Intermittent Fasting and structure
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jo_escolano
Posts: 19 Member
Hope you guys can correct me on all the things I'm doing wrong... coz the trainer at the gym wasn't any help. He doesn't advocate IF.
Goal is to lose as much body fat by Nov 10 (vacation), at least 30 lbs body fat. I'm 5"2, 39 years, female, 35% body fat, 168 lb.
IF Structure: I've been doing IF off and on for about a month now. When I say off and on, I try to fast as many days as I can (8pm to noon next day) and if I fall off the wagon one morning then I consider that not my fasting day. So really, I have no structure and I know I should or is it acceptable to wing my IF days just as long as it's 5 days in one week?
IF Days: During my IF days, I try to stay under 1200 cals, most of the time it's 2000 cals. Is this wrong?
Exercise: I work out also a maximum of 5 days per week (during the work week). I kickbox for 40 mins at a 9 Round gym. I burn between 300 to 400 cal and my heart rate is usually 90% on the chart for most of that time. I almost always do fasted cardio but I don't change my macros. My current macros are 10% carbs, 50% fat and 40% Protein everyday. I feel my macros is wrong. Anyone know a good macros calculator for IF?
Not IF Days: So during my not IF days... I still stick to 1200 to 2000 cals... is this wrong? I read somewhere I need to go lower in cals during my not IF days. And should I eat 6 small meals a day during these Non-IF-Days?
Goal is to lose as much body fat by Nov 10 (vacation), at least 30 lbs body fat. I'm 5"2, 39 years, female, 35% body fat, 168 lb.
IF Structure: I've been doing IF off and on for about a month now. When I say off and on, I try to fast as many days as I can (8pm to noon next day) and if I fall off the wagon one morning then I consider that not my fasting day. So really, I have no structure and I know I should or is it acceptable to wing my IF days just as long as it's 5 days in one week?
IF Days: During my IF days, I try to stay under 1200 cals, most of the time it's 2000 cals. Is this wrong?
Exercise: I work out also a maximum of 5 days per week (during the work week). I kickbox for 40 mins at a 9 Round gym. I burn between 300 to 400 cal and my heart rate is usually 90% on the chart for most of that time. I almost always do fasted cardio but I don't change my macros. My current macros are 10% carbs, 50% fat and 40% Protein everyday. I feel my macros is wrong. Anyone know a good macros calculator for IF?
Not IF Days: So during my not IF days... I still stick to 1200 to 2000 cals... is this wrong? I read somewhere I need to go lower in cals during my not IF days. And should I eat 6 small meals a day during these Non-IF-Days?
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Replies
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I'm confused...which type of IF are you trying to do? If it's 16:8 or similar, then you eat the calorie amount given to you by MFP in that eight hour window. Even if you break your fast early, you would still be eating the same amount of calories. If it's 5:2, you should be eating 500 calories on your two fasting days and maintenance on the other five days. There's nothing magical about IF, it just helps you adhere to a calorie deficit.7
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I'm confused...which type of IF are you trying to do? If it's 16:8 or similar, then you eat the calorie amount given to you by MFP in that eight hour window. Even if you break your fast early, you would still be eating the same amount of calories. If it's 5:2, you should be eating 500 calories on your two fasting days and maintenance on the other five days. There's nothing magical about IF, it just helps you adhere to a calorie deficit.
New here. How do you setup MFP to calculate your required calories during your 8 hr eating window?2 -
doingitforme96 wrote: »I'm confused...which type of IF are you trying to do? If it's 16:8 or similar, then you eat the calorie amount given to you by MFP in that eight hour window. Even if you break your fast early, you would still be eating the same amount of calories. If it's 5:2, you should be eating 500 calories on your two fasting days and maintenance on the other five days. There's nothing magical about IF, it just helps you adhere to a calorie deficit.
New here. How do you setup MFP to calculate your required calories during your 8 hr eating window?
It's what was given to you when you signed up. You just eat that amount in a shorter amount of time.0 -
You need a calorie deficit to lose weight. 6 meals, IF, macros, exercise......none of it is required for weight loss.....these are personal choices.
