Want to know exactly how long you have been fasting, and when you can eat again? Use the free timer below. Pick the fast you follow, 12:12, 14:10, 16:8, 18:6, 20:4 or your own custom length, tap start, and the timer does the rest. It keeps running even if you close this page and come back later.
Intermittent Fasting Timer
Pick your fast, tap start, and this timer tracks it for you, even if you close the page and come back.
Water, black coffee and plain tea do not break a fast for most people. Break your fast early if you feel unwell. This timer is a tracking aid, not medical advice.
How to Use This Fasting Timer
Tap the schedule that matches your fast. If you follow a different pattern, type your own number of hours in the custom box. Press Start fast when you finish your last meal. The ring fills up as you fast, and the timer shows how long you have fasted, how much time is left, and the clock time when your fast ends. If you need to, you can pause and resume, the timer remembers where you were, even between visits.
Popular Fasting Schedules, Explained Simply
| Schedule | Fasting | Eating window | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:12 | 12 hours | 12 hours | Complete beginners |
| 14:10 | 14 hours | 10 hours | An easy step up |
| 16:8 | 16 hours | 8 hours | The most popular daily fast |
| 18:6 | 18 hours | 6 hours | Experienced fasters |
| 20:4 | 20 hours | 4 hours | Advanced, build up slowly |
| 24 hours | 24 hours | – | Once or twice a week for some people |
Most beginners do well starting with 12:12 or 14:10 for a week or two, then moving to 16:8 if it feels comfortable. There is no prize for the longest fast, the best schedule is the one you can actually stick to.
What Breaks a Fast?
Water, black coffee and plain unsweetened tea are fine for most people during a fast. Anything with calories, food, milk, sugar, juice, ends it. Two questions we hear all the time: our guide on whether chewing gum breaks a fast and our look at whether diet soda breaks a fast explain both in detail. And if you are wondering whether eating late matters in the first place, see does eating late at night cause weight gain?
Who Should Not Fast
Fasting is not for everyone. Do not fast if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, underweight, or you have a history of eating disorders. If you take medication, especially for diabetes or blood pressure, talk to your doctor first, because doses can need adjusting when you fast. And for anyone: if you feel dizzy, faint or unwell during a fast, break it and eat. That is not failure, it is listening to your body.
Fasting Timer FAQs
Does this fasting timer keep running if I close the page?
Yes. The timer saves your start time in your browser, so when you come back to this page it picks up exactly where your fast has reached. It works on the same phone or computer you started it on.
What fasting schedule is best for weight loss?
The one you can keep doing. 16:8 is the most popular because it fits normal life, skip breakfast, eat lunch and dinner inside eight hours. But a steady 14:10 you follow every day beats an 18:6 you quit after three days.
Can I drink coffee while fasting?
Black coffee, yes, it has almost no calories. Coffee with milk, cream or sugar is a different story: those calories break the fast. Herbal and plain teas without sweetener are fine too.
What should I eat when my fast ends?
Start gently, especially after longer fasts: something with protein and healthy fats, like eggs, yoghurt or a normal balanced meal, rather than a huge plate of fast carbs. You do not need a special “break-fast” meal for a 16-hour fast, just do not make the first meal enormous.