system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How does Intermittent Fasting (IF) work as opposed to eating multiple smaller meals a day?

I've always heard eating every 4 to 5 hours (not to be confused with 3 meals a day) is what is best for your body, but I see the effective results in the IF subreddit and don't understand the science behind eating all of your day's calories within a certain time frame. 

If someone could explain this, that would be great!
gpt
Calories in < calories burned and you'll lose weight.  Whether you eat twenty snacks throughout the day or one giant meal is ultimately up to personal preference and lifestyle, both methods will show similar results if you actually do it right.

Some people find the IF route simpler because you're eliminating the need to track or worry about small food inputs all day long.

Claims about "metabolism boosts" and other nonsense are marginal at best, complete pseudoscience at worst.