Weigh-In

First weigh-in of the Summer Fat Flush Challenge and these are the results:

Summer Fat Flush: Day 4

Not much happened today. It was weigh-in day and measurements were being noted. We all just ran 2km and that was it. I didn't managa to go for zumba today because i finished work late.

Summer Fat Flush: Day 3

This morning was super exciting for me because we did field exercises through-out. Because of time, we only ran 400m, and then we stretched afterwards. Exercise was quite intense, consisting of squats, frog-jumps, more running and other moves I don’t know the names to.

I wasn’t running out of breath that much today. For a minute there I felt like superwoman lol. I figured that, maybe, it’s because now I’m getting used to running every day. I’m hoping that by the end of the month, I’ll be running for a kilometer or two, straight, without puffing and panting or even walking.

Summer Fat Flush: Day 2

Yesterday we ran a kilometer and today our personal trainer (pt) upped it to 2km. At first i didn't think i was going to make it but i surprised myself.

I noticed that i was shot of breath for the first 300-400m. Soon after, i was breathing normally. I only experienced pain in my legs.

Summer Fat Flush: Day 1

Summer Fat Flush

If what you see in the mirror doesn't make you happy, then this is your chance to stop complaining and do something about it. This October we are launching a make over weight- loss boot camp , that will leave you all lookin extra hot.

My New Diet

So i decided to permanently change the way i eat and my lifestyle altogether and so far, the results are amazing.

My breakfast now consists of cereal with fruit only.

Keeping Fit!

So after the race, i actually sat down to think about my health. There was a lot of panting during the race from my part, so i've decided to jog every single day, come what may..

Last night, after i came back from work, recruited my boyfriend and we went jogging together. We did abouk 3km of combined sprinting, jogging and power-walking. I did notice that it was more difficult to do at first, but as we proceeded along, i got into it and it wasn't as difficult anymore.

Westgate Half Marathon Race

Old mutual hosted a half marathon race yesterday at Westgate Shopping Centre, which i attended. Registration was free and there were different categories to cater for everyone.

Cheat-Day! Yay!

One day in a week of eating everything you want doesn't hurt so i decided to make Sunday my cheat day. Monday i get back on the dreadful diet so whatever!

I went into Nando's and decided to just spoil myself to the limit. After much consideration, i finally settled for French fries, three grilled chicken wings, a coke and coleslaw salad. It tasted so good and at that moment i remembered why i was over-weight. It's because i love my food and i just can't say no to it! Food is the devil, i tell you!

Haute Water Bottle!

To Be Or Not To Be?

I pose this question at myself because i don't want to just talk about stuff and not live up to it. I can't inspire people through talk if my own life isn't an inspiration. How am i even supposed to motivate someone else when i personally lack self-motivation???

Of Fulfilled Dreams And All

I've always known that i'm a fighter (my Facebook name is Amazon) and an achiever, i just didn't know i could make it this far!

What's wrong with Blogger???

Circuit Workout

My online trainer suggests the following circuit training from now until Sunday, when she posts the workout video:

**Needs: bottle of water, towel, your phone to use the timer & some music!

I. Warm-up: 5mins jog in your garden or hood. Just get yourself warmed up!

Cake, Cake, Cake and more Cake!

So my sister enrolled at a cooking school two weeks ago and right now they are still being taught how to bake cake.

Me Now!!

I look at this recent photo of mine and i realise that i haven't made much progress. Darn! **but i'm no superwoman anyway**

CJF: Bootylicious Body for Summer Challenge

Been a while since i posted here. I'm ok, though.

Just joined this group on Facebook and i'm so looking forward to having a good time while i exercise and eat right.

I Miss My Blog!

Since Google Blogger changed the format, i cant post from my phone anymore because my phone's we browser is incompatible. For that reason, i cant even update my blog, just view it. I have to go to an internet cafe so i can work on the pc version. That's the reason i haven't been updating and i dont even know what's happening here anymore. All the same, i love you guys and yes, i'm still on my program...:-)

Get Fit Challenge : Week 1

It's a week into the challenge and i still haven't lost anything! I wouldn't call 400g anything! It's a shame!

Get Fit Challenge: Day 1

This is day one of the Get Fit Challenge and i decided to weigh-in. Below are my results:

My weight in kgs:


My weight in pounds:


Next weigh-in is in seven days. Let's see how this goes..

Get Fit: Coast to Coast Challenge

Fellow bloggers at Get Fit: Coast to Coast are holding a challenge which starts today and i'm glad to be a part of it.

Basically, to be a winner, you must lose the highest percentage of body weight. The challenge starts today, 9 April, and runs for 8 weeks until the 4th of June.

Killing Myself With Food!

It being a holiday and all, i decided to put my fast on hold for a while, or until the Easter holidays are over. When i do get back to fasting, i want to start with water fasting for the first few days (7 to 10 days) then after that i can get into intermittent fasting. I want extreme detox to take place quickly for the first few days then when my body has cleansed itself of all toxins, i can move on to IF and gradually lose weight.

Day 16

Eating two meals has almost become sort of a ritual for me these days. I do have my breakfast in the morning around 9 and then my supper in the evening at 7. My water intake is not fixed to a specific time, though, i just drink water as and when i need to. I know i'm not doing myself any good by not drinking water as much as i should. I used to drink at least 2 litres of water everyday but it just sort of went away, now i don't like water as much as i did. I'm struggling to drink just a litre these days.

