This is an article detailing my experiences with intermittent fasting and how it made me leaner, stronger and healthier.
What you’ll learn is the specific program/diet that I used that allowed me to drop significant amounts of body fat without losing muscle mass and strength.
Keep in mind that this is written from a body composition and health perspective. So in other words, the question is whether or not intermittent fasting can help to achieve greater health, fat loss and/or muscle gain.
Really quick, I have to give credit where credit is due: Martin Berkhan and Brad Pilon where the main sources of information that shattered my old paradigms and gave me a system to follow that has allowed me to get such fantastic results. All inventors credit goes to them.
So with that said, I’ve been able to personally experience major fat loss and muscle gaining results with 16 hour an intermittent fasting diet and so can you. Initially, I was able to achieve visible fat loss, and measurable strength gains simultaneously.
This surprised me.
However, since then I’ve found intermittent fasting to be a sustainable, and even enjoyable system for eating that has helped me optimize my body to be more athletic, aesthetic, and healthy. Whether you’re trying to gain muscle, lose fat, or just be a more healthful resilient person, intermittent fasting might be a lifestyle habit that makes sense for you.
November 2011 Update
It’s been about 14 months now since I originally started playing with IF. Intermittent fasting is still apart of my habit structure. I don’t stick to it religiously like I initially did however. Some days I fast in the morning, other days I make this green drink for breakfast. Some days I’ll do a 20 hour fast.
It all just depends.
Either way, I don’t eat much in the morning and my biggest meal is always timed to be post-workout.
The biggest epiphany that this journey has allowed me to realize is meal frequency simply doesn’t matter. Bottom line: there’s no benefit to eating more often. It has also allowed me to realize a simple truth: if you want to lose weight, simply eat less food.
That’s it.
Hate to make fat loss so simple, but that’s the reality. Eat less food. In other words, consume less energy (calories are simply a measurement of heat/energy that is contained in a food). For me, IF is the easiest way to accomplish this. Read on to find out why…
Warning: A Quick Word on Body Types
We all have different bodies. If you struggle with gaining fat and losing weight IF is probably one of the best thing you’ll ever learn about. So in other words, if you’re naturally have endomorphic tendencies (like I do), where you have a large appetite and struggle with over-consumption, IF is a great option for dropping body fat (I would argue the best option actually). However, if you’re like my good friend Orrin aka someone who is naturally skinny and you have an extremely hard time with gaining weight and even bodyfat (ectomorphic tendencies), intermittent fasting probably isn’t for you. This is due to instinctual appetite levels. People who are ‘naturally’ skinny simply eat less food because they have a naturally low appetite. Read this article where Orrin talks about strategies to MAXIMIZE his ability to consume food. This is obviously the OPPOSITE challenge that most people have (including myself).
My Experiences Overview (Originally written on 11/8/2010 | Updated 11/29/2011)
About a year ago I radically changed up my eating patterns. Before doing this I was following what I had heard from people in the gym and various magazines and bodybuilding articles. It was simple: eat 4-8 meals a day to ‘stoke the metabolic fire’ (eat to lose….haha), to avoid going catabolic (muscle loss), and to maximize muscle recovery after grueling workouts. After all, doesn’t eating inspire metabolism? Aren’t you suppose to eat many small meals throughout the day or else you’ll lose all your hard earned muscle and waste all those hours of hard work? Isn’t this how it works?! Turns out, no. In fact, turns out that all those old conceptions are myths that have literally no scientific backing at all. This is gym-bro knowledge at work. Unquestioned inaccurate ‘knowledge’ that gets passed down and assumed to be truth. It took bumping into a few sites and learning from a few sources for me to start to question all of this ‘gym bro knowledge’ I had acquired over the many years of working out and being apart of that environment (I was a personal trainer for years believe it or not). Well after throwing my old convictions aside and giving IF a try I could tell after only 3 weeks that I’d likely be committed to this way of eating for life. I had dropped fat while also gaining strength. I felt more energy (especially in the mornings), had more mental clarity, and finally could focus on life rather than trying to eat ever 4 hours to ‘stroke the metabolic fire.’ I just felt better in general. After over a year of experimenting with IF it’s still apart of my habit structure and way of life.
Here’s why Intermittent Fasting Just Makes sense
When evaluating how our bodies evolved, it’s seems reasonable to think that the human body was in a fasted state a lot of the time. Maybe not by choice, but by demand. Food is scarce in the wild. There is no tupperware, no microwaves, no packaged convenience foods. Hunting and gathering takes effort (aka exercise), and often coming up empty handed and remaining hungry would be unavoidable. This is why the human body is extremely effective at storing fat (I know from experience ). In other words, in nature food was probably scarce for most of human evolution. Human beings definitely weren’t pigging out continuously, and most likely the feeding times were irregular and erratic. So what is the point? Replicating conditions of how the human body evolved will likely provide health and wellness. Read more about this concept here and here. So the point is, that the human body evolved to have times of being fasted. aka not fed.
Fed vs. Fasted and Why Fasting May be one of the most health promoting things you can do
If you look at modern society, we rarely let ourselves go fasted. I was under the impression that it was a muscle building sin to not have something in the stomach at all times. I don’t know what it’s like to be on steroids, I have never done them, but it seems like most of the ‘never let yourself go hungry’ preaching is coming from the bodybuilding community (the gurus being steroided up). At one point I listened to this preaching without question or critical thought. However, it just didn’t work for me. I found it nearly impossible to actually lose fat, I felt like crap alot of the times (especially in the afternoons), I was drowsy and un-alert, and looking back on it now I just didn’t feel vibrant and healthy.
Even if you’re not into fitness and bodybuilding, the average population (in the USA at least) is in a fed state continuously throughout their lives. Not only are we eating stuff our bodies weren’t designed for, we are eating too much, and too often. It makes sense to me that keeping your body in a ‘fed’ state continuously is going against our evolutionary programming and could be one of the causal factors behind diseases of civilization as well as the obesity epidemic.
Summary: Intermittent fasting makes sense from both a health and fitness perspective.
But is Intermittent Fasting backed by actual Science?
There is an increasing amount of studies being done on fasting. The results are starting to compile and short-term intermittent fasting has been found to have the following health and fitness benefits:
- Decreased body fat & body weight
- Maintenance of skeletal muscle mass (you won’t lose muscle: bodybuilding gym-bros claims=false)
- Decreased blood glucose levels
- Decreased insulin levels & increased insulin sensitivity
- Increased lipolysis & fat oxidation (which leads to ABS )
- Increased Uncoupling Protein 3 mRNA
- Increased norepinephrine & epinephrine levels (more energy and ‘awakeness’)
- Increased Glucagon levels
- Increased growth hormone levels
If you’re a nerd like me and want to research the studies, you can find many of them here. Or you can purchase the book that summarizes all the studies and blasted through all my preconceptions in around 100 pages here.
How to Implement Intermittent Fasting as a Lifestyle: The specific dos and don’ts
So how can you make intermittent fasting into a lifestyle/system/habit? Well the good news is there aren’t any hard ‘rules,’ only suggestions and principles. The principle is simple: let yourself go hungry occasionally. Some people (such as the author of one of the books I highly suggest picking up called “Eat Stop Eat“) recommends fasting once or twice a week for 24 hrs. Personally, I’ve followed a program of daily 16 hour fasts. For me, this made sense as I’ve never liked breakfast anyways. Like I just mentioned, the whole ’3 square meals’ or ’6 small meals’ and ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ fads are conventional wisdom hogwash that has been repeated so much that we assume it to be truth. The only problem is it doesn’t have any basis in nature or current research.
Losing weight is simply about eating less food
So basically I have my last meal at around 9 PM. I skip breakfast, do my workout routine with weights at noon in a fasted state (taking BCAA’s before my workout), and have my largest meal of the day at around 1 PM. From 1 PM to 9 PM I follow the nutritional principles I lay out here.
How is this program any different then just Skipping Breakfast?
I’ve had alot of people say something around the lines of “so you just skip breakfast, big deal.” Intermittent fasting isn’t complicated, but getting results with it probably entails alot more than just skipping breakfast, especially to get optimal athletic and aesthetic results. In other words, although skipping breakfast may be considered intermittent fasting, it’s not the full intermittent fasting program that has gotten me such great results. Personally, I’m interested in more than just weight loss. I wanted to optimize my muscle gain and athleticism too. Here are 3 added elements:
1. Fasting in conjunction with a workout routine and appropriate supplements
If you’re just skipping breakfast, it’s likely that you won’t be getting optimal benefits of an intermittent fasting program. Fasted workouts (which I’ve found can be more intense) with the right supplements is what will allow you to optimize your muscle gain and athleticism, not just skipping breakfast. Like I mentioned, after about 15 hours of not eating I do a fasted workout supplementing with 5-10 grams of BCAA’s, Glutamine, and sometimes Creatine monohydrate beforehand (links to my favorite supplements below).
2. Nutritional timing (post workout)
The intermittent fasting program I follow is all about nutritional timing as well. Specifically what I mean by nutritional timing is eating certain quantities of food around certain times. In other words, it’s much more than just skipping breakfast; it’s also about eating large percentage of your daily calories (up to 50% of your daily caloric intake) after your workout. This is critical for maximizing the work you put into the gym.
3. Appropriate calorie consumption
This is still the basis. You can overeat on an intermittent fasting program and see minimal (if any) fat loss. You need to have a sense of your calorie consumption. If you’re trying to lose weight, you MUST maintain a caloric deficit consistently. You still have to determine, or have an intuitive sense of your calorie consumption. If you’re trying to gain muscle, optimally you’re still going to need excess calorie consumption, and if you’re trying to lose fat you’re still going to need restricted calorie consumption. Intermittent fasting is a program that allows you to follow a system that keeps you on track in this regard. It’s not magic, and doesn’t make your body defy the laws of calorie consumption.
Before Afters pictures. The results.
Here are some before after pictures of myself. Intermittent fasting, along with following correct nutrition principles, consistency and intensity in the gym, and fully dedicating myself has allowed me to achieve dramatic results.
VS.
Fear NOT, Your Muscles Aren’t Going to Run Away, and Your Metabolism Is NOT Going to Crash
A lot of people who read this are probably in the same shoes that I was in before discovering intermittent fasting. That is, always being paranoid that if you didn’t have something in your stomach your hard earned muscles were going to rapidly disappear and your metabolism was going to crash, thus turning you into a fat blob. Probably the biggest takeaway you can get from reading this is simple: it’s okay to have an empty stomach. In fact, that’s exactly what you need in order to lose fat effectively. Your muscles aren’t going to run away, and your metabolism isn’t going to crash. Those claims are bullshit ‘broscience’ inspired ideas that just kept getting told (so people just naturally assume they are based in truth). They likely formed from incomplete summaries of ideas based on limited understandings. I, and a lot of other people, have found this understanding to be very liberating and helpful. For example, I no longer have to be paranoid about eating continuously. In the past I’d go pick up a candy bar if I hadn’t meticulously planned out my eating schedule to ‘preserve my muscles’ and ‘stoke the metabolic fire.’ What a bunch of horse shit.
Of course, this mentality only led to me gaining fat and not getting the results I was after. So here’s the takeaway: quit being paranoid that you’re going to lose your muscle and your metabolism is going to crash. It’s simply not true.
The best way to use an Intermittent Fasting diet In Combination with Supplements
Here are links to my favorite supplements. If you’re just looking to lose some weight, maybe these aren’t critical; however, if you’re looking to maximize your muscle gain and rearrange your body composition they definitely are. I do get a small percentage kickback on any sales through these links, so if you want to support this post and this site and you feel like trying some new stuff out, please order by clicking through these links (for those that aren’t aware, bodybuilding.com is a great place to order supplements; fast shipping, good service, cheap prices)
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Optimum 100% Whey Protein is my favorite protein by far. Great taste, great pure quality, great price. There is a natural product Optimum makes which does not use artificial sweetners that is great too . | $21.99 | |
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Optimum Gold Standard 100% Casein is great to mix things up. You can literally make a protein pudding/fluff with the stuff that is great. I’ve also found that this protein also makes me feel full for longer. | $28.99 | |
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CytoSport Muscle Milk is the best tasting stuff you can find, in my opinion. This is not a pure protein, it contains some fat and also some carbs in it. Great for ‘desert.’ Use with caution however as it’s as good as candy and can be over eaten easily. | $23.98 | |
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Optimum: Opti-Men is a great option for a simple multi-vitamin for men | $13.99 | |
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Optimum: Opti-Women is a great option for a simple multi-vitamin for women | $9.99 | |
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USPlabs: Jack3d is the best pre-workout drink you’ll ever use. However, after using it for a month you’ll find that it won’t work quite as well. I recommend this product for days when you’re dragging. Warning: don’t get addicted. | $26.99 | |
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USPlabs: Modern BCAA is the best tasting branch chain amino acid product I’ve tried. This is the best stuff you can get for fasted workouts. | $28.99 | |
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Optimum: Fish Oil Softgels is a high quality fish oil product. This supplement is critical for getting proper amounts of omega 3′s. Make sure you’re taking adequate amounts: around 2 g EPA and 1.5 g DHA per day. I consider this one of the most essential supplements anyone can take (for both health and fitness). | $6.99 | |
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NOW: Vitamin D-3 is also critical. If you don’t get sun on a regular basis you’re likely vitamin D deficient. If this is you, take 2000-5000 iu’s day. | $4.55 | |
Knowledge without action is useless. Give IF a test run (is there really a downside to trying?)
Ultimately, I believe intermittent fasting may be one of the most beneficial and EASY health habits you can implement for yourself. If this has peaked your interests to give it a try, I’d love to hear your feedback. Keep in mind there may be an ‘adjustment’ period initially where this may be no fun. Personally, once I got the mental belief out of my mind that I ‘needed’ food in my stomach constantly, I found that I really wasn’t hungry as much as I had anticipated I would be. In fact, I’m able to just forget about food in the mornings and I find myself more focused and productive because of it. I also find that I have increased mental clarity and ‘presence,’ as well as plenty of physical energy in the mornings and throughout my fasted workouts (I feel like an unstoppable beast lifting weights on most days).
I’ve found that one of the most motivating forces is fully understanding the implications of certain actions. In other words, if you ‘sort of’ understand how intermittent fasting has potential to help you in your fat loss goals, it’s likely that you won’t be fully motivated to give it a fair chance and reap the full benefits of it. In order to make sure you fully understand the implications of intermittent fasting I HIGHLY recommend you continue to study this lifestyle in detail.
Make it a challenge for yourself to gain a detailed understanding of how intermittent fasting works and how you can really implement it into your life. Here are a couple resources you should check out:
- LeanGains.com
- Published medical studies (search calorie restriction, fasting, intermittent fasting, etc.)
- Eat Stop Eat Ebook
The book that explains all this in MUCH more depth that will shatter your old beliefs about effective dieting and healthy living
Eat Stop Eat is the book that really helped me to understand intermittent fasting on a level that got me motivated to take action (and thus experience results). This book is probably the best condensed resource available on the subject. I am SO thankful for this book and I recommend it for anyone who has an interest in learning more about intermittent fasting. Was this whole page noting but a sales pitch? Absolutely not. Obviously my goal was to articulate my thoughts and experiences with intermittent fasting and provide value to those looking to get a more athletic and aesthetic body. However, like I mentioned above, to remain motivated toward making a lasting lifestyle change, you must fully understand and educated yourself on the implications of your actions. This book will allow you to get the details of intermittent fasting which will likely get you to take consistent action, get results, and therefore get you closer to the healthful, aesthetic, athletic body you deserve. The book is a simple read and the author breaks down and articulates important clinical studies in a digestible and motivating way. You can check it out by clicking the picture below.
Comment below and let me know about your experiences, questions, or concerns. I’d like to put together a page that showcases results that various people have gotten from intermittent fasting as well, so if you have any progress pictures and feel like inspiring people, I’d love for you to email them to me at sam @ thesameffect dot com (had to do that for spammers).
Hey I’m interested in trying this out this fasting thing, what kind of results have you seen from it?
Thanks
Jacques,
I’ve experienced great results. The main two indicators have been my dead lift and bench press stats going up (I pulled 450 lb deadlift 4 times the other day which is a personal best), and my ‘ab veins’ coming out to party (I didn’t use to have ab veins).
450 lbs…. 4 times?
Wow…
I’ve only bee intermittently fasting for a little while but that’s basically you lifting two of me, 4 times in a row ( at my starting weight…! 225 lbs)
That’s impressive.
Hey Sam,
Holy smokes man your blog rocks! I`m huge into health and personal development. I just came across it googling personal development blog. Looks like you`re getting killer results. Awesome stuff bro, thanks for the insights about fasting. Dude you`re ripped!
Thanks for the props Ryan
like this… not nitty gritty and just basic common sense. i agree ur hot lol
Love your blog. I started fasting because of having a upset stomach all the time. i went from low carb to low fat and low calorie and I think that’s what did it to me. My stomach felt so much better after I fasted. That first time though it was really hard to do, but after that it got so much easier for me. I found out I wasn’t hungry all the time like when I eat normally. Just because it’s lunch time doesn’t really mean that your hungry. I do a fast 2 times a week for 23-24 hours and I have lost like 6lbs so far. I’m not as hungry as I thought I was. Now when I eat it’s smaller portions and better choices. Thanks for your site. Learning alot from it.
Linda, your experiences are interesting to me. I found the exact same thing. Most of our ‘hunger’ is really just a belief system. It’s all mental. We’re not really hungry. Our stomachs are just use to being filled. Having an empty stomach and true hunger are totally different.
I absolutely agree. This is my second week of Intermittent Fasting and I’ve learned so much about my body since starting. My weight has been up and down, but overall, I feel better! I no longer allow the clock to tell me when its time to eat… I listen to my body and when I feel those “true hunger pangs” then I eat. I love it! Thanks for sharing your blogs with us all. You are one handsome fella too (smile). ~SkinnyGenesFit
Hello Sam and everyone,
I just started IF and i was wondering what to eat during the 8 hr. window, i’m doing low-carb and whey protein. I want to lose 40 lbs.
