There has been a lot of talk about fasting recently with books flying off the shelf faster than you can say, well... err, fast!
Who'd have thought you could any decent money out of telling people not to eat?!
Unfortunately the media have blown it well out of proportion and I feel the message has been seriously watered down.
Yes, fasting can help you improve your health and even to lose weight (shock!).
But, does that mean you go out and eat whatever you want and it'll be OK because you'll just fast the next day? That's what the media are pretty much saying.
As you know, I see fasting as an advanced tool. Your first port of call is to clean up your diet by cutting out wheat, processed food, etc. Do this for 4 weeks and if all has gone well, then is the time to look into fasting if you feel you need to.
Better to get into the habit of eating real food that boosts your health and improves your overall well-being.
Those people that eat whatever they want and fast the next day might be able to prevent weight gain, but it won't do the inside of their body much good living on a diet of cola and the golden arches.
So, once you've finished 4 weeks of clean eating without too many hiccups assess where you are and what your goals are.
If you only need to lose a little more weight, then there is no need to jump on the fasting wagon more than once a more, if at all if you don't want to. There are some health benefits to fasting which I've written about before, so I want delve into them now. However, if you're carrying 10lbs plus and are keen to give it the old heave-hoe, then now might be the time to give this fasting lark a whirl.
Firstly, I'd recommend doing a trial run of 14 hours to make sure your World doesn't come crumbling down. If all is well, wait a few days and then aim for 16-18 hour fast. In my opinion the 18 fast works very well and isn't too much of a chore when compared to the 24 hour fast, but I'll let you decide if you want to try the 24 hour fast.
Whilst fasting listen to your body and drink plenty of water to provide your body with hydration. If you're feeling a bit weak at the knees or faint, then you can stop the fast. This sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many numb-nuts try and carry on when they're body isn't quite ready for fast duration.
Remember, fasting has been a part of ancient cultures, mourning rituals, initiations and diet plans for centuries. But don't get fooled into the thinking of eat sh*t, fast and everything will be hunky-dorey! That's not sensible or healthy.
Gavin Walsh is a high profile London personal trainer that has been featured in and written for many national newspapers and magazines on health and fitness topics.
He has a passion for health and fitness writing, which has seen him in the likes of Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Harper's Bazzaar, Grazia, The Time's and The Independent and have also been featured as a fitness TV broadcaster on ITV and Sky.
He also runs a world class fat loss website that has helped thousands of people lose weight from their own homes.
For more information please visit http://www.walshthefataway.com.
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