Intermittent Fasting Noob - Advice/Thoughts Please

Browner

Well-Known Member
Hi all,

I have been looking into IF as a way of cutting down my body fat %. Current stats;

Age:30
Height: 5ft 10
Weight: 198Ilbs
BF%: 17 (target - 8-10%)

I have been reading about the "LeanGains" method of IF, which is 16 hours fast, 8 hours feeding window. At present I am looking to structure this as follows:

My eating window will be 1pm - 9pm

5:30am - Wake, and Black Coffee
1:00pm - Break Fast - Protein Shake, Chicken breast, veg, rice or potatoes
3:00pm - Tuna/Chicken salad Sandwhich on Wholewheat bread, with low fat yogurt and handful Almonds
6:00pm - Train - Mon/Wed/Fri - HST Tue/Thur - Cardio
7:00pm - Post Workout Shake
7:30om - Large Meal - 50-100g of protein, 200-300g carbs 10-15g fat
9:00pm - last meal (this is where I could use some advice of what to have/eat, thinking cottage cheese)

Any advice any of you could give me would be great, along with meal ideas/snack ideas etc... I've usaully gone with the traditional little and often style of cutting diet, and last year I did Paleo, but I was miserable on Paleo. Could results, but it turned me into an A hole!!

Look forward to hearing from you!
 
This is what I have planned for my IF starting from next week. Comments welcome;

Time
Food/Meal
Calories
Protein
Carbs
Fat
05:30
Black Coffee
2
0
0
0
10:00
Black Coffee
2
0
0
0
13:00
Grilled Chicken Breast
170
38
0
2
Brown Pasta
255
12
62
3
Mixed Veg
52
3
8
1
2 Boiled Eggs
140
12
2
9
Whey Protein
200
32
8
4
15:00
Tuna Sandwhich on WM Bread
300
14
30
6
Handfull Almonds
140
5
5
12
19:00
Post Workout Shake
200
32
8
1
19:30
Spaghetti Bolognese
550
36
16
35
Low Fat Yogurt
110
5
19
2
21:00
Protein Pancake
191
34
6
3
Poached eggs
150
12
0
5
Totals
2462
235
164
83
 
You still can't ignore calories in and calories out. Thermodynamics always wins.

IF hopes to use more body fat as an energy source. It's effectiveness vs traditional dieting (ala eating less) is entirely debatable. Some people swear by it, but many of those people have achieved identical results using methods prior to IF, they simply found IF easier to manage mentally and/or practically.
 
You still can't ignore calories in and calories out. Thermodynamics always wins.

IF hopes to use more body fat as an energy source. It's effectiveness vs traditional dieting (ala eating less) is entirely debatable. Some people swear by it, but many of those people have achieved identical results using methods prior to IF, they simply found IF easier to manage mentally and/or practically.

Thanks for the reply.

I didn't ignore the calories. I still calculated calories and macros for cutting, however will be eating all within the 8 hour window, meaning I can have a few larger meals, rather than having small meals often, which is difficult to do with my job.I guess i'll just give it a go and see what happens.
 
Been IFing for over a year, and it's great. It removes a lot of work when planning / preparing meals. And having a big meal at the end of the day for me, takes out the feeling of dieting
 
I also believe that if you reduce the carbs daily intake, partioning to is better, but as Alex said, there is an ongoing debate on this, much as with anything fitness related
 
It certainly suits my lifestyle more! I have calculated my macros quite accurately.

Cals 2462 (average )
Protein: 235
Carbs: 500 on training days
100 on Rest Days

Fat:70 On training Days
130 on rest days
 
Last edited:
Imo, if you want to switch you body to burn fat, you should increase fats, and reduce carbs. I follow a P/C/F 30-10-60 with success. Although this is a different debate, quite controversial also ;-)
 
Imo, if you want to switch you body to burn fat, you should increase fats, and reduce carbs. I follow a P/C/F 30-10-60 with success. Although this is a different debate, quite controversial also ;-)

I did a ketosis 12 week cut last year, and carbs were around 10 - 20g, and although the results were amazing, I was a miserable b*stard lol! Dont think I could put myself through that again lol!
 
OP you seem to have a good understanding of IF. I have a question for you, I hope you don't mind.

I understand fasting on a training day, but what about the day after? (let's say it's a rest/healing day)
Continue to fast as usual, or eat meals spread throughout the day and start fasting again the next day?
 
Just thought I would share my progress after 1 month back in training after 6 months of just letting myself go! Never again!

I have gone from 206Ilbs and 20% bf to 191Ilbs and 15% bodyfat. So in theory my lean body mass has gone from 164Ilbs to 162Ilbs meaning I have only lost a very small amount of muscle mass.

My aim is to get to 10% bf by May, while maintaining as much mass as possible, so hopefully I'm on course to do that.

My training has been HST Mon/Wed/Fri, football training Tuesday, MMA and Yoga on Thursday. Football game on a Saturday. (by football I mean soccer)

I have also been doing a lot of corrective stretching and foam rolling, and I feel that has really helped with my posture.
1 month Progress.jpg
1 month progress1.jpg
*Grey boxers - Jan 9th '14
White boxers - Feb 9th '14
 
Just thought I would share my progress after 1 month back in training after 6 months of just letting myself go! Never again!

I have gone from 206Ilbs and 20% bf to 191Ilbs and 15% bodyfat. So in theory my lean body mass has gone from 164Ilbs to 162Ilbs meaning I have only lost a very small amount of muscle mass.

My aim is to get to 10% bf by May, while maintaining as much mass as possible, so hopefully I'm on course to do that.

My training has been HST Mon/Wed/Fri, football training Tuesday, MMA and Yoga on Thursday. Football game on a Saturday. (by football I mean soccer)

I have also been doing a lot of corrective stretching and foam rolling, and I feel that has really helped with my posture.
View attachment 2329
View attachment 2328
*Grey boxers - Jan 9th '14
White boxers - Feb 9th '14

Be honest mate ... did your strength drop when the beard was shaved?
 
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