Great blog bra!
have you read my nutrition principles article?
hi sam,
. Need your advice. THx
which one is better (in your opinion) for fat loss. ESE or leangains? I’ve tried ESE for 1 year now and yes, i got the benefit of IF. Just wanna try other IF style
Seems to me that both can be effective for fat loss. However, it probably depends on your lifestyle, workout schedule, and ‘sustainability’ of your plan. IF is really just a system for consistently implementing calorie restriction, and nutritional timing. In other words, It allows you to ultimately ‘eat less food’ and also allows you to make your post workout ‘feeding’ the biggest (without simultaneously exceeding your total calorie needs).
IF isn’t magic. The bottom line is still calories, macro-nutrient composition (carbs, protein, fat ratios and amounts), nutritional timing (post/pre workout) and demands you place upon your body (aka exercise). IF in general is simply just a good system. Sorry for the vague answer, but I think both are great systems.
”In other words, It allows you to ultimately ‘eat less food’ and also
allows you to make your post workout ‘feeding’ the biggest (without
simultaneously exceeding your total calorie needs).”
This comment totally made it click for me. Thanks!
Sam, did you find easing into it helpful (as in starting with IF a couple times a week) or did you just dive right in? I’m looking to improve performance (rock climbing) by cutting fat %.
I dove right in..but that’s generally how I operate. Think long term and sustainability.
My concern is often I have a hard time getting sufficient calories each day as is…so while I like the idea of timing the big post-workout meal, I’m not sure if this is a good fit for me. Thanks for sharing your experience & insights! I’ll have to look into IF more.
If that were the case why would you have fat to lose in the first place…
I know a lot of skinny-fat people who restrict calories, so I don’t think it’s as straight cut as your response. If I don’t eat sufficient, quality calories, my performance decreases (I can assume part of this is due to muscle mass lost). You can’t force your body to only take from fat if you also have muscle it can borrow from. I’m not calorie restricting, & I’m not skinny fat. I don’t actually know my fat %, & I can be my own worst critique…so maybe it’s lower than I think. I don’t eat a lot of calorie-dense foods (mostly fruit & vegetables), so I’m not sure I could do the big “feeding” as effectively (before I filled up due to volume). That was my concern.
You dont have to “force your body to only take from fat” because it naturally does this. It doesnt take from muscle tissue for energy until all sufficient fat stores have been depleted… Your body isnt stupid and wont burn up muscle when it has fat (Which is what it is for when your body is in a fasted state) to use as fuel. You lose muscle mass not from not getting sufficient calories but by not WORKING them. You have to weight train at a minimum of three times a week while doing IF to maintain muscle mass.
Hi Abigge, thanks for your response. So how do you make sure you have sufficient calories for workouts? (BCAAs?) I don’t want to take supplements. Maybe I wasn’t clear above. I can tell the days I haven’t had enough calories because I’m tired, don’t feel like working out, or my workouts suffer — so I guess I’m just really impressed you are all working out so hard in a fasted state! I’ve been babying my shoulder recently & am just getting back into a SOLID training routine again. I think being a little less active just had me feeling ‘blah’ & critical of my body. I feel so much better now that I can push hard again; because you are right, you only build/maintain muscle by stressing it.
Its a state of mind – what your experiencing – just work thru it – I never thought I could lift at 7AM fasted however, that’s all I do now! And it simply rocks – I will never go back to eating prior to my morning lift/run schedule. You need to work thru your pains and it will pass, you will get use to the “fastedness” (word?) and see results. Good luck
Hey everybody i’m Sam’s friend Levi, we’ve delved into this fasting thing both with different thoughts on how to implement it and make it fit into our lives, my success has been surprising and refreshing after years of listening to “roiders” tell me how to be lean and muscular. And like Sam i’ve always sat around 10-12%bf and thought there had to be a simpler way of getting lean without having to sacrifice all my free time to 2/day work outs and hours of cardio all with a calorie restricted diet.
I’ve been working out my fasting to be between 16-20 hours a day, and i base my fasting around my changing work schedule so it varies. I don’t pay attention to calories or quantity, i just fast all day until i can train, eating only 1 cup of coffee and BCAA’s prior to training, then i have a post training 2 scoops of whey protien shake with glutamine and have a full meal within an hour, i try to just eat until i’m happily full, then have another light meal 2-3 hours later and i usually go to sleep with a basically empty stomach.
the results i’ve seen i cannot back up with measurements of % but i can tell you that i’m seeing definition like never before and my strength/energy is going up, so i’m committed to staying on this path.
Keep up the good work Sam,
Levi
Great stuff about IF! I follow the Fast-5 approach which involves eating in a five hour window. I lost almost 20 pounds in a month so I’m sticking with it — just 80 more to go. I definitely feel better and much less bloated than I used to. Once you get used to the fasting times (I fast from 7PM to 2PM) it’s a ‘piece of cake’. But also, as I am diabetic I find my BGs are much more even. I actually don’t take my metformin while on it because of the danger of a glucose crash .. it’s working great so far.
Best regards,
Ian
Ian,
Awesome results! Being diabetic seems like it would definitely be an added variable. Hope it keeps working for you.
Hi,
Really great post. just had one query….don’t you have peptic ulcers due to longer fasting times?
what? no
The body adjusts the amount of acid in the stomach when you fast. Also, ulcers are primarily caused by a bacteria that not everyone is vulnerable to.
Last year I tried hard core IF…Eat the first day, don’t eat the second, day in and day out. I lost 25 lbs in 2 months. I’m starting it again and can’t wait. You really get used to the hunger. There are other benefits, such as not having to number 2 as much and needing less sleep. (your energy isn’t always being sapped by digestion)
Hi, it makes sense to me! I have been interested in this type of lifestyle for a long time. But as I have 3 kids and a husband to feed I have found it difficult to get that ‘belief system’ up and running. Realistically when I look at my overweight body I see absolutely NO reason for it to be harmful for me to fast for some of the day. I have plenty of stores ready to burn off LOL. I have suffered from a very painful form of rheumatoid arthritis for 5 years now and my life has taken a turn for the worst health wise due to this disease. Most times I am in an incredible amount of pain and steroids is the only medicine which gives relief however it also causes weight gain. I have gained a whopping 40 kilos in the past 5 years. Not being mobile or active enough to lose weight is the most frustrating part as I was always very healthy and loved exercise. Now I must look at ways to lose weight and conventional diets just haven’t worked. I tried intermittent fasting for 6 weeks and lost 8 kilos last year so I know I can get results, but I also know this time round when I commit to this lifestyle that there will be NO turning back the the old ways!!! That’s the key, finding something which suits you and making it part of your life forever..
I just recently stumbled upon IF and I think I like it’s style only because it suits me and my work schedule. When I was “bulking” I ate and ate and ate. All of it was clean, of course, but gorging myself never really felt…..right. I had some strength gains but oh lawd I was packing on some poundage (my vertical leap still stayed about the same though, odd.)
I work 12 hour night shifts from 6 PM to 6 AM. My question is, what would be a good IF strategy for this type of schedule? I’m recovering from a torn meniscus injury so I haven’t been working out in months and won’t be for a while, except for pullups (I love them.) Thanks for the site and the information
when do you workout with your current work schedule?
After work, around 7:00-8:00 AM but I’m thinking about working out and eating before I go to work at around 4:00 PM. That way my window (doing leangains) will be larger so I could be able to eat better and more and not be completely drained while working. I can eat another meal in my window of opportunity to reach my calorie goal on the job.
That sounds like a good option. Remember, it’s about setting yourself up to win and getting into a the right system of actions that will get you the results your after. Make sure it’s sustainable and even enjoyable in other words. Let me know how things go.
Hi Sam, A friend of a client of yours told me about your blog.
Ive been losing fat the traditional way for years with great success but am always open to learn new tips. Especially if I can lose weight even faster!
With this method, Do you still consume the same number of calories and protein grams as eating 6x a day?
Thanks for all your great weight loss tips
!
Leon
Calories are still the bottom line, and always will be. If I’m trying to gain, I increase calories in the eating window. If I’m losing, I lower calories in the eating window. Pretty simple.
Hey, on non-fasting days, how should i eat? Should fasting be only on workout days? and the only time i can work out is at 9 30-11 pm, so is it bad to eat a big meal after my workout? Please answer as I would really like to use this program thanks.
I’m currently re-writing my article on nutrition principles. Check back it should be done soon. I’m biased but that’s how you should be eating.
You can fast on non-workout days. Remember fasting is really about a system of action that allows you to monitor your caloric intake.
Eating a big meal after your workout is imperative (especially for muscle gain). This is nutritional timing and it will get you results. It shouldn’t matter that it’s late at night.
Hope that helps.
How would this work for an endurance athlete who trained twice daily?
Say morning pre work and evening post work?
Perhaps a better question will get a better answer: I’ll highlight my week. Hopefully you can suggest a pattern of IF for an endurance athlete:
Mon:
Up 6:30am run up to 90mins. Work (9-5) 90min bike at 6pm-7:30pm
Tues:
Swim in the am work then gym session
Wed:
As Monday.
Thurs:
As tues
Fri: as Monday but shorter harder run.
Sat:
5k fast run
90min bike
Sun:
Off if not racing.
I fear a 8pm-1/2pm fast may have me on my behind following such running and jeopardise my recovery for the evening workout. I don’t have the luxury of timing my workouts. I’ve read that some advice on full day fasts and maybe tues/thurs would be good for this with (maybe) a recovery shake or pure whey protein/low carb drink and that’s all.
Thanks for your advice in advance.
What are you trying to accomplish with IF? Are you trying to lose weight, increase performance, gain muscle?
My reply doesn’t seem to be showing?
I’ll try again.
Weight/bodyfat loss to reach a good racing weight.
Was simply thinking of fasting dinner Monday to dinner Tuesday and dinner wednesday to dinner Thursday. Thus tues and thurs on my lower training days as I should still be able to train functionally on the other days and these days are high calorie burn days too.
Morning (UK):
I’ve been IF from dinner mon to dinner tues and the Same for thurs. So about 22/24hr fast tues and thurs including sleep.
So far noticed:
Hunger in the morning is much worse.
I need to buy some aminos even for my light run in the morning.
I find it difficult to sleep on the fast days despite eating 2hrs before bed.
I’m pooping better. Regular IBS type. Wed/Fridays I’m passing in a normal and regular way.
Any thoughts anyone?
I’m often changing training to a 40min run. Cup of tea and then hit the pool. So a 90min run/swim session in the evening of a fast day so I can eat after.
Christian
Christian,
Have you continued this regimen? What have been your results? Is this sustainable?
I have.
Still getting much the same results. Got aminos now and noticed a reduction In hunger that period. I’m swimming in the am and the running/biking at lower intensity at roughly 6pm/7pm then shower and eat. I lost a few pounds. Then had a week off with s week off training and it’s the first week back. I mean I had a week off worrying about it all and a week off work. Although I think it was more harm than good!! Notice I can be up to 2kg lighter in a day using this. It soon comes back mind!!
Still struggling withbsleep.
How much total weight have you lost since starting this? What does you diet look like when you are eating?
It’s hard to tell with the fluctuations surrounding fasts. Prob 2-3kg. Diet is fairly ok and can be poor food choices that can be worked through with my calorific output. But not great at times.
Hey i understand youre getting results from this, but how long are they taking? if it takes years for you to get as cut as your before and after pictures, it doesnt sound like something id want to try.
If you stick with it, you should start losing weight almost immediately. Mind you, if you go back to your normal diet all of the sudden, you will gain it all back. IF should be viewed more as a life style change than a fad diet.
Sam,
I’m a huge fan of IF after reading some of Robb Wolf’s work. You can get technical as hell or explain it simply the way you did above; for 99% of human existence food access was periodic and unpredictable.
Like all things it gets easier the more you do it. At first I had a hard time with my workouts while fasting but now I barely notice. Of course, my insulin levels are fairly stable as I eat zero refined grains.
keep up the good work on the blog,
Hi Sam, Great blog!
What are you thoughts when someone trains at 7am but the fast doesn’t break till 1pm. Do you recommend another dose of BCAA about two hours after training followed by first meal 2 hours after that as per LeanGains or do you think training early morning is not as beneficial for IF fat loss and as training at lunchtime as you did? Thanks in advance, Orinn
If you get better workouts in the morning do it. Personally, I’ve tried morning workouts and I suck at them. I just can’t get the intensity and pump (not a morning personal at all).
If you do morning workouts, I’m not sure if leangains style IF is for you though. From my personal experience I’ve found nutritional timing to be huge. Post workout meals are very important, especially for gaining muscle. Staying fasted after your workouts may be something to occasionally do, however, I wouldn’t be doing it on a regular basis. That’s just my opinion. Play around with things for yourself though. Experiment, track results, and calibrate from there.
That was my thought also but as per leangains morning protocol and my job, morning training is the only way I can get my training in. That said, my strength has gone through the roof. I am currently training every fourth day doing two compound movements per session x 3-5 reps x 3 sets: Deadlifts 440lb, Weighted Chins 66lbs, Weighted dips 110lbs, Bench Press 260lb and Breathing Squats x 20 reps at 350lbs so something is working. So just to clarify you eat no starchy carbs for 6 days and then have a ‘any type of carb day’ on the 7th day as long as you watch your calories? Thanks in advance. Orinn
Nice. You’re a strong dude Orinn.
That’s exactly what I do, but lately I have been doing about a half cup of oatmeal around an hour before I grapple at night for energy.
Thanks Sam, although my body fat is no where near yours as I am 220lbs and 15%BF and 38 years old : ).
Do you do BJJ or normal JJ?
I do both BJJ with a gi and also no gi grappling.
Hi Orinn,
I just wanted to ask you how the morning training is going?
I am thinking about starting the lean gains protocol working out at 6 Am and only breaking for my 8 hour window at 1 pm. I will be taking BCAA before and after works outs as well.
Can you give any advice on your experience on this system so far? Appreciate it.
Hi Tim,
As for morning training my strength and focus is ever increasing and I love to leave the gym and head for work knowing I have just beaten my previous lifts but I do wonder if there would be an even better benefit if I were able to lift at lunchtime and eat my main meal straight after as per Sam’s routine instead of taking BCAA twice after workout and then PWO meal at 12 noon. But due to my job, it aint gonna happen for the time being. What about your progress? How’s that going?
You were hot before.. And Wayyy hot after.. yum ..
lol I have been doing a 19 fasting and 5 feeding frame.. working pretty good for me so far.. plus following the Paleo diet .. I’ve lost 20 Lbs so far 32 to go So stoked for the end results.. but EXTREMELY happy with the progress thus far (it’s only been a month and a half)
Thanks Bianca.
Good job on your transformation thus far.
Bianca, do you workout before you eat after 19 hr. fasting? Congrats on your weight loss! How much have you lost since?
I’ve been thinking about trying the IF thing (16 hour fast/8 hour window feeding) It seems perfect for me since I could easily live without breakfast
and my biggest meals are protein rich and between noon and 8pm.
I’ve been lifting for about 12 years consistently and way about 185 w/ around 16-18% fat at 5ft 10. Small boned/long limbed ectomorph. Samlloyd, my physique looks like your before pic but less arm mass and more chest mass . I don’t build muscle easy and seem to lose it along with strength especially bench press easily if my calories drop too low. When I try to bulk (fairly clean)I seem to gain mostly fat and strength but not much muscle and when trying to lose the new fat after the bulk I lose mostly muscle and keep most of the fat. My waist may shrink but the grabbable subcutaneous fat stays.
Do you think leangains IF could work for me as far as retaining muscle and losing fat as long as my calories don’t drop too low?
The last thing I want to do is lose muscle…
Obviously I believe it will be a good thing for you. Free yourself from the false beliefs that if you don’t have food in your stomach your body will immediately start catabolizing muscle and your metabolism will crash. It’s just not true. I previously shared this same false belief system, so you’re not alone.
Wow you made awesome progress! Check out those before and afters! I gained 5 lbs on my first encounter with IF, but I think it’s because I’m coming back after a year layoff. I’ll be sure to keep this site bookmarked and will check in regularly to keep up on the latest fasting news, along with Martin’s site. Great job man!
Aren’t you checking?!
Checking? I’m confused about what you mean
My replies to your commEnts on my original dude
this is an awesome blog! i’m so glad i came across it
i do occasional fasts anywhere from 1-3 days every other week and i’m currently doing a 10 day fast for the first time. i exercise everyday, but how much really just depends on how i feel that day… like yesterday i burned over 1000 calories, but today i could only do 200 cals work until i started getting black outs.
i know that fasting for 3 days – 10 days is really beneficial, just like the benefits of IF, but i was wondering if you knew which one would be better for both weight loss and just health benefits. i’m trying to go down 10-20 pounds (idk if i can lose that much since i’m not really that overweight) but i always have trouble keeping it off and such.
thanks!
Julia you sound dangerous
Julie listen to your body. If you are blacking out, that is not healthy what so ever. Remember you need to be committed to health and fitness for life. Try not to be an ‘obsessive’ personality type. Become a Master. Please read this post, and pickup the book too. http://thesameffect.com/a-guide-to-george-leonards-book-mastery/
Also try a psychologist if this behaviour persists as youbare driving yourself dangerously low in a manner similar to someone with an eating disorder. This blog does not promote such activites. But a change in lifestyle habits. Don’t turn it into something it is not with semantic reasoning to support your ideals. I’d think you were poorly.
I really don’t mean this as an attack. Just s plain ol spell it out.
Hey! I really enjoy your blog. Great job on your progress.
I have lost about 40 lbs so far…need to loose about 10-15 more. Do you think this approach could help me get the last of it off? I’m 5’2 130 lbs 22% BF. Goal is 115 18% BF.
Could I fast 3 days a week?
I did buy the book but I am alittle confused about the food timing with working out. If I am fasting Monday and Friday should I not do weight training on those days?
