How about a diet that can assist you in weight loss and has body detox benefits? Water fasting is one such way to shed unwanted pounds and flush out the toxins from your body. Doing water fast has life extending benefits which further promotes an overall improved health.

water fasting

It can heal you from the harmful effects that the environmental toxins and pollutants have caused you. Furthermore, you can also benefit from water fasting in losing weight as said above. Saying that, whatever your purpose is with water fasting, it can be achieved with proper information. Let us give you an outline on the points you will get information on, in this article.

  1. What is water fasting?
  2. Benefits of water fasting.
  3. How water fasting works?
  4. Should you do water fasting?
  5. How to prepare for water fasting?
  6. How to do water fasting?
  7. Water fasting results you can expect.

What is Water Fasting?

water fasting to lose weight

The water fasting diet is a zero calorie diet in which you are allowed to drink only water. Neither, you can eat nor you can drink anything except for water. This is a strict calorie restriction diet which assists you in quick weight loss and provides body cleansing benefits.  However, this type of fasting is not suitable for everyone and it requires careful planning and correct guidance. Before moving to that space, let us take you one more step closer on doing water fasting. We will be discussing the benefits of water fast in details.

Benefits of water fasting

The water fasting has many benefits to offer. People usually go for this fasting for its various health benefits. Also, people in many communities indulge into water fasting for their spiritual believes. Let us now discuss all the health benefits, it has to offer.

benefits of water fasting

Water fasting regulates blood pressure

Going on water fast can significantly reduce your systolic blood pressure. You can expect to have a normal blood pressure by doing long term water fasting under a medical supervision. A study also suggested that the medically supervised water fasts can reduce borderline hypertension and can normalize blood pressure.

Also read: Eat these foods to lower blood pressure

Going on a water fast helps you eliminate processed foods from your diet, which further cuts the intake of sodium. High sodium is the culprit behind rising blood pressure. Moreover, cutting down on sodium further helps you reduce your abdominal bloating and can assist you in weight loss.

Water Fasting has anti aging effects

Water fasting has dramatic anti aging benefits, one can avail to. You are exposed to a lot of toxins and pollutants in your daily lifestyle. These harmful chemicals get stored in the fat cells of your body making you look old.

Going on water fast gives your body a chance to access these chemicals stored in your fat cells. When you fast, your body burns the fat stored in your body to meet its energy needs. This way, your body removes all the toxins stored in your body and provide you the much needed detox. Hence said, doing short term water fasts can provide you cleansing benefits, making you look more young and better.


Autophagy from water fasting

Autophagy is one unique benefit; an individual can avail by doing water fasts. The term autophagy simply means to eat oneself. Let us explain it better to you. Autophagy is a mechanism by which your body gets rid of its old cells. This process ensures degradation and recycling of old cells to ensure longevity.

Read: How to eat like a caveman to live longer?

If we go further and explain you this process in layman term, autophagy is simply cleaning of your old cells. It is a scheduled process by which your body removes waste material build up in your body. Water fasting promotes autophagy which provides anti aging benefits and also help patients to prepare before any medical surgeries.

Improve insulin sensitivity with water fasting

Insulin resistance can lead to various health problems, including type-2 diabetes. Doing water fasts can help your body respond better to insulin. You can aim to reduce your insulin resistance by doing water fasts. A study on the effects of intermittent fasting on insulin sensitivity also suggests that fasting can improve your insulin sensitivity.

Water fasting assists in weight loss

Water Fasting is a true fasting diet in which you consume zero calories. This creates a calorie deficit in your diet and you start to lose weight.  The amount of weight you lose depends upon how long you are fasting.

We are further covering information on how long should you do water fast to lose weight. The information on duration of water fast will come little later in this article. Before that, it becomes important for you to understand how it works? So that, you can lose fat that you always wished for.




How water fasting works?

