True, Ginger. It
can be more than that, but doesn't have to be anything more than going longer between dinner and breakfast (or lunch as the case may be).
I have been using an intermittent fasting routine as described in The Obesity Code, which gives direct citations of numerous scientific studies on intermittent fasting pointing to its efficacy. I am still experimenting with it and have had great results so far with little to no hunger. Sometimes when I get to my planned meal times I have to make myself eat just because it's time and I need to stay on schedule. You do eat, but less frequently and within a limited window of time each day. It is not itself a diet, just a change in eating pattern to keep your body from being flooded with insulin all day. You can pair it with any food plan you like - low carb, low fat, vegan, whatever.
Based on my experience so far I'd respectfully disagree that it doesn't do shit. But, as stated in the opening post I'm not trying to start any holy wars and want to keep an open mind so I'd be interested to see specific references to any studies that come to this conclusion about intermittent fasting.
A couple of links worth reading if you have any interest in the topic:
https://intensivedietarymanagement.c...-fasted-state/
https://intensivedietarymanagement.c...ng-fasting-27/
One thing I've noticed is how good I feel when I'm doing my fasting cycles. That was brought home to me because I'm on vacation now and it isn't practical to do intermittent fasting when I need to go out to meals with others at times that aren't in my control. However I've definitely noticed that I'm not feeling as well and I'm looking forward to getting back on my routine when I get home.
It might not be right for everyone, but that alone doesn't means it's not right for anyone. I think that it might not be as good for someone with just a few pounds to lose, because they don't have the hormone imbalances (insulin / leptin resistance) that people with long-standing, significant weight problems do. Intermittent fasting is at its core a way to manage those imbalances by strategically restricting and timing insulin release.