Intermittent fasting question?

nykismile
nykismile Posts: 198
in Health and Weight Loss
Hope you all are having a nice Wednesday!

I've been doing intermittent fasting for a month and a half of so, and I love how it makes my body feel and the results I've gotten. But I'm wondering which method works better, doing 18:6 or 21:3.

The reason I ask this is because I usually eat two meals per today but sometimes I tend to overeat the first one, which kind of impairs the quality of my workouts (from being super-stuffed). That's what happened to me today and I'm wondering I should just eat one meal per day instead of two.

Has anyone here experimented with those eating hours? Which do you prefer?

Replies

  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Whichever method works for you is the best method. Is you goal currently fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance?
  • nykismile
    nykismile Posts: 198
    Whichever method works for you is the best method. Is you goal currently fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance?

    It's fat loss/toning up. I'm not at an aggressive deficit; eating around 1,600 to 1,800, aiming for half a pound a week or so.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Well you don't really tone in a deficit, toning actually doesn't exist. To look toned you must have low levels of body fat and at least spend a bit of time actively gaining muscle. Once you lose enough fat that you are as lean as you desire, you should try and slowly gain a few lbs in the form of muscle. This will achieve the toned look. During the muscle gain period, a 3 hour feeding window, while doable, is probably not optimal for muscle gain.
  • nykismile
    nykismile Posts: 198
    Well you don't really tone in a deficit, toning actually doesn't exist. To look toned you must have low levels of body fat and at least spend a bit of time actively gaining muscle. Once you lose enough fat that you are as lean as you desire, you should try and slowly gain a few lbs in the form of muscle. This will achieve the toned look. During the muscle gain period, a 3 hour feeding window, while doable, is probably not optimal for muscle gain.

    I lift weights and strength train but I can't gain muscle on a deficit. It's hard for me to be at a deficit all the time but the IF makes it easier.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Yeah, the dieting part kind of sucks but you get to eat more once you start trying to gain lean mass. The good news is, if you do it right, you can stay relatively lean year round while focusing on muscle building 3/4 of year. I generally only need to diet 2-3 months before summer then I maintain/lean gain the rest of the year. Maybe a couple 2 week mini cuts in the middle of the gaining phase (usually right after the holidays). You have to initially get lean first though and that is usually the hardest part. Just keep after it and stay consistent!
  • nykismile
    nykismile Posts: 198
    Yeah, the dieting part kind of sucks but you get to eat more once you start trying to gain lean mass. The good news is, if you do it right, you can stay relatively lean year round while focusing on muscle building 3/4 of year. I generally only need to diet 2-3 months before summer then I maintain/lean gain the rest of the year. Maybe a couple 2 week mini cuts in the middle of the gaining phase (usually right after the holidays). You have to initially get lean first though and that is usually the hardest part. Just keep after it and stay consistent!

    I will! Thank you for answering :)

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