Can Fasting Help You Lose Weight?

Fasting is a weight loss method that involves voluntarily abstaining from food for a certain length of time. Some fasting methods allow water or other liquids while others allow raw foods. Others still, restrict everything except water. A typical fasting may last anywhere from a day to several weeks, advocates of this method of weight loss claim that it may lead to weight loss of up to two pounds per day.

The first day or so of fasting, the body uses the glycogen reserves found in the liver and muscles. Only when the glycogen reserves are used up will the body start to use the fat reserves for fuel. Some muscle mass may occur during this process, to spare further destruction of the muscle tissues, the body goes into ketosis. This usually occurs during the second or third day of fasting.

During ketosis, the liver converts stored fast and other non-essential tissues into ketones, which can then be used by the brain, heart, and muscles as a source of energy. At this point, you will no longer feel hungry and may even experience increased energy levels. Reaching ketosis is usually the goal of fasting so that the body can burn off the excess fat and damaged tissues.

Fasting deprived the body from calories to fuel it and forces it to dig deep into its energy stores. Since these stores of energy are in the form of fat, fasting makes an effective way to lose pounds of the stuff. However, weight lost through this method often comes back right after breaking the fast. The reason for this is that our bodies are genetically programmed to slow down its metabolism when food is scarce to conserve energy.

When you go back to your usual diet, the lowered metabolism causes your body to conserve energy by frantically storing fat. To combat this weight gain, fasting should be used in conjunction with a change in diet. High fiber, low fat diets are recommended by dieticians to keep off the weight after the fasting period.

Hope this article will help you in deciding the best weight loss program. Natural slimming pills helps to fasten the process of burning unwanted fat and result in quick weight loss.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

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