Quick fixes have always tempted people and if you can lose 10 pounds in a week, instead
of 3 weeks, then why wouldn’t you do it? Fasting and detoxification are one of the ways to achieve
really rapid weight loss and it is a very tempting choice for many.
Fasting basically means staying away from solid foods for 1-3 days and only consuming liquids for
this period of time. But how effective is fasting and is it even safe? According to most nutritionists
and doctors, all kinds of liquid fasts are harmful and not effective in the long run.
The purported benefits of fasting ![intermittentfasting-300x200]()
Lot of magazines, books and also holistic health
enthusiasts consider fasting as a really great
way to get rid of harmful toxins in the body and
also to lose weight. According to holistic health
enthusiasts, the regular drinking of juices, water
or any other liquid, helps the body to flush out
the body. This helps the body to get rid of toxins and to lose excess pounds as well.
If a person wants to achieve rapid weight loss in one week with fasting then it is possible.
A 200 pounds person can easily lose 5-10 pounds in a week because of fasting. The reason is that
by only drinking liquids, you also consume far less calories. If a person usually consumes about
2500 calories per day, which in a week would add up to 17,500 calories, would go on a liquid fast
and would therefore reduce his/her calorie intake to 1200 calories a day (8,400 calories a week),
he or she would certainly lose weight.
But what is the weight that comes off? Well, most of the weight is only water weight, which
comes back on once you stop fasting. With this kind of an extreme calorie reduction, you will most
likely lose muscle tissue as well, along with some body fat. For an average person losing 5-10 pounds
in a week seems like a great success but if you take closer look then this “success” is only temporary.
According to Harvard Health Publications, there is no evidence which suggests that fasting eliminates
toxins from the body and it might be more harmful than helpful.
Popular fasting program for losing weight in a week ![best-metabolism-boosters-1]()
There are lots of very well-known
fasting programs such as Master
Cleanse, which involve drinking
maple syrup and lemon juice
mixture. This fasting program is
very low in calories, just as all the
other fasting programs, and with
such program a person
experiences rapid (water) weight
loss. As soon as people start eating normally again, the weight comes back.
If you provide your body with lots of liquids, you might feel full and your body
may also get enough calories to get by and you might lose quite a few pounds
quickly but it is basically an illusion.
There are no long-term benefits in terms of detoxification and weight loss.
Complications with fasting
Drinking only liquids and fasting in general do have many medical complications. By fasting you will
miss out on essential fatty acids and proteins that you must have. Detox and fasting diets may
also cause nausea, dizziness, dehydration and fatigue.
Fasting for weight loss is not something new. Even athletes, if they need to get into a specific weight
category, go on a one fast to make it happen. It is not unheard of to lose 5-10 pounds in just 24 hours.
But this is all temporary. The people who want to lose weight rapidly, like 10-15 pounds in one
week, do not understand that although it is possible, it is dangerous and temporary.