Does Fasting Promote Weight Loss?

So when you hear the word fasting, the first thought that hits your mind is that this is purely a religious practice. Though it is often practiced for religious purposes, fasting is now being linked to weight loss and this has gained a lot of attention. Now if you look at it objectively, if you will eat less, you will anyway lose weight. But this happens only for a short period of time. Once you resume the regular diet, your calorie intake increases and eventually you end up gaining weight again.

But again, the big question that remains is, 'Is fasting a HEALTHY way to lose weight?'

Health experts reveal that fasting is a good way to detox your body when the fast is about consuming fruits and juices only. And yes, it is also a quicker way to lose weight because you have cut down on your calorie consumption. But the fact is that fasting is actually not a very good way of losing weight. It affects your body drastically by slowing your metabolism, and due to this, your body loses a lot of nutritional content as well. But when you resume your usual diet, your body tries to store all the calories, hence resulting in weight gain.

So yes, fasting for a long period of time will not promote weight loss, instead, it will lead to weight gain.

However, fasting is not unhealthy if done the right way. A shorter fast, say two to three days can help in removing toxins from your body, toxins accumulated by the consumption of processed food. After this, you can resume your regular diet, free from all unhealthy, processed foods. This way you will be able to maintain the required body weight.

How to make fasting safe?

Again, fasting is healthy if done the right way. Here's a list of tips to help you make fasting a healthy process.

1. Exercise

Depriving yourself of calories works well if you are cutting them out through workout as well. Just remember that when you fast, your body lacks energy and can only perform light exercises. Rigorous workouts may give you serious injuries.

2. Eat well and stay hydrated

Fasting can be made healthy if you stick to healthy food like fruits and juices. Give up on all the unhealthy food. And most important, keep yourself hydrated all the time. Drink lots of water throughout your fast.

3. Self-control is the key

After fasting, you may end up craving for more food. You may even end up binge-eating. This can lead to weight gain. So remember that you need to consume food by keeping moderation in mind.

Are there any side effects?

Fasting is when your body is out of sugar and salt. So you can end up feeling nauseous, dizzy, fatigue and weak. This being unhealthy is something that goes without saying. So opt for the slower techniques of losing weight. They may take time but will be long-lasting. So if you wish to consider fasting weight loss, we would not recommend it to you.