Choose your intermittent fasting plan
Intermittent fasting (IF) cycles between periods of eating and fasting. Fastive supports seven popular protocols — from beginner 12:12 to advanced OMAD and 5:2 — with a timer, phase timeline, and progress tracking for each.
| Plan | Schedule | Best for | Difficulty | In Fastive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:12 | 12h fast · 12h eat (daily) | Beginners & daily IF | Easy | Free |
| 14:10 | 14h fast · 10h eat (daily) | Beginners & daily IF | Easy | Free |
| 16:8 | 16h fast · 8h eat (daily) | Beginners & daily IF | Moderate | Free |
| 18:6 | 18h fast · 6h eat (daily) | Beginners & daily IF | Moderate | Free |
| 20:4 | 20h fast · 4h eat (daily) | Advanced fasters | Hard | Premium |
| OMAD | ~23h fast · ~1h eat (one meal daily) | Advanced fasters | Extreme | Premium |
| 5:2 | 5 normal eat days · 2 fast days/week | Advanced fasters | Hard | Premium |
16:8 — The most popular plan
16:8 means fasting for 16 hours and eating all daily calories within an 8-hour window — the protocol most people picture when they hear “intermittent fasting.” Fastive built its free tier around 16:8 because it balances meaningful fat-burning time with a lunch-to-dinner lifestyle millions can maintain..
Read full 16:8 guide →18:6 — Extended daily fast
18:6 extends the daily fast to 18 hours and compresses eating into six hours, pushing most people deeper into fat burning and sometimes ketosis than 16:8. It is the upper end of what many experienced daily fasters maintain long term before considering Premium-only protocols like 20:4 or OMAD.
Read full 18:6 guide →OMAD — One Meal A Day
OMAD (one meal a day) compresses virtually all daily calories into a single sitting, with a fasting period of roughly 23 hours between meals. Fastive Premium includes OMAD for users who already master 20:4 or 18:6 and want maximum daily fasting depth with clear phase tracking.
Read full OMAD guide →5:2 — Weekly fasting
The 5:2 plan lets you eat normally five days per week while fasting on two non-consecutive days, making it attractive if daily 16:8 or OMAD does not fit your schedule. Fastive Premium supports 5:2 by logging each long fast session independently so weekly progress stays visible on your profile.
Read full 5:2 guide →Which plan should I choose?
| Your situation | Suggested plan |
|---|---|
| New to fasting | 12:12 or 14:10 |
| Tried IF before | 16:8 |
| Want faster results, experienced | 18:6 or 20:4 |
| Prefer one big meal | OMAD |
| Can't fast every day | 5:2 |
Not medical advice. Start conservatively and adjust with professional guidance.