post christmas detox - help!!

[whoneedssleepanyway]

so stood on MIL's scales this morning (which are v accurate) and I have put on nearly half a stone in December, aghhhhh. Luckily I am tall so not massively noticeable (although just washed jeans are feeling a little tighter than normal)

What is the best detox/ diet to do, I am going to cut out the alcohol in January but that prob isn't going to be enough.

Thanks

No sugar, no processed foods, lots of raw fruit and veg. Juicing is a good way of doing this.

There's no evidence that "detox" works or is needed. If you have a working liver and kidneys then there aren't any particular "toxins" in your system, even if you have eaten a lot of crap over the fective season.

Cutting out alcohol is definitely a good way to feel healthier and lose weight - especially since booze has evil calorie-increasing powers: there are calories in alcohol itself and then the colories that you eat because you are pissed!

yes Trillian, i have def eaten a shedload....not particularly into detox perse...just want to shed a few pounds....think cut the booze out in jan together with choc etc, do have a green veg juice every day normally anyway. hmm we will see what the scales say at the end of jan!

I find the best way of losing weight is to cut out carbs, by which I mean sugar (including all fruit because of the fructose), but also bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and flour. I try to limit pulses such as chickpeas and lentils, and milk because of the lactose, though double cream and cheese are fine. Do that for a month and you'll really notice a difference.

thereisthesnowball, what can you eat then? vegetables....but what else?

I would say just do the sensible thing- cut out (or cut down if cutting out isnt an option ) chocolate, crisps, fried food, white carbs, alcohol.

Always works for me and i can lose up to half a stone in a week onthis diet, but i dont find it the easiest to stick to long term so i just use it as a kick start in the new year.

Also, fill up on veg (steamed, boiled or raw), wholemeal (not just brown, but wholemeal) bread and pasta, lean meat (chicken and turkey withhout skin on) and fish (very food for you and very yummy).

Good luck!

oh sorry, forgot to also say, drink plenty of water and make sure you eat enough, as if you restrict your calorie intake too much, you wont lose as much weight as you might think.

I wouldn't completely cut out any food group, there is a reason why we eat these things. (by the way chocolate it not a food group )

Low-carb diets focus on protein, veg and cheese: any combination of meat, fish, eggs, veg (pref green but you don't have lots to lose so I wouldn't worry about that), and fat ie oil, butter and cheese. This gives rise to lots of delicious meals: bacon and eggs; fish, broccoli and herb or anchovy butter; steak béarnaise; tinned oily tuna w green beans - made into tuna mayo or salade nicoise; chicken in a creamy mushroom and tarragon sauce; spinach, bacon and avocado salad... There are a ton of threads about it.

NB you are not 'cutting out carbs' completely since there are carbs in everything except slabs of protein such as steaks or chicken breasts. What you are aiming to do is to limit your carb intake and therefore be clever about where you get them from - veg only, basically.

This diet is extremely effective - done properly it can result in a loss of more than your aim in the first week. Since you don't have lots to use You can afford not to get too serious about it.

NB fat is positively to be encouraged on thisway of eating as it fills you up. Ditch any low-cal stuff and embrace butter and olive oil.

Thereisthesnowball- i have actually beentold that fat is an appetite suppresant, and that the reason people fail at diets is because they all eat low fat foods, so what you say makes sense.
I have swapped my marg for butter so thats a good start...right!!?

On detox, this NHS article is interesting.