Exercise is important. We all know that and we all know that we should do more of it. The value of exercise for your cardiovascular health is immense. I’m not trying to promote not exercising at all but what I would like to do in this discussion is to at least give you options – options to lose weight even when you are not exercising. If running or going to a gym is not your style, try Yoga or Pilates or even taking up a sport.

Losing weight is a pretty simple equation. You have to burn more calories than you consume. Obviously exercise helps you do this but our everyday activities also does that. Even something as simple as brain activity burns calories. The more active we are the greater the demand for calories and the more you will burn.

The second part of the equation is the amount and quality of calories you consume. Just plain eating too much is a big culprit that prevents you from losing weight. In our modern world we’ve all been conditioned to eat a lot. More than 30% of all the ads we see today is for food. Its not really our fault yet we are left to deal with the consequences. So, what can we do? How can we address this issue and start losing weight without killing ourselves in the gym? Here are 3 approaches…

1. Dieting
Yes, the feared word “diet” is definitely an option because a diet is a method that helps you control your calorie intake. There are dozens and dozens of diets out there and believe it or not MOST of them do work. The problem is simply being able to stick to it. What I do like about goo diets is that they find a way to minimize calories without you having to starve yourself. Some foods are high in nutrition and low in calories and having a diet like this means that you can still eat 5 meals a day while losing weight.

The challenge is that you will have to sacrifice some of those foods that you may be addicted to – foods that are high in calories and low in nutrition.

2. Colon Cleanses
A few years ago the so-called Lemon Detox Diet became very popular. It was essentially a “diet” that purged your entire digestive system by eating nothing and only drinking a water, lemon and honey drink. Obviously when you purge your digestive system you will lose weight – or at least that is what the scales will tell you. Along with this you will also lose body mass but rarely will you lose fat. In my opinion colon cleanses are highly over rated simply because it does not offer a long term solution. It can however give you a great platform to start making changes in your diet. It can work but only as part of making bigger changes in your diet and lifestyle. I do not support many of the products out there because most of them are simply laxatives.

The challenge is that you will knock a few pounds of your weight on the scales but you will not lose fat this way. It can be a pretty uncomfortable experience and it can also be very unhealthy.

3. Fasting
Fasting is something that’s been part of many religious practices for centuries. The idea is to abstain from food for a set period of time. Obviously when you don’t eat you won’t gain weight and almost always you will start losing weight. The big problem with this is that if you do it for an extended period of time it can be very dangerous to your health. On top of that you body’s metabolism will slow right down and that will make it harder for you to burn fat. This is where intermittent fasting comes in. Its a process where you will only fats for short periods of time and do it every other day. This allows you the best of both world. Its a proven way to lose weight but it certainly does come with risks. If done correctly it can work well and many have adopted this as their primary weight loss strategy.

The challenge is that when you first start you will find it very tough. Going an entire day without eating can be tough. Most of us are so ingrained in the habit of eating 3 to 5 times a day that this can totally throw us off.

These three approaches are not the only ways to lose weight without exercise. There are some more extreme methods as well as some more conservative ones but this should give you a good start. Again, you should try and incorporate some physical activities into your life because when you do it will only enhance your efforts regardless of the weight loss approach you follow.
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The idea is simple. By “replacing” real food for something similar in liquid for you can eliminate a lot of calories from your diet. As we all know, when you significantly reduce the calories in your diet you can significantly reduce the amount of weight you lose. The fact that food is generally high in calories means that you have to constantly monitor how much you eat if you want to lose weight.

If you where to take a drink and have that drink contain the necessary nutrients then in theory you could replace meals with this and in the process cut out a lot of excess calories. Although this sounds great in theory, its not that simple. Lets quickly look at 2 approaches to liquid diets and weight loss.

1. Meal Replacements
This is probably the most common and its still very popular today. You will usually buy a product that comes in powder form. You then mix the powder with either water or milk and drink it like you would any other drink. The powder is usually made up of a lot of nutrients and vitamins and the idea is to provide your body with “everything” it needs without any unnecessary calories.

This way you can “replace” meals and cut out the calories without compromising on nutrition. Unfortunately its not that simple. You body needs real food and the vitamins and nutrients in real food is not the same as the fortified equivalent found in drinks. There is also an argument for digestion and the way real food releases nutrients into your body. A lot of the nutrients found in these drinks actually just flush through your system.

So,should you use it? Its entirely up to you but what I will say is that you should try and “replace” only one meal a day. Do not cut food out of your diet completely. Its not a long term solution for your weight problems.

2. Juicing
There is another type of liquid diet weight loss that is infinitely healthier and most definitely more effective. What is commonly known as juicing is simply when you “replace” meals by making your own juices. Instead of mixing some powder with water you juice fruits, vegetables and herbs and then drink that. The advantages are obvious in that you drink incredibly healthy juices that are high in nutrients, high in natural waters and low in calories.

