Health by Jay

Tool

Fasting planner

Check whether you need your doctor first, then get a step-by-step eating window that fits your day.

Compiled by Jayakanthan, Richmond, Virginia

Last reviewed against sources: October 25, 2026

For my family only

This site is curated for my own family members. It is not a recommendation or a diet plan for anyone else. Do not change your diet, start fasting, or change any medicine without your own doctor's advice. We are not responsible for any consequences of following this information without proper medical supervision.

Read this first: This page is education, not a treatment plan. If you take insulin, a sulfonylurea (glipizide, glimepiride, gliclazide), an SGLT2 inhibitor (Jardiance, Farxiga, Invokana), blood pressure pills, warfarin or lithium, or if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, have kidney disease or a history of an eating disorder, do not start a low-carb diet or fasting without your doctor.

Lab tracker · Fasting planner · Food lookup

Step 1: safety check

Tick everything that applies. Nothing you enter leaves this page.

Step 2: your window

Why this stops at 16:8: 4-hour and 6-hour windows gave the same weight loss in a trial, and the only controlled trial of one meal a day raised blood pressure and LDL[1,2]. Earlier windows have the best support[3]. Read the fasting guide.

Sources on this page

Every source below was checked against its PubMed, DOI or publisher page. Grades and how we use them: evidence grades.

  1. Cienfuegos S, Gabel K, Kalam F, et al. (2020). Effects of 4- and 6-h Time-Restricted Feeding on Weight and Cardiometabolic Health: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Adults with Obesity.. Cell Metab 32(3):366-378.e3. PMID 32673591 · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2020.06.018 - RCT, 4 h vs 6 h vs control, 8 weeks
  2. Stote KS, Baer DJ, Spears K, et al. (2007). A controlled trial of reduced meal frequency without caloric restriction in healthy, normal-weight, middle-aged adults.. Am J Clin Nutr 85(4):981-988. PMID 17413096 · doi:10.1093/ajcn/85.4.981 - Randomized crossover, one vs three meals a day, 8 weeks each
  3. Jamshed H, Steger FL, Bryan DR, et al. (2022). Effectiveness of Early Time-Restricted Eating for Weight Loss, Fat Loss, and Cardiometabolic Health in Adults With Obesity: A Randomized Clinical Trial.. JAMA Intern Med 182(9):953-962. PMID 35939311 · doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.3050 - RCT, early 8 h window vs 12 h+, 14 weeks