Fasting to Lose Weight

Intermittent fasting is sometimes considered a radical solution to the obesity epidemic. Fasting for weight loss has been around for centuries, but it wasn’t until the mid twentieth century that it became popular as a time-limited way of losing weight. The belief was that during rapid weight loss, cells would adapt by burning fat for energy instead of sugar or carbohydrates, allowing you to lose more weight relatively quickly. Proponents claim that during this stage, your body would undergo thermodynamic balance with stored fat burning off to support the rapid weight loss. The intermittent fasting method was most effective during the first three weeks and after that some people noticed that they experienced a decrease in weight.

Some of its health benefits include improved digestion, lower cholesterol levels, reduced blood sugar levels and lower risk of developing cancer. Though intermittent fasting has many health benefits, there are some serious side effects to consider as well. One side effect of intermittent fasting is hunger pangs, a feeling of intense hunger that may even lead to overeating because you are unable to control your appetite. There are other side effects that include mood swings, irritability, bloating, cramps, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, headaches, cold hands, insomnia, blurred vision, irritability, depression, anxiety, heart palpitations, joint pain, numbness, blurred vision, back pain, tingling in fingers and toes, shortness of breath, acne, numbness in the arms or legs, urinary retention, and difficulty concentrating. Many of these symptoms require medical treatment and may even require hospitalization at times. In extreme cases, such as those mentioned above, patients can cause serious damage to their cardiovascular systems if they overeat and do not take precautions to prevent themselves from consuming too much food.

There are also some benefits to the way intermittent fasting works, since it allows you to eat a wider variety of foods, which usually include several types of protein, vegetables, fruits, fiber, and carbohydrates. It can be difficult to go on eating only one type of food while fasting to lose weight, which is why it’s good to combine eating healthy and eating frequent meals during the intermittent fasting period. Fasting to lose weight can be challenging for people who need to maintain a certain level of physical activity, especially if they have a history of binge eating and irregular eating habits. For best results, choose a weight-loss program that includes activities such as swimming, walking, jogging, bicycling, or yoga. With the combination of regular eating habits and a healthy, varied eating program, however, fasting can be very beneficial and may even be one of the best ways for a person to lose weight.