What an 18:6 day looks like
A six-hour window usually fits two meals, or two meals and a snack. Typical windows:
- 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm: late lunch and an early dinner.
- 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm: lunch and a very early dinner.
- 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm: if dinner with others matters most.
18:6 vs 16:8: which is better?
The difference is two hours a day. On 18:6 you spend more time in the later part of the fast and have less time to eat, which some people find makes meals simpler. On 16:8 you have more room for social meals and it is easier to keep up for months.
- Choose 16:8 if you are new, train hard in the morning, or often eat with other people.
- Choose 18:6 if 16:8 already feels easy and you rarely want the third meal.
- Mixing is fine: 18:6 on quiet days and 16:8 on busy ones.
How to step up from 16:8
- Keep 16:8 until it feels routine for at least two weeks.
- Push your first meal 30 minutes later every few days.
- Drink water through the extra hours. Thirst often feels like hunger.
- If a day goes badly, drop back to 16 hours. It still counts.
Longer fasts are not automatically better. If you feel dizzy, weak or unwell, eat, and talk to a doctor before trying longer fasts again.