The Secrets of Weight Loss: Intermittent Fasting vs. Calorie Counting — Which one is the best weight loss diet plan to help you lose weight healthily?

A recent study demonstrated that intermittent fasting, a form of time-restricted eating, is comparably effective to the conventional practice of counting calories for weight loss among adults suffering from obesity.

The research further revealed that individuals who adhered to an 8-hour eating window displayed enhanced insulin sensitivity compared to a control group that had no limitations on their eating times. This study was featured in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Obesity continues to be a critical health concern worldwide. The conventional approach to weight loss usually involves keeping a tally of caloric intake, which many find to be tedious and challenging to maintain.

On the other hand, intermittent fasting, which does not require tracking calories, has gained traction as a seemingly simplistic alternative. However, its efficacy in inducing weight loss over a more extended period has been questioned.

The study was conducted by scientists from the University of Illinois Chicago who examined 90 obese adults from the Greater Chicago area. The focus was on evaluating the efficacy of intermittent fasting versus caloric restriction in terms of weight management and reducing cardiometabolic risks.

The participants were divided randomly into three groups: one group adhered to an 8-hour eating window (from 12 pm to 8 pm) without caloric restriction; the second group reduced their daily caloric intake by 25%, and the third group made no changes to their eating habits or caloric intake, consuming food over 10 hours or more daily.

Both the intermittent fasting and calorie-restricted groups had periodic consultations with a dietitian. The study was not blinded.

The researchers observed that individuals in the time-restricted group consumed 425 fewer calories per day and lost approximately 10 pounds more than the control group over a year.

The calorie-restricted group consumed 405 fewer calories daily and lost about 12 pounds more in the same period.

Notably, participants displayed a high commitment to both interventions.

According to the authors of an accompanying editorial from the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Anschutz Health and Wellness Center and Division of General Internal Medicine, having access to dieticians probably encouraged participants in the restricted eating group to make better dietary choices.

They think that rather than merely selecting a diet that could be more beneficial, the findings of this research might assist guide therapeutic decision-making in part by taking individual tastes into account.

They note that further research is needed to figure out who would benefit from each of these strategies the most since the findings of this study demonstrate the significant individual heterogeneity in weight reduction with these interventions.

Source: 10.7326/P23-0003

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