How to Safely Fast for Weight Loss
Fasting is an old practice that has been used for many different reasons. While it started out being used for religious beliefs, now days it has become more mainstream for those who are looking to lose weight. In case you are unaware of what fasting is, it’s when you eat no or smaller amounts of food to help with weight loss.
While fasting for shorter periods of time is not considered to be dangerous, it can have adverse effects if you suffer from a chronic disease, are a child, or pregnant. Even though you are able to fast on your own, there are also several medical fasting options that you can do for weight loss that are supervised by your physician.
So what type of fasting is best for your weight loss and you? That depends on you. Most fasts typically allow you to only have water, juice, or even some type of laxative concoction. However, before you do decide that you are going to do fasting for weight loss, you must first decide which type of fasting you are going to do.
Different Types of Fasts
Before you get started with your fasting for weight loss, it is best to know why type of fast you are going to be doing. When it comes to safely fasting for weight loss, there are 3 common types that you have to choose from. Just be sure to remember that you should always get your doctor’s permission before starting any type new diet or weight loss routine.
A Juice Fast
Juice fasting is when you consume the juices of different vegetables and fruits during your fasting period. It is common that you don’t eat any types of solid food while you are juice fasting, which typically lasts from anywhere between one day, all the way up to 2 weeks. Just be sure that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals during your juice fast, which are ideal if you are looking to detoxify your body or weight loss.
A Water Fast
This type of fasting is when you limit yourself to only consuming water for your fasting period. While it sounds simple, water fasting is normally one of the toughest types of fasting for most people.
A Cleansing Fast
With this kind of fasting, the whole idea is to cleanse the body of food and toxins that have accumulated in the colon. This process is typically done with a drink containing some type of mixture of simple sugars, lemon juice and some type of spice. This drink is then consumed up to 12 times per day for the duration of the fast, which can range between 1 and 14 days in length. Since you are cleansing your body of accumulated food, there is normally some quick weight loss associated with the cleansing fast.
Now that you know what kind of fasting for weight loss that you are going to be doing, here are some tips that you must keep in mind to stay safe and make sure that you maximize your weight loss results.
Tips For Safely Fasting for Weight Loss
When you are fasting for weight loss, you are limiting or even eliminating food from your diet for an amount of time. Since food is your body’s main source of energy, there are certain precautions that you are going to have to take to maximize your weight loss results, as well as stay safe.
- You Will Need to Cut Back on Exercise
While exercise is great for living a healthy lifestyle and weight loss, when you restrict your calories to that of a cleanse, it can take a huge toll on your body. Just be sure that limit the workouts you do to walking or some other type of light activities. If you do decide that vigorous exercise is what you are going to be doing during your fast, just know that it can lead to a higher injury risk, as well as make the fasting much more difficult to finish.
- Always Listen to Your Body
Even if you have planned out your entire weight loss fast, if you ever start to feel sick, have trouble concentrating, start getting headaches, or even start to feel extra tired and fatigued, fasting may not be the right thing for you. Always be sure that you are listening to your body and remember that you can always find a different fast or diet that will work better for you.
- Set You Fasting Dates
When fasting, be sure that it is only for a predetermined amount of time. Fasting should not become part of your every day life and go on forever. Prior to getting started, be sure to determine when you are going to start and when you are going to end. When you have a start and end date in place, it will be much easier for you to complete your fast with maximum weight loss results.
When it comes to fasting for weight loss, you should always keep in mind that it’s safety first. Just be sure that your doctor knows what you are doing and follow the safety tips mentioned above and you will enjoy great weight loss results with fasting.