You have got the glimpse of all the benefits above that water fast can provide you. You may have understood, well planned water fast can help you cleanse and get over the hump on your belly. So, let us take a deep insight into how actually it works for weight loss and body detoxification?
water fasting weight loss

Water fasting causes weight loss

Most of the people are interested in water fast to lose weight. It is obvious that a zero calorie diet promotes weight loss. But you may got interested in knowing how exactly water fast helps you lose weight?

Water fasts helps you burn fat and lose weight by ketosis. Ketosis is a process by which your body oxidize fat in the absence of food. When you ingest very few calories or no calories, your body begin to produce energy from body fat cells. And when your body starts burning fat, you start losing weight due to ketosis during water fasting.

Water fast depletes your glycogen stores in the liver which enables your body to produce ketones. These ketones act as a fuel for the body to produce energy. It is said that your body enters into ketosis after 3 day water fast. The water fast helps your body to reach ketosis faster as compared to normal fasting diets.

Water fasting provides detox benefits

The second benefit why the individuals practice this fasting is because of its detox effects on the body. Water fast provides significant detox benefits to the individual, if done properly. So how does it help your body in detoxification process?

Fasting has a self healing nature and helps your body to heal from various health ailments.  Our digestive system is designed to work 24/7 to digest food, to excrete the waste and toxins it produces. Now, imagine a situation where you cut down the supply of food to zero. At this time, your body will have more free energy and chance to remove toxins and excrete out the waste.

Water fasting is an exact process which help your digestive system. It relaxes and heals your body from various future diseases.  One day water fast is good to go if detoxification is on your mind. However, one can extend the duration of fast depending upon their needs from the fast.  If you wish to know on the duration of water fast according to your goal. You can get informed on same by reading the complete article.



Should you do water fasting?

Practicing water fasting can be both rewarding and threatening. You can achieve great results by practicing water fasting but it requires proper guidance and information. Failing any of these can land you in trouble and do more harm than doing good. There are few things with water fast to put your notice on.

water fasting

  • If you are pregnant or feeding your baby, you should definitely stay away from water fasting. It can lead to nutritional deficiency in your child and other health related concerns. However, there are studies which suggest short term fasts are safe considering fetus health. But, if you are doing a water fast during pregnancy or lactation, it is always advised that you consult to a doctor.
  • Patients struggling with diabetes should employ water fasting only under medical supervision. Saying that, a diabetic patient has to eat at regular intervals for a better insulin management. And if the diabetic patient has to skip a meal or has to eat nothing, it can raise medical concerns.
  • If you are diabetic, an oral medication during fasting can lead to hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar.
  • Ketoacidosis is also a stage which can occur with the practitioners of water fasting. This condition poses a severe threat and can become a medical emergency. This ketoacidosis is a result of high amounts of ketones in the body. If you are going on long term fasting, you should measure your ketones levels during the fasting. So, you should have a ketone test strips handy with you during the time of fasting.



How to prepare for water fasting?

Going on water fast requires you to carefully plan and prepare before fast. You need to prepare your body before initiating a water fast. This preparation and planning will help your body to make transition between eating and fasting states. So how to prepare for water fasting?

water fast

  • Consulting a physician before practicing water fasting is always advised.
  • Determine the length of your fast. Whether it is a short duration or a long duration fast? Long duration fast needs more planning.
  • In order to make an easy transition towards water fasting, practice portion control a week before water fasting. Gradually, reduce the portion of your food.
  • You can simply practice portion control by skipping dinner for few days. After that, try to skip breakfast, lunch and eat less in dinner. Finally try and skip all your meals. Once you feel fine, you are ready for water fasting.

Note: A simple strategy to conquer portion control is to practice intermittent fasting before jumping to water fasting.

Also, taking medications are also not advised during this duration of your fast as it can hinder the detox benefits. However, if you are taking thyroid medicines, you can continue taking them during fasting period.A point to note here is that, water fast may have various health benefits. But, as we have said earlier, it can do more harm if not done properly.




So what is that you need to be cautious on, before going on water fast? The duration of water fast is something that you need to look for. You should  know exactly what duration of water fast can get you desired results?

