Does Intermittent Fasting (IF) work only because it results in a reduction in average calories consumed? Not at all, says one fasting expert, because there is a big difference between "average" and "frequency."
A river could have an average depth of one foot over its entire length, but there could be infrequent 10 foot holes that you could step into and drown.
With IF, it is the frequency of eating that matters.