Fasting weight loss can have some very advantageous side effects like quick results and detoxification. There are several ways to go about a fasting weight loss program: restricting all foods and having a totally liquid diet, restricting foods only on certain days, or restrict certain food groups for a specific period of time. One of the major drawbacks with fasting diets is that it is so hard to keep the weight off once you return to your old eating habits.
Is a fasting diet a safe way to lose weight? If you are healthy and have no underlying health issues such as cancer, diabetes, liver, kidney or lung disease you should be alright with a short term fasting diet, no more than a few days. For someone who is healthy it’s unlikely to do any harm in such a short time. It’s still a good idea to talk it over with your doctor before you start. If you have health issues, nursing, or pregnant this is not the weight loss method for you.
Before you start on your fasting weight loss program you need to prepare your body and evaluate your lifestyle. Whether you’re planning a short fast, anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks, or a long fast lasting more than 3 weeks, there are some things you need to keep in mind before you start:
1. Cut out heavy physical activity during your fast. It will cause unnecessary stress on your body to ask it to work so hard with such a limited amount of nutrients coming in.
2. Reduce your usual consumption of canned and processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, salt, refined sugar, cigarette, and any foods that cause food allergies and toxic reaction for a few days before start fasting. Cut them off completely all of a sudden will result in headaches, stomachaches, and other discomfort.
3. Reduce your meal portion and increase the times between meals gradually before begin the first fasting day. It will help you to regulate your mind, appetite, and stomach during the program.
4. Make sure you have a thorough knowledge of what you should be doing during the fast. When it gets tough to stick with it just remind yourself of the health benefits you’ll gain when it’s over.
5. Make sure to consult your doctor if you are under 18 or have any chronic health problems.
This type of fasting usually accompany by other benefits such as detoxification and a fast weight loss. For the short complete fasting, you should repeat it every specific time until you obtain the result you want, do not extend it more than recommended. As for the extended fasting, do it with physician supervision.
The other type is the short fast which is only last for a short period such as one or two days. Only a handful of diet programs can use this type of fasting and still create great result.
Fasting for weight loss has many variations, benefits, and consequences. However, it is not something for everyone since it requires strong willpower and a healthy body to begin with. Prepare yourself properly, select a trustworthy fasting weight loss program, and consult the plan with a doctor before starting any long term fasting weight loss program.