People who ate all their calories within an eight hour window shed the same amount of weight as those who counted calories but ate as much as they wanted.
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This type of eating has soared in popularity in recent years and is considered less difficult than constantly watching what you eat.
Instead, it just requires motivation to avoid food for limited period of time, ranging from a few hours to a few days.
Many celebs love the diet, with Jennifer Aniston eating “no food in the morning” and Kim Kardashian using it to shed 7kg (16lb) so she could fit in Marilyn Monroe’s iconic 1962 gown at the Met Gala this year.
Some studies have suggested intermittent fasting improves health, such as blood pressure and cholesterol.
But until now, there hasn’t much scientific research comparing the method to more traditional calorie restriction.
Scientists from the University of Illinois Chicago looked at 77 adults who suffered from obesity in Greater Chicago from black or Hispanic backgrounds.
In a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers assigned the the group to one of three diets for six months.
People in first group practised intermittent fasting – eating all of their calories between noon and 8pm every day.
Those in the second group were told to eat whatever they wanted as long as they tracked their calorie intake and reduced the total they ate in a day by 25 per cent.
The third group – the control group – did not change its regular eating habits.
Within the six months the intermittent fasting group expanded its eating window to 10 hours.
And the calorie counting group were allowed to eat as many calories as they needed to satisfy their needs.
After six months, the researchers tested whether these changes helped them lose weight.
According to the experts, both of the groups that followed a diet lost 5 per cent of their body weight over the course of the experiment.
The group that followed intermittent fasting lost about 4kg (10lbs).
While the calorie counting group lost around 5kg (12lbs).
The results showed limiting food intake to a specific time window was as effective as calorie counting for weight loss.
According to NBC News, Krista Varady, an author of the study, said instead of counting calories, people should “count time”.
She added: “What we’re showing is that people don’t have to do these complicated calorie counting diets, where people are always logging stuff into MyFitnessPal on their phone.
“Instead of counting calories, they could just count time.”
REMEMBER
Maintaining a healthy weight is really important for helping manage a range of health conditions, from Type 2 diabetes to joint pain, cancer risk and heart disease.
However, the truth is, no diet suits everyone – and dieting is not always advisable, depending on many factors, from age, to pregnancy and various health conditions.
We’re all different shapes and sizes, with different medical histories, genetics and metabolism, and no diet will miraculously solve all your problems, or work without recognising a range of other factors, like fitness and exercise levels, as well.
If you’re not sure where to start with losing weight, and before starting a new diet, always speak to your GP.
Check out the free NHS Weight Loss Plan app and The Eatwell Guide for a breakdown of what a balanced diet looks like