Fasting for Weight Loss

Fasting is a way of dieting that can be for weight loss or for detoxifying your body. If you are considering fasting for weight loss, then you will likely abstain from all solid foods and only drink liquids for a specific amount of time.

There are many popular fasting diets on the market and a lot of them include drinking fruit juices. Fasting intermittently can help increase your fat burning potential, and boost your energy levels.

Since you will not be eating solid food while you are fasting, you will not be getting all of the nutrients that you would normally be consuming and that your body needs. Fasting for weight loss can be safe and effective but there are some important guidelines that you need to follow:

Take a complete vitamin every day to ensure that you get all the nutrition that your body needs. When you stop eating solid foods, you are going to feel much weaker than normal and the vitamins will help you continue to function. Although you can go for up to forty days without eating and not do permanent damage to your body, you should never fast for more than a few days. The best fasts are done for short periods of time on a regular basis.
Use your fasting period as an introduction to a healthier weight loss plan. Fast for three to seven days and then start eating healthy foods and eliminate the junk food.
Break your bad habits. Smoking, drinking, and even the consumption of caffeine can interfere with your fasting for weight loss as well as making you unhealthy. Many people find that fasting helps them get rid of their cravings for unhealthy indulgences.
Drink water. Fasting flushes your body out and extended fasting can result in dehydration. You need to drink plenty of water to make sure you stay hydrated.
Fasting for weight loss sometimes means drinking fruit juices. If you are using fruit juices for your fast, then go with only organic ones or those you squeeze yourself. The regular fruit juices at the grocery have additives that organic ones don’t.
Enjoy herbal tea. There are a number of weight loss teas on the market and many people use them for different purposes. They can relax you at bed time, help to detoxify your body, or may include herbs that actually aid in weight loss.
Once you have completed your fast, replace the microflora in your gut that is used to digest your food. You will find the probiotics you need to do this in a health food store and there are also yogurts on the market now that serve this purpose.
If you are unsure of how a fast will work for you, consider fasting for a single 24 hour period, and see how you feel when you get done. Record your results in a diary, and look back over your fast when you are done. Your notes may surprise you.
Instead of simply not eating, follow a diet plan that incorporates intermittent fasting. Having a plan to follow will make it easy for you to stick to your fast, and give you an idea of what to expect.