Day 15

I've always known that i have a strong willpower but what i didn't know is that it's very strong. I got a major test in my life today and i'm glad to say that i stood my ground and came out victorious.

What Is Intermittent Fasting

Wikipedia describes Intermittent Fasting (IF) as a pattern of eating that alternates between periods of fasting (usually meaning consumption of water only) and non-fasting.

There are many different ways of doing IF which may include a 24 hour period of fasting then another 24 hour period of non-fasting. The most common one and easiest one to do is the one where one gives themselves 18 hours of fasting then have a six hour period in a day where they eat low carb foods. during the six hours, depending on one's personal goals, a person can have one or two meals. Weight loss is not as rapid as when a person is water fasting but you do begin to see the results within two weeks. The average weight loss on IF is 1 to 1.5 pounds per week.

Because the weight loss process is slow with IF, people normally do water fasting first, then when they get to the desired weight, they start IF inoder to maintain their weight.

Day 14

I had breakfast in the morning, which was bread, eggs and coffee. Soon after i went to see my boyfriend, who tried to make of eat as soon as i got there but, of course, i declined. Later on, around 6pm, he went into the kitchen to get some food without even telling me that he was bringing me some and i was forced to eat it (i kinda wanted to eat, it's not like he held a gun to my head lol. I still could have said on if i really didn't want it). It was a light meal, though except i had Coke. He have me 3 slices of bread (second time i'm eating bread today!) with 2 slices of bacon and a beef banger then the Coke.

When i got home, because our maid was off work today, i had to cook for my father and sister. I did that successfully without even tasting the food then i retired to bed as they ate. So two meals today, plus 1l of water. Not bad!

Day 13

I had a hangover today, i lay in bed till 10am. I had a huge breakfast today which consisted of 4 slices of bread, eggs and coffee. Not really a good idea for someone who's trying to lose weight but damn, alcohol is the devil!

My cousin came to pick me up and we visited relatives all over town. Got back home and had my second meal for the day. Only managed to have a litre of water. I have to go to bed early today because i didn't get enough sleep last night.

Day 12

When i woke up, i had trouble walking. My legs were hurting so bad because of the walk that i had yesterday. However, that did not stop of from walking again today. I walked for 30 minutes and pain in my legs, especially hips, was so excruciating but i did it anyway.

Day 11

I decide to do a little exercise in the form walking today so left the house in the morning and went. Initially, i had planned to walk for an hour but i took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up getting lost along the way. I ended up walking for an hour and 51 minutes. I was so exhausted and when i finally got home, i climbed onto my bed and just law there for the next hour.

Day 10

I feel like superwoman right now. For the second day in a row i've managed to have only one meal (yay!) and my litre of water. For me, being able to do that is major. You now how it is when you have an addiction and you can see that you're making progress, it brings with it a sense of achievement and for a while there you feel invincible.

Day 9

When i woke up in the morning i was like what the hell, let me just get on the scale and find out how much i weigh, which i did and was surprised to discover that i had not gained anything at all after the bad food choices that i've made for the past three,days.

Today i managed to have one "meal" and 1.3l of water. Meal is in quotes because i didn't have proper food, just slices of pizza. i do feel good about myself because i've, at least,been able to keep my food intake minimal.

I'm excited about this one thing here: i've been invited by Ngoda Business Info to attend their magazine launch in the capital, Harare, on the 5th of April 2012. i feel like now i do have another reason to go on this water fast that i have been blabbering about and yet have not been able to do. I have a week to shed off extra weight. I MUST look good, i definitely do not want to see "humps" through my dress, it just ain't a pretty sight! So here goes...

Day 8

So today was supposed to be my weigh-in day but i didn't do it. I basically didn't want to know anything that the scale had to tell me. I've been on a binge for the past 3 days, today included so i know the numbers are not in my favour and i'm just not ready to face the truth right now because i know that it will just demotivate and that's the last thing i want at the moment.
I travelled out of town to see my sister who's in boarding school today so i made sure that i ate before leaving home because i didn't want to have to buy food on my way. I had a cup of coffee with four slices of bread then when i got there, i had a coke. I came back really late and by that time, i was already very hungry. All i wanted to do was eat so when i got back into town, i ordered some junk food for myself. It was french fries, deep fried chicken, coleslaw salad and a coke. I felt full when i was halfway through but i couldn't stop eating because i hate "wasting", considering food is so expensive here!

21:33 it is and i'm ready to in to bed now, feeling bloated as ever!

Ketosis For Weight Loss

As explained in this post,, if the body can switch from being a carb-
burning machine to a fat-
burning one, the person loses weight. We store our fat, sometimes in undesirable places, such as our hips, buttocks, tops of thighs and our tummy. Carbohydrates cannot be stored like fat can. If our body is in carb-burning
mode, we eat when carb (carbohydrate) levels go
down, in order to get our
energy. To achieve ketosis,
the body must be on a high
fat/protein and low carbohydrate diet. According to some organizations and experts, such as Dr. Atkins, with proper monitoring (urine dip stick, for example), levels of ketosis can be kept
within safe limits and the dieter can reach his/her ideal bodyweight without
suffering unbearable hunger.

