Common intermittent fasting schedules
You may want to experiment with different intermittent fasting schedules to find what works best for you, your body, and your lifestyle. Each method has a pattern of eating and fasting for specific timeframes, allowing you to customize your approach.
Time-restricted eating or the 16:8 method
A common approach to intermittent fasting is the 16:8 method, a form of time-restricted eating. Time-restricted eating (TRE) is when your daily calorie intake is limited to a consistent timeframe, usually 8 to 10 hours. In the 16:8 method specifically, you fast for 16 hours and eat within the 8-hour timeframe.
Time-restricted eating plans are some of the more approachable models, Hyer explains. With these plans, you eat every day but only during certain windows. You might eat all your meals and snacks between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., then fast the other 16 hours a day. Some people choose 6-hour windows for eating, others 10 or 12.
Under the 16:8 method, you might decide to skip breakfast and start your day with lunch, leaving time to eat a later dinner. However, recent studies suggest that eating earlier in the day may be more beneficial — breaking your fast with breakfast and ending with an earlier dinner.
A time-restricted eating pattern can be tailored to your schedule often ranging from 12 to 14 hours of fasting, or even just limiting nighttime snacking after a specific time.
The 5:2 diet
Where the 16:8 method refers to hours in the day, the 5:2 method of intermittent fasting refers to days of the week.
In this plan, you eat normally for 5 days a week. On the other 2 days, you dramatically restrict your diet, cutting calories by at least 75%. (For example, if you normally aim for 2,000 calories a day, you’d eat no more than 500 calories on fast days.)
This method offers more flexibility, so it may be easier to stick to. Scheduling your fasting days around life events like weddings, family gatherings, or birthday parties may make it easier to adhere to your intermittent fasting goals while not missing out on the joy of shared food and celebration.
But this more extreme approach is definitely not for everyone. It’s generally recommended only for healthy individuals who aren’t living with chronic diseases. Always talk to a health care provider before trying any low-calorie meal plans.
Alternate day fasting (ADF)
If keeping track of which 2 days per week you’re fasting on the 5:2 method seems challenging for your schedule, alternate day fasting might be easier for you. The concept is simple: fast every other day.
If a complete fast isn’t right for you, you could try alternate day fasting modified. In this version, on fast days you eat only 25% of your recommended daily calories; on regular eating days you eat 125% of your recommended daily calories. Overall, you’ll be eating less. Pairing this with healthy food choices could help you reach your health goals.