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I've been trying to lean out for the last 6 weeks or so with standard results using the traditional 500 calorie deficit. Results were slowing down, so I dropped it to an 800 calorie deficit. No strength loss what so ever at all, which means no muscle loss. But fat loss seems to be at a grind, even after a weekend re-feed.
After doing some considerable reading on IF (Intermittent Fasting), I decided to give it a go. Today was my first day at it. Here is what I am doing: 18 hours fasting period with 6 - 8 hour feed period. I'm simply taking all of the food and caloric intake I am currently engaging in (which is still the 500 - 800 caloric deficit I mentioned) and simply shift all of it into 3 meals during the 6 - 8 hour feed period. ALL FOOD IS STILL 100% CLEAN!!!! Too many people, as usual, think that they can do Intermittent Fasting and just eat whatever they want and/or not count calories when the feed period comes along and still make progress. NO!!! My schedule is as follows:
NON-WORKOUT DAYS
3:30pm (15:30 hours): first meal
6:00pm (18:00 hours): second meal
9:00pm (21:00 hours): third meal, and last meal before the fast
9:00pm (21:00 hours): 3:30pm (15:30 hours) is the 18 hour fasting period
WORKOUT DAYS
2:15pm (14:15 hours): 10g BCAA before the workout
2:30pm (14:30 hours) - 3:30pm (15:30 hours): workout
3:30pm (15:30 hours) - 4:00 (16:00 hours): first meal / post-workout meal
9:00pm (21:00 hours): third meal, and last meal before the fast
Due to rare scheduling circumstances, tomorrow my workout is going to be shifted into the early morning rather than the afternoon, but I will STILL be consuming my first meal at 3:30pm. This will involve 10g of BCAAs consumed every hour or two until I hit the 3:30pm meal in order to stave off catabolism. In any case, today was my first day doing IF and I felt a bit hungry throughout the fasting hours but I was not tearing the walls down. Its not so bad actually. I was really dreading the hunger that might manifest but it was not that bad. I think much of the hunger that people might get is all psychological. Make no mistake, I was hungry, but it's not as bad as I thought it might be. I find that also keeping occupied with your activities such as school, work, etc. works very well (again, going back to the fact that it is likely mostly psychological as we are used to eating so frequently). What I am dreading, however, is working out in a fasted state tomorrow... but it might not be as bad as I expect.
I will definitely say that doing IF seems acceptable for leaning out, but I will say this: I cannot see myself doing this for bulking. When I achieve my goals with this, I am going right back to eating 6 times per day, eating every meal every 3 hours. I'm sure one could bulk on IF, but I just cannot see myself consuming 3,500+ calories while bulking up 3 meals. I couldn't stomach that. I'm cutting on a deficit right now, and in my 3:30pm meal, I am consuming 100g of protein in that one meal alone! That's about 260g (9 ounces) of lean chicken/turkey, and that's not including the carbs and the leafy greens I have to eat in that one meal too. Imagine what you'd have to eat per meal while bulking up. No thanks. But for cutting, this seems ideal.
Lets see how this goes from here on out...
After doing some considerable reading on IF (Intermittent Fasting), I decided to give it a go. Today was my first day at it. Here is what I am doing: 18 hours fasting period with 6 - 8 hour feed period. I'm simply taking all of the food and caloric intake I am currently engaging in (which is still the 500 - 800 caloric deficit I mentioned) and simply shift all of it into 3 meals during the 6 - 8 hour feed period. ALL FOOD IS STILL 100% CLEAN!!!! Too many people, as usual, think that they can do Intermittent Fasting and just eat whatever they want and/or not count calories when the feed period comes along and still make progress. NO!!! My schedule is as follows:
NON-WORKOUT DAYS
3:30pm (15:30 hours): first meal
6:00pm (18:00 hours): second meal
9:00pm (21:00 hours): third meal, and last meal before the fast
9:00pm (21:00 hours): 3:30pm (15:30 hours) is the 18 hour fasting period
WORKOUT DAYS
2:15pm (14:15 hours): 10g BCAA before the workout
2:30pm (14:30 hours) - 3:30pm (15:30 hours): workout
3:30pm (15:30 hours) - 4:00 (16:00 hours): first meal / post-workout meal
9:00pm (21:00 hours): third meal, and last meal before the fast
Due to rare scheduling circumstances, tomorrow my workout is going to be shifted into the early morning rather than the afternoon, but I will STILL be consuming my first meal at 3:30pm. This will involve 10g of BCAAs consumed every hour or two until I hit the 3:30pm meal in order to stave off catabolism. In any case, today was my first day doing IF and I felt a bit hungry throughout the fasting hours but I was not tearing the walls down. Its not so bad actually. I was really dreading the hunger that might manifest but it was not that bad. I think much of the hunger that people might get is all psychological. Make no mistake, I was hungry, but it's not as bad as I thought it might be. I find that also keeping occupied with your activities such as school, work, etc. works very well (again, going back to the fact that it is likely mostly psychological as we are used to eating so frequently). What I am dreading, however, is working out in a fasted state tomorrow... but it might not be as bad as I expect.
I will definitely say that doing IF seems acceptable for leaning out, but I will say this: I cannot see myself doing this for bulking. When I achieve my goals with this, I am going right back to eating 6 times per day, eating every meal every 3 hours. I'm sure one could bulk on IF, but I just cannot see myself consuming 3,500+ calories while bulking up 3 meals. I couldn't stomach that. I'm cutting on a deficit right now, and in my 3:30pm meal, I am consuming 100g of protein in that one meal alone! That's about 260g (9 ounces) of lean chicken/turkey, and that's not including the carbs and the leafy greens I have to eat in that one meal too. Imagine what you'd have to eat per meal while bulking up. No thanks. But for cutting, this seems ideal.
Lets see how this goes from here on out...
