On the second front, IF has been the best method I've come across to date to reduce my calories in order to lose weight. My system finds it easier to go long periods without eating, and then eat well when I do eventually, rather than to continually be ingesting small meals, which are harder for me to put the brakes on, calorically speaking. To date I've lost 15 pounds, but more imporatantly to me, it feels like a lifestyle I can keep up forever. One larger meal a day, often times enjoyed socially, then a small second meal, and that's about it.
So, while no doctor by any means, my body appears to be communicating that it really likes my IF efforts, and so I have no plans to change anything. IF is also allowing me to avoid constantly rising and plunging blood sugar levels, which often leads to the shakes and fatigue in my case, and I am feeling better than I have in years.