There are certain risks on
sustaining a prolonged high
protein, low carbohydrate
diet. If keytone levels are not monitored properly, there may be a strain on the kidneys, there is a higher risk of developing kidney stones because more calcium is excreted through urine, and there is a higher risk of osteoporosis. Some experts say there is also a higher risk of having unhealthily high cholesterol levels. However, several studies, such as this one have revealed that not only does a low-fat/high protein diet reduce cholesterol levels, but it also brings down blood pressure in individuals with hypertension.

What Is Ketosis

Ketosis is a condition in which levels of ketones (ketone bodies) in the blood are elevated. Ketones are formed when glycogen stores in the liver have run out. The ketones are used for energy. Ketones are small carbon fragments that are the fuel created by the breakdown of fat stores. Ketosis is potentially a serious condition if keytone levels go too high.

However, when the body is in ketosis the individual tends to feel less hungry, and will probably eat less than he/she might otherwise do. The body switches from being a carbohydrate-burning
organism into a fat-burning
one. The fat stores become a primary energy source, and the person loses weight. That is why low-carb diets have become popular, and effective, especially among obese people.

The modern human body in
most societies usually
metabolizes glucose from carbohydrates for energy purposes, rather than energy from fat. If there is not enough glucose (from
carbohydrates) in the
bloodstream the body draws on fat stores for fuel, causing the appearance of ketones in the blood. Ketones are produced by the liver from fatty acids.

We need proteins and fats for building and repairing tissue and cells - proteins and fats can also be sources of energy. If necessary, the body can get all its energy from fats and proteins.

Our brain can use glucose or ketones for energy; it cannot generally burn fat for energy.

When there are plenty of
carbohydrates in the body, it breaks them down into
glucose, which is then
converted into energy and
transported into the cells of our body.

Ketones consist of acetone,
acetoacetate or beta-
hydroxybutyrate. Very high
ketone levels can be toxic,
making the blood more acid, and may damage such organs as the kidneys and liver.

The human body tries to
lower acetone (a ketone)
levels by breathing it out,
causing a sweet and fruity
breath. We also reduce
keytone levels by expelling them through our urine.

Day 7

All i have to say is i ate like crazy today!

Day 6

I woke up with a bit of a hangover this morning. I tried to drink water but it just wouldn't go down. I then decide to have a cup of coffee which i had with biscuits. For supper i had fried chicken, french fries and a soft drink. Bad choice to make considering i'm trying to lose weight. Anyway. I'll make up for it..

Day 5

I didn't manage to update yesterday because i ended up going on a date last night and we got back home very late. I managed to have only one meal yesterday and a litre of water, which was a good thing.

The only thing, though, is that i ended up having a bit of alcohol which, i think, defeated the whole purpose. Staying away from food or alcohol may be hard because like i mentioned earlier, it's my date night every week on this particular day. I'll probably make this my cheat day.:)

Day 4

10:25 I'm still sitting in bed because i'm dreading to wake up and get busy because i know that i might not be able to resist the temptation. I've been having hunger pains for the past 15 minutes or so. I know that if i stay in bed for 10 more minutes, by the time i get up, they will be gone. I weighed myself earlier and i noticed that my weight hasn't changed at all. This is because i haven't done a total water fast as yet, been having a meal or two for the past 3 days. I intend to change that today, though.

12:41 Once again, i couldn't stay away from the coffee! I've just had my cup and i hate myself for it!

21:24 Am preparing to go to bed now. I had my second meal two hours ago and i don't feel so good right now. I'm bloated! I don't know why i just can't stick to my program. Why is it so difficult???

Day 3

Not too much to write about today. I had two meals today and less than 500ml of water.

I spent the whole day on the internet, downloading software because i recently formatted my laptop and lost most of my software. I also managed to update my blog by adding a sitemap. I'd been trying to do it for a while now but i just didn't know how to and today i came across a site that provides a free script that generates a sitemap for you. All you have to do is edit out their url and put yours.

I wanted to update my gallery page but for some reason, my blogger was refusing to upload images and i just don't know why that is. Hopefully next time i get on the internet, i'll be able to do that.

Time to go to bed now. I've just gone on my period so i've very bad stomach cramps that are killing me. Goodnight you all..:-)

Day 2

I had a very bad day today. Nothing happened, it's just that i had a bad dream last night and it's the only thing that was on my mind all day.

In the dream, my mom was shaving my hair then when she was halfway, she told me that she wanted to do something else so she left me to finish off, which i did effortlessly.

Day 1 (Water Fasting)

7:52am Just got out of bed, looking forward to this day. First day of a fast is usually easy so i know i'm gonna be fine. It's up to me to make it happen. If i fail to make it through today i'll have noone else to blame but myself, but i definitely do not want to go that route. My weight this morning at this very moment is 95.4kg (damn! How did i get here?). Here goes... woohoo:)

1:23pm I feel so hungry right now and i've just decided to have a cup of coffee and two slices of bread. It's not going to do a lot of harm (well i know that at least thinking that way is going to make me feel better).

