Intermittent Fasting or Calorie Counting: Which is Better for Weight Loss?

For years, intermittent fasting has been a popular strategy to lose weight, with believers professing that eating during a specific window of time helped them achieve their goals and keep excess weight off. However, new evidence suggests that fasting diets may not be any better than counting calories for weight loss (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Time-Restricted Eating Without Calorie Counting for Weight Loss in a Racially Diverse Population

Go to source). The modest study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, monitored 77 obese patients for six months and randomly assigned them to one of three groups. The first group followed an intermittent fasting diet, eating only between noon and 8 p.m., the second ate whatever they liked but lowered their total calorie count by 25%, and the third did not adjust their eating habits.

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Which Diet is Best for Fat Loss?

After six months, the researchers changed things up slightly: the intermittent fasting group ate throughout a 10-hour window, while the calorie-counting group ate enough food to feel content. People in both diet groups lost weight in the first six months and kept it off after that, resulting in a 5% reduction in body weight after a year.

After a year, the intermittent fasting group consumed 425 fewer calories per day than the control group and lost nearly 10 pounds more. The calorie-counting group consumed 405 fewer calories per day than the control group and lost 12 pounds more.

“Time-restricted eating is more effective in producing weight loss when compared with control but not more effective than calorie restriction,” the researchers concluded.

“Despite the popularity of a time-restricted eating diet, there are only a few long-term studies on the effect of time-restricted eating for weight loss,” says lead study author Shuhao Lin, M.S., R.D., a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “Many previous studies combined time-restricted eating with calorie counting and compared that to calorie counting alone. However, the strength of time-restricted eating is that it is simple and people do not have to count calories. Therefore, we are interested in how time-restricted eating alone would compare to calorie counting in the long term.” Investigating the ability to maintain weight loss was also important, Lin says.

It should be noted that both methods are limited and may not be suitable for everyone. Before beginning a new regimen, consult with your healthcare physician to ensure that it is appropriate for you.

But why would intermittent fasting and calorie tracking have the same effect, and how can you tell which is best for you if you want to lose weight? Nutritionists elaborate.

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Why do Intermittent Fasting and Calorie Counting Result in Weight Loss?

It's worth noting that this isn't the first study to discover that intermittent fasting and calorie counting provide comparable weight loss effects. A study of 139 obese persons published last year in The New England Journal of Medicine had one group limit their daily calories, while another group had to limit their calories and consume between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The researchers discovered that persons in both groups lost 14 to 18 pounds, with the time-restricted group losing no more weight than the calorie-counting group.

“One thing I’ve seen with clients who practice intermittent fasting is that it can make someone more mindful of what they are consuming within their eating window, similar to calorie counting,” says Jessica Cording, R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. “When someone is doing it in a way that’s constructive and supportive, it can make them more intentional in choosing nutrient-dense foods within their goals.”

Calorie counting also encourages people to think about food a lot, points out Albert Matheny, R.D., C.S.C.S., co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab and advisor to Promix Nutrition. “With intermittent fasting, you’re not focused on the little details. Everyone can tell time. You can think about other things during your day and not be so focused on food.” That may lead to someone taking in fewer calories by default, he says.

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Intermittent Fasting vs. Calorie Counting: Which is Better?

No, not always. "When we talk about weight loss methods, it always depends on the people's preferences," Lin explains. "Some people may find that time-restricted eating is easier and more effective than counting calories, while others may find that it is less effective." Cording concurs. "It's individual," she says.

However, Matheny points out that intermittent fasting is typically easier for the majority of individuals to adhere to. "If it's a lot easier and you get the same results, that's great," he says. "People value simplicity in health and fitness the most. It's difficult to be concerned about portion management."

According to experts, it is critical to consider your lifestyle and eating habits to determine how each sort of diet may fit into your life. "What we see in the studies is that people lose the same amount of weight on average in both groups," Lin explains. However, there are lots of variations in how each person reacts to their diet.”

Cording suggests looking at past experiences you’ve had with weight loss efforts and thinking about what has and hasn’t worked for you. “That will give you clues on what may or may not work for you in the future,” she says. “If you’ve tried calorie counting in the past and it made you feel obsessive, it’s not a good approach for you. If you want the freedom to not count calories but want some sort of structure, intermittent fasting may be a good fit.”

Cording also suggests paying attention to when you are the most and least hungry during the day- this might help you determine whether an intermittent fasting diet is a good fit for you.

Lin recommends talking with a qualified dietician if you want to lose weight but aren't sure where to begin. They can assist you in determining your weight loss objectives and how to attain them on a personal level.

Reference:

1. Time-Restricted Eating Without Calorie Counting for Weight Loss in a Racially Diverse Population - (https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-0052)

Source-Medindia