intermittent fasting

[Tyro]

Has anyone tried this type of eating plan in combination with heavy lifting?

I usually dont like following the "latest" diet plans but the idea of saving time on cooking is just too tempting to resist.

I have a hectic schedule with studying, training and working.

This sort of "lean gains" eating schedule would be perfect but how much does it impact training?

Thanks in advance

[coloBB]

I have been IF'ing for the past 4 months, great for cutting since you get much larger meals, and I'm never that hungry in the mornings. Its also great for bulking, I feel like I have stayed much leaner while gaining weight.

Its no magic pill, but it can be very conveniant.

[djoyce2]

not to start a fight or anything...

but isn't this just the practice of skipping breakfast?


The premise behind this "diet" is that nutrient timing is useless. So assuming that is the case, why would would your performance suffer?

[SEOINAGEbb]

You can make just about anything work towards your goals. Some people swear by x principles some people swear by y principles. Only way to really know if it works for you is try it out, and even then you really can't swear by it because there are multiple factors. Really just need to find what you like, what allows you to keep going all things considered and reach your goals.

[djoyce2]

You can make just about anything work towards your goals. Some people swear by x principles some people swear by y principles. Only way to really know if it works for you is try it out, and even then you really can't swear by it because there are multiple factors. Really just need to find what you like, what allows you to keep going all things considered and reach your goals.

pretty much what this guy said. If it`s convenient, then go for it.

[blkbelt42]

I did it for awhile and liked it. The nice thing is not worrying about preparing meals.

[koyongi]

Worked well for me to recomp, but no good for cutting.
Also sucked being hungry all day.

[5_02ls1]

been doing it since october, I have good days and bad days in the gym,but ive lost a fairly decent amount of bodyfat while gaining a little strength...

[wick]

I love IF.

I've been doing it for a good 7-8 months now and following the standard break fast at 1pm and have my last meal by 9pm plan. The hunger pains did suck originally but after a couple of months you get used to it. By 1pm I'm pretty hungry though!

[ArchDukeOfTops]

I love IF.

I've been doing it for a good 7-8 months now and following the standard break fast at 1pm and have my last meal by 9pm plan. The hunger pains did suck originally but after a couple of months you get used to it. By 1pm I'm pretty hungry though!

same for me. I've gotten used to training fasted as well, and I can't believe the extra time I have in the morning since I don't have to prepare mills.

I used it to cut last year, and I'm gaining slowly but steadily on a slight surplus now.

[wick]

I can't believe the extra time I have in the morning

Yeah, I get to sleep in an extra 30 mins since I don't have to worry about cooking and eating breakfast. Love it

[MeeesterNiceGuy]

you guys don't drink coffee or a shake in the morning?

[wick]

you guys don't drink coffee or a shake in the morning?

Just a shot of coffee, like an espresso with no sugar and milk and then water till 1pm for me.

[coloBB]

I have a few cups of coffee in the morning and seems to help with the hunger until I break my fast at 11am ish.

[theadvantage]

not to start a fight or anything...

but isn't this just the practice of skipping breakfast?


The premise behind this "diet" is that nutrient timing is useless. So assuming that is the case, why would would your performance suffer?

That's not true at all. You ingest 90%+ of your calories after your workout and before you go to bed. Lift. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. When does your body most need calories? After a workout. This is the very essence of nutrient timing. Exactly the opposite of implying timing is useless.

There are variations, of course, but most commonly, people fast for ~16 hours. After you lift, you stuff your face; after you stuff your face, you pass out.

How do you define "nutrient timing?" If it's 'eat every 3 hours,' that's wrong; eating every 3 hours is a common and proven successful protocol. Nutrient timing simply means giving your body the calories it needs when it is best suited to productively use those calories. IF'ing does exactly that and there's plenty of research showing that you can cut, recomp, bulk, or maintain effectively by IF'ing.

Look at every other apex predator on earth. A lion chases a zebra around(workout), kills and eats it(meal), and then passes the **** out indefinitely(sleep). This is what our bodies are evolutionarily programmed to do; it's not until a few thousand years ago that humans stopped having to chase meat around and started cultivating grains.

[djoyce2]

That's not true at all. You ingest 90%+ of your calories after your workout and before you go to bed. Lift. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. When does your body most need calories? After a workout. This is the very essence of nutrient timing. Exactly the opposite of implying timing is useless.

There are variations, of course, but most commonly, people fast for ~16 hours. After you lift, you stuff your face; after you stuff your face, you pass out.

