How Long Should I Fast for Weight Loss?

Fasting can be divided into long-term, medium-term, and short-term categories in terms of duration. Short-term fasting generally lasts for 3-7 days, while medium-term fasting requires about 8-14 days. Long-term fasting can last for more than 15 days. For beginners, it is recommended to start with short-term fasting and practice under the guidance of an experienced teacher. Gradually, you can increase the duration of fasting. If fasting is only for detoxification and health maintenance, it is advisable to fast about four times a year. Too many fasts can also affect physical health. If fasting is for physical conditioning, such as for obese patients, the frequency of fasting can be increased accordingly. For beginners, fasting can be performed once a month for 3-5 consecutive times. If there is improvement or recovery, the frequency of fasting can be reduced accordingly. Once fasting begins, people are not allowed to eat. Starting from the third day, the body begins to reduce fat, and the fat decreases by 200-400 grams per day. Fat is formed by excess energy. The food, fats, sugars, and proteins consumed by the human body that are not fully used will be stored as fat. Fat is a form of energy storage, similar to bank deposits as a form of wealth. Under normal conditions, 75% of the energy supply of the human body comes from sugar, 15% from protein, and 10% from fat. The storage and breakdown of fat are relatively slow and complex. The human body only starts to use stored protein after exhausting sugar. Protein decomposition is not infinite. After the excess protein is decomposed, fat begins to be decomposed.