There are thousands of people around the world today who are in constant search for methods, which can help them shed off pounds and pounds of excess weight. This is because more and more individuals have become aware of the dangerous effects of gaining too much body weight, which would include obesity as well as the fact that it puts them at risk to a lot of diseases. Being overweight can also affect a person’s self-confidence, since it can change his or her looks. Thus, it is not uncommon to find lots of people trying to do their research on the most recent discoveries when it comes to losing weight.
One of the methods that you may have come across with, in your quest to finding the solution to lose weight would be fasting. Although there are lots of arguments surrounding this kind of weight loss program, lots of people still go through it, since there are those who were able to attain desirable results from it. It should be noted though that there are different forms of fasting, and properly selecting the one that you would follow is imperative, if you want to proceed in going through it in a safe manner.
There are lots of possible reasons why lots of people want to go through fasting to lose weight. Some simply want to achieve faster results, while others also want to stop their constant cravings for unhealthy types of foods. Aside from that, there are also those who want to fast, since they are guilty of overeating during the holidays. In any case though, if you want to try this method, it is best that you weigh its advantages and disadvantages, so that you would be able to come up with a sound decision about it.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Fasting In Order To Lose Weight
Advantages
- Rapid Weight Loss – One of the most obvious advantages of fasting is the fact that you can indeed lose weight fast with it. This is because, when you are fasting, you are basically depriving your body of taking in calories. Therefore, since your body needs to continuously burn calories in order for you to perform your usual daily activities, it will eventually use the stored fats, which will result to a faster weight loss in your part.
- Detoxification - One of the more common types of fasting methods is done by consuming nothing but fluids or juices, which has been derived from either fruits or vegetables. This is a way of fasting that can help your body in getting rid of toxins. Toxins are actually harmful, and it is usually being accumulated by your body through the foods that you eat, as well as being exposed to it in many other circumstances. When your body is able to flush out these toxins through a liquid diet, you will actually feel more energized. Aside from that, it would also boost up your immunity levels. Since your body won’t be in-taking any solid types of foods, you will eventually lose weight with a juice fast. In addition to that, since the juice comes from fruits and vegetables, it also means that you are getting good amounts of essential nutrients that your body needs, while just consuming only little amounts of calories.
- Cut Down Eating Addictions – There are some people who simply could not resist eating unhealthy foods, such as junk foods, as well as those that are highly processed ones. It is a fact that such types of foods are not good for your health. However, if you have been used to eating them, excluding them from your daily diet may become a daunting task. With the proper way of fasting though, you may be able to cut down your eating addictions, which may have been the reason behind your excess weight. To make sure that you get rid of the addictions totally, you should always remember that the highly processed foods and junk foods are loaded with unhealthy stuffs, which would not just make you gain weight, but also put your health at risk.
Disadvantages
Although fasting has a lot of advantages, it also has a number of disadvantages that you need to become more aware of. By learning more about them, it would help you come up with a good decision about fasting.
- Starvation Mode – When you go through fasting, it is a fact that you can lose weight in a rapid manner. However, such kind of weight loss may not be enjoyed in a long period of time. This is because, the body may go through a starvation mode, in which it would try to protect itself by lowering its metabolism, so that your stored fats and calories would not get consumed. When that happens, once you return back to your normal eating habits, you may be able to gain back the weight that you have lost, since your metabolism remains the same, and your body is still in the same mode. Aside from fasting though, this disadvantage is also observed in other forms of diets, especially those that are very restrictive.
- Hard To Follow – If you want to go through fasting in order to lose pounds and pounds of weight, you need to know that it should be done not just in days, but possibly for weeks. Therefore, before going about it, you should be fully committed in doing it so as to prevent relapse. In relation to this, one of the disadvantages of fasting is the fact that it is quite difficult for some people to follow. This is because you would not be eating the usual way, and you would also be depriving yourself of some nutrients. Therefore, after a week or so, if a person finds it too difficult, he may eventually revert back to his normal eating habits, even if he has already lost a considerable amount of weight through fasting. When he stops the practice of fasting in a sudden manner though, he may eventually gain back the weight that he just lost.
