Energy balance
Intermittent fasting (IF) produces significantly greater weight loss than continuous calorie restriction (CCR) in overweight and obese adults, although both interventions result in similar improvements in BMI.
If your goal is maximum weight loss, intermittent fasting (like alternate-day fasting or restricted eating windows) may yield better results on the scale than simply eating less every day. However, if you are tracking BMI as your primary health metric, both methods work equally well. Choose the pattern you can sustain, as adherence is the biggest hurdle with fasting.
The significance of body weight change (SMD = −0.21, 95% CI (−0.40, −0.02) p = 0.028) was more significant after IF than CCR. There was no significant difference in BMI (SMD = 0.02, 95% CI (−0.16, 0.20) p = 0.848) between IF and CCR.
Why this rating
Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials with 705 patients, showing statistically significant results for weight but not BMI.
Source
Intermittent Fasting versus Continuous Calorie Restriction: Which Is Better for Weight Loss?
Qing Zhang et al. · Nutrients · 2022
DOI 10.3390/nu14091781
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