Hi guys, I was wondering what the differences if there are any between calorie restriction vs intermittent fasting from ONLY a weight loss perspective. I know there are other benefits to fasting, but if we’re strictly talking about weight loss and I eat the same amount of calories throughout the day compared to let’s say 16:8, will there be any difference in the amount of weight I lose? I have always been confused by this so if anyone could clear this up. Thanks in advance guys.
Macros if they matter: Male 5’6” 145lbs, around 1200-1500 calories daily. I got on 4 mile walks on Saturday and Sunday but during the weekday I’m not too active due to work and the weather currently be pretty bad.
Edit: I think I have found my answer from reading responses from this subreddit. CICO works in the short term while fasting is the move for long term weight loss. I’m only looking to lose a few pounds so CICO will suffice for me. I realize this is the wrong sub to ask this kind of question as pretty much everyone is looking for long term weight loss and long term benefits shown by advocating for fasting and not considering the individuals who aren’t looking for a lifestyle change in fasting for the sake of losing more pounds. Thanks everyone for the responses, feel free to continue the discussion.
I think there is some debate about this on this subreddit. Dr. Fung has a video about how just calorie restriction doesn’t work because your body adapts, reduces its calorie consumption, and nullifies the benefit. But here is my stance:
For me, the benefit of fasting (I do rolling 3 day and 4 day fasts) is that it is easier for me. There are times I am not allowed to eat, so I don’t. Then every few days there are times when I can eat whatever I want. And if I follow that protocol I am guaranteed to lose weight. Full stop.
It is so easy for me (and everyone else) to go plan on 1500 calories but then one extra glass of juice or one snack brings me to 2000-2250 etc. and then I am not at a caloric deficit anymore. Stressing over how many calories there are in your burger because you asked for no mayo but they added mayo or how many calories there are in a certain soup is just… not worth it in my opinion. Better to just make it binary: either you can eat or you can’t.
Our bodies are smarter than we are.
We would not have survived evolution if the first time that there was no food around our bodies would shut down. In prehistoric times you would eat when there was food, pack as much away in the form of fat, and that would fuel you while hunting or foraging for the next meal that could be the day after tomorrow. If you got sluggish by then your chances of survival would diminish. Fasting even protect your muscles by shooting your growth hormone levels waaaaay up as you will needed those muscles in order to find your next meal.
When there is little food your body will try to reach a level of homeostasis, or balance with the environment. If you are taking 1,000 calories a day and that is steady, your body will try to match your metabolism to that level and get rid of excess muscle (which is metabolically expensive) in order to match that steady environment that is out there. Your body realizes that there is food; it is just a matter of adjusting things in order to survive at that level.
Fasting makes restricting calories seem like a cake walk. I mean, if you’re used to not eating for long periods of time, having small meals is a piece of cake. Although fasting definitely has greater benefits metabolically speaking. I still have weight to lose, so I’m not one to talk.
Read The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung for tons of scientific info about this. Long story short: IF lowers insulin, which makes it easier to lose weight and keep it off. Calorie restriction and IF will perform the same for weight loss over the short term (months), but IF will work better over the long term (years).
Yes, you still need to eat at a caloric deficit with IF in order to lose weight, but it will still work better long-term. When people talk about “calories in vs. calories out,” they aren’t wrong exactly — but they often ignore the fact that “calories out” doesn’t stay constant. It’ll go down as “calories in” goes down. Lowering insulin via IF helps “calories out” stay higher over the long term. It also makes you feel less hungry, making it easier to control “calories in.”