Why I Stopped Dieting & Started Detoxing!

A few months ago, I couldn’t have imagined someone asking me why I stopped dieting and started detoxing instead.  As someone who has been dieting for 16 years, I did not take the decision lightly.

In the blog, How I Gained Over 100 Pounds, I explained how quickly I gained the weight and I expected to find the perfect diet that would allow me to lose my weight just as fast.

Medi – Weightloss clinic, Keto, and the Whole30 were all parts of my diet regime this year and I attacked each of them with total vigor and hope.

Popular Diets

Once it was all said and done,  I lost 25 pounds net last year.  While I would love to take a moment to celebrate my weight loss, it’s just not enough, especially considering my diligent efforts and the fact that I still have about 50 pounds to lose to get to a healthy weight.

I know the weight loss resistance I blogged about in The Weight Loss Resistance Test Results Are In! is probably playing a part in this but I need to search for a weight loss solution, not diagnoses to justify my weight.

As I reflected on my year’s weight loss, I researched ways to accelerate my weight loss results.  Just when it seemed as though I had tried everything possible, I came across information on detoxing.

It wasn’t easy for me to trade my long term relationship with dieting for a concept foreign to me – detoxing, but the research was compelling.  Several experts I respect such as JJ Virgin, Dr. Alan Christianson, Mark Hyman, Megan Rogers, and Cassie Bjork believe detoxing before you start a diet is the best approach.

So, with no further ado.  Here’s what the experts are saying:

JJVirgin and Dr. Alan Christianson

JJ Virgin, celebrity nutritionist and author of several books including The Virgin Diet and Sugar Impact Diet interviewed Dr. Alan Christianson, author of the Metabolism Reset Diet on a podcast.  They discussed who needs to cleanse/ detox instead of (or before) dieting to lose weight.  Dr. Christianson got my attention when he spoke of people who have to micromanage their food intake.  He shared that often times these people will gain weight immediately if they don’t micromanage their meals for just one day! JJ Virgin talked about people who go out to dinner one night and their weight goes up by 2 pounds the very next day being great candidates for a detox.  Lastly, Dr. Christianson said the person who eats healthy and doesn’t respond with weight loss would benefit from a cleanse (detox).

Metabolism Reset

Mark Hyman, MD

In the blog Why It’s Important to do a Detox Before Starting a New Diet, Mark Hyman, MD author of What the Heck Should I Eat and 10 – Day Detox Diet is quoted as saying,  “As you lose weight, you need to flush out the toxins that get released from your fat tissue.  Otherwise, you can poison your metabolism and impair weight loss. Also, if you are overweight it means that toxic environmental chemicals like pesticides and plastics are stored in your fat tissue.”

10 – Day Detox Diet

Megan Rogers

In her blog Top 10 Reasons To Detox (When You Do It Right) Megan Rogers, a board-certified health coach lists losing weight as #4.  Megan points out toxins affect the body’s natural ability to burn fat, which ultimately leads to weight gain.  Diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are directly linked to weight issues.  Detoxing rids the body of toxins stored in fat cells and increases metabolism.

Cassie Bjork

In the blog 3 Reasons You’re Eating Perfectly & Still Not Losing Weight, the author, Cassie Bjork, author of Why Am I Still Fat? lists needing to detox as #3. She says, “Regardless of what you eat if you have a buildup of toxins, your ability to lose weight will be blocked.”  Cassie suggests putting your body through a detox periodically because it supports your body by taking a load off the organs that are responsible for detoxing your body- your liver, kidneys, and bowel.   Cassie says, “Detoxing is crucial when it comes to shedding stubborn pounds.  It helps your body reboot, reset, clear out toxins, clean the slate and get back on track so that you can see results- and fast.”

Why Am I Still Fat?

If you have followed my weight loss journey on Facebook, Instagram or read my blog, I’m sure you know it the expert’s opinions on the importance of detoxing to reach weight loss goals resonated with me, in fact, I felt like each of them were “preaching” to me.  I stopped dieting and started detoxing!  I can’t wait to share my results with you in my upcoming posts.

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