is fasting safe??

Question

a simple question...the title says it all

if i want to fast for like 4-5 days--maybe even a week or so--to lose some weight because nothing else is evidently working & i refuse to take any sort of pill or "natural" supplement, is this okay?

& also, if anyone has suggestions to help me resist urges to eat during this time, or tips/tricks that you yourself have used, that would be great.

please don't lecture me about anorexia, because i am NOT anorexic. however, i would like to lose weight, and i have no problem with the thought of not eating. the only issue is actually resisting.

thanks.

okay, so perhaps fasting is for religious reasons.

& for those of you who DON'T know...fasting=not eating.

& also, i've tried excercise and i already KNOW that muscle adds some weight, but i still have this little tummy thingie that i'd liek to lose. because i didn't have it 6 months ago.

Answer 1

I wouldn't fast to loose weight. This will trigger your body to go into "survival" mode and your body will begin to reserve fat. Eventually, if you go so many weeks without or little food, your body will start to loose weight, but that is starvation, very deadly.

Just eat healty foods, exercise, and keep up with the program. Remember, weight loss is achieved when you burn more calories than what is taken in. But don't starve yourself, you can end up dead, or you will end up just gaining the weight back.

Good luck, you can do it (the right way!)

Answer 2

i'm not sure a complete fast would be good for a whole week. maybe one or two days. A juice fast would be best, you'd still be getting your nutrients. I don't know that this is a good way to lose weight. you probabley will only lose a couple pounds, maybe five. but you'll gain it all back when you start eating.
what i would suggest instead is a light diet and walking several miles a day. eat a good big breakfast, cut out meats, eat plenty of FRESH veggies and fruit. Eat a decent lunch. skip dinner. don't eat at night. good luck.

Answer 3

Fasting is absolutely safe and is the original diet. We have an active fasting thread for members at the Kimkins.com site.

I fast one weekend per month and I do longer fasts of 7-10 days a few times a year. You'll feel better after day 4, but most people quit after 2 days.

Don't fast if you have kidney or liver problems. The detox is too great.

Answer 4

Fasting doesn't kill u...providing u do it properly! I'm a muslim and fast 30 days each year (only being able to eat or drink between sunset and sunrise) I've been doing it for fifteen years and its done me no harm what so ever!

However, if u wanna fast to lose weight i advise against it! I'm no expert and i may be wrong but i'm almost certain that by fastin you put your body into what they refer to as 'desert mode'. (there is a technical term for it but im not sure of it)

So basically what happens is as soon as your body realises that its stores aren't getting replenished it will begin to refrain from using them...so instead of burning the fat it will store it in order for when it may need it! And whenever u do eat it will automatically store it and not convert any of it to energy!!!

Trust me in the fifteen years i've been fasting i've never even lost an ounce...in actual fact i always end up puttin on weight!

Answer 5

It isn't safe although I don't think you should do it if you do some tips are to drink alot of water so your stomach is full all day. If you feel hungry just go chew gum, or pop your self with a rubber band.
Don't do this though because after fasting your body gets used to being hungry then you want to do it all the time which leads to anorexia.

Answer 6

Fasting can last for a week so long as you drink enough water. Vitamins are a very good idea if you do it for more than a day, but that's up to you.

However, it won't be as effective as you think. Fasting will cause your stomach to shut down. Your body will naturally try to protect itself by not burning calories. You would do well to continue eating low calorie foods.

Answer 7

In some occasions yes, because it allows all the toxins to exit the body... but fasting for 4-5 days is very dangerous. If you want to lose weight you cannot cut corners.. u just have to do it oldskool w/ exericse and healthy eating habits.

Answer 8

Whew.. long question!!!
Anyways, it is safe to fast, it's good to clean you out and kick start weight loss.. So, to help curb hunger, drink lots of water, green tea (also speeds your metabolism), coffee (warm liquids make you feel full).. Just try to avoid food in general, so you don't even have to think about it, but if you do, try doing something else like cleaning, go for a walk, etc... Good luck!!!

Answer 9

You can lose by fasting BUT when you stop fasting your body will still think you are starving it and it will hold on to every calories you eat and turn it to fat and in the long run you will probably end up heavier than when you started.

Answer 10

It's not safe. Listen to no one who tells u it is. You lose nutrients your body needs and yor metabolism goes down. Like what happened to David Blaine. He didnt eat for like 24 days or whatever and he lost lots of weight. But after he started eating again, he gained lots of weight because his metabolism was low.