Research published in Clinical Nutrition suggests that restricting daily eating to an eight-hour window for just 12 weeks can help people keep weight off for at least a year after completing the programme.
The study, conducted by scientists at the University of Granada and collaborating institutions, tracked 99 adults classified as overweight or obese, with women comprising half the participants.
Those who confined their meals to an eight-hour period retained significantly more of their weight loss compared with individuals who ate across 12 hours or longer each day.
The findings indicate that time-restricted eating may offer lasting benefits well beyond the initial intervention period.
Time-restricted eating may offer lasting benefits to slimmers
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The researchers investigated the widely used 16:8 fasting approach, where individuals abstain from food for 16 hours and consume all meals within the remaining eight.
Participants following an early schedule ate between 9am and 5pm, whilst those on a later timetable had their eating window from 1pm to 9pm.
Twelve months after the programme concluded, both groups had preserved considerably more weight loss than the control participants who maintained their usual extended eating patterns.
Notably, those assigned to the morning eating schedule showed superior results in maintaining reduced fat mass, suggesting that earlier meal timing may confer additional advantages for body composition.
Dr Alba Camacho Cardeñosa, the study’s lead author and a researcher at the University of Granada’s Joint Institute for Sport and Health, said: “To date, although we knew that intermittent fasting promotes modest weight loss in the short term, it was unclear whether its effects were sustained over time.
“By evaluating the participants 12 months after the intervention ended, we demonstrated that the changes in body weight persist.”
The research team also highlighted an encouraging pattern in participant behaviour following the formal study period.
Approximately one in three individuals chose to maintain the fasting routine independently during the follow-up year, which the researchers described as evidence that the approach represents “a relatively easy habit to integrate into daily life.”
During the initial 12-week phase, all participants received guidance on adhering to a Mediterranean diet before being divided into four groups.
The control group maintained their standard eating habits spanning 12 hours or more, while three intervention groups followed eight-hour windows—either starting before 10am, beginning after 1pm, or at a self-selected time.
Both morning and afternoon eating schedules deliver enduring results
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Scientists measured body weight, fat mass and lean mass at the start, after the intervention, and again at the one-year mark.
The research team concluded that because both morning and afternoon eating schedules delivered enduring results, patients can select whichever timing suits their lifestyle, potentially improving adherence in obesity treatment.
