After The Fast

The fast is over

Now that you have finished your fast and you have lost the weight you wanted to, you may want to go back to normal eating. But that’s not a very good idea.

After the fast if you go back to your old way of eating you will just gain all the weight back. I know, I did it the first time I fasted and all your hard work will have been in vain.tape measure and water

You slowly have to introduce food into your diet. Eat good healthy food, fresh fruits and vegetables, protein. Stay away from sugar, flour products and processed foods. Including junk food, ice cream, cookies, cake, anything with lots of sugar.

Your system has gotten used to little or no solid food and it will be a shock to your system to just start eating like you did before. You might get sick or at the very least you will gain some weight back. Remember we are trying to change our life style here, so we don’t have to constantly have to go on another diet, yet again.

After you have gradually introduced solid food into your diet, check the scales and see if you are maintaining your weight loss. If not cut back or go on a short fast again, which ever way you are comfortable, water fasting, intermittent fasting or juice fasting.

Steps to take

Then there are a lot of steps we can take to help start on a fresh new way of eating.

First, it should be considered a life-style change, not a diet.

Look into the foods that you would normally eat and see what needs changing. Check the nutritional value and see if it’s worth eating.

If you are eating sweetened cereals for breakfast, switch to natural grains instead. after the fastIncorporate some protein at breakfast.

Always try to eat fresh fruit and vegetables for the best nutritional value. Frozen is the next best way to go.

Always have protein at every meal, but be careful of the amount. Try to cut your portions sizes down. A piece of poultry, meat or fish should be about the size of a smart phone.

Fill up on the salads and vegetables. Also, watch your carbs. Carbs can be the enemy.

You want to avoid added sugars and refined carbs. Anything that has a label for a nutritional guide is probably not the best thing to eat. after the juice

Try to get adequate fiber, it helps regulate blood sugar and is filling. Fresh vegetables,  fruit and nuts are good choices.

If you enjoy dining out like I do, bring half of your meal home and have it for lunch the next day. Or have an appetizer and salad. You will be surprised how satisfied you will feel.  It’s also very economical.

Don’t be afraid to ask the server how the meal is prepared. Sometimes there a lot of hidden products in a dish. If you can slow down your eating by setting your fork down after each bite, you will feel full sooner and eat less.

Start thinking about food in a different way. Try to think of food as fueling our bodies, not as treats and rewards or stress-coping mechanism. You will only regret it down the road.

Mind games

If you have failed many times before, try taking a different mental approach. Start your mind thinking before you start eating.

If you are eating until you are stuffed, you have eaten too much. Just eat until satisfied and eat slowly.

Cut out the eating in between meals, have just one snack a day, preferable fruit.

Activity

Activity is very important also. But it’s about the right kind.

Trying to pack in more time at the gym isn’t always the best route to take.

It just feels like drudgery to most people, and you end up quitting soon after you start. Incorporate more activity in your every day living.

Take a walk, play with the dog, play with your children or grandchildren, just get up and move and make it fun.

Once you have gotten used to moving you might want to add a more formal type of exercise. There are many avenues for this. Click here

You have the internet at your fingertips and it is a great resource.

I hope these suggestions have been helpful as you embark on you new life style. Remember if you slip, pick yourself up and keep going.

Don’t let one slip make you go on an eating binge.

Car crash

If you had a little fender-bender with your car, you wouldn’t try to smash it up more, would you?

It’s the same with diet and exercise,  if you fall off you diet don’t start stuffing yourself and say I’ll start tomorrow. Take control and get right back on track. Keep your mind thinking I can do this, and  add it into your lifestyle and it will soon become a way of life.after the fast

You will be very proud of your accomplishments and feel so much better physically and mentally. You’ll wish you had done something sooner.

I would love to hear from you if you found this article helpful. Please feel free to leave me a comment or question below, thanks, Deanna.

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