Going 24–72 hours drinking only water and going completely without food — can that be good for you? This is what's known as water fasting, and while it might sound kind of bonkers, it's a real thing.

Alternate-day fasting works exactly as it sounds. Eat one day. Fast during the next one. Alternate throughout the week. Alternate-day fasting (ADF) is also known as the 4:3 diet because it goes on a 4:3 fast / eat rhythm week by week, like this: Just like other intermittent fasting methods, you can tailor ADF fasting to suit your needs — there's no universal how to do alternate-day fasting playbook.

Eat 500 calories two days; eat normally the rest of the week. You've heard this before. One of your friends tried it once. You saw some fitness influencers talking about it. But you're not entirely sure how it works or if it'd suit you or your goals. No worries. You're in the right place.

If you've considered improving your eating habits, you've likely wondered about intermittent fasting. It's a method that captures our attention because it's so simple: Some of the time, you eat. Some of the time, you fast (i.e., don't consume calorie-containing foods or drinks). There are different ways this can shake out on a day-to-day basis. Today, we'll walk you through intermittent fasting 16:8 — one of the most uncomplicated intermittent fasting methods.