I think the question for me is how these various things help people eat less calories. E.g., my mental model of hunger used to be like the "E" light on a car dashboard. But through various experimentation, I've noticed that the nature of hunger is very different for me depending on things.
E.g., if I avoid eating refined carbs (sugar, white flour, etc) for a month or so, suddenly hunger is this mild, easily tolerable sensation. I just end up eating less. If I go back on them for a while, hunger returns to being MUST EAT NOW.
I used to hear people talk about forgetting to eat, and I would always think, "How is that even possible?" But now I know: we might use the same word, but the experience can be very different.
I've had similar experience with trying intermittent fasting, I expected that fasting was supposed to be a challenge to put up with a mildly unpleasant experience because it's good for you.
But no, the fasting periods were merely times when I wasn't eating, and that includes pushing them out to 30+ hours and going a day without eating and without much hunger on a couple of occasions.
Occasionally, I've had experiences where running was light and energeising and fun, during that intermittent fasting time. I suspect now that the people who say they can't live without exercise and "exercise should be a celebration of what you can do" feel this the majority of the time. In the past, almost always a drag to push through.
I've been on a 16:8 IF schedule for around 10 months now and I have lost around 10 kgs, without any exercise. I don't feel stuffed all the time now and my mind has become clearer. But that could also be because I replaced alcohol with weed and started meditating. I haven't done any checkups but I think my health has improved vastly.
E.g., if I avoid eating refined carbs (sugar, white flour, etc) for a month or so, suddenly hunger is this mild, easily tolerable sensation. I just end up eating less. If I go back on them for a while, hunger returns to being MUST EAT NOW.
I used to hear people talk about forgetting to eat, and I would always think, "How is that even possible?" But now I know: we might use the same word, but the experience can be very different.