The 6×6 diet includes a very limited number of carbs per serving. Each day contains 6 meals that contain 6 grams of carbohydrates (hence the name 6×6 diet). Products with a lot of carbohydrates such as bread, rice, potatoes, legumes, fruits, sugar, and flour products are greatly reduced, substituted for others, or temporarily removed from your list. Protein plays a major role in this diet, as many protein-rich products can be eaten, such as cheese, meat, fish, cheese, and nuts. Important for muscle mass and ensure you feel satisfied quickly and for a longer period of time. Fat is not limited to the initial period, so in addition to liquid fat, you can also choose mayonnaise, full-fat cheese, and fatty meats.
The 6×6 diet is based on good food with regular products that you can buy at the supermarket. There are no difficult and well-applicable recipes in the family and when eating out. Experience shows that it is easy to maintain the diet without feeling hungry.
Why 6×6 Diet?
The way your body deals with nutrients (= metabolism) has a huge impact on your health. An excessively bulky waist circumference, the so-called “abdomen,” disrupts metabolism. This is often the cause of increased blood sugar, diabetes, high blood pressure, increased cholesterol, sleep apnea, and fatty liver disease. This can often be reversed. You can restore your metabolism with the 6×6 diet. The body will become healthier and you will feel fit.
Why do I lose weight on the 6×6 diet?
If you are overweight and your waist circumference is very large there is often insulin resistance (= insensitive to insulin). Usually, you won’t notice it, but it may also be that you “have already had a lot of sugar” or that you have diabetes or other health problems.
Insulin is a hormone that ensures the removal of sugars (glucose) from the blood after meals. Usually, this is a matter of supply and demand. But people who are overweight become less sensitive to insulin, so extra insulin is produced.
Insulin does more than just regulate glucose levels. It also affects fat metabolism. The more insulin you produce, the more difficult it is to lose weight.
With the 6×6 diet, your metabolism is reset, making you more insulin sensitive again. Excess insulin production again decreases and lipid breakdown increases. So your weight drops.
Why 6 grams of carbohydrates 6 times a day?
The intention is to reduce insulin production. The fewer carbohydrates, then less glucose gets into the blood and the less insulin production. With 6 grams of carbohydrates, it almost no longer produces insulin.
The body needs a small number of carbohydrates every day. To meet this need, you need 6 eating moments with 6 grams of carbohydrates. Hence the name 6×6 diet.
Why waist circumference instead of weight?
The body differs from person to person. If a person has excess weight, then it is important to know where the extra pounds are. Excess weight around the hips is less harmful than excess weight around the waist. This is why waist circumference is a better measure of health than BMI (ratio of weight and height).
The 6×6 diet works well if you have a large belly. Are you a man and your waist circumference exceeds 102 cm? Or are you a woman and your waist circumference is greater than 88 cm? Then the 6×6 diet might be an option for you.
What are the steps and stages of the 6×6 diet?
In the first phase, patients limit carbohydrate intake to only 36 grams per day while increasing protein intake to 1.2 grams or more per kilogram of body weight. The goal here is to cut out sugar and get protein from fish and plant sources like nuts and beans. Note that this initial stage parallels the keto diet except that the main goal of this low-carb diet is to increase protein intake. On the other hand, the keto diet focuses on increasing your fat intake.
Things change drastically in the second phase because then you can slowly start introducing more carbohydrates into your diet. In the third stage, you can increase your carbohydrate intake even more. When patients stop losing weight, this indicates that they have reached the number of carbohydrates that are best for them to maintain a healthy weight.
All patients are also directed to exercise at least two to three times per week for an hour per day for the duration of this study.
Who is involved in practicing the 6×6 diet?
One diet doesn’t usually work for everyone, but those with type 2 diabetes may be better off following a specific diet than others – especially programs aimed at restricting calories only. Reducing carbohydrate intake along with increasing exercise may be a ticket to losing weight for people with this condition.
A 2019 study – conducted by a team of researchers in the Netherlands, but recently presented at the 2020 European and International Obesity Conference – examines that caloric restriction alone may not be an effective method of weight loss for those with insulin resistance caused by type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance occurs when the pancreas has to produce more insulin to help glucose (sugar) enter cells in muscle and fat, and it is often associated with diabetes that can lead to type 2 diabetes if not managed through diet and exercise. Depending on the food you eat, having this condition can prevent weight loss. Up to 75% of obese people may also have insulin resistance.
Why do you need guidance?
The 6×6 Diet is very different from other diets. It’s a big change for most people. Experience has shown that the result is improved with guidance.
Starting with a 6×6 diet will reset your metabolism. The reset only works if the food is properly composed: not too many carbohydrates and not enough proteins and fats. If there is no good balance, complaints may arise and you will notice fewer results. That would be a shame for all your efforts.
A dietitian can properly assess your diet and advise you and adjust it if needed. He can also give you advice on how to increase your carb count over time. If you are taking medication, a dietitian can adjust the dose in consultation with your doctor.
In the long term, a dietitian’s guidance remains helpful and can support you in learning and maintaining a new lifestyle. Research shows that this is a good way to reduce the risk of relapse into old habits.
If you have diabetes and you use medications and/or insulin for this purpose, they must be reduced before you can start the 6×6 diet. Never do this alone, always consult your dietitian and practice nurse.