Are you looking for the fastest way to lose weight on the planet? Are bad food habits clogging your body? Then a water fasting diet has the answers to your troubles.
Wondering what is it we are talking about? Continue reading to know more!
Water Fasting:
Many have tried various diets to bring healthy changes to their bodies. Going one step forward, a water fast is not only a diet but a complete fast. It involves drinking only water for the duration of the fast and absolutely nothing else. One might wonder if that is similar to starving. Interestingly, water fasting has been advocated as one of the best ways for detoxification and therapeutic changes.
Ayurveda and Naturopathy also encourage this type of fast for its many benefits. Even doctors advice their patients to go on a half-day water fast before a surgery to avoid complications. So, let us see what it involves.
The Zero Calorie Diet:
The fast is intense and grueling due to the emotional challenges involved. Still, it manages to correct minor disruptions in the body as it helps purify the system. When a person takes only water, he or she is consuming ‘zero’ calories. In a body loaded with numerous toxins, both internal and external, the tissues struggle to eliminate the wastes. Our food habits further add excessive calories, thereby slowing down metabolism. Taking virtually no calories for 2 to 7 days was found to revive our tissues and system functions (1).
Benefits Of Water Fasting:
Who To Fast:
Water fasts are advised for those who can handle several days of intense calorie deprivation. Individuals who have taken a 2-day fast earlier would find it easier to take a 4-day or 7-day fast. Hence, beginners can start with a 2-day water fast. Patients with medical issues require medical consultation before embarking on this plan.
Obese people trying to lose weight can take the fast and observe immediate results. Although, it is necessary to note that the lost pounds might return once the calories come back into your diet. Underweight people might find the fast too grueling, and can experience more fatigue compared to others. Some might face complications during the fast, and they need to stop it immediately.
How To Fast:
The water fast may look like it takes just 2 to 7 days. But it is not as simple as that. It requires dedication for 7 to 14 days for the actual procedure.
1. Planning:
You need to prepare yourself before you begin the water fast. Set your mind to accept the numerous bodily reactions that you will encounter during the fast. Overcome any fears as the human body can comfortably tolerate a 7-day water fast.
2. Before The Fast:
For beginners, it might be easier to practice with diets that are good alternatives to water and juice. Some eat brown rice or other nutritious foods for this purpose.
3. Water Fast:
While on the water fast, have only distilled or mineral water. It should contribute nothing but water to the diet. Consume 2 to 3 liters of water a day or a minimum of 10 glasses.
4. Weight Loss:
Firstly, the body will start losing the weight of water, which comes back, and then taps into the fat reserves to burn calories. Gradually, the glycogen reserves and muscle cells are also used for energy.
5. Body Reactions:
Women take 2 days and men take 3 days to adjust to water fast. Food cravings and sudden hunger bouts are observed at this time. These intense hunger pangs, coupled with dizziness, weakness, and nausea, diminish after the first 2 days. One needs to focus and overcome the reactions with mental strength. Once this happens, the body starts feeling energetic while the hunger gets reduced.
6. Rest:
Ensure you have planned the fast when there are no demands on your time. Get plenty of rest to compensate for the low energy levels. Allow your body to detoxify and heal itself. Read and entertain yourself without any considerable physical activity.
7. Break The Fast:
To break the fast, your body needs to adjust the same way it adjusted to the fast. Since you know your body the best, find the time when the real hunger starts. It is the point when there is a genuine call for nutrition, and this is when you give yourself a little treat. This could include an easily digestible item like a watermelon on the first day. Have soup on the second day, fruit juices with boiled vegetables on the third day, and a meal on the fourth day. Take care not to over-indulge.
8. After The Fast:
Your body has certain reactions even after the fast. Fortunately, they involve giving us a sense of well-being. It shows in your skin and eyes. Moreover, a process such as this keeps you from making bad food choices too.
Water is the drink of life. It can rejuvenate your life too. Just make sure you do the water fast right and enjoy its benefits. It is important not to be misinformed about how the weight loss benefits of water fast work. Weight loss is no doubt the quickest. But on the flip side, it is for this very reason that it will find its way back once you start binging on high-calorie foods.
Did you understand all that there is to know about the water fasting diet? Let us know in the comments section below.
