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Heard about intermittent fasting and wondering if the 16:8 method is worth a try? You’re in the right place.
16:8 is the most popular way to do intermittent fasting, and for good reason. It’s simple, it’s free, and most people find it surprisingly easy once the first week is behind them.
In this article, we’re covering how 16:8 works, what the research really says about weight loss, how to exercise and what to drink while you fast, and what to eat when your window opens.
Check with your doctor first if you take medication for diabetes (skipping meals can cause low blood sugar), you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you have a history of disordered eating, or you’re under 18.
16:8 at a glance
| Fasting | 16 hours (most of it while you sleep) |
| Eating window | 8 hours, for example 12pm to 8pm |
| Allowed while fasting | Water, black coffee, plain tea |
| Days a week | Every day, or just the days that suit you |
| Best for | Anyone who finds it easier to skip a meal than to eat smaller ones |
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What is the 16:8 method?
The 16:8 method means you fast for 16 hours and eat within an 8 hour window. It’s also called Leangains, after the fitness writer who made it popular.
For most people, it simply looks like this: finish dinner, sleep, and push your first meal back to lunchtime. If you eat between 12pm and 8pm, you’ve done it.
Plenty of people aren’t hungry in the morning anyway. If that’s you, 16:8 can feel almost effortless, and an eating plan you barely notice is one you’re far more likely to stick with.
Popular 16:8 schedules
| Eating window | Works well if you… |
|---|---|
| 12pm to 8pm | Skip breakfast and like a later dinner |
| 10am to 6pm | Want breakfast later and an early dinner |
| 8am to 4pm | Eat breakfast and are happy to stop early |
Does 16:8 help you lose weight?
It can. Here’s the honest version of how.
When you only eat for 8 hours, most people end up eating less without trying. In one 12 week study, adults with obesity who ate only between 10am and 6pm ate about 340 fewer calories a day and lost about 2.6% of their body weight, with no calorie counting.
But it isn’t magic. When researchers compared 16:8 with simply eating three meals a day, people lost about the same small amount of weight either way, around 2 lb (1 kg) over 12 weeks.
And in a year long trial where both groups cut calories, adding a time window didn’t lead to significantly more weight loss than cutting calories alone.
The biggest review so far, of 99 trials, came to the same conclusion: intermittent fasting works about as well as other ways of eating less.
So what does that mean for you? 16:8 works because it helps you eat fewer calories. If skipping a meal feels easier than eating smaller portions all day, it’s a great tool. If it leaves you starving and overeating at night, another approach may suit you better, and that’s completely fine.
Other benefits of 16:8
Beyond weight loss, the research is promising but still early. In a small study of men with prediabetes, or blood sugar that’s higher than normal but not yet diabetes, eating within an early window improved insulin sensitivity and blood pressure, even without weight loss.
Insulin sensitivity, or how well your body responds to insulin, matters for keeping your blood sugar steady.
It was a small study, though, and most of the benefits people see from fasting come from losing weight. You’ll see claims that 16:8 helps you live longer or prevents cancer. There’s no good evidence in humans for either, so we’re not going to promise them.
Some people also simply love the freedom. Fewer meals to plan, fewer dishes, and no snacking decisions after dinner.
How many days a week should you fast?
You can follow 16:8 every day, and many people do. But you don’t have to.
If you’re new to it, try easing in:
- Week 1: fast 12 hours a night (say 8pm to 8am)
- Week 2: stretch it to 14 hours
- Week 3: try 16 hours on weekdays and relax on weekends
Feel free to switch things up and see what fits your life. Consistency matters much more than perfection.
How to exercise while doing 16:8
Any lasting weight loss plan works better with some exercise, especially strength training, which helps you hold on to muscle while you lose fat.
When should you train?
Whenever suits you best. You’ll read that training fasted, or before your first meal, burns more fat. When researchers tested it, women who did cardio fasted or after eating lost the same amount of fat.
So if you feel great training first thing, go for it. If you feel weak or dizzy, train during your eating window instead.
What kind of training?
A mix of strength training and cardio is ideal. In one study, lifters who followed 16:8 for 8 weeks kept their strength and muscle while losing some fat.
Need a plan? Try our fat loss gym plan for beginners or, if you train at home, the no equipment home cardio workout.
What can you drink while fasting?
Drinks are your best friend during a fast. They help with hunger and keep your energy up. These are 16:8 friendly:
- Water (still or sparkling)
- Black coffee
- Plain tea, including green tea
- Apple cider vinegar, diluted in water
Some drinks break your fast without you realizing, like milky coffee, juice and many “zero” drinks with added extras. Our list of liquid hacks that won’t break your fast covers the gray areas.
How to break your fast
Breaking your fast sounds simple: you just eat, right? Mostly, yes. But what you eat first can make the rest of the day easier.
Make your first meal protein first. Protein is the most filling nutrient, and higher protein diets may help with appetite and weight loss.
Good first meals:
- Eggs with whole wheat toast and fruit
- Greek yogurt with berries and nuts
- Chicken, rice and vegetables
Our guide to the optimal way to break your fast goes into more detail.
What diet should you follow with 16:8?
Whatever way of eating you enjoy and can stick with. Really.
Low carb and keto are popular with intermittent fasting, and they can work well. But in a year long trial of over 600 adults, a healthy low carb diet and a healthy low fat diet led to similar weight loss, about 13 lb (6 kg) versus 12 lb (5.3 kg).
So there’s no need to cut out bread or pasta unless you want to. What matters most is eating a little less than you burn, with plenty of protein.
How much protein? A good target for active people is about 0.6 to 0.9 g per pound of bodyweight a day (1.4 to 2.0 g per kg). Our intermittent fasting macro calculator can work out your numbers.
What to eat in your 8 hour window
Build most of your meals around whole, filling foods:
- Protein: chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, beans and lentils, tofu
- Healthy fats: salmon and other oily fish, avocado, nuts and seeds, olive oil
- Fiber: vegetables, fruit, oats, whole grains
- Gut friendly foods: yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut
And how many meals should you eat in your window? It’s up to you. A review of 15 studies found that the apparent benefit of eating more often came down to a single study.
Two meals or three, the total for the day is what counts. If you’d like everything planned out, try our 7 day intermittent fasting meal plan for beginners or the two meals a day meal plan.
Questions people ask
Will 16:8 slow down my metabolism?
Not in the way people worry about. In the 8 week study of lifters, resting energy expenditure, or the calories you burn at rest, didn’t change.
I hit a plateau. What now?
It happens to almost everyone. Our guide to overcoming an intermittent fasting plateau walks you through it.
Is 16:8 good for women?
Many women do well on it. If it affects your cycle, sleep or energy, try a shorter fast like 14:10 instead.
Can I have a splash of milk in my coffee?
A small splash is a gray area. Strictly, it breaks your fast. In practice, a tablespoon is unlikely to make a big difference to weight loss.
What app can help?
Take a look at our roundup of the best intermittent fasting apps.
Happy fasting, and enjoy the extra free time in your mornings!
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting intermittent fasting, especially if you have diabetes or another medical condition, take medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
