When you’re looking to lose weight, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed while sorting through the different programs, techniques, and conflicting information. Fasting, or more specifically, intermittent fasting (IF), has risen in popularity as a way to drop excess weight and manage overeating. IF requires abstaining from food for hours or days, a practice where users see their best results by combining the practice with balanced nutrition, exercise, and proper hydration. While IF isn’t right for everyone, research shows the practice can improve medical conditions associated with obesity—including insulin resistance, hypertension, cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
Our Handbook team decided to learn more about IF and the apps supporting this weight loss strategy by testing DoFasting, a subscription-based weight loss app designed to track fasts, meals, exercise, and hydration. For two weeks, our tester used the app to log fasts, meals, hydration and exercise, make suggested recipes, and interact with the DoFasting community and customer service representatives. Like other weight loss programs, DoFasting may not be the best method for everyone, so we’re providing you with our firsthand experience with the app, giving you the information necessary to decide if DoFasting is a good fit for you.
Why HelpGuide cares about healthy living
Healthy living, including a balanced diet and regular physical activity, is directly related to your mental and overall health. Eating a well-balanced diet can help reduce symptoms of depression and your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease or type 2 diabetes while strengthening your bones and muscles. Physical activity can improve feelings of anxiety and depression, help you sleep better, and enhance your thinking, learning, and judgment skills.
We understand weight loss can be a difficult subject. It’s often fraught with negative emotions that can directly impact your healthy living journey. Research shows that feelings of shame, self-criticism, and social comparison can make it difficult for us to manage our weight and regulate our eating habits. Some weight loss programs can even exacerbate these feelings. Our Handbook Team is here to offer our guidance and to help you find weight loss platforms that are supportive, positive, and fun to use.
The relationship between weight loss and mental health is often overlooked. For some, weight loss can bring positive experiences of confidence and accomplishment. For others, weight loss can lead to feelings of anxiety, despair, and hopelessness. It is important to consider how your mental health can be affected as you embark on a weight loss journey.
Karin Evans, registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Karin Evans, Nutrition Consulting
A healthy lifestyle offers considerable mental health benefits. But we know that with so many weight loss programs available, it can be hard to know which ones offer real, lasting results. We’ve made it our mission to share the best information about the tools available. We’re invested in helping you find a routine that’s safe, encouraging, and supportive.
Through hands-on testing, interviews, surveys, and insights from healthy living experts, we’ve formulated a strongly informed perspective to share with you.
If you’re affected by an eating disorder or experience patterns of disordered eating, we suggest talking to a dietitian, therapist, or counselor specializing in eating disorders.
HelpGuide Handbook for DoFasting
If you only learn five things about DoFasting, these are the most important:
User-friendly app available on Apple and Android
Responsive customer service available via email.
Prompts users to start and stop fasts to stay on track.
Syncs with FitBit and Google Fit to track steps.
Some features could lead to disordered eating.
Our testing experience
Our Handbook Team spent two weeks subscribed to the DoFasting app. The app is free to download on an Android or Apple smartphone or tablet, but you must pay a subscription fee to access its features. Our tester became familiar with the DoFasting app and social media community during their trial. The app is user-friendly, and they signed up with ease.
While subscribed to DoFasting, our tester logged fasts, meals, hydration, and exercise. They tried the recommended recipes and interacted with the DoFasting online community and customer service representatives. The app is a little glitchy, so our tester uninstalled and reinstalled it to see if it would work better. But it continued to freeze up occasionally.
We chose the 12-hour fast, which DoFasting recommends as the best for beginners. As someone new to intermittent fasting, our tester found the fasting schedule easy to follow with a 12-hour eating window. During the fast, the tester drank water and herbal tea, which are approved for the fasting plan.
Our tester selected 10 p.m. to start the fast so that much of the fasting would occur overnight. The app doesn’t automatically end the fast, so our tester had to open the app to stop the fast in the morning.
