How To Lose Weight While Water Fasting

Water fasting refers to absolute abstinence from food consumption with the exception of pure water, which is consumed as much or as often as desired or necessary, in an environment of complete rest.

Voluntary abstinence from solid foods and some beverages for therapeutic, spiritual, or political reasons have been part of human society for centuries. The earliest account of therapeutic fasting can be traced back to the 5th century BCE when the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates advised abstinence from food or drink for those illnesses which he considered were the result of over-eating.

Water fasting, as a form of medical therapy, was introduced in America during the 19th century by Dr. Herbert Shelton. By the middle of the 20th century, it was being used in medically supervised inpatient settings for weight reduction in morbidly obese patients. However, water fasting as a dietary measure soon fell out of favor due to lack of efficacy and concerns for its safety.

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Since the 1980s, the reemergence of research into fasting has elucidated potential physiologic benefits from water fasting that may be advantageous in the management of metabolic diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, pain syndromes, and even psychosomatic conditions. Additionally, intermittent water fasting in conjunction with healthy diet and lifestyle changes was found to be an effective method of weight loss.

As with all forms of therapy, water fasting is not without risks. Adverse effects such as low blood pressure, dehydration, gastrointestinal upset, musculoskeletal pain, as well as possible worsening of some chronic diseases can be related to water fasting, especially if done incorrectly.

Therapeutic water fasting is the complete abstinence from all substances except pure water in an environment of complete rest, according to Dr. Alan Goldhamer, the founder of TrueNorth Health Center. He further states that water fasting is one of the most potent tools available for assisting the body in healing itself. This video is an extended interview with Goldhamer on water fasting by health and lifestyle YouTuber Rich Roll.

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The primary reasons for water fasting are to improve one’s health through weight loss, detoxification of toxic chemicals stored in fat cells, strengthening of the immune system, reduction of inflammation, and autophagy.

Based on the Expert Panel Update of the 2002 Consensus Guidelines on Fasting Therapy by Dr. Françoise Wilhelmi de Toledo, water fasting has empirically documented beneficial effects in the following conditions. Some types of conditions potentially benefited by water fasting are indicated in the following diagram.

Outside of therapeutics, water-only fasting is part of Jainism, an ancient Indian religion in which only boiled water and no food is consumed for one to two weeks during birthdays, anniversaries, festivals, and on holy days.

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Water fasting has been used as a form of protest. An example of this is the Irish hunger strike of 1981, during which members of the Irish Republican Army consumed nothing but water and salt in order to oppose British government policies.

Water fasting is performed by determining if you are a candidate for the process, completing a pre-fast medical evaluation, preparing your body for the fast, creating an environment conducive to the fast, incorporating key behavioral changes during the fast, deciding when to end the fast, and restoring the body in a post-fast period. Whether done intermittently or for a prolonged time, water fasting requires a dietetic protocol that is ideally guided by clinicians to ensure safety and efficacy.

Although water fasting can be attempted by everyone, some notable exceptions exist. According to a study by Dr. Alda Attinà and Dr. Claudia Leggeri from the School of Specialization in Food Sciences in Rome, the following patients should not attempt water fasting.

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A pre-fasting medical evaluation should be completed. This should include a comprehensive evaluation of an individual’s health as well as an analysis of any prescribed medication, such as steroids, contraceptives, antihypertensives, or anticonvulsants, which may be influenced by caloric restrictions.

If an individual is a good candidate for water fasting, the next recommended step is to prepare the body. The doctors from the School of Specialization in Food Sciences in Rome recommend the adoption of a balanced diet rich in plant-based foods. This includes whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables, legumes, nuts, and olive oil. Avoidance of processed and hypercaloric meals, soft drinks, caffeinated drinks, and alcohol is recommended.

Before beginning a water fast, it is important to have a comfortable environment and a plentiful supply of either filtered or distilled water. A total water intake of 1.8 L/24h for all individuals is recommended by Prof. Lawrence E. Armstrong of the Human Performance Laboratory and Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut.

