Intermittent Fasting: Your Ultimate Guide To Success
Intermittent fasting has become a popular method to achieve weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. It involves timing your periods of eating and fasting to achieve a metabolic switch, which maximizes fat burn for weight loss, particularly when paired with eating a healthy diet outside of fasting.
Additional benefits of intermittent fasting also include increased energy, lower cholesterol, and better overall health.
In particular, the 18:6 fasting and eating pattern is a great option for ultimate weight loss success, heres a breakdown of what well cover:
- What is 18:6 intermittent fasting?
- Losing weight with 18:6 intermittent fasting.
- 18:6 intermittent fasting health benefits.
- How to start 18:6 fasting in 5 easy steps.
- 18:6 fasting results to inspire.
- Should everyone try intermittent fasting?
What Is The 1: 6 Intermittent Fasting Method Experts Explain
The benefits of intermittent fasting some people experience include weight loss, more energy, improved digestion, decreased sugar cravings, and better sleep. There are so many ways to fit intermittent fasting into your life, so if you’ve been thinking about it, there’s bound to be one that’s right for you.
Of course, before starting any new diet plan, including intermittent fasting, be sure to check in with your doctor first. Once you get the OK, doing 14:10 fasting is a great place to start, where you fast daily for 14 hours and have a 10-hour eating window. If you’re ready to do longer fasts, the 16:8 protocol is the perfect next step. It extends your fasting window by two hours for example: eating from noon until 8 p.m. If you find that you eat dinner earlier, though, you might be interested in trying 18:6.
Eating All Your Meals In A Six Hour Window Could Boost Weight Loss
Researchers from the University of Illinois, Chicago, compared 58 adults with obesity selected to be on one of three diets for a 10-week period. One group only ate between 3 pm and 7 pm, fasting the remaining 20 hours day the second ate between 1 pm and 7 pm, fasting 18 hours and the final group ate normally.
The researchers found that at the end of the 10 weeks, both of the groups who fasted lost a moderate amount of weight .
There didn’t appear to be a significant difference between the two groups in terms of weight loss.
This suggests an 18-hour period could be plenty to provide the benefits of fasting, according to Krista Varady, professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois, Chicago and co-author of the study.
“Until we have further studies that directly compare the two diets or seek to study the optimal time for fasting, these results suggest that the 6-hour fast might make sense for most people who want to pursue a daily fasting diet,” Varady said in a statement.
This shorter fasting period closely resembles one of the most popular styles of intermittent fasting known as 16/8, in which participants eat during an 8-hour window each day.
But there’s also evidence that an even shorter fasting period of just 10 hours a day could provide benefits, so more research is needed to directly compare these styles of fasting for weight loss and health effects.
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When Do You Actually Start Burning Fat
As soon as the food from your last meal has been digested and your insulin has dropped back down to your pre-meal low, you will be burning fat during most activities.
Depending on the size of your last meal, and what you ate, this could be as little as 6-8 hours. By 12 hours, you will definitely be in a truly fasted state.
12 hours is the point where fasting really starts to work its magic. You get a massive growth hormone blast from your pituitary gland. Growth hormone is known to have a very positive effect on body composition, so this increases the amount of fat you burn and reduces the loss of muscle that you otherwise might suffer after so long without consuming protein.
The longer you stay in this state, from 12 hours on, the more productive your fast will be. Obviously this is only true to a point. But longer fasts, perhaps 24-36 hours, will boost your fat loss results even further. This style of fasting, however, is much harder to work into the average persons daily life.
So, when you perform a 20 hour fast, you are really stretching out the window of time in which your body is burning fat, and cleaning itself out through autophagy. The following 4 hour window of eating will satisfy you hunger quickly. You will see results fast, reinforcing your commitment to the fasting protocol.
What Is 1: 6 Fasting
So, what exactly is 18:6 intermittent fasting? Lets take a look at the numbers first. This particular eating window results in a fasting period of 18 hours and an eating window of 6 hours. Depending on when you start eating, you could be eating from 12 PM to 6 PM every day and fasting for the rest of that 24-hour period.
This is a particularly strict and rigid form of fasting. There are other fasting schedules that are much more fluid. For example, the 16:8 fasting schedule is quite the same, with 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of eating. If youre new to fasting, you might find the 16:8 schedule more accessible while youre getting used to not eating.
If youre looking for a great place to get started, we recommend DoFasting, an intermittent fasting app that helps you create personalized fasting schedules and track how many calories youre getting. Plus, it offers tips and tricks to keeping a full stomach and even offers recipes to fill your 6-hour eating window.
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Benefits Of 18/6 Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting provides many health benefits:
These benefits are due to intermittent fastingâs ability to reduce insulin resistance, promote a self-cleansing program known as autophagy, and facilitate ketosis .
