Fasting while gaining to minimise fat gain?

Has anyone had any success with this?

I'm going to run a little experiment over the next 6 weeks.

I'll eat a surplus of 2600 on my training days (3x week) but skip breakfast (fast) and lower my calories to 1800 on rest days.

The goal is to gain weight without an increase in waist size.

I'm currently 133lb with a 30.25" - 30.5" waist.

Replies

  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    The timing of the meals and whether you fast or not is irrelevant.

    What is important w.r.t. muscle and fat ratio when bulking is the size of the excess, the intensity of the stimulus, adequate nutrition, and adequate rest.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    If you average it across the week and you're eating roughly around maintenance it's not bulking it's recomposition. If you're eating in a surplus across the week and gaining weigh you'll still gain some fat.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    If you average it across the week and you're eating roughly around maintenance it's not bulking it's recomposition. If you're eating in a surplus across the week and gaining weigh you'll still gain some fat.

    this, and if you average a deficit of calories then you will lose fat and muscle...

    this "experiment" has already been done and we know the results..

    1. want to gain muscle and some fat = bulk
    2. want to gain some muscle and lose some fat = recomp
    3. want to lose fat and maintain as much muscle as possible, while still losing some = calorie deficit and keep protein high

  • pbryd
    pbryd Posts: 364 Member
    I've got my calories at around 2400 daily for a slow bulk.

    Which is 16800 per week.

    So if I fast at 1800 cals for 4 days then I'd need 3200 on my 3x training days to hit my 16800 weekly goal.

    This would give me my weekly lean bulk calories but incorporate fasting to minimise fat gain.
  • namanbanthia
    namanbanthia Posts: 3 Member
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    pbryd wrote: »
    I've got my calories at around 2400 daily for a slow bulk.

    Which is 16800 per week.

    So if I fast at 1800 cals for 4 days then I'd need 3200 on my 3x training days to hit my 16800 weekly goal.

    This would give me my weekly lean bulk calories but incorporate fasting to minimise fat gain.

    OR, you can just eat in a small surplus every day and accomplish exactly they same thing.

    why does everyone always want to over complicate simple concepts...?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.

    recomping typically takes six plus months, so not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a one week recomp...
  • namanbanthia
    namanbanthia Posts: 3 Member
    Small bursts of intermittent fasting and recomp helps in losing fat to offset the excessive gain while bulking, doesn't it?
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.

    recomping typically takes six plus months, so not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a one week recomp...

  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    Small bursts of intermittent fasting and recomp helps in losing fat to offset the excessive gain while bulking, doesn't it?
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.

    recomping typically takes six plus months, so not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a one week recomp...

    How much fat do you expect to lose eating at maintenance calories for one week?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Small bursts of intermittent fasting and recomp helps in losing fat to offset the excessive gain while bulking, doesn't it?
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.

    recomping typically takes six plus months, so not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a one week recomp...

    How much fat do you expect to lose eating at maintenance calories for one week?

    this was my question too ...

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    pbryd wrote: »
    I've got my calories at around 2400 daily for a slow bulk.

    Which is 16800 per week.

    So if I fast at 1800 cals for 4 days then I'd need 3200 on my 3x training days to hit my 16800 weekly goal.

    This would give me my weekly lean bulk calories but incorporate fasting to minimise fat gain.

    Fasting doesnt help prevent fat loss. There is a lot of hype, especially due to lean gain but since your body cycles between lipolysis and lipogenesis consistently it doesnt matter when you get the nutrients but a matter of total intake. So if calories are equal, the results will be equal.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Small bursts of intermittent fasting and recomp helps in losing fat to offset the excessive gain while bulking, doesn't it?
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.

    recomping typically takes six plus months, so not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a one week recomp...

    no...and why would you take a break in the middle of your bulk to do a "mini-cut or mini-recomp"...just bulk until you hit your goal weight and then slow cut it off ....
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Small bursts of intermittent fasting and recomp helps in losing fat to offset the excessive gain while bulking, doesn't it?
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.

    recomping typically takes six plus months, so not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a one week recomp...

    If you cant supply consistent energy, then muacle growth will be limited. Switching between cut, maintenance and bulk is just going to equal maintenance over the long run and provide you a recomp... maybe.

    If your goal is muscle gain then, a bulk/cut cycle is the fastest method. If you want to minimize fat, recomp it and wait a year or so.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    edited July 2016
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Small bursts of intermittent fasting and recomp helps in losing fat to offset the excessive gain while bulking, doesn't it?
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.

    recomping typically takes six plus months, so not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a one week recomp...

    no...and why would you take a break in the middle of your bulk to do a "mini-cut or mini-recomp"...just bulk until you hit your goal weight and then slow cut it off ....

