The Intermittent Fasting Tracker is a MyFitnessPal Premium feature that times your fasting and eating windows. This article covers setup, fasting patterns, starting and stopping fasts, editing your history, and turning the tracker off. Intermittent fasting is available on iPhone and Android. It is not available on iPad or the website.
Using the Intermittent Fasting Tracker
What Intermittent Fasting is
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern focused on when you eat, not just what you eat. The most common approach is time-restricted eating. You fast for a set window each day, then eat during your remaining hours.
Fasting is one tool among many. It works best when the food you eat within your eating window still supports your goals.
Read what to know before you try intermittent fasting on the MyFitnessPal blog.
Available Fasting Patterns
Every 24-hour period includes a fasting window and an eating window. Choose the pattern that fits your routine.
Pattern |
Fasting Window |
Eating Window |
Best Suited For |
12:12 |
12 Hours |
12 Hours |
Matching meals to your natural sleep-wake cycle. |
14:10 |
14 Hours |
10 Hours |
Building regular meals with less snacking. |
16:8 |
16 Hours |
8 Hours |
Skipping either early morning or late evening eating. |
You can switch patterns at any time. Start with 12:12 if you are new to fasting, then adjust as it becomes routine.
Turning on the Intermittent Fasting Tracker
- Open the MyFitnessPal app.
- Tap More on your home screen. If you don’t have a More menu in your app, tap your Profile Icon in the upper right of the screen instead.
- Tap Intermittent Fasting.
- Follow the setup instructions to choose your fasting pattern and target start time.
- The tracker will then appear near the top of your Today screen.
Not seeing Intermittent Fasting in your More menu? Two things to check:
- Confirm you have an active Premium subscription. Learn how to upgrade to MyFitnessPal Premium.
- Update to the latest app version on the App Store or Google Play.
Start and stop a fast
Your target start and end times appear in the tracker as a reminder. Starting and stopping is manual, so you stay in control of the timing.
- Open the app and go to your Today page.
- Find the fasting tracker near the top of the screen.
- Tap the Start Fast button to begin timing.
- Tap Stop Fast when your fasting window is done.
What the bars on the tracker mean
Each bar represents one completed hour toward your daily fasting goal. The bars fill in as your fast progresses. A partially filled tracker still counts. Consistency across the week matters more than a perfect single day.
Change the start time of an active fast
- Open the app and go to your Today page.
- Tap the three dots on the right of the fasting tracker.
- Tap Edit Start Time.
- Continue with the steps below that are specific to your Phone (iOS or Android)
iOS
- Enter the corrected start time, then tap Update Start Time.
Android
- After tapping Edit Start Time, tap on the Current Time shown within the pop-up window to edit the time.
- When you’re done editing your start time, tap OK.
- Once your new time is shown, tap Start Fast to save your changes.
Log a fast manually
You can use this feature when you’ve fasted, but did not run the timer.
- Open the app and go to your Today page.
- Tap the three dots on the fasting tracker.
- Tap Log Fast Manually.
- Enter the date and time your fast started and ended.
- Tap Log Fast.
View your fasting history
- Open the app and go to your Today page.
- Tap the three dots on the fasting tracker.
- Tap Fasting History.
Fasting History shows a list of your logged fasts and a graph of your day-to-day progress.
Use the graph to spot which days you fast most consistently.
Edit a fast you already logged
- Open the app and go to your Today page.
- Tap the three dots on the fasting tracker.
- Tap Fasting History.
- Continue with the steps below that are specific to your Phone (iOS or Android)
iOS
- Tap on the entry you want to change.
- Tap the date or time fields and enter the correct values.
- Tap Save Changes.
Android
- Press and hold the entry you want to change.
- Tap Edit Fast.
- Tap the date or time fields and enter the correct values.
- Tap Save Fast.
Delete a logged fast
- Open the app and go to your Today page.
- Tap the three dots on the fasting tracker.
- Tap Fasting History.
- Continue with the steps below that are specific to your Phone (iOS or Android)
iOS
- Tap on the entry you want to remove
- Tap Discard Fast.
Android
- Press and hold the entry you want to remove.
- Tap Delete Fast.
Change your fasting pattern or target start time
- Open the app and go to your Today page.
- Tap the three dots on the fasting tracker.
- Tap Fasting Settings.
- Make the needed edits to your Fasting Pattern or Target Start Time.
- Tap Continue to save your changes.
Your target end time adjusts automatically based on the pattern you choose.
Turn off the Intermittent Fasting Tracker
Turning the tracker off removes it from your diary screen. Your logged fasts are preserved.
- Open the app and go to your Today page.
- Tap the three dots on the fasting tracker.
- Tap Fasting Settings.
- Tap the on/off toggle to turn the tracker off.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Premium subscription to use intermittent fasting?
Yes. Intermittent fasting is a MyFitnessPal Premium feature. Compare Free, Premium, and Premium+ plans to see what each includes.
Can I track fasts on an iPad or the MyFitnessPal website?
No. Fasting is supported on iPhone and Android only. Fasts logged on your phone will not appear on iPad or the website.
Does fasting change my calorie or macronutrient goals?
No. The tracker times your fasting window only. It does not adjust your daily calorie goal or your macronutrient targets. Learn how to set your calorie and macronutrient goals.
What happens if I forget to end a fast?
The timer keeps running until you end it. Tap End Fast when you notice. Then use Edit Fast in Fasting History to correct the end time.
Can I switch fasting patterns partway through the week?
Yes. Change your pattern any time in Fasting Settings. Fasts you already logged keep the pattern that was active when you logged them.
Get more help with intermittent fasting
Still have a question about fasting? Submit a request to the MyFitnessPal support team or email support@myfitnesspal.com.