Questions about Intermittent Fasting

16 hour fast and 8 hours eating is classic lean gains, it works and works well.

You may want to look at carb back loading which is as if not more than effective than lean gains. You'll notice the difference after the first ten days.

I do it. I LOVE it. It's so easy, not anything I really have to think about. Doing Leangains with weights and cardio, I lost 46lbs in 4 months. Mostly fat. I've been at maintenance ever since. Actually, I'm struggling not to lose weight on maintenance...have to eat like, 2500-3000 cals a day and I'm 5'6", 145lbs now. I find it VERY effective and easy.

I've started doing 18 hrs fasting on a daily basis and added 2 days of 24hrs fasting while having begun strength training as well (4x a week).
So far, have dropped 19lbs and the funny thing is...even during the fasting, I don't have nor feel the urge of being hungry and looking for food.

However I'm sure I will hit some roadblocks along the way, as the body is a complex and very 'intelligent" machine where it knows and feels that you're trying to fool it thus it adjusts and sometimes causes hiccups on your weight loss. The important thing is to not give up if you get a bad result...just keep going on with your plan and stick to it no matter what....In the end, YOU and only YOU will turn out the winner.

Good-luck everyone...We're already all winners for being here

I would urge you to use a meal timing and/or frequency that fits your personal preferences and allows you the easiest path to hit your calorie and macro targets by end of day.

For example, if you try IF and give it a week or two and just discover that it's a poor fit for your lifestyle I'd stop doing it. Dietary adherence should still be at the top of your list.

That being said, while I don't strictly follow a feeding window, my eating habits most closely resemble an LG style since I skip breakfast and eat most of my calories in a shorter feed window.

There's certainly some research showing it to be favorable but hitting your end-of-day nutritional targets will trump anything nutrient-timing related. Choose the method that suits you best. I'd still recommend that you give IF a try because for many people it's the best thing ever. Eating large meals at night is full of win.

I would urge you to use a meal timing and/or frequency that fits your personal preferences and allows you the easiest path to hit your calorie and macro targets by end of day.

For example, if you try IF and give it a week or two and just discover that it's a poor fit for your lifestyle I'd stop doing it. Dietary adherence should still be at the top of your list.

That being said, while I don't strictly follow a feeding window, my eating habits most closely resemble an LG style since I skip breakfast and eat most of my calories in a shorter feed window.

There's certainly some research showing it to be favorable but hitting your end-of-day nutritional targets will trump anything nutrient-timing related. Choose the method that suits you best. I'd still recommend that you give IF a try because for many people it's the best thing ever. Eating large meals at night is full of win.

I dont stick to an exact schedule but saving my calories until later in the day has made a MAJOR difference in my being able to stay with the program...i LOVE eating later AHMNOMnomNOMnom!

What are some of your thoughts on intermittent fasting ? has anybody here tried it & if so how are the results coming along ? I'm thinking about doing a 16 hour fasting with an 8 hour eating window daily & was wondering if anybody here has experience in fasting ? any input on the subject would be appreciated, thanks

I decided a few days ago I was going to go with the 16hr fast 8 hour eating window daily thing to figure out what all the fuss is about :P So my experience with it has been limited to a few days. Personally, as long as I keep the calories the same, I feel no different. If I mess the math then I feel hungry for a while. My vision of it is it really doesn't matter when you eat, but I've read some positive things about IF so I decided to try it. Especially since there's a crap ton of people who seem to be against it but never seem to be able to list proof as to why? The only negative things I've really heard is the evidence that supports it can be bad in some ways for females...

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/women-and-intermittent-fasting/
http://www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/

Since you're not one give it a whirl. Especially if it's convenient. If you're doing it because it's popular and you think it will be life changing, then don't bother.

I would urge you to use a meal timing and/or frequency that fits your personal preferences and allows you the easiest path to hit your calorie and macro targets by end of day.

For example, if you try IF and give it a week or two and just discover that it's a poor fit for your lifestyle I'd stop doing it. Dietary adherence should still be at the top of your list.

That being said, while I don't strictly follow a feeding window, my eating habits most closely resemble an LG style since I skip breakfast and eat most of my calories in a shorter feed window.

There's certainly some research showing it to be favorable but hitting your end-of-day nutritional targets will trump anything nutrient-timing related. Choose the method that suits you best. I'd still recommend that you give IF a try because for many people it's the best thing ever. Eating large meals at night is full of win.

^Keep in mind that if you're a female, the results may not be so 'favorable' (see links above). With that being said, who knows for sure...I haven't wasted away to a skinny-fat blob yet

I want to try the Lean Gains method...seems doable...I have fasted without intending to in the past but have always consumed an incredible amount of water, helping me feel satiated and not finding myself obsessing with the thought of food. Ideally, I want to aim for 1200 calorie consumption, 40 protein/40 carbs/20 fats and hope to drop body fat % and build muscle.

