Intermittent fasting once a week

HookGripDeadlifts
HookGripDeadlifts Posts: 30 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
Is it beneficial to do an intermittent fast once a week for 16-18 hours or do you need to do it daily for it to be effective?

Also will I suffer muscle loss going this long without protein? I'm just coming off of a bulk and want to keep as much muscle as possible while going through this cutting phase.

Replies

  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    edited December 2016
    You think your going to lose muscle from 16-18 hours fasting once a week?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Skipping breakfast and having a late lunch once a week is hardly likely to have any significant impact good or bad.
    What effect are you hoping for?

    Your small intestine stores a reserve of amino acids so a short period of fasting isn't a problem.
    Overall protein in your diet is important but timing of that intake is unimportant.
  • HookGripDeadlifts
    HookGripDeadlifts Posts: 30 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    You think your going to lose muscle from 16-18 hours fasting once a week?

    I'm quite ignorant when it comes to dieting to lose weight as I've never done it before.

    So yes, my thinking is I might lose some extra muscle, however slight it might be, compared to consuming protein every 2-3 hours.

    From your answer I take it that intermittent fasting once a week won't affect muscle mass negatively?
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Intermittent Fasting is a great help for some people in terms of adherence/satiety, but it won't help you cut fat any faster than a straight caloric deficit will. And doing it one day a week would have zero effect either way.

    Protein timing is largely irrelevant as long as you're getting enough in your diet on a consistent basis.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited December 2016
    http://www.leangains.com/

    This guy certainly isn't losing muscle and he does it every single day..
  • HookGripDeadlifts
    HookGripDeadlifts Posts: 30 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    Skipping breakfast and having a late lunch once a week is hardly likely to have any significant impact good or bad.
    What effect are you hoping for?

    I've just read that there are some health benefits to fasting so figured I'd give it a try.
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