Intermittent Fasting Advice

Winston1717

Broke my leg 9 weeks ago and lost more weight the first part of recovering (muscle loss) Got back to some of my workouts very early...but cannot do my HIIT or cardio the way I used to yet. Gained back my muscle but also some of the fat too. My ticker is back down to 0. Bottom line, I would like to find out if IF is for me as I would like to lean up and lose the last 12-pounds I had originally set out for. I still work out 5 times per week and do as much HIIT as I can. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

chrisdavey

try it and see.

Heaps of info here as there are different types. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/599982-intermittent-fasting-faq

Winston1717

Thanks Chris...that is a wealth of information. I 'll check it out.

kirkor

Yep, lots of good links in the sticky.

Definitely give it a try! I've been IF'ing for ~3yrs now and it's awesome. I like eating big meals so it's perfect for me. Reduced time spent preparing/cooking/cleaning meals is nice.
Also the potential science-y benefits are really encouraging -- I like feeling like I'm investing in my future self.

Showcase_Brodown

IF is a pretty cool strategy. It's not for everyone, but many people like it.

Much of what I've learned about IF and weight training is from reading up on Martin Berkhan's blog, leangains. Perhaps you've heard of it. There is a gold mine of good information there.

I've been following a leangains approach since some time in the spring. My goals are a little bit different because I have been adding to my frame with a slight surplus. But most of the client results examples you'll find on leangains are focused around fat loss. Seeing the before and after pictures is inspiring.

But yeah, I love doing IF. I don't think I will ever go back to a "normal" eating schedule.

Winston1717

Thanks..appreciate the feedback...day one is today.

GymTennis

Oh, yeah.. Intermittent fasting works.. For me, it's just natural cause, for some reason, I've never cared for breakfast since I was a little kid... Most of the time, I'm not hungry 4,5 hours after I wake up...I also work out on an empty stomach, it feels so much better for me.. So when I have to eat, I am really hungry and I enjoy while eating.. Basically, my eating window is from 12 p.m. till 8 p.m. However, given that I need 3000 calories to maintain, I sometimes find it hard to squeeze in all those calories within 8 hours.. So, pretty much every day I have to take some "sin food" to hit my calories, cause I don't want to lose weight right now..And I'm pretty lean year round..

However, not everybody is cut out for IF.. Lots of people find it hard to sustain, they are hungry all the time, they feel dizzy, they can't workout fasted etc.. Give it a try.. Start with 8 hour eating window.. If you feel all right.. Try 6 hour window.. It might take a few weeks till your body adopts, insulin level etc. but it can't hurt you... After all.. You're still taking your calories for the day... However do not go with a big caloric deficit in the beginning.. Good luck..

jasonalvear

Lost plenty of fat and leaned out fairly well on IF some time ago, stopped doing it as I had trouble fitting my maintenance calories in the eating window, but I plan to get back on it if my calorie level is low enough again, if I even need to get that low again.

Nothing bad to say about IF whatsoever, it's not for everybody, and takes discipline if you are used to just eating when you are hungry. One recommendation, take a pic of yourself in HORRIBLE lighting right away, and start taking some progress pics for yourself every 3 or 4 weeks, you're gonna see the best differences with the pictures than just the day to day. Good luck and train hard!