@coruscate, there is this guy in Atlanta (Dr. Joe Esposito) who does intermittent fasting. His version of it is pretty simple: "It takes about eight hours for your body to utilize the food that's in your system after that the body starts to burn fat."
So basically anything after eight hours, your body is working for you. I have tried this once and it was surprisingly easy and kind of became a game of sorts. If you stop eating around 7 pm, your eight hours is over while you sleep. I would then not eat until after a morning workout. I extended hours with little effort. During the times where you can eat, you eat well. If you stay away from the things you know you shouldn't eat, this method does wonders for the mindset.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful reply! I will have to check out the work of the doctor in Atlanta. :-) also, it’s great to hear that you have seen such positive benefits from fasting! I am thinking about trying more of the windows of eating, instead of the 5:2 plan.