Fasting is truly in the present moment and damn, it makes me sad. Take the 16:8 eating routine for example, which involves fasting for 16 hours a day and eating everything you need for the other eight. Since you're resting for most of those 16 hours without nourishment, it doesn't seem so terribly miserable. . . but there is a fasting diet that definitely works: water fasting. Plus, sure, it's exactly what it sounds like. Water fasting is, essentially, “weight loss” where you really only devour water. TL;DR: It's really scandalous—there are even "water fasting centers" dedicated to it—and it's absolutely not okay. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Approve, tell me more about water fasting: how can it work? Since you're just gobbling up water after water quickly, you're denying your range of nourishment for larger periods of time, which shifts your digestion into a "fasted state" — the antecedent to the "starvation state," he says Whitney Linsenmeyer, Ph. D., RD, representative of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and professor in the Office of Nutrition and Dietetics at Saint Louis University. “This is where the body senses that it isn't getting the fuel it needs and depends on using the body's protein and lipid reserves,” says Lisenmeyer. When the situation improves, even in a short time, such as 24-48 hours, it can start to veer into a dangerous area. “Lack of food for prolonged periods of time can lead to mild symptoms such as weakness, irritability, discomfort, drop in blood pressure, and even cardiac arrhythmias, perplexity, seizures, or loss of consciousness,” says Linsenmeyer. Basically, you're not giving your body what it needs to function properly, and it's absolutely hopeless. It's also not well studied, Linsenmeyer says, which only makes it risky, in light of the fact that there's no real way to know how it affects the human body. “There haven't been any fantastic studies done on water fasting in humans,” he says. “This is further complicated by the fact that there are no set parameters or rules regarding this type of fasting,” he adds. “There are many stories of people who have tried fasting in different ways, but these do not remain in place of brilliant research thoughts. “All in all, will it allow me to lose weight and would it be a good idea if I try? Which is to say, you better believe it, you'll get leaner, since you're not ingesting anything other than water for extended periods of time, which, again, is largely undesirable. In any case, a weight reduction is far from feasible, so eventually you will put it back, maybe more, says Linsenmeyer. “Your digestion slows down a lot during the starvation state as the body wants to ration vitality, which is counterproductive to long-term weight loss.” So no, water fasting is definitely not prescribed as a way to get back into shape. If your goal is weight loss and you're committed to attempting some sort of fasting to gain mass, an irregular fasting plan like the 16:8 Eating Routine is a much safer alternative and could really give you the (maintainable) the results you need. “A proper diet and exercise are the tools for a solid lifestyle,” says Linsenmeyer. The main concern: Honestly, don't consider attempting water fasting—not only is it not beneficial, it could even be dangerous.