Intermittent Fasting Success?

budru21
budru21 Posts: 127
in Food and Nutrition
I am wondering if those of you that have seen positive results after starting Intermittent Fasting also made additional changes to your diet or exercise routine? If you lost weight (bf, specifically), did you also cut calories when starting IF? Did you start carb back loading at the same time? Did you start carb cycling, or anything else diet related? Did you change your fitness routine at all? Or...do you attribute all of your success to switching to IF? What results did you have?

I am curious because I am a month into IF and the first few weeks, I was looking and feeling so lean. I was LOVING the physical results as well as the psychological positive results. I am a month in, though, and feel like I am actually gaining a little fat. I am going to stick to my plan because it could be water gain as a result of many different things, but I am just curious if anyone else could weigh in on this. Thanks!!

Replies

  • Morninglory81
    Morninglory81 Posts: 1,190 Member
    I don't know what my caloric intake was b4 I started but I am 23 days in and have continued to see losses weekly. I am 1.4 lbs from my first 10 lb mark. I chose IF because it fits well into my life.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Aproximately June/July of last year. After I started dieting but before I started IF:
    f4b0615e773189e9231760a8a8a0016d_zpsb05853f5.jpg
    Basically just skinnyfat DYEL mode.

    Started IF around August/September. This pic was taken yesterday at the gym (self timer on iPad, iPad sitting in locker :laugh: ):
    26bafebd21b5f7f04111417bc32e8912_zpsf65a7bde.jpg
    Note the upper out pec devepment and how much wider my upper body is.

    Other fairly recent (within the last month) picture reflecting current arm progress:
    9d17a8d2fe3ff08bea6a5cd44892e0f2_zpse36321bb.jpg
    Note increased mass in biceps, triceps, and lateral deltoids. Also, increased definition of those muscles. Upper arms are currently 11.5".
  • bhealthyagain
    bhealthyagain Posts: 41 Member
    I have never heard of this. Details?
  • JossFit
    JossFit Posts: 588 Member
    It's actually not uncommon for IF to mess with a woman's hormones and begin to interfere with your fat burning. Some people adapt very well to it, but I have also noticed that I am beginning to feel a bit squishy.

    I am extending my feeding window to 10 hours so that I am only doing a 14 hour fast as opposed to 16-18 hours. I do enjoy training fasted so I am keeping that but I don't think I'll be sticking to the longer fasts.
  • meccasue
    meccasue Posts: 11 Member
    what exactly is Intermittent Fasting?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Personal experience shows no benefits to IF. When I'm in a surplus I gain, regardless of when I eat those cals. When I'm in a deficit I lose, regardless of when I eat my cals.

    I don't have enough time/experience with IF at this point to judge the claims that you can burn significant fat and build significant muscle simultaneously.

    IF is just a method... calorie surpluses and deficits are what cause weight gain/loss.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    what exactly is Intermittent Fasting?
    In a nutshell, it's periods of fasting. The common variations are daily fasts, once a week fasts, and twice weekly "fasts." The reason I put the second one in quotations is because it's not really a true fast, it's staying under 500 calories (600 for men) twice a week. This variation is called "5:2". The daily fasts vary in length depending on which variation the user choses. Some fasts are as short as 14/10 (first number 14 refers to number of hours spent fasting, second number 10 refers to the "feeding window" or when the user allows him/herself to eat) and some are as long as 23/1.

    I do the 20/4 variation and eat between 7pm and 11pm. Sometimes my window varies by an hour or so because I try to time my workouts to be directly before my feeding window.
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    Physiologically, doing intermittent fasting has negligible effects on your body composition compared to someone eating more frequently (provided all the other variables are the same).
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Physiologically, doing intermittent fasting has negligible effects on your body composition compared to someone eating more frequently (provided all the other variables are the same).
    If you can be 100% spot on with your calories/macros and meal timing (post workout) it can make a noticeable difference for recomp. I perform so much better with my lifts when fasted. It doesn't work for everyone and it's not a total miracle, but it has done wonders for me. I like that I don't have to worry about eating during the day or packing meals and stuff. I just have my coffee in the morning, BCAA's pre workout, go lift, then attack the kitchen like a starved oviraptor (eat all the eggs lol). It's an effective way to control hunger (ghrelin ceases to spike during the day) and I get to eat tons of food after I workout.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Physiologically, doing intermittent fasting has negligible effects on your body composition compared to someone eating more frequently (provided all the other variables are the same).
    If you can be 100% spot on with your calories/macros and meal timing (post workout) it can make a noticeable difference for recomp. I perform so much better with my lifts when fasted. It doesn't work for everyone and it's not a total miracle, but it has done wonders for me. I like that I don't have to worry about eating during the day or packing meals and stuff. I just have my coffee in the morning, BCAA's pre workout, go lift, then attack the kitchen like a starved oviraptor (eat all the eggs lol). It's an effective way to control hunger (ghrelin ceases to spike during the day) and I get to eat tons of food after I workout.

    Is it the IFign that's helping, or is it the stronger workouts? i.e. if you could sustain the same intensity when working out "fed" as you do when fasted, would you see the same results/progress?

