Energy balance
Intermittent Energy Restriction (IER) produces short-term weight loss comparable to Continuous Energy Restriction (CER), but offers no significant long-term advantages in anthropometric, cardiometabolic, inflammatory, or appetite outcomes.
If you are considering Intermittent Fasting for weight loss, expect it to work similarly to standard daily calorie restriction in the short term. Do not expect it to provide better long-term health or weight maintenance results than simply counting calories every day. The choice between IER and continuous restriction should be based on which pattern you can stick to consistently, as neither offers a long-term advantage over the other.
Compared to continuous energy restriction (CER), IER showed no significant long-term differences in anthropometric, cardiometabolic, inflammatory, or appetite outcomes in included studies.
Why this rating
Based on a systematic review of 27 RCTs, though heterogeneity in IER protocols exists.
Source
Intermittent Energy Restriction for Weight Loss: A Systematic Review of Cardiometabolic, Inflammatory and Appetite Outcomes
Xueting Wei et al. · Biological Research For Nursing · 2022
DOI 10.1177/10998004221078079
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