Water fasting for weight loss must be the ultimate extreme solution when it comes to weight loss methods. Water fasting practices have been around for many thousands of years, but it was used for religious and mystical purposes only.

Even so it comes from a religious background and today we know that people can live for a long number of days without food given they stay well hydrated.

So it seems that water fasting may be okay if you want to lose weight really, really fast. After all, water contains no calories whatsoever.

So, will you lose weight? The answer is obvious: you will lose weight. But there is a catch. Unless you plan to continue water fasting for as long as you live, you won't lose too much out of your fat deposits because the body has a mind of its own and doesn't like being threatened to extinction. Anything that suggests a shortage in food intake makes the body switch to self-preservation mode. It cannot distinguish between voluntary weight loss and weight loss induced by the inability to procure the necessary amount of food. There is no way to bypass our basic instincts to survive.

The most likely thing you can achieve if you try water fasting for weight loss is to lose a few more pounds in the first days and then you will lose weight at an ever slower rate. If you decide to continue for more than a couple of days you will notice muscle fatigue, a lack of will to accomplish even the most simple tasks and a gradual shift towards a state of self preservation.

Unlike extreme situations where people are facing the very real possibility losing their lives and are forced to survive, you know very well that all you have to do is to pick up the phone and order a pizza. People in extreme survival situations have a lot of adrenaline going for them and it can help them stay active and even accomplish incredible things because they want to stay alive and their body and mind will be there for them.

When you attempt water fasting, you know very well that you are perfectly safe and able to resume your previous style of life at any point. This alone is enough to prevent you to lose too many pounds and will also lead to body and mental fatigue that's the way your body lets you know it doesn't agree with your decisions.

And the other important downside of water fasting for weight loss is you can trigger a yo-yo effect. Any drastic weight loss cure can trigger the yo-yo effect and this means you will end up gaining more weight after you end your fast. And this is really the last thing you want. Recent studies have shown that people caught in the yo-yo effect are more likely to suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure and a host of other medical conditions than people who are overweight and never attempt to lose weight.

Learn more about this author, William Hii.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Is water fasting for weight loss good for your health?
We want to hear your view. Write now!