Most people want to lose weight. But how many people know what it means to starve? Can a fast really help someone shed those extra pounds? Is it advisable to severely restrict your diet, or can you still eat healthily and lose weight anyway? Let’s explore the concepts of fasting and anaorexia nervosa.
What Is Starving?
What is starvation? It is a temporary state of being where you deny yourself of some essential nutrients, causing your body to go into a starvation mode. Without food, your body will start to breakdown quickly with all sorts of health problems including thinning hair, bone deminution, anaemia, and eventually, death. So getting enough food is critical to your survival. (1)
You might think that fasting is a technique used by religious zealots to suppress their appetite. While that is true for some, the practice of going hungry dates back much further and was considered a spiritual experience by many ancient cultures. There’s a reason why the word ‘fasting’ comes from the Latin word ‘faster’, meaning ‘to lose weight’ or ‘to become thin’. The idea behind these spiritual practices is to put your body into a state of hibernation, where you consume fewer calories and obtain a quicker metabolism. In the same way that you would reduce your body fat in preparation for a cold winter, you will lose weight quickly during these practices.
Does Starving Help With Weight Loss?
There’s a common misconception that you have to be on a diet in order to lose weight. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. While it is advisable to eat healthily and avoid fad diets and quick fixes, you can still lose weight without having to starve yourself. In fact, some professional athletes believe that the secret to their perfect bodies is a combination of genetic engineering and fasting. (2)
When you’re in a state of starvation, your body will prioritize the essentials and cut back on the non-essentials. This allows you to lose weight faster than you would if you were eating the regular amount of calories, but not starving yourself. (3)
When Should You Starve?
So when should you starve? Before you answer, it is important to understand that there is no exact science around this. That being said, there are usually a few options available to you. (4)
If you are trying to shed a few pounds for an upcoming event, like a wedding or an upcoming holiday, then you might want to consider fasting. But if you are looking to lose weight for a permanent event like a surgery or a health condition, then you might want to avoid going without food. (5)
There is no specific rule regarding when you should fast. But generally speaking, you should try to avoid eating after 3pm, especially if you are planning on eating a heavy meal later that night. This is because most people who fast will consume fewer calories later on in the day, helping them to lose weight. (6)
Why Are Some People Genetically Taller Than Others?
Did you know that many people are tall because they have inherited their tall mothers’ genetics? This trend continues even when the parents are not tall. While it’s great when your body type matches that of your parents, it’s not always ideal to have a tall family tree. Especially if you want to be short. (7)
When you’re born and raised in a family of tall people, you begin to think that there’s something special about you, too. Maybe you were blessed with a superior intellect or were able to leap to catch a ball easily. Whatever the case may be, you start to believe that you’re entitled to be tall. (8)
The practice of genetic enhancement is something that continues to grow in popularity as more and more people want to be able to lose weight and achieve the perfect body they’ve always dreamed of having. After all, no one wants to be average anymore.