10:15pm It's time to go to bed. I didn't have as much water as i should have today, i probably had just a litre. It went good, probably because i had coffee and bread in the afternoon. I promise myself that tomorrow i'm gonna try to totally abstain from food. Goodnight journal..

My Pre-existing Conditions

1) Sometimes i feel pain right at the heart area. I haven't gone to get checked by the doctor as yet because i'm fearing the worst. I'm just not ready to hear any news that might make me sad and stress me out.

I'm A Failure!

Right after weighing myself what do i do? Go straight to the kitchen to prepare myself an oversized meal. I cooked scrambled eggs, which i ate with 4 slices of bread and Fanta. How do i feel right now? Bloated and angry at myself for allowing myself to be won over by my eating demons/desires.

I feel like i'm a total failure right now! I just can't stop kicking myself in the butt!

Damn!

These are my statistics as of today:

Weight = 95kg
Bust = 105cm
Waist = 104cm
Hips = 124cm
Arms = 34cm
Thighs = 79cm
BMI = 36.6

I still haven't started my fast, i keep pushing it back for some reason. And it's so horrifying to find out that i've gained 1,2kg since my last weigh-in. I'm crashed!

I guess i just don't have the right mentality at the moment. I guess i need time to prepare myself mentally before i can undertake this journey. If only i can overcome my addiction to food i know i'll be just fine!

Starting Over!

So because of a lot of staff that's been happening in my life of late, i put my fast on hold for the past 2-3 weeks and i think i've gained a pound or two since then because i noticed just this morning while getting ready for church that my clothes have become a bit tighter now!

I'm a fighter, though, and i'm not going to let that deter me. So i'm determined to start again tomorrow and this time all my heart is into it! I'm in the process of recording my debut album and soon i'll be making videos so i've got to look awesome (you know how T.V. makes everything look big!).

I haven't weighed myself in a while now and i'm so dreading the scale right now but then there's no other way around it so tomorrow i weigh myself and update my statistics (agrrh!).

Tomorrow the journey begins (for the second time lol) and i pray that this time, i actually get to the finishing line!

What Is Metabolism

Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) your body burns to maintain itself. Whether you are eating, drinking, sleeping, cleaning etc... your body is constantly burning calories to keep you going.


Metabolism is affected by your body composition. By body composition, I mean the amount of muscle you have versus the amount of fat. Muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than fat. People who are more muscular (and have a lower percentage of body fat) are said to have a higher metabolism than others that are less muscular. For example, let's say you have two people who are the exact same height and weight. One exercises on a regular basis with weights, in addition to aerobic exercise, and has a low percentage of body fat. The other never exercises and has a higher percentage of body fat. The first person who exercises will have a higher metabolism than the second person. What this basically means is that person #1's body will use more calories to sustain itself than person #2.

How To Increase Metabolism




Begin to exercise and stop dieting. If you've never exercised before, make sure you see a doctor before beginning a new exercise program (your problems with metabolism may be the result of a medical condition rather than your diet or lack of exercise).


You can increase your muscle mass by doing some type of resistance work (i.e. lifting weights, using exertubes, rubberbands, dynabands, hand weights etc...). You can also decrease your level of body fat by doing some type of aerobic exercise at least 3 days a week for longer than 20 minutes. By aerobic exercise, I mean an activity (such as walking, jogging, step aerobics, hi/low aerobics, biking, swimming etc...) that will increase your heartrate into the target zone and keep it there for the duration of the exercise session. You also need to eat! - Do not diet, just watch the types of foods you eat. Try to eat a diet that is lower in fat (check the labels on the foods that you buy).

Water-fasting is also one good way to increase your metabolism so go on, try it...:-)

Day 7

Had two meals and two litres of water. Will try to have, at most, one meal a day starting tomorrow.

Day 6

I’m still stressed out, still crying and my family is not even helping the situation, they are actually making it worse. I’ve had breakfast, three slices of bread with butter and a glass of Fanta. That was all I had today and I spent the whole night just sleeping.

Day 5

Not too much to write about today. I was stressed out big time and I was crying all day. I had three meals today and only 500ml of water. Back to crying again

Day 4

There was no weigh-in for me again this morning. Just like yesterday, I got too busy in the morning and left the house early and only came back around 11am and had my breakfast then. Soon after, I left the house again to take care of some business out of town. When I came back home around 2pm I was so tired and dehydrated because it’s so hot these days, it being summer. I had my second meal for the day between 3 and 4pm. I had rice with means and vegetables and a Fanta. Around 5pm I had a litre of water. I was going to have the other litre of water at 7pm but then there was a power cut and I just went to bed early.

Day 3

Woke up early to do chores around the house. I didn’t manage to weigh myself this morning because I was way too busy with other things that I totally forgot about it. Because I knew I was going to have a busy day, I decided to have my normal breakfast. Left the house in the early hours of the morning and was just busy, running around the whole day that I didn’t get to eat anything else or even drink water through-out the day. I only got to eat dinner later that evening and went to bed early because I was exhausted. I wasn’t happy at all with the fact that I didn’t drink any water at all because I know how good water is for me, especially when I want to lose weight.

Day 2

Day 1 (06 February 2012)

Time Wasted!

My Apologies

I just need to take this time to apologise to my followers for not updating this blog lately. It's because i have on proper internet connection at the moment. I am still writing, just saving it on my computer and i'll update all the entries at once when i finally get connectivity.