I'm unsure as to when my 8-hr eating period should be. I typically do Insanity workouts at 4:30 a.m., work from 8 to 5, and will be adding strength training to my routine 3x per week. Could someone give me a suggestion as to when I should be fasting?

Interesting you say that. So I use to be really good at drinking a impressive amount of water every day and for whatever reason when the semester started I started drinking 1 cup of coffee a day....and that was about it for liquids minus milk every so often...

Then after reading a thread like this one almost a week ago I was like hey I'm gonna try eating in a 8hr window (I believe that's all leangains is?) Well, since I switched to "IF" at about 9oclock every night I turn into a unquenchable thirst monster. The first night it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was like wow, this is definitely something out of my normal and I haven't changed anything other then IF...I'm blaming this on IF...and I don't think it's a bad thing...it's making me drink the water that I stopped drinking completely. Then the second day came...same thing...9oclock and bam, thirst monster. the next etc etc anyway....it's quarter to 9... *glug glug glug*

I want to try the Lean Gains method...seems doable...I have fasted without intending to in the past but have always consumed an incredible amount of water, helping me feel satiated and not finding myself obsessing with the thought of food. Ideally, I want to aim for 1200 calorie consumption, 40 protein/40 carbs/20 fats and hope to drop body fat % and build muscle.

I'm unsure as to when my 8-hr eating period should be. I typically do Insanity workouts at 4:30 a.m., work from 8 to 5, and will be adding strength training to my routine 3x per week. Could someone give me a suggestion as to when I should be fasting?

Interesting you say that. So I use to be really good at drinking a impressive amount of water every day and for whatever reason when the semester started I started drinking 1 cup of coffee a day....and that was about it for liquids minus milk every so often...

Then after reading a thread like this one almost a week ago I was like hey I'm gonna try eating in a 8hr window (I believe that's all leangains is?) Well, since I switched to "IF" at about 9oclock every night I turn into a unquenchable thirst monster. The first night it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was like wow, this is definitely something out of my normal and I haven't changed anything other then IF...I'm blaming this on IF...and I don't think it's a bad thing...it's making me drink the water that I stopped drinking completely. Then the second day came...same thing...9oclock and bam, thirst monster. the next etc etc anyway....it's quarter to 9... *glug glug glug*

LOL! It's awesome you are now drinking an insane amount of water...one of my friends was saying how much of a chore she feels it is to drink it. I, on the contrary, enjoy water. It's my favorite beverage! Sooo, when do you work out and what time do you fast? Do you begin your fast at 9 p.m.?

My favorite drink as well. I have no idea why I stopped drinking it?

The 8 hr window I do every day. My workout schedule is kind of all over the place since I'm in school. Basically, I don't usually have a sitting where I say this chunk of time is dedicated to this. For example. I have no parking spot and I managed to find a place I can park on campus...that's 20 minutes away from the building I'm usually in. I got there and realized my assignment was late today...and while I had plenty of time to walk, I decided to run like a lunatic for 15 minutes to get there and back and then walk around. I got up this morning and did a few chin ups and pushups...and again when I got home...and again after I ate...and occasionally when I get off the toilet. Sounds like allot but that all probably added up to a few minutes of weights and a fair bit of meandering. I don't notice it and I hate lifting things so it makes it more tolerable (back problems). My time was dedicated to hiking but me and the person I usually hike with got busy (and being in the woods for 20 km with bears and moose by yourself is no fun). Once class is out things will get more regular and pilates/yoga will likely jump back into the scene. Also, hiking is where this IF idea started to be a good idea for me. Going on those longer hikes would have killed me at first. Then I discovered if I pigged out on carbs I felt a lot better, and that was alright because my body needed them. Then I thought I really enjoyed the idea of eating larger meals and less often. Because even if I pigged out my body would want food on the hike because I was used to eating every few hours....stupid ghrelin.

Thanks for all the info everyone ! I started my fasting 3 days ago with a 18 hour fast & a 6 hour feeding window (due to my daily schedule) and must say I'm really impressed with how my energy levels have gone up since. i no longer feel the urge to take a pre workout before the gym & found my self no longer feeling sleepy & hitting the snooze button upon waking up. i eat 3 bigger meals now about 2 1/2 hours apart. 1st meal after the gym complex & simple(very lil simple) carbs and protein around 70~90 grams of carbs & roughly 70 grams of protien (800~1000 calories) , 2nd meal 50~70 grams of complex carbohydrates 60~70 grams of protein 20 grams of fats (600~800 calories), 3rd meal 50 ~ 60 grams of protein 20 grams of fat 10~20 grams of carbs (400~600) calories.

I'm currently in a cutting phase and trying to preserve as much muscle mass as possible.
Did anybody else here feel extremely bloated the first day or two of trying to fit all your macros in a smaller time frame ?
thats they only con i have of fasting so far is that bloated feeling after the 2nd meal. lol

The first day I felt full, just like the last time I changed my diet I felt full. But after the first day it didn't affect me.