Year ago, fasting was strictly reserved for religious purposes. To cleanse both the mind and the soul, you would abstain from eating food for a certain length of time. Today, this practice is becoming more and more popular as a method for weight loss. But, with so many medical professionals claiming that a fast could do more harm to your metabolism than good, it can make you wonder whether or not this is actually a healthy approach to losing those excess pounds. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a short-term modified alternate fasting diet may provide results for some people.
Step 1
Talk to a medical professionals. Before you ever begin any weight loss program, especially one that includes fasting, it's recommended that you speak to your family doctor. A highly restrictive diet may not be beneficial to your health.
Step 2
Determine your daily caloric needs. To fast, you'll first need to establish your daily caloric needs. For both men and women, you'll use your age, height in inches and weight in pounds (see "Tips" for equation).
Step 3
Reduce your calorie consumption by 75 percent of your total daily caloric needs. On the first day of your fast, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eat only 25 percent of your total daily caloric needs. These calories should be eaten between 12 pm and 2 pm.
Step 4
Eat your total daily caloric needs the next day. On the second day of your fast, try to eat right around your total daily caloric needs based on your age, height and weight.
Step 5
Alternate between "fasting days" and "feeding days" every other day for around 8 weeks (or less if you've met your weight loss goals). Studies involving fasting generally run for 1 to 2 months, so you really shouldn't use this method of weight loss for longer than this span of time.
Step 6
Establish you new daily caloric needs. After the 8 weeks, use the standard equations listed in the "Tips" section to help determine your new daily caloric needs. Try to keep your food consumption at this number going forward to maintain the weight.
Tips and Warnings
- For men, use the following equation to clarify your base metabolic rate: 66 + (12.7 x height) + (6.23 x weight) - (6.8 x age) For women, use the following equation to determine your BMR: 655 + (4.7 x height) + (4.35 x weight) - (4.7 x age) For both men and women, multiply your base metabolic rate by your activity level, using the following numeric values: 1.2 for little to no exercise, 1.375 for 1 to 3 days exercise, 1.55 for 3 to 5 days exercise, 1.725 for 6 or more days exercise and 1.9 for vigorous exercise most days of the week as well as more than twice a day exercise most days of the week.
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