Energy balance
Intermittent energy restriction (IER) involving 2-3 fasting days per week produces greater short-term absolute weight loss and percentage of weight loss compared to continuous energy restriction (CER) when total energy deficit is matched.
If you struggle with daily calorie counting, try restricting calories to 400-600 kcal on 2-3 days a week (fasting days) and eating normally on the other days. This method may help you lose more weight in the short term (under 6 months) than eating slightly less every day, provided your total weekly calories are similar to the daily restriction approach.
Meta-analysis showed that IER had greater effects on absolute weight loss, the percentage of weight loss, and improving insulin sensitivity than CER. Subgroup analyses showed that short-term (2-3 months) intervention (P < 0.0001) was associated with weight loss.
Why this rating
Based on 11 RCTs (n=850), but rated 'low quality' due to high risk of performance bias and heterogeneity.
Source
Intermittent Versus Continuous Energy Restriction for Weight Loss and Metabolic Improvement: A Meta‐Analysis and Systematic Review
Shasha He et al. · Obesity · 2020
DOI 10.1002/oby.23023
More from this paper
- Intermittent energy restriction (IER) improves insulin sensitivity (reduces fasting insulin and HOMA-IR) in non-diabetic populations compared to continuous energy restriction (CER).Moderate
- Intermittent energy restriction (IER) does not significantly differ from continuous energy restriction (CER) in preserving fat-free mass (FFM) or fat mass (FM) when expressed as a percentage of total weight lost.Moderate
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