Dana,
Of course I believe this will help you get those last lbs off. However, remember you need to be committed to health and fitness for life. Fasting 3 days a week may be counter productive because of sustainability issues (you will likely burn out and likely quit all together). It also may be counter productive from a metabolic perspective to fast that much.
I’ve never trained on a 24 hour fast. But remember, my goals are muscle gain too (not just fat/weight loss).
With that said, this is your life, and you know yourself better than I or anyone else ever could. These are just quick opinions/thoughts of mine.
Sam – you’ve still missed my previous ???
Hey! I just started the 16 hour IF. On day 2, but was wondering what my water intake for the day should be like? Do I increase it or decrease it?
Greg.
Personally, I drink about a gallon a day of filtered, pure water. I believe that people should listen to their thirst mechanism throughout the day (drink when thirsty), but also focus on drinking a lot of water during workouts and whenever taking supplements as well.
For me, this ends up being around a gallon/day.
Hi Sam, Great blog!
I currently have that same commercial mentality and fears about muscle loss etc due to not eating constantly but after doing more research I am starting to get convinced otherwise.
I am definitely starting a 16/8 IF routine, but before I start I have a few questions though I hope you could answer.
I have been training regularly for the past year (4-6 times p/week), and I eat about 6-7 times a day, I have lost about 10kg(22pounds) of bodyfat and put on some muscle, but lately I feel my fat loss has plateaued.
I understand that the basic principle of IF is eating the bulk of food post work out, but the only time I have to train is after work (5-7pm), and bed time is usually around 10-11pm and I usually wake up around 6am, Which only leaves a window of 4 hours to eat post workout.
Would that 4 hour window of eating be sufficient enough?
Would you also recommend taking creatine while training fasted?
I would imagine the 4 hour window to be sufficient. However, you’re going to need to play with this and trace cause and effect. Give yourself at least a month before you make and conclusions. Intermittent fasting should promote some more fat loss for you in and of itself, however, make sure that your daily/weekly caloric intake is at a deficit if you want to see more fat loss results.
Creatine is one of the most researched supplements out there. I definitely recommend giving it a try. However, I also recommend separating your goals. Sounds like fat loss is what you really want at the moment. If this is the case, I would skip creatine until you switch up your goal to muscle gain.
Have fun with it man. Keep me updated with your progress!
Hi Sam,
Thanks for the great info
I have to say that after I stumbled onto your blog I couldn’t get it out of my head. I was drawn back into the past when I was at my leanest weight and I was fasting 1 to 2 days/week but never a full 48hr fast and working out hard. I dropped 15lbs of fat in a few wks, looked awesome and felt awesome..then I stopped fasting. I gained 10lbs back and started working at a local gym. Well I went to the top trainer there and asked for some nutritional help and when he saw my history of fasting he rolled his eyes back into his head and said that I was starving myself, my metabolism was so messed up…yada yada yada…now that I think back it was only when I stopped doing the fasting that I ever ever ran into trouble with food. So now after my 4th child I have around 40lbs to lose and thank the good Lord I stumbled across this site because I intend to go back to what I know worked and works!! Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Lent just started because now I have 40 days where I can test out the fasting and see if I can bring about the same results and then instead of quitting just incorporate it into my daily lifestyle!! awesome thanks so much for a great read!!
Keep us updated on your progress! It’s so funny how we trump our body intuition for ideals and ideas that seem to have no basis in reality.
Just about to start my own version of this. I think I have it right but anyone’s opinions would be superb.
6.00am, cardio + whey protein shake
7.30am, porridge oats
10.30am, GRS-5 protein (slow release plus BCAA and other lovely stuff etc.) + Apple
1.00pm, apple
4.00pm, 2 x bananas + pineapple peices
5.30pm, weight training + Whey Protein shake
7.00pm, Chicken breasts, mixed veg, sweet potatoes.
8.00pm, sirloin steak, wholemeal bread
9.00pm, peanut butter, toasted wholemeal bread
Any ideas on this guys, or is it something you think can work???
thanks.
Ummmm, this isn’t intermittent fasting in any way. Are you trolling? Or confused…
Hey Sam, Thanks for a great site with “Natural” info. Totally fed up of the roiders giving me advice that never work. I am about to start the I.F protocol with fasted training at 7am with pre and post BCAA and my first meal at 12noon: plan will look like this which I have based on lean gains plan.
6.30am – 10g BCAA
7am – taining (45-60mins)
8am – 10g BCAA
12noon – 1st meal (50% cals)
4pm – 2nd meal (30%cals)
8pm – 3rd meal (20%cals)
My question is ironically the basic one in terms of number of cals to consume and macros to use. I am currently 215lbs@22%bf , 5′ 8″, desk job 5 days a week. I train hard and just want to get the cals/macros right. I am thinking of 3 days @ 1550cals (200gP, 100gC, 35gF) and 4th day @ 2,200cals (200gP, 300gC, 20gF) then repeat. Does this look alright to you? Any help will be seriously appreciated. I will not be doing any cardio for now as I want the intial cal restriction to be from food and use that later if I need it.
Hope to hear from you soon and keep us the great work!!!
This looks like a solid plan on paper. The biggest thing I’d suggest moving forward to is to track what’s happening with your body like a maniac. Try to be real with yourself which means avoiding the ‘placebo’ downfall. Watch the scale. Are you losing? Maintaining strength while your focus is fat loss? Are you able to achieve intensity in your workouts? etc. Then calibrate based on feedback you get. This is what it really takes. Not blindly following some plan on paper. Get what I mean? The plan is nothing but a starting point.
So here’s the process: try a plan out, stick to it consistently, track feedback/results, calibrate plan moving forward, repeat. The only caution I would add is that sometimes there’s an ‘adjustment period’ when you start a new diet that you have to blow through before you make judgements. For example, when you first try intermittent fasting, you might feel like hell for the first 2 weeks simply because your body is resisting change. It doesn’t mean it’s not a good thing, it just means your body is a retard that demands homeostasis and you just screwed that up. Wait it out and see what happens. When you radically change your eating patterns wait at least 1 month before making judgements.
Thanks Dude!
Wow this makes so much sense for me. I’m never hungry in the morning, but still try to eat. I experienced some times when I didn’t have the time for breakfast and needed to go to college I was much more alert, weird enought I never draw any conclusions (it’s funny like that when you believe the common advice, you stop listening to your own body).
I do have a question:
I don’t have a regurlary work-out plan. Sometimes (due to school/work) I work-out in the evening and sometimes in the morning/midday. How can I best plan this taking suplement in to mind?
I don’t think working-out with a complety empty stomach is a good idea (or am i wrong here?).
Thanks for any advice!
You can workout fasted, or not fasted. If you workout fasted it’s optimal to have amino acids going through you (particularly for muscle gain). These are the building blocks of muscle. Studies show that there are ‘windows’ where your body is more likely to use these amino acids if they’re available. These windows are basically shortly after your workouts.
Hey,
you say that skipping breakfast didn’t work for you. well, for some that wakes at 6 to work from 7-30 to 5, the “skipping breakfast” protocol with two PWO meals seems to be the only way to implement intermittent fasting. Are you saying that this doesn’t work when compared to fasted workouts?
I never said it didn’t work for me, I said there is more to what I do than just skipping breakfast. This is mostly due to my goals of being a elite athlete and gaining muscle. I do this for more than just health in other words (although that is also why I do it).
sam i know you have talked about meal frequency but what about timing. You said earlier that post workout is very importan.(i agree) but what about protein. Like do you think whey protein is a definite or is just plain food the same… also do you eat carbs at all? you mentioned fruit so im guessin you do
well first of all, have you read my nutrition principles article?
yes…im not a 100 percent sure… also what about fat intake? like eatin steak do you keep up with it
Fat intake depends on my goals of gaining or losing. If I’m in gaining mode, I’ll eat fat more freely. If I’m in losing mode, I watch fat intake closely because the calories can get out of hand quickly. I’m definitely no stranger to eating fat, and you shouldn’t be either. The bottom line is you must take into account your overall strategy first when it comes to fat consumption.
I love the fasting lifestyle. I’ve been practicing intermittent fasting for some time now. You have a great blog here!! Happy fasting to you!!
Sam,
I currently look a lot like your before pictures and completely agree that the ultimate goals are basically health and aesthetics. Genetically I’m an endomorph, which makes gaining muscle relatively easy but fat comes too easy as well. RIght now I’m 6’2″ 250 @ 15-17% and of course every guy with above-average mass wants to maintain the lean portions of it. So basically here are my questions for you.
Do you do cardio as well or just rely on weight training and IF to get shredded?
What are your macros for meals 1, 2, and 3?
Meal 1 being the most important; do you believe an insulin spike is necessary as per the standard bodybuilding PWO meal or do you just stick with carbs with a low glycemic index around the clock?
Meal 3 – do you go for mostly slower proteins like casien powder and/or cottage cheese to keep satiety high for as long as possible?
Lastly, I know IF is a lifestyle change, but roughly how long did your transformation take?
Sounds like we share similar body types.
1. Yes I do cardio. Quite a bit actually. I’ve found that getting shredded with our builds is nearly impossible without cardio. I haven’t done a post write up on HIIT training but I have plans to at some point. It’s a big deal and I’ve found it to be really beneficial. For my HIIT I do sprints a couple times a week. Actually the stairs of doom (crazy stairs, 10 sets). I also grapple 3-5 times a week. Usually 3-6 5 minute rounds. This gets my heart rate extremely high. Occasionally I’ll go for a jog too. Usually on Sunday nights for 30-45 minutes.
2. So my current routine is I lift weights fasted at noon for about 40 minutes, and grapple/hiit training at night. After my lifting routine I consume 50 grams of whey protein mixed in water walking out the gym. My primary focus for my post workout meal is protein. Check out my nutrition principles write up for a specific example. I don’t think body types like our necessarily needs carbs post workout. This is based on my personal experiences (I have no problem gaining muscle with appropriate protein and consistent intense workouts) and also some stuff I’ve read from Alan Aragon. So no, I don’t believe a insulin spike is necessary for body types like ours where we tend to gain fat. Read my nutrition principles article and if you still have questions post again.
3. It took me about a year however I think it could have happened a lot quicker had I known then what I do now and been as disciplined then as I am now. Discipline is a muscle too. Let’s just say mine use to be pretty weak.
I just found your site yesterday and find it very interesting.
I have been doing IF for about a year and a half but never knew there was a name for it.
I eat 3 well planned meals a day. No snacks. My last meal is dinner between 4 and 5 PM.
Next meal is breakfast the next morning but I excersise one hour before I eat it. I have then gone without food for usually 14 to 15 hours.
I feel great at 5’2″ and 105 pounds I am 63 years old and in the best shape I have ever been in.
The myths about going into starvation mode and eating 6 meals a day are everywhere. I watched Dr Oz and The Doctors recently and both shows had people selling books peddling this misinformation.
Bonnie that is awesome. Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you’re experiencing success.
Hey Sam, I just stumbled across your blog. Good stuff on here. I am very interested in intermittent fasting as a way for me to go from the 8% bf that I am now to a completely shredded state. I have looked around leangains.com and there is a ton of info. I understand the basic concept but one thing I cannot find is macro breakdowns for when the primary goal is fat loss and not recomp. I know on training days carbs are the dominant macro but is this for recomp or for fat loss? Does that make sense? If you can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it. Thanks Sam and keep up the good work.
Have you read my nutrition principles article? You’ll find my opinions within that.
I haven’t but I will do that. I guess I asked prematurely. Thanks Sam. Keep up the good work by the way. Great site.
Hey Sam,
I’ve done my fair share of fasting so I am ready to tackle IF as a lifestyle change. My ultimate goal is to lose body fat. I usually workout twice a day which both workouts seem to be pretty intense. My first workout is an INSANITY workout video followed up by a intense cardio workout class that I attend later that night. The time I would be able to eat every day would be at around 8pm.
I am a fruitarian so knowing that will I be doing my body more harm than good with this routine? I know I have to take it day by day and see how I feel, but I was just curious on your thoughts.
So help me to understand your situation a bit better….you plan on only eating at 8pm? So once a day?
Right, isn’t that the point of IF? Am I missing something?
No the point is to have larger windows of time without consuming. So either 16 hours/day or 24 hours a few times per week. So if you’re going to do 16 hour fasts, that simply means that you’ll have an 8 hour window of time to eat. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll only have 1 meal, although I suppose that could be part of the plan. You’ll have to let me know how that goes if you choose to experiment with only eating once per day.
Nice job on responding so fast. I appreciate that. Ok well if I eat immediately after my night workouts I would start eating at 7pm and let that go to midnight or so. I’m in college so I’m up super late every night anyways. Awesome, thank you for your help Sam. I will let you know how it goes. I’m gonna go workout now before I go to class
Peace.
Hi, I’m sixteen and have a history of weight lifting and fitness but have never been able to really shed the pounds. So, I’m hoping this will work your thoughts would be great. Fasted state 6AM yoga 10Am hour running
2Pm 45 min weight training workout shake 4Pm cup rawmilk with miracle noodles + vegges 6PM beef vegges 9PM eggs + piece of fruit My eating hours is 3 to 9:30 is that okay?Is it okay as long as my calories are in range? My goal is only fat loss so are no supplements okay?
That sounds like a very solid plan. If you stick with it and keep your calories at a slight deficit I have no doubt you’ll get results. You could still benefit from supplements, but obviously they are not required. So for example, Jack3d could help you get really intense workouts, BCAAs could help you recover a bit better and also help with workout energy, and whey protein could make it easier for you to get enough protein and also provide an easy way to fulfill optimal post workout nutrition. Also, I highly recommend fish oil and vitamin d for general health, no matter what your body compositional goals are. Hope this helps.
Your blog is fantastic! I’ve been looking for something that was much clearer and an easier read than Martin’s rather scientific leangains.
From what I’ve read online, I might be what you call “skinny-fat” with 16% BF (electronic scale) and not a whole lot of muscle mass for 160lbs. I am currently trying to cut my BF (was 12lbs heavier in January) with a weekly routine of 2 days of weights and 3 days of cardio, and a small daily caloric deficit.
My goal before summer arrives is to drop down to about 11~12% BF while bulking muscle mass/definition; unfortunately I’ve read many times now that the body can systematically only do one of two things at the same time: cut, or bulk. If that’s the case, I am worried I might look a bit disproportionate if I have no muscle to show after I’m done cutting the fat; alternatively I don’t want to only bulk and look chubbier than I do now.
I stumbled upon IF recently because it seems like an alternative that gain the benefits of both sides, shredding off the fat, whilst building muscle mass. Is this too good to be true? Is this the solution/routine I’ve been looking for? I’ve tried searching and asking for these answers on forums with no such luck (or non-demeaning assistance). If you can help me out here it would be greatly appreciated!
If you have the time, please drop me an e-mail and I can break down my routine/diet/etc. if that would help you determine if I’m on the right path. Sorry for the long-winded post, and thanks for reading! Again, great blog!
-Mitch
When you’re first starting out it is definitely possible to gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously. However, as get to a more advanced level and your body is more developed it becomes nearly impossible. This can be a major hangup for people looking to take things to the next level but are plateaued. I believe in IF. I think it would be a great thing for you to experiment with. The most important thing you can do is get into a consistent lifting routine where you really push yourself day-in day-out. Try to hit failure. Lift heavy weights. Put yourself into a warrior mindset. THEN, make sure you’re getting enough protein, and eating good whole natural foods. Read my nutrition principles for a bit more information on this. Thanks for the questions Mitch. Keep me updated on your personal progress.
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly Sam, and I will definitely drop by with my progress from time to time.
Here’s a bit more info & questions if you don’t mind:
Since January I’ve been watching what I’ve eaten (rough estimates at calories, more protein, less processed food, and more whole-natural ingredients) as well as set up a 3-4 days/week cardio routine (compared to nothing). As I mentioned before I had dropped about 12lbs (I understand the first several were water/waste) and plateaued with my weight sometime in March. Only in the past few weeks have I started implementing weights into my routine (2-3 times/week), and have eased up on the cardio (bad knees).
I’ve only just learned about calorie deficits a week ago and since I have been aiming for 500 calories; that is, if I did my math correctly my maintenance is 2,500/day. Today was my first weigh in since and although I haven’t dropped weight, I’m aware it will take a bit of time for things to pick things up; or I may have calculated them incorrectly and will have to aim for a lower count in the coming weeks.
I will definitely give IF a shot, and see if I can handle the mid-morning hunger before breaking the fast at noon. I’m hoping the lifting I’m doing now will help build some initial muscle mass (I reach failing pretty quickly, hahaha), while I’m trying to “cut” down with a caloric deficit. I’m aiming for a love handle/gut-less body by summer (7 weeks from now), and I’m wondering if you think my goals are within reason.
I’ve read things like 1lb of fat/week is possible (3,500 caloric deficit) and that for the typical male, by 11~12%BF the flab around the waist goes away and your abs (if any) will begin to show. If my reading of 16%BF is correct, I have about 25lbs of fat in my 160lb body; is reaching 11~12%BF doable in the next 7 weeks? Theoretically, the math comes out to 11.7%BF with 1lb of fat loss each week, but practically, is a deficit all it really takes?
Thanks so much! You and your blog have been very helpful.
Hey-
I came across the subject of intermittent fasting when I was researching for a psychology project one day. At the time, I had no idea what intermittent fasting was. I read on, and continued researching it and I came to this site. I have a lot of interest in it, but I don’t know exactly where to start. *I want to burn fat while gaining muscle.* I was hoping you could give me some sort of a brief regimen, such as when to eat, when to work out, etc. Thanks!
isn’t that exactly what I’ve done here?
Hi Sam,
I really like your site and the idea of IF. My goal id to lose 20 pounds. But not with a extreem diet, but a lifestyle change. I have never been keen on breakie..
I work all day and can only work out at about 19.30 in the evening.
How would you have planned my day? Could I have a light meal at 14.00 then workout and end the day with the bigger meal at 20.30?
