Preparation. The 48-36 hours leading up to the water fast is important to get your body and mind prepared for what is to come. Attempting a 16-hour overnight fast for the day or two before could give your body time to adjust and then reduce the intake of energy-intensive food.
Some studies showed a weight loss of around 4–6kg within the first week alone. This is not all fat, however, as the weight loss also contains water and muscle glycogen. Still, it's a great way to kick-start your diet.
If you go long enough without eating, you will use up the glucose in your system and then enter ketosis. During ketosis, your body switches to an alternative fuel source, ketones, which your body makes from fat. If you've ever been to a decent holiday party you've noticed that putting on fat is pretty easy.
Nutrition experts say that switching back and forth between fasting and eating again can bring many health benefits, including weight loss, reducing belly fat. However, to lose belly fat and get the nutrients you need, you should eat healthy, limiting sugary desserts and processed foods.
As its name suggests, a water fast involves consuming no food but only water (10). Some variations of this diet allow unsweetened black coffee and green tea. This helps break the monotony of drinking plain water for a whole week.
Longer periods without food, such as 24-, 36-, 48- and 72-hour fasting periods, are not necessarily better for you, and may be dangerous. Going too long without eating might actually encourage your body to start storing more fat in response to starvation.
There is no set time that water fasting should last for, but medical advice generally suggests anywhere from 24 hours to 3 days as the maximum time to go without food. Throughout history, people have undertaken fasts for spiritual or religious reasons.
When a person has been eating a low-calorie diet for long enough to actually be starving—there's no specific caloric threshold or length of time for this to happen because it's so individual, the experts explain, but it certainly takes longer than a day without food—a few physiological processes take place.
Insulin sensitivity helps in fat loss and protects the body from diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart diseases. During the 16-hour fast, your body undergoes a process known as autophagy, a process where the body destroys old or damaged cells in the body.
You should stay away from foods that are calorie-dense and contain high amounts of sugar, fat and salt. “They won't fill you up after a fast, and can even make you hungrier,” Maciel says. “They also provide little to no nutrients.”
The truth about lemon water and intermittent fasting
Long story short - the answer to the question “Does lemon water break a fast?” is no, lemon water does not break a fast. Lemon water contains almost no calories and zero sugars, it doesn't raise insulin levels, which means it will not break your fast (1).
Many medical experts agree that a one-day fast can feel great. But extending beyond three days can begin to cause harm, especially if you have other medical conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. “A fast longer than a day or two can deplete vitamins, minerals and electrolytes,” Dr. Hopkins says.
It's safe to work out during water only fasting and exercise will distract you from hunger.
It Will Not Lead To Fat Loss
While some people do this diet for the potential health benefits, many are attracted to the fasting for 3 days diet as a way to lose weight. However, as mentioned above most of the weight loss is water weight and not fat loss.
Technically speaking, eating or drinking any calories breaks a fast. That means it's generally considered OK to drink black, unsweetened coffee or tea, as well as water.
Weight loss: When you're in ketosis, your body becomes more efficient at burning fat for energy, which can lead to weight loss. Fasting for 72 hours may also lead to a reduction in overall calorie intake, which can further aid in weight loss.
Cut back on food and drink gradually for several days — or even weeks — before your fast. Otherwise, abruptly beginning a fast will be a shock to your body. “Don't eat three full meals a day with between-meal snacks and then suddenly stop eating one day,” Dr. Zein says.
One word of caution, though: Fasting can lead to an electrolyte imbalance. This can make the heart unstable and prone to arrhythmias. “So whenever we prescribe certain diets, including a very low calorie diet and protein-sparing modified fast diet, these require medical supervision.
It would essentially be possible to drink a cup of all the different types of tea even during a full 7-day water fast without needing to repeat a single cup. The other benefit of drinking tea while fasting is that many types of tea, particularly green tea, are rich in antioxidants and vitamin polyphenols.