Intermittent fasting 18:6 and calories

sweet_lemons
sweet_lemons Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,
for these past couple of weeks I've been doing the 18:6 IF protocol and only recently have decided to come back to tracking calories (after a disastrous first attempt before, finally hacked it) to get an idea of just how much I'm eating because I'm aware that with only 2 meals and a snack a day I don't want to be going severely under and hindering any fat burning!

So basically, my problem is that even after stuffing myself with great big meals at lunch and dinner (note I eat dairy, sugar and gluten free and little processed food, so food is high density low cal) I find I only just get to 1200 cals!! Now these past couple of months I've started incorporating a lot more weights and lifting (with great results so far might I add!) so I'm very aware that 1200 is not nearly enough to support this, also considering my BMR is around 1440 how many cals should I be aiming for for fat loss, I know it's only been 2 weeks but I haven't seen anything in terms of weight loss or any noticeable changes yet?

Just wondering if my cals has anything to do with it? I'm just literally so stuffed all the time, I suppose I could guzzle down spoonfuls of nut butter or coconut oil to up my cals if I need to! I read on one website that you shouldn't worry about having to meet all your daily cal requirements but just eat as normal until full, is this true? Is it possible to hinder fat burning due to low cals even though I don't feel hungry?? I'm just in two ways about this because I love IF, I no longer have to force feed myself a breakfast I never used to feel hungry enough for before and I love being able to eat larger meals and so much more clarity of mind when I'm not eating for those 16 hrs but its just a question of calories!

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated! Thank you!!

Replies

  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
    bumping....this is old but almost my recent story!
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    If you are full and getting the results you want, there is no reason to forcefully feed yourself.
  • Willowana
    Willowana Posts: 493 Member
    I learned to love IF too! I'm doing 24 x2 per week ESE. I track my calories specifically to keep an idea of what my weekly calories are shaping up to be. If I need to, I will play catch up on my off days. However, if you are doing 18:6, you would need to find some kind of calorie dense food that fits in with your nutritional goals. Avocados, nuts, and beans come to mind. They have higher calories and they possibilities are endless.I've been thinking about going to a raw and living foods (gluten free) diet myself, but I've been worried about creating too much of a deficit too with IF. It's going to take some planning for sure.
  • sweet_lemons
    sweet_lemons Posts: 7
    Well that's the thing it's been 2 weeks and I haven't really noticed any changes yet but not sure if its because I haven't allowed myself enough time yet or if its because of the cals..?
  • Soxiez
    Soxiez Posts: 39 Member
    Well that's the thing it's been 2 weeks and I haven't really noticed any changes yet but not sure if its because I haven't allowed myself enough time yet or if its because of the cals..?

    I have the same BMR as you and have been aiming for around 1600 cals a day on a high day, and 500 on a low day because I too find it hard to go over that without feeling sick. I'm pretty sedentary, so 1600 is roughly my TDEE anyways. But I only use it as a guide, if I want to eat more, I do, and less, I will. I've only been doing it for a couple of weeks as well, and literally saw no results until this morning when I stepped off the scales and bam, weight had just dropped off me.

    I'd say make sure you're being completely angelic on your fast days stick it out for a bit longer before switching things up, perhaps it just takes our bodies a little time to get into the swing of things sometimes. Good luck! :)
  • sweet_lemons
    sweet_lemons Posts: 7
    Well that's the thing it's been 2 weeks and I haven't really noticed any changes yet but not sure if its because I haven't allowed myself enough time yet or if its because of the cals..?

    I have the same BMR as you and have been aiming for around 1600 cals a day on a high day, and 500 on a low day because I too find it hard to go over that without feeling sick. I'm pretty sedentary, so 1600 is roughly my TDEE anyways. But I only use it as a guide, if I want to eat more, I do, and less, I will. I've only been doing it for a couple of weeks as well, and literally saw no results until this morning when I stepped off the scales and bam, weight had just dropped off me.