Thank you for an interesting blog!
well would that leave you with a 16 hour fast?
Hey Sam,
Great blog. I have been doing Martins Lean Gains for a couple of week and love it so far. I feel like there is so much more time in the day to get things done and not worrying about eating every 2 hours.
Anyway, at what bodyfat % did you start lean gains, and how long did it take you to lean out to the single digits?
Thanks,
John
when I started I was probably around 14% or so. I couldn’t seem to get below that with the old dogma/regimens I had in my mind. Took me a few months to drop below 10%. However, intermittent fasting wasn’t the ‘magic bullet’ it was simply the system that allowed me to maintain a calorie deficit. Get what I’m saying?
Hello everyone,
I am still fasting but have changed one thing .Instead of working out an hour before breakfast I am now doing my hour workout after breakfast. It seems to be working fine.
I have recently read an old Andrew Weil book and found what he wrote about fasting very interesting. He states that short term fasting alters both consciousness and physiology. He also states that many report that even after one day of fasting their senses are sharper, thier heads clearer, thier bodies lighter and they are more energetic. I notice a difference.
Anyone have comments ?
I have also been learning about leptin and it’s role in weight control.
I never even heard of leptin before I started my IF plan.
From what I have read I think the cravings I used to have may have been the result of leptin gone haywire in my body.
All of the foods I used to crave I no longer do.
I can be satisfied with one cup of hot chocolate in the morning. That wasn’t always the case.
I am now 102 pounds which is fine for my 5’2″ small frame .
Anyone know about leptin? Comments?
I came across your website, it is very helpful, actually the most helpful in terms of giving me REAL information and all the “how to’s” I started IF 2 days ago, I enjoy it already, I do 17 hr fasts as well, but I do my workouts in the evening, around 7pm. I am doing it for fat loss, as I have around 100 lbs to lose, so my question is how to work my eating to my workout. You said you workout in a fasted state, I can’t because I have 2 small children and no car during the day to get to the gym. Should I be eating most my calories after my workout in the evening before bed for weight loss, or is that just for muscle gain? And how many calories should I be consuming around? I don’t want to eat too little. I am starting to workout for about an 80 minutes a day, 6 days a week with a mix of weights and cardio. 5 foot 4 female, 230 lbs starting weight.
have your read my nutrition principles article?
So why did you choose to go with the skip-breakfast form of intermittent fasting when the usual academic literature covers the alternate-day fasting?
because I’m interested in muscle gain as well as fat loss.
Hey Sam, I just wanted to thank you for this awesome blog. About two – 3 weeks ago I started intermittent fasting, starting at a weight of about 165 pounds. After intermittent fasting, I am now down to 148 and still losing excess fat, without losing my muscles. Thanks a lot Sam, and great blog.
Thanks!!!
if this was facebook I’d push the ‘like’ button
Hey, interesting post! I’ve been doing fast (not IF) for the past 6 years, once or twice a year, between 7 and 30 days and I can relate to a lot of what you’re saying. My focus has been to detach myself from the addition to sugar and food in general, as well as shedding some excess fat, and I have found the experience to be a complete transformation of body and mind. Fasting makes me focused, gathered, revitalized, calm, clear, energized and “free”; an incredible feeling! It is as if all the energy that he body constantly uses to digest (as you say, most people are in a fed state their entire lives) is free to be put into whatever mental or physical activity I do.
It is striking how destructive the standard modern pattern of eating is; compulsive and addicted to constant unhealthy feeding, in a time when meeting the demand of our eating habits is becoming problematic, the health of the general public is decreasing and not to mention when there is still famine in the world.
Anywho, I finished a 30 day liquids-only fast earlier this month, and am now for the first time trying intermittent fasting as a way to break the fast. I find that it allows me to keep the benefits of fasting while still eating solids. It also controls my hunger when I am eating, and unhealthy cravings are virtually gone. I work out on eating days and rest on fasting days. On fasting days I don’t eat at all until the next morning. This regime is working great so far, the clarity and the energy is still there, but I’m also enjoying healthy eating (mainly fruits, veggies/legumes, yogurt, oats, nuts/seeds and fish) and getting stronger for more intensive workout sessions. The fat loss has continued without tearing any muscle, positivity is coming out of my ears, and my mental strength and willpower is die hard!
Fasting is definitely a key to human (overall) improvement, and I’m glad you’re making a leading example. Good luck and all the best!
Interesting thoughts Anna thanks for sharing. I doubt I’d ever do a fast for more than 24-48 hours max because at that point it does make your body go ‘catabolic’ (muscle eating) and therefore it doesn’t appeal to me…but that’s because I’m superficial, haha. For spiritual reasons I could see it being a cool experience of overcoming adversity.
I love IF! I tried it as a last resort because traditional methods weren’t working for me. It’s the ONLY lifestyle that has worked for me since I found out I have insulin resistance. There’s no way I’m doing the 24 hours, so I started out on 5-10 eating window. I’ve lost about 20 pounds so far and I think it’s way easier to fast than to worry constantly about carbs. I’ve found that I can still lose weight even when my carb intake isn’t so low that I’m completely miserable. I did find waiting until 5pm difficult at times so I’m going to try to expand and move my eating time around a little. I love the flexibility I have with IF, plus I have the same or more energy when working out.
I spent years doing everything the dietitian told me to do and exercising, and I either gained weight or stayed the same… not to mention I had absolutely NO extra time because I was always eating or preparing something to eat. I also couldn’t go more than 2 or 3 hours without eating, which drove me nuts! IF is actually similar to how I used to eat when I was younger (and still thin), so it works great for me.
It will be quite some time before I have any before and after photos but I will definitely share when I get there! Thanks so much!
Heather
Heather UpChurch I Art & Design Studios
http://www.flickr.com/artanddesignstudios
I’ve been doing IF for about a week now and can already tell that it’s for me.
The whole 5-6 meals a day thing just isn’t for me. If I eat that often, Im much more likely to pig out and eat a bunch of junk food and more calories than I need.
Meanwhile, eating just one meal a day (dinner) lets me have a nice, large meal with my family without feeling guilty!
Hey Sam,
How did I just hear about IF today? Wow. Well, first of all, I’ve read through this page and all comments and I want to commend you on being solid living proof that the ‘ripped’ guys can also be the ‘brainy’ guys!
I am not a bodybuilder nor anything even close, though I am a dancer. I am trying to educate myself so I have about ten tabs open to do some reading tonight. I have always hovered at 15 pounds over where I’d like to be, and my robust italian genes are not helping. My question is this: my schedule only allows me to work out first thing in the morning. I always do a zumba class (please don’t laugh!), and a few days a week follow up with some strength training. How can I counteract the nauseous/ dizzy feeling that comes from not eating before an A.M. cardio class?
I’m sorry- I forgot a couple more questions I had while reading through.
A. During the fasting period, are liquids ok? (mainly coffee, tea, water)
B. Are BCAA’s of any use for pre-cardio, or is it only beneficial to strength training?
Sorry for the gumshoe questions!
April I think there’s an ‘adjustment period’ and you’re in it with the nauseous/dizzy feeling. I would give it a couple weeks of pushing through it and see what happens. And yes, I would recommend BCAA’s for your cardio/zumba classes (nothing wrong with that) as well as coffee/some sort of calorie free caffeine source.
Perfect, thanks! I’ll push through. Thanks for the help!
Just wanted to send an update: I am absolutely fascinated by this new IF lifestyle. The workouts have gotten easier with very little side effects. The interesting thing is that on my fasting days, I was positive I would be dying to eat, but I would say the majority of the time, I forget and have to remind myself and it’s usually an hour later than I was supposed to start. How strange!
My other favorite thing about this is that I am not obsessed with food. I have done weight watchers for years, and they are fabulous and definitely logical and healthy in their approach. The downside is all I think about is food. (how many point is this? how many do I have left? how should I ration the rest of the day?). It was just a bummer to think about that all the time. With IF, I don’t think about it. I forget about food on my fasting days and on my eat days I just eat with dignity. As long as I dont hit IN N OUT just because I can ‘eat’, there’s no reason to stress it.
Thanks for this blog and your intelligence!
Hey man, came across this blog about 3 weeks ago then started following a IF protocol of once a week, not eating for about 16 or so hours.. seems to help pull that last 10lbs off (actually, if math is right got about 6lb left to go now haha, then clean bulk!
But point is, I KNOW this works from two different situations. Once before and this time.. basically, back when I was overweight 8 years ago when I was 20, and never worked out, I instinctively followed a fasting protocol and dropped a lot of weight (wasn’t all fat as I got ‘anorexic’ looking too).. but this was before I knew anything. Point is, if “broscience” was right, why didn’t I lose all my muscle and my fat hang off of me never getting burned off? I never trained, only went walking, drinking nothing but water and when I did eat, was completely clean. Of course I didn’t do things right, but IF works. Just like now, the last 3 weeks I have 1. Maintained strength gains. 2. maintained muscle size (I use arms as a reference cause I train everything equally) and 3. I feel fine AND have been steadily decreasing body fat %. THIS IS A GREAT BLOG POST! So tired of bro science and BS. Your right, most nutritional advice stems from the steroid community going back as far as the 70′s (the same people that tried convince the public Arnold ran 10 miles a day.. he rarely did cardio! ha) I think we all need to keep an open mind to what can work and not work, and just like training routines.. no 1 routine works for all people. Anyways, long post but felt inspired and wanted to share my results!!
http://tinyurl.com/3mjyef8
hahaha.. awesome .gif! Glad I came across this blog. And then when I started reading through your mind articles and your philosophy on life, bro, we on the same page! Keep up the great work!
one more thing I wanted to add.. I had JUST read this, like two days ago I think.. but anyways, back in the day Vince Gironda (I know you know who he is) but I’ll post for anyone reading.. was basically the forefather of modern bodybuilding in regards to his “unique” for the time diet techniques, training philosophy’s and athleticism. He basically advocated a carb cut off type diet, he used HIIT cardio (at the time it wasn’t even on paper yet), he was exceptionally ripped and even trained some of hollywood’s greatest stars from Stallone, to Schwarzenegger, to Clint Eastwood AND was drug free and if he found out you trained “dirty”, he would throw you out of his gym! Point is, NO ONE knew how he maintained such a low body fat, as at the time, most body builders had bulk, but were soft.. he was chiseled out of stone. Well, the point is, he also did INTERMITTENT FASTING! Once again, proving he somehow always was ahead of the curve. Google his pics if you’re curious! So it goes to show, being a little hungry every once in a while, works haha.
Dude! Thanks for pointing out Vince Gironda. I actually hadn’t heard of him so thank you. HIIT training, intermittent fasting, weight training, and sports. This guy sounds like my type of dude. Looks amazing too. Can’t stand when dudes are so bulked out they may as well be obese. You’re the man David.
No problem!! He’s been one of my inspirations for years when I started hardcore into training. Sad most don’t know who he is, but ironically helped train the best! When it comes to thinks i’m interested, i love to know the history so I stumbled across him a few years ago and was blown away by his ideas. He also had an exceptionally high IQ. Well rounded guy! Short in stature, but he had no reservations of telling you where to go and how to get their if you didn’t follow his advice haha.
Hi Sam
great read!
just wondered if you are a natty lifter?
Great physique either way!
yeah man. never done roids and never will.
So glad I stumbled across this while researching IF. Like you, I have never been a breakfast eater. I always skip it normally and found when I do eat breakfast I seem to eat more and more that whole day. It’s like it jump starts my eating and I can’t stop. I have never had a problem with weight all my life. However, I am in my early 40′s and showing signs of my metabolism slowing down. As such, I’ve seen the numbers on the scale drift up a few pounds and I’m no longer able to eat whatever I wanted. I recently started revamping my exercise program from taking a year off due to injuries. I’m only able to slow jog about 3 miles so far on my treadmill at a pretty good incline. I’m starting weights again, but slowly. Anyway, it’s very easy for me to “not eat all day”. I want to try this regimen. Is the longest fast you recommend usually 24 hours? For me, I can easily skip meals all day but this means I’m not eating after my morning treadmill/workout. Is that a good idea? It’s kind of hard for me to skip dinner because I eat with my husband and 4 little kids and can’t push my kids to eat if I’m not. On days I eat, I usually cut my caloric intake to 1,000-1,200 a day. And I burn roughly 250-300 on exercise. I am small but not comfortable with weight gain so I want to get on top of this now. What are your thoughts?
well I think you should play with it and figure out what will be sustainable. If 24 fasts are too painful, do 16 hour fasts or something in between. Try a 16 hour fast a few times a week to start out and see how it goes. Continue to workout intensely. And follow a solid routine on nutrition. Check out my nutrition principles article if you haven’t already.
Hi, I am 50 years old male, two weeks ago by accident come across IF info. in Wikipedia and start looking into it more. And start doing it.
36 hours no food
12 hours ( 3 meals)
Plenty of water at all the time and lot of push ups always.
My quest of alternative feeding started in my 20′s, first fast was 9 days on a distilled water.
Then 21 days, lot of 3 days… and now IF seems to me like an excellent evolution of this period of my life – I am doing IF not for loosing or gaining ( i did it when i was younger ) – for wellness, for refocusing
my goals: one of them to live longer and healthier.
It is cool to see an active community of practitioners of different ages and goals.
Please, let me know, what you think of 36/12 plan and if you can direct me for more into. on that
Thanks.
Hi Sam- Great website and tremendous transformation. I started IF just this past weekend, and am looking forward to some progress- would you care to elaborate on your height, weight, and some strenght metrics.
I ask as your build is one that I am trying to emulate, and I have found although there are exceptions, that there is usually a strong corollary between strength and muscles mass.
Have a great day, and thanks for the awesome site.
Cheers-
Sudip Jha
Sure. I’m 6’0 tall. I weigh around 190 lbs. Deadlift is around 500 lbs. Bench is around 350. Squat is around 400.
Sam- that is darn impressive. Your transformation is both extremely motivating and exciting for someone who has started IF recently.
Just as an aside- what did you weight before in your “less-lean” days?
Did the transformation take a long time, and did you lose tremendous strength/gain strength?
Thanks again for the impressive and informative site!
Sudip
So at my fattest I was at around 220. Then I started taking my diet more seriously and got down to around 200. When I started IF I lost about 10-15 lbs of pure fat. Down to around 185-190 lean now which is right where I like to be. DIdn’t lose strength at all.
Sam – are you saying you ran a calorie deficit for a long period, lost fat AND got stronger increasing muscle mass on a cloric deficit? Initially?
I have just begun HIT full body (Body By Science) once a week with my trainer, but I am also on a huge protein low calorie diet and using the 16/8 fast feed protocols. I am under the impression at most I can expect to “save muscle” while losing fat at a caloric deficit, not gain muscle. Is this not true?
Thanks for posting this blog and your results.
Mike
When I first started I was gaining a little strength while losing lbs on the scale. Yes. This was because I was hitting the gym really hard and maintaining a slight deficit in calories.
Just read your article and I gotta say that I agree with everytihng you’ve stated here. I do have a few questions, 1) Do you take fast carbs approx. 50 grams after your workouts? I am in total agreement with you about staying natural, but I noticed that two of your suggestions for supplementation have artificial sweeteners ( Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium) in Jack3D and Modern BCAA.
I don’t do fast carbs immediately post workout but I’ve thought about trying it out. Basically I do 30-50grams of whey walking out of the gym and then have a large meal about 30 mins later which usually includes some fruit and veggies for carbs (not really that much though).
Hi Sam,
I posted a while back about switching to IF, but I am a little overwhelmed and would love your input. To ease into things, I have been doing a 6 hour feed window every other day. It’s definitely been manageable and I’ve seen results, but in trying to educate myself via this site and Martin’s, I realize I am way out of my league. I do not strength train regularly. I am a pretty average Jane. I do cardio 4 times a week via zumba, and I own my own dance studio which keeps me exceptionally busy.
It seems like most of what I read on the two sites is really geared towards the serious builder. My concern is body fat. I am not under 15% range to even be considering it ‘stubborn’; it’s just those fifteen pounds that linger. Can you tell me what you recommend in terms of IF for someone like me?
You’re not out of your league at all. Martin and I are basically just using a ‘hybrid’ model of intermittent fasting to increase muscle gaining potential. Losing fat really isn’t that complicated. Eat less food is what it comes down to. However, being able to sustain a system of ‘eating less food’ is the issue for most people. Although there may additional small benefits, that’s the major benefit of an intermittent fasting program. Keep it simple. Hope that helps.
Hi Sam,
Great website. I’ve been following your tips for about 3 weeks now and I’m starting to see results. I do have a question though:
I currently don’t eat from 9pm the night before to 12pm the next day. I usually workout at 12pm and then eat after that. But for days when I don’t work out at 5/6pm instead of 12 do I just eat my lunch or first meal at 12pm? Would that be okay?
Or would I have to work out at 12pm and then eat after to make this system work? i’m just trying to work out a plan to incorpate IF into my day.
Thanks!@
Working out in a fasted state is not necessary. Remember, this is simply a system for eating less food. Eating less food is what it takes to lose fat. It’s the bottom line and always will be. You’ve got to be consistent however. And this is the major issue that IF solves.
This IF of 16/8 should really excite people. If you can skip breakfast, you basically get to cram 3 meals into 8-9 hours including eating right before bed. I am on my third day doing 16/8 and it seems very very doable. It also allows me to eat smaller meals when I do eat, since they are spaced closer. As stated, I am eating less calories and feeling fuller all afternoon and evening.
Are BCAA’s advised at say 4:30pm if I eat at 12:30pm and don’t workout until 5:30 pm? Or skip my 4:30 after work meal before my workout?
It is exciting! It’s a system that keeps people on track. I would give them a try. Since you’re not doing a fasted workout a protein powder, or small meal may work just as well.