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Ending, or “breaking” the fast is highly individualized. The decision to end the fast is based on an individual’s physical health, psychological state, and personal circumstances. Alternatively, medical indications for discontinuing fasting according to the Expert Panel Update of the 2002 Consensus Guidelines on Fasting Therapy include the following.

After the water fast, slow and gradual reinstitution of feeding with whole, natural foods is essential. Adopting a long-term regular, balanced diet and appropriate physical activity is necessary to maintain the positive effects achieved through water fasting.

The goal of the entire water fasting process is to create an environment in which the body can heal itself. However, it is important to remember that monitoring and supervision during the fasting process are necessary to ensure efficacy and safety.

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The common mistakes of water fasting include starting too fast, insufficient preparation, unrealistic goals, not drinking enough water, and not implementing key behavior changes. Not paying attention to these issues can decrease the effectiveness of water fasting and can even have adverse effects on the faster’s well-being.

The health benefits of water fasting refer to the ways in which it can be beneficial to an individual’s physical well-being and includes the following benefits.

Water fasting can help reduce blood pressure. Medically supervised water-only fasting appears to be a safe and effective method of lowering blood pressure according to a study entitled “Medically supervised water-only fasting in the treatment of hypertension” published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics by Dr. Alan Goldhamer. The effects of this water fast on the blood pressure, weight, and body mass index (BMI) of patients are graphed below.

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The exact mechanisms are unclear, but fasting appears to reduce sodium levels, decrease cholesterol, and help control diabetes which are all risk factors for elevated blood pressure.

Water fasting can induce physiological responses which increase insulin sensitivity. Water-only or very low calorie (less than 200 kcal/day) fasting can enhance insulin’s actions and improve glucose utilization, which are mechanisms often abnormal in diabetes and metabolic syndrome according to a study entitled “Fasting: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Applications” by Dr. Valter Longo. However, the mechanisms for improved peripheral insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance are unclear.

Water fasting increases Leptin sensitivity. A study entitled “The influence of fasting and energy-restricted diets on leptin and adiponectin levels in humans’ by Dr. Hamed Varkaneh Kord from the National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute of Iran found that water fasting or very low-calorie fasting elicits a significant reduction in serum leptin concentrations, which increases tissue sensitivity to leptin.

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Leptin is a hormone that modulates appetite and can be used as a marker for inflammation. Its suppressed levels indicate a state of suppressed inflammation and can improve cell response to insulin’s actions. The exact mechanism or consequences of this reaction have yet to be determined, but it is clear that alterations in body fat mass as a result of water fasting play a role in the regulation of leptin levels and sensitivity.

Water fasting can improve and alleviate chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, Diabetes Mellitus, and neurocognitive decline according to the Institute for Functional Medicine. They suggest that water fasting improves metabolic health through improvements in insulin sensitivity, blood lipid markers, hypertension, and inflammatory markers which all play a role in the progression of chronic disease.

The health risks of water fasting include dehydration, orthostatic hypertension, the worsening of other health conditions, losing the wrong type of weight, and a long list of moderate issues like headaches and back pain.

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A study by Dr. John Finnell from the AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine in Texas evaluated the safety of fasting through a medical history review of adverse events during medically supervised, water-only fasting in 768 cases. Among the most common adverse health effects related to water fasting were:

Overall, the authors suggest that the adverse effects to one’s health experienced during medically supervised water-only fasting are mild to moderate in nature and well-known. The following are some of the more important risks to be aware of.

As 20-30% of water is derived from the food we consume, dehydration can set in quickly if an adequate amount of water is not consumed to substitute for dietary water. Dehydration can manifest itself by symptoms and signs of thirst, lethargy, headache, confusion, dizziness, sunken eyes, and dry skin and mucous membranes.

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Orthostatic hypotension and syncope refer to a significant drop in blood pressure followed by loss of consciousness occurring upon standing up from a supine position. The most common cause of orthostatic hypotension