I got interested in IF because through a work connection I met a medical researcher who explained his research to us over dinner.

He took 2 groups of mice and fed them, to the gram, the exact same meals. However one group was fed at a fixed time (once per day), the other group was fed random amounts at random intervals throughout the day.....the group on fixed eating schedule weighed 30% less than other group, even though they ate the same exact number of calories.

His theory was fascinating. Basically circadian-rhythm. By eating random amounts at random times our cells get confused. The energy uptake and waste disposal systems inside the cells wind up trying to perform both functions simultaneously....basically he thinks this leads to systemic inflammation as your cells are never completely eliminating waste...