14:10 Intermittent Fasting: The Beginner-to-Intermediate Protocol

The 14:10 protocol requires fasting for 14 hours and eating within a 10-hour window daily. It sits between the minimal 12:12 and the popular 16:8 in terms of intensity. Most people manage 14:10 by skipping their last snack of the night and eating breakfast 30 to 60 minutes later than usual. It produces a meaningful reduction in overall calorie intake without the hunger challenges of longer fasts.

Choose a 10-hour eating window that works for your schedule. A common setup is 9am to 7pm. Eat normally within that window, then stop eating. The 14-hour fast from 7pm to 9am requires only a slightly later breakfast and no eating after dinner. After one to two weeks, most people find they rarely feel hungry outside the eating window.

• ✓Meaningfully reduces calorie intake through time restriction alone
• ✓Easier to adhere to than 16:8 for people with early morning schedules
• ✓Reduces post-dinner snacking, which accounts for a large share of excess calories in most diets
• ✓Low hunger challenge after the first one to two weeks of adaptation
• ✓Compatible with family dinner schedules and social eating

• ✗Less effective than 16:8 for significant fat loss without additional calorie control
• ✗Requires some adjustment to morning routine to delay breakfast
• ✗Not aggressive enough for people with substantial weight to lose who want faster results