In the meantime, eat healthy and exercise!

Statistics as at 23/01/12

13 hours into my day 1 of 7 on water and my statistics are as below;
Weight : 93.8kg
BMI : 36.2
Waist : 104cm
Hips : 125cm
Bust : 107cm

7-day Water Fast Challenge

Tomorrow, the 18th of January 2012, i intend to go on a 7 day water fast challenge. My heart tells me to go for 40 days but i know that my body is not prepared for that. I, therefore, do not want to put too much pressure on myself because for longer fasts, one has to prepare mentally and physically.

For the past days, until today, i've been eating normally. Normal eating for me is two meals (three, at times) with at least a litre of water. For that reason, a longer fast is not ideal for me right now.

When you suddenly cut out food from your system, the body will react in a negative way during the first few days and then normalise later. Of course, this is nothing to worry about as this is all part of cleansing and detox.

I could have done more days, but i figured that it's better to set lower standards for myself for now then set higher ones as i progress (by then, fasting will be more or less a lifestyle).

My first official weigh-in is tomorrow. I intend to drink at least 2 litres of water per day everyday for the next 7 days. I will, most probably, weigh myself each morning so i know how much i lose on average per day. Since i'll be in the office all day, i'm not going to get any time to do a few light exercises but i'll definitely stretch to soften my muscles. I'm hoping to find ketone strips in one of the pharmacies around town (couldn't find any the other time i looked) just so i know when my body enters into ketosis. My toothbrush will be my best friend for the next 7 days: where i will be, there it will be also!

As i proceed, i will explain what a lot of words mean, like ketosis, metabolism, detoxification etc.

It's about 10pm now and time i lay me down to sleep, tomorrow is a big day!

Breaking your Fast

It is important to resume eating very lightly, and very gradually, in exact relationship to the duration of the fast. Therefore, if breaking a 40-day fast, you may want to start with only small quantities of fruit juice for several days up to a week, before actually resuming with solid food like regular fruit.

Important:

Healing Crisis

During your fast you may enter into a healing crisis, which indicates that a deeply seated sickness is being healed, but also this means that you are going in reverse through the reactions that you went through as your sickness progressed.

Pre-existing Conditions

Heart Disease
Include bananas and avocados when juice fasting to balance the blood sugar level. Toxins in the blood and reduced blood sugar levels may cause a weak heart to labor. Like any other organ, the heart needs nutrients, a toxin free environment, and time to heal. Also if one has the disorder of POTS it is advisable to take salt so that the blood pressure does not get too low.

Hypoglycemia
Do not juice fast unless you use bananas and avocados to balance the blood sugar level.

Kidney problems
Fasting can irritate damaged kidneys due to the amount of toxins they filter. Try short juice fasts of 3 to 5 days before progressing to longer fasts.

Liver Disease
The liver can become toxic due to abuse. If the liver is badly degenerated, cleansing must be done in stages. Start with short juice fasts and lead to fasts over five days. Avoid heavy proteins, refined flours and fatty foods. Eat meals of fruits or vegetables between the fasts.

Age
Nobody is too old to fast - it is exactly what the body needs to feel young again. Shorter fasts are recommended to start. Assess your physical state as you proceed. If juice fasting becomes too intense, bananas and avocados will lessen the intensity by slowing the cleansing.

Ulcers
Fasting will help significantly. Choose the juices that do not irritate the condition.

More Reactions from Fasting

Nausea
When waste is released too quickly by the lymph glands, some of the toxic overload is taken by the liver and secreted with bile into the stomach. This causes nausea. Drinking water or carrot juice will dilute the bile and toxin mixture helping to flush it from the system.

Nervousness
The elimination of toxins can irritate damaged nerves. Exercise will relieve tension. Use quarter slices of avocado to slow the fast or drink fruit juice if on a water fast. However, you should note that any food intake may cause one's hunger to return and make it more difficult to stay on the fast, just do the best that you can.

Skin disturbances
The skin may become oily as rancid oils are purged from the body. People with problem free skin may have a few days of pimples or boils. A pallid complexion is also a sign of waste in the blood. When cleansed of mucus and toxins, the skin will be healthy, soft and unblemished.

Tiredness
Tiredness is normal during water or restricted juice fasting. If the tiredness is too much, increase the quantity of sweet juices like melon and carrot juice.

Other Reactions from Fasting

Bad Breath
Waste passes through the lungs which are an eliminative organ. Brushing the tongue with a tooth brush, using dental floss and rinsing with mouthwash will reduce bad
breath.

Canker Sores
These may develop from a toxic buildup in the mouth. Unhealthy bacteria increases between the teeth.

Reactions from Fasting Continued

Spiritual
As the system detoxifies,many of these spiritual aspects of ourselves that have been waiting to come through for a long time are finally able to, and that person, hopefully fasting in an environment that is calm and serene and peaceful and loving, will be able to express and deal with these spiritual phenomena such that it can have a very beneficial and positive effect. Meditation, EFT and other tools can be used to help relate to spiritual and emotional phenomena.

