Intermittent fasting in everyday life: maintaining the effects of therapeutic fasting

The essentials at a glance

• 16/8 intermittent fasting is a way to integrate the benefits of compact fasting into daily life, not a substitute for multi-day therapeutic fasting according to Buchinger.
• The daily break from eating triggers a metabolic switch from glucose to fatty acids and ketone bodies, as described by de Cabo and Mattson in the 2019 New England Journal of Medicine.
• Therapeutic fasting according to Buchinger is compact fasting over several days; intermittent fasting is the daily rhythm that follows – both work toward cleansing and renewal.
• At the Naturhotel Tannerhof, we offer our own dietary program, "Schlanke Tanne Intervall," which combines 16/8 with low carb: two meals a day, plenty of vegetables, and high-quality protein.
• Which follow-up diet is most suitable is discussed during the final medical consultation at the Tannerhof – individually, not according to a fixed template.

Why the effects of fasting can be lost in everyday life

A fasting week is a turning point. The body switches to fat burning, cellular recycling processes kick in, sleep often becomes lighter, and the mind feels calmer. And then everyday life returns: quick snacks on the go, late dinners, reaching for bread just because it’s there. Much of what was reset during the fasting week can shift back within a few weeks.

This is precisely where intermittent fasting comes in. Rather than an extended multi-day fast, it offers a gentle daily rhythm that provides the body with regular breaks from eating. Anyone looking to understand how to transition back into everyday life after a fasting week will find our dedicated dietary plan and methodology in the Tannerhof hub on Therapeutic Fasting and "Schlanke Tanne" Low Carb. It also explains how multi-day fasting and post-fast nutrition naturally belong together.

The idea behind it is simple: A fasting week opens up a door that doesn't have to be closed again after just one week. Intermittent fasting is the way to keep that door open over the weeks and months that follow.

What 16/8 intermittent fasting means

Intermittent fasting – also known as time-restricted eating – divides the day into two phases: an eating phase and a fasting phase. In the common 16/8 rhythm, there are about sixteen hours without solid food and an eating window of about eight hours. In practice, this often means: no breakfast, a first meal at noon, a second in the early evening, and only water, tea, or coffee without significant calories in between and afterward.

Unlike multi-day therapeutic fasting, this is not an exceptional state, but a rhythm that fits into a normal day. You work, move, live – and simply place your meals within a specific time window. That is the appeal: It requires no time off, no special environment, and no days of pausing. It only requires a rhythm that you maintain.

It is important to understand the distinction. Intermittent fasting is not a replacement for Buchinger. Therapeutic fasting according to Buchinger is compact fasting over several days—a conscious, time-limited abstinence from solid food and stimulants, supported by tea, water, mild soup, and freshly pressed juices. Intermittent fasting, on the other hand, is the recommended way to carry the benefits of this compact fasting into everyday life. The two do not compete; they complement each other.

What happens in the body: the metabolic switch

Intermittent fasting is supported by a thoroughly researched mechanism. In 2019, Rafael de Cabo and Mark Mattson described it in the New England Journal of Medicine as “metabolic switching”: when the break between meals is long enough, the liver’s readily available glucose stores become depleted, and metabolism shifts to drawing energy from fatty acids and the ketone bodies derived from them. This shift is the very same principle underpinning multi-day fasting—simply on a smaller scale, renewed day by day.

In their review, de Cabo and Mattson compile evidence showing that this regular metabolic switch is accompanied by improved cellular stress resistance and beneficial effects on metabolism, blood pressure, and inflammatory markers. A 2022 randomised trial published in Nature Communications studied the 16/8 approach over several weeks in non-obese, healthy adults and observed shifts in body composition along with good tolerability—a clear sign that this rhythm has a positive impact not just on clinical conditions, but in everyday life as well.

This aligns with what multi-day fasting triggers. In that state, the body also works on two levels simultaneously: it switches to fat burning and begins autophagy, the cellular recycling process for which Yoshinori Ohsumi received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2016. Intermittent fasting keeps this metabolic rhythm alive on a smaller scale. Whether it is suitable for an individual and in what form is something that is clarified by a doctor at Tannerhof – the house makes no blanket promises regarding causality.

A 16/8 daily rhythm to go

An intermittent fasting day doesn't require complicated planning. It follows a clear pattern: a long break overnight and through the morning, followed by two good meals. The following overview shows a typical 16/8 rhythm, as used in the "Schlanke Tanne Intervall" program at Tannerhof – as a guide, not a strict rule.

Two things drive this rhythm. First, the window itself: the long break overnight and throughout the morning reliably shifts the metabolism into fat-burning mode. Second, the quality of the meals. If the eating window is filled with bread, sweets, and starchy side dishes, some of the effect is lost. That is why the Tannerhof combines intermittent fasting with low carb.