I have been a martial artists some 25 plus years and started bodybuilding as a competitor about 6 years ago, following typical “bro-advise” and of course the dreaded bulk up and cutting protocol. Intuitively I always felt this was causing more damage than providing good sustainable health. Although over the 6 years I went from 165lbs to 225lbs at 5’10″ +/- 15% bf (offseason). I stumbled across leengains website about 6 months ago and have dabbled, but fight the feeling of meal regularity and other typical established “suspect” methodologies.
My question is what do those following IF 16/8 variation feel is the proper macro split? If one were to reduce carbs to between 90-120g (360-480 Kcal) and assuming 2g per lb protein (for me 450g or 1800 Kcal). that only gives me a total of 2160-2280 Kcal per day? Do I increase my Kcal with healthy fat, like extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil to reach my maintenance of +/- 3100 or fat loss target of 2789? Just curious to see if a little help from others in the same boat, who have gained experience and success with IF.
Cheers
If you are bulking I would actually up the protein a bit more (I’ve been messing with around 3 grams/lb of bodyweight and i’ve noticed I’m able to perform at the gym better which is making my strength go up), and the carbs as well (especially post workout…..pig out even). Then adjust your fat levels to meet calorie needs from there based on what is happening on the scale (are you gaining weight on a weekly basis? if not, up the calories and fat).
When cutting just reverse engineer this. Read my article on nutrition principles if you haven’t already. I talk about this a little on the second page. I’ve never even done a bb competition, so keep in mind that these are just opinions of mine. I do plan on doing a natural bb show in the near future however and I’m sure I’ll learn alot along the way.
Im curious in johns question also
I am so happy I stumbled across your blog. I have been involved in the fitness and nutrition community for over 10 years and it is so engrained in my head to eat every 3 hours, but sometimes I feel as if all this food that is being packed in isn’t “leaving” as is should. I have felt that something isn’t right about this way of eating for sometime now, but because I have been looking to lose the last 15 pounds for some time I continue to “eat more to lose more”.
I definitely want to move in this direction, but I am sure I will struggle with the 5-6 meal mind set, as it has been my way of life for so long. I carry a cooler of food everywhere I go. I know you mentioned in your post that you also had to give up this thinking. Is there anything that really helped you in this one area, any mantras you repeated to yourself in order to change this belief?
Thanks again for your blog, I am excited to experiment with this way of life, but still hesitant due to fear of changing what I’ve known in the fitness community as the BEST way to eat, but here I go!!
Results will speak for themselves. If you’re 15 lbs overweight, it’s because you have consistently over eaten. This program will allow you to realize this and stop over eating. It’s that simple. Read the book “eat stop eat” where it details all the academic studies. It becomes very clear that your metabolism does not crash, and your muscle does not cannibalize itself if your meal frequency isn’t every 3 hours or whatever other crap broscience has been passed on without question for years.
Sam,
I’ve been reading your articles the last couple days. Could you tell me some about your lifting/training routine/philosophy? I’m interested in what lifts, number of sets, and number of reps that you feel are most important for gaining lean muscle. Maybe you could tell me a little about what you personally do.
Have a lot of respect for the information you are giving out freely and how willing you are to answer peoples questions.
Thanks for the site.
Tim I have plans for videos in the near future. Just takes a lot of time and effort. haha. I should probably write up a real article around this as well. In the mean time, I’ll give a few cliff notes.
My philosophy is simple. First keep it simple; there’s not magic set number and rep number. Second, make it as intense as possible. Third, do different things and constantly overload. Fourth, go to failure as much as you can.
I shy away from suggesting specific reps, sets, or even exercises. The reason why is because two people could do the same workout routine and person-A could reap twice the benefit of person-B because of the intensity, focus, he/she went to failure, etc. even though they did the same reps, exercises, sets, etc. Make sense?
With that said, a training routine should be predicated on a persons goals/ideals first and foremost. If you just want to get into general shape and spend as little time as possible, p90x or crossfit is probably optimal. If you want to build as much lean mass as humanly possible, bodybuilding/powerlifting hybrid routines are optimal.
My goal is to be healthy, athletic, and aesthetic. I talk about this a bit in the nutrition principles article I jotted up. So I do a split weight training routine Monday-Friday. Usually goes something like this: Monday-Chest Tuesday-Back Wednesday-Legs Thursday-Arms Friday-Shoulders. I workout at lunch at a gym right down the street from my work. That’s for the ‘aesthetic’ part. For the health and athletic part I either grapple, jog, or do some sprints 3-4 nights per week as well.
Anyways, hope that helps. I’ll go into more detail in the near future.
Thanks for getting back to me Sam and look forward to hearing more about it. You seem to be balancing those three goals very well.
I like IF, but juice fasting is overall more effective. it will literally melt your excess fat off, and fruit, veggies, nuts and beans have plenty of protein. When you juice you are concentrating the nutrients (including protein) into the cup and it is much more veggies and fruits than you could ever eat in 1 day. Just supplement with creatine if you need to. And supplement with fiber as well.
prove it
Hahaha. I’m glad someone said it.
I disagree.
What is most effective is what is healthy and sustainable for each person.
I would be bored with juice fasting and I am sure many others would be too.
I eat 3 balanced meals a day. No snacks. it works great for me.
Changed my lifestyle about a month ago. Began IF & a bodyweight routine. Down 15lbs. in 4 weeks & seeing increases in strength as well (up to 70 pushups & 12 pullups from 30 & 2.). Never been a big breakfast eater, so the IF lifestyle fits me perfectly. I could definitely see IF as being a lifetime commitment for me. Sam, great information on your blog…you’ve been bookmarked! Keep up the good work & I’ll be back regularly.
Does anyone here do ice bath or have experience with cold workouts?
Here is a video that explains it well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhrtfDPkch0
Hey Sam,
I work 8-17. Therefore I’m thinking about fasting from 24 till 17. The problem is, it’s pretty hard for me to workout fasted. If I go straight to workout after work, I’ll have my first meal around 19. This will make me fast for 19 hours and give me 5 hours of eating period. If I extend the eating time, then I’ll have to go to bed after 24, which will give me 4-5 hours of sleep.
Do you think getting the first meal before workout would hinder gains ?
How would you program your IF, if you had a schedule like mine ?
Thanks
Working out in a fasted state isn’t necessary to gain the benefits of the IF program.
thanks,
Don’t know if someone already asked but if you were to give macros, how would they be for workout days and nonworkout days ?
Great site, I think like many others, I was kind of accidentally doing IF already. About a year ago (I’m 40), I found with work and family I simply had to violate a major health/fitness “law”,and simply stop eating breakfast. Shortly thereafter, I realized I really wasn’t hungry at work until noonish, or even longer. I am fortunate that I can work out at work every day, so I do not eat anything until after I workout (I do the Big 4 primarily, meaning, the Big 3, plus Overhead Press/see Wendler), then have some yogurt, a banana or two and an apple, that is about 330pm. I eat with the family at about 6pm, then I’m done.
I do drink black coffee, throughout the day, which has almost no calories. On other days, like weekends, I pretty much eat one meal, after 6pm, then maybe a couple raw eggs with milk a vitamins a couple hours later. That’s it ! I feel great. I do not do any cardio, but do the major powerlifts (as noted). I gave up running and cardio a few years ago, when I found I got as much out of powerlifting and reducing calories (after years of beating up my knees/ankles).
After focusing more on making sure I am following the protocol, I’ve dropped from 194lb to 178 at 5’9, from a 34 to a 32 waist. My ideal weight (like when I was 25) is about 165 cut. My best lifts at 40 now are 315/240/315. I hope to hit 405 for squat and deads and 275 for bench, maybe by 45.
As Wendler says, why do people always focus on a “better body” in the “next 3 months”..? how about a better body over the next 2 years, or 3 or 5 years. It takes time. So those are my goals.
Scotty
Hey Sam!
Firstly congrats on your transformation and thanks for putting up this site, its been a major help.
So I’m doing IF for both religious reasons and weight loss, I’m sure you’re aware that Muslims fast for a month every year. Well we break our fast depending on the sun setting, in the UK this means that we have to fast from 3:30 am to about 9.00 in the evening.
As well as doing this I go to the gym every day for about 1hr and 1/2 and burning around 500 cal. I don’t want to over exert myself because the fasting times are so long. My problem is that Im not losing any weight, and I’m very strict with how much I eat, I roughly get around 800-1000 cal. Is the problem the fact that Im eating so late into the evening and going to bed with a very full stomach? Or should I give this more time as it has only been a couple of days? I know its unrealistic to want immediate results but even 1/4 pound would be great to motivate me to go to the gym.
Thanks,
Great article. I got into fasting because of my religion but I am thinking of doing IF as well to lose some weight. I noticed that every Ramadan I lose about 10 lbs the first week, but then after that my body seems to stabilize and I usually gain it back in the next 3 weeks. I’m thinking to do the 24/24 fast after Ramadan ends and incorporate workouts on the days I am eating. My body type is definitely the type that loves to store fat and I really hope this system helps me. Thanks for the great pointers!!!
Great blog, my only concern is how is your energy working out in a fasted state? I mean, I mentally fuck myself when I workout fasted thinking I dont have carbs in me so I’m not going to have enough energy so my lifts will drop, etc, etc., I’m thinking if I can just get over the mental shit I’ll come to find out I really don’t have a loss of energy or strength in the gym, Whats your take on that man? because I dont want to have to take Jack3d or some other stimulant everyday just to feel like I’m getting my full potential when fasted.
It depends on the person I think. I have plenty of energy to workout fasted. BUT, after 3-4 days of calorie deficit (when I’m cutting) I don’t think it’s ideal to workout fasted anymore due to low energy levels.
Hi sam! Awesome blog.
Working out in a fasted state isn’t necessary to gain the benefits of the IF program but it is definitely lot better right? I usually workout at 5-7pm (weight training and cardio) but I have to fast from 8pm to 2pm of which i have to work out in the 6 hour open window period.
I aim for better health, athletics and aesthetics from IF. I might need to change my fast from 12midnight to 7pm for the better benefits ( i don’t like the idea of eating before sleeping though, myth?). I also worry that i would not have the energy to exercise right.
So, would exercising in a fasted state be the same as during the open window? Because I think it’s all about calorie intake and the calories you burn?
I’ve read a few studies and it doesn’t look like working out fasted is necessarily superior. Unless, you happen to get better workouts in because you’re fasted (some people are this way, including myself….sometimes). People get caught up with micro levels stuff. It’s about the macro viewpoint. Get yourself into a calorie deficit for a week straight, and stop worrying about the little things so much. Get what I’m saying?
Hey awsome website i will be reading on this for a while i have a question on Intermitint fasting do you stick to low calorie when cutting and high calorie when builking. how much above maitnence. also did you lose all that fat in those pictures do to Fasting ur awsome man proud theirs another sam with the same interests.
Yeah it was due to fasting along with eating right and hitting the gym hard. You the man Sam.
Hi everybody, I just want to say that ever since I tried Intermittent Fasting I will never go back to normal eating again. This way of living is definitely much better and healthier in my opinion. I started out in March 2010 at a bodyweight of 90kg and by the end of April 2010 I was at 79kg and in great shape! Unfortunately I gained all the weight back and even more and I was up to 105kg in December 2010! I have to say that I let myself go because of a lot of stress from work and school etc. I started out again with serious diet in May 2011 and now am back at 95kg again! I tried many diets in my life and I have to say, Intermittent Fasting is the most effective way to lose fat! I train with weights 4 to 5 times a week and I also do a lot of endurance work like rope jumping and running, all in a fasted state! I don’t even take aminos before my workouts because I use Protein Powders when I break my fast. Sometimes I fast even up to 22 hours and still feel good mentally and physically. I take Vitamins and Minerals because I only eat 1 big meal a day!
Hey Sam,
Great inspirational blog! I agree with everything you wrote EXCEPT where you stated that ecto’s probably shouldn’t do IF (sorry!). I’m a classic ecto and I’m in the process of implementing IF into my life b/c I was so sick and tired of eating 5-6 times a day. It was mentally draining me to always think about my next meal. I lost a total of 25 lbs. recently, turning to IF for maintenance and to release me from planning out six meals everyday. I’ve only done the 18-hour fasts thus far, working my way up two 24-hour ones pretty soon. I’m taking it slow b/c I’ve had to wean myself from eating every three hours, obviously. I have found that I’m more focused since IF-ing and my endurance during my workouts has increased considerably. I thought the opposite to be true. And on the vanity side, it’s nice to see my abs really ‘pop’ on the IF days too.
if you’re a ‘classic ecto’ you wouldn’t have had 25 lbs to lose man. Ecto’s have an almost impossible time gaining weight (fat or muscle).
Sam,
I forgot to mention that I’m a girl whose had two children and yeah…I needed to drop some pounds. My stomach was quite frankly a train wreck! I’m still an ecto just in way better shape now. And gaining muscle has been next to impossible (as you so aptly mentioned) especially my upper body – arms in particular. I desire to have Serena Williams’ arms but not in this lifetime. But I’m not a guy so toned is good, right? I don’t need to necessarily be ripped, that would kind of weird.
I am wanting to try IF eating from 4-8. I workout in mid morning doing circuit training then treadmill walking. I was wondering if it would be ok to add a whey protein shake after the workout and one later in the day if I get to hungry, I tend to have low sugar problems. I want to lose 20 pounds and counting calories, exercise, cutting carbs nothing is working.
the shake would be just a scoop or whey protein and almond milk or just water.
Thanks
Lori
I would actually recommend that!
Lori,
I am not an expert on IF, but I think if you experimant, you will find what works for you.
After reading many comments from those who try this, it seems some do well with 1 meal, others 2, and some like myself with 3 meals a day, no snacks.
Thank you for the quick reply. I did do that today and feel fine. Wasn’t to hungry until 5pm when I started eating.
I definitely believe in the power of “going hungry” to lose fat. All my fitness friends shun me for even suggesting that one should go hungry every day if they want to lose weight. I’ve never called it “intermittent fasting“, but after reading this, that’s exactly what it is! Now I’m going to preach this even more now that I know I’m not the only one! lol. The info about the book and supplement was helpful. Thank you.
I had never called it IF either until I read about it online.
It was more like just following Grandmas advice from many years ago. 3 meals a day and no snacking.
It definately is the way to lose and keep weight off.
I have had people tell me they could never do this because they get grouchy, lightheaded, or sick if they go too long without food. I guess if one has a blood sugar problem that is a concern.
I eat three meals a day,
The longest fast I have is from dinner til breakfast the next day. I tried eating breakfast before I worked out, but went back to exercising before breakfast.
It works great for me.
hi sam, im a female that ways about 187lbs, i realy want to loose about 15-20 lbs in 2 weeks. do u think this is possible? and if so how? i want to spend at least one birthday without being depressed becuz i have nothing to wear that looks nice on me. i hate my body and i just really want to love myself for once. can u please help me?
Well I’ll be honest, that’s a quick fix mindset you’ve got going on and it’s not going to work. Have you read my nutrition principles article? It’s time to implement some new habits that stick. It’s bad habits that have gotten you where you are. I’m not trying to be rude, just honest. I also highly recommend reading the book “psycho cybernetics.” You have a self-image issue going on that needs to be corrected (don’t worry WE ALL DO) and that book addresses this. And finally, I highly recommend the book “the brain that changes itself” which deals with addictions and the way the brain works. Hope this helps. Here’s links:
http://www.amazon.com/Brain-That-Changes-Itself-Frontiers/dp/0143113100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315320609&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Psycho-Cybernetics-New-More-Living-Life/dp/0671700758/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315322211&sr=1-1
Well, I am down to 169 (had floated around 190 a few months ago). I am maintaining my strength, at around a 315 deadlift, 315 squat and 230 bench or so. My goal is a solid 160lb.
Over the last month or so, I’ve fasted for up to 36 hours, but I usually do a 20/4 split, meaning, I eat once a day, usually at night, with the family. Last night I worked out late, so I ate big again, after my work out, then went to bed. I am not eating today until probably 6pm. I feel fine. I drink coffee and chew gum.
Our bodies were NOT MADE to eat all day, just as they were not made to “run” for long periods (two myths prevalent today). Our ancestors did NOT graze, nor did they run probably more than a 1/2 mile ever (and only then during hunting or battle). Our ancestors walked, and went without food for long periods, then ate as much as they could, and slept, and walked, and ate.
Everyone in the United States should stop eating 3 meals a day, it’s not just the “junk food” its the constant eating and drinking (caloric drinks), all day. Non-stop.
I don’t agree with you that everyone should stop eating 3 meals a day.
I do that and maintain my weight at 102. At one point I was 99 pounds.
According to many I have talked with and read about online, 3 meals a day is not the norm.
What seems to be the norm is 3 meals a day plus snacks, snacks, and more snacks which add all those extra calories.
So for a person who wants to lose 5lbs of fat, but continue to work out gaining muscle, this could work well? So just eat healthy and normal on days we don’t workout, but then on the day we workout, make it a night workout and don’t eat until right after? So how about 3 day’s of fasting until after working out at night, then the other 4 normal?
What about fasting on non-workout days? It almost seems that we should fast everyday (besides sleep), as long as we take in plenty of protein after a heavy workout (I love Optimum Nutrition’s, just got a 5lb jug).
I’m thinking of fasting 7 days a week, only eating after a workout. When I’m hungry that might give me motivation to get off my butt and workout so I can eat!
Sam,
I have a couple of questions. With the weight loss did you have any loose skin afterwards? And if you did, how did you get it to tighten up? I couldn’t really tell from your ‘after’ photos.
Also, I read one of your comments where you said you have stretch marks. If they are pink or red in color, they are still fresh and can help them to fade faster if you use a lotion with cocoa butter twice daily. If they are white or silvery-looking, they cannot be treated but will eventually fade over time on their own. Just my two cents.
I’m curious about the loose skin thing myself. I maybe have 5 extra lbs’s I want to get off my gut but I worry about the extra skin. I dropped from 212 down to 178 and still can’t get rid of it; but I’m almost OK with it and I’m going back into heavy lifiting and hopefully this fasting will help with the guy along the way.
