What is the difference between a calorie restricted diet and intermittent fasting?

The difference between a calorie restricted diet and intermittent fasting is that calorie restricted forces the body to rely on food for its energy needs. If instead of eating 2,000 calories a day, you eat 1,500, after a few days or weeks, the body will become hungry and need to eat. That's when you'll start eating like you used to, or even more.

During intermittent fasting, nutrient consumption is targeted within a 6-hour window. Ex. first meal at 12:00 and second meal at 18:00 and no food is taken between 18:00 and 12:00 the next day (black coffee or tea are allowed upon waking). During this fasting period, the body uses its own fats, through a hormonal process, to meet its energy needs. There is therefore no state of hunger, because the body has 'eaten' its fats.

Let's not forget that eating in the evening, when daylight has disappeared, is detrimental to metabolic health. Eating late or snacking in the evening leads to weight gain. This is because cells are more sensitive to insulin in daylight.

Combining exercise and fasting pays off twice! In fact, working out in a fasted state burns more fat than after eating a meal that contains carbohydrates. Exercising in the morning while intermittent fasting will burn more fat than fasting alone because your muscles will come to prefer fat and ketones for fuel.

Intermittent fasting is a simple and effective method for losing weight and regaining better energy.

- Sources: The Big Book of Fasting , Dr Evelyne Bourdua-Roy and Sophie Rolland, neuroscientist, Pratico, 2021