IF Questions

[Zac Johnson]

I have been reading many of the posts on IF'ing and have decided to give it a try. I started over the weekend and have liked it so far. I've been having a fasting period of roughly 7-8pm till roughly 12-1pm. As far as my goals go, I want to drop some body fat but also want to increase performace. However, I have a few questions.

As far as personal info: weight- 160lbs, roughly 12% bodyfat (haven't checked it in a bit), I crossfit regularly with a 5 on/2 off schedule, and I work at a crossfit gym and am active teaching throughout the day. Prior to this I have been eating a paleo/zone-ish diet (so clean eating isn't a problem) and seen results but like many others get frustrated with having to think about measuring everything.

From looking at other posts I see that it is recommended to begin only fasting a few times a week. Is this because some people have trouble keeping the fast on a daily basis? (from the days I've done I haven't had trouble keeping the fast, I don't really even think about it) Or is it because there is a problem with having too large of a calorie deficit? To be honest I feel like I may not be getting enough food in during my eating window, but am not terribly hungry the next day. I actually have trouble even eating what I was prior on the zone. Should I be eating only till I'm satisfied or should I make sure I get in the same amount of calories I would on a normal day? I would rather not have to worry about zoning still, but will do that if it is best. Any suggestions on how to best accomplish this or what sort of macronutrient balance I should be getting? As I said before I've been IF'ing for a few days and was planning on continuing with 5 consecutive fast days followed by 2 ad lib eating days, which correspond with my training and rest days. Does this seem like an effective approach? I know there isn't any set formula for how to IF but any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated. I know I have rambled a bit so thank you for any help in advance.

Zac

[Daniel Olmstead]

There are others here far more knowledgable than I about IF, but I've been doing it for a few weeks now and here's my take:

It's REALLY easy to undereat with IF. I track my food pretty religiously in Fitday, and try to get 160g/day of protein to prevent losing any muscle. Many days I have to eat pretty constantly, and when I'm not hungry, in order to meet my macronutrient goals. I recommend tracking your food, if only for a few days, to get a sense of how much food you're eating and be sure you're not going too low. You do want to get in the same amount of calories on a fasting day as you would on a normal day - IF is more about insulin and hormone management than it is about caloric deficit.

[Trygve Lunde]

i agree with the fasting, its really really easy. Im only eating one meal per day so im fasting around 24 hours each day 7 days a week. Maybe on saturday i do a shorter fast. I think 160g protein sounded high, but im more of the low protein guy. around 1g/kg is ok. On workout days i would eat a bit more. 1.2 or even 1.4, depends on what workout and how you workout and your goals.

[George Mounce]

I agree with a few times a week. I've recently backed off, I was fasting 5 times a week, compared to the 3-4 I do now. The difference is huge. I personally prefer the 16-17 hour range for my fasts (works out nice for 7pm-12pm the next day as the fast period and fits around normal meal times). In the end you need to try a bit of everything and find what works for you.

I also find contrary to Daniel its very easy to overeat as once you break that fast - man its game on. I've been known to eat 3 steaks in a day... :o

[Frank Needham]

Overeating for me after a fast is very easy for me also. No problem putting away the chow once started and can easily see up to 3000 cals downed if I don't restrain myself. What I like about IF in general is that there are no set rules, unlike some contrived thing such as the zone. In turn, this makes life much more liveable. After all, who before the last several years on this planet, ever sat down and lined up buckets of food to eat throughout the day? omg....Back on track to the number if times per week to IF....For me, trying to do it each and every day is wearing at best. Initially it was important for me to stick with rigid timetable to establish some control. Afterwards, IFing around my schedule is no problem.

[George Mounce]

I agree Frank, IFing around your schedule is easy to do. If I have an early flying week, then I just eat breakfast, if I have a late flying week, then I IF until lunch (late takeoffs are usually after 1 pm).

No matter how you do it, I find it very easy to do, though if you are starting out and have been eating a lot of processed foods, plan for some headaches.

[Zac Johnson]

Thank you all for your input. I will definately try tracking my calorie intake for the next few days to make sure I'm getting enough. I'll try to keep posting updates. Thanks again!

Zac