Intermittent Fasting

[The Chaddening]

Just curious how many do intermittent fasting and what protocol (16/8, 5 days on 2 days fasting, etc.).

[Rony316]

Been intermittent fasting for the better part of five years. I don't use it as a religion but just eat as I feel hungry. My typical day consists of going to work (or class in years past) on an empty stomach, burning an hour or so at home, go to the gym, then eat. I mainly do this as an adherence method as I have a rather large appetite. This allows me to eat huge meals and feel satisfied without becoming a cow. It actually helped me lose well over 80lbs (35+kg). Obviously, a proper caloric deficit needs to occur to lose weight, or caloric surplus to gain weight.

[kprocivic]

I have done it for the last few years also but I would lose a ton of muscle. I would eat lunch, gym, dinner, and not eat again until lunch the next day. This year I haven't done it though, I been trying to eat consistently.

[The Chaddening]

Originally Posted by Rony316

Been intermittent fasting for the better part of five years. I don't use it as a religion but just eat as I feel hungry. My typical day consists of going to work (or class in years past) on an empty stomach, burning an hour or so at home, go to the gym, then eat. I mainly do this as an adherence method as I have a rather large appetite. This allows me to eat huge meals and feel satisfied without becoming a cow. It actually helped me lose well over 80lbs (35+kg). Obviously, a proper caloric deficit needs to occur to lose weight, or caloric surplus to gain weight.

Thanks for your response.

I have been tracking macros for years but have left out nutrient timing for a while now. After reading some more research on the effects of insulin, GH, and test, I figured it's worth a shot.

Still eating the same amount of calories, just pushing breakfast back a couple hours and eating a larger dinner so I am not hungry for my fasted training in the morning.

Question for you - is your window the same everyday (mine is 9:30am-5:30PM now) or does it change on certain days? I stay up later on the weekends so I would be tempted to start my window later in the day.

[Rony316]

Like I mentioned above it's not a religion for me, just an adherence tool. Some days I get home from work and need some preworkout carbs so I'll have some bread or whatnot. I honestly don't even think about it anymore, it just kind of happens for me, which has greatly helped me with daytime appetite control.

I also don't think nutrient timing is important in the grand scheme. Adherence is much more important in my eyes. Obviously if everything was perfect in your diet, you could then think about timing, but I don't think the added stress is worth it.

[jgoens]

Most of the time I don't eat past 8pm and then I don't eat anything until around 11:30 AM the next day. I go the gym in the morning around 9 am and find the workout to be better most of the time on an empty stomach.

On days I feel like eating in the morning it is always very little such as a banana or a small bowl of cereal. I generally eat pretty small meals and at 5'9 have been able to maintain a weight of 185 for many years.

[vinylengraver]

I did IF and ultra low carb (with weekly carb reloads) for four years starting in 2011. 16 hour intervals daily for IF.

My blood sugar, blood pressure and bodyweight got back to normal about midway and in the last two years or so I changed the routine to introduce daily carbs into my diet, but I only eat real food and not too much.
Last meal before 7:00pm, breakfast at 10:00am.

I also make sure I have solid 8 hours of sleep every night, longer on the weekends.

Additionally I changed jobs and stopped spending 10hrs a day at a desk.
All in all I dropped my pant size from a tight 42 to a loose 34 in the process... Been wearing the same size for the last 4 years - that has been always an indicator for me. Scales lie and mirrors are subjective.
My usual routine requires a lot of physical activity and I spend my days running around so that helps as well.

I think it's the combination of all of those things, but the so called intermittent fasting was a good start - it definitely did (and still does) play an important part in it.

[Bt12]

I do it on and off. Less time to binge eat in general. I typically do it on my gym days. I like to do cardio and lifting fasted.

[smoosh]

tried it, didn't like it. when im dieting, like I am now, I'll front load my carbs before I workout, moderate carbs first meal post workout, and no carbs again until the next day. I think, personally for me, Intermittent Fasting with carbs only (usually 18/6) is way more effective at giving me energy to push heavy weight, maintaining enough glycogen to get through high intensity workout while still dropping body fat, and having zero cravings for sweets or burgers, etc. that means the 18 hours I don't have carbs will be moderate fats and high protein. Works great for me.

