Primal Edge Health participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs and therefore, may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. This comes at no additional cost to you, and all the prices and availability are accurate at the time of publishing.
With its rapid rise in popularity, you’ve probably already heard of intermittent fasting (IF), or more specifically, intermittent fasting 18/6. Proponents of IF sing about its benefits, includingweight loss, reduced inflammation, and better brain function–but are these claims true? And if so, how can you get started?
Just like with any new approach to nutrition, startingintermittent fastingcan be intimidating. There’s so much to learn and a dozen different ways to fast, so much so that it can all get pretty confusing. Don’t worry, I was in the same boat when I started IF a few years ago, unsure of where to begin.
Intermittent fasting gets easier once you learn all the basics. Today, I’ll take you through a crash course on intermittent fasting 18/6, including the potential benefits, how you can get started, and what foods to eat.
Table of Contents (click to view)
What is intermittent fasting 18/6?
Intermittent fasting 18/6 is a popular form oftime-restricted eating(TRE). With this pattern, you fast for 18 hours and eat yourdaily calorieswithin the remaining6-hour window.
For example, if yourfirst mealis at noon, your eating window would be from 12 PM to 6 PM. Some people drinkbulletproof coffee, plainblack coffee, herbal or caffeinated tea, and bone broth outside of this window. That’s a personal choice that may or may not work for you, depending on your goals and context.
How Does 18-Hour intermittent fasting Work?
The body’s main source of energy is carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are not available, the body starts using fat reserves for fuel.
DietitianMelinda Gong of UC Davis Healthexplains the key principle behind intermittent fasting: by restricting food intake for long periods of time, the body will learn how to utilizefat storesmore efficiently, hencefat loss. She says this process occurs even more frequently during food deprivation, as the body’s ability to store fat as energy is unlimited.
In addition, fasting may reduce the amount of calories you consume overall. A shorterperiod of timefor eating could help you naturally cut down yourcaloric intakecompared to when you’re eating more frequently throughout the day. However, this still depends on what foods you’re eating and whether you’re in acalorie deficit.
What Are The Potential Benefits of Intermittent Fasting 18/6?
Intermittent fasting has been around for decades, but it became more popular in the 2010s. Since then, experts have studied the effects of IF and its potentialhealth benefits, including:
- Weight loss: AJournal of Translational Medicine studyshows the effectiveness of IF as aweight lossstrategy, especially in overweight or obese adults. This overall loss in weight can be attributed to fat lost when the body switches to using fat as energy after it exhausts the remaining sugar in your blood.
- Reduced diabetes risk:Weight losscan help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes by improving the body’s insulin response and reducinginsulin resistance. Furthermore,researchshows that IF effectively decreases fasting glucose, leptin, andinsulin levels, which helps improveinsulin sensitivityandoverall health.
- Better brain function:Animal studieshave shown that Parkinson’s disease, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, and mood disorders may benefit from intermittent fasting. Additionally, a study published byOxford Academicsuggests that practicing intermittent fasting over the years could help delay the development of Alzheimer’s.
- Improved heart health:Areviewof multiple studies found that IF could help reduce the risk ofheart diseaseby improving weight management, blood pressure, and lipid levels.
- Fewer cravings: Fasting can reduce the hunger hormone calledghrelin, which could help reduce sugar cravings.
- Reduced inflammation: AMount Sinai studyconfirms fasting reduces inflammation and helps improve chronic inflammatory diseases without hindering the immune system’s inflammatory response to infections.
Who Shouldn’t Do Intermittent Fasting?
Like all other diets, intermittent fasting is not a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition.John Hopkins Medicinewarns that this isn’t for everyone. IF probably isn’t for you if you fall into these categories:
- Children under 18 and adults over 65
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women
- People with Type 1 diabetes and other metabolichealth conditions
- People taking blood pressure or diabetes medication
- Individuals who are already underweight or are struggling to gain weight
- People with a history of eating disorders
Talk to your primary care physician before trying intermittent fasting, even if you aren’t on the list above. It’s best to get the all-clear from a professional first before making changes to your diet.
How to Start 18/6 Intermittent Fasting?
If you talk to your doctor and get the green light to start IF, now what? Let’s dive into how to start intermittent fasting responsibly.
When Ifirst started intermittent fasting, I made the mistake of diving straight into the 18/6 protocol overnight. While 18/6 was my primary goal, my body didn’t take too well with the change from eating three meals, plus snacks at odd hours throughout the day and night, to a restricted eatingtime windowwith only two or three meals.