Once our tester finished the fast, the app asked how they felt. They reported feeling a little hungry, so they fixed breakfast right away and tracked the meal’s macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) in the app. The macro-tracking process was tedious, and inputting the data took longer than expected. It measures food in grams, which annoyed our tester, who was used to using ounces. Additionally, the app doesn’t have a bar-code scanner for pre-made meals, which would greatly improve the user tracking experience.
From our tester
“I tried the 12-hour- and 16-hour fast. The 12-hour fast was very doable for me, but the 16-hour fast was not. I’m an intuitive eater, and trying to ignore my hunger cues made me feel irritable.”
IF is about more than just restricting calories: It’s also important to incorporate all aspects of healthy living, including physical activity. DoFasting provides dozens of exercises at varying difficulty levels, lasting fewer than 20 minutes. Many were bodyweight exercises requiring no equipment.
The app, which integrates with Google Fit and Fibit, also tracked our tester’s steps when walking or playing fetch with their dog.
Learn more about our healthy living testing methodology.
Pros and cons of DoFasting
Every weight loss program has benefits and drawbacks. While IF isn’t going to be the best fit for everyone, those who benefit from it as a weight loss strategy may find the following pros and cons of using DoFasting.
What we like
The exercises
Daily exercise is a crucial part of physical and mental fitness. The DoFasting app offers a variety of quick workout routines. The exercises were easy to access on the app, took fewer than 20 minutes, and gave our tester a good workout.
The meal recommendations
IF alone won’t offer most users their desired results. A healthy diet is an important part of overall wellness. The app provides many recipes with colorful pictures of fresh foods and step-by-step instructions to make each dish. Each recipe includes the ingredients and nutritional value of macros—fats, carbs, and proteins.
Ease of use
The app itself is pretty easy to use and navigate. Our tester quickly signed up and selected their preferred fasting method, but there are many fasting options to suit different preferences and lifestyles. Our tester found the functionality and user experience simple and straightforward. It also integrates with FitBit and GoogleFit.
What we don’t like
Lack of a clear pricing structure
DoFasting does not have a free trial and does not post prices on its website. Potential subscribers must take an online assessment to see the current price. Upon completing the assessment, our tester was offered a one-week trial and a three-month subscription.
The ads and add-ons
During sign-up, DoFasting asks if you want to purchase DoFasting supplements for appetite suppression, a smart scale, a meal-prepping guidebook, additional workout programs, and lifetime access to the app. Our tester didn’t like feeling bombarded with all the extras.
Risky for people with eating disorders
We went through the sign-up process a second time to see how DoFasting handled potential warning signs of disordered eating. Our tester created a persona of a woman who is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 120 pounds, already considered underweight, according to the National Institute of Health. They indicated wanting to lose 10 more pounds, and the app did not issue advice to check with a doctor before starting a fasting plan.
Key features of DoFasting
Standard features
See below for a breakdown of the standard features of the DoFasting app.
Fasting timer to keep you on track.
Water tracker to ensure you’re hydrating properly.
Workout routines with no equipment needed.
Dozens of recipes with easy-to-follow directions.
Weekly health report for a snapshot of your performance.
The buying process
DoFasting took our tester through a questionnaire to determine which fasting program would be best. They answered questions about current weight, goal weight, sleep, water intake, exercise, and feelings of stress.
DoFasting is currently offering a one-week trial for $1. On the payment screen, DoFasting states, “You will only be charged $1 for a 7-day trial,” which is what the receipt reflected. However, our tester was also charged $59 for a three-month plan and did not receive a receipt for that payment. We were confused by this and contacted customer service at [email protected]. The current rate for a three-month trial is $79, and the customer service representative said the $59 rate was a discount. Our tester asked for a full refund, which the customer service representative honored after some back-and-forth communication.
From a DoFasting user
“Appalling app with questionable business practices. They charge $1 for the 7-day trial, but then if you hit the wrong button (right next to the ‘No Thank You’ button), it charges you $60 right away, without confirmation on payment or any kind of reference.”—Monica P.
DoFasting Products
Before you enter your payment information as part of the onboarding process, DoFasting offers to sell additional products.
