Intermittent fasting for breaking a plateau
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I've used IF to bust plateaus for weight loss and weight gain. I can fast for 18hrs a day and put on weight if I want. Comes down to calories in vs out. Who would have guessed
I would. My form of IF is purely to make the scale move (I hate referring to plateaus as IMO they are only a perception). I don't adjust calories to make up for the fasting period and I end up with less calories for the days it falls across. Eating less than I burn works to reduce my weight but it won't be at a steady pace. It's mostly a mental thing to give myself a little boost every now and then and I know that, but I still need that boost sometimes.0 -
"Ya I'm slowly upping my calories because I've been told 1500 calories isn't enough , is 1000 burn a day excessive ? Should I try to cut back ? I never really understood eating back exercise calories and its importance - it still kind of confuses me "
Yes definately eat more calories and yes - 1000 a burn a day is a lot - if you enjoy it and you do it naturally then don't change it - just eat more. If you are trying to hit this type of a burn - it is not necessary - just cut some cardio and up your weights.
When I work out my TDEE - 20% it gives my 1700 calories , so should I strive for 1700 calories a day? The 1000 calorie burn just kind of happened without me realising walking my dog 5.5 miles burns 450-500 calories and my gym routine generally burns 500 + some , I had no idea what I was burning till I bought my HRM so I went from 1400 cals to 1500 cals as I didn't want to up them too drastically straight away
Don't adjust your calories off your hear rate monitor. Adjust off of how your body is actually acting. It's very doubtful that you burn 500 calories walking your dog 5 miles. I'm a 130 lb. woman, and I burn 500 calories running five miles.0 -
yep, 16:8 and now 18:6 worked for me in kickstarting my weight loss back to 1lb a week. also IF at least in my case has changed my attitude towards food and hunger for the better, I've found I have regained my self control and there is no urge to resist snacking etc.
its totally worth a try. personally it kicks *kitten* for me.
So you def think IF made a difference to your plateau there's so many conflicting opinions but I think I'm going to give it a go can't do any harm trying anyway and I'm praying I see a loss again at the end of the week , now to figure out how many calories I should eat a day and ill be on my merry way
Well done on your weight loss
Doing little "fasts" like IF suggests is a good way to realized that you won't die if you get hungry. I used to always think I was going to faint, but I realized after a week of this that that dizzy feeling I thought was low blood sugar was probably just anxiety, because I never fainted, and the feeling would go away on its own in 30-60 minutes after the hunger pangs passed.0 -
"Ya I'm slowly upping my calories because I've been told 1500 calories isn't enough , is 1000 burn a day excessive ? Should I try to cut back ? I never really understood eating back exercise calories and its importance - it still kind of confuses me "
Yes definately eat more calories and yes - 1000 a burn a day is a lot - if you enjoy it and you do it naturally then don't change it - just eat more. If you are trying to hit this type of a burn - it is not necessary - just cut some cardio and up your weights.
When I work out my TDEE - 20% it gives my 1700 calories , so should I strive for 1700 calories a day? The 1000 calorie burn just kind of happened without me realising walking my dog 5.5 miles burns 450-500 calories and my gym routine generally burns 500 + some , I had no idea what I was burning till I bought my HRM so I went from 1400 cals to 1500 cals as I didn't want to up them too drastically straight away
Don't adjust your calories off your hear rate monitor. Adjust off of how your body is actually acting. It's very doubtful that you burn 500 calories walking your dog 5 miles. I'm a 130 lb. woman, and I burn 500 calories running five miles.
What do you use to calculate calories burned ? Do you think my HRM isn't accurate ?0 -
Fasting is phenomenal and there are MANY windows and tweaks and fun to be had while adhering to it! Highly recommend it:)0
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I'm not IF'ing to lose weight. Attempting a body recomp. I love my progress. It's not all "in yo face" progress, but I'm getting leaner and stronger and I weigh the same. So I wouldn't attempt IF'ing to lose weight.
Without the strength training/heavy lifting, I really wouldn't IF. It would then be pretty pointless for me.
ETA: Since there are several methods of IF'ing out there, I guess the one I chose is Leangains. I read through a few others, but this one made the best sense for me.
Also, Mark B, recommends 14/10 for women VS 16/8 (due to possible hormonal imbalances). I vary from day to day, but try to stick with 14/10 for the most part.0 -
"Ya I'm slowly upping my calories because I've been told 1500 calories isn't enough , is 1000 burn a day excessive ? Should I try to cut back ? I never really understood eating back exercise calories and its importance - it still kind of confuses me "
Yes definately eat more calories and yes - 1000 a burn a day is a lot - if you enjoy it and you do it naturally then don't change it - just eat more. If you are trying to hit this type of a burn - it is not necessary - just cut some cardio and up your weights.
