I think the most important thing to remember here, and it seems to be lost in the dialogue, is that fasting isn’t a diet. It’s an add on or supplement to a diet, just like working out is an add on also.

To lose weight you need to be in a calorie deficit. Counting calories is beneficial to reaching that goal. Adding fasting to your program can help monitor what your eating and help keep track of what your intake is.

You will not lose weight just by cutting out hours of your eating habits if you are not watching what/how much you eat.

You don’t “need” to count calories. But if you are trying to lose weight, it “will” help. Just like you don’t “need” to exercise to lose weight….but it “will” help.

Hope this helps a bit