How do I start to fast?

[teenstar_13]

hey everyone,
I was wondering how I start fasting...I have never fasted before and i would to loose about 20kg. Would fasting help me loose weight?
I am 13 years old and overwight/obese and i weigh about 80kg (15-25kgs more than the usual person at my age)...I know i shouldn't go on a diet so i have been researching anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders but i dont want to take all the health risks.
I dont know how to loose weight so i have decided to either fast or eat hardly anything (I know eating hardly anything seemd like anorexia but it's not).

I have tried diets before but then i cheat after about 3-5 days of it!!

Thanks--please help!

[Raine]

Wow...that's a tough one. Your young age is such a serious factor but I empathize with your desire to tone up -- I know school mates can be so tough to deal with sometimes.

Here are some links for reading -- you also need to research teens & fasting on Google.

I'm on day 18 of my juice fast and I can vouch that the first week is the hardest.



http://www.healthrecipes.com/fast11.htm

http://www.livingright.com/juicing-for-weight-loss.php

http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/

http://www.juicefasting.org/brain.htm

http://home.mindspring.com/~hdf1/id9.html

http://www.freedomyou.com/



Great way to keep track of your nutrition/calories -- it's free

http://www.fitday.com/


And lastly, Joel Osteen did 3 sermons on health that are excellent. The video clips are an hour long but I just scroll to the 30 minute mark which is about where he starts - the first half hour is just singing and stuff. Scroll down to Living at Your Ideal Weight, Eating Healthier, Staying Healthy Physically

http://www.joelosteen.com/site/PageServer?pagename=media

[star1919]

Hi Teenstar 13...

First of all... welcome to this site. :D

I can appreciate how important weight may be to you. However, fasting may not be a good path... your body and brain are still growing and evolving for some time to come. The raw diet may be a better choice for you.

When I was close to your age... I had a friend that restricted her eating to almost nothing for a long time. She didn't get what she was hoping for in all of that. Instead, her skin became terrible and she developed an eating disorder that took away from her life in so many ways... for a long time. It was sad... she missed out on so much.

Another friend of mine chose a better path. She ate high raw. Lots of fruits, vegetables... and meals her Mom fixed for her that were light and healthy. She was slender, full of energy... and she succeeded in training for iceskating and dance.

The raw diet may be something that would be positive for you. You could add in lots of fresh fruit and vegetables... they will give you energy and fill you up. It can sure help you lose weight too. I saw a program where models are discovering the raw diet as a path to great health and being slender. Also, drink lots of water. Many times when a person feels hungry... they are actually thirsty. Drinking a glass of water 20 minutes before you eat helps too.

There is a book called Eating Without Heating A book written by teens who love eating the raw diet. This book costs about $10 on Amazon. Here is the link below... just click on it to see.

http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Without-Heating-Favorite-Recipes/dp/0970481977

Next, you might consider going to the Raw and Living Food Discussion section and asking teens and others on this site... what they would suggest. Things that have worked for them.

I encourage you to involve your parent/parents in helping you with this. That could make such a positive difference. Maybe they would get you that book Eating Without Heating. too.

Lastly, focus on all that is good about you... and build on it! There is so much in you that is wonderful and worthwhile! Believe in your good... you are a unique gift to this world... and there is no one that is exactly like you... And, that is worth a sky full of smiles...

Brightest best to you... :p

[J Raw]

It sounds like you're thinking anorexia or bulimia may weight loss strategies. These are definitely not paths you want to go down! These are not "diets" or "healthy lifestyles". They are diseases that are very difficult to recover from and some people never recover but actually die from them. I completely agree with whoever said fasting may not be right for you yet due to your brain still developing and such. Someone else suggested websites where you track your calories. I believe this habit is not healthy. It can lead to obsessing over food and weight and everything that goes into your mouth which can lead to one of the diseases anorexia or bulimia. Belive me, I've been down that road. I do, however, believe that the raw food lifestyle would be an excellent way for you to become healthy and fit. Just start to increase your fruit and veggie intake while you do some reading and research on how to go about the raw food plan.

Also, don't be hard on yourself for cheating after a few days on a diet. The reason the majority of diets don't work is because they're pretty much all flawed in some way. That's why there's new ones all the time. If they worked, there would only be one or two. Everyone cheats on diets. The only one I've seen people stick with for their life is raw food. This is because once you get it right, the nutrient assimilation is so high that soon all cravings for junky foods completely disappear. It doesn't even look like real food anymore. And of course, don't forget exercise! Find some that's fun to do or you won't stick with it. And don't ever give up! Keep trying and you can overcome anything!