Can I break up the fasting period into 2 windows?

Due to my social life and work, I am thinking of breaking up the fasting period into 2 windows. Eat from 8am-11am and 8pm to 11pm. That's just cumulatively 6 hours of eating window, shorter than the typical 16:8 breakdown. But does that work? Or do I need to have a longer fasting period? I read somewhere that the body only starts to burn fat after at least 12 hours of fasting. Is that true?

Answer

You’re not really gaining the benefits of fasting in that way. You would decrease your total calorie intake, which has some benefit, but the real magic of IF is helping keep insulin levels low for long periods so the body can tap fat stores for energy. The two time windows you suggest really wouldn’t help you optimize this. I highly recommend reading “Fast, Feast, Repeat” to better understand the science.

Answer

It’s true the typical person enters ketosis at the 12 hour window. That’s because it takes that long to digest your last meal. Those #s may change depending on the size of your meal. I’d suggest an experiment and see if it works. Diet will be key. Maybe something like a low-carb diet in addition to your fasting windows.