How do you define "nutrient timing?" If it's 'eat every 3 hours,' that's wrong; eating every 3 hours is a common and proven successful protocol. Nutrient timing simply means giving your body the calories it needs when it is best suited to productively use those calories. IF'ing does exactly that and there's plenty of research showing that you can cut, recomp, bulk, or maintain effectively by IF'ing.

Look at every other apex predator on earth. A lion chases a zebra around(workout), kills and eats it(meal), and then passes the **** out indefinitely(sleep). This is what our bodies are evolutionarily programmed to do; it's not until a few thousand years ago that humans stopped having to chase meat around and started cultivating grains.

no. just no. Nutrient timing is irrelevant, and I doubt you've ever read anything from the main guys who promote intermittent fasting.

check out leangains.com, lots of good info on IF for you.

pm me if you're interested, and I can produce some scientific literature that dispels the nutrient timing myths.

[theadvantage]

no. just no. Nutrient timing is irrelevant, and I doubt you've ever read anything from the main guys who promote intermittent fasting.

check out leangains.com, lots of good info on IF for you.

pm me if you're interested, and I can produce some scientific literature that dispels the nutrient timing myths.

I'm familiar with leangains. Of which myths do you speak?

[djoyce2]

I'm familiar with leangains. Of which myths do you speak?

any myth which suggests eating at one particular time is superior to eating at another particular time.

[boring06]

I followed lean gains this past summer. I had a job that made me no money, worked from 9 to 9 with only about an hours break in between. I followed lean gains under less than ideal conditions, and it worked like a charm as far as cutting goes. I tried to bulk with it at a later time, and it didn't really work for me. I would recommend that you try it if you feel it will be easier on your schedule, but keep a close eye on how your body responds. Good luck man!

[Tyro]

Wow thanks for the great replies.

How does it effect your concentration because when im hungry i become irritable.

As i have to spend most of my day absorbing walls after walls of text.

[wick]

I feel way more focused and clear headed during the fast. Most people experience this from what I've read.

[kayne695]

Does anyone find it interferes with their training if you go to the gym completely fasted? Or do you have a small meal before going to the gym? When I go in the morning I like to have at least a small meal beforehand.

[bonkerzzz]

After a few days you probably won't be hungry if your getting the amount of calories you need in the feasting period.

[naturalguy]

I am not a fan

[bonkerzzz]

no. just no. Nutrient timing is irrelevant, and I doubt you've ever read anything from the main guys who promote intermittent fasting.

check out leangains.com, lots of good info on IF for you.

pm me if you're interested, and I can produce some scientific literature that dispels the nutrient timing myths.

The whole idea with Leangains and eating high carb on workout days and low carb on rest days is purely down to nutrient timing/partitioning. I don't know why you think differently.

What about a fairly recent article about eating later in the day for better fat loss?

[naturalguy]

The whole idea with Leangains and eating high carb on workout days and low carb on rest days is purely down to nutrient timing/partitioning. I don't know why you think differently.

What about a fairly recent article about eating later in the day for better fat loss?

Agreed, Lean gains is about nutrient timing so you can't say it's irrelevant then tell people to only eat during a certain window of time, it's contradictory.

[djoyce2]

The whole idea with Leangains and eating high carb on workout days and low carb on rest days is purely down to nutrient timing/partitioning. I don't know why you think differently.

What about a fairly recent article about eating later in the day for better fat loss?

does this article have citations? or is it just some guy's opinion?

I'm familiar with the "carb backloading" technique that you speak of, however I'm not aware of it actually being supported by science.

[BumShrapnel]

Worked well for me to recomp, but no good for cutting.
Also sucked being hungry all day.

This. It's just a really simple/crude way of lowering daily intake.

I feel I should point out that I personally didn't, physically, theoretically or metaphorically,turn into an apex predator or a caveman that can chase down, tackle and kill a zebra bare handed and feast on it's raw flesh without violent indigestion. I say this only so that you don't face the same crushing combination of disappointment and tummy ache that I did.

[chuckarock]

i have a hard time recovering from workout to workout if i do that

[runtocatch]

I'm not sayin that it dont work cuz I'm sure it does. I'm also sure that just about all these diets work in one way or another. Me personally, I just eat when I'm hungry, sleep when I'm tired, work hard and play hard. I aint built like anybody special but I aint a fat **** neither and I can lift with most folks when I want to so I'm happy.

edit to say that I'm with djoyce on the nutrient timing thing though..............I dont believe the hype. Its just as useless as they kids that bench about tree fiddy doin the conjugate method. Makes no sense to me at all.