Water Fasting Weight Loss
It’s tempting: Your high school reunion is this weekend and you wait to drop five pounds in two days. Or maybe your beach vacation is next week and you’re still 10 pounds too flabby for that new bathing suit you bought. So, you need a rapid weight loss strategy to shed some pounds fast. Is fasting weight loss a safe way to go?
When you fast, you eat nothing, or next to it. You will drink water, and you may take in some light liquids such as soup broth. But you won’t eat much else.
Sure, the weight will drop quickly, especially if you fast for a day or more. But is the rapid weight loss worth it? And will your fasting weight loss result in a permanent shedding of those unwanted extra pounds? Unfortunately, you won’t find a yes or no answer to this one.
Most physicians do not consider lengthy fasting for weight loss to be a safe way to lose weight. For one thing, it’s dangerous. Your body needs certain nutrients that you only find in food. It’s what it uses to generate energy. If you don’t eat anything, you’ll find that you’re sluggish and weak. You’ll also discover that it’s harder to focus on your work or your family.
If you take the fasting too seriously, you can even cause yourself serious health problems, problems that can require the immediate attention of medical professionals.
Secondly, any fasting weight loss you experience will most likely be temporary if you keep going at it. Sure, you will drop those extra pounds at first, but if you keep fasting, as soon as you start eating again you’ll put them right back on. Fasting isn’t what your body is normally used to. You can’t maintain that kind of weight loss for any significant period of time.
A better plan for losing weight is to change your eating habits over time and maybe try fasting to lose weight for one day per month. Skip the unhealthy food and fast-food restaurants. Instead, prepare healthy meals at home, meals that include plenty of lean meats, fresh vegetables and nutrient-rich fruits. By eating this way, you’ll not only gradually lose your excess weight – the only safe way to drop pounds – but you’ll also boost the heart of your health.
Secondly, force yourself into a regular exercise program. Eating right and healthy alone will help you reach your weight goals. But exercising on a regular basis will speed this weight gain. It will also help you build muscle strength, increase your stamina and improve your balance. Some physicians even credit regular exercise with boosting the mood and energy levels of their patients.
A fasting weight loss may feel good initially. You’ll certainly enjoy stepping on the scale to see that you’ve dropped six pounds in just two days. But whatever positive feelings you experience will be short-lived. Weight loss achieved by fasting isn’t permanent by itself. If you don’t back it up with a healthy diet, you will eventually see those pounds coming back. And while you’re yo-yoing from one weight to another, you’ll be putting your health at risk.
Do the smart thing and follow a heart-healthy and sensible eating and exercise plan. If you want to take it a step further, and see real results, combine it with fasting weight loss!