Intermittent fasting has taken the wellness world by storm since it became the nutrition style of choice for Hollywood celebrities and Silicon Valley billionaires.
The reason fasting has become so popular is that it adapts to many different lifestyles and is also very sustainable. 18/6 fasting is only one of the many intermittent fasting schedules that can bring you many health benefits.
In this article, we’ll briefly explain the weight loss benefits of 18/6 fasting, how to arrange your 18/6 fasting plan, and what to eat in your 6-hour eating window, along with the health benefits of fasting.
Intermittent fasting is a nutrition system where you alternate between eating and fasting periods. Different fasting plans have different fasting/eating durations.
If you’re following the 18/6 fasting plan, you simply eat whatever you want within a 6-hour period and fast for the remaining 18 hours.
Anyone who’s interested in trying out intermittent fasting may wonder if 18/6 fasting is safe to practice. The short answer: yes, it’s perfectly safe if you have balanced meals full of nutritious food in your 6-hour eating window.
18/6 intermittent fasting weight loss results
You can lose a good amount of weight with an 18/6 fasting plan. A study confirms that fasting plans restricting calorie intake during the night hours significantly boost metabolism and weight loss.
Compared to 12/12, 14/10, and 16/8 intermittent fasting plans, the 18/6 plan is more intense and offers more efficient results for those aiming to lose weight. The longer the fasting period, the more you burn excess fat and lose weight.
Halle Berry is one of the many followers of 18/6 intermittent fasting. Should we mention how gorgeous and fit the 56-year-old star looks?
But if 18 hours of fasting is too much for you, 16/8 may be better, as the two fasting plans have similar weight loss results. If you are super comfortable with following an 18/6 plan, you can switch to the warrior diet which has a 20-hour fasting and 4-hour eating window.
Fasting Kompanion offers you the most suitable fasting plan, along with all the tools you’ll need while doing intermittent fasting.
Getting the results of your weight loss journey and seeing a visible difference in your physical appearance in just a few weeks is also a big plus of following an 18/6 fasting plan. This process may vary from person to person, though.
Here are a few 18/6 fasting before and after photos of some Reddit users:
Note: Bear in mind that intermittent fasting is not suitable for people with type 1 diabetes, eating disorders, or who are pregnant/breastfeeding.
18/6 fasting schedule
If you’re following an 18/6 fasting plan, you eat during a 6-hour period, then don’t eat anything for the remaining 18 hours.
People who follow this diet usually have two meals during the 6-hour eating window. You can arrange your meal times according to your work/school schedules and your lifestyle.
But as the main purpose of fasting is to speed up your metabolism and regulate your biological clock, it is recommended that you have your eating period during daylight hours.
An ideal 18/6 intermittent fasting schedule can look like this:
- 2 PM: First meal of the day
- 4:30 PM: Snack (optional)
- 7-8 PM: Last meal of the day
After you finish eating your last meal at 8 PM, your fasting period starts and you don’t eat anything. It’s OK to consume calorie-free beverages like black coffee/black tea/green tea/herbal teas during this time.
You can adapt the eating hours according to your daily routine, as long as you fast for 18 hours.
18/6 intermittent fasting meal plan
8 AM
- Water with 1/4 squeezed lemon
(Adding lemon juice is optional. You can drink as much plain water as you want whether on your fasting or eating windows, but more than 1/4 lemon will break your fast.)
10 AM
- A cup of black coffee / black tea / herbal tea / green tea
(without milk, sugar, sweetener, or cream)
2 PM
- Bean burrito
- 2 boiled eggs
- ½ avocado
- Sauteed veggies
4:30 PM (optional)
- Mixed nuts
- Yogurt
- Blueberries
7 PM
- Steamed poultry
- Quinoa bowl
- Green salad
Your last meal should be finished at 8 PM in order to not exceed the 6-hour eating window.
18/6 intermittent fasting benefits
The 18/6 intermittent fasting plan has many health benefits including:
- Helping weight loss
- Promoting the cellular renewal process of the body, called autophagy
- Preventing loose skin
- Improving gut health
- Improving heart health
- Improving focus and mental clarity
- Improving your mood
- Reducing inflammation
- Boosting the immune system
- Helping reverse neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s
To sum up
The 18/6 intermittent fasting plan has great benefits for overall health, as well as helping you lose weight and slim down. You can adapt the fasting and eating periods according to your daily routines.
Before trying fasting for 18 hours, you should probably try the 12/12, 14/10, or 16/8 fasting plans and gradually increase the period you fast.
