Going without food on certain days works just as well as eating fewer calories every day to help your body respond better to insulin, especially if you're overweight or have early signs of diabetes.

After a few months of intermittent fasting, the body’s resistance to insulin drops by a measurable amount, making it easier for cells to absorb sugar from the blood.

Some people think that skipping meals on certain days (like the 4:3 or 5:2 plans) could help the body use insulin better than just eating fewer calories every day, but we only have a couple of small studies to back that up.

People with metabolic syndrome who follow intermittent fasting see their body’s insulin levels drop, meaning their body is better at using insulin to manage blood sugar.

Skipping meals on a regular schedule, without cutting calories, seems to shrink belly fat and improve blood‑sugar markers more than just eating fewer calories.

Both skipping meals now and then (intermittent fasting) and eating fewer calories can help overweight adults lose weight and body fat over several months, according to several studies.