i've been fasting 15-16 hours a day everyday for the last 6 years and it's certainly helped me keep my weight about 10 lbs lower than I would have with just dieting. Before that I always subscribed to 3-5 meals a day hypothesis. Once I switched over to fasting 16 hours, I noticed the effect immediately, by losing 10 lbs in 2 months and have kept it off ever since.