Curious if either one is best. Or if anyone has some opinions on this. I’m currently doing 16:8 and find it’s very manageable on a day to day basis. Some days I only eat one big meal and then I’m not that hungry so it basically turns into an impromptu OMAD.
Also title is meant to be a joke so pls don’t start commenting stuff like “HOW CAN YOU THINK THERE’S ONLY ONE??” etc
I’m trying to move into 18:6 from 16:8, so I’m very happy you made this post! Right now I’m finding a lot of brain fog in those additional/final two hours, and not sure I can have my fast overlap with my work day. Happy to hear any tips!
I’ve been doing 18:6 since Jan 1, and my eating window is 2pm to 8pm. Coffee with a bit of whipping cream in the mornings. I have lost 5 pounds in a week (52F, 5’7”, SW 185lbs, CW 180lbs, GW 145lb)
At about 12pm I get pretty hungry, but then I have some pink rock salt fragments under my tongue and consume about half a gallon of water between coffee and 2pm. It strikes me as a very sustainable lifestyle so far.
Honestly it depends on how you eat during your window. Most people do lunch and dinner.
I think the best is to stop eating immediately after dinner instead of snacking for a hour or two after that. If that works with 16:8 great and there will be no significant difference between the two, if reducing to 18:6 cuts the after dinner snacks then that is better.
TLDR: if reducing window reduces food intake then it’s good, if it makes no difference in then it really doesn’t matter.
Assuming that you consume the same during your eating window then 18:6 will theoretically give greater benefit.
However, my own experience was that the longer fast gave me nasty gastrointestinal issues, and even when it didn’t I’d tend to overeat when breaking my fast.
Obviously this is all personal, but for me 16:8 is better for those reasons. YMMV
I think what’s “better” is subjective and based on what your goals are and what you find sustainable with your lifestyle. My fasting schedule varies because I try to fit it into my ever-changing schedule, so I do minimum 16h fasting but can - and often do - go up to 19h.
You can still achieve great success with 16:8 especially if you’re eating healthily during your eating window. Likewise, people praise the dramatic results that come with things like 20:4 and OMAD, which I find are really admirable but that I personally can’t do because trying to fast for more than 19h triggers my migraines.