A lot of modern solutions for our problems usually have roots in ancient remedies or techniques. One of these is fasting. Originally a centuries-old method of achieving spiritual enlightenment or done as a religious ritual, it has been now appropriated by dieters as a weight loss regimen. The fasting weight loss method does not differ much from fasting as a religious ritual. Saffron robes and meditation are not required, but you may drink fruit juices even as you abstain from food. This is why abstaining from food but drinking juice is also called the juice diet.
In terms of how long you have to do the diet, most diet references say that the usual duration lasts from just two days to as long as nine days. Extreme cases have also been noted wherein dieters undergo fasting for as long as thirty days. Obviously, doing this for that amount of time may pose health risks to a lot of people especially if they are still new to fasting.
Needless to say, there are indeed some benefits to fasting as a type of weight loss method. For starters, it doesn’t require you to buy anything, unlike those diet programs where you have to buy supplements, herbs, or some ingredient that you have to add to your meals. There’s also not much effort involved in terms of preparing meals that have to be the exact portion size or calorie count. You’re not eating anything; you’re not buying anything. All you have to focus on is not to give in to temptation, and fast for the duration of the diet. Definitely, fasting is a cheap yet effective way of losing weight quickly.
When it comes to the side effects, those who diet this way should expect to have low levels of energy and some lightheadedness due to the absence of food in the body. As this is an expected and normal result of not eating, people expect this and mentally prepare themselves for this outcome. However, there are some health risks with fasting that people don’t normally know about. These harmful effects of fasting usually manifest when it is not done properly or when it is taken to the extreme.
An example would be ketosis, which is what happens when the body uses stored fats instead of glucose for energy. This is the term used to describe the metabolic state that the body enters which results in the formation of ketones. These ketones can cause kidney stones, kidney failure, and nausea. In conclusion, before resorting to fasting to lose weight, make sure that you get your doctor’s go signal. Fast only for as long as your body can take, as per your doctor’s advise, or else fasting will be more harmful rather than helpful.
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