Why Do People Try Water Fasting
The three main reasons people practice water fasting are as follows:
The first point is a no-brainer: if you dont eat anything, youre going to lose weight, but proponents of water fasting claim it offers unique fat burning effects.
Second, like many kinds of fasting, people say water fasting detoxes your body, improves cellular health, and even fights aging.
Finally, some people do it in the belief it will help them avoid disease, live longer, and feel better on a daily basis.
Lets unpack each of these claims.
Water Fasting And Weight Loss
As we mentioned earlier, water fasting can help you lose weight, but it may not the best choice because its not very sustainable. Drastically restricting your food intake may lead to rebound weight gain by altering your hunger hormones.
Its a better idea to make slow, gradual lifestyle changes that you can stick with in the long term.
If youre otherwise healthy, there are safer and less extreme ways to lose weight that are more sustainable, meaning they increase your odds of keeping the weight off longer. A safe and sustainable rate of weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week.
If you still really want to try fasting to shed a few pounds, intermittent fasting may be a better option. The low carb keto diet can also be an effective weight loss option.
But be sure to check in with your healthcare provider before making any big changes to your diet, especially if you have any health conditions that could be affected.
Although it may have benefits, water fasting is not without risks.
Longer Fasting Regimens 24 Hours Or More
I arbitrarily divide it at 24 hours but there is no physiologic reason to do so, other than for classification purposes. There is no magic dividing line.
We covered fasting regimens using periods less than 24 hours previously. The longer regimens are generally done less frequently. The major determinant of which fasting regimen is right for you is personal preference. Some people find longer fasts easier and some find them harder.
Most people find that hunger increases into day 2. At that point, hunger peaks and then gradually recedes. This is important knowledge if you are attempting a longer fast . It is easier to continue knowing that hunger gradually gets better.
Disclaimer:
This guide is written for adults with health issues, including obesity, that could benefit from intermittent fasting. Learn more.
People who should NOT fast include those who are underweight or have eating disorders like anorexia, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and people under the age of 18. Learn more.
Also Check: What Foods Should You Eat When Doing Intermittent Fasting
What Is Water Fasting For 3 Days
As you may already know, there are different types of fasting. Some restrict certain types of food, some require you to give up eating for a certain period of time. So, what is water fasting for 3 days? The name explains it all. This is the practice whereby you do not eat or drink anything for three days. A water fast usually lasts for 24 hours to 72 hours however, in some cases, water fasting can last up to 30 to 40 days. While a 3-day water fast is relatively safe, longer fasts must be done under close medical supervision .
What Can You Eat
A water fast is true to its name: It’s a fast during which all food and drink except water are restricted. That means no coffee, no tea, no alcohol, no zero-calorie sports drinks, or any other beverage. This also means no food.
Water fasts typically last 2472 hours, but medically supervised water fasts may last up to 40 days. For your safety, you should not try to fast without medical clearance and supervision.
Many popular cleanses are modeled after water fasting, such as the Master Cleanse, during which you drink a spicy lemonade concoction for 1040 days. Most people embark on a water fast or similar regimen for the purported health benefits, which are mostly anecdotal.
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All other foods and liquids
Read Also: When Can I Eat Intermittent Fasting
Diet Myth Or Truth: Fasting Is Effective For Weight Loss
Fasting is an age-old practice, often done for religious reasons, but fasting for weight loss is still capturing the public imagination. You can find dozens of do-it-yourself plans touting the unproven benefits of fasting, ranging from flushing “poisons” from the body to purging 30 pounds of fat in 30 days.
It’s true that fasting — that is, eating little to no food — will result in weight loss, at least in the short term. But the risks far outweigh any benefits, and ultimately, fasting can cause more harm than good.
May Lead To Dehydration
Many of us would assume that water fasting means that you will be hydrated throughout. However, many people tend to forget that 20% to 30% of our daily water intake comes from food . Thus if you do not increase the amount of water you drink during the fasting period, you will end up being dehydrated.
Read Also: How Do Fasting To Lose Weight
Safety Rules For Water Fasting
Water fasting is a safe procedure if followed with the proper guidelines. On the other hand, if maintained for a longer period of time, it is advisable to judge the long-term effects on the body and your specific reaction to the diet. It is very risky for people with age and health-related problems.
If one is planning to begin water fasting but has pre-existing health issues, it is advisable to take proper medical guidance before and during the fast. He/she must be strictly monitored until the fast is over.