Reactions from Fasting

The 'healing' reactions you get from fasting are dependent on your existing health and the toxic load present in your body when you start. The first three days can be the most difficult until one's appetite for food goes away, which it normally does after the third day. Many people experience headaches, joint pain and other discomforts in the first few days. Your tongue will become coated and your breath foul, and you may notice increased body odor. These are all normal detox reactions as the toxins move out of your body. With extended fasting you will notice some days are symptom free, then as you move into deeper layers of detoxification you will experience episodes of symptoms as your body cleanses these other systems. In the later stages you remove the mucous from your system and this can increase your likelihood to catch a flu or a cold. At times you may feel weak or tired, so you should listen to your body and rest. Periods of high-energy and mental clarity will be experienced and can be variable, alternating between periods of healing reactions and symptom free days. With extended fasts it is normal to also have strong emotional reactions that have been suppressed, as the body brings these to the surface also for healing... This can be a difficult period, but can be dealt with more easily with meditation or Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). The cleansing response that happens is dependent on experience with fasting,current health and level of toxins and sickness in your body. If you have an existing health condition, it is possible that you get a strong healing reaction or healing crisis.

If cleansing responses arise(headache, stomach upset, mental fog, lethargy,.etc) exercise great patience and take rest until symptoms pass. It's all part of the process. Always go to your capacity but never over- do. If unreasonably strong physical or emotional symptoms occur, it may be wise to discontinue.

Preparing for a Fast

*Inform yourself about fasting:
By doing your own investigation, reading all you can about the fasting process, the various kinds of fasts and what you can expect as side affects. If you have a pre- existing health condition then you should find out if there are contrary indications with fasting and your condition.

*Determine your cleanse duration and time period:
Try to arrangethat your fast is in a time period where you have low activity or lobsters. Avoid heavy kinds of work if at all possible. When it comes to long fasts and inability of somebody to handle a long fast, you just do the best you can. When detoxification increases as it does during fasting, the liver, kidneys, lungs and immune system work extra hard to handle the load. If these systems were already compromised before the fast, one must proceed carefully. You go as long as you can tolerate it, whether physiologically or emotionally, and then come back to eating again. Once you have some energy and are a few steps further toward health, you can consider doing another fast.

Several short fasts can definitely do wonders if one long fast cannot be undertaken. Long fasts are preferable to short ones because once the body is in the fasting state it cleanses systematically into the harder to get at body tissues. For this reason, most of the recoveries from illness have taken place in the latter parts of long juice or water fasts. Long fasts give the body the uninterrupted time to do the work of healing. The first few days of fasting gets rid of the gross waste products of digestion, but only after this can the body pull out its tools to get to work on healing.

Juice Fasting

Juice fasting is safe and can allow the body to clean itself of toxins while greatly improving conditions for health. A benefit is that your energy level is high because you are receiving sufficient nutrients from the juices, so you can carry out normal activities.

The Master Cleanse

I did mention in my other post that i was going to talk about a lot of things which are about fasting or weight loss so i decide to touch a little on the Master Cleanse, since it is a form of fasting though the majority of people that i know who've done it have done it mainly for cleansing their bodies and not for losing weight.

Briefly, The Master Cleanse or Lemon Cleanse is between a water fast and a juice fast. Basically it consists of drinking a mixture of freshly squeezed lemons, water and maple syrup for a period of 8 to 40 days. It is easier to do than a water fast because you are still getting nutrients and energy from the lemons and the maple syrup. This fast can be done while still maintaining your normal work, yet is less calories than what you would get from a juice fast. It is normal to lose weight on this fast and it is excellent for cleansing the colon. For this reason, i think this is worth doing! Oh, and i read somewhere that it's the one that Beyonce did to lose weight for her role in Dreamgirls.

Water Fasting Concerns

It is not advisable to water fast under the conditions of hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, schizophrenia or a chronic heart condition.

If you have existing conditions it is best if you consult with a fasting expert and/or be monitored throughout your fast.

Be careful of dizziness and black outs. The heart is resting as much as it can during water fasting. Before you stand up, take one or two deep breaths to get the heart pumping. If you start to black out, sit down or crouch down on one knee. This will immediately stop the dizziness.

Water Fasting Tips

*Before going on a water fast, you need to buy some type of colon cleanser to help the body start eliminating stubborn fecal debris and toxins.

*Avoid water straight from the faucet. Distilled water is the best for cleansing because of its inherent, magnetic properties and ability to absorb and suspend large quantities of toxins, flushing them from the body. The perceived value of mineral water is misleading because the inorganic minerals are like huge boulders to the cellular membranes, making them impossible to assimilate. Plants are able to break down the minerals from the soils, allowing them to be completely absorbable to the cells of the body. The best water is distilled, secondly, spring or filtered.

*There are no calories or nutritional value in water. On a water fast you have given your body no options but to turn to itself for fuel. This can create a problem when you have spent years depositing counterfeit fuel. Living exclusively on dirty fuel during a fast takes tremendous courage & strength. To ease into water fasting some recommend juice fasting with periods of water fasting. For example 3 days on juice, 2days on water, 5 days on juice, then 3 days on water. You can juice when you have to work and water fast on the weekend when you can rest. The more waste you can start to eliminate before fasting, the lesser the hunger pains and detox symptoms will be.

*It is highly recommended that you not work during a water fast, and most importantly that you not work during those first few critical days. If you work in a totally loving and supportive environment, it might be okay to work during the latter part of your fast.

