Getting Started

[Matt Lawson]

I decided that, after a week of 6 and 8 hour fasts, i would go double digits on hours. So far i have fasted 18 hours mon, tue, and wed (today). My schedule is kinda banged up so ive actually broken the fast just before working out on both days, today will be the exception.

Tuesday i chopped wood for 4 hours prior to breaking the fast and working out. I felt fine during the yard work but was tired for the weight training. I think it has a lot more to do with the yard work than with the fast.

I love it though, i feel clean, clear, and ready if that makes any sense.

In an attempt to stave off any potential metabolic slowing and possibly even add a few pounds of lean mass (im 158 in gym cloths) i have been eating 3k kcals in the 6 hour window. This is much harder than i thought it would be. I'm forced to eat lots of meat (i don't mind that part). ive dispensed with the pretense of using any sort of dressing for my greens and just smother stuff with Olive Oil. Beyond that i get a fair amount of cals from Milk. I know the paleo people are cringing but i do not eat any sort of grain, corn, or sugar at all.

My average day is somewhat hard, washing cars, yard work, training people ect. ect. I tend to train 3-5 days a week. Evenings i get to bed before 10 and get around 8 hours.


I was wondering if 3 days of this type of fast, followed by a day off, then a full day of fasting, then a "regular" weekend would be too much. (monday eat from 1-6, tues 1-6, wed 1-6, thurs normal eating, fri fast all day, sat and sun eat all day.

what do you guys think? Too Much? Should i adjust my Kcals?

[Jay Cohen]

Try it for a month or two, but it sounds sane to me. IF'ing has no hard and fast rules, other then NOT EATING for a certain time frame, then EATING for a certain time frame, repeat.

Chow On.

[Garrett Smith]

Don't say "fast all day", that could mean anywhere from 24 to 35 hours, depending on your interpretation. Say how many hours you're going to fast for.

[Matt Lawson]

Good call Dr. G. When i mean fast all day i was thinking begin the fast at the end of the evening thursday, resume eating saturday morning.

[Garrett Smith]

Try it, but I'll warn you that you probably won't like it and may find it too catabolic.

[Matt Lawson]

Is IF inherently catabolic or is it just 36 hour fasts?

[Garrett Smith]

IF isn't inherently catabolic. I believe Dr. Eades has posted on the 30+ hour fasts, as well as some others on the CF board in the past.

The general consensus on the 30+ hour fasts done one or more times a week is that they are catabolic and less productive than multiple <24 hour ones. Depletion of amino acids necessary for the liver to detox products released by fasting could be part of the issue.

All I know is that keeping the fasts less than 24 hours has worked well, I believe many on this board would agree.

[Derek Weaver]

I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. G.

I fast rather haphazardly, though I find myself skipping breakfast on a much more regular basis these days.

I typically keep my fasts anywhere from 17-24 hours these last few weeks or so, with a 30+ hour fast a couple of times when I had an upset stomach.

I'd say his window looks pretty good, though on Friday I'd maybe break the fast for dinner and then have the two free days as scheduled. 3k calories in a 6 hour window should be plenty to add some weight.

[Garrett Smith]

Trying to gain weight on IF sounds like a no-fun proposition to me--I just can't imagine the stuffed feeling I would have...

[Derek Weaver]

I actually think it's a little easier. Although, I did come from a background where overfeeding was not only the norm but whole heartedly encouraged.

I remember a post a while back where someone was saying that they were putting weight on without trying to... possibly due to better/enhanced digestion... I'll see if I can dig it up.