I struggled all through my 40s to keep my weight under control. I could lose the weight, but it kept coming back (usually with a vengeance).

First I tried 16/8 fasting, but while that stopped the weight increase, it didn't help me lose any fat. So after a while of that, I went on to 24 hour fasting (water only), then finally to 36 hour fasting (which means I eat dinner one day, water only the next day, then eat breakfast the day after that). That finally did the trick. I do that twice a week in a normal week, and that got me moving in the right direction.

But after a while of that, I hit another plateau. So then I gave 3 day fasting a shot. I know it sounds crazy, but once you are used to 36 hour fasting, it really isn't much of a jump to go to longer fasts. Hunger comes and goes, but I would describe those longer fasts as mildly uncomfortable. I definitely don't suffer, and I actually feel great while I'm fasting.

I started that almost a year ago, and this year has been my best year for weight maintenance since I started caring about my weight back in my mid 30s (I'm 50 now). I love being able to keep my weight down, and how much energy that gives me.

Everybody is different, but I highly recommend giving some level of fasting a try.

(Oh, and fasting is the opposite of time consuming--it actually frees up time since you aren't eating some number of meals each week.)