When I work out my TDEE - 20% it gives my 1700 calories , so should I strive for 1700 calories a day? The 1000 calorie burn just kind of happened without me realising walking my dog 5.5 miles burns 450-500 calories and my gym routine generally burns 500 + some , I had no idea what I was burning till I bought my HRM so I went from 1400 cals to 1500 cals as I didn't want to up them too drastically straight away
Don't adjust your calories off your hear rate monitor. Adjust off of how your body is actually acting. It's very doubtful that you burn 500 calories walking your dog 5 miles. I'm a 130 lb. woman, and I burn 500 calories running five miles.
What do you use to calculate calories burned ? Do you think my HRM isn't accurate ?
HRMs are notoriously inaccurate. I don't calculate my calories burned. I know from years and years of working out a lot that a moderately intense run burns about 100 calories per 10 minutes for me. I know this because using this number, I lose X amount of lbs. in X amount of time, and the numbers all add up right. So I use what a run feels like to gauge an estimated burn based on the comparative intensity of other workouts. Of course, this method is not possible without time and experience. So use your HRM, just compare it to another calculator is pic the lower number when they are way off from each other.0 -
What do you use to calculate calories burned ? Do you think my HRM isn't accurate ?
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HRMs are notoriously inaccurate. I don't calculate my calories burned. I know from years and years of working out a lot that a moderately intense run burns about 100 calories per 10 minutes for me. I know this because using this number, I lose X amount of lbs. in X amount of time, and the numbers all add up right. So I use what a run feels like to gauge an estimated burn based on the comparative intensity of other workouts. Of course, this method is not possible without time and experience. So use your HRM, just compare it to another calculator is pic the lower number when they are way off from each other.
My HRM is pratically bang on with the treadmill at the gym i burn roughly 100 cals per 10 mins jogging according to both now my HRM syncs up with the treadmill automatically when i start my workout , it is also very close to the bike and elipitical the only one i find a difference calorie wise is the stepper the stepper always gives me a higher burn
Thanks for your imput though maybe upping my cals isnt the answer 0 -
The hodgetwins also broke their plateau using IF.0
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I did 8:12 it worked, I ate a normal amount of calories, I think IF is just about controlling caloric intake not actually the time you eat.0
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I laughed at the "Eat more crowd" and I agree with you.0
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Don't adjust your calories off your hear rate monitor. Adjust off of how your body is actually acting. It's very doubtful that you burn 500 calories walking your dog 5 miles. I'm a 130 lb. woman, and I burn 500 calories running five miles.
Actually, you would burn roughly the same number of calories whether you walk or run five miles. But walking 5 miles will take you much longer.0 -
Video below of Hodgetwins saying that IF helped break their plateau. They ate the same amount of calories for both IF and a 5 meal day plan. IF broke their plateau.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyrY64DoHeE 0 -
Video below of Hodgetwins saying that IF helped break their plateau. They ate the same amount of calories for both IF and a 5 meal day plan. IF broke their plateau.
http://youtube.com/#/watch?v=zyrY64DoHeE&feature=fvwrel
That link didn't work, so searched and it brought up a bunch of videos. Skimming the content it appears they follow Leangains IF.0 -
Video below of Hodgetwins saying that IF helped break their plateau. They ate the same amount of calories for both IF and a 5 meal day plan. IF broke their plateau.
http://youtube.com/#/watch?v=zyrY64DoHeE&feature=fvwrel
That link didn't work, so searched and it brought up a bunch of videos. Skimming the content it appears they follow Leangains IF.
I was on mobile with a youtube mobile link that i tried to edit. The link should be fixed now and I posted it again below.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyrY64DoHeE 0 -
Video below of Hodgetwins saying that IF helped break their plateau. They ate the same amount of calories for both IF and a 5 meal day plan. IF broke their plateau.
http://youtube.com/#/watch?v=zyrY64DoHeE&feature=fvwrel
That link didn't work, so searched and it brought up a bunch of videos. Skimming the content it appears they follow Leangains IF.
I was on mobile with a youtube mobile link that i tried to edit. The link should be fixed now and I posted it again below.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyrY64DoHeE
I'm watching one right now. They're funny as hell. FINE as hell. Ladies watch these fine *kitten* twins! DAYUM.
So they're explaining Mark Berkhan's Leangains. They do sorta mess up when one of them says that the fasting period is "starvation mode". I don't think they meant it that way, but I can see them getting **** for it.
