Fasting for Weight Loss

Many obese people prefer easier ways of shedding their extra kilos, without work-outs, which have led people to fast for weight loss. The process of fasting for weight loss, with its quick effects, has led people to ignore its side effects. And also there is no fixed time for how long to fast for weight loss, making it undependable.

Useful Diet Tips for Fast Weight Loss

A fast for weight loss includes a compulsory reforming of the diet which is a major factor in weight loss plans. The best food for fast weight loss will have large quantities of vegetables, no-starch foods and fruits with high water content. Cooked food can be consumed in small quantities and concentrated foods such as cereals and cooked legumes should be avoided. The process of fasting for weight loss should be conducted with utmost care, as there is a high chance of illness. Fasting for weight loss plans have proven ineffective when people overeat without remorse. There is a misconception that excessive eating will be minimized with fasting for weight loss. During the fasting process, the digestion and assimilation functions of the body is faster and needs more nutrition. Overeating after fasting will aid in gaining weight much faster than before the process of fasting started.

Types of Fasting for Weight Loss

• Juice fast for weight loss: In juice fasting, a person consumes vegetable and fruit juices that contains carbohydrates in an easily digestible form with a minimal amount of energy needed for digestion.
• Water fast for weight loss: In water fasting, the person takes high quantity of water and goes through a complete abstinence from any form of food or food supplements.
• Vegetable fast for weight loss: In vegetable fasting, a person goes through a balanced diet of vegetables and fruits in the form of salads and juices containing easily digestible proteins.
• Medical fast for weight loss: In medical fasting,also known as therapeutic fasting, a person goes without any foodstuff for a period before going through a complex physio-therapeutic and cleaning process in different phases. Appetite suppressants are consumed during this period.

Advantages of Fasting for Weight Loss

Fasting has proven to be one of the best ways to lose weight in a short period. These are some of the advantages that comes with fasting for weight loss.

• Fasting is the fastest way to lose weight: The intake of calories are completely reduced which also reduces the body mass. Though there have been doubts about the fact, but fasting is considered the best way of reducing weight in a short period.
• Fasting acts as a cleansing agent and detoxify the body: During the fasting period a person takes a drink combined of a sweet, sour and spicy taste to fulfill the minimum body needs. Most of this liquid runs through the body system and consumes any toxins contained in the system. This leads to detoxification and cleansing of the body.
• Fasting as a means of de-addicting: Fasting acts as a cleansing agent for those who are into drug consumption or alcoholism by removing the toxins from the body. The addicted person receives assistance in recovering, though it might be unintentional.
• Fasting for health purposes: The body can become stagnant after a long period of inactivity causing an individual to feel sick. After fasting, the body gets used to the renewed diet making a smooth transition to better health.

Disadvantages of Fasting for Weight Loss

Though, fasting for weight loss is one of the fastest ways of losing weight, there are some shortcomings as well. Certain aspects of health are ignored to reap the full benefit of this process.

1. Malnutrition: A long period of fasting can be dangerous due to the risk of malnutrition as the body nutrients are completely cut off. Fasting for weight loss should be carried out under medical supervision which minimizes the risk.
2. Low Glucose Level: Prolonged fasting leads to a heavy reduction of blood glucose level resulting in low glycogen production. Glycogen is the most important source energy of the brain.
3. Protein Metabolism: After a long period of fasting, the body begins to fuel the brain using ketones which leads to an increase in the metabolism of body proteins. Sugar is synthesized by using proteins to use as energy by the rest of the body and decrease in proteins leads to an imbalance in the sugar level.
4. Muscle Wasting: During fasting, the body burns up the energy very fast and looks for other sources. Medical experts have stated that the body muscles goes through catabolism during the process resulting in muscle wasting.
5. Low Calorie Burning: As the body goes through the fasting it develops a storage of calories to meet the body needs resulting in less burning of calories.
6. Dehydration: The body burns off the water before starting the fat burning process. A continuous fasting will deprive the body of water which is damaging for the body.
7. Food Withdrawal: After fasting the person experiences a withdrawal from the regular food that is eaten everyday. This creates subconscious withdrawal from those foods as the body is not habituated to the food.
8. Low Blood Pressure: Though it is not very common but in some cases, people have suffered from low blood pressure and it also creates a dry feeling in the mouth.

Fasting for weight loss can be a very effective way of losing weight for all the weight watchers if precautions are taken to minimize its negative effects or is carried out with the help of a medical professional.