    Shorter duration, more aggressive deficit get's it over with more rapidly. I use it if I feel I've gained too much to quickly, and then continue on to surplus again.

    Kind of like a "clean up" method, if you will.

    I'm talking like 10+ months mild surplus, 4-6 week aggressive mini cut, 10+ month mild surplus, 4-6 aggressive week mini cut, etc.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    edited July 2016
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Small bursts of intermittent fasting and recomp helps in losing fat to offset the excessive gain while bulking, doesn't it?
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.

    recomping typically takes six plus months, so not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a one week recomp...

    no...and why would you take a break in the middle of your bulk to do a "mini-cut or mini-recomp"...just bulk until you hit your goal weight and then slow cut it off ....

    Shorter duration, more aggressive deficit get's it over with more rapidly. I use it if I feel I've gained too much to quickly, and then continue on to surplus again.

    Kind of like a "clean up" method, if you will.

    So short duration cycles?


    I guess i can see this working for very knowledgeable people who can really figure out nutrient needs but aggressive loss for many will probably hurt their gains
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Small bursts of intermittent fasting and recomp helps in losing fat to offset the excessive gain while bulking, doesn't it?
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.

    recomping typically takes six plus months, so not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a one week recomp...

    no...and why would you take a break in the middle of your bulk to do a "mini-cut or mini-recomp"...just bulk until you hit your goal weight and then slow cut it off ....

    Shorter duration, more aggressive deficit get's it over with more rapidly. I use it if I feel I've gained too much to quickly, and then continue on to surplus again.

    Kind of like a "clean up" method, if you will.

    So short duration cycles?

    Yes, edited my above to explain further.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    psulemon wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Small bursts of intermittent fasting and recomp helps in losing fat to offset the excessive gain while bulking, doesn't it?
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.

    recomping typically takes six plus months, so not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a one week recomp...

    no...and why would you take a break in the middle of your bulk to do a "mini-cut or mini-recomp"...just bulk until you hit your goal weight and then slow cut it off ....

    Shorter duration, more aggressive deficit get's it over with more rapidly. I use it if I feel I've gained too much to quickly, and then continue on to surplus again.

    Kind of like a "clean up" method, if you will.

    So short duration cycles?

    Yes, edited my above to explain further.

    Lol i just edited to add more .
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    pbryd wrote: »
    I've got my calories at around 2400 daily for a slow bulk.

    Which is 16800 per week.

    So if I fast at 1800 cals for 4 days then I'd need 3200 on my 3x training days to hit my 16800 weekly goal.

    This would give me my weekly lean bulk calories but incorporate fasting to minimise fat gain.

    Bold = correct
    Italics = incorrect: Again - The eating protocol will make no difference. It is the calories (and the other stuff I mentioned above) that determines the fat/muscle ratio gained during a bulk.

    Summary: Fast if you want to but it will not improve your fat/muscle ratio (and may hinder muscle gain)

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Small bursts of intermittent fasting and recomp helps in losing fat to offset the excessive gain while bulking, doesn't it?
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It's my day 3 of intermittent fasting. I fast 16hrs and keep my calories at a surplus on all days. I intake about 300 calories more on the days I workout.
    I'll recomp for a week after three weeks of this regime. Hoping this works well.

    recomping typically takes six plus months, so not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a one week recomp...

    no...and why would you take a break in the middle of your bulk to do a "mini-cut or mini-recomp"...just bulk until you hit your goal weight and then slow cut it off ....

    Shorter duration, more aggressive deficit get's it over with more rapidly. I use it if I feel I've gained too much to quickly, and then continue on to surplus again.

    Kind of like a "clean up" method, if you will.

    I'm talking like 10+ months mild surplus, 4-6 week aggressive mini cut, 10+ month mild surplus, 4-6 aggressive week mini cut, etc.

    I hear you...I just felt that one week mini cut was a little ridiculous..

    my previous bulk I went with an aggressive cut and lost a lot of my gains; this time around I have been slow cutting it off and felt better about it...but in all honesty the past three weeks have sucked because I have been so busy moving and doing all this other stuff that I am lucky if I can get two days in the gym...:(
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    I have been doing IF (LeanGains protocol) for 3 years in August.
    Timing of food intake is irrelevant
    Overall Calorie intake is what matters depending on your goals.

    IF is just an eating strategy....I like it, it works for me and is easy to do.

    But in the end CI vs CO
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    ..... (and may hinder muscle gain)

    In my doings, I have seen nothing to validate this....and I am just saying this as my own personal knowledge of myself, not cracking on the poster

    Being in a calorie deficit can hinder muscle gain, just due to your lack of energy.