Water Fasting: The Fast Facts
- Total time 7 days 15 hours . 9 pm Thursday to 12 pm Friday.
- Total weight loss Approx 5kg . I then put on 6kg in the following two weeks.
- Total intake Water , ½ teaspoon of Himalayan salt per litre, 3 Z-Mag tablets per day, one teaspoon of Tri-Mag Supreme Night Powder each night. Total of ~600mg magnesium, 7.5mg zinc .
- In short, the mental and physical effects were all positive.
- I didnt set a timeline for the water fast but instead checked in with my body each day. A touch over a week in, Id had enough and subsequently broke the 8-day fast.
- The benefits I gained from the 8-day water fast were complemented by other activities that I found to be extremely helpful to facilitate the fast including yoga, breathwork, meditation, cold showers, rest, light movement and leaning into/allowing stored emotions to come out.
Read Also: What Should You Eat Intermittent Fasting
Survive During The Fast
Now that weve got our bodies prepared for the fast, its time to actually start the 5-day water fast. The first 2 days of a fast are usually the hardest, so its important to stick to your usual routine, and wait for these feelings to pass. By day two or three you will probably be feeling some fatigue, headaches and muscle weakness. Its also equally important to listen to your body and rest when you need to.
During these days instead of thinking about food, spend your energies focusing on staying positive. Try preparing yourself mentally for this change in lifestyle by reminding yourself that after 5 days you will have lost weight and have more energy if done correctly.
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Health Benefits Of Drinking Fruit Water
Loose weight with fruit water! Fruit infused waters are an excellent alternative to sugary drinks and has far less calories with almost zero sugars. Craving something sweet to drink? Fruit infused waters are slightly sweetened with the natural flavor of your favorite fruits. This one is made with antioxidant rich berries and a splash of lemon juice.
Drinking lemon water everyday and these four detox water recipes will help you:
- lose weight
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Why Do People Fast
Fasting is nothing new. It has been around for hundreds of years, even before it became popular for fitness and health reasons. Some of the reasons why people fast include:
1. For religious or spiritual reasons. People of various religions fast. Although the rules of fasting in, for example, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism differ, they all include certain periods of time when a person should refrain from eating or keep a certain type of food off their menu for various reasons. So, eastern orthodox Christians fast during specific seasons of the year followers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fast for 24 hours every first Sunday of each month, which is similar to a Muslim fast known as Ramadan.
2. As a way to lose weight. As was already noted in the first paragraph, it is only natural that when you stop eating you start losing weight. This happens because your body runs out of energy that it used to get from food and begins to use stored fat as its main energy source.
3. As a form of a detox plan/diet. Popular detox diets include juice or smoothie diet i.e, the celery juice diet, liver cleanse, the lemon water detox, and colon cleanse .
4. For its perceived health benefits. Besides its weight loss effect, short-term fasting has shown to have other health benefits, which will be discussed in detail further along in this article.
Water Fasting Vs Intermittent Fasting And Time Restricted Eating
Fasting is a broad term that really just means not eating and therefore can mean a variety of things to different people. Youll hear fasting mentioned online and in the media, with little specificity on what protocol is actually being employed. Several iterations of fasting are popular, so lets differentiate them a bit.
Intermittent fasting refers to a reduced meal frequency. Again, while time lengths can vary, it often takes the form of a periodic period of fasting that last around 24 – 48 hours. Some people do one weekly, some monthly. Intermittent fasting can also take the form of alternate-day fasting, where you eat every other day, or a “fasting mimicking” protocol where calories are drastically reduced for a few days at a time.
Time-restricted feeding or time-restricted eating involves eating within a certain window and then fasting for the rest of the day and night. Popular protocols for IF/TRF include 16:8, 18:6, and 20:4where the first number refers to the fasting period and the latter, the feeding period.
Water fasting, on the other hand, typically involves a bit longer of a fasting period. 24, 48, and 72-hour water-only fasts are most common, but some might even push a fast out to 5 or 7 days. Some people may do these 1 – 7 day water fasts once a month or a few times per year. Water only fasting can be seen as a more extreme version of IF/TRE that might have unique and distinct benefits from the daily practice of a shorter fasting window.
Recommended Reading: How To Maximize Fat Loss With Intermittent Fasting
Another Major Problem With Drinking Coconut Water For Fat Loss
As you saw, coconut water does have some calories in it. And while it’s true that the number isn’t huge, those calories could be bringing another potential problem to the table.
