Eating fewer calories on some days (intermittent restriction) seems to make the body use insulin better—by a noticeable amount—than other dieting styles for people who are overweight and have type 2 diabetes.

If you have early type 2 diabetes and obesity, cutting calories intermittently—like fasting some days—might lower your blood sugar more than other diet plans, by about 2.3 points on average in 4 months.

If you have obesity and type 2 diabetes, cutting calories in cycles (like fasting some days) might lower your blood fat levels more than other diet plans over four months.

People with obesity and type 2 diabetes stick to intermittent fasting better than time-based eating windows — 85% stayed with it versus 78% — over four months, even though both plans cut the same amount of calories.

If you have obesity and type 2 diabetes, cutting calories in different ways—like fasting sometimes, eating only during certain hours, or eating less every day—can lower your blood sugar about the same amount over four months.