When I was 16-17 I went from 135 to around 200 mostly of muscle (after loosing some fat and settling at around 195). But I still have the stretch marks on my inner bicep where it connects at the upper chest on both sides. The marks look reddish and have stayed that way for 10 years now so I’m guessing there is no fix for that. But it’s no big deal, I’m actually proud of them in a way, it reminds me of all the hard work I put in the gym for 2 years. I want all of that back. 178 now, I want another 20lbs of muscle while losing 5lbs of fat. I’m a hard gainer though so it’s tough not to pack on in my gut to get the calories and protein I need.
@Will: If the stretch marks are red, you can rub cocoa butter or vitamin E oil on them and they will fade. Trust me. I think having stretch marks are more disturbing to women then men. I used cocoa butter on my stomach when I was pregnant (twice) and don’t have any stretch marks because of it. They actually prevent them from forming too by keeping the skin more elastic. But you’re a guy so it’s not that big of a deal IMO.
Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll definitely try that. But yea, it’s not a big deal because the biggest ones start inside my armpit and just go out about an inch or two into the bicep fading out, some almost matching my skin color. So even with my shirt off it’s not that noticeable unless I open my arms to make a T shape. I have a few of those silvery spots on my stomach but not too bad. I’m mainly concerned about if the skin will tighten up when I lose the fast.
I do have some scars from a minor car accident on my arm from a few months ago I would like to try that on, I had to get 8 staples where the glass had cut pretty deep. That is on the top of my forearm so it’s very noticeable. Thanks for mentioning that, I’m guessing the cocoa butter would work on scars like that too, this one is still red/purplish, especially when I get into a cold room.
My husband uses this scar cream called: scar zone which has green tea in it. It works really well on fresh scars and old ones too. I’ve used it too and on my kids. Just a thought.
BTW, girls really don’t notice things like stretch marks on a guy. I’m guessing kind of like we freak out over a bit of cellulite on our legs and guys wonder why we’re in a panic over it.
I heard that the younger you are, loose skin is not that much of a problem because your skin is more elastic. I have some (like a two-inch piece) under my bellybutton from pregnancy and it drives me nuts. You can only see it when I’m in a push-up position but if I’m standing up, it looks fine. I doubt at my age anything can fix it but I’m curious too.
Bonnie, safe to say, you are clearly a statistical outlier. VERY FEW, very few, women (or men for that matter) weigh as little as you, statistically. Most Americans are carrying around MUCH MORE weight than they should, and MUCH MORE than their immediate ancestors (even going back 50-100 years).
While certain people may need up to three meals a day to maintain a caloric balance, clearly, most Americans do not, if only for the reason that three meals present three opportunities to take in more calories than say, two meals, or one meal (given that typically X amount of calories can be achieved in any given meal without actually TRYING to exceed one’s hunger or natural biological set point).
The idea of this HUGE breakfast, followed by a moderate lunch, and then a sizable dinner, all for humans who are NOT working in the fields all day, is absurd. The fact that you are smaller framed, and/or have a very high metabolism (if that be the case) does not nullify the fact that three meals a day are a relatively NEW thing (meaning, the last 500 years), and actually, it is only typical of Western societies.
During my travels to S. America, most “Latinos” (using the term loosely) of Indian (“Indio”/Mestizo) descent do not eat much for breakfast, but typically have one big meal around 5pm, and maybe a smaller meal around 9pm. Most of the world does not eat three meals a day, if only because it is: A) Impractical, and/or B) Not feasible with the cost/logistics of food bundling.
Hope that clarifies my advice and comment.
Sam,
Another question – I know you said you don’t eat whole grains, etc, etc. But what if I wanted to – isn’t it better to eat them earlier in the day and still limit them on a daily basis? I come from an ethnic background where bread, rice and pasta are very much a part of the culture so it’s not really feasible for me to completely erase it from the equation. I’ve been limiting my whole grains and have lost body fat due to it. Currently I’m at 18% and I understand for my gender and age, that’s a good percent. I’m happy with the way my body looks at that percentage and just wish to maintain at this point. Any advice you could give me would be great. Thanks in advance.
In your intermittent fasting scheme, sleep counts as fasting, right?
yep
Hi Sam,
Love the article dude.. just wondering, if I have supplements during the fast at like omega 3, multi vitamin, greens powder etc that contain no carbs, will that still have the same effect? or should I wait until the fast is up after the 16 hours before I take any ‘health’ supplement?
Hi Sam,
I have been reading your blogs with great interest
I am a model and recently due to ill health and admittedly a little laziness I have gained a few pounds- nothing major but i dont feel comfortable and need to egt back into shape….
I am planning on doing 24-36hr fasts as itseasier for me to keep track of- just wanted some tips on how to start… and what is the best method for weight loss etc.
Thanks
Love your site/blog. It sounds like you intermittent fast everyday.
In your opinion, Is it difficult to be successful with 6 16 hour fasts / week? This would allow me to have a “Cheat Meal” on Saturday nights. Some argue that a “reset” makes sense. Thanks!
Yeah I don’t fast on the weekends usually. If you’re trying to lose weight simply make sure you’re maintaining a calorie deficit throughout the week. Intermittent fasting makes it easier to do this rather than having to micro analyze 6 meals a day. So no need to over complicate things. Get what I’m saying?
Yes I do! I’ve been successful losing weight in the past and other strategies that sound solid have not worked.
IF is already working for me. what is interesting is the stubborn fat is coming off before other fatty areas are gone (I have always had trouble with those love handles and low back fat).
I also wonder if previous successes actually had an element of an intermittent fast (13-18 hours) by accident…. and maybe this IF in combination with calorie deficit was the reason for success.
I haven’t been paying attention for the past few weeks. I’ve trained my stomach to never really hunger for food anymore. I drink plenty of healthy fluids through the day and mainly only eat solid food is 3-4 times a week for dinner or after a workout (along with a protien shake after workout).
Doing that by habit, jogging 1-2 miles daily, and just making sure I put in protein after I work out my muscles has cut down my fat and I’m still gaining muscle.
From this fast I went down from over 200lb to 160lb in about 2 months. Now on about 1200-1500 calories a day I’m still gaining muscle at about a lean solid pound of muscle every 2 weeks now at 170lb. All I want is to be a lean 180lb at 6′ tall and then I would be in better shape than Brad Pitt in Fight Club so I’m happy
.
Now if only I could have a workout for my face!!!
Remember that often the best way to set goals is to plant seeds rather than to obsess over the final goal itself. That way your goals will often spring up without you even realizing it as long as you develop good “watering” habits of healthy daily living.
The times in my life I tried the hardest, I failed the hardest. The times I have set a lot of small goals, they have become easy habits and formed together into the huge goals I used to only dream of getting but never could get to with will power alone.
Hi Sam,
Found the blog and was amazed. I stumbled across Fast-5 and then thought about a lot of things from a biological point of view that’s kind of interesting. Cats–they often sleep 15+ hours a day and are very lean. The show Survivor typically has people losing a ton of noticeable fat in the 40 days they are out there–funny enough, I think they are doing IF without knowing it with hard workouts between. When people get sick at the hospital and have to have an IV for days, there is a dramatic weightloss; most doctors say this is water-weight, but once again, the IF is happening when a person is sick and only getting in 1 or 2 meals a day. There is a lot more biological systems showing evidence to why this happens in addition to the Leptin/Insulin falloffs, including people with Type O blood. Type O blood is the most ancient, so I’m thinking they might benefit from IF over other bloodtypes because the body may be optimized for hunter-gathering behaviors.
Anyway, after just a week of IF, the fat shredding off my body even though I’ve only lost about 3 pounds. What’s great is that I’m already seeing my muscles come through, and my pants size are already down to a 34 from a 36. That’s a better gauge of fat anyway. It’s actually insane to me how fast I’m losing the fat right now, and how much better and stronger I feel. I was able to do IF cold-turkey easily because I’ve done other fasting in the past, so willpower wasn’t an issue. I’m really curious what this will be like for me 3-4 months from now, since I’m very active–weightlifting + typically 3+ hours of soccer each week.
Just a quick reply update. Already down 8 pounds now, and I have so much more energy than 2 weeks ago and my sleep is more sound than before! Plus, my desires for food have fallen off and I no longer feel hungry at all, even during the 6-hour eating window. I’m doing an 18/6 fast on most days and eating between the 9am – 2pm window. So happy to have discovered this!
Hey Sam,
I am very interested in trying intermittent fasting. The only problem is that I tarin at 6pm, and am unable to trian before that. Does that mean I have to fast until 7pm. That would leave me with 20hrs of fasting phase and a 4 hour feeding phase. I’ve tried this but I get wayy too huungry during the day. I would try the 16/8 appraoch but that would mean i would eat before training, which defeats the purpose of training in a fasted state. What should i do???
Thanks
Marko,
For me, the great thing about IF is designing what works for each person. I don’t believe you need to fast for real long periods at a time. My longest fast is after dinner which I eat early. So part of my fast is while I am sleeping. It usually amounts to going from 4 or 5 PM til the morning when I break my fast and eat around 7 or 8 AM.
I eat 3 meals a day and am maintaning my weight of 102 pounds.
hey mate just wanting to know your thoughts on doing cardio while IF for example like doing HIIT. Do I need to do cardio or will watching my macros/calories be enough. My body type is endomorph, 154 pounds and height 173cm think that like maybe 5, 7′ and my workout is I do split training so 5 days a week even 6 if i get bored on the weekends.
What is your workout program like for IF
thanks mate.
As for gaining lean muscle with putting on as few fat lb’s as possible, will this fasting work?
Or is this true? – “Six meals a day is a must. If you eat fewer than six meals a day, you will either; a) be under your calorie surplus level required for gaining muscle, or, b) if you’re meeting your calorie requirements, then you’re eating too much per meal and this can contribute to fat storage. You might get by with five meals, depending on your calorie requirements, but if your calorie needs are high (say, 3500+, then five meals usually wont cut it.”
Can’t you fast until mid-afternoon then lift weights and put in 2000-4000 calories (I have no idea on the numbers)? Is calorie consumption so black and white? What if my body needs 3000 to maintain. Can I not gain muscle if I fast and put in 2000 calories with plenty of protein after eating one or two large meals at night, say 6pm then again at 11pm? I wondered if while fasting the stomach shuts down and you don’t need calories at that point to consume and it can go off your fat supply.
From what I’ve read here, the 6 meals a day thing to gain muscle seems like a myth. But much of this article is about losing weight. So I’m maining concerned now about gaining lean muscle as from intermittant fasting I’ve went from over 210lbs to 160lbs, and now struggling to gain muscle without fat now at 165lbs. I want 190lbs, so 25lbs more of mostly lean muscle. Maybe up to 200lbs then cut down to 190lbs.
Thanks for any insight onto this. I’ve always been skinny natured but everytime I bulk up I seem to add 2lbs of fat for every 1lb of muscle. Then when I cut I end up losing a third or so of the muscle I worked so hard for. It’s a never-ending cycle.
I’ve read just to eat about 500 extra calories and workout, taking a protien shake right after. That’s all I’ve been able to come up with in years. But it’s not practical for me to eat more than 2-3 meals a day dealing with my schedule and budget. I’m getting enough protein and calories (and multivitamins and fish oil), but I hate eating all these snacks obsessing about keeping my stomach constantly having something in it. And thousands of years ago I think they would only eat once a day at night before the big kill. So I hope something like that is better.
no thoughts on this? Right now I feel like I’m in trouble. 159lbs and 6 foot tall. Fasted from 212 or so down to 160 and now I can’t eat without throwing up.
Will I don’t claim to have all the answers. Fasting is just an easy way to help people lose weight by eating less food. It seems like it’s gone too far with you. You can gain muscle with a fasting program the same way as if you ate 6 meals a day.
Great post Sam, very interested in the take you have on this site and I love the video.
Yep, great stuff
I do well getting enough protein, I’m a little bit up and down with staying away from breads etc., but I flat out suck at getting my vegetables. What are your thoughts of using products like “Sotru Organic Greens” as a vegetable replacement (yes, I said replacement… not supplement). I could say more, but I’d like to read your thoughts. Thanks! Nick
have you watched this?
http://thesameffect.com/sams-concoctions-green-drink-video/
Hey Nick, I was trying to get more greens in my diet too and came up with this solution.
I am a big soup eater, but can’t always make a large batch so I get Lipton cream of chicken dry soup mix. It comes in a box with 4 packets.
I usually buy frozen vegetables so I cook some carrots and some form of greens.
So far I have used collard greens, spinach ,kale broccoli and aspargus. Now for the good part…
I blend it all with my immersion gblender.
This makes such creamy delicious soup. I don’t think you will mind eating your vegetables this way!
Oh, I have a Miallergro immersion blender. It’s super easy to clean and works great. I bought mine on Amazon.
Hope this helps.
As for gaining lean muscle with putting on as few fat lb’s as possible, will this fasting work?
Or is this true? – “Six meals a day is a must. If you eat fewer than six meals a day, you will either; a) be under your calorie surplus level required for gaining muscle, or, b) if you’re meeting your calorie requirements, then you’re eating too much per meal and this can contribute to fat storage. You might get by with five meals, depending on your calorie requirements, but if your calorie needs are high (say, 3500+, then five meals usually wont cut it.”
Can’t you fast until mid-afternoon then lift weights and put in 2000-4000 calories (I have no idea on the numbers)? Is calorie consumption so black and white? What if my body needs 3000 to maintain. Can I not gain muscle if I fast and put in 2000 calories with plenty of protein after eating one or two large meals at night, say 6pm then again at 11pm? I wondered if while fasting the stomach shuts down and you don’t need calories at that point to consume and it can go off your fat supply.
From what I’ve read here, the 6 meals a day thing to gain muscle seems like a myth. But much of this article is about losing weight. So I’m maining concerned now about gaining lean muscle as from intermittant fasting I’ve went from over 210lbs to 160lbs, and now struggling to gain muscle without fat now at 165lbs. I want 190lbs, so 25lbs more of mostly lean muscle. Maybe up to 200lbs then cut down to 190lbs.
Thanks for any insight onto this. I’ve always been skinny natured but everytime I bulk up I seem to add 2lbs of fat for every 1lb of muscle. Then when I cut I end up losing a third or so of the muscle I worked so hard for. It’s a never-ending cycle.
I’ve read just to eat about 500 extra calories and workout, taking a protien shake right after. That’s all I’ve been able to come up with in years. But it’s not practical for me to eat more than 2-3 meals a day dealing with my schedule and budget. I’m getting enough protein and calories (and multivitamins and fish oil), but I hate eating all these snacks obsessing about keeping my stomach constantly having something in it. And thousands of years ago I think they would only eat once a day at night before the big kill. So I hope something like that is better.
Please someone who has some knowledge on this help and I will pay for the information paypal.
Hey Sam,
Great results. Are your BEFORE and AFTER photos results from “3 months” experience of IF? Also, when would it be best to take the multi-vits and Omega 3s recommended in your supplements? With the 1st meal? Or is during the fast ok?
Thanks.
No they’re not after 3 months. Although that could be possible if you get your calorie deficit perfectly dialed in. I would only take food supplements with a meal. I don’t know if there’s a magic timing, just as long as it’s with a meal (unless it’s a supp that is specifically meant to be without food).
Great Blog! I´ve always enjoyed going an a traditional fast for one week/10 days in spring or autumn. But for many years my work didn´t allow me to do this.
And spending most of my life in front of the computer or eating out with clients, or eating in front of the TV at night has turned me into a walking wale. Obviously I´ve tried all kinds of diets and they all do work – for a while, but then “life gets in the way” and I regain it all.
Two months ago I just took a week of and decided, I´ll do it “my way” – just a protein shake for breakfast and dinner and one large, healthy lunch with whatever I liked.
It felt so good!
I got on the internet to see if eating one large meal a day was something people did as a lifestyle and discovered intermittent fasting. Paradise! I have been doing this now for two months and lost 8 kg. I still have a long, long way to go (over 30 kg), but most important is that I feel wonderful. I can certainly do this for a long time.
I usually skip breakfast, start of with fruits, nuts or a small yoghurt around 12. Then around 2pm I have a large healthy lunch. On some days I even have a dessert. And then – that is it.
In the beginning I used to get a little hungry in the evening, then I would either have a protein shake, a vegetable soup, or a salad with low fat cheese (no carbs). But now I don´t need to. I feel extremely full all evening, even fuller than just after lunch.
My mind is clear and focussed and I am doing little babysteps towards…exercising. Just a few dumbells at home on a mini trampoline. I also freed my rower from all the clothes piled on it and try to use it at least for 5 minutes. Please don´t laugh, for a couch potato this is a good start.
I hope this becomes a lifestyle that I can keep up forever. No calorie counting, no points, no rigid plans. And food tastes so good after the 18 hour fast. I couldn´t eat junk food even if I wanted to.
So again thank you for the inspirational blog – you look fantastic!
Sounds like a system that works for you! Have fun with it.
Hey Sam:
Just curious, how do you deal with drinking alcohol occasionally? From what I read, it seems as if the 16 on, 8 off is a daily schedule, to be adhered to 7 days a week. So do you allow yourself a cheat day once in a while or so that would include indulging in non-healthy foods and/or alcohol?
Have you read my nutrition principles article? Check that out I talk about ‘cheat days’ etc. But basically on cheat days I stop caring about macros (getting 200 + grams of protein etc) and eat ‘junk’ (aka carbs or alcohol or whatever) approximately within calorie limits. So I’ll eat pizza, or drink or whatever and keep the calorie total for the day around the 2500 range.
Yes, I need to re-read, I must have missed that part. about cheat days. I am 40lbs less I was just 14 weeks ago by adhering to the following regiment but recently started IF: 3 days HIIT training, 3 days steady state cardio and 3 days superset low rep weight training with minimal rest. I have one full off day with no exercise. I read the Nutrition principles and discoverd that I am basically following your advice on nutrition already with the exception of the yogurt maybe. My goals is to lose this remaining belly fat while keeping the muscle I have. I am concerned, however, that I am not getting enough calories in by consuming approximately 1600-1800 during the eight hour window, leaving a deficit of more than 1000 calories on some days. I am now 5’10″, 200 lbs. Do you have any suggestions on how I should tweak my current program to acheive the results I desire?
