Is intermittent fasting better than counting calories? Maybe not, but you might stick with it

As weight-loss plans go, it’s easy to see the allure of intermittent fasting: Eat what you want, but only during certain windows of time — often just eight hours a day.

Instead of counting calories or measuring portions, dieters just have to pay attention to the clock, said Courtney Peterson, a nutrition researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

“You have this really simple rule: Eat or don’t eat,” Peterson said.

The technique has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, becoming a leading trending topic on social media.