The least number of calories MFP will give you is 1200 (before exercise)......that's at least 1200 calories 7 days a week. You need a 3500 calorie deficit each week for each pound of weight loss. 3500 from your maintenance calories.
Use a window (20:4/18:6 etc) to eat 1200 calories. If you choose exercise, eat 50% of those "earned" calories too. Eat 6 meals if that helps you stay full or not cheat. Macros are for satiety.
It's still calories.....my guess is 2000 is too much for weight loss.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/4 -
doingitforme96 wrote: »I'm confused...which type of IF are you trying to do? If it's 16:8 or similar, then you eat the calorie amount given to you by MFP in that eight hour window. Even if you break your fast early, you would still be eating the same amount of calories. If it's 5:2, you should be eating 500 calories on your two fasting days and maintenance on the other five days. There's nothing magical about IF, it just helps you adhere to a calorie deficit.
New here. How do you setup MFP to calculate your required calories during your 8 hr eating window?
It's what was given to you when you signed up. You just eat that amount in a shorter amount of time.
This^
It's the same number of calories.....you just choose to skip breakfast, or not snack after dinner. A smaller window just help some people meet their calories on a more consistent basis.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting2 -
Your goal is way too ambitious, that's more than two pounds per week and you don't have enough fat on your body to lose so much so fast.
Fasting is not eating. Intermittent fasting is just not eating all the time. There is no benefit outside the discipline a good meal structure can give you. Not eating from 8 pm to noon is no big deal, but as the goal isn't to fast for 16 hours, but to stick to your calorie goal, it doesn't matter if you "eat outside the feeding window", if doing so makes you stick to your calorie goal.
If you want to lose weight, 2000 calories is most likely too high. 1200 is most likely unnecessarily low. Consistency is good. You can indeed have high and low days, but it's usually a good idea to plan, then eat - not eat, and then find ways to justify the bad decision.
Your macros are off - low carb is high fat - but you can eat whatever way you like. It's better to start somewhere normal (MFP's default) and adjust from there, after you've tried it for a while, and use your own, personal experience and preference, than a bodybuilder calculator (unless you're a bodybuilder).
You can eat as many or as few meals as you want.10 -
I'm confused...which type of IF are you trying to do? If it's 16:8 or similar, then you eat the calorie amount given to you by MFP in that eight hour window. Even if you break your fast early, you would still be eating the same amount of calories. If it's 5:2, you should be eating 500 calories on your two fasting days and maintenance on the other five days. There's nothing magical about IF, it just helps you adhere to a calorie deficit.
I'm confused... Is 5:2 refers translate to 5 days regular and 2 days fasting? I thought it is 5 days fasting and 2 days regular. I do 16:8 and I try to stick to 1200 cal that MFP gave me, but when I work out and punch the exercise in, the cal increases to 2000. Do I eat what I worked out? What about exercise? Do you increase your carb macro during the days you exercise? Also, I read somewhere that IF is most effective after 12 hours (that's why I do 16), apparently it is not just to adhere to a calorie deficit. This article (page 4) says we only enter fat burning state when we reach 12 hours of fasting.
http://burnfatnotsugar.com/assets/if.pdf1 -
jo_escolano wrote: »I'm confused...which type of IF are you trying to do? If it's 16:8 or similar, then you eat the calorie amount given to you by MFP in that eight hour window. Even if you break your fast early, you would still be eating the same amount of calories. If it's 5:2, you should be eating 500 calories on your two fasting days and maintenance on the other five days. There's nothing magical about IF, it just helps you adhere to a calorie deficit.
I'm confused... Is 5:2 refers translate to 5 days regular and 2 days fasting? I thought it is 5 days fasting and 2 days regular. I do 16:8 and I try to stick to 1200 cal that MFP gave me, but when I work out and punch the exercise in, the cal increases to 2000. Do I eat what I worked out? What about exercise? Do you increase your carb macro during the days you exercise? Also, I read somewhere that IF is most effective after 12 hours (that's why I do 16), apparently it is not just to adhere to a calorie deficit. This article (page 4) says we only enter fat burning state when we reach 12 hours of fasting.
http://burnfatnotsugar.com/assets/if.pdf
While I love IF as a potential way to maintain a calorie level, this is a good example of why people need to do much more research before jumping into it.
