Interested in intermittent fasting, but not sure where to start? A 16/8 intermittent fasting pattern is a great way to dip your toe into the world of intermittent fasting and experience many of its benefits.
On a 16/8 intermittent fasting plan, you fast for 16 hours per day and eat during the other 8 hours. This intermittent fasting pattern may be helpful for weight loss and metabolic health.
Here’s our guide to 16/8 intermittent fasting, how to get started, what to eat, and the potential benefits and downsides of intermittent fasting.
What is 16/8 Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a way of eating that includes set periods of fasting along with an “eating window” during which you eat all of your food for the day. There are nearly endless intermittent fasting patterns. Some of the most popular include:
- 16/8: 16-hour fast, 8-hour eating window
- 20/4: 20-hour fast, 4-hour eating window
- 18/6: 18-hour fast, 6-hour eating window
- OMAD: “one meal a day”
- 5/2: 5 days of no fasting, 2 full-day fasts (spread throughout the week)
16/8 intermittent fasting is considered a fairly easy and beginner-friendly fasting pattern, making it ideal if you’re new to intermittent fasting. All you do is simply fast for 16 hours each day, and eat within a set 8-hour period each day.
You can choose a fasting window that’s most convenient for you, too. You can adjust it to accommodate your work or school schedule if needed, and one of the best parts of this eating pattern is that about half of your fasting window passes by while you’re asleep.
16/8 Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan & Food List
Intermittent fasting doesn’t have any food rules. The only rule of intermittent fasting is that you stick to your fasting and eating windows.
Otherwise, you can technically eat whatever you want.
However, if your goal is weight loss or optimizing your health, you may want to set some parameters around your food choices.
While we are big fans of the ketogenic diet here at Perfect Keto, we realize it may not be right for everyone who’s on a 16/8 intermittent fasting program. Still, it’s important to focus mostly on whole, minimally processed foods.
Here’s a brief list of some of the nutritious, whole foods you may want to build your meals around:
- Meats: beef, chicken, pork, fish, shellfish, turkey, eggs
- Fats and oils: olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, butter, ghee, bacon fat, tallow, lard
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, peanuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, etc.
- Legumes: chickpeas, beans, lentils, peas, etc.
- Grains: oats, rice, quinoa, corn, etc.
- Fruits: berries, apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, melon, dates, etc.
- Vegetables: spinach, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, avocado, salad greens, mustard greens, collard greens, cauliflower, carrots, turnips, etc.
- Dairy: plain Greek yogurt, milk, cheese, sour cream, kefir
- Other: bone broth, dark chocolate, honey, maple syrup, herbs, spices
Alternatively, if you want to follow a keto while intermittent fasting, check out our keto food list.
Potential Benefits of 16/8 Intermittent Fasting
There are several potential benefits of intermittent fasting, and they’re not all weight-related either. 16/8 intermittent fasting may also help promote better metabolic health, reduce inflammation, and regulate your Circadian rhythm.
Weight Loss
One of the major benefits of intermittent fasting is weight loss. Although it’s difficult to find studies on specific intermittent fasting patterns, such as 16:8, there is a fair amount of research on the benefits of intermittent fasting in general.
In a 2020 review that analyzed 27 different trials on intermittent fasting and weight loss, researchers found that every single intermittent fasting intervention resulted in weight loss. In these studies, participants lost anywhere from 0.8 to 13% of their body weight with no serious side effects. These researchers also noted that intermittent fasting was equally as effective as calorie counting for supporting weight loss (*).
Intermittent fasting may help you to naturally reduce your calorie intake, and there’s some evidence that it may also help regulate hunger hormones to reduce appetite (*).
Metabolic Health
In addition to weight, intermittent fasting may help optimize other facets of metabolic health — like blood glucose control.
“Metabolic switching” refers to your body’s ability to switch between burning carbs (glucose) and fat (ketones) for fuel. When your body is able to switch back and forth between these two energy sources as needed, this is a sign of metabolic health.
Intermittent fasting may support metabolic switching by providing fasting windows that allow you to burn through all of your stored glucose and begin burning fat, followed by eating windows that replenish your glucose stores (*).