One of the great advantages of juicing is the fact that you can combine fruits and vegetables in a way that allows you to drink vegetables that you would usually have a hard time eating. Although the idea is not to make the drinks as delicious as possible, the idea is to power pack a lot of good stuff into a single drink. These drinks are nutritious and filling and can truly be a meal replacement since you are effectively drinking the entire fruit or vegetable.

Another major advantage is the fact that you can use some great recipes that can actually enhance weight loss. Certain fruits and vegetables are known to increase weight loss and by combining certain herbs with your drinks you can really get some good results.

Again, this is not something that you should do for every meal but by doing it at least once a day you can reduce the amount of calories you eat significantly but still get a good dose of healthy food. Its generally not something that tastes great but the fact that you can ad fruit means you can mask a lot of the tastes from vegetables that don’t really sound to appetizing as a drink – unless you fancy a broccoli milkshake.

Liquid diet weight loss is a strategy that can be very effective but you need to be responsible in how you use it. There is off course fasting which is another form of a liquid diet in that you will spend your fasting days just drinking water. Like any weight loss strategy you need to commit yourself to something. Its the only way to get real results and doing it for less than 6 weeks is not really worth it.
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Laxatives are there to relieve constipation. There are a number of different types that work in different ways, but they all have one purpose and that is to move stools through the digestive system. One particular kind of laxative actually increases the mass of the stools which causes a natural reaction in the body which moves the stools out.

The mistake that most people make in thinking that this can cause weight loss lies in two very stupid assumptions. The first is in thinking that by purging your stomach and intestines you will get rid of fat. This is not the case. Excess fat does not come from what happens in your digestive system!

Secondly, by purging your body through a laxative you will lose a lot of water weight. In fact, dehydration is a serious health risk posed by laxatives. Obviously the loss of water will reflect on the scales but its just a false sense of security since this is not fat loss. By the time that a laxative can start working, the calories are almost completely absorbed by your body which means that the damage is already done.

What laxatives will leave you with is terrible stomach crams, and the potential for serious health problems. By artificially stimulating bowel movement you can interfere with your natural digestion process to the point where you can have trouble holding down food in the future. Its something that needs to be used in a very controlled manner.

There certainly is a place for it in a healthy diet though. Being constipated is not only uncomfortable but unhealthy. Its far better to promote healthy bowel movement through a healthy diet. Pure prune juice is known to be very effective and is a very mild but natural way to induce a similar result. Eating a diet that is rich in fiber with natural grains and fresh fruit and vegetables will give you so much more than a healthy colon.

Weight loss is about burning calories. Its not about purging waste from your body. A low calorie diet and exercise is an excellent start. Ironically, foods that are high in calories tend to make you constipated – hence the “logic” that purging with a laxative can make you lose weight.

Laxatives for weight loss is a myth. Do not believe the hype from gossip magazines with advice that has no scientific grounding. No doctor will promote or endorse the abuse of any laxative. The dangers are obvious and now that you know it simply cannot promote weight loss, start focusing on real weight loss solutions.

As a rule of thumb, any diet supplement that forces your body into a process that usually happens naturally is not good for you. I am all for quick fixes and taking the easy way but in the end its just not worth falling for all the crazy weight loss FADS.
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Apart from using fasting for weight loss, the health benefits are immense. Not only will you feel 300% more energized but you will improve virtually every process in your body. From digestion to cardiovascular health and even your libido. Let me share with you what I believe to be the 3 things that will help you more than anything else when fasting for weight loss.

1. Preparation
There’s an old saying that if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. This is very true when it comes to fasting. Set a very definite date for when you will start your fast and plan exactly what you will need, how much you will need and most importantly, arrange your life around this. Intermittent fasting is short and anyone can do this – after all, its only a couple of days!

2. Your Program
Fasting for weight loss is not about blindly jumping into it and not eating for a couple of days. If you do that you will actually do more harm than good and probably slow down your fat loss efforts. This is a very scientific process and knowing exactly when to fast, how long to fast and when and how to stop is vitally important if you want to be successful. I would highly recommend the Eat, Stop Eat Program as it makes the entire process incredibly easy in a step-by-step process.

3. Support
There’s no doubt about the fact that you will face the inevitable challenges when you start. You will get to a point where you will feel like giving up. Don’t! I found that having some sort of support makes this much easier. Finding a friend to do it with can really make it a lot easier. If you can’t find a friend to do it with, join an online community where you can interact with other people who are going through the same experiences. Eat, Stop, Eat has a lively community and there are a lot of very experienced fasters that can answer your questions or provide moral support.

