12 Hours Intermittent Fasting

12 hours intermittent fasting is the new trend for weight loss. Right from celebrities to college-going newbies, everyone is interested in following this trend to achieve a healthy weight. So, why should you stay behind? In this blog, we shall provide you with all the information you need to know about it so that you can enjoy and gain maximum benefits with this form of intermittent fasting! Let’s begin from the basics!

What is 12 hours intermittent fasting?

The 12-hour intermittent fasting is the scientific method of fasting to lose weight. This involves eating all your meals within a 12-hour window period and fasting for the rest of the 12 -hours of that particular day. This basically involves overnight fasting. This method is considered one of the best methods of intermittent fasting especially if you are new to this. The largest window period of 12-hour fasting involves quality sleeping hours only.

Let us check how you can achieve this in the next part of the article

How does 12 hours intermittent fasting work?

Let’s make 12 hours of intermittent fasting easy and exciting for you! Follow these steps to make it more interesting so that you can easily follow it and achieve weight loss.

Step 1: Select the best fasting time for yourself

Set up a routine for yourself. This is a great way to get organized first with your meals. Moreover, it helps you in achieving your goals for intermittent fasting. The ideal time set up should be 7 pm to 7 am which covers the 12-hour window period. This covers the majority of fasting time when you are sleeping at night. The whole idea is to fast from 7 pm to 7 am. This works best for early-morning risers. This will help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Step 2: Ensure to stay hydrated during the intermittent fasting hours

It is important to stay productive while carrying on with the fasting hours. You don’t want to drain out energy levels and look lifeless as you lose weight. Stay hydrated with plenty of water to avoid any issues of weakness, fatigue, cramps, headaches, dizziness, and more. It is important to look and feel good with your weight loss goals. Moreover, water is a great remedy to curb hunger pangs and help you achieve weight loss

Step 3: Plan your meal timings

The majority of us are busy throughout the day. This will help you stay occupied and shift your mind away from the urge to grab some munchies. But, along with this, you need to take care to plan out your meal timing with a perfect balance throughout the day to provide you with energy. Plan out 5-6 small frequent meals every 2-3 hours during the 12-hour window period of eating time.

Step 4: Focus on the right quality of food

Starting with 12 hours intermittent fasting is great for beginners. It’s easy to follow. If you get any kind of hunger pangs, it is advisable to keep good healthy foods all around you. Salads, fruits, veggies, and dry fruits are considered healthier options than packaged munchies. It is important to prioritize and build a meal plan with whole-nutrient-dense foods.

Step 5: Monitor your health and listen to your body

As you set your goals during the initial phase, it is important to monitor your health and listen to your body. Check out for your energy levels which may directly reciprocate with your sugar levels. If you are constantly exhausted or feel any discomfort, this meal you are not following the correct form of intermittent fasting.

Foods to consume during the 12-hour intermittent fasting

Consuming the right food during the 12-hour intermittent fasting is a must. Half your weight loss battle is won with a perfect meal plan to achieve nutritional value and healthy weight.

Here are the best foods to consume during intermittent fasting.

• Protein-rich diet with eggs, boiled chicken and meat, lentils, and stew fish is a must.
• Avoid gluten and opt for millets, oats, or other grains such as ragi, bajra, nachni
• Calcium food is a must with healthy options such as cheese, paneer, or tofu.
• Mineral-enriched foods such as dry fruits like almonds, walnuts, cashews, apricots, and raisins are considered as best munchies.
• Keep healthy snacks such as veggies and hummus (chickpea sauce) in the freezer always around
• Fruits such as apples, bananas, and grapes are considered the best munchies.
• For sweet tooth cravings, keep honey and jaggery protein bars around.

Maintain a healthy balanced diet which will help for weight loss with intermittent fasting.

What are the benefits of 12 hours intermittent fasting?

The benefits of 12 hours intermittent fasting are as follows-

1. Healthy weight management
2. Better cardiac health 
3. Improved blood sugar control
4. Good gut health
5. Productive brain function
6. Better immunity levels
7. Good stamina and energy levels
8. Prevention and reduction of degenerative disorders of joints and nerves
9. Decreased cellular inflammation
10. Boosts metabolism naturally

Tips for maintaining 12 hours intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting programs can be quite challenging at times. It is important to stick to some important tips to maintain intermittent fasting in the right way so that the body can adapt to it.

Here are certain tips for maintaining 12 hours intermittent fasting which are as follows-

1. Stay hydrated
2. Avoid thinking of food by staying occupied during the day
3. Keep healthy food and dry fruit munchies around
4. Keep stress at bay
5. Exercise regularly with walking and yoga.
6. Monitor calorie intake and choose nutrient-dense foods
7. Consume protein-rich foods such as beans, lentils, eggs, fish, nuts, and meat to curb hunger pangs
8. Switch over to low-calorie food such as veggies, popcorn, and fruits with high water and fiber content.
9. Choose herbs and spices to make the food tasty and have high anti-inflammatory values which will reduce hunger.
10. Practice mindful eating and live in the moment to enjoy each morsel
11. 12-hour intermittent fasting involves 12 – hour window period between alternate eating and fasting
12. Focus on calorie count during non-fasting or eating periods rather than focusing on fasting hours
13. Set your goals but do not extremely push it
14. Adapt a healthy way of fasting to enjoy it
15. Consider your meal time and quantity. In case of a heavy breakfast, go lighter on lunch but do not skip it.

Do and don’ts of 12 hours intermittent fasting

Do’s

• Listen to your body
• Follow transition slowly
• Focus on your health
• Stay hydrated and sip in water regularly

Don’ts

• Do not make intermittent fasting uncomfortable
• Do not binge eat
• Do not eat unhealthy foods
• Do not take stress

Pros and Cons for 12 hours intermittent fasting

Knowing the right way of intermittent fasting can help yield better results. Here are the pros and cons of 12-hour intermittent fasting.

Pros

• Helps lose fat
• Simple to follow
• Easily adaptable by the body

Cons

• Overdoing it may cause overeating, hunger, and dehydration
• Not suitable for everyone
• One to do heavy physical activity

Conclusion

There are an endless number of ways to follow intermittent fasting. But, the main point is achieving successful goals for healthy weight loss and better body functioning. The above-mentioned comprehensive guide is considered the best weight loss plan with 12-hour intermittent fasting. One should also check out for lifestyle modifications by incorporating exercise and yoga in daily life.

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