Intermittent fasting may also help to improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar control and fat storage. Diseases such as type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are linked to insulin resistance, so improving insulin sensitivity can help in the management of these conditions (*).
Reduced Inflammation
Intermittent fasting may also help reduce inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is thought to be a driver of several different health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and more (*).
Therefore, the reduction of inflammation caused by intermittent fasting may be helpful in managing these conditions.
Circadian Rhythm Regulation
A 16/8 intermittent fasting pattern may be helpful for regulating your Circadian rhythm, or your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. According to some research, an eating window of 6-10 hours helps to bring meal timing in alignment with a natural Circadian rhythm of wakefulness during the day and sleeping in the night. Meal timing can have a large impact on sleep patterns because of the various hormones and processes involved in food digestion and absorption (*).
Potential Risks & Drawbacks of 16/8 Intermittent Fasting
However, there are some potential drawbacks to intermittent fasting. It can be restrictive, and a poor diet while intermittent fasting may also lead to gaps in your nutrition. Additionally, weight loss isn’t a guarantee while intermittent fasting.
Can Be Restrictive
Some people may find 16/8 intermittent fasting to be too restrictive. This can be particularly true if you’re used to eating three large meals per day, or if you’re used to eating at both morning and nighttime. If you are still interested in intermittent fasting, you can start with something more gentle like a 12/12 intermittent fast — which would be 12 hours of fasting and a 12-hour eating window.
May Lead to Nutrition Gaps
If you don’t plan balanced, nutritious meals while intermittent fasting, this could eventually lead to gaps in your nutrition or even nutrient deficiencies.
You don’t have to follow a perfect diet while intermittent fasting, but it is important to try to keep your meals healthy and balanced most of the time.
May Not Lead to Weight Loss
Finally, intermittent fasting doesn’t guarantee weight loss. If you’re eating large, calorie-rich meals, you may not experience weight loss while fasting. If weight loss is your goal, it will be important to track your meal intake while intermittent fasting to be sure you’re not inadvertently eating too many calories during your eating window.
16/8 Intermittent Fasting Tips
Ready to get started? Here are a few tips to help you be successful with 16/8 intermittent fasting.
Make it Work for Your Schedule
16/8 intermittent fasting can be extremely flexible, so you can easily make it work around your life. For instance, if you like to eat breakfast when you wake up, you can simply start your eating window in the morning and then have an early dinner. Alternatively, if you prefer a late dinner, you can skip breakfast and then start your eating window around lunchtime.
Prioritize Protein
Protein is key for feeling full, maintaining muscle mass, and regulating your appetite hormones. If you drop from three meals to two meals per day when you start intermittent fasting, it’s important to make sure that you’re getting enough protein at each meal.
This is as simple as making sure you have a piece of meat on your plate at each meal that’s at least the size of the palm of your hand. However, you may also want to calculate your protein needs and then track your protein intake to ensure that you’re getting enough.
Make Adjustments as Needed
Finally, there’s no need to be rigid and inflexible about your intermittent fasting plan. If a 15/7 or a 17/9 plan works better for your life, that’s totally OK. If you need to shift your eating window forward one hour because you’re starving towards the end of your fast, that’s OK too. It will be much easier to stick to intermittent fasting if you make it work for you.
Should You Try 16/8 Intermittent Fasting?
Is intermittent fasting right for you? If you’re trying to lose weight, it may be a helpful tool. Additionally, 16/8 intermittent fasting is a very gentle fasting pattern that’s great for people who are new to fasting.
However, certain individuals should be cautious and seek medical advice before starting an intermittent fasting program. This includes people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, people with a history of disordered eating, and people who are underweight or who are trying to gain weight.
Additionally, fasting is not advised for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you do 16/8 intermittent fasting?
You can do 16/8 intermittent fasting continuously for as long as you’re comfortable with it.
Is 16/8 intermittent fasting good for weight loss?
It can be a great tool for weight loss. However, for weight loss success, you’ll still need to eat fewer calories than you burn each day. Choosing a nutritious, protein-rich, filling, and whole food-based diet like keto or paleo can help you accomplish this.
How long should you do 16/8 intermittent fasting to start seeing results?