DoFasting appetite suppressant
DoFasting sells a product to help you with your hunger pangs. Ingredients include fibers such as glucomannan and cellulose. The supplement is advertised to keep the colon healthy, promote weight loss, and curb cravings during fasting.
- Six-month supply: $38 per month
- Three-month supply: $42 per month
- One-month supply: $63
From a DoFasting user
“Alongside the fasting regimen, I experimented with the fiber-based appetite supplements recommended by the app. These supplements were designed to help manage hunger pangs, which can be challenging when you’re new to fasting. I found that they did help in curbing my appetite, especially in the initial weeks when my body was still adapting to the new eating schedule.”—Andrew White
DoFasting Smart scale
The DoFasting Smart scale is currently priced at $99.
The scale can be paired with the DoFasting app. It measures the following 12 body metrics:
- Current weight
- Ideal weight
- Body mass index
- Basal metabolic rate
- Body fat
- Visceral fat
- Muscle mass
- Bone mass
- Water
- Protein
- Body type
- Metabolic age
How much does DoFasting cost?
The prices vary depending on how you access the app. Our tester took the questionnaire mentioned above before getting any pricing information. After completing the sign-up quiz, we received a special $1 trial for seven days, after which we would be charged $79 for a three-month subscription. The in-app three-month purchase on the Apple store is $32.99.
On the website, DoFasting lists all the plans and their cost at discounted rates:
| Plan Length | Monthly Cost | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1-month | $37 | $37 |
| 3-month | $16 | $48 |
| 6-month | $11.50 | $69 |
How does DoFasting work?
DoFasting offers different types of plans. Our tester chose the 12-hour fast to start and later tried the 16-hour fast. The other fasting plans are 14 hours, 16 hours, 18 hours, 24 hours, and 72 hours. They began their fast around 10 p.m., so almost all fasting would occur overnight while sleeping. Once the timer started, our tester had no solid foods during the fasting window and only drank herbal tea and water.
During a fast, your body undergoes a metabolic switch from using glucose to ketones, a chemical your liver uses to break down fats, providing energy for muscle and brain function. The switch to ketones is the mechanism IF relies on to change your body composition and overall fat mass while retaining lean muscle. You have to weigh the rewards against the risks of IF. Potential risks include nausea and vomiting, irregular menstrual periods, liver irregularities, and decreased bone density.
The app sent an alert to check in with our tester and to acknowledge the challenges of fasting. It listed a few symptoms to look out for, including cold sweats, trouble sleeping, lightheadedness, and bad breath, but said these symptoms reduce or go away in two weeks.
In the morning, when we marked that the fast was complete, the app sent a few questions to our tester.
How hungry are you?
- Not at all
- A little hungry
- Very hungry
- Super hungry
How are you feeling?
- Great
- Powerful
- Focused
- Tired
- Lightheaded
- Anxious
The app recommends that users eat 1,200 calories a day, broken into three meals and one snack. They also recommend you drink 78 ounces of water throughout the day.
Joe Johnson, a personal trainer in the United Kingdom, tried the 16:8 method, where he fasted for 16 hours, leaving him with an eight-hour eating window. His first two weeks went well, and he thought he’d “hacked” his body, but then issues crept in.
“I was training pretty hard, usually late in the evening, which meant I was starving when I woke the next morning. I’d usually have a large amount of water and a couple of coffees to stave off my appetite, but most days, by the time it got to noon, I was on the verge of passing out,” he explains.
Others had success with the 16:8 method.
From a DoFasting user
“During the fasting period, I drank plenty of water and herbal tea, which helped me to stay hydrated and avoid hunger pangs. I also took the fiber-based appetite supplements as instructed by the app. I was skeptical at first, but I noticed a significant decrease in my cravings and a more stable energy level throughout the day.”—Charles Carlsen
Choosing healthy meals
DoFasting provides meal suggestions along with the meal’s macronutrients—fats, carbs, and proteins—and a calorie amount to add to the daily calories. DoFasting does not provide food, so our tester needed to shop, prep, and cook meals. Our tester found many of the meals tasty and easy to make.