How long should you perform water fast?

The first thing you need to clearly understand is fasting for longer periods can be dangerous. You should not go for longer fasts without the supervision of a medical practitioner. Water Fasting is a strict fasting where you consume zero calories. Practicing fasts of long duration where you are consuming nothing but water, can drag you towards nutritional deficiency and starvation. Your metabolism will slow down and it will then affect your body internal functions.

water fast duration

So, it is important for you to understand your goals and plan the duration of your fasts accordingly. According to wikihow, the length of your water fast can range from 1 day and can go up to 40 days. However, the duration of your fast strictly depends on your goal and recommendation of the doctor. You need to put more caution, if you are planning fasts longer than 10 days.

What should be the duration of your water fast?

In our opinion, you should start with 1 day water fast before attempting the longer duration fasts. Alternatively, fast for 16 hours initially to understand your body capability. Also, you can feel continuous cravings during the first day as you are breaking a serious habit of eating. You have to give time to your body to adjust with fasting. Adding further, the duration of water fast typically depends upon your goal. Let us give you the glimpse of what duration of water fast will suit your goal?


1 day water fast

The 1 day water fast is best suited if you are doing water fasting for first time. It can help you understand your body and see for the sign of illness if any during the fasting period.

3 day water fast

You can practice 3 day water fast  if you wish to perform a monthly maintenance of your body. It will help your body to cleanse the toxins built up in the body. And, it will further assist you in weight loss.

5 day water fast

The 5 day water fast will give your digestive system a break from its regular functions. You can expect to have healing benefits and be able to rebuild your immune system.

10 day water fast

The 10 day water fast provides a master cleanse to your body. You can expect to lose a lot of unwanted weight from your body. If you plan for a yearly maintenance and don`t wish to go for monthly maintenance. The 10 day water fast will suit you perfectly.



How to do water fasting?

  • Reduce the consumption of addictive eatables prior two weeks to ease your fasting journey.
  • Try to eat only fruits and vegetables 2 days before going on water fast. It will make your transition smooth.
  • During water fasting, drink two to three quarts of purified or distilled water or drink as per your body requirement.
  • Once you are done with water fasting, break your fast with fresh liquid juice only.
  • Follow a juice only diet after the day you broke your fast. The second day should be followed by vegetables before going to a full blown eating.

Workout in water fasting

The water fasting is the time when your body needs rest and a no active day. Working out during water fast is not a good idea as you are under a strict calorie restriction. Your body is in the stage of resource conservation during water fasting as the supply of resources are restricted. Now you can imagine how working out during water fast can harm your body. It is required that you practice water fast on those days when you are relaxing. During water fasting, take time out of your work, if possible.




If you still keen on exercise during water fast, you can consider going out for brisk walking. You should not indulge in heavy workout or any kind of long runs. Because it can strip your body`s precious muscles. However if you wish to get informed on working out in a fasted state, you can read our article on fasted cardio for weight loss.

Water Fasting results you can expect

Water fasting is a strict discipline you follow to acquire the desired results. It can be very tough on initial days. And especially for beginners, it can give them real turmoil. So, why to struggle so much? Off course, you are struggling to get the water fasting results you wanted. So, what water fasting results you can expect?

During water fast, you can expect to lose few pounds depending upon your fast duration and your current calorie intake. But just to give you glimpse on how much weight you can lose on water fasting. You can expect to lose around 2 to 3 pounds of weight on a 3 day water fast if you are prior consuming 2000 calories. In order to lose 1 pound of body weight, you need to burn 3500 calories.

A note to make here is that if you are losing more than 3 pounds of weight in a week, you are not burning just your body fat but also losing water weight. And, this water weight can come back once you resume normal eating.

Talking about the other result of detoxification of your body through water fasting. As we have said earlier that practicing water fast is the ultimate way to cleanse your body. You can expect the removal of toxins that have built up around your liver and kidneys. A water fast also gives your digestive system a chance to heal itself and reboot its system.