If health, longevity, and being lean are your goals then adopt this phrase "less food, less often". That really is the trick. There are so many benefits to fasting. What I recommend is doing a 24 hour fast once per week. As you get more advanced you can go further as when you surpass 24 hours the real anti-aging benefits kick in.
In the end if you are a bodybuilder looking to get huge then this lifestyle isn't going to work for you. Most of us are not in this category though.
If you are interested by this idea then try a 24 hour fast. Simply eat dinner, go to bed, and don't eat again until dinner the next day. The first time you do this it will be tough. I don't want to lie about that part. What happens though is the next time you do it, fasting becomes much easier. By the 3rd time you do it there is almost no struggle at all.
I love fasting now as it gives me a certain feeling of freedom. It is proof that we can be mentally tough when we try.
I also want to mention that while fasting my workouts have never suffered. I have not noticed any muscle loss either. That doesn't mean I haven't lost some but the fat and water loss may compensate and I definitely look better.