Has anyone GAINED weight/fat doing intermittent fasting?

gregpack

BigMIke, I too would recommend a higher protein diet, especially if there is going to be a large caloric deficit.

I once was much larger (300lbs plus)and went on caloric restriction. I'm a carb junky by nature. when I restricted my calories I neglected following protein counts. As a result I ate too little protein, (and also did too much cardio, another subject BTW). I can tell you I did lose a lot of muscle over my early period of weight loss.

In times of severe caloric restriction your body will use some ingested protein as a fuel source. That means there will be even less available for muscle repair& growth. There is research online you can find that supports this.

Bottom line, don't skimp on protein, I would also not go low fat for too long a period, due to dietary fat playing a role in proper hormone function.

To stay on topic, I have tried IF for a few weeks. One of the things I didn't like about intermittent fasting was trying to cram that much protein (200 gs plus)in the 8 hr eating window.

paleojoe

Hi, well my overall goal isn't to lose weight since I am 6'1" with a 34 inch waist. I wanted to get more lean, which actually does involve losing weight, but I wanted to replace that weight with muscle. I read that proper IF can up natural HGH levels up to 2000%.

In the gym or during my workouts I feel more aggressive and I do have more energy. In the first 10 days I lost 3 KG (6.5 lbs) and then I gained back 1. I have only been doing this for 3 weeks.

I eat about 1200 calories daily and much of those are carbs, mostly pastas.

So, I am wondering why are my fat loss results much slower than what others are experiencing...

IF for the HGH benefits but eat to maintenance, or even a little above maintenance and LIFT to build the muscle.

6'1" with a 34" waist... you need not lose any weight.

justineismoney

I think what you have to remember with IF is that you can't eat anything you want (no you can't eat cheesecake only during your 8 hour window). You need to eat low carb and high protein. My boss swears by IF and has lost 20 lbs in a year, but I simply can't eat low carb since I get too cranky.

paleojoe

I think what you have to remember with IF is that you can't eat anything you want (no you can't eat cheesecake only during your 8 hour window). You need to eat low carb and high protein. My boss swears by IF and has lost 20 lbs in a year, but I simply can't eat low carb since I get too cranky.

You have to eat high protein low carb with IF? Why?

SkimFlatWhite68

weight training should be a part of any fat loss plan.

^^This, this and this.

16:8 IF is terrific, I like it, but it's not for everyone. As suggested, try it for a month, if you don't like it, stop.

Eating at a surplus will cause weight gain whether or not you eat those calories in an 8 hour window or every 2 hours.

kimosabe1

awe yeah!:drinker:

spookiefox

This is from the webMD page on fasting-
"When you fast, your body is forced to dip into energy stores to get the fuel it needs to keep going, so you will lose weight. The big question is how long you will keep that weight off. Because food was often scarce for our ancestors, our bodies have been genetically programmed to combat the effects of fasting. When you eat less food, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Then, when you go back to your usual diet, your lowered metabolism may cause you to store more energy, meaning that you will probably gain back the weight you lost and possibly even put on more weight when eating the same calories you did before the fast.

As you fast, your body will adjust by reducing your appetite, so you will initially feel less hungry. But once you have stopped fasting, your appetite hormones will kick back into gear and you may actually feel hungrier and be more likely to binge.

Research has shown that fasting on alternate days can help people lose weight, but not for long. In one study, people who followed an alternate-day fasting diet shed weight, even when they ate all they wanted on the non-fasting days. However, they could not maintain the weight loss over time."

IF, especially 16/8, isn't in any way like when our ancestors experienced food shortages. Eight of the sixteen are sleep time. EVERYONE, for the most part, fasts while they sleep.

chrisdavey

weight training should be a part of any fat loss plan.

Eating at a surplus will cause weight gain whether or not you eat those calories in an 8 hour window or every 2 hours.

These are the take home points.