Hey sam, stumbled across your page and found it a great read. your progress is quite inspiring! Im not new to training, but i find that my growth always conflicts with my fear of putting on a lot of body fat simultaneously. Im ‘fine’ at my current fitness level (not weak, not fat), but im never happy with ‘fine’ and am always wanting to find a way to build more lean muscle. IF/lean gain mantra seems to finally be the pillar of knowledge ive been looking for.
However i notice that the entire crux of its philosophy (as you point out in your blog as well) is to be working out in a mostly fasted state. My lifting schedule has always fallen generally around 8-9 PM time frame. Fasting that late into the day sounds impossible, or even the idea of consuming even half of my daily caloric intake from 10-11pm (time im finished a workout) to roughly a 12:30 AM bedtime timeframe sounds equally impossible.
Do you have any suggestions or come across people with similar schedules that are undertaking an IF lifestyle? Or am i going to have to make a drastic and fundamental change in my workout timing?
Quite honestly, the more I’ve researched and experienced, the less I believe in fasted workouts as a must. As long as you feel good, have great energy, and make your workouts intense where you go into total beast/warrior mode that’s all that matters. Whether you’re in a fasted state or not doesn’t matter. Post workout nutrition is a must however for maximum protein synthesis (muscle building).
Thanks for sharing that, after reading a bit more of martin’s work it appears he does this as well with clients that ‘work’ 9-5. However, in an attempt to not over-complicate things, i have dedicated that 1:30-2:30 timeslot m/w/f to train. Its a hard mental switch when youve been doing evening lifts for years, but it was really quite easy for my body to adjust. in fact it feels very free to have my nights back to myself again!
My situation is slightly more complicated than just workout timings though it seems. Ive been a vegan for the past several years now. i couldnt eat dairy even if i wanted to (lactose-intolerance). finding quality protein sources is a lot more complicated for me. Ive read up on your nutrition article and it also cites the common stance that at least 1g protein/1lb body weight should be consumed. this has always felt like an impossible task for me to achieve as a vegan, and isnt a new concept to me, so ive been dealing with this for a while. I have gained muscle as a vegan over the past year so i do know its possible, but likely not an optimal route to muscle/strength gain. I suppose i shall pioneer IF/lean gains approach with a largely vegan diet to see if i can find some success (perhaps with some supplemental help that may be non-vegan). Would you imagine this to be a manageable pursuit in your experience? or do you see it as an exercise in futility?
also, the more i read your site in detail, the more excited about this routine i become. theres loads of information gold on this site! also picked up eat, stop eat so im on to read that this evening.
You have a very informative website. My b/f mentioned IF to me and I thought he was crazy. I’ve always believed in eating a hearty breakfast and eating every 3-4 hours. I have been doing IF the last couple days and I am amazed how much my hunger has decreased. Also, I’ve been craving very healthy food….fruit, veggies, legumes. I have been looking for something like this. Meaning, looking for something more than a diet or constant worry about calories, what I’m consuming. When I do have my first meal…all I want is healthy nutrient rich food. I started working out hardcore at 19. Obviously, I saw quick and dramatic results at the time. But it didn’t maintain. This is a great site and a revolution. I will definitely recomment this to all my friends trying to lose fat.
I’m a fan now…..keep us informed Sam!
Sounds like the system works for you too.
Thanks for the props.
Question….how do I post progress pics, new info?
can you email me? contact page has the info
Hi
Please I would like to know you opinion regarding the “eat what you want, all that you want once a week” principle, that is said in many dietary websites combined with Intermittent Fasting?
It seems compatible with the IF principle, in fact the eat-stop-eat and some reviewers of this system allow a day to all they want, but I still have my doubts regarding the possible harm it may cause to the body the sudden insulin peak and caloric intake it may cause… but again, the Hormesis base in fact may suggest that stressing the body once in a while to deal with huge amount of foods can be good to strengthen the digestive system … is very common to find people that follow very restricted diets to get ill if they eventually have to eat something out of their schedule… when I was a child I was almost always sick from my belly and get indigestion but over time I got better and better to the point that now I can eat almost “stones” without getting digestive problems, just by keeping eating till fullness regarding how many times I got sick
but I’m afraid that following a restrictive diet in the long term can cause an extreme adaptation of the digestive system and thus loosing flexibility to handle food stress, I think is worth to consider that.
Among the benefits of the break day proponents claim this: http://www.diet-blog.com/08/have_a_day_off_your_diet.php
Many of those benefits are achieved directly by IF but I think exposing the digestive system to a controlled “fullness of any food” does make it stronger, not everything is about loosing pounds but making every system of your body stronger and is undeniable the “digestive capacity” of compulsive eaters, also, while IF does help with hormonal balance (insulin, leptine,etc) in the long term been too balanced will contradict the Hormesis principle, so again, I think will be good to “surprise” the body in a controlled way to force it to secrete high amount of all those hormones to deal with the stress and in fact strengthen those glands. The key is the frequency and we can have the best of all worlds by applying the Hormesis in something like combining IF with Intermittent Filling
What do you think about that?
I would like to know your more experienced opinion before trying to add that into my IF program and actually experience that for myself.
I have a hard time believing cheat days are good for your body. But I know they are good for your mind. People can only handle so much discipline and a cheat day is vital for nearly everyone. My strategies for cheat days are to attempt to keep calories within the maintenance range but have no regard for where those calories are coming from. So I’ll eat crap food, but generally keep the total calorie consumption in check.
Thanks Sam! yes, is not like you will jump that day an eat a full cake or from a single meal eat like 10000 Cals that instead of stressing the body would be a sugar shock and a sweet suicide
but in general that day you can afford to eat many “prohibited foods” till fullness or near fullness because you will gain two benefits: pleasing your mind lowering the food ties (hey, even our ancestors tried to eat as much as they can whenever they can, is not like they where counting their caloric intake 
) and, provided that you only do that certain days between fasting and controlled eating , will also stress enough your digestive system to strengthen it to the other side of the balance because IF alone will make it stronger to one side of the food balance 
I’ve started this thread in several other sites to gather people’s experiences on that.
Cheers
I don’t have any cheat days on the IF plan I practice.
I don’t consider my eating and fasting to be discipline. It is simply the way I live and it makes me look and feel better than I ever have.
I don’t think a cheating day will make you look and feel worse than IF alone, on the contrary….it can make you feel a bit better than now without loosing your current state.
I don’t understand where you are coming from.
Sorry I posted my 2 cents. Waste of time!
hi,
Is it okey to it all i can after fasting of 24 hour?
After reading this blog, and the various books available on IF, I’m starting the regimen literally today. I’ve just finished eating my last meal before a 24 hour fast, until 7PM tomorrow. I plan to do a HIIT cardio workout around 7 tomorrow, in a fasted state.
I’m starting at 220 lbs with about 31% bodyfat. My situation is that I’m endomorphic, and went on a “mass” cycle in a misguided fashion.. going from 180 lbs to my current 220 lbs. I’m now trying to lose the fat, while keeping the hard earned muscle mass.
I wonder how long it’ll take before I start losing bodyfat.. any guesses and/or wisdom to offer folks?
Update: The Day After
I finished my fast at around 7PM (24 hours after eating).. I worked out (HIIT), and immediatly had a larger than average meal.. and went to bed. Then, to my dismay, had insomnia, so I got up, and was prompted to eat a late meal in order to fall asleep (my stomach was growling). It’s seems very true that the body will trick you to somehow increase the calorie intake after fasting, in order to make up the calories burned during the fast. I’m now aware of this and will be ready for it!! bring on the next fast!
Question: Do people find strength gains on fasted weight workouts? I found the opposite.. I found that I was weaker.. is this normal?
It is the first time I’ve worked out with weights during a fast.. so this might be temporary.. any opinions will be welcomed.
Can I keep gaining muscle while losing fat while going through an IF diet, assuming I consume the right amount of calories?
It can be done. Gotta get your diet dialed in perfectly and be totally consistent with it while hitting the gym with the force of a 1000 man army day-in day-out.
Sam, Great site and great articles. What are some conflicting viewpoints that you have with Mark Sisson’s ideology? Would love to hear em… thanks
Great site! I am going to start an If lifestyle. Right now my main focus is losing fat. I have 25-30 pounds to lose. With that being my main goal would you suggest lean gains or eat stop eat?
Thanks for the help!
I suggest trying it out and figuring out what will work for you. What will you stick to long term? That’s the question.
is the idea of mixing the 2 a good idea? I am 14 hours into a 24 hour fast and so far so good. Do you have your lifting routine listed on this site?
If you’re trying to lose fat….I would recommend going on a 24 fast, workout then eat a 1/3 or your calories for the first meal. Wait 3-4 hr, whenever your hungry to eat again. and eat another smaller meal before 9. Then, fast for 16 hours. But try to workout at the 14th to 15th hr depending on how long you like to workout, so you can eat at 1pm.
But like Sam has mentioned, it may not be so much about a fasted workout. Do the fasted workout, with the fasted diet…..see how it works. In my experience, the workout with the fasted state produces results quicker but does not need to be a maintained.
Meaning, you can eat from 1 to 9pm. Workout about 2 hrs after a good meal and still see results. So, is you work 8-5 per say…..
You would drink coffee in the morning, wait until 1200 for your first meal……You can do it!!!! I know it seems hard. But you get use to it. And like Sam said, more energy……..etc. But drink some coffee at 8, eat lunch at 12, snack some, workout right after work and eat until (16 hrs) before your next meal….you will see significant increases in your energry, changes in your body, strength and your body composition!
Thanks for the help. Katie if I am understanding you correctly you are actually suggesting both lean gains and eat stop eat combined? Once a week I have a 24 hour fast and the rest of the week I am fasting 16 hours a day? Planning my work out for the 15th hour.
Sam do you lift everyday?
I lift 3-5 days a week. Depends on how much MMA and Jiu Jitsu I’m doing that week.
I’ve always been a person that has worked out. A lot of friends have come to me for advice on exercise and nutrition. I have been trained on neither. I trained myself. It’s a matter of motivation. It was hard but I got myself into shape.
Hey Sam! Just stumbled across your blog while doing some research on fasting. I have been a big fan of the concept, but never really put a structure to it. I made the decision today (after being a victim of a violent crime has left me with some health issues) to get back into the lifestyle…but with some research and reasoning behind it. Thank you SO much for your website- I will be spending much time on it
I will check back in after some time has passed, and I’m SURE I will be giving you an excellent update!
Thanks again.
Sounds great! I’m excited to hear about your progress.
Hey Sam! Just to say your blog is amazing. I came across it when I was looking up High Interval Intensity Training with a combination of Interval training. My friends and I decided to start a program with each other (after adequate research of this eating lifestyle) and we decided that this could definitely work. Do you believe that fasting for a full 24 hours can work if we exercise everyday intensively? Every weekday we all jog early in the morning and have intense workout sessions every afternoon at 3. When will be a good time to do our meal? Thank you and by the way your results are astonishing !
Yeah that could work. As long as it helps you eat less food and it’s something you actually enjoy so it’s sustainable.
Wow! Really great article, seems to all make so much sense! especially the part about not listening to advise from those whose training plans are based heavily on the fact that they take steroids! Just a quick question what sort of things is one expected to eat when breaking the fast or on “off days”
Great Blog
Best Wishes
Max
Have you checked out my nutrition principles articles?
Hi Sam! Great article, I’ve been reading about Intermittent Fasting for a few days or so. I decided to give it a try and after a few days I feel brilliant, but I was just wondering. Due to financial reasons, I can’t afford to go to the gym so could bodyweight excercise such as Pull ups/Chin ups ( I own a Pull up bar) Pushups, and Tricep dips and so on, do you think that they would be okay as workouts untill I can save for a membership? Keep up the good work buddy!
Absolutely man. Get creative and push yourself. That is the key. Check out this guy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfsTKfUT-RQ
Great Blog! Love the advice and the photos in this post. Got a questions on your thoughts in regards to the LG protocol with one pre-workout meal. My 8 hour fed area is 11-7 but sometimes my BJJ class goes until 8. Would you suggest moving my window to accommodate a post workout meal on those days, or just supp BCAA pre BJJ and continue on with my fast.
I am a 77yrold man overwght and completely out of shape with a little arthritus.i must lose wght but ill never be a wght lifter or bdy bldr.But it seems all the intermentant fasting systems shows these types of people.i read about john romans fastloss forever with a whole bundle of books and cd.
I really need motivation i bought some whgts and stabilty ball which held my interest for about 2wks
i would like your advice on a book or program for myself.to me the main problem is mywhgt
PS : i am on s/s and have to find a job to keep up with my living expenses
thanks for any suggestions and help
Nate J
Sam- thanks for all. During the work week, I workout either at 7am before work or around 5pm after work. How would you suggest I schedule my daily eating using an IF structure? I like to eat dinner with my boyfriend and he gets home around 7… It’s kind of our tradition and I don’t know how to make it all work! Thanks again.
Great blog!
I’m a 41 year old man. I’m 5′ 8″, just under 180 pounds, pretty lean but not close to ripped. I want to get ripped and stay there. I lift weight 3-4 times weekly, and eat a clean paleo diet. My question has to do with IF daily (16 hour fast, 8 hours eating) vs. 1-2 ~24 hour fasts weekly. Which is better for muscle gain, and which is better for fat loss? Ideally I’d like to continue to gain more muscle while dropping fat quickly. (don’t we all…) I can only lift early in the morning before going to work, and I typically lift on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and/or Friday. A 24 hour fast seems to make the most sense from after dinner on Tuesday until dinner on Wednesday, and perhaps from Saturday night until Sunday night. This way I’m not fasting on a lifting day, and I’m getting plenty of food on lifting days. Does this schedule make sense, or should I make some adjustments? Thanks!
Seems like a solid plan to me. Play with it and calibrate based on results.
Hi Sam,
I was researching intermittent fasting because I’m considering trying it out, and I came across this post. Thanks for the great read!
I’m 25 years old, 5’8″ and 169 lbs. About 11 months ago, I started eating healthily and exercising (mainly cardio). I did a lot of running which, along with watching what I eat, has helped me lose about 40 lbs and finally reach my weight goal.
Three months ago, I decided it was time to get into weight-training. I changed up my diet, where it is now a much more high-protein, low-carb one. I’ve been doing the whole 6-8 small meals a day thing for quite a while, where I mainly eat eggs, all kinds of lean meat and tons of vegetables, and I snack on stuff like almonds, fruits, and protein shakes. Altogether, it comes down to 3 meals, and about 4 snacks (including 4 protein shakes).
This has worked quite well for me in the past few months, in terms of gaining quite a bit of muscle. Along with the muscle gains, however, I found that I’ve also gained a little extra fat (as compared to my running-only days). I’m pretty sure this is because Paleo is generally higher in fat (not just protein), as well as the fact that my overall caloric intake has increased since I started weight-training.
I want to reduce my body fat percentage (16% right now) to about 10% or lower, and so I’m very interested in doing the 16-hour IF, where I start fasting at 4 PM and break my fast with a post-workout protein shake and then a meal at 8 AM the next day. I typically do weight-training 5 days a week, at 6 AM before I go to work.
I guess my first question is, what do you think of this strategy, in general?
Another more specific question is, as someone who’s trying to gain muscle and reduce fat at the same time (caloric deficit vs. restricted caloric consumption), would it be a better idea to reduce my caloric intake as well or should I pretty much keep the meals the same but condense them to fit in that 8-hour eating window?
Finally, do you have any other pointers or suggestions? Thanks a lot, and sorry for the long post!
OK- I have read a bunch but I still can’t find a definitive answer on the timiing of the fasting cycle when you work 8-5 & train around 6:00 pm? Do I eat my big meal at noon? After my workout around 7:00?
Thank you.
Fasted workouts are optional. Don’t overcomplicated things.
Hey there!
Thanks for all of the great insight and direction this blog provides. I’ve just started incorporating IF into my life and trying to find a schedule that really works for me. I do CrossFit 3-4 times a week and yoga 3-4 as well. I’m leaning toward the 24 hour fast that allows me to workout doing CrossFit in a fasting state, meaning in the 18-24th hour. Do you think this is the best effort for burning calories/weight loss. Also, is is OK to do an every other day fast to jump start weight loss? Here is what might be a silly question, I sometimes accidentally put cream in my coffee when I’m fasting….does this break my fast? Thanks so much!
Hi Sam,
Your blog is great! I really like the way you explained it all and love all comments and feedback from everyone! This system looks very promising! I have struggled with my weight for years and I just need something that is going to work and is going to LAST!
I am 24 years old, 5 ft, 145 pounds. My goal is to lose weight (25 pounds) and keep it off! What do you think would be a better system for me? To do two 24 hour fasts during the week (Sunday Dinner to Monday Dinner and Thursday Dinner to Friday Dinner) or to do a 16/8 every day? I tend to skip breakfast anyways and have very late dinners.
Thanks!
Whatever system you can stick to is going to be the best. Only you can figure that out through personal experience.
have fun!
Hey Sam, my wife gave me this link and is very interesting.
My MAIN goal now is to gain pure muscle, people say ( i can say everybody but you ) that getting lean and becoming bigger dont come in handy.
Do this REALLY work for that?
Now i eat like 3-4 hours, 5-6 times a day, the normal. My diet based on maintenance calories and suplements are well taken care off.
Thanks! Good article.
Resistance training like a madman going to failure as much as possible while maintaining a slight caloric deficit and keeping protein levels up and you can both drop bodyfat and gain muscle simultaneously. Yes.
