2-Day Fast Review + The Pros (and Cons) of Fasting

Have you ever done a fast?  I have not. I’ve only gone without food when required by my doctor before a medical procedure, and none of those times lasted longer than 24 hours.  Besides, my fitness philosophy is one of moderation, long-term lifestyle changes, and nothing drastic.  Fasts just never quite made sense to me.  So, my husband was actually pretty surprised when I suggested the 2-Day Fast to him earlier this month as part of our 7-Day Summer Kickstart Challenge Group.  Being a numbers guy, he looked into it, read the reviews, and decided to give it a shot.

I do think an occasional fast is OK in certain situations, especially if you are looking for a mental kick-start to weight loss.  Here’s why:

• A fast revs up your willpower.  If you can stick to a fast for two days, the rest of your healthy eating plan should seem relatively easy in comparison.
• The scale shows progress.  That progress gives you the momentum to keep going with it, and preserve the losses you achieved during your fast.
• Your stomach will be satisfied with smaller meals after you’re done.

Going into a fast you have to realize that most of the weight you are losing is simply water weight (I mean, do the math.  It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose a pound.  There’s no way you can lose 5-7 pounds of fat in two days).  However, the ripple effect is what is so beneficial about these short-term fasts.  As you can see with the benefits, most of them have the long-term carryover when you’re DONE.  Not during.

The 2-Day Fast Formula is a nutrient-dense formula taken three times a day and mixed with water.  It’s available from Beachbody.com and costs $19.95.  He got the vanilla and said the taste wasn’t too bad, but it’s not thick like a protein shake.  Each serving is just 110 calories.  To avoid caffeine withdrawal, one cup of coffee a day is also approved – as well as an apple or banana if you feel light-headed.

All in all, my husband was pretty pleased with his results.  He stuck to it pretty faithfully (he did have a few bananas each day).   The first day, he said he really didn’t feel too hungry.  When he felt weak, he ate a banana (as suggested in the plan).  By the end of the second day, he was a little bit hungrier.  Not so much full-blown hunger pangs, but more of just an empty feeling in the stomach.  He also complained of a lack of energy and slight weakness by the evening on day two.  Again, banana time.  At the end of the two days he had dropped five pounds.