If you’ve heard a lot about intermittent fasting recently, you may be wondering what’s so popular about the latest weight-loss trend and how it’s different than other calorie-restricting diets.

To start, intermittent fasting isn’t so much a “diet” because there aren’t restrictions on what you can eat. Fasting is more a pattern of eating that uses rules to guide when you eat.

There are many forms of fasting, which include:

  • Time-focused, where you only eat during an “eating window” or a set period of time each day
  • 5:2, where you reduce your caloric intake two days per week
  • Alternate day, where you fast every other day
  • Periodic, where you fast for a day (or days) randomly throughout the month

Time-focused eating is one of the most popular methods. Take our quiz to see how much you know about time-focused eating—and how it may affect your health.

Then, schedule an appointment with a Teladoc dietitian who can help you create achievable health goals and figure out what eating pattern works best for you.

Schedule with a dietitian

/5
1832

How much do you know about time-focused eating?

Test your intermittent fasting knowledge with this short quiz.

1 / 5

Intermittent fasting may be a good dietary pattern for someone with obesity. However, it’s not right for everyone, including:

2 / 5

What are the possible side effects of fasting?

3 / 5

Can you drink water while fasting?

4 / 5

Daily intermittent fasting typically means eating all your calories in which set time frame?

5 / 5

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day if you’re trying to lose weight.

Your score is

The average score is 74%

0%

Unsure what diet is right for you?

Before you start a new eating pattern, speak to a Teladoc dietitian who can help you figure out what diet will work best for you. Our network of 150-plus expert registered dietitians will customize a nutrition plan and help you meet your personal health goals. Choose your dietitian, make an appointment seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m and start improving your health today.

Schedule with a dietitian

From nutrition to mental health, here are all the ways we can help you feel your best.

Updated August 31, 2021

This portion of the Teladoc Health website occasionally offers health, fitness and nutritional information and is provided for educational purposes only. You cannot rely on any information provided here as a substitute for or replacement of professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Teladoc Health cannot assure that the information contained on this site always includes the most recent findings or developments with respect to the particular subject matter covered.

If you ever have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical- or health-related advice from your healthcare professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.

If you are in the United States and think you are having a medical or health emergency, call your healthcare professional, or 911, immediately.