Fasting to lose weight is not the most practical or safest way to lose those extra calories, yet still many people use this method for their diet.  Fasting is used in some religions as a show of faith or penitence.  Sometimes political figures use fasting as a means to highlight a political statement or as a sign of protest.  Some people also use fasting to cleanse their bodies of toxins.  However, for those who are thinking of using fasting as a means to shed off extra pounds, it is not the most effective way.

Fasting to lose weight should be taken in moderation as in any other diet program.  As a practical rule, this should not be done to the point that you feel yourself starving.  When you fast, your body is forced to use stored energy in your body.  This is the reason why people lose extra inches and pounds when they start to control their food intake or fast.

However, the body also detects lack of sustenance entering the system.  If you overdo it, the body intuitively defends itself and therefore conserves energy and slows down.  Your usual metabolism rate is therefore diminished.  This means that you also burn fat and calories at a much slower rate while fasting to lose weight than when you eat normally.

The body instinctively protects itself.  It does not want to feel starved.  So when you think you’ve reached your ideal weight and go back to your normal diet, the body would then hoard energy as much as possible.  This means that the body would maintain its previous metabolism rate.  Since you are eating more but fewer calories are burned, this means that what is not metabolized remains in your body.  Thus often times, those who do fasting to lose weight, find themselves in the same situation they were previously in, when they go back to their old diet.

Fasting to lose weight can be effective to help jump-start a diet program if it is properly done.  To do this, you may want to enlist the help of your doctor or a diet professional.  They can advise you on the proper way of dieting and recommend regimens that would be effective and not dangerous to your health.  You should also research first. 

There are nutrients our body cannot do without and so you should be careful not to deprive your body of those nutrients.  Instead of becoming healthier, you may just end up in the hospital for treatment.  You may want to experiment with a few short fasts first before going on a long period of fasting.  This way, you will see whether your body can take it and how it will respond.

Fasting to lose weight can help you achieve that goal of a healthier you.  Having a healthy and fit body is a good resolution, one that you should commit to every day of your life.  Deciding to fast in order to lose weight is a first step towards reaching your goal.