Consistent with your experience I lost weight but it was almost all lean mass -fat was reduced only slightly.
I switched to a ketogenic diet after that and watched the fat melt away. IF clearly works for some people but it sure didn't for me.
A ketogenic diet, from the literature I have read, has no actual benefit in terms of body fat loss. This is due to the fact that the metabolic pathways shift, but towards dietary fats first and foremost. The pathways that eat muscle and then body fat continue to exist, meaning muscle tone is still at risk without a proper workout regime.
However, I am glad to hear it worked for you! At the end of the day what matters is you reached your fitness goals and can maintain them in a healthy lifestyle.
I can't IF with high carbs. It has to be keto for me. I wonder how many other people who can't make IF work have the same issue. I'd wager it's most of them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-energy_X-ray_absorptiomet...
The theory is that during IF period your body depletes all carbs stores and is forced into ketosis o produce energy.