A new study found that fasting three non-consecutive days per week is more effective at reducing weight than more traditional calorie-reduction strategies.
Individuals who followed the 4:3 intermittent fasting routine were found to drop nearly 8% of their body weight over the course of a year. By comparison, those who followed a more consistent calorie-reduction diet lost 5%.
For the study, fasting days were defined as those on which calories were reduced by 80%. The fasting group followed the protocol for three non-consecutive days each week and was instructed to eat regularly on the remaining four days.
“Our results suggest that 4:3 [intermittent] is an alternative dietary weight loss strategy that may produce modestly superior weight loss compared with [daily calorie restriction] at 12 months, when provided in the context of a high-intensity, comprehensive behavioral weight loss program,” the study concluded, per U.S. News.
The study examined the results of 84 overweight and obese people who fasted compared to 81 others who cut their daily calories by around a third. Both groups were also asked to complete 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week.
By cutting 80% of calories three days a week for one group, and 34% of daily calories for the other group, the researchers aimed to target comparable rates of calorie deficits when tallied up over the course of a week.
Despite targeting a comparable percentage reduction in calories, the researchers found that those who fasted ultimately ate less and enjoyed slightly more weight loss on average. Around 38% of the fasted group lost 10% or more of their body weight after one year, but less than half that (16%) of the calorie-cutting group achieved similar results.
Notably, nearly 30% of those assigned to cut calories dropped out of the study, compared to 19% of those in the fasting group. This could mean fasting is not only more effective but also easier to adhere to.
The fasting group also experienced improved health markers, like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar.
“An appealing feature of [intermittent fasting] is that dieters do not have to focus on counting calories and restricting intake every day as they do with daily calorie restriction… Furthermore, the periodic nature of fasting may mitigate the constant hunger associated with [daily calorie restriction],” concluded the researchers.