Most intermittent fasting forms promote these processes, but long fasting times are more potent than shorter fasting times. For this reason, you may achieve your goals faster with 18/6 intermittent fasting than with 14/10 or 16/8 fasting.
Why Would Anyone Intermittent Fast
Intermittent fasting is not a new concept by any means. In fact, the idea surrounding it is to mimic the way our hunter and gatherer ancestors used to eat way back when. They would hunt for food not knowing when their next meal would be. When they caught something, they would feast like they didnât know when their next meal would be .
Today, intermittent fasting has become the adopted term to mimic this ideology in modern society. We artificially famine , followed by eating all of our food in a short window .
There are also many benefits on the body when intermittent fasting. I will cover these later in the article.
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What Does Intermittent Fasting Mean
Intermittent fasting is a weight-loss strategy that switches between fasting and eating windows. Intermittent fasting is considered as an eating pattern rather than a diet plan. Several discontinuous fasting methods include an 18/6 fasting schedule and a 16-hour fasting schedule. This is the practice of continuing fasting for several hours and then consuming foods for the rest of the hours of the day.
Fasting is not a new concept. We as humans have practiced this since ancient times. Before the development of technology and the evaluation, humans survived by hunting. In that period, people lived fasting for many hours.
Other types of fasting include dry fasts which simply means no intake of food or drinks. Water fasts mean only water is taken in the system. These two types of fasting are very restrictive and require a lot more caution and discipline.
But they were energetic and powerful to carry out their daily tasks. Research studies have proven that humans can live without food for many hours and even a few days. Therefore it is clear that intermittent fasting will not create a nutritional shortage if it is practiced correctly.
How Long Does Intermittent Fasting Take To Show Results
You might begin to first notice a difference in your body about 10 days after you begin intermittent fasting. It could take between 2-10 weeks for you to lose significant weight. You might lose up to a pound each week.
Usually, the first signs you will notice that scream that your intermittent fasting is working is less bloating. Your midsection might look trimmer just over your first week of intermittent fasting.
Observing weight loss will take a little longer as your body needs some time to adjust to this new diet.
At about the second week is when most people first notice that they have dropped their first few pounds. If you have still not lost any weight by week two, stay consistent for about four or five more weeks and your results should come in soon enough.
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/6 Fasting And Weight Loss
Research shows that intermittent fasting promotes growth hormones which push the body to use up stored fats, leading to fat-burning. If followed properly, since it is more restrictive, intermittent fasting 18/6 results might show extra weight loss than other simpler fasting plans.
However, there isnt a clear indicator on whether 18/6 or any time-restricted intermittent fasting plans work better than other calorie-restricting diet plans to lose weight. 18:6 fasting weight loss results will also depend on individual body metabolism.
If youre thinking about trying intermittent fasting to lose weight, check out Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss: 7 Tips For Best Results for all the information you need.
How Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Lose Weight
There are many different ways to lose weight.
One strategy that has become popular in recent years is called intermittent fasting .
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that involves regular, short-term fasts or periods of minimal or no food consumption.
Most people understand intermittent fasting as a weight loss intervention. Fasting for short periods of time helps people eat fewer calories, which may result in weight loss over time .
However, intermittent fasting may also help modify risk factors for health conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels 30002-0/fulltext” rel=”nofollow”> 2,
There are several different intermittent fasting methods. The most popular ones include:
- the 16:8 method
- Eat Stop Eat
- alternate-day fasting
All methods can be effective, but figuring out which one works best depends on the individual.
To help you choose the method that fits your lifestyle, heres a breakdown of the pros and cons of each.
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Benefits Of 1: 6 Intermittent Fasting
Spending 18 hours fasting can be challenging, but many people experience better digestion with the 6-hour eating window. Eating less often reduces the bloat and indigestion you may feel if you eat too frequently.
An 18-hour intermittent fasting schedule may also improve your sleep. Most 18:6 fasters end their meals within a 6-hour window between 6:30 – 7:30 pm, rather than eating right before sleeping.
Of course, the number one benefit of intermittent fasting for most people is weight loss. Here are some added benefits to 18:6 intermittent fasting:
- Proven and effective weight loss strategy
- May help reduce inflammation
- May help balance blood sugar levels
- Heightens energy levels
If you are looking to slim down, an 18:6 intermittent fast might be the right choice for you. Before you start a new program, you should always consult with your doctor first. The first few days or weeks of intermittent fasting can be difficult. But once your body adjusts, intermittent fasting should become easier.
The Effect Of Intermittent Fasting On Body Cells And Hormones
Few changes take place at the cellular level when your body is fasting. So the hormone levels may alter to restore the blood glucose by depleting fat stores. The gene expressions may change and initiate cell growth and repair.
