Q. Will not eating for a few days help me get a quick start on losing weight?
A. Fasting will actually have the opposite effect on your body. While the scale may show a downward shift after a few days of starving yourself, most of what you have lost is probably water weight, which is quickly regained when you begin to eat. Furthermore, when you deprive your body of food and fluid, your metabolism slows down to preserve energy, making it harder to lose weight. To top it off, the natural response to a few days of fasting is a BINGE.
If you really want to get a quick start, use those few days to lay the groundwork for changing your eating habits. Try reducing portions by a third, eat mini-meals every four to five hours, substitute fruit for snacks, eat lean protein sources and switch to nonfat or lowfat dairy foods.
At the same time, begin writing down everything you eat. You will tend to eat less, and you will also begin to understand your eating habits and patterns.
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