Gina's 18/6 Diet

This protocol is extremely simple. It lacks all of the sensationalized "fad diet" elements that you will come across online. It contains no special fasts, no complicated gram counting and no macronutrient paranoia. But, what it lacks in bells and whistles, it makes up for with effectiveness. After all, it took 180 lbs. off my body and kept them off.

OVERVIEW: 

• My protocol is a hybrid between a ketogenic diet, low carb/high fat diet (LCHF) and Atkins. I basically took the best parts from all three diets and tossed the rest. I like to describe it as a "Modified Atkins" protocol. 
• This diet is safe to follow for the entire month or for life. 
• This is primarily a carbohydrate restricted diet. Fat is eaten in moderation, not ad libitum, and protein is never restricted. 
• I do not eat for the goal of maintaining ketosis, but on this diet, you will naturally go in and out of ketosis daily. 
• The goal of this diet is to lose weight, stabilize blood glucose, lower insulin levels and allow the body to burn fat as its primary fuel. 

RULES:

• I have never followed any macronutrient recommendations. I have relied solely on common sense, satiety and results.
• My diet is super clean. I do not eat anything that is processed or that has more than 3 - 5 known ingredients. Whole, unprocessed foods are the goal for every meal.
• Protein is eaten to satiety. A recommended daily, minimum consumption of 1.0 grams of protein, per pound of ideal body weight. Protein should be derived from whole, animal based foods, like fresh meat.
• I do not avoid fat, but I do not purposely consume it. I use fat for cooking and dressings. I also eat the fat that is found naturally in fat containing protein foods, like dairy and meat. No seed/vegetable oils. When fat is eaten in this way, it usually stays below 100 - 150 grams a day.
• I eat carbohydrates from whole food sources only. No sugar or grains and starches are very limited. When carbohydrates are eaten in this way, they usually stay between 20 - 50 grams a day.
• I have never tracked calories.
• I only eat two meals a day, within a 6 hour period, and water-only fast for the remaining 18 hours.
• My 6 hour eating window is early in the day, between 5 AM - 11 AM.
• I walk between 8K - 10K steps a day, or 5 miles, 5 days a week.

KEEP IN MIND:

• This is a very "lazy" diet that doesn't require tracking of anything. The only gauges that determine whether a change has to be made are satiety and results. Some people are unable to obtain progress from this lack of dietary vigilance. If that's you, then you will need a more hardline protocol that includes diligent tracking. There are several other diets under the blog label "Diets", which offer more stringent tracking.
• As with all carbohydrate restricted diets, keep electrolytes in mind and supplement accordingly. At least 5 grams of table salt, every day. A recommended electrolyte guide can be found here.
• If you are a type II diabetic, on medications, do not start this protocol without first discussing it with your healthcare professional, as combining this diet, alongside glucose lowering medications, can cause dangerously low blood glucose.

MORE INFORMATION:

For meal ideas and food guides, click the links under the title 'Food' on the right hand column of this blog.