The human growth hormone level increases to improve muscle growth while the fat stores start depleting.
The insulin level declines by alleviating the blood glucose level. So the fat stores become easily accessible to get converted to energy.
The new cells, including nerve cells, get repaired. During fasting hours, the dysfunctional cells get removed and repaired as necessary.
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The Larger The Assortment The More Difficult It Is To Choose
Due to the skyrocketing popularity of healthy lifestyle, fitness, and weight loss, the media swarms with hundreds of various methods of toning up and shedding pounds. For those whose goal is to trim a couple of inches, the choice of a correct nutritional and workout plan becomes more difficult with the appearance of each new popular diet. As you know, each person has a different body type and requires a different approach to losing weight or packing on muscle. And such a great number of fad diets only confuses people and may even lead to health damage. If you are one of those people, who are sick of extreme calorie restrictions and unreasonable food limitations, then perhaps intermittent fasting, the 18:6 intermittent fasting, in particular, is exactly what you have been looking for.
When Should I Break My Fast
Personally, my favorite eating window while 18/6 intermittent fasting is from 3pm-9pm. I am able to fast most days until 3pm with the help of a few black coffees. At 3pm, I am then able to eat a high protein meal to maintain my energy levels.
However, this question is subjective. You must test and explore when breaking your fast works best for you. This schedule will certainly not work for everyone. Keep in mind you can make your eating window literally anytime you want, so long as you stick to the 18/6 rules.
Also Check: Rules Of Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss
Intermittent Fasting 1: 8 Vs 1: 6
When comparing the intermittent fasting 16:8 vs. 18:6, it is clear that for those who are new to such an eating approach, the 16:8 fasting may be better, as it has a bigger eating window. Both these types require that you dont eat anything during your fasting period, and both have similar benefits. So, you can choose either of them, depending on how busy your day usually is and how well you can manage your time.
/6 Intermittent Fasting: All You Need To Know
Most people who start 18/6 intermittent fasting already have some fasting experience. After following 16/8 fasting for a while, you can easily switch to 18/6 intermittent fasting. This switch may allow you to reach your weight loss and health goals faster.
18/6 intermittent fasting? Isnât it called 16/8 intermittent fasting?
No, 18/6 is not a typo. While 18/6 intermittent fasting is less well known than the popular 16/8 method, this version is still commonly followed.
18/6 fasting is related to 16/8 intermittent fasting, you simply fast daily for 18 hours instead of 16.
While this may sound hard, we show you how you can slowly adapt your body to longer fasting times.
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Its A Tool Not A Magic Pill
In my 2 years experience on fitness Twitter, Iâve come to learn that the effects of intermittent fasting are frequently over exaggerated. While I do often preach for people to try fasting, it is not a magic pill nor is it a one size fits all for people. You will not magically lose all the weight you wish to lose simply by fasting.
This is because Intermittent fasting is a TOOL we have in our arsenal to help stay satisfied with fewer calories. Losing fat comes down to expending more calories than you intake each day .
Intermittent fasting, especially 18/6, is a great technique to help you be satisfied while eating less food, resulting in an enjoyable caloric deficit, resulting in long term, sustainable fat loss.
But remember, you can still gain fat while intermittent fasting if you eat too many calories.
This is why fasting is a tool, not a magic pill for fat loss.
Understand?
What My Day Looks Like On 18/6 Intermittent Fasting
- 5:00 A.M. I wake up, do a few chores, and grab coffee or tea. Sometimes I add heavy cream to my coffee and a few drops of liquid monk fruit sweetener.
- 6:00 A.M. 11:30 A.M I work, do household chores and errands, and take care of parenting and homeschooling obligations.
- 11:30 A.M. Im usually at a good stopping place in the flow of my morning by this time. I prepare my first meal of the day. This is usually my largest meal of the day, as well. I try to take time to savor the food and not simply cram it in my face so I can move on to the next thing. Truly enjoying my food and practicing gratitude while eating is vital to my wellness both physically and spiritually.
- 12:30 P.M. 5:00 P.M Im back to work, household management, and parenting. If Im going to work out that day I try to fit it in about two hours after I eat my first meal.
- 5:00 P.M. If Im hungry again, I have dinner around this time. Often I eat enough at my first meal that I only need a snack at dinner time. During the summer months Ive found myself often not hungry at all for a second meal, but in the colder months Im apt to eat a small dinner.
- 6:00 P.M. By six oclock in the evening Im done eating. In almost nine months of intermittent fasting Ive never eaten dinner between five and six gotten hungry again before ten oclock the next morning. This has helped to convince me that 18/6 is a perfect intermittent fasting schedule for me on a long term basis.
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