Intermittent fasting is a way of losing weight that favors flexibility over calorie counting. It restricts the time you are allowed to eat, which reduces calorie intake by limiting opportunities to eat. That’s the theory, at least.
A popular version of intermittent fasting is the 5:2 diet, which involves eating a very low-calorie diet (about a quarter of usual calorie intake) for two days each week and unrestricted eating on the other five days. This approach has worked well for some people, but not everyone. In our latest study, we found that people cheat on their intermittent fasting diet without realizing it.