- Health Conditions – It is very important to take note that when you go through fasting, you may be depriving your body of its needed amounts of nutrients, in order for it to stay in good condition. In other words, malnutrition may set in, and when this happens, it can put your health at risk to a lot of diseases. Aside from that, it can also be damaging to your brain, since it needs lots of nutrients to stay healthy and function well. In addition, since there is a big possibility that you won’t be absorbing good amounts of vitamins and minerals when you fast, then you may also experience negative side effects on your skin, hair, nails, and even in your eyes.
- Other Side Effects – When you go through fasting, there is also a good possibility that you would lose muscle tissue, as well as water from your body. When you lose muscle tissue, it could mean that you won’t be looking as good as you want to be, even if you have lost considerable amounts of weight. On the other hand, losing water can also mean that you could become dehydrated, which is another condition that would put your health at risk. Fasting can also result to having lower blood pressure than normal, or what is usually called as hypotension. This is because, going through it may mean that you are not providing your body with its needed nutrients, in order to have enough energy. Fasting can also result to having bad breath, since it can make your body release chemical compounds, which are usually referred to as ketones due to the lack of vitamins and minerals. Moreover, other side effects, which you may experience when you fast would include headaches, nausea, irritability, extreme hunger, body weakness, muscle pain, joint symptoms, and rapid heart rate.
Other Things To Consider Before Going Through Fasting
Although you have become more aware of the advantages and disadvantages of fasting, it is not yet time to make up your mind about it. You should know that there are still other things that you need to put much consideration on, prior to finalizing your decision regarding it.
When you go through a certain fasting method so that you would experience weight loss, you should consider the possibility that you won’t be able to continue with your normal daily activities because of it. For one, if you are usually eating together with your family on a day to day basis, then you may have to avoid doing that when you fast, since you can’t eat the same types of foods that they are going to have. Aside from that, you may also have to avoid going out with them, as well as your friends, especially if it means eating out in your favorite restaurant or fast food chain. Since you want to lose weight through fasting, you need to avoid all these small temptations, so that you would be able to achieve your weight loss goals soon. Therefore, you should be committed enough in avoiding such types of activities while you are doing it.
If you decide to go choose fasting as the solution for your weight problems, then you should keep in mind that monitoring your health while going through it is very important. This is because, there is a possibility that the juices you would be drinking, may not always contain all the nutrients that your body needs, in order to stay as healthy as possible. For instance, your body needs constant supply of protein in order to build and maintain the health of your muscles. Therefore, if you are considering going through some workout routines while doing fasting, you may not be able to achieve what you want, since your body simply is not going to be provided with enough amounts of protein to perform such kinds of activities.
When you go through fasting, you should also consider that your body may go through survival mode, in which your body would have a low metabolic rate. When this happens, you would actually experience lack of energy, in which you may find yourself getting sleepy at the middle of the day, which may mean that you are at work. Since you won’t have lots of energy, you may not be able to perform other physical activities that you want effectively, such as walking, running, riding the bicycle, or any other forms of exercise routines, which you enjoy.
As mentioned on top, starvation mode is one of the disadvantages of fasting for one to lose weight. Aside from the fact that this can slow down your weight loss, since your body will protect its stored fats and calories, when you go back to your normal eating patterns, you may experience weight gain in just a few days. To prevent that though, once you have lost the amount of weight that you want, you should not revert back to your normal eating habits immediately. You should do it in a gradual manner, in which you would slowly go back to eating normally over a certain period of time. This way, your body would try to adjust back to your normal eating pattern gradually. Thus, your body may also slowly boost up your metabolism back to its normal levels, in order to process the small amounts of solid foods that you would introduce to it.
Fasting in order to shed off pounds of weight can be effective, especially if it is done the right way. However, you should always be aware of the risks that you could be putting yourself at when you go through it. To be on the safe side though, it is best to consult with your doctor before going through fasting. Aside from that, you should take note that people who have history of heart related problems, pregnant and breastfeeding women, have low immune system, and have liver or kidney insufficiency should not go through fasting.
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