*Take long baths, moisturize your skin with natural, chemical-free moisturizers, give yourself a manicure or pedicure, do a facial. Begin the practice of dry skin brushing to help eliminate toxins and stimulate the lymphatic system . Many like to sun or sit in hot tubs or saunas, but these can be dehydrating, so proceed with caution.

*Walk or do yoga or mild stretching exercises.

*Start practicing breathing exercises to help with detox and increase lung function.

*Keep a fasting journal, recording your feelings, impressions and insights. From this journal, you will discover your own unique set of water fasting tips to use for your next fast.

*During a water fast over 3 days, it is wise to use an enema.

Water Fasting

While water fasting, a person can fast from 1 to 40 days. One should always try to drink 2 liters of water or more per day.



The ten day water fast has become a recommended number of days.

Benefits of Fasting

*Mental clarity is improved and brain fog is lifted.

*Rapid, safe weight loss is achieved without flabbiness

*The nervous system is balanced.

*Energy level and sensory perception is increased. The longer the fast, the bigger increase in energy and vitality.

*You normally need less sleep.

*Organs are revitalized.

*Cellular biochemistry is harmonized.

*The skin becomes silky, soft, and sensitive.

*There is greater ease of movement.

*Breathing becomes fuller, freer and deeper.

*The digestive system is rejuvenated and becomes more effective; the peristaltic action of the intestines (the cause of a natural bowel movement) is stronger after fasting.

*Fasting retrains your tasting sense back to more healthy food as acute sensitivity is restored.

*Fasting can increase confidence in our ability to have control over our lives and our appetite, and that our body is self- regulating and a self-healing organism capable of establishing balance when given the possibility to do so.

*Normal metabolic and cell oxygenation are restored.

*Detoxification - as soon as the body realizes that it's fasting it will begin to eliminate those things that cause disease, such as fat cells, arterial cholesterol plaques, mucus, tumors, stored up worries and emotions.

Conditions which Fasting is Beneficial for

Although fasting is not recommended in every situation, (cancer of the liver is one instance where fasting is contraindicated), in many situations fasting is the only known solution. Fasting has been beneficial for arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, lupus, chronic fatigue, colitis, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, spastic colon, irritable bowel, cases of paralysis, neuritis, neuralgia, neuroses, and mental illness as well as many others. Fasting will also break down tumors and for this reason, many have overcome cancer with fasting.

Fasting and healing

During a fast, a metamorphosis occurs. The body undergoes a tearing down and rebuilding of damaged materials. For this reason, fasting is famous for its ability to rejuvenate and give the body a more youthful tone. Why does fasting have such a powerful effect in healing the body? Fasting dissolves diseased cells in a systematic manner, leaving healthy tissue. The result is a thorough cleansing of the tube, membrane and cellular structures. There is a remarkable redistribution of nutrients in the fasting body. It hangs on to precious minerals and vitamins while catabolizing on old tissue, toxins and inferior materials.

Each cell of your body is a complete living entity with its own metabolism. It needs a constant supply of oxygen and sufficient nourishment. When due to nutritional deficiencies, sluggish metabolism, sedentary life, overeating and consequent poor digestion and assimilation of food, lack of fresh air and sufficient exercise and rest, our cells are deprived... they start to degenerate... the normal process of cell replacement and
rebuilding slows down and your body starts to grow old, its resistance to disease will diminish and you become ‘sick’.

Animals will naturally fast when they are sick or injured, and when we are ill, our hunger diminishes. If we get out of the way and allow nature to take its course, we will find that we can heal from any problem. Since the dawn of recorded time, in fact since before the word "doctor" came into existence, priests provided sanctuaries where people could go to fast. Whereas modern medical practitioners admit that they have no cures, only drugs that mask the symptoms while causing yet other symptoms to appear.

“I had a medical practice for 20 years in NYC, supervised hundreds of long fasts, and I found that the physical healing or weight loss was but a pleasant side effect. What really happened is that the person got in touch with their higher self, their true self, and came to the experience that healing can take place at every level, simply by letting go and allowing Mother Nature to do her work.” – Dr. Rai Casey

Having learnt this about fasting, i get so excited about the fasting journey which i'm about to undertake because i know that not only am i going to lose weight, but i'm also going to get cured of certain underlying diseases. This, on its own, gives me great satisfaction and comfort.

How i look now

This is photo of me, showing how i look at the moment. I didn't want to have a typical "before picture" because before photos tend to be full and not so appealing so i decided to do something different and it came out just fine. This is how i look at my current weight.

Why should a person fast?

On a personal level, I have decided to fast in order to get rid of toxins in my body, to rejuvenate my body and mainly to lose weight. Listed below are some of the reasons why one may decide to fast.

Probably the most important reason is that the body uses quite a bit of energy to digest food, and when fasting this energy becomes available for other uses. In the
fasting state, the body will scour for dead cells, damaged tissues, fatty deposits, tumours, abscesses, all of which are burned for fuel or expelled as waste. The elimination of these obstructions restores the immune system functionality and metabolic process to an optimum state. Fasting restores good digestion and elimination, and peristaltic action is quickened. Fasting allows a deep, physiological rest of the digestive organs, and the energy saved goes into self healing and self-repairing. By eliminating obstructions, by cleansing, detoxification, and purifying the intestines, the blood, and the cells, we can overcome many of our physical ills or handicaps as well as getting a boost in energy.
Fasting not only removes obstructions and helps the body to heal itself; it is also rejuvenating and life- extending. These resulting benefits can have lasting affects in your mental and emotional health.

