16/8 Fasting Schedule Examples for Different Routines

By KT Apps · Updated October 16, 2026

How a 16/8 day works

The fast starts when you finish your last food of the day and ends 16 hours later. The 8 hours after that are your eating window. Because the night's sleep falls inside the fast, most of the 16 hours pass while you are in bed or getting ready in the morning.

To find the end of your fast, add 16 hours to the time you finished eating. Adding 16 hours is the same as going back 8 hours on the clock and moving to the next day. Finish at 8 pm and the fast ends at noon; finish at 9 pm and it ends at 1 pm.

This is general information, not medical advice. Do not fast without talking to a doctor first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, have or have had an eating disorder, have diabetes or another medical condition, or take medication.

Example 16/8 schedules

Office hours: noon to 8 pm

Lunch at noon, a snack in the afternoon if you like, dinner finished by 8 pm. Breakfast is skipped. This is the classic version because it keeps dinner with family or friends.

Early riser: 8 am to 4 pm

Breakfast at 8 am, lunch around midday, a last meal by 4 pm. The fast runs from 4 pm to 8 am. It suits people who are hungry in the morning, but it means an early dinner, which can clash with social plans.

Middle of the day: 10 am to 6 pm

A late breakfast at 10 am and an early dinner by 6 pm. This splits the difference and works well for people who eat dinner early anyway.

Late evenings: 1 pm to 9 pm

For people who go to bed late, a 1 pm to 9 pm window keeps a later dinner. The fast runs from 9 pm to 1 pm the next day.

Night shifts

Anchor the window to your waking hours rather than the clock. For example, if you wake at 2 pm for a night shift, you might eat between 3 pm and 11 pm and fast through the second half of the shift and your sleep. Shift work already disrupts eating and sleep, so this is a good one to discuss with a doctor first.

Every day, or only some days?

Some people follow 16/8 every day; others do it on workdays and eat normally at weekends. Done every day, that is 16 x 7 = 112 hours of fasting a week. Done five days a week, it is 16 x 5 = 80 hours.

Neither approach is "correct". A pattern you can keep up comfortably for months is more useful than a strict one you abandon after a fortnight. If a dinner out runs late, simply start the fast from when you finished eating and let the next day's window move a little.

Practical tips for the 8-hour window

• Eat normal, balanced meals in the window. The schedule changes when you eat, not what your body needs.
• Do not try to eat a full day's worth of food in a rush just before the window closes.
• Drink water during the fast. Decide in advance how you will treat black coffee and tea, and be consistent.
• If you are training hard, many people prefer to schedule workouts so a meal follows within the window.
• Stop and eat if you feel faint, dizzy, shaky or unwell. Hunger is normal; feeling ill is not.

If 16 hours feels like too much

Start with a 12-hour fast, for example 8 pm to 8 am, and push breakfast back gradually. Many people settle at 14 hours and never need to go further. Intermittent fasting schedules explained compares 12/12, 16/8, 18/6, 20/4 and OMAD side by side.

Timing a 16/8 fast in Fasting Timer

Fasting Timer does the clock arithmetic for you.

1. On the Fasting Timer tab, choose the 16/8 plan.
2. Tap Start Fasting when you finish your last meal. The progress card shows elapsed time, remaining time, the estimated end time and the next milestone.
3. Close the tab or switch off your phone if you like. The start time is saved, so the timer is correct when you come back.
4. Log water on the Water Intake tab. If you enter your weight in Profile Setup, the daily target is estimated at about 30 ml per kilogram, so about 2.1 liters for 70 kg. This is a rough guide, not a medical recommendation.
5. Tap End Fasting when you eat, and choose a reason such as Goal Achieved.
6. Check Fasting History to see how consistent you have been, with your average and longest fasts.

The web version does not send a notification at the end of the fast, so set a phone alarm for the estimated end time if you need one. Fasting Timer is also available for iPhone and Android.

Frequently asked questions