To Lose Weight, Don't Eat Less Every Day... Follow the 4-to-3 Rule for Effectiveness

'4:3 Intermittent Fasting' Proven More Effective for Weight Loss
"Also Improves Cardiometabolic Health Indicators"

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A study has found that '4:3 intermittent fasting' is more effective for weight loss than eating less every day. The 4:3 intermittent fasting diet involves eating normally for 4 days a week and significantly reducing food intake for 3 days.

On the 1st, Dr. Daniel Ostendorf's team at the University of Colorado in the United States reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the journal of the American College of Physicians, that a randomized clinical trial conducted over one year with 165 overweight or obese adults showed that 4:3 intermittent fasting resulted in greater weight loss than daily calorie restriction.

They randomly divided 165 overweight or obese adults (body mass index 27?46 kg/m²) into a 4:3 intermittent fasting group (84 people) and a daily calorie restriction group (81 people) and compared the weight loss effects over 12 months. The 4:3 intermittent fasting group restricted their daily calorie intake by 80% on 3 non-consecutive days per week and ate without restriction on the other 4 days, while the daily calorie restriction group reduced their daily energy intake by 35% so that their weekly calorie intake matched that of the 4:3 intermittent fasting group.

Reference photo to aid understanding of the article. Photo by Yonhap News

As a result, after 12 months, the 4:3 intermittent fasting group lost an average of 7.6% of their body weight, whereas the daily calorie restriction group lost an average of 5%. Additionally, 58% of the 4:3 intermittent fasting group lost more than 5% of their body weight, compared to only 47% in the daily calorie restriction group.

The research team explained, "The 4:3 intermittent fasting group also showed greater improvements in cardiovascular metabolic health indicators such as systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose levels." They added, "4:3 intermittent fasting can reduce the burden of calculating daily calories and restricting food intake, thereby improving adherence," and noted that "intermittent fasting could be considered an evidence-based dietary strategy for weight loss."