When i tried intermittent fasting for a couple weeks, had no energy for workout, dropped body weight too quickly, had crazy cravings, and digestion was extremely poor

[Bt12]

Originally Posted by smoosh

tried it, didn't like it. when im dieting, like I am now, I'll front load my carbs before I workout, moderate carbs first meal post workout, and no carbs again until the next day. I think, personally for me, Intermittent Fasting with carbs only (usually 18/6) is way more effective at giving me energy to push heavy weight, maintaining enough glycogen to get through high intensity workout while still dropping body fat, and having zero cravings for sweets or burgers, etc. that means the 18 hours I don't have carbs will be moderate fats and high protein. Works great for me.

When i tried intermittent fasting for a couple weeks, had no energy for workout, dropped body weight too quickly, had crazy cravings, and digestion was extremely poor

You could pre load carbs the night before . 400 grams

[smoosh]

Originally Posted by Bt12

You could pre load carbs the night before . 400 grams

no

[FlaPatsFan]

I’ve been doing it for about 3 years. For me what works best is fasting when I wake up. Only thing I consume is a shake first thing when I get up. It’s packed with super nutrients ie....super greens, hemp powder, chia/flax, emerg-c and some other stuff. I will usually train on an empty stomach shortly after. I have a bar or piece of fruit with me Incase I need to put something in my belly. After that it’s eat eat eat! Post workout meal being most important as that is your “window of gains”. Doing this has kept me strong,lean and fit. Especially getting into my 40’s and fighting of Father Time! Like I said this is what works for me.

[Mingwan]

I’ve been doing it for about a month. So I’m a newbie at it. My protocol is about the same as the one Terry Crews follows, except I stop eating a bit earlier than he does. It’s a 16/8 cycle, and I do it 7 days a week. First few days were difficult because I have bad eating habits. I have a tendency to eat before sleeping. Im still struggling to get the calories and proteins in before the 8 hour window closes. As a result, I’ve naturally lost a bit of weight just from that. I was really worried I would lose strength and muscle mass at the beginning, but it doesn’t seem like I have. I thought I would feel weak at the gym, but I’ve felt stronger, and have been able to push more weights. I’m losing about half a pound of weight per week while not losing any strength and energy at the gym.

[Bt12]

If you want to cut faster. Do steady state cardio fasted.

I’ve always been surprised at the comments around people losing size fasting. I think that applies really to muscle monsters cause of the amount of nutrition they need.

[smoosh]

Originally Posted by Bt12

If you want to cut faster. Do steady state cardio fasted.

I’ve always been surprised at the comments around people losing size fasting. I think that applies really to muscle monsters cause of the amount of nutrition they need.

You certainly can lose size fasting. A lot of that weight would be water and glycogen (including intestinal bulk), however. Decreased workout intensity, and consequently, inadequate muscle stimulation when weight training, for example, could be a factor that could contribute to losing lean body mass when cutting on intermittent fasting.

I think too many people overestimate the difficulty in losing lean body tissue. You would need to go through periods of long term starvation (e.g., 72+ hour fasts), or very long, continuous states of high physical activity (e.g., marathons) for your body to use lean muscle tissue for energy. Short term activities (eg., steady state cardio for 45 minutes) will not burn muscle tissue, if the calories are in a controlled deficit.

People who claim to lose "a lot of mass" when dieting and implementing high intensity cardio, low intensity cardio, intermittent fasting, low carbs, etc., had very little lean body mass to start with. They seriously underestimated how much body fat they actually had, and are shocked while cutting when they realize how little lean body mass they had. If your body is using a considerable amount of lean body tissue for energy, trust me, you'll know it. "Bodybuilders," found in your local gym and otherwise, who claim, "jogging/sprinting burns muscle bro!" are highly incorrect and highly lazy as fuck, and use that as an excuse to do less.

[cvstar9M3]

Ive been using it with great success for the past 8-9 months. I usually do 16 hour fasting 8 or 9 to 12 or 1pm. it works for me.

[jgoens]

Originally Posted by 37psi

I have been reading up about fasting and think I will give the 12 hr or so fast

Yeah, pretty easy--don't eat after 8pm and before 8am. Unless your a late night snacker it's pretty natural.

[Bt12]

A 16 hour fast really is just skipping breakfast.