Is the OP trying to get lean? I didn't pick up on that. To me it sounded like she just wants to lose weight. Fasting is an excuse for some to just NOT eat without following all the other protocols of IF.0 -
Is the OP trying to get lean? I didn't pick up on that. To me it sounded like she just wants to lose weight. Fasting is an excuse for some to just NOT eat without following all the other protocols of If
What protocols are u referring to ? yes trying to lose stomach fat so overall yes i want to get lean0 -
Video below of Hodgetwins saying that IF helped break their plateau. They ate the same amount of calories for both IF and a 5 meal day plan. IF broke their plateau.
http://youtube.com/#/watch?v=zyrY64DoHeE&feature=fvwrel
That link didn't work, so searched and it brought up a bunch of videos. Skimming the content it appears they follow Leangains IF.
I was on mobile with a youtube mobile link that i tried to edit. The link should be fixed now and I posted it again below.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyrY64DoHeE
I'm watching one right now. They're funny as hell. FINE as hell. Ladies watch these fine *kitten* twins! DAYUM.
So they're explaining Mark Berkhan's Leangains. They do sorta mess up when one of them says that the fasting period is "starvation mode". I don't think they meant it that way, but I can see them getting **** for it.
Is the OP trying to get lean? I didn't pick up on that. To me it sounded like she just wants to lose weight. Fasting is an excuse for some to just NOT eat without following all the other protocols of IF.
Would you believe that they are 38?0 -
The Hodgetwins have years of experience in the gym doing both bodybuilding and strength training, as well as being over 6' tall and 200lbs of muscle.
They are very smart and know what they are doing. BUT I would add that if you are not training like them then the same principles may not apply. If you are a cardio junky and don't strength train, then please understand that it is much harder to retain lean body mass.
Find a sutable strength training program and follow it! StrongLifts 5x5, NROLFW, Starting Strength are all great beginner programs.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary0 -
Fasting is an excuse for some to just NOT eat without following all the other protocols of IF.
Guilty as charged. So what? I do agree that it can be confusing when someone uses the term "IF" to mean a specific program rather than just "Interval Fasting". When someone says LeanGains, I know what they are referring to, but IF just means that for some period of time that would usually include one or more meals I am not going to eat. You can't come along and hijack the term and say that "real IF is doing X". Well, you can do that but you will confuse a lot of people. Just explain what X is. What has come from the popularity of various IF plans is studies disproving the long held notion that skipping meals is always bad. For me, I get tired of recreating the wheel over and over, tweaking my diet a little lower or higher. I have a varied menu of meal choices I am pretty happy with and it seems to be working overall. But every now and then I like a little boost or feel I need to make up for an indulgence, so I do a couple of days of IF where I don't eat anything between and early dinner and a noon time lunch the next day, making good choices for both those meals. It's working for me right now; I hope it works for you if you try it.0 -
I am trying alternate day "fasting" right now (400-500 cal fast days) and I just started so I can't really tell you how it's going to pan out, although I've lost 2 lbs so far. Feel free to add me if you want to see how it goes for me
I wanted to do an eating window more like 19:5 or eve 16:8 but with my schedule it makes no logical sense. While I could work out in the morning on an empty stomach, during any logical eating window I'd be at work unable to eat aside from my 45 min - 1 hour lunch break, which would put me on the 23:1 fast diet, which doesn't sound very cool! Also, since I'm working all day and unable to snack while I'm working or really even think about food, that should make fast days pretty easy. I do think it's important to consider what will work best with your schedule and make it easier and natural for you.0 -
Doing little "fasts" like IF suggests is a good way to realized that you won't die if you get hungry. I used to always think I was going to faint, but I realized after a week of this that that dizzy feeling I thought was low blood sugar was probably just anxiety, because I never fainted, and the feeling would go away on its own in 30-60 minutes after the hunger pangs passed.
I think this is a good point, as long as you don't have any medical issues that dictate you need to eat more often. IF has kind of put it right in my face that there are a lot of reasons I eat that have nothing to do with actual hunger, and I'm someone who used to swear I never ate out of boredom or any form of emotional eating. Um, yeah, apparently I do eat out of boredom & stress.0 -
Fasting is an excuse for some to just NOT eat without following all the other protocols of IF.
Guilty as charged. So what? I do agree that it can be confusing when someone uses the term "IF" to mean a specific program rather than just "Interval Fasting". When someone says LeanGains, I know what they are referring to, but IF just means that for some period of time that would usually include one or more meals I am not going to eat. You can't come along and hijack the term and say that "real IF is doing X". Well, you can do that but you will confuse a lot of people. Just explain what X is. What has come from the popularity of various IF plans is studies disproving the long held notion that skipping meals is always bad. For me, I get tired of recreating the wheel over and over, tweaking my diet a little lower or higher. I have a varied menu of meal choices I am pretty happy with and it seems to be working overall. But every now and then I like a little boost or feel I need to make up for an indulgence, so I do a couple of days of IF where I don't eat anything between and early dinner and a noon time lunch the next day, making good choices for both those meals. It's working for me right now; I hope it works for you if you try it.
