Counting Calories or Intermittent Fasting for Losing Weight

A fashionable way of eating—better known as intermittent fasting—where people restrict their calorie intake to shorter lengths of time during the day. This practice is often sold as a way to improve certain health measures like blood glucose metabolism. But does counting calories or intermittent fasting or do a better job at helping people drop pounds? A study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine reveals that both time-restricted eating and traditional calorie counting can produce similar weight loss results. A total of 90 racially diverse obese participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: eating only from noon to 8 p.m. without specific instruction to trim their calorie intake, reduced calorie intake by a quarter but no restriction on when they could eat these calories, or maintenance of their usual eating patterns (which was the control group).

Participants who practiced time-restricted eating consumed 425 fewer calories per day than the control group and lost about 10 more pounds after a year. The calorie-restricted group ate 405 fewer calories per day and lost about 12 more pounds. The results suggest that the amount of “calories in” appears to matter more than “when” those calories are coming in, at least for weight loss. Both groups demonstrated high adherence to their respective interventions which was partially attributed to having access to dietitians. The study didn’t find any meaningful difference in cardiovascular and metabolic health between the two weight loss groups.

So knowing that both mindful calorie restriction and time-restricted eating can help modify caloric intake in a way that encourages weight loss, means individual preference can be a deciding factor on what eating pattern to use. Further research on counting calories and intermittent fasting is needed to identify who might benefit most from each method.

See also: When Intermittent Fasting Goes Wrong