In sexy jeans again!

Achieving my goal

One of my main wishes at the beginning of this fast was to be able to wear sexy jeans again. There is nothing like pulling on a pair of jeans that cling in all the right places and hide the bad ones;a pair of jeans that, once on, make you feel sexy and alive; make you feel like you want to strut down the street and take on the world for breakfast! I hadnt worn a pair of jeans for at least a couple of years. There is a point of weight gain where jeans are no longer flattering , no matter what the make. Instead you opt for dresses , skirts and even worse, my favourite, jogging pants.

In sexy jeans again!

Well this morning I dug out my old favourite pair of jeans and to my delight, they fitted perfectly!! I am SO happy! After just eleven days of this fast, I have achieved one of my main goals! The jeans are even so comfortable that I am sitting in them whilst I type this - and they are not stretch jeans either!!

Maintain steady weight loss

My goal now is to maintain this steady weight loss beyond the fast. Remember my friend Rawia who originally inspired me to do this fast? Before she left on holiday this week I have her words ringing in my ear "Of course, your tummy shrinks during the fast but as soon as you come off it,your tummy will go back to the same size" Mind you , she was drinking guiness at the time! That might go some way to explaining the sudden expansion of a tummy after a fast!!

Clearing my "clutter"

Now I believe that nothing happens by coincidence. My original intention was to reach a certain weight by April. Having set the intention , I then heard Rawia talk of the ten day fast and I just knew that was what I needed to do first. Yesterday I picked up a book that I think will take me forward from the fast, helping me to continue to reach my ideal weight. I am on a quest to clear the excess weight from my body, just as someone would clear the clutter in their homes.

Leslie Kenton

Leslie Kenton is my favourite writer on beauty and nutrition. Having written over thirty books , including my personal favourites, "New Raw Energy" and "the Joy of Beauty", Leslie is rightly considered an expert in the field. So when I spotted "The X Factor Diet" by Leslie Kenton, I knew that it was for me . I devoured the book last night...

The X Factor Diet

Essentially Leslie argues , with tons of research behind her, that we should choose the diet of our ancestors. She puts forward an incredibly powerful case for eating less carbohydrates,e xplaining how the release of sugar from carbohydrates has been the principal cause of obesity in our western society. It makes a lot of sense. The promotion of low fat has lined the pockets of food manufacturers, but it has also been gradually making most of us fatter, through what it is termed as Syndrome X, or Insulin Resistance Syndrome. When we flood our cells with too much insulin, they lose their sensitivity to it and we then need to produce more to make it effective. Too much insulin means food is converted to fat and and the body is prevented from releasing fat to act as fuel. Middle age spread is the result of Syndrome X, - and I suspect a lack of regular exercise!

Low Carb Diet

In the quest to shed all my excess weight, I am intending to transfer gently from this fast to the X factor diet ( even though I detest the word diet!). There are two versions of the X factor diet,Ketogenics( for rapid weight loss) and Insulin Balance(for maintenance). Both diets are essentially comprised of well balanced meals containing the following nutritonal mix: 20% low glycaemic carbohydrates, 30% good fats and 50% high quality proteins. What I love about it is that the diet is based on the principles of raw food and contains much of what I already love to eat. The major changes for me will be eating more protein, controlling portion sizes and incorporating some strength building exercises into my weekly routine. All sounds good though. It also sounds a lot more sociable that what Im doing at the moment!!

Anyway for now I am still on this fast , until the 17th March , and I remind myself again of todays result, - I can wear my sexy jeans again!! It was definitely worth eleven days of "lemonade". I feel proud of what I have achieved and excited about the future!

Thank you again for keeping me company,

Marie-Claire