The timeline for results with intermittent fasting can vary due to several factors. This includes your goal and reasons for intermittent fasting, your diet and how many calories you’re consuming each day, how much you’re exercising, pre-existing health conditions, age, and other lifestyle factors like sleep and stress levels.
The Bottom Line
16/8 intermittent fasting involves fasting for 16 hours each day and eating all of your food for the day during the other 8 hours. This is a flexible, beginner-friendly fasting plan that shares many of the benefits of more intensive fasting programs.
It can help promote weight loss, metabolic health, reduced inflammation, and Circadian rhythm regulation. Still, it’s important to plan healthy, balanced meals when fasting to ensure you’re getting enough protein and nutrients.
We think that 16/8 intermittent fasting is a great way to improve your health, especially when paired with a well-planned ketogenic diet.
I still don’t understand how many days in a row you have to do a fast. I guess if you are on a keto diet is is as many as you can do right. Iam new and have done 3 already. I have had some uncomfortalble side effects. but I found out it was due to lost of electrolights and I used chicken broth and more salt to make that go away. How many green veggies should I be eating in the 8 hour window? It all seems very confusing. I know lots of fat and no low fat cause of sugar.
It’s 16/8 HOURS (out of 24 per day).
EX: You don’t eat in the evening and in the morning, but from noon the next day, until 8 o’ clock in the evening you do eat.
You eat every single day.
I was on a keto diet for about a year and quite easily lost 70 lbs. At 150 lbs, I was exactly where I wanted to be. The problem is that the rest of the world does not eat that way and you are always out of step in restaurants, parties, and even at family meals.
Intermittent fasting and regular exercise was my answer for weight maintenance. You can eat pretty much whatever you want without craving or self-denial. It easily became my normal.
I must admit that I am uncertain if intermittent fasting will cause you to lose the weight, but it is much superior regarding real world weight maintenance.
I am an IF devotee for the rest of my life! Good luck.
if I’m doing 16/8, can I eat more than twice, or is having only 2 meals in the 8hr window the way to go?
Vince, most people do 2 bigger meals within the 8 hour window but it’s best to test it out and see what works for you.
I am type 2 diabetic. Been on diet since
Aug 2017 and lost 23 pounds. I it daft for me to do the 16/8? Usually jut have coffee until around noon. Would no be hard for me to do the 16/8. Really need to get rid of another 20 pounds.
Hi Jackie, 16/8 intermittent fasting is definitely a good option for anybody. Just make sure you consult with your doctor and make sure you’re tracking your sugar levels diligently
I’m new here, i use the 16/8 pattern and i start my feeding window frm 6:30 breakfast to 2:30 wc is exactly an 8hr feeding pattern. . is that ok?
Yes, that’s perfect!
For those looking into getting into these fad diets. They all work, to an extent. The “best” diet is most certainly the one that you can most adhere to. That being said, so long as you are in a caloric deficit, you will lose weight! Face it, what is the point when you diet down and can not keep the weight off? You will most certainly rebound and end up right where you started. Consult with your doctor first and foremost for health and welfare issues and follow-up with a professional. Your health is of utmost importance. Take care everyone.
That’s what happened to me. I was in ketosis for a year, lost 125lbs, but then I started eating again and poof, back came 90 of the 125 pounds 🙁 I’m finding it more difficult to get back into the swing of eating under 20 carbs a day. I find myself starving, or carb starved as it’s called, and it’s proving to be difficult, even with the meal replacement drinks. I’m going to try this fasting and see if that will help me get back to skinny, but be able to keep it off.
Sounds like your problem was going back to the way you use to eat. Maintaining weight lose is simple. Eat clean and portion your food and exercise a few times a week. Stay away from all fast food, high carb foods, lower alcohol intake and sugar. If anyone thinks that they can just go back to their old ways after losing weight, they are just plain crazy. People get fat for a reason so why would anyone think it wont come back without a permanent lifestyle change.
I am very new to this. Looking to eat healthy and lose weight. Nothing has worked for me. I am doing 16/8 fasting. I have not figured out what foods I need. Wondered what foods I should start my 8 hours with. I am excited about this way of eating.