Buying yourself a good book can also be a great way to stay focused or recommitting yourself to your goal can also be a great way to stay focused and motivated when fasting for weight loss.
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The process of juice fasting and detoxification is based on a very simple principle. By allowing your digestive system to recuperate, your body’s natural process of cleansing can once again happen optimally. With modern diets our digestion is incredibly poor. Processed foods and toxins (like preservatives and additives) place a massive strain on the digestive system – to the point where our food don’t get broken down properly. This is often also the reason why we feel so tired all the time. All our energy goes into digesting and breaking down food.

If you are someone that likes late night snacks or even just someone who like to eat big dinners at night, then chances are your digestion is really poor and that you probably have a huge build up of gunk. Juice fasting and detoxification is just what you need. If your system is burdened with eliminating toxins all the time, then the natural process of fat loss is severely impeded.

During a juice fast you won’t eat any solid foods – although you will drink plenty of juices. Depending on the program you follow, the juices will mostly be combinations of juices fruits and vegetables. What this does is to give you maximum nutrition without the strain of digesting food. This can significantly speed up the detoxification process and the juice of certain fruits and vegetables also speeds this along.

The first, and probably the most obvious benefit of juice fasting and detoxification is weight loss. Its estimated that the average person carries 10 to 12 pounds of pure gunk in their system. During your fast you can get rid of all of this. When you do, your body will actually be able to get rid of excess fat again and even when you do stop the fast you will still experience massive increases in energy and a significant improvement in your ability to lose fat.

Juice fasting and detoxification is by far the fastest way to lose weight. And its 100% healthy with no side effects and no strain on your wallet. Many “detox products” can cost as much as $150 – and all it really is a bunch of chemicals designed to make you get rid of it all – not too pleasant.
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If you are normally a runner, you might consider switching to slower walks during your fasting program. You will still be giving your body the benefits of exercise, but the pace will be slower and you will not burn as much energy as you do when running. This keeps the blood pumping in your body, but it does not overtax your energy levels.

You are not likely to have as much energy on a fasting weight loss program. Calories are the energy that your body uses to perform every activity that you do during the day. Running and other aerobic activities burn a number of calories. However, when you are on a fasting program, you will not be consuming a great deal of calories that your body would need for strenuous exercise.

Once you begin eating again after the fasting weight loss program ends, you can resume your normal activities. In fact, this is a great way to ensure that you keep the weight off after the program has ended. Burn the additional calories that you will consume when you introduce solids back into your diet.

A fasting weight loss program demands all of your time and energy. You will feel fatigued and hungry in the early stages of the program, but eventually your body will adjust to the lower calorie intake. Weight will come off, but you must use care to ensure that it does not return when you start eating again. Bringing in a good exercise program is a great way to do that.

The fasting weight loss program that you are embarking on will help you to lose a great amount of weight in a short period of time. It is a good place to start on a healthier lifestyle. When the weight comes off, your body will be able to perform many of the exercises that you may not be comfortable doing now. Taking off some of your excess weight helps you to feel lighter and more energetic once the program has ended. Use the weight loss to your advantage and add exercise to your daily routine after you complete a fasting weight loss program. This will help keep the weight off and even help you lose even more.
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The juice fasting weight loss programs do allow you some calories on the program that make them a little easier than a strict water only fasting program. A juice fast can last for a much longer period of time because you are providing your body with energy and calories from the juice. A juice fast may consist of a variety of juice types that you are allowed to consume on the diet. Apple juice and citrus juices are common on juice fasting weight loss programs. Even though you are consuming juice, you can expect the program to be a little uncomfortable.

The first difficulty that you will encounter on a juice fasting weight loss program is the transition from solid foods to juices only. This is by far the most difficult transition on the program. Some dieters have found that building up to the day of the fast by cutting back on solids is a good approach to transitioning your body slowly. It will not completely eliminate the hunger that you will feel in the first couple of days of the fast, but it can help. Just keep in mind that the first couple of days are the hardest and once you get through these days, you will not feel as much hunger.

The next difficulty that you will face on a fasting weight loss program is the end of the diet. It is common for some dieters to start considering all the foods that they want to eat. It is a normal response to spending so many days without food, but this approach can undo all the great work that was accomplished on the fast. A fasting weight loss program will teach you how to ease back into eating solid foods and provide you with some great tips for keeping the weight off and embarking on a healthier lifestyle. The fast will take the weight off quickly, but it is up to you to keep it off and continue eating healthy foods.

Be realistic about your fasting weight loss program and expect that it is not going to be easy, but it will be worth the effort. The program will get the weight off fast, but you must continue your efforts to keep it off and enjoy all the benefits that a fasting weight loss program will bring to you.
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