Intermittent fasting is often praised as the ultimate health hack, but I've noticed that most of its supporters ignore the quality of what they eat during the eating window. I tried 16:8 for three months, and while the weight loss was real, my energy levels crashed when I relied on processed snacks to break my fast. The debate isn't just about when you eat, but whether the calorie restriction or the food choices drive the benefits. So, is intermittent fasting genuinely superior to simply eating balanced meals at regular times, or are we just trading one diet dogmatism for another?