I’m 65 and I retired recently. I tried this for one week, and I must admit I particularly watched the clock all day long. I was very intergetic, and my depression subsided most of the time. At one week I weight myself, and thought why am I doing this if I’m not losing weight? So I went off and now I feel like I drag most of the day. I’m getting back on…enough said.
I’m also 65 years old. I started 16/8 fasting with a Keto diet two weeks ago and lost 5 lbs. I felt icky on days 3&4, but I had read about the Keto flu, so I wasn’t worried. It’s not just the scale that shows a difference. My clothes are fitting me much more comfortably. Good luck, Edwina!
I’m 69 and doing IF and cycling in and out of ketosis for 5 months. I feel very, very good and I’m down 2 sizes. I’ve steadily been losing weight for 2.5 years. I love it. It’s freedom. I do 18/6
mostly.
Just began this 16:8 IF with Keto. I track macros and split them into two meals for my eating window. It works out to 40grams of protein each meal.. Isn’t this a lot of protein in one meal? Should I do less than my macros say because it’s two meals instead of three? Just checking because I thought I read somewhere about not consuming too much protein in a meal. Thank you.
”Maintaining weight lose is simple. Eat clean and portion your food and exercise a few times a week. Stay away from all fast food, high carb foods, lower alcohol intake and sugar. If anyone thinks that they can just go back to their old ways after losing weight, they are just plain crazy.”
So wrong and inaccurate in so many levels I really don’t know where to start in trying to correct such an ignorant statement. I don’t know if you are being sarcastic in this post… 1st of all it is not ‘simple’ in any way to avoid bad foods-our primitive brain cries out for them and when we diet it cries out louder. That is the big reason dieting is soo hard to stick to, it’s putting the body and mind under very unnatural conditions.
3 days in a 16:8 ration – my body loves it. I don’t feel famished and look forward to my 8 hrs of eating window. I keep calories in check with a healthy balanced diet. My exercise begins after my last hour of fasting, I eat a few fruits (mango and raspberries) and an avocado (topped with a homemade crushed walnut dressing) and I’m good to lift weights and run. My body feels light and healthy. Amazing solution to any fitness junky.
Hi, I posted yesterday and my results are in after 4 days. I started the week at 140lbs and I’m now at 134lbs – 135lbs. I eat between 1500 – 1800 and walk every day 45 minutes. I weight trained on Tuesday and Wednesday, cardio Thursday, weight train again today with cardio(Friday). Only for 45 minutes per session – I can’t afford much time on my lunch hours. More details for you women out there who are mothers and who work full time: start with walking 30 minutes a day, fast pace.
I’ll adjust my fasting times if there’s a party on the weekend, and I also drank coffee with milk in it in my mornings. So, I yeah I’m not a professional or serious faster here… I’m having fun and have been always active so, it’s a joy to train every day. Keep positive and know your body and its limits 🙂 If anyone is reading, I’ll report back at the end of July. I don’t have a goal for weight.. I focus on inches..I don’t even think this is relating to the article at this point…. best to you all!! xo
Can I have a bullet proof coffee for breakfast? Or would it break my fast?
Hi Janet, it depends on the ingredients and the goal of your fast.
fast 16 h minimum . try to go as high possible. some days will be easier
than others. i set a very minimum goal of 16 h and then sometimes i end up being at 20-22. i lost a lot of weight so far in 6 month.
I eat one big meal a day and one or two small meals
i eat everything but try to stick to protein such as cheese, yogourt, meat.
don’t neglect fruit because you need vitamins. try to eat them every other day maybe or so (or try everyday with moderation because of the sugar content). If you go to 22 then you could eat more carbs and sugary stuff but still try moderation. I found myself enjoying more the good stuff anyway such as fruits (a lot more than before)
for weight loss add some work out (twice a week is enough) if you stick to your IF.
also IF is not only about calories. It is about chemical reaction involving insulin and ketose. with discipline you can reset your metabolism so that it wont store as much fat and it will help with sugar regulation in the body.
