Energy balance
A 6-week Mediterranean diet combined with 5 days of semi-fasting (600-700 kcal) produces weight loss and body composition improvements equivalent to a standard hypocaloric Mediterranean diet without fasting.
You can lose weight effectively by simply reducing your daily calories by 500 kcal while following a Mediterranean diet pattern. Adding a 5-day semi-fast period (consuming 600-700 kcal of liquid/pureed meals) does not provide a significant advantage in weight loss over the standard diet alone. If you choose to try the semi-fast, be aware that it requires significant preparation and may not be sustainable for everyone long-term.
The low calorie Mediterranean diet and the low calorie Mediterranean diet + semi-fast diet used in this study appear to be equally as effective in decreasing body weight, fat mass, visceral fat mass and waist circumference.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial, but small sample size (n=42), short duration (6 weeks), and lack of long-term follow-up limit generalizability.
Source
The Mediterranean diet pattern with intermittent semi-fasting may facilitate weight loss: randomised controlled trial
Ana Molina Jiménez et al. · Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism · 2019
DOI 10.3233/mnm-180257
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