You see, science has proven that sugar can boost your appetite.
So, because most of the calories in coconut water come from sugar, coconut water has the potential to boost your appetite.
If you’re struggling to get rid of that stubborn body fat, then eating as few hunger-boosting foods as possible, is probably a good idea.
If you ask me, this isn’t a major issue on its own, simply because coconut water doesn’t have too much sugar in it.
But it’s still something you should keep in mind, especially, if you notice that drinking coconut water makes you hungry for more food than usual.
What Is Fast Weight Loss
Health authorities typically recommend losing about 1 to 2 pounds per week, and many people seem to lose weight at about this rate.1
Therefore, losing any more than 2 pounds per week is considered fast weight loss. Yet for many people, that may not sound quick.
While losing 10 pounds in a week may technically be possible for some especially those who carry a lot of excess weight it isnt realistic for most of us.
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Intermittent Fasting Can Help Weight Loss
IF makes intuitive sense. The food we eat is broken down by enzymes in our gut and eventually ends up as molecules in our bloodstream. Carbohydrates, particularly sugars and refined grains , are quickly broken down into sugar, which our cells use for energy. If our cells dont use it all, we store it in our fat cells as, well, fat. But sugar can only enter our cells with insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas. Insulin brings sugar into the fat cells and keeps it there.
Between meals, as long as we dont snack, our insulin levels will go down and our fat cells can then release their stored sugar, to be used as energy. We lose weight if we let our insulin levels go down. The entire idea of IF is to allow the insulin levels to go down far enough and for long enough that we burn off our fat.
What Are The Touted Health Benefits Of Water Fasting
As you may suspect, an aspiration to lose weight is a huge reason people try water fasting. People are tired of battling with their weight and are looking for the next best weight loss tool, which is one reason water fasting has become so hot, says Kristen Smith, RDN, an Atlanta-based spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Some people may even do it in hopes of treating health conditions, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, all of which can involve excess weight, Smith adds. And of course, other people may do a water fast for religious reasons or prior to a medical test such as a colonoscopy.
Water fasts are a buzzy topic in the holistic health world, but lets get one thing out of the way: Despite whatever youve read online suggesting otherwise, theres a lack of rigorous scientific evidence to support using this approach for weight loss, disease management, and the like. In fact, water fasts may pose serious health risks to certain people.
Taking a break from eating, however, can lower your blood pressure. In a past study, 174 people with high blood pressure underwent a water fast for 10 to 11 days on average, and by the end of that period, about 90 percent of participants had lowered their blood pressure to normal levels.
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Water Fasting Can Help You Lose Weight But
Water fasting is often seen as a healthier form of crash dieting.
Now, if you know anything about how your metabolism works, you know that if you forgo any source of calories for a few days, youre going to lose weight.
Advocates of water fasting say theres more to the story, though.
They claim that if you want to lose fat as quickly and efficiently as possible, you need to put your body into a state of ketosis, and water fasting is one of the best ways to do this.
Are they right?
To learn the answer, you first need to understand and what ketosis is and how it works.
Ketosis is a metabolic process wherein your body gets energy from ketones instead of blood sugar .
Ketones or ketone bodies are energetic molecules produced by the liver that the body can make from fat.
When your body doesnt have an ample supply of carbs, ketone production rises to meet your energy needs. As your body adapts to burning more ketones for fuel, you enter a state of ketosis.
Now, to enter ketosis, you just need to severely limit or eliminate your carb intake, and you can do this in one of two ways:
In both cases, your body has to burn fatty acids for fuel instead of glucose.
When most people enter ketosis through either of these methods, they experience rapid weight loss. Were talking five or ten pounds in a matter of days in some cases.
This is why many people believe water fasting is a better way to lose weight than just restricting calories.
How?
Healthy Alternatives To Fasting For 3 Days
If your goal is to achieve all the weight loss benefits of fasting for 3 days and you want to avoid any negative side effects that are associated with fasting for 3 days, then you should try following a balanced diet that creates a caloric deficit. Since fasting for 3 days results vary from 2 to 3 pounds, you can follow any of the following healthy diets, creating a caloric deficit of 500-1000 calories a day. This will provide you with the same outcome in 1,5-2 weeks, only this result will be healthier and more sustainable. So, here are the most popular weight loss diets that are backed up by science and medical specialists:
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