A study found that 4:3 intermittent fasting is more effective in losing weight.
A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that 4:3 intermittent fasting is more effective than daily calorie restriction in losing weight over 12 months.
What Is 4:3 Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting, or time-restricted eating, has become increasingly popular in recent years. Common methods include:
- 16:8 fasting: Eat during an 8-hour window, fast for 16 hours.
- 5:2 fasting: Eat normally five days a week, fast or drastically reduce calories for two days.
- 4:3 fasting: Fast on three nonconsecutive days each week and eat freely on the remaining four.
The 4:3 method in this study involved fasting three days a week (consuming 500 calories or less), while participants could eat normally on non-fasting days.
Inside the Study
For 12 months, researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine randomly assigned 165 overweight or obese adults to a daily calorie-restricted diet or a 4:3 intermittent fasting diet. The group subjected to a daily calorie restriction was told to cut their daily caloric intake by 34.3%.
All participants received a free gym membership, group-based behavioral support, and information about calorie counting and daily macronutrient goals. The research team encouraged all participants to exercise at least 300 minutes per week. Of the initial 165 participants, 125 completed the study.
The results showed that the 4:3 intermittent fasting group lost an average of 7.6% of their body weight over 12 months, compared to the daily calorie-restricted group, which lost an average of 5%.
Approximately 58% of participants in the intermittent fasting group lost at least 5% of their body weight, compared to 47% in the daily calorie restriction group.
Beyond the Scale: Heart Health Benefits
The study team also noted that several cardiometabolic indicators, such as systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting blood sugar, changed more favorably in the intermittent fasting group.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and diastolic blood pressure showed more positive changes in the daily calorie restriction group, but the research team deemed the majority of the cardiometabolic changes unreliable.
According to them, the weight loss effect may be more significant over a year if you use a “Behavioral weight loss program” to support your 4:3 intermittent fasting because it is easier to stick to the diet than a calorie restriction diet.
Why Fasting May Work Better
Experts noted that while numerous studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of intermittent fasting, no single diet is best for all patients. Instead, future research should focus on identifying the best diet for a given patient group by considering factors like gender, age, and race.
Experts explained the effects of intermittent fasting with the concept of “metabolic confusion” or “calorie shifting.” In other words, just as calories are burned during interval exercise that alternates between rest and exercise, intermittent fasting can “confuse” the body and “shake” the metabolic function by oscillating between calorie deficiency and calorie abundance.
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