5:2 is eating at maintenance for 5 days and 500 calories (800 for men) 2 non-consecutive days a week. This type of IF establishes one's calorie deficit through those 2 500/800 calorie days. This is very similar to the type of intermittent fasting advocated in Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon, which by the way is a good read.
16:8 (or 20:4, 14:10) are eating patterns for a 24 hour period which extend one's overnight fasting time to allow one to eat at a calorie deficit, yet still have larger meals. In this case the deficit is established by setting a daily calorie goal (MFP's numbers for you) which you then eat in a smaller daily time period of 8 (or 4 or 10) hours rather than spreading them out through the whole day.
These two should not be combined together. Either using a smaller eating window, or do one or two days of 24 hour fasts a week eating at maintenance the other days.
As for burning fat, you will do that when you are in a calorie deficit. Nothing more is needed. That deficit should not be too big or you will burn a lot of lean tissue with that fat, so at most a 2 pound per week goal for those who are obese, and less than that for those who have less to lose. I didn't read the article you are talking about, but fat burning happens even without fasting when one is at a daily calorie deficit. If you got your fasting information from it, I would say it is not a good source for information. For that matter, saying fat burning only happens after 12 hours of fasting, I would say it certainly is not a reliable source as that is simply not true. Your body switches between energy sources throughout the day depending on what you are doing. Different types of activity require different fuel sources. For that matter it is switching between fat burning and fat storage throughout the day depending on energy availability, but if overall you are burning more than you are eating, you will end up with less fat by the end of the day.5 -
If you're willing to commit totally try Keto to lose fat.12
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There isn't a right and wrong here.
You use intemittent fasting to help make your calorie deficit easier. I do IF every day, but if you are only doing it some days, sure, eating less calories on those days to take advantage of the smaller eating window is a fine idea.
Personally, I recommend trying IF out for at least a month and doing it every day so your body can adapt and you won't get super hungry during the fasting period. If you are only doing it on random days, the hunger might get to you.1 -
If you're willing to commit totally try Keto to lose fat.
Which will do nothing more for weight loss than an equivalent calorie intake with any other macro split, aside from the initial glycogen/water weight loss. It's great if it helps somebody with satiety/adherence, but there's no magic to it aside from that.
Intermittent fasting is the same thing - it helps some people with satiety and adherence, but other than that there's no magic in eating your calories within 8 hours of the day instead of the same number of calories spread out over 10, 12 or 16 hours. IF is just the new trendy thing.
I more or less do 16/8, but it's just because that's how I prefer to eat and it works best for me in terms of satiety.4 -
OP, I don't want to discourage you, but it's not realistic for you to lose 30 lbs in 3 months. 2 lbs per week is only realistic for someone with a lot of weight to lose. I'd say 15 lbs is more likely.
There are two types of IF as a previous poster explained, and it sounds like you are getting the two confused. Regardless, you eat the same amount of calories per week, whether you are doing 16:8 IF, or 5:2 IF, or just counting calories. Just pick the way of eating that makes it easiest for you to hit your calorie goal, and have fun on your vacation!5 -
OP, I don't want to discourage you, but it's not realistic for you to lose 30 lbs in 3 months. 2 lbs per week is only realistic for someone with a lot of weight to lose. I'd say 15 lbs is more likely.
...... have fun on your vacation!
This is very sound advice.
Tying an aggressive weight loss to a specific number and specific date is one of many recipes for failure - especially if it's too aggressive.
If you are not thinking about this long-term, you are not helping yourself. Time is your friend. You don't win by doing this the quickest. You win by doing this the healthiest.
5 -
jo_escolano wrote: »Hope you guys can correct me on all the things I'm doing wrong... coz the trainer at the gym wasn't any help. He doesn't advocate IF.
Goal is to lose as much body fat by Nov 10 (vacation), at least 30 lbs body fat. I'm 5"2, 39 years, female, 35% body fat, 168 lb.
IF Structure: I've been doing IF off and on for about a month now. When I say off and on, I try to fast as many days as I can (8pm to noon next day) and if I fall off the wagon one morning then I consider that not my fasting day. So really, I have no structure and I know I should or is it acceptable to wing my IF days just as long as it's 5 days in one week?
