Research

Energy balance

Intermittent Fasting (IMF) produces weight loss equivalent to Daily Caloric Restriction (DCR) when both interventions are delivered with comprehensive behavioral support and equal energy deficits, though IMF may offer better long-term fat mass maintenance.

This paper does not provide results, only a plan. However, it suggests that for weight loss, the specific timing of eating (fasting vs. daily restriction) matters less than sticking to the plan. If you struggle with daily calorie counting, trying fasting might work, but you need strong behavioral support (coaching, tracking) to succeed, just as you would with daily restriction.

WeakQualifiesVERY_LOW confidence
None of these longer-duration studies reported significant differences between IMF and DCR in changes in weight... Informed by our prior IMF pilot study that suggested that IMF may be better for long-term weight loss maintenance vs. DCR... our a priori hypotheses are that IMF will generate greater weight loss... at 52 weeks.
Danielle M. Ostendorf et al. · Research Square · 2022

Why this rating

This is a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial; no results are reported yet.

Source

Comparison of weight loss induced by Daily Caloric Restriction versus Intermittent Fasting (DRIFT) in individuals with obesity: Study protocol for a 52-week randomized clinical trial

Danielle M. Ostendorf et al. · Research Square · 2022

DOI 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1663131/v1

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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