Has anyone here tried intermittent fasting? I've read good things about its effects on insulin sensitivity, testosterone production, and weight loss, but there isn't much research out there.
Anecdotal evidence being the next thing, let me know how you do your fasting, and how would you answer the following questions?
Have you lost weight with it? How much, and how fast?
Do you feel like you have more testosterone? And if you've gotten it tested, what were the results?
Would you recommend it?
Is there anything else I should know?
bump
>>36560405
It's just the meme fat loss diet of the moment.
Calories in, calories out
You think we'll tell you our secrets? You just have to do IF and figure it out on your own, nigga.
>>36560641
I could imagine it might help train you to deal with hunger at the very least
>>36560655
I've tried it twice the past week (16 hr fast once and 20 hr fast after big Easter meal). Feels alright but I'm not sure if placebo. Meals felt more satisfying. I also felt surprisingly more driven and confident in my run during the first fast. Some advice on what way to best take would be appreciated.
The only reason IF works is because it keeps you from grazing throughout the day. It's an easy way to foster discipline.
I do it. Mostly it just means I skip breakfast and eat lunch late, but some people use stricter regiments.
Once you get used to it, it feels good during the fasting period. Like you're more aware and perceptive than usual.
It's great when you're on a cut. Feels much better to skip breakfast and have big meals in the evening than have tiny bitch meals all day. Very good for losing weight without feeling shitty all the time, but it takes a bit to adjust to it. Fasted training is also nice, but I'd recommend getting some BCAA if you're gonna do that. There's a significant difference in my endurance and strength during fasted training if I take BCAA prior.
As for testosterone production, no idea. I definitely feel better, but I've never been actually tested. I could see it though, it makes sense that your body would produce more test if you were hungry so you could hunt or whatever, opposed to being well fed and satisfied gives little incentive to be more masculine.
I would definitely recommend it. But it depends on your fitness goals.
it's harder to get a decent amount of protein in when you eat like shit. It does help a lot with the psychological aspects of dieting but in a good and bad way. Calories in, calories out.
It doesn't make you lose weight any faster than a traditional caloric deficit diet would. Besides, even on IF you still have to maintain a caloric deficit if you want to lose weight. The key advantage is that you can maintain a small caloric surplus to gain lean mass with minimal fat gain.
>>36560706
this right here
when you RESTRICT yourself to only eating at certain times it becomes easy to not eat shit food all day
i've tried it.
I feel 10x better and feel like I have more test on keto. I feel that IF high virtually 24/7 now it's great
>>36560709
Just trying to lose about 15 lbs. I'm kinda chubby, about to graduate and want to lose all the beer weight.
As for the testosterone, I've read things that say insulin has an antagonistic effect on testosterone production. Thus when you have less insulin throughout the day, you're more likely to have test being generated all day.
>>36560405
THANK YOU WALKING BIRD OF GAINS
Tried it a year ago, just cut eating after 8pm and didn't eat until noon the next day. Did this every day for 2 months and lost 14 lbs easy. The hunger isn't even that bad imo. There is a bit more to it than calories in/calories out, extending the fat burning part of your day a bit further, but you can't gorge on food during your "feast" time either.
Currently in a weight loss competition, and started counting calories strictly, weighing food and being super diligent about it. Lost 20 lbs in the first month, now plateauing so I started lifting too.
Yes, I have done it to cut for 4+ years and I definitely know what I'm talking about at this point.
>let me know how you do your fasting
I eat all of my calories back-to-back in a single meal (or accurately series of meals), and fast for the remaining ~23 hours of the day.
>Have you lost weight with it? How much, and how fast?
Eating the appropriate amount of calories; all things being the same, and training/supplements reminding consistent; I lose about 1.5lbs more weekly while fasting in this manner than I do eating whenever I want.
>Do you feel like you have more testosterone? And if you've gotten it tested, what were the results?
I have gotten it tested many times. Whether or not I am fasting makes no difference at all.
>Would you recommend it?
Yes. The small boost in fat loss adds up over time, and the nature of the schedule makes it very easy to be disciplined.
>Is there anything else I should know?
Lots of stuff.
When the hunger hits, it hits harder.
Any fasting which advises not eating for an entire day or more is retarded. You need to eat your calories, all of them, every day.
Eat after you hit the gym that day, not before.
Forcing down so much food at once will make you sleepy/sluggish for a couple of hours right after.
Don't be tempted to not eat enough calories because you're full and tired of eating, which you will be. Eat what you need.
Huge eating windows don't work. Spreading your eating out over 8 hours during your day, in my experience, will have you losing no more weight than just eating whenever you want. Your case may be different. In my experience, if you actually want more fat loss and not just some kind of discipline exercise, you eat everything at once.
Training fasted will not make your lifts weak, or affect them at all. Training after you eat such an amount will be a disaster.
You will naturally want to sleep later and later. At least, this is the case for me.
>>36561085
CONT.
My body tries to wake up closer and closer to whenever I first eat. To keep your sleep schedule from going insane, wake up early to an immediate cup of coffee/diet soda/whatever ZERO CALORIE thing and a handful of supplements.
Don't stuff yourself and go to sleep directly after, either. It will be tempting sometimes. Tired from training, full of food and relaxing at home... But no. Resist the urge, go to sleep at a respectable time, wake up at a respectable time. Well, if you want. If you're a NEET I guess you can do what you damn well please.