What can you do to avoid shocking your body when starting IF? Here’s what I’ve learned from reading studies and tips from medical professionals like John Hopkins.
Step 1: Start Nice and Easy
Adopting a neweating patternis more manageable when you ease into it. Start with a 12/12 protocol (fasting for 12 hours with a 12-hour eating window). During the window, eat three meals with at least four hours between each one. Try to avoid snacking.
It may also be agood ideato fast on specificdays of the weekat first. For example, you can practicetime-restricted feedingon Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and eat normally during the remainder of the week. This strategy could help you adjust more easily.
Step 2: Extend Your Fast
After a week or so of the 12/12intermittent fasting schedule, transition to 14/10, then 16/8, then finally to 18/6 intermittent fasting over time. Don’t pressure yourself to move to the next step too quickly. Remember, sticking to a newfasting periodis easier when you give your body enough time to adjust.
Follow one eating schedule every day. For example, if you choose an 11 AM to 5 PM eating window, try to maintain that routine daily.
Step 3: Adjust Accordingly
For me, starting IF was a trial-and-error process, and it might be the same for you. Hence, you might have to try different approaches to find what works best for you. Take the time to explore other options if needed, such as OMAD (One Meal a Day) or ADF (Alternate-Day Fasting).
How to Manage Hunger While on IF?
Observe your health and mental state while transitioning to the 18/6 protocol. If you start feeling lightheaded while fasting, consider reducing yourfasting window. The same goes if you find yourself cranky, anxious, or generally unhappy. Don’t be afraid to stop fasting and try again thenext dayor after a few days of rest.
Moreover, learning how to respond to hunger pangs is important. These will inevitably happen when you start fasting. Feeling hungry is anormal part of fastingas your body gets used to longer periods without food. However, it shouldn’t cause worrisome symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or extreme discomfort. If these persist, speak to your doctor immediately.
When your stomach starts growling, try drinking water orherbal teatea. Sometimes, changing your scenery and getting up to go outside or for a walk helps redirect your mind and forget about your belly. If hunger doesn’t subside, it could be real hunger, a sign to break the fast and eat something. Never risk your health for the sake of following yourintermittent fasting plan.
Remember that incorporating intermittent fasting into your lifestyle may not be linear. It’s perfectly alright to adjust as necessary or take a break from yourfasting daysduring special occasions.Youare in charge of your health; don’t let fasting control you.
What Should You Eat While Intermittent Fasting?
Some people would argue that theintermittent fasting dietis about when to eat, not what to eat. However, yourfood choicesstill matter regardless of youreating pattern.
Keep in mind that the goal is to nourish your body with wholesome,nutrient-dense foodsduring your eating windowwithouteating a caloric surplus.Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LDrecommends the following tips:
- Fruits:Add at least one serving of fresh fruits to each meal.Low glycemic index (GI) fruitslike apples, pears, strawberries, peaches, and apricots will keep you full longer and won’t cause your blood sugar to spike. Plus, they’re a great source of vitamins and minerals but won’t eat up a lot of your calorie allowance.
- Vegetables:Eat at least two to three cups of fresh vegetables per day. Diversify your diet with leafy greens (e.g., lettuce, kale), cruciferous veggies (e.g., cabbage, broccoli), roots (e.g., potato, yam) and other types of vegetables (e.g., onion, celery, asparagus).
- Whole grains:Whole-grain foods are rich sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Moreover,whole grainshavelower glycemic index (GI) values, meaning they have a lower effect onblood sugar levelsand are digested more slowly versus refined grains, keeping you satiated longer.
- Protein: Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes, tofu, etc. If you find it hard to eat enough protein from food, consider adding an occasional protein shake to yourmeal plan, but strive to prioritize whole food sources as much as possible.
- Healthy fats:Consider using lard, tallow, and butter instead of vegetable and soy oil. Fresh avocados are also a great source of fat.
- Hydrate: Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
- Eat cravings moderately: Limit highly processed, empty-calorie foods likejunk foodas much as possible. Pay attention to your cravings and how you feel when you eat certain foods. Is the taste worth whatever happens next? Don’t let cravings control you.
Final Thoughts
When done right, intermittent fasting 18/6 can help you reap the benefits of having better weight control, improved blood sugar, and less risk forchronic diseaseslike Type 2 diabetes. Still, it’s not something you should dive into head-first, so I’m happy you’re here reading the information and doing your due diligence before getting started.
With these tips, you can easily start IF the right way: slowly and in partnership with your trusted medical professional. If you found this article helpful, don’t hesitate to share it with others in your life who might want to discover thebenefits of intermittent fasting.
