Restricted eating over a three-month period potentially supports maintenance of weight loss.
Modern-day fad diets have garnered significant attention, and intermittent fasting is no exception. This dietary approach, also known as time-restricted eating, has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its potential for weight loss and maintenance.
However, there's been a lot of discussion about the best time to eat during intermittent fasting, with debates centered around eating early or later in the day. A recent study shed some light on this topic, presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) 2025.
According to this study, staying committed to an 8-hour daily eating window paired with a 16-hour fasting period can lead to weight loss, regardless of the exact time the eating window falls into.
Researchers recruited 99 participants, aged around 49, with overweight or obesity, and randomly assigned them to one of four groups for 12 weeks:
- Those who already had a habitual eating window of 12 hours or more
- Those following an early time-restricted eating (8-hour eating window starting before 10:00 am)
- Those following a late time-restricted eating (8-hour eating window starting after 1:00 pm)
- Those choosing their own self-selected time-restricted eating (8-hour eating window at their convenience)
After the 12-week period, researchers found that all time-restricted eating groups lost more weight than those in the habitual eating group. Interestingly, the early time-restricted eating group showed the most significant decline in waist and hip circumference.
One year after the study concluded, the habitual eating group had regained some weight, while the three time-restricted eating groups managed to maintain their weight loss.
Alba Camacho-Cardenosa, a post-doctoral researcher at the Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada and the Sport and Health University Research Institute at the University of Granada in Spain, and lead author of this study, commented, "Our next step is to explore how time-restricted eating combined with exercise affects cardiometabolic health and ectopic fat depots. We also want to identify which types of people benefit most from specific eating windows to further personalize the approach."
Mir Ali, a board-certified general surgeon, bariatric surgeon, and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center, shared his thoughts on the study: "Unfortunately, obesity is a big problem in this country and most Westernized countries, and it's continuing to rise. Any kind of help for maintaining weight loss is going to be welcome." Ali also suggested exploring which diets, such as the Mediterranean or Paleo diets, might be most beneficial when combined with time-restricted eating.
For those considering trying intermittent fasting, dietitian Monique Richard offered some advice:
- Map out your daily schedule to find an 8-hour eating window that suits your essential nutritional needs and lifestyle.
- Consider the reasons behind your eating, the way you eat, the foods you consume, and the times you eat.
- Listen to your body, and make adjustments accordingly to promote optimal digestion and metabolic processes.
- Embrace the benefits of time-restricted eating and watch as your body hums along to the rhythm of healthy habits.
- The study presented at the European Congress on Obesity 2025 concluded that staying committed to an 8-hour daily eating window paired with a 16-hour fasting period can lead to weight loss, and this finding highlights the potential benefits of a diet and exercise regimen in weight management.
- Alba Camacho-Cardenosa, the lead author of the study, spoke about further research to explore how time-restricted eating combined with exercise affects cardiometabolic health and fat depots, with the goal of personalizing the approach for different individuals.
- Mir Ali, a medical expert, commented on the study's significance, stating that any aid in weight loss maintenance is crucial in addressing the growing issue of obesity, particularly in Westernized countries.
- In order to incorporate intermittent fasting effectively into a health-and-wellness routine, Monique Richard, a dietitian, suggests considering essential nutritional needs, reasons behind eating habits, food choices, and meal times to promote optimal digestion and metabolic processes.
- By adopting time-restricted eating and cultivating a consistent eating window, individuals can potentially reap numerous health benefits associated with a well-rounded fitness-and-exercise and nutrition plan, contributing to overall weightloss and weight-management success.
