The Study
Time-Restricted Eating Without Calorie Counting for Weight Loss in a Racially Diverse Population
This study is like a fair race between three groups: one group ate only between noon and 8 p.m., another group counted calories, and the third group ate however they wanted. The race showed that the two diet groups lost more weight than the group that didn’t change anything — but the two diet groups lost about the same amount. So we can say eating within a time window helps lose weight, but we can’t say it’s better than counting calories.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
This study tested if eating only between noon and 8 p.m. helps people lose weight without counting calories, compared to eating less food or eating normally.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 568 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — losing 4–5 kg in a year without counting calories is meaningful and sustainable for many people.
- 2People who ate only between noon and 8 p.m.
- 3lost about 4.6 kg (10 lbs) in a year.
- 4People who cut calories by 25% lost about 5.4 kg (12 lbs).
- 5Both groups lost similar amounts.
- 6People who ate normally lost little to no weight.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Annals of Internal Medicine
Year
2023
Authors
Shuhao Lin, S. Cienfuegos, M. Ezpeleta, K. Gabel, V. Pavlou, Andrea Mulas, Kaitie Chakos, Mara McStay, Jackie Wu, L. Tussing-Humphreys, S. Alexandria, Julie R Sanchez, T. Unterman, K. Varady
Related Content
Claims (6)
If obese people only eat between noon and 8 p.m. every day—without counting calories—they tend to lose about 4.6 kg (over 10 pounds) in a year, just by changing when they eat, and not by eating less.
If you eat only during certain hours of the day or just count your calories, you’ll lose about the same amount of weight—roughly 4.5% of your body weight—after six months.
If obese people eat only during certain hours of the day without counting calories, their body may handle insulin better than if they do nothing—but it’s not any better than just eating fewer calories, and we need more research to be sure.
If you eat only between noon and 8 p.m. without counting calories, you’ll lose about the same amount of weight over a year as someone who cuts their daily calories by 25%—the difference is so small it could just be due to chance.
If obese people eat only during a certain window each day without counting calories, they naturally eat about 425 fewer calories a day over a year, which helps them lose weight—even though no one told them to eat less.
People who are obese and eat only during an 8-hour window each day—without counting calories—stick to this routine 87% of the time for a full year, which suggests it’s a practical way to manage weight long-term.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.