In a 12-month weight loss program for adults with overweight or obesity, a pattern of eating that involves severe calorie restriction on three nonconsecutive days per week led to slightly more weight loss and a higher rate of achieving at least 5% weight loss compared to daily moderate calorie restriction.

Among adults with overweight or obesity who received behavioral support, those following a 4:3 intermittent fasting schedule reduced their calorie intake more over 12 months than those following a daily calorie restriction plan, with average reductions of 9.75% versus 5.64%.

If you're trying to lose weight and are overweight or obese, cutting calories just two days a week doesn’t work much better than cutting them every day — the difference is pretty small.

People who try intermittent fasting tend to lose a little more weight than those who just cut calories continuously, according to several studies.

Intermittent fasting might help people lose a little more weight than cutting calories the usual way, but the difference is so small it could just be due to chance — overall, both methods work about the same for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.

In a weight management program, adults following a 4:3 intermittent fasting schedule were less likely to drop out after 12 months than those following a daily calorie-restricted diet.