And no HP/LC is not a requirement of IF. Getting enough protein should be a secondary priority after total cals on any diet.

jjrichard83

This is from the webMD page on fasting-
"When you fast, your body is forced to dip into energy stores to get the fuel it needs to keep going, so you will lose weight. The big question is how long you will keep that weight off. Because food was often scarce for our ancestors, our bodies have been genetically programmed to combat the effects of fasting. When you eat less food, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Then, when you go back to your usual diet, your lowered metabolism may cause you to store more energy, meaning that you will probably gain back the weight you lost and possibly even put on more weight when eating the same calories you did before the fast.

As you fast, your body will adjust by reducing your appetite, so you will initially feel less hungry. But once you have stopped fasting, your appetite hormones will kick back into gear and you may actually feel hungrier and be more likely to binge.

Research has shown that fasting on alternate days can help people lose weight, but not for long. In one study, people who followed an alternate-day fasting diet shed weight, even when they ate all they wanted on the non-fasting days. However, they could not maintain the weight loss over time."

I know this is a real old thread and post, but I felt like I needed to msg.... WebMD is FULL of half and untruths. They are stuck in the 80's & 90's as far as nutritional education goes. Fasting - especially what is being talked about here does NOT do anything negatively to your metabolism. In fact it actually increases it. Check out Martin Berkhan & Brad Pilon. They have done their research and are much more credible than webmd.

Janderson86E30

I just did it for a month, and gained 3 lbs. In 2 weeks of going back to clean eating and regular intervals of eating, I've lost 2 lbs. again.

be_patient

I did the 18/6 for one working week, because it fit well with my school hours, but once the wekend came I was off it. I lost 2-2.5 kgs in that week, but I found it impossible to do during weekends, and since it's holidays now, I've stopped it. All the weight came back on (and more, I'm afraid to say-but that is solely my horrible eating habbits) but if you're commited it would work so well for you.

QuietBloom

Of course people have gained weight doing IF. If they ate too many calories. IF is an interesting idea, but scientific results are still scant on the benefits. I can't work out fasting. I blood sugar crash big time, but that's just me.

GymTennis

Of course you can gain weight while IF.. If you're in a caloric surplus every day, you WILL gain weight, regardless of your eating window being 8 or 2 hours...And this goes for every single diet approach..It's that simple...Calories in, calories out applies equally with all diets..(IF is not a diet actually, it;s just an eating time frame)... That being said, if you do IF at the calorie maintenance THERE IS NO WAY you can gain weight, and if you do IF on a caloric deficit you can lose a lot in a fairly short period of time...

I've been doing IF for a year now and love it.. First off, I used it to lose some fat and my love handles which weren't bad at all but i just hated it..,, Once I saw veins again around my waist and abs after 2 years of being relatively sedentary, I switched to lean bulking process using IF approach..Both ways, the results were great..

Some people might find it hard to adapt, some find it easy.. I found it easy, I never cared for breakfast anyway and can go for hours with no food after I wake up.. However, after I'm done with the gym my first meal is like 2000 calories easily....And in the next few hours I top up to 3000 calories, which is a really slight caloric surplus for me..And guess what, I'm still able to see veins around my waist but slowly putting on some muscle..

GymTennis

And may I also add.. I don't think that eating 3000 calories evenly spread in 6-8 meals would be less beneficial for me.. IF suits me all the way cause I work evenings, I workout in the morning and I love working out fasted.. Other than that, I wouldn't mind hitting my macros in the traditional 3 square meals+snacks pattern or 6 small meals which I find inconvenient for me..

GymTennis

By reading some comments in this thread I can see there's a lot of people who have misconceptions when it comes to IF.. Some of them said they have actually gained weight using IF which was quite the opposite from their goals, namely, to lose weight.. Well, guess what .. ? You've gained cause you misunderstood IF concept from the beginning, probably thinking that fasting for 16 or 20 hours will entitle you to eating whatever you want, or to be more exact, AS MUCH as you want .. Again, IF or no, you still have to track your calorie intake, calories in vs. calories out is still the key to lose, maintain or gain weight.

IF might have some other benefits for your body but it doesn't mean you can engorge yourself with food like there's no tomorrow. I find it ridiculous when someone says, I did IF to lose weight, but I actually gained..