IF Days: During my IF days, I try to stay under 1200 cals, most of the time it's 2000 cals. Is this wrong?
Exercise: I work out also a maximum of 5 days per week (during the work week). I kickbox for 40 mins at a 9 Round gym. I burn between 300 to 400 cal and my heart rate is usually 90% on the chart for most of that time. I almost always do fasted cardio but I don't change my macros. My current macros are 10% carbs, 50% fat and 40% Protein everyday. I feel my macros is wrong. Anyone know a good macros calculator for IF?
Not IF Days: So during my not IF days... I still stick to 1200 to 2000 cals... is this wrong? I read somewhere I need to go lower in cals during my not IF days. And should I eat 6 small meals a day during these Non-IF-Days?
1 your goal is far too ambitious. That's too much weight in a short time.
2 you really have IF confused and you needed to have done a lot better research. There is so much wrong with your plan.
You are mixing too many things and not knowing why you are doing anything. IF doesn't make you lose weight any faster than traditional dieting. Especially the eating window set up (16:8, 20:4, etc)
5:2 is an actual weight loss protocol, but you eat 500 calories on 2 non-consectutive days in order to create your deficit.
Why are you eating low carb?
Eat 1 meal or 6, it doesn't really matter for weight loss. It may affect how hungry you are and your adherence to a deficit, but won't make you lose fat any faster otherwise.5 -
jo_escolano wrote: »Hope you guys can correct me on all the things I'm doing wrong... coz the trainer at the gym wasn't any help. He doesn't advocate IF.
Goal is to lose as much body fat by Nov 10 (vacation), at least 30 lbs body fat. I'm 5"2, 39 years, female, 35% body fat, 168 lb.
IF Structure: I've been doing IF off and on for about a month now. When I say off and on, I try to fast as many days as I can (8pm to noon next day) and if I fall off the wagon one morning then I consider that not my fasting day. So really, I have no structure and I know I should or is it acceptable to wing my IF days just as long as it's 5 days in one week?
IF Days: During my IF days, I try to stay under 1200 cals, most of the time it's 2000 cals. Is this wrong?
Exercise: I work out also a maximum of 5 days per week (during the work week). I kickbox for 40 mins at a 9 Round gym. I burn between 300 to 400 cal and my heart rate is usually 90% on the chart for most of that time. I almost always do fasted cardio but I don't change my macros. My current macros are 10% carbs, 50% fat and 40% Protein everyday. I feel my macros is wrong. Anyone know a good macros calculator for IF?
Not IF Days: So during my not IF days... I still stick to 1200 to 2000 cals... is this wrong? I read somewhere I need to go lower in cals during my not IF days. And should I eat 6 small meals a day during these Non-IF-Days?
1 your goal is far too ambitious. That's too much weight in a short time.
2 you really have IF confused and you needed to have done a lot better research. There is so much wrong with your plan.
You are mixing too many things and not knowing why you are doing anything. IF doesn't make you lose weight any faster than traditional dieting. Especially the eating window set up (16:8, 20:4, etc)
5:2 is an actual weight loss protocol, but you eat 500 calories on 2 non-consectutive days in order to create your deficit.
Why are you eating low carb?
Eat 1 meal or 6, it doesn't really matter for weight loss. It may affect how hungry you are and your adherence to a deficit, but won't make you lose fat any faster otherwise.
Thanks for the input! Sorry for the delay in response. When I posted this I JUST read about 5:2 and I haven't moved on from 16:8 and got confused... thus the post. But I got it now. I'm doing better. I've ignored the 5:2, continuing the 16:8 most days in the week. I've used this calculator https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ to get my macros and stopped over complicating things.0 -
Ok, so if you're doing IF it doesn't change your calorie goals. If your goal is to eat 1500 calories a day, you just eat those 1500 calories in your "eating window". Or whatever you call it. If you are not fasting, then you have to spread them out over the whole day including breakfast.
I do "IF" (aka skipping breakfast) as a way to allow myself to eat a bigger lunch and dinner.0 -
OP, I don't want to discourage you, but it's not realistic for you to lose 30 lbs in 3 months. 2 lbs per week is only realistic for someone with a lot of weight to lose. I'd say 15 lbs is more likely.
