Here is a pretty balanced look at IF:
http://www.fatlosstroubleshoot.com/if.html
I don't know that there's any metabolic magic to IF, any more than there is to the 6-meal/day bodybuilding dogma. There isn't a lot of solid research on IF in humans right now.
I eat 2 meals/day spread 8 hours apart followed by ~15.5 hours fasting(including sleep). I am running at a deficit of 1000 calories/day, and I've found that is the best way to manage hunger/cravings/etc. The 6 meals/day thing is a disaster for me--it leads to obsession with food.