I agree with this.
A lot of people (especially noobies to IF (intermittent fasting BTW)) get carried away in the details of a particular program. And I'm definitely guilty of this when I started also. As time goes by and you get used to it, you realise that it really is just a tool to help create a deficit if required or maintain weight. (it can be used for bulking as well but LG method is the only one I would use for that IMO). I started the IF group on here and really can't see me straying from LGish eating pattern. And when I say ish I mean I typically have my first meal of the day around the same time (1-2pm) and I just finish eating whenever I go to bed that night. I don't fuss over how many hours that is or how many hours fasted. I just make sure I hit my macros for the day in total.0 -
IF (intermittent fasting BTW))
I am so evil on forums sometimes... :bigsmile:
Yeah, I was chummin' with that "interval" remark.
You are correct about the macros. Because I just throw in a day or two of this every now and then I figure it all comes out in the wash. I am purposefully going under on everything for a day or two. And despite what I read here a lot, I don't get dragged out to sea in some metabolic undertow; I generally see a pound disappear and not come back. But if you are going to do this several days in a row your diet should be planned accordingly.
I am doing one of these right now. For dinner last night we had greasy pork ribs, corn on the cob and baked sweet potatoes, doing a memorial Day cook out. Man that was good. I had no late snacks, ran 7 miles about 8:30 and haven't eaten yet today. Will have a standard light lunch and go back to business as usual. It will be like yesterday never happened; in fact over the 2 day period I will probably be in deficit.0 -
Anyone had success breaking through a plateau using IF ? Particular women have ye had success doing so , what window frame did ye use ? And how many calories did ye stick to ?
Any advice tips information ye have on this I would greatly appreciate I'm 10IBs from goal and very determined to get there as soon as I can
Thanking ye
I find IF very effective. I wasn't actually at a plateau as I find that if I reduce calories enough I always lose weight. The problem is that I have a very small margin of error and even a little overeating does in my weight loss plan. I like IF because it's cut-and-dry. You eat during a certain time frame and the rest of the time you don't, except for water, coffee and tea. During my eating window I would stick to my calorie max. I personally need to be at 1200 or less to lose. The one problem that people doing IF for weight loss sometimes have is thinking that they don't have to track calories.0 -
Doing little "fasts" like IF suggests is a good way to realized that you won't die if you get hungry. I used to always think I was going to faint, but I realized after a week of this that that dizzy feeling I thought was low blood sugar was probably just anxiety, because I never fainted, and the feeling would go away on its own in 30-60 minutes after the hunger pangs passed.
I think this is a good point, as long as you don't have any medical issues that dictate you need to eat more often. IF has kind of put it right in my face that there are a lot of reasons I eat that have nothing to do with actual hunger, and I'm someone who used to swear I never ate out of boredom or any form of emotional eating. Um, yeah, apparently I do eat out of boredom & stress.
You make a good point. IF is not recommended for people with diabetes and chronic diseases, women intending to become pregnant, pregnant women, and children. If you have questions, ask your doctor.
As the first person said, it's liberating to realize that fasting usually does not cause unbearable hunger pangs. Ironically, it's eating that makes you hungry. People who have theorized about this have said that we as human beings didn't develop to collapse if we didn't eat every few hours. There were long periods in human history in which procuring food was a difficult, time-consuming process. People who hunted or gathered often weren't doing it on a full belly.0 -
I am trying alternate day "fasting" right now (400-500 cal fast days) and I just started so I can't really tell you how it's going to pan out, although I've lost 2 lbs so far. Feel free to add me if you want to see how it goes for me
I wanted to do an eating window more like 19:5 or eve 16:8 but with my schedule it makes no logical sense. While I could work out in the morning on an empty stomach, during any logical eating window I'd be at work unable to eat aside from my 45 min - 1 hour lunch break, which would put me on the 23:1 fast diet, which doesn't sound very cool! Also, since I'm working all day and unable to snack while I'm working or really even think about food, that should make fast days pretty easy. I do think it's important to consider what will work best with your schedule and make it easier and natural for you.
ADF is how I lost my weight and I had great success with it 0 -
Actually, it can be a great way to combat insulin resistance and is sometimes recommended by doctors for that purpose.You make a good point. IF is not recommended for people with diabetes0 -
Actually, it can be a great way to combat insulin resistance and is sometimes recommended by doctors for that purpose.You make a good point. IF is not recommended for people with diabetes
Every web site and book I've read about IF, including one by an M.D., says it's not recommended for people with diabetes. If you are being carefully monitored by a doctor that would be different. I would never recommend that a diabetic do IF without supervision.0 -
I would never recommend that a diabetic do IF without supervision.
And neither would I :flowerforyou:0
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