Intermittent Fasting Anyone?

[amazingswayze]

Just started intermittent fasting today. My last meal was 6pm last night and I broke my fast today at 11am with a protein shake after hitting legs, shoulders, and basketball at the gym. I plan on my feeding window being from 11am-7pm.

I've attempted it before and it didn't last long but now I feel like I am mentally ready. I was barely hungry at all today and it brings about a great sense of clarity when your stomach is empty. I know it's only day one, but I'm gonna ride this thing out for a bit and see how it changes my life.

Any thoughts/advice for a beginner to IF/Leangains?

 

[mrgoodstuff]

Just started intermittent fasting today. My last meal was 6pm last night and I broke my fast today at 11am with a protein shake after hitting legs, shoulders, and basketball at the gym. I plan on my feeding window being from 11am-7pm.

I've attempted it before and it didn't last long but now I feel like I am mentally ready. I was barely hungry at all today and it brings about a great sense of clarity when your stomach is empty. I know it's only day one, but I'm gonna ride this thing out for a bit and see how it changes my life.

Any thoughts/advice for a beginner to IF/Leangains?

I've done actual fasting days 24 hrs 1-3 times a week during the time I was restructuring my body from around 20% bodyfat down to 8%. It works. I would tend not to exert myself less hard on days I don't eat.

It works. An occasional fasting day thrown in say 1-3 times a MONTH is great to compensate for days you might have gorged or low activity days, and for some reason your energy is raised up from going thru the fasting. Some
say its growth hormone.

 

[amazingswayze]

I've done actual fasting days 24 hrs 1-3 times a week during the time I was restructuring my body from around 20% bodyfat down to 8%. It works. I would tend not to exert myself less hard on days I don't eat.

It works. An occasional fasting day thrown in say 1-3 times a MONTH is great to compensate for days you might have gorged or low activity days, and for some reason your energy is raised up from going thru the fasting. Some
say its growth hormone.

How long did it take you to drop 12% of your body fat?

 

[mrgoodstuff]

How long did it take you to drop 12% of your body fat?

Man it takes time. It took 5 months and I worked out nearly every day without a drop of alcohol. My diet was very clean with most days carbs under 100 grams. Fasted cardio was done first thing upon waking then a breakfast.

 

[amazingswayze]

Ok I can respect that. Right now it's still 16-8 for me. Soon when I feel ready it will be 18-6, then 20-4. By then I should be able to handle a full 24 hr fast. Thanks for your insight!

100 g of carbs is sort of low though. It doesn't necessarily have to be that way. I understand though.

 

[lizardking82]

I started it 3 days ago and it is not hard at all to keep up with. 18-6 is more than OK and I am really loving it. Just a couple of days, as I said, but I can already feel the shifting in energy starting to show. Like, I do not feel heavy because of food anymore, for real.

 

[speed dawg]

As long as you don't overeat, fasting does some good things for you. I always tended to overeat. When I was in college I always just at lunch and dinner, and that was fine Sunday through Wednesday, but Thursday through Friday I'd always fall off the wagon, eat a pizza, get drunk, etc.

 

[amazingswayze]

I started it 3 days ago and it is not hard at all to keep up with. 18-6 is more than OK and I am really loving it. Just a couple of days, as I said, but I can already feel the shifting in energy starting to show. Like, I do not feel heavy because of food anymore, for real.

It's too soon for either of us to honestly say that it has been engrained in our brains as a habit. It's going to take a bit longer to fully adapt, some obstacles (family), psychologically (cravings), etc. I'd love to hear how it goes over the course of the next few weeks/months though!

 

[amazingswayze]

As long as you don't overeat, fasting does some good things for you. I always tended to overeat. When I was in college I always just at lunch and dinner, and that was fine Sunday through Wednesday, but Thursday through Friday I'd always fall off the wagon, eat a pizza, get drunk, etc.

Yeah I'm in college right now, all you can eat meal plan. Completely crushed lunch and dinner today. I'm actually extremely happy skipping breakfast from now on because it's actually the least healthy **** they serve here. Think about it cereal, bagels, fruit, bacon, hash brown patties, eggs, milk, coffee.... Yada yada yada.

This whole semester I've been going with 2 fried eggs, sometimes bacon and potato. The problem is that you get very little bang for your buck in terms of protein. It comes at the cost of high fat. Not to mention every thing they cook on the grill is with the lowest grade frying oil possible. Good riddens!

 

[lizardking82]

It's too soon for either of us to honestly say that it has been engrained in our brains as a habit. It's going to take a bit longer to fully adapt, some obstacles (family), psychologically (cravings), etc. I'd love to hear how it goes over the course of the next few weeks/months though!

Hope I don't forget to keep you updated on it

 

[mrgoodstuff]

Ok I can respect that. Right now it's still 16-8 for me. Soon when I feel ready it will be 18-6, then 20-4. By then I should be able to handle a full 24 hr fast. Thanks for your insight!

100 g of carbs is sort of low though. It doesn't necessarily have to be that way. I understand though.

Yes it's low, depends upon the person and his workload. When you have fat to burn, you don't need that many carbs, you need to be burning fat.

