Questions

[Troy Archie]

Lot's on information here and it has my head spinning. I've managed to have found most of my answers but I've got a couple that need a bit of clarifying, so here we go:

1) Fasting and workouts. This post answered lot's of question but does the type of workout sessions have an effect on it? i.e. 3 Bars of Death Vs Cindy, 1 hour Oly session Vs Fran. Has anyone ever found they felt overly really worn/spent or noticeable decline in perfomance while training during the fast?

2) Fuelling the Fast & Bed Time. I've always been under the impression to not eat 2-3 hours before bed (accurate?). Does the fast and the fast window need to stay within the parameter or can it be tossed out the window and you can eat 1h-30min before bed?

One More

3) At 5'-10", 155lbs should I be fasting? My weakness is my weakness and my lack of strength.

[Mike ODonnell]

Originally Posted by Troy Archie

Has anyone ever found they felt overly really worn/spent or noticeable decline in perfomance while training during the fast?

Depends on the type of training....strength, ME, metcon, endurance...and how replenished my muscle glycogen is respect to the last workout. Plus are you implementing a pwo carb meal or is it all low carb? Lots of variables...not to mention some are more adapted to fat than others. I hate the old saying...but the best way is to try and see...and add some pwo carbs if you feel bonking...or maybe some small carbs pre workout if you feel fatigue. I have not noticed a difference but do pwo carbs. I have noticed increased performance in more metabolic such as mnt biking and running. There is always probably a breaking point...so best to keep workouts short and intense...or if longer have plenty of rests (more Oly lifting).

I've always been under the impression to not eat 2-3 hours before bed (accurate?). Does the fast and the fast window need to stay within the parameter or can it be tossed out the window and you can eat 1h-30min before bed?

It's more a GH thing...get your insulin and blood glucose as low as possible when going to bed. A large meal will take 2-3 hours to get those insulin or glucose levels down. ZMA has also been linked to as a glucose shuttling agent hence why you feel sleepy and get better rest.

[Robb Wolf]

Troy-
When you eat, you need to put the calories down! I have found it easier to gain muscle with a little fasting...tinker and see if this works for you but none of this is written in stone. You may end up eating 6 meals some days, fewer others. The brief fasts should help with insulin sensitivity and thus muscle gain.

[Mike ODonnell]

As Robb said...fasting does not mean you are NOT eating the calories....so for example if your daily cal intake is 3000 cal to gain lean muscle....and that's your goal...then you still need 3000 cal intake...it's just in a shorter window. Also the benefit of doing breif fasts is it:
- increases insulin sensitivity
- increases protein utilization
- increases muscle/protein sparing
So in the end...you may see like many others...that with some tinkering and fasts...you may only need 2500 cal and still be able to put on lean mass.

The more and more I research IF...the more and more it almost looks like the holy grail of eating...so much potential....

[Ron Nelson]

I think this is why I went with the Fast-5 program. It's like the lazy man's approach to IF. Don't eat for 19hrs, then go for it. No guidelines. No guilt.
The fat does seem to come off. At least it has for me.
My question is: How do I know when my insulin sensitivity has improved?
Do I feel "full" after eating less? If that's the case, battle won.
I can eat relatively little and feel bloated now.

[Troy Archie]

Thanks all. I'm having some problems putting it all together right now. What my daily plan looks like thus far is:
6:00 wake
All day school
4-5:00 Workout
5-6:00 End Fast
8:00 Start Fast
10:00 Bed time

2h is a pretty dam tight window to get all that food in...but that doesn't necessarily mean I can't eat more the next day to make up for it correct? So like:
Mon - fast
Tues - eat
Wed - fast
Thurs - eat
Fri - fast

...and so on. Just putting ideas out now...I was really hoping to not have to take food with me to school. Pain in the ass carrying all that food around...

[Robb Wolf]

Originally Posted by Troy Archie

Thanks all. I'm having some problems putting it all together right now. What my daily plan looks like thus far is:
6:00 wake
All day school
4-5:00 Workout
5-6:00 End Fast
8:00 Start Fast
10:00 Bed time

2h is a pretty dam tight window to get all that food in...but that doesn't necessarily mean I can't eat more the next day to make up for it correct? So like:
Mon - fast
Tues - eat
Wed - fast
Thurs - eat
Fri - fast

...and so on. Just putting ideas out now...I was really hoping to not have to take food with me to school. Pain in the ass carrying all that food around...

Troy- This is pretty much what Kurtis Bowler did and he LOVES the results. I've not really tinkered with the alternate day fast. We are up early (5am) and at the gym until 2pm most days so i just fast during that time and then eat when I'm home. You will need to eat adequately on your eat days to avoid too much weight loss.