intermittent fasting is one of the best lifestyles you can follow. it is something i am on board with since it is natural eating. i'm all about eating as natural as possible in a fucked up society and modern lifestyle. i try and grow as much food as i can myself.
guys are under the false impression that intermittent fasting is only for cutting. that is bro science. the reason you don't lose muscle intermittent fasting is simple. once you hit 10 hours of fasting your growth hormone in your body starts rising and it will continue to rise for 4 days up before peaking and then coming back down. so if you fast 3-5 days your growth hormone spikes to crazy levels, that will preserve muscle. people need not worry about losing muscle while fasting for that reason and you surely will not lose muscle intermittent fasting. and here is the kicker, any muscle you do lose will be replaced by newer muscle cells/fibers.
and here is why IF is great for losing fat. when you fast your metabolism WILL NOT DROP. in fact some of the more modern studies have shown your metabolism actually goes up slightly. this is thanks to adrenaline and an increase in insulin sensitivity. when you eat 4-5 meals a day spread out in a deficit your metabolism WILL DROP and if you spread your meals out your insulin sensitivty WILL DROP too. also the skin cells will refresh and tighten up. so any loose hanging skin will be solved.
not to mention the benefits to stem cells, autophagy, anti inflammation etc. so the benefits of eating in a 2-4 hour window everyday vs. spreading out your meals like most people do from 7am to 10pm is incredible. and throw in a 24-36 hour fast once a week on top of that and a longer fast once a month and you will be a machine