 

[amazingswayze]

Yes it's low, depends upon the person and his workload. When you have fat to burn, you don't need that many carbs, you need to be burning fat.

Definitely not if you're bulking. I guess you could, but carbs are blessed. Just don't overdo it.

A cup of rice and beans is ok, beneficial usually.
A stack of IHOP pancakes with syrup typically is not.

 

[mrgoodstuff]

Definitely not if you're bulking. I guess you could, but carbs are blessed. Just don't overdo it.

A cup of rice and beans is ok, beneficial usually.
A stack of IHOP pancakes with syrup typically is not.

My info is for staying lean or getting lean. Also I don't believe in whale style bulking... So if your staying lean, yes carbs are needed, but only enough to power you through your workouts and get you through the day, no more.

In my body it's real noticeable if in my last meal I don't have carbs at all. I look leaner when I wake up in the morning.

 

[Square Hammer]

It does work, and is what I use to stay lean and maintain my weight. Once it becomes a routine, it gets easier!

 

[WitnessGR]

I can confirm it does work, I did it for 4 months.

 

[homie]

Check out a book "warrior diet" by Ori Hofmekler, it's about fasting for whole day then eating all you want in evening. It says that ancient warriors used to eat like that. It definitely gives you more energy dyring the day, and it makes you go lean. I didn't last long with this diet, because I was lean already and I wanted to bulk, no to lose weight, so I dropped it. But I guess it will work well for guys with some fat.

 

[amazingswayze]

Update:

It has been officially one week of intermittent fasting. I haven't cheated, in fact I've fasted for more than 16 hours on several occasions. Usually 18, 20 hours twice. It's because I like to break the fast at 11/12, and have dinner no later than 5/6.

I find it much easier to forget about food when I'm in my fasting window. I actually think about food a whole lot more in my feeding window. After lunch, I am already thinking about dinner. However, after dinner I tell myself that I am done for the day and don't really get hungry all night.

The mornings are not as rough as you would expect. Perhaps because I take a stimulant/appetite suppressant in the form of Amino Lean. (2 scoops, lemon lime flavor)
https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/rsp-nutrition/aminolean.html
I mix it up in a bottle of vitamin water zero (0 cal), and on training days, I take Regen BCAA as well. (1 scoop, lemon lime)
https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/rsp-nutrition/regen.html

I'm feeling pretty good. My perspective on food has changed a lot. Yesterday I woke up at 7am and did not eat until 1:30. Just a week or so ago that would have been bizarre for me. I also would have been starving around 10 am.

It just goes to show how you can really change your eating habits. Your body will adapt.

I probably will not continue IF when I start bulking because it seems counterproductive. But so far, IF has got to be the single best method of weight loss I have ever tried. Energy levels are better, performance in the gym hasn't suffered, and I'm eating big meals. What else can you ask for?

I only have about 5 lbs left to lose, and once I reach my goal I will embark on a 6 month + bulk, deservedly. I've been dieting a long time and I learned a lot from my mistakes, and so far I feel like I am in the best shape of my life, and I'm working smarter, not harder.

If you go back to my early posts you will see that I've changed a lot.


Anyways, not much more to say. One successful week of intermittent fasting done. I am enjoying it a whole lot. I feel better mentally, physically, and spiritually. I've been addicted to food almost my whole life and now I feel better with an empty stomach. This is mind-blowing stuff. Everything I assumed about IF was wrong. I hit a PR on bench (175lbs) last weekend, completely fasted. I am 19y.o., 5'7, 152lbs this morning, and about 15% bf, maybe less. I've come a long way. Goal weight: 145lbs

If you're trying to lose fat, intermittent fasting could very well be the answer. In retrospect, eating small meals around the clock actually made me a lot hungrier. I do not have before/after lab work but I am entirely convinced that since I started IF my blood glucose and insulin sensitivity is far better.

Only time will tell.

 

[homie]

Yo
At the moment I practice intermittent fasting too, but I only eat in the morning and noon and go to sleep empty. That's because I take some herbal medicine before sleep (calea zacatechichi if you ask), it is taken on the empty stomach.
What can I say - I manage to bulk a little still (that's my goal), have a good sleep and a good appetite at the morning (I used to have troubles with that, couldn't eat my breakfast, because my guts were still sleeping at the morning, this led to bad energy during the day and was overall unhealthy).
I've always had low bodyfat and fast metabolism, but fasting works great for me too.

 

[amazingswayze]

Yo
At the moment I practice intermittent fasting too, but I only eat in the morning and noon and go to sleep empty. That's because I take some herbal medicine before sleep (calea zacatechichi if you ask), it is taken on the empty stomach.
What can I say - I manage to bulk a little still (that's my goal), have a good sleep and a good appetite at the morning (I used to have troubles with that, couldn't eat my breakfast, because my guts were still sleeping at the morning, this led to bad energy during the day and was overall unhealthy).
I've always had low bodyfat and fast metabolism, but fasting works great for me too.

So you're bulking? Why do intermittent fasting in a surplus?

 

[homie]

So you're bulking? Why do intermittent fasting in a surplus?

Yes, a little. I eat big meals and then just give my stomach time to rest. If I eat all day, I get an indigestion.
Intermittent feels like a natural way of eating for me.