I have been doing the 16/8 intermittent fasting for a year now. I have lost 140 lbs to date and completely off insulin and metformin for my type II diabetes!!! It works
65 years old have MS so can’t move as much as most people but have been doing 16:8 for almost 2 months and I love It haven’t lost a lot of weight ( 5 lbs ) but am losing fat. I count calories and carbs ( prediabetic ) . Question is does this sound normal and will drinking coffee with Stevia break my fast?
You can still get great benefits while sneaking in a cup of coffee however if you want optimal results nothing should enter your stomach other than water while fasting. Not even meds. One of the reasons that the intermittent fasting is so effective is that the enzymes in your gut are allowed to rest. Your 8 hour window should start as soon as anything other than water is ingested which includes coffee. Again, that is the strict answer but you can certainly still get good benefits even if you have your coffee during your fast
I am keen to start this diet having heard about it on television.
I like others don’t think I can do it without a cup of coffee in the morning. Would black coffee with equal be better than a white coffee with equal.
Realising won’t get optimum results but how successful is it likely to be?
Hi,
Instead of water can I drink green tea? I’m very interested in starting the 16/8. I’ve just got back from China and brought back amazingly fresh just picked green tea.
Please advise. 🙂
Hi Di, yes, you can drink green tea.
I am on my 5th week on 16/8.i have lost significantly amount of weight.i just love it,feel lighter.usually eat proteins ,vegetables ,fruits sometimes a little carbs..i break my fast and eat through out till 8pm.between 8pm and 12pm ,i constantly drink water and green tea which makes me feel good when i am on ketosis.i think 16/8 and keto is almost one thing.they just work the same,but what i have noticed is that 16/8 combined with keto diet works perfectly well.good like guys,this is the way to go especially for us ladies!!!
Ketosis is not a desirable state for the body. It means the body is in distress. You lose weight, but you are not in a peak state physically or mentally. You brain requires carbs. More so after any fasting period even if that is only for 7-9 hours while you sleep.
Hi, you mentioned that during fasting you should only have water, not meds. I need to take my epilepsy and ms (gabapentin & Keppra) meds 12 hourly. 6am and 6pm. Is this why the 16:8 isn’t working for me?
Annie, I have to take my anticonvulsants at 12 hour intervals as well. I’ll be taking them with water in the am. I won’t be eating till 10 am and I will restart my fast after 6 pm. Just starting today. Hoping to to kick my ketosis into high gear. Very optimistic. We all have things we have to work around and deal with, this is one of mine. Keto is for me and I think IF is too. Keep you posted.
Can you drink water during the 16 hour fast?
Hi Susan, yes you can.
I was told as long as you don’t consume more than 50 calories, you are not breaking your fast.
Just curious, how many calories does the average woman consume during the day while on 16/8. I’m very eager to do this but I’m wondering how the heck I’m going to get enough calories in with only 2 meas.
Hi everyone, I need to make a change. If I can achieve some weight loss through IF and Ketosis, I’m willing to give this a try but I do believe it’s important to be well informed. How can I get more information please?
When doing the 16/8 fasting schedule. Do you have to eat all your macros in the 8 hour feasting window?
Hi I work really crazy hours, mostly over night. How am I able to do this correctly when it’s hard for me to keep a regular eat and fast regimen when I sleep a lot during the day. And my schedule at work can be all over the place not just one set time frame. I would really like to try this but I need some help trying to figure out time frames that can fit my schedule.
I’m on 12pm to 8pm and find it very easy to stick to, however I have been used to having a small glass of skimmed milk at bedtime which helps me to sleep. Am I breaking my 16 hour fast ? Perhaps I should just try water instead.
Tony try unsweetened almond milk, it is basically fiber and water and we can’t use the calories from fiber. They have to list it though.
End of the Month results:
Dropped a total of 9-10 lbs within just two weeks.
The last week of July I gave myself a break from the fast. Nothing changed, just water weight changed the number on the scale. I’m leaner now, it’s lovely. Now I’m back on my fasting of 18:6
I’m going for the whole month of August – Love it, it works.
I have switched out the sweets in my morning coffee and switched to double espresso with butter in the morning, and I can tell you, it’s working wonders – my belt size is dropping week by week and my body is more looking like someone in their 20’s than in my actual late 40’s.
