While a preferred method of many dieters, intermittent fasting may not be the most effective way to lose weight.

The researchers said that by contrast, Group 1 lost almost as much bodyweight but also saw a reduction in muscle mass, and Group 3’s weight loss was negligible. 

 The results, the team said, proved that "alternate-day fasting was no more or less effective" than calorie restriction in reducing body mass. 

"Many people believe that diets based on fasting are especially effective for weight loss or that these diets have particular metabolic health benefits even if you don’t lose weight," James Betts, a professor and director of CNEM, said in a news release

"But intermittent fasting is no magic bullet and the findings of our experiment suggest that there is nothing special about fasting when compared with more traditional, standard diets people might follow."