IF and shakes

JakeBrownVB

Heya

I was looking to beging intermittent fasting with a 4-6 hour eating window between 1-5 or 12-6 etc. However I am curious as to when I should incorporate my protein shakes into this. I head to the gym at around 7pm 4 times a week which also makes me wonder when to take shakes as some people say shakes are best taken post workout, but of course this will break my fast. Unfortunatly I cannot get to the gym in the morning to workout which would be most conveniant for working out in a fasted state and getting a shake post workout.
Has anyone got any experiance with doing IF and taken shakes that could give me some advice? Any tips appreciated

JakeBrownVB

Bump for any help

majasmi

drink some casein protein right before ending your fast. its apparently slow absorbing. so it should last a few hours in your system. as compared to whey which is absorbed very fast. never used it though. so you can google about it.

pcastagner

Break your fast at 2, eat most of your calories after the gym. Your eating window would be 8 hours or so in that case..


You could also shift your eating window around when you need to.

JakeBrownVB

Is the old saying eating before bed is bad for you a rumour then? thanks for the help!

pcastagner

Is the old saying eating before bed is bad for you a rumour then? thanks for the help!

Never mind that. It's just based on a flawed assumption about sleep. I can't eat late but it's only because I get acid reflux if I do.

What time do you go to bed?

JakeBrownVB

I usually sleep by about 11

pcastagner

Hmmm maybe not a good approach then. Might affect the quality of your sleep, which would be counter productive.


You need an expert! Or, is it possible for you to get to sleep earlier, and wake up earlier to get to the gym? In which case you could take BCAA, then keep taking BCAA until its time to break the fast.


My gym fits in a bag and weighs less than 3lbs, that's another option. It consists of a TRX trainer, a resistance band, and a jump rope. I can work out just about anywhere.

Josee76

I usually sleep by about 11

Eat when you want, meal timing has no impact if you eat within your calories and meet your macros. If you can manage a later eating window and you think that this may work for you, then try that.

I do 18/6 most often but I have also done 20/4. I have broken my eating window as early as noon and as late as 4pm. I tend to end my day with cottage cheese, it has a similar effect as casein (slow release protein).

cfbuss29

Is the old saying eating before bed is bad for you a rumour then? thanks for the help!

I think that is more dependent on the person. Some people are more apt to getting heartburn/acid reflux if they lay down after eating a meal.

pcastagner

I usually sleep by about 11

Eat when you want, meal timing has no impact if you eat within your calories and meet your macros. If you can manage a later eating window and you think that this may work for you, then try that.

I do 18/6 most often but I have also done 20/4. I have broken my eating window as early as noon and as late as 4pm. I tend to end my day with cottage cheese, it has a similar effect as casein (slow release protein).

That's because it is full of casein!

Yeah, you're right, but I wouldn't want to be responsible for a reflux case. I'd be real careful about eating too soon before bed. Bit agreed, it has no effect on weight gain or loss.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Is the old saying eating before bed is bad for you a rumour then? thanks for the help!

I think that is more dependent on the person. Some people are more apt to getting heartburn/acid reflux if they lay down after eating a meal.

Eating before bed helps me sleep. I do 20/4 IF and workout around 6pm, eat from 7pm (or whenever I get back from the gym) until 11pm.

LolBroScience

Heya

I was looking to beging intermittent fasting with a 4-6 hour eating window between 1-5 or 12-6 etc. However I am curious as to when I should incorporate my protein shakes into this. I head to the gym at around 7pm 4 times a week which also makes me wonder when to take shakes as some people say shakes are best taken post workout, but of course this will break my fast. Unfortunatly I cannot get to the gym in the morning to workout which would be most conveniant for working out in a fasted state and getting a shake post workout.
Has anyone got any experiance with doing IF and taken shakes that could give me some advice? Any tips appreciated

You want most of you calories to come in post workout. Personally i go to bed around 10:30-11:00, and will cap off my post workout meal aroudn 8:00-9:00 (anywhere from 1500-2000 calories). Doesn't impact me in any negative manner as far as sleep is concerned (actually makes me more tired). As far as the shakes are concerned, just take it within your eating window.

JakeBrownVB

A lot of great help! mabe I could stick my window before and after the gym? so say I start my window at 5-7, get back from gym at 8-8.15 and eat post workout until 9 maybe 10?

However this does mean I will be going to the gym on a full stomach which might not be that great

pcastagner

I wouldn't start with a 5 hour window.

Ease into it with an 8 hour window, so 2pm to 10 pm.

Don't work out on a full stomach. I would do a shake 45 minutes before, right after, followed by big meal.

JakeBrownVB

How long you reckon is good to stop eating before doing a workout? I know some people say completely fasted is best but that dont seem possible with my schedule

LolBroScience

How long you reckon is good to stop eating before doing a workout? I know some people say completely fasted is best but that dont seem possible with my schedule

Completely fasted works for some people, not so well for others. Most who train fasted though train early in the morning. If you capped off eating at 8:00 the previous night, didn't eat all day and then hit the gym at 6:00 PM, your performance will probably lack. Whereas if you capped off eating at 8:00 the previous night, and hit the gym at 6:00 AM for fasted training, it wouldn't (I'm speaking from personal experiences here). I work M-F, 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM and workout around 6:30 PM during the week. I typically break my fast around 3:00 PM with my last meal coming around 8:30 -9:00 as of late due to schedule changes.

For you i wouldn't reccommend starting with a smaller window. Ease your way into it and your stomach will thank you later. As the poster above me said start with 2:00 to 10:00PM and if you want to shrink the window down once your become more accustomed to it, then go for it. If you read the leangains.com site, he gives several examples of calorie breakdown depending on how many meals you eat. Personally, i eat about 800-900 calories pre workout (3 hours before) and the remaining post workout.

As for the shake, I would probably have it prior to gym with some light carbs. That way, you'll have a little food in your system, but won't feel full and bloated.

pcastagner

How long you reckon is good to stop eating before doing a workout? I know some people say completely fasted is best but that dont seem possible with my schedule

For fed state workouts, just make sure you don't throw up in your mouth. That's the rule I use, if I throw up in my mouth, I ate too soon and too much before my workout.

You'll figure it out, just get started!