Intermittent Fasting in India — 16:8 Guide

By NYUS Inc. · Updated 23 October 2026

General information: This article is information about food data. No dietitian or doctor has reviewed it, and it is not a substitute for their advice.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating schedule, not a diet, and it is popular as a way to lose weight. This page checks what randomized trials and meta-analyses actually report about it, then shows how to fit an eating window around Indian meal times (late family dinners, morning chai) if you choose to try one. The short version: in the trials below, a shorter eating window did not beat ordinary calorie restriction.

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What is intermittent fasting?

You alternate a fasting window (no caloric food or drink, the definition this page uses) with an eating window. Common patterns:

12:12 – a 12-hour overnight fast (for example 7 PM to 7 AM), then eat normally.
16:8 – 16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating, for example noon to 8 PM. This is the pattern tested in the TREAT trial below.
5:2 – eat normally on 5 days and eat very little on 2 non-consecutive days. In the 11 trials of the Cioffi et al. 2018 meta-analysis (5:2 and other intermittent regimens), the intermittent arms provided 25% or less of daily energy needs on the "fast" days.
OMAD (one meal a day) – we found no trial of it in the sources used for this page, so we make no claim about it. Our reading: speak to a doctor first.

What the evidence says about weight loss

12 months, with calorie restriction. In Liu et al., 2022 (NEJM), 139 adults with obesity all followed a calorie-restricted diet (1,500 to 1,800 kcal a day for men, 1,200 to 1,500 for women). Half also ate only between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Weight loss was 8.0 kg with the eating window and 6.3 kg without, a difference that was not statistically significant (net difference 1.8 kg, 95% CI -4.0 to 0.4, P = 0.11). Waist, BMI, body fat and metabolic risk factors were consistent with that result.
12 weeks, 16:8 without a calorie target. In the TREAT trial (Lowe et al., 2020), 116 adults with BMI 27 to 43 were asked to eat only from 12 PM to 8 PM or to eat three structured meals a day. Weight fell 0.94 kg with the 16:8 window and 0.68 kg with regular meals; the between-group difference (0.26 kg, 95% CI -1.30 to 0.78) was not significant, and estimated energy intake did not differ between groups. In the 50-person in-person subgroup, appendicular lean mass index was lower in the 16:8 group (a difference of 0.16 kg/m2).
Intermittent vs continuous restriction. A meta-analysis of 11 trials (Cioffi et al., 2018) found comparable weight loss (a difference of 0.61 kg, 95% CI -1.70 to 0.47) and "a slight reduction in fasting insulin" with the intermittent regimens, which the authors call of uncertain clinical relevance.
Quality of the evidence. An umbrella review of meta-analyses (Patikorn et al., 2021) covered 11 meta-analyses (130 trials, median follow-up 3 months). 28 of 104 associations (27%) favoured IF, but only one (1%), modified alternate-day fasting for 1 to 2 months lowering BMI against a regular diet, rested on high-quality evidence and six (6%) on moderate-quality evidence; 72% rested on very low-quality and 21% on low-quality evidence. IF was also associated with reduced fat-free mass.

Our reading: these trials do not show that the eating window itself adds fat loss over counting calories. If a window helps you eat less, it can help; if it does not, it will not. We have no source for the old claims that a window lowers insulin "so stored fat is easier to access", so they are removed.

For how big a calorie gap to aim for, see our guide on how many calories to lose weight (India TDEE calculator). The ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 (PDF pages 81 and 83) say weight loss should be gradual, diets should not go below 1,000 kcal a day, half a kilogram a week is considered safe, and a typical deficit is 500 to 750 kcal a day. To run your own numbers, use the TDEE calculator.

Fitting an eating window around Indian meals

Many Indian households eat an early breakfast, a mid-day lunch and a late dinner, often at 8 PM or later, so a strict noon-to-8-PM window can clash with family meals. Three ways to adapt (our suggestions, not trial protocols):

Option A: skip breakfast, eat 12 PM to 8 PM

Works if your family eats dinner before 8 PM or you are comfortable eating earlier on your own. Have the main meal around noon to 1 PM and finish dinner by 7:30 to 8 PM. Plain tea or coffee without milk or sugar fits the "no caloric food or drink" definition.

Option B: eat 10 AM to 6 PM

If skipping breakfast is hard, start the window at 10 AM with a late breakfast and close it at 6 PM; you miss the late family dinner. If you get light-headed or have any blood-sugar problem, speak to a doctor before fasting at all.

Option C: start with 12:12 or 14:10

You do not have to begin with 16 hours. A 12-hour overnight fast, for example 9 PM to 9 AM, is a gentle start, and you can lengthen it by 30 minutes every few days. We found no source on the best way to build up, so treat this as a suggestion.

A sample 16:8 day (noon to 8 PM window)

An example of where meals could sit, not a prescription. We have not added up its calories, because we have not looked up a source for each dish; use the TDEE guide and the limits above to set your own target.