All of these side effects will quickly become less harsh and none of them are really harsh to begin with at all, except hunger for the first few weeks if you're weak to cravings.
>>36560405
I'm a fatty doing psmf. It's basically a form of I-F in which i eat mostly protein. At least 90% of my calorie intake (which is anywhere from 800 to 1200 a day).
I dont care about the insuling levels, the test, etc etc. that's not why i fast, i fast because it taught my body that it doesn't need 3 meals a day (let alone 5 or 6) to be able to function properly.
2 months ago, i could wake up at 6am, feel hungry, and make 5-6 pancakes with a bow of cereal, 3 hours later i'd feel hungry again and i'd be ready for another meal. It's crazy how fucked up you can get (mentally) once you're fat.
I realized that there was something wrong in my head, how was i able to eat so fucking much? so i decided to starve myself for 5 days. Nothing but water for 5 days. I experienced true hunger, nothing i've ever felt before. But what surprised me the most was that during day 5, the feeling of hunger dissapeared. I tought to myself "if i can control my hunger for 5 days, why not try that fasting thing people talk about on that shitty weeb board?)
During the first 2 months i had the IIFYM mentality, so i'd still eat shit but ONLY between 5 and 7pm with a max of 2100cals.
As of today i've been on psmf for 2 weeks and i've lost 11lbs, it's probably the best progress i've had in my whole life. If everything goes well i should be able to drop at least 4 pounds more by wednesday. That'll put me under 300lbs. idk how long it's been since i was anything below 300lbs.
TL:DR: Fasting isn't magical. but it does teaches you how to control your apetite. I'd only recomend fasting if you're one of those people who struggle with hunger and lack willpower. Your body is an extremely resilient tool, once you start doing something new, eventually it'll adapt. Remember that fasting is pretty much a controlled starvation.
Otherwise, cals in cals out.
>>36560860
>>36560709
thanks, guys
>>36561085
you especially, thank you
>>36560720
It's not that hard to get good protein macros honestly, 500g of chicken breast, a can of tuna and a cup of broccoli is a pretty good meal below 1k cals.
IF is GOAT
>>36561156
Keep it up, brah! Wrapped up a 6 week cycle myself a month ago, started a 12 week cycle 2 weeks ago - the first 6 weeks dropped me from 345 to 292. Even having cheat days during the re-feed, I was just about 298 after eating whatever I wanted for two weeks - so the weight stays off.
I did the same fasting thing for 4 days to start off. Ended up feeling like complete shit on the 5th day so I eat. My hungar was minimal after that and I've been on about 1000 cal a day diet. Started on Jan 17th at 225 down to 180 now. Feels good, kinda think to myself now wow this was pretty easy should have done it sooner.
I've been doing it since 2013.
I feel great. No hunger pangs unless it's over 20 hours without food. I can eat a fuckton of food in one sitting.
I'm not super ripped, but I think it helps me stay lean.
>>36560405
I literally just started my first IF diet. Just did 20 days low carb, 20 days carb cycle, and was gonna do keto but opt for IF instead. Keto is to un realistic.
So far Iv been full literally all day because Im slamming all my food in such a short time. Its a pain in the ass to have to bring food everywhere I go but Ill have to do what iv gotta do.
Iv read cycling the carbs is benificial while doing IF. I only have one off day but ill drop carbs to around 50grams on that day, fat comes up a bit and pro stays the same.
>>36560405
What is that goddamn silly ass chicken doing in there
>>36560405
I don't know about the insulin/testosterone benefits, that sounds like some broscience and I wouldn't know enough about physiology to tell anyway. I can say that IF has helped me with my cut psychologically. If I only have a set window to eat, the calories I do get FEEL like more because I at least get a good sized meal in during a cut.
>>36560702
Agree with this guy, meals definitely feel more satisfying. I've found it's easier to maintain discipline on a cut with a shorter feed window.
As far as the science backing it goes, I have no idea.
>>36561085
Good shit right here. I don't know if I could do a 1 hour feed window though..
>>36561262
Fuckin good on you man. What's your target weight?
>>36561156
>>36561226
that's some determination, good on y'all
>>36560405
I have 500 or less calories a day
Today I had 100 calories Caesar salad and didn't even get hungry
So proud
>>36560405
It's a great idea- not sure about all the hormone levels your asking for but IF is working for me because I hate being hungry at night.
It's easier to be hungry in the morning because you don't have an appetite in the morning with coffee/ brushing your teeth and feeling groggy anyways. Way fucking better that risking being hungry at night and keeping you up till you binge eat.
Friend of mine does it, says he likes it. He was already fit before so it's hard to say what the obvious benefit is there.
Either way, I laugh my ass off when it's 7:50 and he's trying to eat his dinner as quickly as possible because he isn't allowed any calories after 8.
>>36560405
16/8 is what I currently do, only eat between lunch time and 8pm.
If you plan on doing a workout during the fast period, take some BCAA 30 mins before the workout so you dont lose any gains.
Your body soon adapts to the new eating "habits" and you don't feel hungry during those 16 hours if you drink plenty of water.
I eat the usual chicken/broccoli for lunch/afternoon tea, then eat whatever the fuck I want for dinner.
If I want to cut I just modify dinner and remove bread/rice/etc with cauliflower or broccoli.
>>36560405
I don't know about all the stuff about insulin sensitivity and what have you.
But it is good for keeping hunger in check while cutting, making it easier to hit my calorie goals
>>36564096
