18:6 Intermittent Fasting

This method of intermittent fasting is perfect for anyone looking to ease themselves into more bullish fasting plans. It’s a great bridge between the lighter intermittent fasting methods like the 14:10 or the 16:8 and the heavier plans like 20:4 or 22:2. With this intermittent fasting type, you’re getting a decent amount of time to fast without sacrificing too much of your eating window.

The 18:6 breaks down your day into an 18-hour fasting window and a 6-hour period for eating. This plan offers plenty of room for eating and the 6-hour space is ample time to get two meals and a host of snacks in. The main difference between the 18:6 and 16:8 – a little confusing, I know – is there isn’t room at the end of the day for an evening snack.

When you’re partaking in the 16:8 intermittent fasting method, you have those two extra hours – typically after dinner – for a wind-down snack. With the 18:6, your fasting will probably start right after you finish dinner. This makes winding down in the evening a bit more difficult as one of your largest meals of the day is the last thing you eat.

Let’s take a closer look at the 18:6 intermittent fasting method to get a full understanding of one of the most common fasting forms.

• 18:6 intermittent fasting is a great bridge between lighter and heavier fasting plans.
• The plan involves an 18-hour fasting window and a 6-hour period for eating.
• During the 6-hour eating window, you can eat anything you want within reason.
• To break the fast, start with gentle foods like soup or eggs to wake up your stomach.
• Mindful eating is still important for true progress, even with the flexibility of the 18:6 plan.

Breaking Down the 18:6

To make this intermittent fasting method more accessible, we’ll break it down into portions of the day. Let’s start with your 6-hour eating window: Throughout the day, you have up to 6 hours to get all of the necessary calories and nutrients into your body. You can essentially eat anything you want within reason as long as you stick to the 18:6 schedule.

Most people begin their eating window around noon and conclude it just after dinner around 6 pm. This enables you to get two major meals in and a handful of snacks throughout the day. That should be enough to fill the calories you need. As your fasting window begins to approach, try to slow down and ease your way into fasting.

Now that the 18-hour fasting window has begun, it’s important to continue to nourish and take care of your body. Water, tea, coffee, and some smoothies are fantastic ways to get through your fasting period. They provide your body with nutrients without disrupting the intermittent fasting process.

As the morning approaches and it nears time to break your intermittent fast, start to ease yourself back into eating. Drink a smoothie or have a coffee – something with substance to it. Once you start eating again, begin with gentle foods like soup or eggs. This will help wake up your stomach and ensure that it’s ready to process food for the day.

Benefits of the 18:6

As we approach the intermittent fasting methods that require more hours of fasting and less of eating, we begin to see a faster weight loss process. The 18:6 intermittent fasting plan is one of the best daily fasting plans around. You’re not quite at the point in your fasting where you might need to take breaks throughout the week, but you’re still pushing your body in a healthy manner.

The 18:6 intermittent fasting plan is a fantastic way to drop pounds quickly while keeping up a daily schedule of fasting. It also acts as a wonderful bridge between the easier intermittent fasting plans and the more demanding ones.

Mindful of What You Eat

One quick note about the 18:6 intermittent fasting plan is that what you eat does still matter. While you’re more open to eating whatever you want, true progress comes when you’re careful of what you’re eating and when you’re eating it.