Time	Vegetarian	Non-vegetarian
7–11 AM (fast)	Water, black coffee or green tea (no milk, no sugar), plain lemon water.
12 PM (break fast)	2 roti + dal makhani (1 katori) + curd (100 g) + salad	2 roti + grilled chicken breast (150 g) + curd + salad
3–4 PM (snack)	Roasted chana (40 g) + a few almonds + green tea	Boiled eggs ×2 + a handful of peanuts
7 PM (dinner)	Paneer bhurji (100 g) + 1 small bowl rice + sauteed sabzi	Fish curry (1 fillet) + 1 small bowl rice + sabzi
8 PM (close window)	Stop eating. Water, plain herbal tea.

For the macros of each dish, see our calories and macros of common Indian foods reference.

What breaks a fast (and what does not)

Under the definition on this page (no caloric food or drink):

Does not break it: water, sparkling water, black coffee, green tea, plain herbal tea, lemon water without sugar, a zero-calorie electrolyte drink.
Breaks it: chai with milk and sugar, fruit juice, coconut water, any food, protein shakes, supplements with calories, bulletproof coffee.

Chai is the hard one for most Indians. Milk and sugar both carry calories, and we have not looked up a figure for a cup. No trial cited here tested chai. Our reading: if giving up morning chai would make you quit, a small cup inside your eating window is a better plan than dropping the whole routine.

Things to watch

A window is not a calorie limit. In TREAT, estimated energy intake did not differ between the 16:8 group and the regular-meals group, so the window alone did not make people eat less. Our reading: eating a large amount inside the window can cancel out the calorie saving, so track roughly, especially at the start.
Protein. The umbrella review above found IF associated with reduced fat-free mass, and TREAT found lower lean mass index in the 16:8 group. A meta-analysis of 24 trials (Wycherley et al., 2012) found that higher-protein energy-restricted diets mitigated the loss of fat-free mass by 0.43 kg (95% CI 0.09 to 0.78) compared with standard-protein diets. The ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 (PDF page 83) note that about 15% of energy from protein may be important during a 500 to 750 kcal deficit, to preserve muscle. Our reading: put a protein food in every meal; see our high-protein Indian foods guide.
Going too fast. We found no trial of a 20:4 window in these sources. Our suggestion: start with 12:12 or 14:10 and build up.
Fluids and how you feel. Drink water. Our reading: if you get headaches, dizziness or fainting, stop fasting and speak to a doctor; we have not cited a source on electrolytes.
Sleep. In Spiegel et al., 2004, 12 healthy young men slept less for 2 days. Leptin fell 18%, ghrelin rose 28% and hunger rose 24%, especially for calorie-dense, high-carbohydrate food. It was a small, short study. Our reading: if you are short on sleep, the eating window may be harder to keep.
Time. TREAT ran 12 weeks and lost under 1 kg on average; the Liu trial ran 12 months. Hall et al., 2011 (a model study) found that bodyweight responds slowly to a change in energy intake, with half times of about 1 year. Our reading: judge by the weekly trend, not by single days.

Is intermittent fasting right for you?

The trials above enrolled adults: TREAT adults aged 18 to 64 with BMI 27 to 43, and Liu et al. adults with obesity. We have not read a source on pregnancy, breastfeeding, diabetes, a history of disordered eating, or children and teenagers, so this page makes no claim about them. Our reading: if any of these applies, or you take medication, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian before you fast.

How NYUS fits with intermittent fasting

NYUS does not choose an eating window for you. The app has a manual fasting timer with 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, one-meal-a-day and custom targets, started and stopped by you and stored on your device. You can log your meals inside your window like any other day.

A note on health

This article is general educational content, not medical advice. If you have diabetes, PCOS, thyroid conditions, kidney disease, are pregnant, or take medication, consult a doctor or registered dietitian before trying intermittent fasting.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I drink chai during intermittent fasting?

Under the definition used on this page (no caloric food or drink), plain tea or coffee without milk or sugar does not break a fast, and chai with milk and sugar does. No trial cited here tested chai. Our reading: if you rely on morning chai with milk, have it inside your eating window.

Is intermittent fasting safe for Indians with a vegetarian diet?

We found no trial in the sources used here that reports results by diet type, so we cannot say. What the sources do say about protein: an umbrella review associated IF with reduced fat-free mass, and the ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 note that about 15% of energy from protein may be important during a 500 to 750 kcal deficit. Our reading: build a protein food into every meal, and ask a doctor or registered dietitian if you are unsure.

What should I eat to break a 16:8 fast as an Indian?

We found no trial on what to eat first. The ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 describe vegetables, fruits, green leafy vegetables, tubers and roots as forming essentially half the plate of recommended foods. Our reading: an ordinary balanced meal with a protein food, such as dal, curd, paneer, eggs or fish, works as a first meal; you do not need a special food.

Will intermittent fasting slow my metabolism?

In the TREAT trial, the 50-person in-person group (12 weeks) showed no significant change in resting or total energy expenditure on 16:8 compared with regular meals. A separate model study (Hall et al., 2011) simulates energy expenditure adapting as bodyweight changes with any change in energy intake. Our reading: a falling expenditure over months is expected with weight loss however you eat; judge by your weekly weight trend rather than a single fast.