Fasting for Weight Loss: Fat vs. Water & Muscle Loss

Question
I know that fasting is bad for weightloss since it slows down the metabolism. But if I fast and exercise, will I be able to lose weight, as in fat, instead of just water?

Answer
Hi Slila,

Of course you'll lose fat -- but also muscle, not only water. So you can imagine that exercising is rather difficult during advanced stages of fasting, after 72 hours.

This is why complete water fasting is not recommended for weight loss. However, there are modified fasts designed to preserve your muscle mass. For example, the Protein Sparing Modified Fast, fruit fasts, intermittent fasts (e.g., the "a meal a day" plan)

You might want to read details about fasting here:

http://dietandbody.com/banta/inside/jump_start.html