Fasting for Weight Loss - Know the Rules

Fasting for weight loss is an attractive option for many people for several reasons such as quick weight loss and detoxification. There are several ways you can do a fasting diet; you can restrict all foods and only have liquids, restrict some food groups for a certain period of time, or restrict foods on alternating days. Some of them are marked as fad diet because it offer fast result but it is very difficult to keep the weight off once you start eating a normal diet again.

Is a fasting diet a safe way to lose weight? It is depends on many factors; people with certain health issues such as cancer, diabetes, liver, kidney, or lung disease are not advised to do this kind of program. A fasting diet program also not recommended for pregnant or lactating women; the side effects can harm both the mother and the baby. For women who want to lose weight after pregnancy, check how you can do it without harming yourself or the baby at how to lose pregnancy weight.

Otherwise, if you think that you have a fit body, just go for it; one day fast is unlikely to cause any harm to a healthy body, even a little longer fast is still tolerable if you have a fit body.

If you do have a plan to starting a fasting weight loss program then you needs to prepare yourself properly, both body condition and lifestyle; depend on what type of fasting you will go through. If it is a program that involving ‘short complete fasting’ (lasts 5 days to 2 weeks) or ‘extended fast’ (last more than 3 weeks), you need to know a few things first:

1. It might be best to lay off the physical activity during your fast because making your body work so hard when you are limiting the amount of fuel it gets could lead to problems like headaches and other side effects.

2. Reduce your usual consumption of canned and processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, salt, refined sugar, cigarette, and any foods that cause food allergies and toxic reaction for a few days before start fasting. Cut them off completely all of a sudden will result in headaches, stomachaches, and other discomfort.

3. Before you begin your fast, start decreasing your portion sizes and increasing the amount of time between meals. It will help you to regulate your mind, appetite, and stomach during the program.

4. Before you start make sure you know everything you will need to do; writing all the instructions down is a good idea. Keep remind yourself of the cause and goals of the project, this will help you to stay away from any desire to quit halfway.

5. If you are under 18 or have any chronic health issues make sure to consult your doctor before you start.

Usually, this type of fasting can help you lose weight quickly as well as detoxify your body. For a ’short complete fasting’, you should repeat it periodically until you get the results that you want. DO NOT extend it by yourself; stick to the program. Check my recommendation for this type of fasting at how to lose weight in a week. As for the extended fasting, do it with physician supervision.

Another variety is the ’short fast’; it will last only 1 or 2 days. It’s difficult to use this type of fast and really achieve good results, thus only a few diet programs can do it. Personally, I’m recommend this type more since it is not difficult to do and doesn’t generate side effects like a longer fasting do.

There are many variations of fasting weight loss plans where each will offer it’s own unique benefits and results. However, an expert dietitian can include fasting to achieve fast weight loss without making the user sacrificing his body fitness, thus the user can still do his daily activities. My top recommendation for fasting diet is a well designed and easily implemented ’short fast’ type; check it at Eat Stop Eat Review.