Keep up the great work, Dr Gustin!
I started 16.8 a month ago and I have not lost any weight. I think I may have lost some cm’s but nothing noticeable. I don’t do the Keto with IF but I also eat good foods. What am I doing wrong.
Hi Tracey, you may check our podcast episode: 035: Chris Irvin – Keto Plateaus: Everything You Need to Know to Bust Through Them
Can you drink during the fasting period ie. water/teas?
Hi Amy, yes, you can drink water or even take exogenous ketones on during a fast, it may help suppress your appetite.
during the 16 hour period, can you drink water or another type of liquid??
Hi Nicole, yes, you can drink water or even take exogenous ketones that can help suppress your appetite during a fast.
I cant eat meat because I have a stomach problem and when I eat it it makes me sick. Is there anyway to do the keto diet without meat?
Hi Molly, you can read our blog, Ketogenic Diet for Vegetarians. I hope this helps!
I’m 51, a VERY picky eater (mostly vegetarian, no snack type foods), I spent most of my life only eating one meal a day. I was never hungry. About 10 years ago, I was at a job where everyone told me I wasn’t eating enough, or taking in “enough protein”. Mind you, I was older than most of them, LOOKED younger than they did and was super active (biking 25 miles every weekend, hiking, exercising 3-4 times a week) but I listened to them and added breakfast to my diet plus more protein drinks. I gained 30 lbs in one year despite all my activity. I decided to go back to intermittent fasting (I usually do 20/4 with the 4 hour window of eating five days a week, except on weekends when I eat breakfast), I lost all the extra weight, feel amazing, my doctors tell me I am super healthy, no medications… I personally think we are hyped up to believe we need to eat 5 small meals a day and exercise like a mad man and by the way, I know people doing this and they are overweight still. I think society pushes people to work out, to eat more protein and certain types of foods deemed “healthy” when intermittent fasting is more doable. You can still eat what you want to eat and that is key for me so yes, it is VERY sustainable long term.
I’ve done the fasting but been doing 18/6, Each morning after doing it I’ve lost 1lb. Very happy with the results plus also saves money on food shopping.
Still very new to it but have been relaxing it during the weekends to maybe 16/8.
I have been doing 16/8 for about a month. I also do zero carb. I feel great and my arthritis pain is almost gone! I’m so glad because I was taking 6 Aleve a day. Now I’m taking none!
I have read somewhere that you are supposed to do the 16/8 for 5 days a week and have 2 days off! Is this correct, or do you do it 7 days a week??
You can do both and see which will fit you, Dani. It will mostly depend on your dietary needs and goal. If you’re new to IF, it’s recommended to do the 5 days a week and 2 days off.
There is just to much to read and to figure out what to do. What do I eat in the 8 hours of eating time. Do you eat carbs/ you don’t eat carbs. ????????
You can eat basically anything, to be honest. But of course to get better results, refrain from carbs.
I’ve been doing 16/8 no w for six weeks and have lost 17 pounds ,,just steadily going on and it is a way of eating I can do for ever with the odd blip ,maybe because of social commitment ,,I drink mint tea or lemon balm out of my own garden just steeped in boiling water ,also some fruit teas ,,,but when I said ,on another site I was doing this ,,I was told in no uncertain terms I was encouraging others to break their fast ,,I would like views on this ? I eat normally in 8 hours but in my head probably not going over 2.000 calories ,,I’m a walking calorie book anyway ,
Hi Violet! If you’re not doing strict fasting, plain tea/black coffee is okay.
I’m an 86 year old guy. I used to have a six-pack but now I have a gut. My weight is OK but I believe that my gut is unhealthy and especially unattractive to the ladies. I can handle the 16/8. Does it work on belly fat first?
I also raise a 14 year old girl who wants to try the 16/8 just two days per week. Does that ever work?
Hi Bernie! Yes, fasting can help you reduce belly fat. It will also great to cut down on carbs/ sugar for better results. Here’s an article of different intermittent fasting schedules: http://perfectketo.com/how-often-can-you-do-intermittent-fasting/
Although fasting during teenage years are not recommended since the body is still developing at this stage. It’s best to consult a doctor.