It’s common knowledge, that dieting could be easy to consider but maintaining a healthy regime is a Herculean task. The initial enthusiasm soon cracks down due to the long-earned ‘inertia’ brought in by years of living off tantalizing junk food. Thus, we soon give up on this as a bad idea, continue to accept our inability and get back to our beloved French fries and extra cheese burgers.

That ‘emotional baggage’ of switching over to a healthy diet is common. Just as it’s difficult to learn a new language and to start thinking in that language, in a short time, diet control also takes its own time, and of course, some perseverance. This much-needed emotional self control is what we shall focus on, now.

All dieters fear the one C-word like no other – cravings. We all know that we need to control them, but we just can’t! There lies the problem. The solution is based on telling yourself to face the truth. First, you need to lose weight, not merely to look good, slim and sleek, but to lead a long, healthy and happy life. Secondly, thanks to your previous diet orientation, it is a difficult task to switch over, all of a sudden. So be nice to yourself – accept your weaknesses, but only while you also tell yourself that you will get rid of this very vulnerability, for your own good. Then, look for ways that will make you feel better, help you see yourself in better shape. Here again, tell yourself what the new variety of healthy food, though not as delicious as cheese, can do to you.

When it gets too hard, even after directing your thoughts towards the results, stop the strain and treat yourself – but this time, with a promenade by the park, a good movie that will make you laugh, a roller coaster ride or a chat with friends about how they are doing in life. This will relieve the stress you have accumulated due to too much worry over your diet. Now, get back to the plan and see what the wonders of a cool mind can do!

So it’s all about listening to your body and mind, and talking back to them. Over a week or so, you’ll even start appreciating feel-good-factor of the green leafy veggies in contrast to the sluggishness from the heavy fatty foodstuff. This is when there’s no looking back and up the hill of good health. Think better, eat healthy.

The research showed that a person who abstains from food for about 24 hours on regular basis (monthly or weekly), carries some beneficial qualities. For instance, asthma patients who fast regularly have better airway function than the others.

It is very common to hear the paradox that in order to lose weight, one must never stop eating. Some say that the fasting for small intervals of time will never help people in their conquest to burn the body fat. Moreover, they say that fasting would only stop the person form losing weight in the future.
Some claim that the above argument is completely biased, and it is said only to increase the sales of some major production companies. However, recent studies have proven otherwise. These short-term regular fasting really does help a person lose weight.

To question the issue, a research was recently conducted by a select team of specialists and nutrition experts on a group of athletes and body builders. Their research pool consisted of about twenty elite powerful athletes were selected for this examination, whose metabolic activities were observed and studied very closely, under various weight loss programs for about a month. These scientists, closely observed how the body responded ‘before, during and after’ every experiment. Most of these experiments showed some surprising results, which were completely opposite to the ones that they expected. The main question was: ‘What happens to the body if the person starves?’ It was found, that their routine was not disturbed during these fasting sessions even after about a month.

This was really amazing, especially since their research group was elite athletes who have to stay on top of their game 24/7. However, these results were questioned by some experts. There were mixed views amongst the nutritionists, where some felt that dieting is an easy way to cut the excessive calories and lose weight at a faster rate, and others stood against it. They thought that fasting is not meant for each and every person. It is completely dependent on the body of the person in question.

My personal opinion is that both sides have valid points… so the best thing to do is to consult with your doctor before getting into fasting.