Should I Fast to Lose Weight?

“This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you”

Fasting is a huge topic when it comes to weight loss. Everyone seems to have their own way of doing it. Truth is we all need to figure out what is right for us both physically and mentally. Not every person is the same, not everyone’s body is the same. Fasting is NOT necessary to lose weight. It is a tool, a resource to assist is that goal. The thing is, fasting every so often is healthy. Not just for weight loss but for almost everyone. Of course, there is certain medical conditions that may prevent someone from being able to safely fast. Like I said earlier, everyone’s body is different. However, scientist have said that on the whole, fasting has it’s benefits.

I am not a scientist, and I am not a doctor. So, you can take my advice worth a grain of salt. All I can do is share what has worked for me, what has felt beneficial and give you an alternate option to some of the crazy fasting plans that are out there. I didn’t want fasting to be my crutch for weight loss. I wanted to utilize the benefits of it without it being necessary to my success. I wanted to use fasting as a tool. Very similar to using supplements like Exipure as a tool. Fasting or supplements on their own will not help you that much if you don’t do the work and focus on healthy meals. They can be a huge help but cannot stand on their own.

How Often Did I Fast?

A long time ago I looked up the basics of a regular 24 hour fast. One thing I kept finding was that it was good for your body and organs for a once a month fast. Paired with plenty of water this allows the body to flush out any backing up or build ups within your system. So, I chose to make my fasting be once a month. I didn’t exactly track this to the day or anything. I let it vary depending on the situations going on around me. I wasn’t quite so strict through the holidays. When I was ready to get back to really focusing on weight loss, I would start with a fast. Clear out anything extra that had built up and give me some momentum moving forward.

How Long was the Fast?

Most of my fasts were a full day. Meaning for a full day I would eat absolutely nothing. I would have dinner night before. Eat nothing for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then I would have breakfast the following day. I always thought of it as a 24 hour fast. However, when you really go from last time you ate, it was more like 36 hours. I stuck with this most of the time. However, every third or fourth time I would do a longer fast. This fast was 60 hours, pretty much 2 full days without eating.

Why the 60-hour fast?

The 36-hour fast is all about clearing out, giving your digestion a rest, and having your body start using fat for energy. By initiating the 60-hour fast, I was going a step further. When you get to this point your body is taking another step in healing. Your immune system starts to heal, you start releasing fatty acids and toxins, and any inflammation in your body start to decrease. Instead of just boosting my weight loss, I was working on boosting and healing my body as a whole. However, when your body gets to this point it is important not to shock the system with too much food. The day after a 60-hour fast I would eat at a reduced number of calories for the day. somewhere around 400 to 500 calories below my daily calories. The only food I ate was lean proteins and veggies. The day after that I would be back to normal calories but still keep it very light foods. Easing my body back into a regular daily intake. I usually lost between 3-6 pounds and maintained that for the rest of the week. Things would go back to the regular routine of weight loss after that.

However, it wasn’t just about the weight loss. I felt better both in mind and body after fasting. I felt like I was more motivated and clearer headed. I honestly felt stronger as well. Have you ever done any long-term fasting? Have you noticed the benefits of a fast?