Is Intermittent Fasting More Effective Than Cutting Calories?
A new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine suggests the 4:3 intermittent fasting routine is a more effective weight loss strategy compared to daily calorie restriction.
Intermittent fasting has gained popularity as a weight loss method in recent years, and a 4:3 intermittent fasting schedule involves limiting calorie intake for three days while eating normally for the remaining four. Researchers studied 165 overweight and obese participants over 12 months, comparing a 4:3 intermittent fasting diet with a daily caloric restriction diet. Increasing physical activity to 300 minutes a week was also recommended.
Participants in the intermittent fasting group reduced caloric intake by 80 percent on three of the seven days. That significant drop came out to about 400 to 700 calories per fasting day, depending on the subject’s weight. Participants in the daily caloric restriction group reduced their intake by 34 percent each day—that’s the same average daily caloric deficit as the fasting group.
Excerpted from Men’s Fitness
