I think one of the things you're striking on here is how IF can be really useful for people who eat excessive quantities and for people who engage in boredom-eating.

By fasting intermittently it sounds like you've changed your relationship to responding to hunger cues, to boredom, to the food you eat, and probably to how big a meal you need.

I think this is why IF is polarising - for some people, such as yourself, it's the right kind of lifestyle intervention and just what they need. For others it doesn't fit well at all. It's a bit like when someone gets a dog or moves to New York and suddenly, 6 months later, they are so much healthier in an effortless sort of way that it seems amazing but it turns out that the change in their lifestyle was enough to tip the scales towards healthier behaviours. Sometimes people just need that external motivation to get out and walk every morning or to sprint to the train, to use the steps on the subway multiple times per day, and to carry their groceries home on foot every other day which is all they needed to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

metabolic pathways are complex

Lol, this is such a mood. As a person who took interest in psychopharmacology later in life, I really wish I paid attention in biology class in school.