    I'd say make sure you're being completely angelic on your fast days stick it out for a bit longer before switching things up, perhaps it just takes our bodies a little time to get into the swing of things sometimes. Good luck! :)

    Are you doing the 5:2 protocol? Because 500 on a low day sounds scaaaarily low to me, unless of course it is the 5:2 you're following! Thanks for the advice, I think I should really be sticking it out a little longer as I can be quite the impatient type!
  • Soxiez
    Soxiez Posts: 39 Member
    Are you doing the 5:2 protocol? Because 500 on a low day sounds scaaaarily low to me, unless of course it is the 5:2 you're following! Thanks for the advice, I think I should really be sticking it out a little longer as I can be quite the impatient type!

    Oops sorry I should have clarified, too many fast methods knocking about haha! I'm doing alternate day fast for the time being just to kickstart things (I have been stuck in a plateau for 8 around months), then switching to 5:2. I'll probably go to 5:2 in the next couple weeks because the weight is coming off perhaps a little too fast. I agree, 500 calories a day at first was a big shock to the system, but after the first week it became very easy, probably because I'm so full on the high days, the full feeling carries over to the next day. Have you seen any improvement?
  • SGSmallman
    SGSmallman Posts: 193 Member
    My IF is 6:18 on non workout days and 8:16 on workout days

    I eat 1850 calories on non workout days (TDEE-20%) and up it to about 2200 on workout days and the FAT, not weight has been flying off, inches are disappearing but my strength is going up. Body fat down but lean mass up and over a stone lost in a month can't complain.

    I've been following the Lean gains IF.

    I lift for weight loss
    i do cardio for fitness/ stamina improvement.

    During my fasting i have green tea/ water and if desperate a little it of food but no more than 50 cals. to me it's a lifestyle change not a diet you do for a little while. however you lose weight it needs to be sustainable and so far this method for me is I pretty much eat what i want so long as it's below my calorie intake
  • sweet_lemons
    sweet_lemons Posts: 7
    Are you doing the 5:2 protocol? Because 500 on a low day sounds scaaaarily low to me, unless of course it is the 5:2 you're following! Thanks for the advice, I think I should really be sticking it out a little longer as I can be quite the impatient type!

    Oops sorry I should have clarified, too many fast methods knocking about haha! I'm doing alternate day fast for the time being just to kickstart things (I have been stuck in a plateau for 8 around months), then switching to 5:2. I'll probably go to 5:2 in the next couple weeks because the weight is coming off perhaps a little too fast. I agree, 500 calories a day at first was a big shock to the system, but after the first week it became very easy, probably because I'm so full on the high days, the full feeling carries over to the next day. Have you seen any improvement?

    sorry havent been checking back very regularly but yeah I've noticed that because I have quite a big meal in the evening it definitely does carry over and often I feel like I can go beyond the 16 hr fast period very easily! it really has changed the way I eat and now I feel proper hunger and fullness! I'm a bit annoyed as I haven't seen any changes on the scale, I'm sure it has something to do with my new lifting routine as I am very slowly beginning to see my muscles coming through more defined now but weight if anything has gone up a couple of pounds? :s but hey, I've stopped worrying about the scale and focusing on appearance and whilst it has been steady (or maybe because I see myself too much I can't tell) I am just starting now (after 3 weeks) to see very slight improvements! So hopefully a couple of months on from now we'll be talking!
  • sweet_lemons
    sweet_lemons Posts: 7
    My IF is 6:18 on non workout days and 8:16 on workout days

    I eat 1850 calories on non workout days (TDEE-20%) and up it to about 2200 on workout days and the FAT, not weight has been flying off, inches are disappearing but my strength is going up. Body fat down but lean mass up and over a stone lost in a month can't complain.

    I've been following the Lean gains IF.

    I lift for weight loss
    i do cardio for fitness/ stamina improvement.

    During my fasting i have green tea/ water and if desperate a little it of food but no more than 50 cals. to me it's a lifestyle change not a diet you do for a little while. however you lose weight it needs to be sustainable and so far this method for me is I pretty much eat what i want so long as it's below my calorie intake

    yeah this is pretty much me too, I've read a lot of lean gains' stuff and that's how I became more interested in the protocol. Well done and congratulations! It definitely has become a lifestyle thing for me too now, I used to do it, albeit quite sloppily, for quite a while before but now I'm taking it a lot more seriously as I've noticed major health improvements if anything! Good to hear it's working for you however!

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