3-day diet daily calorie beats by counting for weight loss: Study

It may be time to trade your calculator for a calendar.

New research suggests that fasting only three days a week can lead to more weight loss and better health results than to constantly count calories.

With studies that constantly show that people struggle to adhere to daily calorie restrictions, researchers said that the interrupted 4: 3 regime could be a more sustainable way to maintain weight loss in the long run.

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Daily calorie recommendations vary based on factors such as age and level of activity, but most women need at least 1,600 calories to maintain their weight, while men usually require at least 2,000.

Here is the shocking reality: the American average is attracting more than 3,800 calories a day – most of it from processed foods, refined grains and added sugars, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Centers for disease control and prevention paint an even more severe appearance, revealing that more than 2 in 5 adults in the US are thick, along with about 1 in 5 children.

The overweight epidemic is stirring a stroke in chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.

4: 3 Fasting versus daily calorie restrictions

Researchers from the University of Colorado Medical School recorded 165 adults with overweight or overweight for the study, published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

Participants were randomly assigned a 4: 3 or a traditional daily calorie restriction plan for one year.

In three unintentional days each week, the permanent fasting group was asked to shorten its calories to 80% of what it needed to maintain weight.

In the other four days, these participants could eat their normal diet, without restrictions or calories counting, but with emphasis on healthy foods and portion control.

Meanwhile, the calorie restriction group had to reduce its daily calories by one third.

Both groups participated in a comprehensive lifestyle program aimed at promoting behavior change. This includes setting the goals of the exercise, participating in group meetings led by dieticians and obtaining personalized support.

After 12 months, participants in the 4: 3 fasting group lost an average of 7.6% of their body weight – about 17 pounds – compared to only one 5% loss in the calorie restriction group.

Moreover, 58% of those in the fasting group reached at least a 5% weight loss, compared to 47% in the calorie limitation group. The abandonment rate was also lower for group 4: 3 in 19% versus 30% in the calorie limit group.

A ‘sweet place’ for fasting

“It was surprising and exciting for me that it was better,” Dr. said Victoria Catenacci, author of co-leader study and associate professor of endocrinology at Cu Medicine School.

Catenacci emphasized that previous studies had not shown a significant difference in losing weight between permanent fasting and daily calorie restriction.

So why did this study find a noticeable change? Dr. Danielle Ostendorf, co-leader and assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, believes that approach 4: 3 strikes a “sweet place” between fasting regimes.

For example, weight loss was not so important in studies where participants fasted only two days a week. Ostendorf explained that this is likely not to create a sufficient calorie deficit to overcome daily calorie restriction.

Similarly, fasting every other day proved very rigid and difficult to climb for a long time.

“With this 4: 3 approach, where they are fasting three days a week (which are flexible and can work on a personal schedule), it can be a middle ground where they feel they can adhere to it, and it is possible to apply in their daily lives,” Ostendorf said. “It also produces a significant calorie deficit all week.”

Catatacci agreed, adding that the 4: 3 strategy could be a player for those who have fought with the daily calorie count.

“Really really difficult to limit calories every day,” Catenacci told ABC News. “Just just another strategy for people to consider.”

More than just weight loss

The benefits of fasting were not limited to scale.

Participants in the fasting group also showed more favorable changes in critical health metrics such as systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, fasting glucose and A1C hemoglobin compared to those daily calorie restrictions.

“These were secondary results, so we need a greater study where we are actually enabled to see those changes to make final statements on what changes are happening,” Ostendorf noted.

Next steps for research

The findings are promising, but further research is needed to determine if the 4: 3 fasting regime is safe and effective for different populations, including older adults and people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer.

Catenacci said that the researchers just completed a pilot study by measuring the 4: 3 fasting regime in 15 women, all survivors of breast cancer who have completed their primary treatment.

Ostendorf added that they are also seeking to develop a comprehensive program about the 4: 3 fasting model that community clinics and programs can offer so that more people can enter it.