18:6 intermittent fasting is one of the most common fasting forms. Compared to 16:8 fasting, it is more restrictive. It is recommended for people with some fasting experience.
What is 18:6 Intermittent Fasting?
A type of IF called 18:6 intermittent fasting involves fasting for 18 hours a day and eating for 6 hours. It is a type of time-restricted fasting. It is not recommended for beginners. The eating and fasting window selection should be dependent on your lifestyle and what suits you the most. Compared with the 16:8 intermittent fasting plan, the 18:6 plan adds two hours to the fasting window and is more difficult. If 16:8 fasting does not work for you, you may have a try of 18:6.
Benefits of 18:6 Fasting
In fact, 18:6 intermittent fasting resembles 16:8 in several ways and offers many of the same advantages, such as weight loss, and a lower chance of developing type II diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation. According to nephrologist Jason Fung, M.D., an international authority on intermittent fasting and low-carb diets and the author of The Obesity Code, the advantages of an 18:6 fast are obtained a little more quickly than those of some of the other types of fasting. Since the 18:6 fast is more rigorous, the results can last longer and be more significant. “The idea is simply to give more time in the fasting state,” says Fung. “It’s easier to implement into a regular day and gives structure to the eating schedule.”
How to Do 18:6 Fasting?
You could eat your first meal at 12:30 and finish your window of eating at 6:30. Others could decide to wait until later in the day to eat their first meal in order to eat dinner later. You might need to test out a few different schedules to find one that suits your lifestyle the best. If you are a beginner, it is best to start with a beginner-friendly form of intermittent fasting, such as the 14/10 or 16/8 method. Once you get used to intermittent fasting and have some experience, you can gradually switch to 18:6.
What are 18:6 Fasting Results?
Vinamra Chaube has been attempting to slim down for a very long period. He made several attempts, but he had a terrible time succeeding. As he quickly realized that he needed to adjust his diet and exercise regimen. He exercised frequently, followed intermittent fasting, and meticulously prepared his meals. Finally, he lost 35 kilos by following 18:6 intermittent fasting in just six months. For those who want to lose weight by 18:6, in one study, after following a time-restricted fasting protocol for 12 weeks, weight loss participants dropped an average of roughly 8.8 pounds. Participants in the study fasted for 16 hours before eating for 8 hours, thus weight loss with an 18:6 approach might be even larger.
Intermittent Fasting Apps: Streamlining Your Journey
When you begin your intermittent fasting adventure, keeping track of your IF is a major difficulty. Thankfully, a variety of useful mobile apps enable you to keep tabs on everything at your fingertips with a smartphone or tablet. You can easily schedule and keep track of your fasts using these apps for intermittent fasting. Many of the top fasting apps, such as SoonFasting, allow you to monitor your weight and provide you with graphs and journaling tools. This aids you in achieving your goals. All you have to do is to choose the intermittent fasting tool that best suits your objectives.
It’s crucial to add features that support users in maintaining consistency and motivation throughout their trip if you’re intending to set up intermittent fasting monitoring software. One-of-a-kind Intermittent Fasting Schedules, Fasting and Eating Window Timers, Progress Tracking and Visualization, Smart Reminders, Meal Planning and Recipe Suggestions, and other features are all the main features you should take into consideration. Now, here are various intermittent fasting apps on offer as IF has gained more and more attention. Some of the most popular apps include Fastic, Zero, BodyFast, Do Fasting, and SoonFasting, which can enable you to find the right one customized for you. Stephanie, a SoonFasting user, says that she has dropped 36 pounds with intermittent fasting and the SoonFasting app and is so regretful that she has not discovered the intermittent fasting app sooner. So, if you want to start a journey of IF, start slowly and try to use those helpful apps if necessary.
18:6 Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan
A 18:6 intermittent fasting meal plan involves fasting for 18 hours and having an eating window of 6 hours each day. You cannot eat anything you want within the 6-hour window just because you fast for 18 hours every day. For example, you can eat breakfast at 11:00 am, eat lunch at 3:00 pm and have dinner at 7:00 pm. This is a sample meal plan and you can adjust the timing based on your schedule and preferences. Avoid high-fat, high-carb, and sugary foods if you want to lose weight more quickly. Fruits, vegetables, and proteins should make up the majority of your diet. Additionally, you ought to hydrate well while fasting.
Take Vinamra’s meal plan for example. His breakfast mainly includes fruits such as watermelon, papaya, apple, grapes, mango, custard apple, pineapple, and orange.
“These are the meals I used to consume for lunch, each item is for separate days:
- Poha
- 1/4 cup of oats with lukewarm water and 1 spoon of peanut butter, 4 egg whites
- Jowar roti and any kind of dal
- Brown rice khichdi
- Daliya
- Egg bhurji and roti
- Basic daal chawal on some days
- Chole and bajra roti
- Nachni roti and green vegetable
- Sweet potato and salad” Vinamara said.
And as for dinner, he often eats boiled chicken salad with broccoli, capsicum, or 1 cup of arhar dal with cucumber.
Does 18:6 Fasting Work?
Yes! And since the 18:6 fast is more rigorous, the results can last longer and be more significant.
Who are Fit for 18:6 Fasting?
Those looking to lose weight may find the 18:6 intermittent fasting to be a fantastic alternative. And as the fasting time is 18 hours which is longer than that in the 12:12, 14:10, and 16:8, it seems more fit for those who are experienced in intermittent fasting. It is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, growing children and adolescents, the elderly, or individuals with or vulnerable to eating disorders. Therefore, always consult your doctor before beginning any diet program, especially the 18:6 IF.
Intermittent Fasting 18:6 vs 16:8
Let’s now discuss the main distinctions between the 18/6 and 16/8 fasts and how much of a difference you can reasonably anticipate them to make.
First, the significance of that two-hour gap, which at first glance seems inconsequential, can have an impact on how many calories you consume. Having two fewer hours to eat each day can ultimately result in you eating fewer calories each day, which can add up significantly over time if your main objective with intermittent fasting is to lose weight.
On the other hand, obtaining two extra hours to eat in a day can make a significant difference in how sustainable intermittent fasting is for you if you know that you’re inclined to feel hungry easily or that fasting might be difficult for you emotionally. After all, eating inside an eight-hour window isn’t all that dissimilar from how you may now eat during the course of a typical day.
See Also: All You Need to Know about 16:8 Intermittent Fasting
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