The other very important aspect is that your self-awareness will be elevated. If you are sick and depressed, then this might be the most important thing you can try in your healing program, because it gives you immediately an energy boost and increased awareness which might allow that you see things more clearly, allowing you the first step out of your sickness and onto the path of recovery. While fasting you become more aware of your body process, your life and with everything you are doing. It becomes a period where you can evaluate all that you're doing more objectively, and you naturally have more time for contemplation because you aren't using time amassing, preparing, eating, eliminating and cleaning up all which is used to prepare food. You become more aware of what your body likes and doesn't like when you start to eat again. You gain self- confidence in your ability to control your life process, to set a goal and carry out an intention.

After reading this, would you consider fasting at all? There are many different types of fasts which I will talk about later as I progress. Let me know if this little information is useful for now.

What is fasting?

Fasting is a period of abstinence from specific items. It could be food, sleep, or sex. During the absence of food, the body will systematically cleanse itself of everything except vital tissue. Starvation will occur only when the body is forced to use vital tissue to survive. Although protein is being used by the body during the fast, a person fasting even 40days on water will not suffer a deficiency of protein, vitamins, minerals or fatty acids. In the breakdown of unhealthy cells, all essential substances are used and conserved in a most extraordinary manner. There is an unwarranted fear of fasting that strength diminishes from the catabolism of proteins from muscle fibres. Even during long fasts, the number of muscle fibres remains the same. Although the healthy cells may be reduced in size and strength for a time, they remain perfectly sound.



A. J. Carlson, Professor of Physiology, University of Chicago, states that a healthy,
well-nourished man can live from 50 to 75 days without food, provided he is not exposed to harsh elements or emotional stress. Human fat is valued at 3,500 calories per pound. Each extra pound of fat will supply enough calories for one day of hard physical labour. Ten pounds of fat are equal to 35,000 calories! Most of us have sufficient reserves, capable of sustaining us for many weeks. Rest is understood to be a big factor in enhancing recovery, as it is when the body is at rest that it is able to direct the most energy towards the various chemical and mechanical processes of detoxification. When fasting, a person experiences recovery at a rate that is swifter than normal. He is ridding his body of toxins and excesses; allowing the body to use its own wisdom to healthfully reorganize itself from the atomic level. As the toxic load is reduced, the functioning of every cell is enhanced. In the same way that vital nerve energy is accumulated during a night's sleep, the faster builds nerve energy through rest, sleep, and detoxification.

The human body has many ordinary modes of achieving elimination: the liver, lungs, kidneys, colon, etc. When these are overloaded, the body will resort to "extra ordinary" methods of elimination: boils, mucous and other discharges, sweats, vomiting, diarrhoea, and many others. Should elimination be impossible or uneconomical of body energy, the toxic overload will go into storage forms in the joints, vessels, muscles, organs; almost any tissue in the body. While fasting, the body is highly conservative of its energy and resources. During this deep and profound rest, toxin intake and production are reduced to a minimum while autolysins and elimination proceed unchecked. Anabolic processes such as tissue and bone healing also proceed at a maximal rate during the fast.

In the body, the first stage of cleansing removes large quantities of waste matter and digestive residues. The first few days of a fast can be rough due to the quantity of waste passing into the blood stream. The tongue becomes coated and the breath foul as the body excretes waste through every opening. After the third day of the fast, there is little desire for food. The second stage is the cleansing of mucous, fat, diseased and dying cells, and the more easily removed toxins. As the fast continues, the cleansing process becomes more thorough. The last stage is the cleansing of toxins that have been accumulating in your cellular tissue from birth, and the microscopic tubes that carry vital elements to the brain. Cleansing of the last layer is only possible through a combination of juice fasting, water fasting, and a healthy diet high in raw foods. To overcome a severe disease like cancer, it is important to continue through a series of fasts, to the point where the full scouring action of catabolism removes the disease from the tissue.

During extended fasts the body removes: dead, dying and diseased cells; unwanted fatty tissue, trans-fatty acids, hardened coating of mucus on the intestinal wall; toxic waste matter in the lymphatic system and bloodstream; toxins in the spleen, liver and kidney; mucus from the lungs and sinuses, imbedded toxins in the cellular
fibres and deeper organ tissues; deposits in the microscopic tubes responsible for nourishing brain cells and excess cholesterol.

Nearly everyone who fasts discovers the same thing, that when they fast they actually have no hunger and more energy than they normally have. It is indeed liberating to find out that if we let go and trust we will be taken care of. Fasting is the simplest, easiest and most effective way to find out that we do indeed have the power and freedom to heal and take control of our bodies.

Introduction

For information about me, i refer you to my About Me page. Before i start posting my journals, i will take some time to explain a few things about fasting and common words that are used. I do hope i'll provide enough information to help out those that might also want to fast. I've done enough research of my own to be well equipped on this weight-loss journey.