One way to lose weight is to stop eating. It sounds simple, but in reality, you need to know what you're doing to get long-term weight loss benefits from fasting. Let's examine the weakness and strengths of fasting for weight loss.
Like most forms of dieting, fasting can be used to cause dramatic but temporary weight reductions. You can go on a long fast, just juice or eat grapes or some other low calorie meal replacement for several weeks, and while you are on the fast you will definitely lose weight. However, while fasting, you may not be able to continue your normal social interactions. It's not that easy to sip carrot juice while the rest of your family eats a normal meal.
Another problem with long fasting is that your body requires vital nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins) and your favorite juice may not contain them. Long fasting without proper medical supervision can be dangerous.
Finally, a major problem with this type of fasting is that once you stop fasting and resume eating your normal diet, you will be able to regain all the weight you lost during your crash weight loss.
So, does fasting have a place in a weight loss plan? Yes. Periodic fasting is one of the secrets to a long and healthy life. The digestive organs in our body require rest from time to time, just as we need days off. One-day fasting done in a methodical and regular manner provides the kind of rest that aids our digestive system, aids in the elimination of toxins from our body, and yes, also helps us lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way.
How to Do the Proper Fast
Here is a method for doing a day of fasting, taking no food and (if your body is strong) no water in a period from sunrise one day to sunrise the next day.
Successful fasting has three stages: preparation, actual fasting, and breaking the fast. Each of these steps is important.
Preparation
If you are not prepared both mentally and physically, you will have a hard time going there on a day without food. Mental preparation is simple, but very important. The night before fasting, you need to firmly take that tomorrow you are going fast, that you are not going to eat food. If you repair yourself in advance, you will not begin to deliberate during the fasting day, whether you should continue or not. If you're indecisive or seem like you can always come up with a hundred reasons why you should start eating!
Physical preparation is also important. The day before fasting, you should eat a normal amount of food and take in plenty of fluids (especially if you are fasting without taking any fluids). If you miss meals the day before the fast, you may start feeling hungry during the fasting period. If you don't take enough fluids, especially during the night before the fast, you will feel uncomfortable while fasting.
If you are physically and mentally prepared, you will not feel very hungry while fasting. Once you decide to fast, your hunger “stops” for the fasting period. It sounds hard to believe, but if you do it a few times, you'll see it's true.
The day of fasting
It is best to do light physical tasks and focus more on intellectual and spiritual work during the fasting period. It's not a good idea to spend your time thinking about what you're going to eat tomorrow! If you've prepared properly, this shouldn't be a problem and you can use the time you save by not eating to do constructive things you normally don't have time to do.
breaking the fast
One of the benefits of fasting is that it helps to eliminate toxins from the body. However, you can only get this benefit if you break your fast correctly. On the morning following the fasting day, take two glasses of lemon water. Put the juice of have of a lemon in one glass and add a bit of salt. (The drink should taste both lemony and salty). After some time, you can eat your breakfast. The lemon water will help you to flush your digestive system with a strong bowel movement and many toxins will be eliminated.
One day fasts like this can be done twice a month. This kind of fasting will give rest to your digestive organs, help eliminate toxins, build your will power and strength of mind. On top of this, the overall reduction in calories that you get from going two days without food each month, will definitely be one of the elements of a balanced and sustainable weight loss program.
