IF got some strong press on Today

55in13

http://www.today.com/health/two-meals-day-may-be-better-weight-loss-grazing-6C10423982

They did not call it IF, but that is absolutely what it is. They did not give the exact timing, but it sounds like 18:6. I have a lot easier time with 16:8 and not eating in the morning. I am surprised at the difference they found; most other studies, including one massive data mining one, crushed all meal timing studies.

55in13

bump...

RamoZimm

What I heard from that segment is 2 meals are better because one can easily overestimate calories when eating 6 small meals. I have to worry about blood sugar and it was unclear whether this would be a good plan for me. I measure and weigh everything now so am fairly sure I stay close to my daily calorie budget. Glad IF is working for you!

ngyoung

I think it is a good think to not have your stomachs and digestive system constantly breaking down food.

55in13

What I heard from that segment is 2 meals are better because one can easily overestimate calories when eating 6 small meals. I have to worry about blood sugar and it was unclear whether this would be a good plan for me. I measure and weigh everything now so am fairly sure I stay close to my daily calorie budget. Glad IF is working for you!

But in the actual study, it wasn't an estimate:

Both diet regimens included the same nutrient and caloric content - the daily caloric total reduced each person's intake by 500 calories. Half of the participants were provided with all of the meals, and registered dietitians regularly met with the volunteers.

Although it is odd that they only provided the meals for half of them; that does open the door for mistakes to be made in portions.
As far as blood sugar goes, you are correct:

Specifically for people with diabetes, with the mechanics of our body, it is best to spread out the doses of glucose ... throughout the day.

They sum it up with common sense

But perhaps most importantly: know what works for you, and choose an eating strategy that you can really, actually stick to. That's something Robert Ratner, chief scientific and medical officer for the ADA, says is so important in treating diabetes patients -- or anyone interested in losing weight.

"There are some people who, if you gave them the option of six meals a day, would overeat at all six meals. There are others who actually find grazing like that quite easy, so they’re never so hungry that they consume large quantities. On the other hand, we all know people who miss meals," Ratner told NBCNews.com.

"One of the take home messages here -- a 500-calorie reduction in intake, regardless of how you do it, results in weight loss," Ratner says, adding that "both groups lost weight. This shows that calorie reduction matters."

RamoZimm

Thanks for the clarification. I like the common sense approach to weight loss--whatever works for you to make the lifelong change to health. With all the whacky diet promoters out there, it's sometimes hard to separate the wheat from the chaff.

momzeeee

I do 8:16 IF with a two meal/no snacking format for maintenance and absolutely love it I break my fast at 11am with my biggest meal of the day and then eat a slightly smaller one at around 6pm. Because I'm not trying to lose weight I don't count my calories or track anything, but I'm able to stay within my maintenance range effortlessly by doing this. Works for me and it's something I can easily do long term.

55in13

I am with you there; for me it is a lot easier to not eat in the morning than any other time. I usually have my big meal at night - a "standard" family dinner with wife and kids at home usually eating the same thing everyone else has.