Nope. Not the same. What posters here practice is restricting their food intake to a given period of time each and every day. Maybe an occasional cheat here and there. This is not fasting. Fasting could mean anything - only water for 2 days a week, 500 calories two days a week, a weeklong fast…
An NIH study from 2015. Here are two of the highlights from the study of RATS! 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4461460/
In this study from NIH, fasting induced a subcutaneous-to-visceral fat switch.
“Fasting induces a subcutaneous-to-visceral fat switch mediated by microRNA-149-3p and suppression of PRDM16”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4895052/
So, to answer your question, MAYBE, fasting could help with subcutaneous fat, but induce more visceral fat. Maybe the health experts can chime in.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191205141731.htm
^^There are some hints that restricting food consumption to a certain window consistently could be helpful for folks with metabolic syndrome.
Not sure if this is an authoritative site, but it says that time restricted eating is one type of intermittent fasting . https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322365.php
I was curious about that too, Iglooo. I found this article which seems to provide some definitions.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6471315/
From the article:
The 5:2 forum has some interesting discussions that sometimes delve into research (certainly re FMD and perceptions on fasting vs timed eating. There is the usual fluff but some good info.
So I am reading article about “clean” vs “dirty” fasting, as I really prefer to put some sort of sweetener in coffee. Has anyone tried Swerve as a sweetener?
Talking about coffee - when I drink coffee at home, I make Turkish coffee. It’s very easy to make on a stovetop and it’s not bitter so is easier to drink without sugar. I can’t stand the bitterness in a regular coffee even with sugar.
@yucca10 how do you make it?
I don’t have any health issues so I’m using intermittent fasting as a tool to help me eat less. I’m not hungry in the morning and have been able to work out on an empty stomach. I’m not overweight but still would like to lose ten pounds. It helps me keep focused and not snack ( too much) outside the window. It’s almost like brushing your teeth early in the evening to remind yourself you’re done eating that day.
jym- do you have a Nespresso machine? If you don’t, you should get one. I used to drink coffee with a lot of half and half first thing, every morning, without fail. Getting a Nespresso and switching up the variety of coffee I used made a huge difference for me and now I just drink black coffee unless it’s a special occasion at Starbucks. Some Nespresso varieties taste sweetened even though they’re not.
@sabaray- no I don’t have a nespresso. I have a keurig KCup thing on every floor of the house and have a gazillion clips I should probably use up. Do you have a recommendation for a coffee that is not bitter?
A friend has a nespresso at her condo and when we are there for card games I make the super robust one (I forget the name but the packet is black). I haven’t tried any others. Suggestions?
I have a Keurig at home that I don’t use that often anymore and my gym has a Nespresso. I agree with @sabaray that with some of those Nespresso capsules (I haven’t tried many, but I really like Peets) can he enjoyed without sweetener.
As for coffee at home, where you may not need sweetener, as @IxnayBob mentioned upthread, Kona is one of the best beans to enjoy without sweetener. Smooth! I also happen to like Jamaican Blue Mountain too (without sweetener).
I have one of the Verturoline models and I like the Nespresso “Melozio” pods. It is very smooth. They also have a Hazelnut flavor that is quite good. I think the key to reducing sweetener or creamer use is good coffee. You can do it!
If you roast your own beans, you wouldn’t want to use sweetener of any kind. It is so flavorable smooth, sweetener would ruin it.
Agree with all above on the Nespresso coffee machine–I have an original machine and I think the coffee selections are excellent. I like the Hawaiian Kona and also the single origin pods (Indonesian and Columbian). I can definitely drink those without cream.
@Bromfield2 - are they bitter? I dont use cream- just sweetener.
Thanks, @sabaray. This morning I am having tea. That I can drink without sweetener.
@jym626 I don’t use cream and I don’t find them bitter. Some are clearly stronger than other. My favorite is Kona. There are lots of choices. My only issue is that I can’t get the pods in a store near me, so I usually order online. Here are some of the choiceshttps://www.nespresso.com/us/en/order/capsules/original
Thanks!