Fasting, like all dietary and lifestyle practices, has its pros and cons. What's unique about fasting, however, is that many of the cons turn to pros after you shift your perspective. For example, being hungry is only a con if you make it so. You can make being hungry a positive and productive experience just by a simple shift in your mindset.
Some of the pros of fasting include the following:
Boosted immunity: Fasting naturally boosts immunity and heals conditions. It's the world's oldest form of medicine, after all.
Convenient and cheaper lifestyle: What's great about not eating for a while is that it's free.
Improved concentration: As your energy levels increase and as you gain control over your hunger, you'll in turn find it easier to concentrate throughout the day on the most technically demanding tasks.
Increased energy: Fasting naturally boosts energy and will help you to feel more alert and focused throughout the day.
A leaner, harder physique: Fasting kills body fat dead. It's violent.
Sustainable long term: Fasting isn't a quick fix. It's a lifestyle change. You can and should practice it long-term (like for the rest of your life).
Vibrant health: You'll look and feel healthier on both the inside and out.
Note that all the benefits of fasting come as a drip, not a downpour, which is particularly true of fat loss, especially for those individuals who are already relatively lean. Fat loss is a slow and oftentimes tedious process. But with fasting, you can be sure of the process. It's going to happen; you just need to be a little patient.
Meanwhile, some of the cons typically associated with fasting include the following:
A feeling of hunger: You will get hungry when fasting. It's unavoidable.
Occasional lightheadedness: Getting used to being in a fasted state takes some time. And as you adapt, you may experience some uncomfortable symptoms, such as lightheadedness. They aren't dangerous, merely nuisances that will go away as your body adjusts.
Lower energy: Along with lightheadedness, you may experience a short-term drop in energy when first embarking on your fasting journey. But it typically dissipates within one to two weeks.
The desire to binge after fasting: The desire to binge is the biggest problem people face with fasting. To negate this con, you can start with shorter fasting periods first and gradually extend them as you become more experienced and in tune with your body.
Quite difficult in the short term: Just like exercising for the first time in a long time isn't easy, fasting can be difficult. But after you get into the routine of it, you will feel awkward when you don’t fast, just as an avid exerciser feels when not exercising.
These cons are normal occurrences that you'll encounter as you adopt a fasting lifestyle. Most of them subside after a couple of days because the initial pains of fasting are just that — initial, not permanent.
Think of them as the dying of bad habits, or a sort of withdrawal period, if you will. In almost all cases, they completely reverse after you're fully acclimated to fasting. For instance, lightheadedness will typically resolve itself after the first week or two, as will the initial energy decline.
Not too bad, right? These cons are a very small price to pay for all the amazing benefits of fasting. You can see that the pros outweigh the cons by a considerable load.
Fasting is for normal, healthy individuals. If you have a health or medical condition, such as diabetes, you must consult with your doctor before you embark on any type of dietary and lifestyle change such as fasting.