Liskov says that for those who want to try IF, she favors a time-restricted eating plan known as 12:12, where food is eaten for half the day, generally between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. “This pattern of eating has helped many people lower their energy intakes, lose weight, and reduce the amount of unhealthy nutrients eaten,” she says, based on her clinical experience. A key reason, she said, is that many people eat healthy foods during the day but then devolve to snacks of sweets and chips before bedtime.
It’s important to be sure you’re eating healthy foods during the eating window, rather than filling up on nutritionally empty calories, says Carol Roberts, MD, a functional medicine physician in Sarasota, Florida, who recommends IF to some of her patients. “If you’re on a junk food diet, it’s not going to be good for you to eat for fewer hours. Better food selection is also important,” she says.
To work long-term, an IF eating plan has to mesh with your lifestyle, experts say. If you regularly go out socially for breakfast or eat dinner late at night, for example, trying to fast during these times is not sustainable.
While some people may benefit from an IF eating plan, you may want to choose an alternative option depending on your goals. “If you’re looking for a diet that’s more balanced and less restrictive, I’d choose a Mediterranean type of diet instead,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, the author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You From Label to Table.