The Schlanke Tanne Intervall: 16/8 and Low Carb at the Tannerhof

At the Naturhotel Tannerhof, there is a specific dietary approach for this transition back to everyday life: the Schlanke Tanne Intervall. The Schlanke Tanne is our signature low-carb diet—low in carbohydrates, rich in vital nutrients, and featuring high-quality protein, plenty of vegetables, fiber, and healthy fats. The Intervall variant combines this low-carb foundation with the 16/8 rhythm: two meals a day following a sixteen-hour fasting period.

In practical terms, this means: no breakfast in the morning, just tea or coffee with a small splash of milk, and plenty of water, lemon water, or ginger water throughout the morning. At lunch, the main meal follows the Schlanke Tanne Three approach—vegetable broth, salad, and a warm main course with protein and vegetables, without any starchy side dishes. In the evening, vegetable soup and a plate of vegetables or a salad with a rotating protein supplement. Bread, starchy sides, fruit, and pure fruit juices are excluded at this stage, as is alcohol.

The true benefit lies in their synergy. The 16/8 window provides the daily break from eating, while the low-carb approach keeps blood sugar steady and facilitates fat burning. "Schlanke Tanne" Intermittent can be followed continuously over several weeks and serves as an ideal bridge following a fasting week. Anyone wishing to explore this dietary approach and its packages in detail will find them on the page for "Schlanke Tanne" Low Carb & Intermittent. To get a sense of dining at our hotel—fresh, local, one set menu per day—take a look at Cuisine at Tannerhof.

From compact fasting to everyday life: a smooth transition

The most rewarding effect of a fasting week is not the number on the scale, but a new relationship with food. After breaking the fast and the refeeding period, which lasts about a third of the total fasting time, the body is receptive to a different rhythm. This is the perfect moment to reorganize your daily routine instead of falling back into old patterns.

At the Tannerhof, this transition is an integral part of the fasting experience. In the final medical consultation, our doctors evaluate the changes that have occurred and discuss which follow-up diet is best suited for your daily life. For many, this is the Schlanke Tanne—either the "Three" variant with three meals or the "Intervall" version with the 16/8 rhythm. Which form is more sustainable depends on the individual, their daily routine, their preferences, and their goals. There is no one-size-fits-all formula.

Anyone wishing to experience the entire arc firsthand—from the fasting week to everyday life beyond—will find all details and online booking under our Body Detox programme, featuring Buchinger therapeutic fasting at Tannerhof. Intermittent fasting then ceases to be another daunting undertaking; instead, it becomes the effortless continuation of what began during your fasting week.

What intermittent fasting can achieve—and what it cannot

Intermittent fasting maintains a metabolic rhythm similar to multi-day fasting. It is practical for everyday life, requires little effort, and can be sustained for months. The Medical Association for Therapeutic Fasting and Nutrition (ÄGHE) also recognizes intermittent fasting in a 16/8 rhythm as a viable way to extend the benefits of therapeutic fasting into daily life. The guidelines for fasting therapy are provided by the ÄGHE; further studies on fasting therapy can be viewed there.

At the same time, intermittent fasting is no substitute for the depth of a full fasting week. Multi-day therapeutic fasting according to Buchinger goes further: it provides a clear break, an abundance of time for oneself, medical supervision, and the deeper cleansing and recycling processes that only truly begin after several days. Intermittent fasting carries this experience into everyday life without attempting to replicate it entirely.

This creates a meaningful synergy:

• Buchinger therapeutic fasting is our multi-day, intensive fasting experience—a profound, medically supervised reset.
• 16/8 intermittent fasting is the daily rhythm that follows—integrating the benefits of fasting into your everyday routine.
• "Schlanke Tanne" Intermittent is our in-house way of bringing both worlds together: 16/8 paired with quality low-carb nutrition.

Embracing this journey turns a single week in the year from an isolated retreat into a true beginning. Perhaps that is simply the modern expression of the time-honoured Tannerhof philosophy: Focus on what truly matters.

Discover therapeutic fasting and intermittent fasting at the Tannerhof

Naturhotel Tannerhof has provided medical supervision for Buchinger therapeutic fasting for over 70 years, thoughtfully incorporating the transition back into everyday life right from the start. With "Schlanke Tanne" Intermittent, we offer our own bespoke dietary plan combining 16/8 and low carb—nestled in Bayrischzell between alpine meadows, mountain streams, and sweeping views of the Wendelstein: My mountain hideaway. To explore the details and book online, visit the Body Detox programme and our hub on Therapeutic Fasting and "Schlanke Tanne" Low Carb.