Guides and community support
Upon sign-up, DoFasting emails subscribers a feature and wellness guide called “Making the Most of DoFasting,” explaining different types of fasting in informational articles, recommendations for appetite suppressants, and success stories of people who have lost weight using the app.
From a DoFasting user
“The educational content provided by the app was a valuable resource in understanding the science behind IF and how to implement it effectively in daily life.”—Jasmine Peterson
Facebook has a DoFasting community group with 205,000 followers. The group links to articles from the DoFasting website and offers practical tips from supportive members who serve as cheerleaders for other members. DoFasting also promoted its products on the community page.
DoFasting lacks access to registered dietitians, nutritionists, mental health and eating disorder professionals. These experts could help people on their weight loss journey, which is often connected to emotional health.
“People on restrictive diets can become more prone to eating disorders. Establishing a balance between starving and healthy eating is very important,” says Pierce Biglefthand, a licensed addiction counselor at ChoicePoint in Fairview, New Jersey.
If you are experiencing signs of an eating disorder
Living with an eating disorder can be extremely difficult to navigate. Commonplace situations like grabbing a snack at work can be unexpectedly triggering and could cause you to spiral back into unhealthy eating patterns.
Eating disorders can develop in a person of any age, gender, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, and they are among the most common—and most deadly—mental health illnesses. At least nine percent of the world’s population will be affected by an eating disorder at some point. While creating healthy eating habits can feel like an overwhelming journey mentally and physically, there is hope. With management, support, and coping strategies, recovery is possible, and you can regain control over your life.
A solid support system of friends, family, and medical professionals is essential to your recovery. The Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) has resources available for you to find help:
- Call the Eating Disorders Helpline at 888-375-7767, available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (not available on most major U.S. holidays).
- Join a virtual peer support group—there are general support groups as well as focused groups for LGBTQ+, BIPOC, caregivers, older adults, teens and young adults, siblings, people in larger bodies, and people with a binge eating disorder.
- Request a mentor for free through the Recovery Mentorship Program.
- Browse the treatment directory to find a provider specializing in eating disorders.
Our final verdict
We like the intuitive nature of this intermittent fasting tracker and the helpful information DoFasting provides in its “Feature and Wellness Guide” and the articles on the app. We also enjoyed the workout routines and recipe inspiration.
DoFasting provides a structured approach to fasting, offering users guidance and meal plans, which can be helpful for individuals new to fasting or those who struggle without a specific plan.
Chrissy Arsenault, registered dietitian and content creator at Pink Pamplemousse
We successfully tried the 12-hour fast but couldn’t get on board with other fasting plans. As with any diet and weight loss plan, it can be challenging to start and stick to it. It felt unnatural to ignore hunger cues, and we didn’t feel comfortable taking the appetite suppressants sold by DoFasting, although they seem to work for some people.
Fasting plans can be very effective when used correctly and safely, but they are not for everyone, especially those who are pregnant, have or have had an eating disorder, or have certain health conditions.
We recommend talking to your doctor and mental health professional, if you regularly see one, before embarking on a fasting plan. Remember, healthy living isn’t reflected in a number on a scale but in how you feel overall.
Frequently asked questions
Fasting under the guidance of a doctor or dietitian can be a healthy way to lose weight and decrease obesity-related symptoms, such as high blood pressure. It may not be sustainable in the long term.
DoFasting is currently offering its app for $79 for a three-month subscription. It’s one of the more expensive IF apps on the market, but the company also offers discounts.
Subscribers can email [email protected] to cancel DoFasting. To avoid being charged, cancellations must be made at least 48 hours before the end of the current subscription charges.
- Vasim, I., Majeed, C.N., & DeBoer, M.D. (2022). Intermittent Fasting and Metabolic Health. Nutrients, 14(3):631. Link
- National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Calculate Your Body Mass Index. Link
- Anton, S. D., Moehl, K., Donahoo, W. T., Marosi, K., Lee, S., Leeuwenburgh, C., & Mattson, M. P. (2018). Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Understanding and Applying Health Benefits of Fasting. Obesity, 26(2), 254. Link