If you're like me, you've tried every diet under the sun. I have even bought diet programs which came in the mail and are still unopened. The shelves of my library are full of diet plans that never worked for me. Maybe they worked for other people but they didn't work for ME!
Probably the number one reason that they didn't work for me is because the approach was wrong. To tell someone that you can loose weight, and keep it off, by eating all you want is absurd!!!
Another factor in my long string of diet failures is that the program was just too complex--TOO MANY RULES!! I'm not making excuses for myself but I do have MS which deteriorates the brain. To try to remember to eat X 10 times a week; avoid Y 3 times a week; lift 3 pound weights 22 reps 4 times one week then only 16 times the next week--well, it became impossible to remember all the rules!!!!!!!!!!!!! );
The psychology of all that was harmful too. If you don't follow the rules, you're a bad girl. If you need a manual full of rules and sub-rules and exceptions to rules, it's just TOO HARD TO REMEMBER ALL OF THAT!! How does that make ME bad? I felt bad, though, and wandered off to try the next diet. Maybe I'd be able to remember all that was required to look like the gorgeous women on the front cover of THIS program.
Eventually I gave up hope and accepted that I would be fat for the rest of my days on Earth. With that thought overriding my days, I had little desire to keep living. If there really was nothing that could be done about the hormonal weight issues I suffered from, why bother trying?
It's not like my discouragement caused me to binge eat--I'm way beyond that. However, it caused me to have NO JOY in food!! Food became my enemy. Food became my torturer. In fact, I ate very little and still my weight didn't budge. I was doomed to be obese and live in pain. Death couldn't come fast enough!
Enter Brad Pilon with his book, EAT STOP EAT! How simple is that? In fact the whole program is simple. I can remember to fast twice a week, having 0 calories, with 2 days in between. I can remember to eat at least 100 mgs of protein on my eating days. I can remember to do resistance training on non-fasting days. I can remember all of this!!!
So today is my 19th fast day this year. Each fast day is easier and easier as my body has gotten used to the rhythm of the program. Fast, don't fast, don't fast, fast, don't fast, don't fast, don't fast. Anyone can remember that!
You can drink coffee, herbal teas, water--anything that has 0 calories--during your fasts. One disclaimer I would make is that I wouldn't put anything with artificial sweeteners in my body. See Dr. Mercola's excellent book, "Sweet Deception" if you haven't heard that artificial sweeteners are killing us. They killed my mother. ):
On eating days the one overriding rule is to eat at least 100 mgs of protein food. When a person consumes that much protein, you aren't hungry. I focus on all of the wonderful protein that I can consume and not what foods I have to avoid. It's NOT a deprivation mentality and so it works!! This is a "Help yourself to all of the protein you want," mentality. Did you know that you cannot overeat on protein? You get full naturally and you quit eating naturally.
So far in the first 2 months of 2019 I have added SO much muscle to this old body. I haven't even done the exercise part of this yet as I haven't been able to handle the pain of exercising for over a decade with fibromyalgia being my constant companion. However, I am STILL adding muscle and THE GREAT NEWS IS that muscle burns fat!! That's how this program works.
I decided to start this program for the sake of my health. There are over 35+ research studies that prove that this type of program (eating/not eating) helps the body to heal. Now THAT has been my greatest incentive as I delved into "EAT STOP EAT" this year. The fact that I have less pain; can think better; and am happier are all worth the few hunger pangs I experienced at the start on my fast days.
Some have said that this approach is pretty extreme. My health is extremely bad so I felt led to use this method to see if healing can come from a little self denial twice a week. If you're not getting well with what you're doing, I urge you to give your digestive system a rest twice a week. Let the body focus on healing, rather than digestion, and see how much better you'll feel. I think you'll be pleased.
I found this article which may be helpful if you are pondering joining the "EAT STOP EAT" community. I keep busy during my fasts and they pass with me feeling totally victorious at the end. I'm hungry right now as I write, but so what. I'm going for a total rebuilding of my body not just a patch up job. I'm going for a strong healthy body--something I've never had. If my digestive system needs weekly rests, I'm going to give it just that--so that I can heal.
God's best to you,
Dawn
How "Eat-Stop-Eat" Works
Weight-loss guru Brad Pilon based his plan “Eat Stop Eat” on the theory of intermittent fasting, which focuses on when you eat rather than the types of foods you include or restrict. According to Pilon, who has a background in the sports supplement industry and nutrition, scientific evidence indicates that brief, regular fasts promote weight loss and retention of muscle better than diets that eliminate certain foods or cut your number of daily calories. As a bonus, intermittent fasting may also lower your risk of chronic diseases. Pilon’s plan involves fasting up to two times a week, and it does not require you to give up any specific food group. This type of regimen does have drawbacks, however, and may not be for everyone.Intermittent Fasting Basics
"Eat Stop Eat" works in a fairly simple way: You fast once or twice a week, aiming for a complete break from food for 24 hours at a time. For example, you might eat normally until 7 p.m. on a Saturday, then fast until 7 p.m. on Sunday, resuming regular eating at that time. If you can’t make it the full 24 hours, Pilon says 20 to 24 hours will also work. For the next couple of days, eat approximately 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men; never fast on consecutive days. After several normal eating days, you can have another fast and repeat the schedule. Do not exceed two fasts in any one week. By doing even one fast a week, Pilon says you will create a calorie deficit of 10 percent.
Fasting and Non-Fasting Days
On your fasting days, you should take in as few calories as possible – Pilon recommends only tea, coffee, plain or sparkling water and diet soda. When you break your fast, you can eat whatever you like, but in moderation, because overeating could undo the benefits of the fast. You do not have to avoid any specific foods, such as carbs; in fact, Pilon says a low-carb diet on non-fasting days may negatively affect your energy levels. He does advocate consuming lots of fruits, vegetables and spices. For protein, Pilon recommends 20 to 30 grams of high-quality protein every four to five hours for a total of about 100 grams daily. Some of this can come from protein powder, if necessary. If you find you are gaining weight between fasts, Pilon says to cut back on your food consumption on non-fasting days by 10 percent.
Weight-Training Exercise on "Eat Stop Eat"
When you are on Eat Stop Eat, you engage in resistance or weight training to maintain and build muscle, rather than cardio or other types of exhaustive exercise. You don’t have to exercise on fasting days, however. The Eat Stop Eat Quick Start Guide recommends a consistent training schedule of three to four times per week, with two to four exercises per body part, two to five sets per exercise, and six to 15 reps per set.
"Eat Stop Eat" Pros
Scientific research supports intermittent fasting as an effective weight-loss tool. One review of literature, published in Obesity Reviews in 2011, found that up to 12 weeks of intermittent calorie restriction – similar to the Eat Stop Eat plan – was as effective in weight loss as reducing calories by a set amount every day; in addition, it helped dieters retain more lean muscle mass. This type of intermittent fasting may produce other health benefits, too. A review published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007 discovered that fasting on alternate days led to lower risk of chronic disease in animals, although more studies on humans are needed. Pilon cites reduced inflammation and cellular “cleansing” as other possible benefits. Finally, Eat Stop Eat may be less confusing and more straightforward than diets in which you have to limit an entire food group, like fat or carbs.
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