There are two types of IF as a previous poster explained, and it sounds like you are getting the two confused. Regardless, you eat the same amount of calories per week, whether you are doing 16:8 IF, or 5:2 IF, or just counting calories. Just pick the way of eating that makes it easiest for you to hit your calorie goal, and have fun on your vacation!
Thanks. You're right but sometimes...... There are so many programs out there that can help you lose weight FAST and it's tempting to just jump into those weightloss programs... but I don't know anyone personally who have kept the weight off. Thanks for the advise. I see my mom in November and she's not nice to me when she sees I've put on some weight. So I want to lose the weight so I can have a decent vacation with my husband and kids. But, I know she'll be whispering to me during dinner a few nights "you better not eat so much, you've become very fat, you keep this up your husband will cheat on you and leave you." y'know... things like that. But anyway.... new goal now is 15lbs by the time vacation comes around. Thanks for the advise!0 -
If you're willing to commit totally try Keto to lose fat.
Which will do nothing more for weight loss than an equivalent calorie intake with any other macro split, aside from the initial glycogen/water weight loss. It's great if it helps somebody with satiety/adherence, but there's no magic to it aside from that.
Intermittent fasting is the same thing - it helps some people with satiety and adherence, but other than that there's no magic in eating your calories within 8 hours of the day instead of the same number of calories spread out over 10, 12 or 16 hours. IF is just the new trendy thing.
I more or less do 16/8, but it's just because that's how I prefer to eat and it works best for me in terms of satiety.
You don't believe in all the benefits that comes with a ketogenic diet? So, if you want to cut how would you go about it?0 -
jo_escolano wrote: »OP, I don't want to discourage you, but it's not realistic for you to lose 30 lbs in 3 months. 2 lbs per week is only realistic for someone with a lot of weight to lose. I'd say 15 lbs is more likely.
There are two types of IF as a previous poster explained, and it sounds like you are getting the two confused. Regardless, you eat the same amount of calories per week, whether you are doing 16:8 IF, or 5:2 IF, or just counting calories. Just pick the way of eating that makes it easiest for you to hit your calorie goal, and have fun on your vacation!
Thanks. You're right but sometimes...... There are so many programs out there that can help you lose weight FAST and it's tempting to just jump into those weightloss programs... but I don't know anyone personally who have kept the weight off. Thanks for the advise. I see my mom in November and she's not nice to me when she sees I've put on some weight. So I want to lose the weight so I can have a decent vacation with my husband and kids. But, I know she'll be whispering to me during dinner a few nights "you better not eat so much, you've become very fat, you keep this up your husband will cheat on you and leave you." y'know... things like that. But anyway.... new goal now is 15lbs by the time vacation comes around. Thanks for the advise!
Sounds to me like you should find another place to vacation!3 -
jo_escolano wrote: »OP, I don't want to discourage you, but it's not realistic for you to lose 30 lbs in 3 months. 2 lbs per week is only realistic for someone with a lot of weight to lose. I'd say 15 lbs is more likely.
There are two types of IF as a previous poster explained, and it sounds like you are getting the two confused. Regardless, you eat the same amount of calories per week, whether you are doing 16:8 IF, or 5:2 IF, or just counting calories. Just pick the way of eating that makes it easiest for you to hit your calorie goal, and have fun on your vacation!
Thanks. You're right but sometimes...... There are so many programs out there that can help you lose weight FAST and it's tempting to just jump into those weightloss programs... but I don't know anyone personally who have kept the weight off. Thanks for the advise. I see my mom in November and she's not nice to me when she sees I've put on some weight. So I want to lose the weight so I can have a decent vacation with my husband and kids. But, I know she'll be whispering to me during dinner a few nights "you better not eat so much, you've become very fat, you keep this up your husband will cheat on you and leave you." y'know... things like that. But anyway.... new goal now is 15lbs by the time vacation comes around. Thanks for the advise!
Sadly, she sounds toxic. I've had to make it clear to my parents that if they make mean comments to me, they don't see me. She probably will pick on something else if it's not weight. You need to want to lose weight for you, not her.
Also, talk to your husband and set up a game plan for boundaries when she tries this behavior. This isn't you. This is her.1
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