Does skipping meals help you lose fat better than eating less every day?
The Effects of Isocaloric Intermittent Fasting vs. Daily Caloric Restriction on Weight loss and Metabolic Risk Factors for Non-communicable Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled or Comparative Trials.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Intermittent fasting may reduce body fat more than daily calorie cutting — even when calories are the same.
Most assume weight loss depends only on total calories, but timing and pattern of eating might influence fat loss independently.
Practical Takeaways
Try the 5:2 diet or time-restricted eating if your goal is fat loss and better insulin sensitivity, while keeping total calories the same as you would with daily restriction.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Intermittent fasting may reduce body fat more than daily calorie cutting — even when calories are the same.
Most assume weight loss depends only on total calories, but timing and pattern of eating might influence fat loss independently.
Practical Takeaways
Try the 5:2 diet or time-restricted eating if your goal is fat loss and better insulin sensitivity, while keeping total calories the same as you would with daily restriction.
Publication
Journal
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Year
2022
Authors
Armin Ezzati, S. Rosenkranz, J. Phelan, Cindy Logan
Related Content
Claims (4)
If you eat the same number of calories and protein, fasting every now and then works just as well for losing weight as eating less every day.
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.
Eating only on certain days or within a short daily window might help people with extra weight lose more body fat than eating the same number of calories every day, but we only have a couple of studies to back this up.
If you're an adult with extra weight, cutting calories by either fasting some days or eating less every day leads to similar weight loss and health improvements — neither method works much better than the other if you eat the same total amount of food.