How to Fast for Weight Loss

Fasting is a practice that involves choosing to abstain from food, drink, or both for a pre-determined amount of time. It is generally used for detoxification of the body or for other medical reasons. Fasting programs are also popular and proven weight loss methods when used safely and moderately. Due to the health risks of fasting, it is extremely important to follow a few steps to ensure that your fast is both effective and healthy for your body.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Begin with a very brief fasting program before building up to a longer program for weight loss. If this is your first time fasting, it is best to start out fasting for only a portion of the day, such as a 12-hour period that starts at night. Generally, fasting for more than a few days is not medically recommended, so it is dangerous to subject your body to this practice without giving yourself necessary preparation time to adjust.
2. Prepare your body to undergo a fasting program for weight loss by limiting unnecessary food habits, such as the intake of alcohol, sugar and caffeine at least 1 week prior to starting your fast. You should also refrain from or limit your use of nicotine and try to avoid eating red meat. One of the primary purposes of fasting is to rid the body of these toxins, so it is usually helpful to get yourself in the habit of avoiding these substances before you even begin.
3. Allow yourself to eat only 1 meal per day while fasting. The best time of day to have this meal is usually about 3:00 in the afternoon, as this is the midpoint of the working day for most people. The meal you have should only be comprised of water, tea or juice and some form of raw fruits or vegetables to ensure maximum detoxification and weight loss.
4. Avoid exercise and other strenuous activity during your fast. Though refraining from exercise may seem to contradict the purpose of a weight loss program, your body will not be physically capable of performing any form of exercise due to the physiological effects of fasting. Denying your body food and water temporarily decreases the amount of energy your body is able to expend.
5. Rebuild the amount of food you eat slowly after you finish your fast. It is common to want to binge after completing a fast, but it is important to slowly increase your intake of food over a period of days to allow your digestive cycle to return to normal.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't expect to fast without side effects. Common side effects of a fast for weight loss are headaches, feelings of hunger, nausea and irritability. Usually, the body will adjust to the fasting program within 3 days and these side effects will eventually decrease or disappear entirely.
• People who are pregnant or who suffer from chronic medical conditions should never fast.