    I'm not trying to be argumentative... I'm legitimately asking. I decided to give IF a try based on everything I've read about 4 weeks ago, so I'm not far enough along with it to really judge body comp results, only scale weight/measurements.
  • budru21
    budru21 Posts: 127
    Physiologically, doing intermittent fasting has negligible effects on your body composition compared to someone eating more frequently (provided all the other variables are the same).
    If you can be 100% spot on with your calories/macros and meal timing (post workout) it can make a noticeable difference for recomp. I perform so much better with my lifts when fasted. It doesn't work for everyone and it's not a total miracle, but it has done wonders for me. I like that I don't have to worry about eating during the day or packing meals and stuff. I just have my coffee in the morning, BCAA's pre workout, go lift, then attack the kitchen like a starved oviraptor (eat all the eggs lol). It's an effective way to control hunger (ghrelin ceases to spike during the day) and I get to eat tons of food after I workout.

    Is it the IFign that's helping, or is it the stronger workouts? i.e. if you could sustain the same intensity when working out "fed" as you do when fasted, would you see the same results/progress?

    I'm not trying to be argumentative... I'm legitimately asking. I decided to give IF a try based on everything I've read about 4 weeks ago, so I'm not far enough along with it to really judge body comp results, only scale weight/measurements.

    This is why I asked this question, actually. I am really interested to know if it is the factors that come with IF, or the actual fasting part that people are seeing results from. As we can see from the thread, there is a differnce in opion from a variety of people. Is it that some are putting more intensity into their lifts? Is it because some are not getting as many calories in as before IF because they "run out of time" and are too full to finish their meals? Is it because our bodies are actually using fatty acids (while fasted), rather than glucose (fuel used after eating) to fuel our day? The research out is saying there IS evidence to support fasting as a way to enhance overall health, slow aging, and possibly allow us to gain muscle and burn fat simultaneosuly, but more research needs to be done, especially for women.

    I can't pin point if it is nutrient timing (I am eating the majority of my carbs post workout, which is at night), fasting, calorie changes, or something else that I am seeing changes from. I was just hoping to hear what others have experienced. Did any of you see positive changes at first, then start gaining fat back? Did some gain right away, then eventually lose? Did some remain the same in regards to body fat, but gain/lose muscle?
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
    In my case, the question is moot. I started leangains style IF in February 2013

    With leangains I can stick to the plan and be happy, feel not deprived, and I do some pretty intense workouts knowing I get to eat breakfast after. I don't have to worry about timing my food pre workout so that I don't throw up in my mouth.

    In a fed state, I feel weak and unmotivated in my workouts unless I eat something an hour or so before, but I have to be careful what and how much. If I get that right, then no, no difference in how intense I can be in my workout.


    I never go to bed hungry, and that means "all the variables" aren't the same. Without leangains I am more likely to feel tempted and give in. With leangains, I have control.


    I have noticed no other differences, but I don't have the experience to say anything about that. I'm still on the initial cut and want be switching to a 250 cal per day surplus for quite some time.
  • NoirDancer
    NoirDancer Posts: 62
    In comboniation with low carbs, it works for me, but definitely always do what works. for. YOU!
  • meccasue
    meccasue Posts: 11 Member
    Thanks for the explanation. You look great!!!
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Physiologically, doing intermittent fasting has negligible effects on your body composition compared to someone eating more frequently (provided all the other variables are the same).
    If you can be 100% spot on with your calories/macros and meal timing (post workout) it can make a noticeable difference for recomp. I perform so much better with my lifts when fasted. It doesn't work for everyone and it's not a total miracle, but it has done wonders for me. I like that I don't have to worry about eating during the day or packing meals and stuff. I just have my coffee in the morning, BCAA's pre workout, go lift, then attack the kitchen like a starved oviraptor (eat all the eggs lol). It's an effective way to control hunger (ghrelin ceases to spike during the day) and I get to eat tons of food after I workout.

    Is it the IFign that's helping, or is it the stronger workouts? i.e. if you could sustain the same intensity when working out "fed" as you do when fasted, would you see the same results/progress?

    I'm not trying to be argumentative... I'm legitimately asking. I decided to give IF a try based on everything I've read about 4 weeks ago, so I'm not far enough along with it to really judge body comp results, only scale weight/measurements.

    I'm not sure. I just know that if I eat before I workout my workout are less effective and I have less calories to spend on my post workout meal.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
    Personal experience shows no benefits to IF. When I'm in a surplus I gain, regardless of when I eat those cals. When I'm in a deficit I lose, regardless of when I eat my cals.

    I don't have enough time/experience with IF at this point to judge the claims that you can burn significant fat and build significant muscle simultaneously.

    IF is just a method... calorie surpluses and deficits are what cause weight gain/loss.

    I agree with your reasoning, but my personal experience does show a benefit of IF for someone with my mindset. I stay on a fairly regimented diet during the week. Usually I stick to it on the weekend also, but I don't deny myself the occasional indulgence at a cook out, fair or whatever. Then I use IF like an eraser. One day during the week that follows I will only eat supper; normal portions of healthy food. Not the next day after the indulgence; only on a day between days where I am eating healthy. It is purely a psychological thing and I understand that, but sometimes that's the kind of help I need...

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