HI,
I really enjoyed your blog, and tried IF yesterday for the first time. Im rather petite, 5 feet tall at 115lbs. I want to lose 10lbs and have amazing abs! I work out pretty intensely, kickboxing 4-5 times a week, plus i squeeze in 2-3 runs a week as well. Lately ive noticed a weight gain, which is really frustrating so I’ve decided to do intermittent fasting twice a week. Yesterday was day 1, and i feel great. I work out in the mornings, and want to make sure I’m not hurting myself by training on empty stomach? Also, what is the ration of protein, carbs, and sugar would you suggest I intake in order to attain my goal? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hurting yourself? What do you mean? Have you read my nutrition principles articles?
Yes I read them. I guess I was asking more specifically about me. I don’t take many supplements, as I have dairy allergies, and many protein shakes have whey, which is dairy and made me sick. I’m looking for soy protein, but meanwhile im working out in fasted state with nothing but water. Is that ok? My fasts are 22-24 hrs long. Like I said before, any other suggestion would be great. I’d love to drop 10lbs effectively and quickly.
yo
Hi,
I am a gym instructor looking to get in to fitness modelling. I generally teach classes (cardio based) most mornings and afternoons and then fit weights (4 sessions/week) around this. I am interested in trying IF (fasting from 9pm to 1pm next day) but not sure how my high cardio load will affect this as most research ive done recommends only weight training and rest days, something I can’t really include given my career choice..any thoughts/advice would be great!
Can you show your diet and what you eat with IF by any chance?
Hi Sam, very much appreciate the effort gone into the write up! Greatly inspired by reading through
Quick couple of questions though, what are some examples of foods or typical daily meals you had? Not really sure what foods i should have with IF.
Also, i tend to work out at 7:30pm, getting home at around 8:30-9:00pm, would it be acceptable to eat at around 9:30pm? Im still going to continue researching before i commit to it so i can get the best results possible.
Thanks
Very nice physique. I commend you on the hard work you have put in to achieve it. However it is obvious that you are not “natural”
haha. Okay ‘Roi’ whatever you say.
You should see my comment as a compliment. If this truly was achieved without the aid of androgens, then you have great genetics. Have you ever had your hormonal levels tested? (Total and Free Test, LH etc?)
I know I have very athletic genetics but I’ve also been lifting weights for around 10 years now. I talk about it here if you want to check it out: http://thesameffect.com/eighty-percent-of-success-is-showing-up/.
It’s funny that you ask about hormonal level tests. I went into the doctors office today for an overall wellness evaluation and one thing I asked for was a testosterone test just out of curiosity because I’ve never gotten that tested before. I will post the report when it comes back. I know that doesn’t prove I’ve never done steroids, but I assure you that I have not.
I know I have very athletic genetics but I’ve also been lifting weights for around 10 years now. I talk about it here if you want to check it out: http://thesameffect.com/eighty-percent-of-success-is-showing-up/.
It’s funny that you ask about hormonal level tests. I went into the doctors office today for an overall wellness evaluation and one thing I asked for was a testosterone test just out of curiosity because I’ve never gotten that tested before. I will post the report when it comes back. I know that doesn’t prove I’ve never done steroids, but I assure you that I have not.
Just got my test level results: 549 ng/gl (normal is 348 – 1149).
Sam, I have been IF’ing for about 6 months now and had some pretty good success. However, I’m not hitting my goal of single-digit BF% so my kcal intake must be a bit too high, although my strength has gone through the roof. My question to you is regarding cardio: Did you do any? What kind and when? For how long? I swear my body responds great to cardio, but I’m kinda scared to try because of all the horror stories (cns catacholamine, nori, epi, catabolism, etc.) Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated, and your site is awesome!
Yes I do cardio daily. I grapple (Jiu Jitsu) 3-5 times a week which is basically hiit training. I go on walks and do some sprints 1 or 2 days a week now that it’s warming up again and I recently started going on bike rides as well. My goal is to live as actively as possible. I never do cardio on a treadmill couped up in a gym because it’s boring. My goal is to just get out and about on a daily basis. Lose your fear of that shit. You’re fine, just don’t do cardio like a marathoner would.
Hey–
I’ve been researching IF for a little while now, been trying to find some legit sites that support Eat Stop Eat. Your results are great and it seems like IF has really worked for you. ESE recommends the 1-2 24 hr fasts/week. Looks like you did daily 16 hr fasts. What do you suggest for figuring out what the best schedule is? So far I am doing the 2x/week 24 hour fasts but I’m wondering how frequent you can go. What about 24 hr fasts every other day?
Thanks
Jen
Jenny, I started out like you, doing 2x/week 24 hour fasts, but I instinctively felt like I was still eating too much – so I kept fasting more frequently until now where I eat only one super-healthy, nutrient-dense meal every other day, and that’s it. I know that’s extreme but for my tiny body frame it truly is all that I need. I nervously told a doctor what I was doing, and was surprised when he told me that he sometimes does the same thing when he just simply doesn’t feel like eating, and that there was no harm in it as long as I didn’t start skipping multiple days of eating – and when I do eat, to keep it clean and healthy. I also take supplements. IF has improved my emotions and my frequently-sick stomach. I don’t recommend my extreme form of it, but to answer your question, yes, you definitely can IF more than 2x a week.
Great article, I’ve been IF-ing (that sounds dirty) for a few months and love the results. I was hoping to get your opinion on fasted workouts. You said you usually do 50% of your daily calories after your workout. How crucial is the timing of a meal after working out? I usually do a 24 hour fast starting after dinner and then I can only workout in the morning, which means I’m not getting any calories until around 12 hours after my workout. I obviously don’t want to hinder muscle growth. What do you think?
“Probably the biggest takeaway you can get from reading this is simple: it’s okay to have an empty stomach. In fact, that’s exactly what you need in order to lose fat effectively.”
I’m so grateful for the line above, Sam - I have found it to be totally true. I’ve done several forms of IF – adjusting as I went – but they all worked. IF rocks! You’re so helpful, I love this site! =)
I gotta give a shout-out for IF too. I discovered it quite by accident, and have incorporated it into my life. I really can get by with a lot less. I have noticed a real change (for the good) in overall well being and health and I feel so much better. I simply don’t miss eating. Not a big weight lifter, but I can’t say enough good about IF–thanks for reading. Marv, DHAF…..
so you only eat 2 meals per day, 50% daily calories post workout then the other 50% for dinner? or do you ever snack?
is your diet the same on training days and rest days- do you add lots of carbs pwo meal then cut them out on rest days?
how many times per week do you train?
cheers
Hey Sam, Im confused. So by eating mainly fruits and vegetables an IF program is actually inherently low carb. don’t you need carbs for your workout though? Whether it be pre or post? Primarily post?
Great site, man, very inspirational. I am 35, 6′, 210 pounds. My goal would be to achieve a similiar build to yours. Right now I carry most of my excess weight in my gut, have since I was a kid. I have slimmed down to 170, abs were semi visible, but I’ve never achieved a six pack.
I am starting the IF thing hardcore today, doing the Fast Five plan…19 hour fast, five hour eating window. My plan is to eat between 1800-2000 calories a day, carb cycling two days low to no carbs followed with a high carb day….always keeping my protein relatively high. Workouts: Full body circuit three times a week with extra abs, and two or three 20 min HIIT sessions per week.
Using this plan, and looking at my stats, can you give me a ballpark idea of what kind of time frame you think I am looking at to get down to the “abs” level of bodyfat? And also, do you think carb cycling is a good idea while on IF?
Thanks man, keep up the great work!
I’d say around 3 months and you’ll be ripped. This is assuming you stick with the plan with a no bull-shit attitude when it’s time to hit the gym.
Have fun! How are things going thus far?
Pretty well. I’m down two pounds already, though I have to assume that is probably water weight. One thing I am back and forth on is the number of calories…..I need to lose around 40 pounds of fat, and as that is far from lean, I am toying with going ultra low, like 1700 tr 1350 rest….following the macros and keeping my protein high, obviously, and doing a high carb refeed once a week after a 20 hour fast, just to make sure my body doesn’t go into starvation. Reading over on Leangains and from what I have read, seems that lower calories aren’t as bad when going from like, 25% to say, 11% or 10%. Seems that once you get into single digits, that’s when the calories shouldn’t be too low. My goal is too pretty much strip odd most of the fat, then to use LG to put muscle on slowly. I’ll be skinny as heck at like 170 or so, but it will be cool to actually see whatever muscle I have built over the last ten years.
So far I am hungry,obviously, but my energy is ok with lots of green tea and a little coffee. One thing I wish I could find, some kind of calculator that will set up meals based on your macros. I am putting meals together, sticking to chicken and brown rice right now and maybe a meal at Subway…but looking up the macros and figuring all out is annoying.
Ill keep you posted, bro.
Hey man this is an awesome, ready and I too have been under “bro” science and nutrition because that is all I had ever heard about. I am looking forward to trying this and was wondering is this good to athletes? I play college baseball and sometimes have early workouts. Will I really have enough energy to workout in the mornings? Thanks man
You just have to experiment with it and have an open mind. My workouts are generally better going into them fasted. One of the benefits of fasting is increased norepinephrine & epinephrine levels (more energy and ‘awakeness’). Give it an honest try for a reasonable amount of time.
Hi Could you help me, I’ve just start IF this week, just so i’m not making a balls of it.
Am i eating / fasting at the right times of the day??
eating from 11:00am – 8:00pm
My workouts usually start at 7:30pm so i’m not getting any food post workout?
You need to schedule your fasting around your workout schedule. Optimally you’ll break your fast after your workout with your biggest meal. Post-workout nutrition is important.
I’m 16 and i think i’m kinda chubby. But i guess i should establish a good knowledge about basic dieting then move into this. What do you think ?
I think you should read this article: http://thesameffect.com/dont-be-this-kind-of-person/
That’s a great article, man. Yo’ve got a keen insight, not sure where you get it, but kudos. Reading that made me realize that I can tend towards “knowledge hoarding” and no implementation.
I just got done with my second week of IF, Leangains style, and I am down eight pounds and feeling great. Hitting the weights hard three to four times a week, doing stair runs every couple days. It’s awesome not having to worry about eating all of the time and my energy level is great. Already seeing a difference in my stomach, where most of my fat is. Pretty cool. Can’t wait for the end of the next ten weeks.
On a side not, for anyone who may need help with their calorie count, i downloaded myfitnesspal app for Android on my phone…free app, and it’s unbelievable how much easier life is. it breaks down calories, macros, and it has most every food you can find in there. Awesome app and alot of freaking help.
I’ve been doing IF (based on leangains.com’s guide, 16hr fast, 8hr feed) for some 5 weeks now implementing it Mon,Wed,Fri. IF fits right into place for me as I can stop eating at 8pm and start again at 1pm with training 12-1pm. Thing is, I’ve not dropped any weight (and im not over eating), I was 79kg (5ft 11.5″) before I started and about 10% BF. I’m still the same weight but my wife thinks my core/trunk is getting more defined. I don’t feel like I’ve grow but I have pulled some PB’s whilst on IF so maybe I have but haven’t noticed it in the mirror yet. My question is, how long did it take you to see the results like you have on that last pic? I’m trying to gain a ripped six pac like yours and its nearly there just stuborn fat at the moment I think. Do you think I need to run IF more…like 5x a week? I’d say my body type is “hard gainer” but
Mesomorph. I’m close to your DL PB btw!
Hi Sam, Stumbled across your blog while researching Intermittent Fasting and am loving my find!
I’ve been Intermittent Fasting for exactly a week now, between 17-19 hours per day depending on work schedule/Travelling etc.
How soon after you started did you see results? I’m not expecting to see much weight lose as i’ve also started a cycle of Creatine, but as for visual results how long did it take you to see noticeable differences??
Thanks!
James
You should noticed differences after only 2 weeks, and if you’re not losing weight while trying to you’re doing it wrong.
Day 2… So far so good
seeing results after 3 weeks?
Hey Sam!
I’ve been doing IF for 6 weeks now and am consuming 1700 calories (2600 to maintain). My BF is 16%. Target is 10%. Though I have lost weight, I can’t seem lose it consistently (especially stomach fat). Some weeks I’ll lose, some weeks the weight goes up. Anywho, I workout fasted, followed by cardio. I was wondering what type of cardio would be best? I’ve heard that low intensity cardio is optimal on an empty stomach. I’m afraid to jump rope on an empty stomach (even though you burn more calories on high intensity cardio) as I fear of passing out…
Thank you!
The best kind of cardio is the kind you enjoy and will stick to. I wrestle, box, and submission grapple. What do you like to do?
Well I had always thought of doing the cardio that was most efficient in burning fat but I enjoy playing basketball. I like the cardio where I can measure my calories burned so I’ll try high intensity- maybe running on a treadmill. I hope running oesn’t make me feel dizzy seeing as though I’ll be doing it on an empty stomach (after weight training).
Hi Sam,
This looks awesome and perfect for me! May I ask you a quick question please? I started this today and have decided that my eating window will be 5- 8 pm with a free day on Sundays. Coffee w/ stevia, heavy cream & a little coconut oil throughout the day. Around noon drink my green drink and fiber drink mixed together. The net carbs for the drink would be 5. I don’t really workout per say but I do walk alot (fast). Does my plan sound good to you?
I did read your entire post, the nutritional guidelines post and everyones posts about it.
Thanks You,
Kim
As long as you’re keeping your overall calorie consumption in check.
i workout at 4:30 am, finish around 6 am… want to have a eating window from noon to 8 so i don’t stop eating at 2 pm or so… will IF still benefit me if I am breaking my fast 6 hours after i workout?
Great blog!!
Great blog and phenomenal results.
Number reason I want to try IF is to lose fat on top of muscle, I started lifting heavy this summer and I’ve gotten stronger but my weight has also increased which may be due to muscle but I need to lose the fat.I have decided that my eating stops at 9 pm and my 8 hour eating window starts at 2pm. What I needed help with was understanding how many calories to take in. because I’m basically cutting I lowered my calories down to 1220 how much do you recommend I eat out of the 1220 daily. I also need to load up on supplements but being a college student means dry pockets for the moment.
Hey you have an awesome blog thanks for the info. I just started IF two days ago & seem to really like it . It’s a lot easier then trying to eat 5-6 small meals a day … My question is I’ve had the last two days off but I’m a full time student and also work part time so the only time I’m able to go to the lift is 8 am Tuesday & Thursday & Fridays at 11am the other days ill do some cardio but I was seeing if I had my eating frame between 9:30am- 530pm & fast from 5:30pm-9:30am would I still get the same advantages of IF?
Hi from London!
This is the most informative IF blog I’ve seen todate!
I wanted to ask your opinion on the way I’m using IF to lose weight as I fist became interested in fasting some years ago but was talked out of it on many occassions by several nutritionists and personal trainers. Although I probably don’t need to lose much weight, I am of a stocky build which is not suited to me achieving the maximum results in my favourite sport which is running. I’ve been trying to lose a stone for years now but the only light at the end of the tunnel appears to be by using IF. I can’t eat little often and this inevitably leads to me eating lots often!
Recently, there was a documentary on TV called Eat, Fast and Live Longer. This was enough for me to ignore previous advice and take the plunge. It suggested fasting twice a week at a maximum of 600 calories per day may be enough to make a difference. I done this for a couple of weeks and appeared to have dropped 4 pounds. However, I have to try and work this within my running routing as I train on a Tuesday and Thursday evening.
My train and eating patterns are as follows;
Monday – Eat normally
Tuesday – 600 cal + running efforts session
Wednesday – 600 cal + tennis
Thursday – 600 cal + 6 to 8 mile run
Friday – Eat normally
Weekend – Eat normally + running efforts or race
The reason I chose the IF days 3 mid week days in a row is that where my sugar cravings usually peak in the evening, the exercise makes me lose appetite and makes the fasting easier. The 600 calories is spread to breakfast 200 cal/Lunch 100 cal/Dinner 300 cal which oddly enough seems much easier than eating a sensible 2500 calories per day without my running routine.
I’ve also found that on my IF days, my running performance improves and I don’t get fatigued. This seems to go completely against all the hog-wash we are told about carb loading etc.
I’m now in my third week and it’s looking positive. Is there anything else I need to consider for my routine or should I see how it goes. My main concern was going in to starvation mode (if that isn’t hog-wash too!).
Your opinion would be greatly appreciated…
Hello Sam,
I am a 31 year female who is insulin resistant due to PCOS. It is very hard for me to lose weight. I was wondering if i crossfit in the evening around 6 or 7pm what a good eating schedule? I am 5’4 140lbs and thankfully i have lots of muscle but still would like to lean out another 10lbs. I find myself starving in the morning and its hard for me to skip breakfast. My problem is that post workout i really dont eat much. Could this be affecting my ability to lose weight?
Those are some seriously impressive results! I’m starting the Eat Stop Eat Program these days and so far so good
Sam,
Been doing this IF daily, combined with p90x for 2 weeks now. First big Meal 1pm.
Insane results. If anyone wants a very simple structured plan, I highly advise this.
Your the man, big fan.
Hi Sam, I started iF just 4 days ago. I workout hard everyday except for Sunday. My goal is too lose fat and gain more muscles. Can I still continue to eat breakfast and afterwards workout? I am not sure i can workout fasted. As soon as I wake up I am hungry. I am also afraid of no energy for workout. I lift heavy weights! My Started my IF at 10/14 10 hour eating window 14 fast which I plan to go 8/16 by next week. My eating window is 5am to 3pm. I am a breakfast eater and never dinner.
Hey, not sure if you are still replying to comments two years after the original post, but I was wondering if I do two pretty intense workouts each day (one around noon and the other starting around 7pm) do I need to break my fast twice and east both times post workout?
I’m asking because I see you mention a few times that post workout nutrition is important
How much does it affect muscle gain if your post-workout meal is not your biggest meal of the day? My first meal is around noon and my second meal (the bulk of my caloric intake) is around 5 pm followed by my daily workout. After my workout i take in about 20 percent of my daily calories. Will only taking in 20 or less percent of calories after my workout be a total killer?
I ask because my schedule does not allow me to have my biggest meal after a workout.