When people bring up the subject of water fasting, weight loss is the first thing on their minds most of the time. This is due in large part to a misunderstanding in how exactly the body handles calorie deficits. We already know that losing weight is in large part an equation of calories consumed versus calories burned. If nothing else needed to be taken into account, it would make sense that in order to lose weight quickly, a water fasting diet would be the way to go. Unfortunately, there are quite a few things that need to be considered before you try doing it yourself.
Water fasting is usually done in a gradual way, starting by the removal of heavier foods and meat from the diet in lieu of fruits and vegetables before proceeding to juice and then finally a water-only diet. This is done in order to prevent shocking the system with a sudden drop in calories and to make it easier to adjust by extending the transition period. Following the period of water fasting, you would ease back into a regular diet by following the same sequence in reverse. It is thought that by consuming nothing but water for an extended amount of time, the body releases various toxins that have been consumed through food and environmental pollutants.
Water fasting for weight loss, however, poses certain risks. Aside from the psychological aspects, it is essentially the same process as anorexia, an eating disorder in which a person refuses food because of an unhealthy belief that he or she is overweight. When a person goes without food for an extended period of time, there are several changes that the body undergoes because it believes that it is starving and needs to do whatever it can in order to survive.
Photo Credit: Michael Lorenzo
Some of the first changes involve a drop in blood pressure and a decrease in the body’s rate of metabolism. This is done as a survival measure in order to help the body conserve energy when it believes that it is going into a period of famine. Thyroid function is reduced and there is a risk of developing hypothyroidism. Blood sugar can drop to dangerous levels, and you may experience headaches, dizziness, and fainting. Then, when your period of water fasting ends, you will have a strong tendency to gain most of the weight back and have a more difficult time losing it again next time because of the damaged metabolism and thyroid function.
Still, even though a water fasting detox plan is not a healthy way to lose weight, there are reasons why someone may want to consider undergoing a water fast. In many religions, there are periods of fasting during which a person will forgo food and consume nothing but water for a day or a few days in order to help bring out a spiritual awakening and give you a greater sense of spiritual awareness. If you wish to water fast for this reason rather than as an effort to lose weight, you should do so under the supervision of a doctor in order to ensure that your continued health is protected. There are plenty of effective weight loss solutions out there that do not involve starving yourself.
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