re: Intermittent Fasting experiences?

I wish I would've found this thread two months ago. I'm doing low carb with occasional IF. I'm doing the 16:8 when I do it, but I didn't find I lost any more than I did when I ate a small breakfast. I'm down 20lbs since 2/12 but find myself at a stall. I work out 3/4 times a week, after work. Any suggestions or advice before I go check any of these links out? TIA!

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start counting calories

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how many calories should someone trying to lose weight consume if they are 5'7ish, 190?

Gonna start running 3x's a week with the couch to 5k app again.


Also, for those that IF and work out in the mornings.....do you do any BCAA's or protein powders before or after? I plan to run/lift at 4:30-5:00a.m. hours, but I find i have better results when i add protein shakes to my workouts(shakes = powder + water)

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how many calories should someone trying to lose weight consume if they are 5'7ish, 190?

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I'm 5'7" and 190, and I am currently is a caloric deficit. I consume approximately 1500 calories a day. This puts me in a 500 calorie deficit per day which should equate to about 1 lb loss per week.

This is different for everyone, you should first establish you BMR, then determine your activity level. Once this is established subtract 500 calories and that would be the calories needed to establish a caloric deficit. Download Myfitnesspal app, this helps a bunch when tracking calories.

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Also, for those that IF and work out in the mornings.....do you do any BCAA's or protein powders before or after? I plan to run/lift at 4:30-5:00a.m. hours, but I find i have better results when i add protein shakes to my workouts(shakes = powder + water)

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I take BCAA with my pre-workout and then another dose of BCAA post workout. Been doing this for a while now and it has not affected my IF, from what I can tell. The benefits of taking BCAA outweighs not taking them, in regards to muscle recovery.

I had done IF for ages before knowing it was a practiced regimen.

I eat once at night each day. I cannot sleep on an empty stomach and as you could imagine, feel less energetic after eating throughout the day.

I can end up wasting time thinking about eating and doing it if during the day.

Just the overall satisfaction after decreases my motivation to perform other tasks. The body produces more adrenaline on an empty stomach for energy (to encourage foraging for food). I also benefit from increased mental clarity

I am about 2.5 months into IF. Still really enjoying it. Ive progressed to pretty much doing 18:6 during the week, but sometimes longer depending on work schedule. I also am trying to stay relatively low carb and higher protein and fat. I really have noticed that I have dropped some body fat % during this time.

I generally work out at 5 AM so I also have been drinking BCAA after workouts. I agree that I generally feel better with BCAAs and like the benefit.

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I've been doing IF for about 3 months now and have lost about 22 lbs. I wouldn't directly contribute IF to weight loss.
IF is not some magical weight loss program. Sure it can assist, but what makes IF work for me is that it helps control my intake of calories. Doesn't matter what diet you are on and what you eat. The main drive for weight loss is calories consumed and calories burned.
I don't like meal prepping, it just doesn't work for me. I eat 2 meals a day with a snack in between. I follow a 18:6 IF period 12pm-6PM. I work out and get my cardio in at 4:30 am.
My advice would be to start counting calories if you don't already do this. This was a huge eye opener for me. Write everything down that you eat, you will be amazed at how much it adds up. Stick with it, it is a slow process but if you are consistent, you will see results.

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Damn, dude, sounds almost like my routine. I just have fully recovered from walking pneumonia so I just got back in the groove. I'm doing a 23 hour fast right now and walking four miles in the morning starting at 4:30. I will walk 2 more miles on my lunch and an additional two after work, then eat. I don't get to get that last walk in everyday however. Typically I'm just trying to get at least 6 miles in, that will net me close to 1000 calories burned at my current weight. I'm slowly trying to reintroduce my body back to Keto as well. Hopefully my Dr. gives me my adderall script tomorrow, that will help me out tremendously.

I think I am going to stop taking the BCAAs and see if I notice a difference too soon. While I definitely miss a good post-workout meal, it really has not been as bad as I thought. I do have to workout later in the day sometimes so I get my post workout meal in then which makes it even better.

I usually break my fast with the BCAAs that way it’s the first thing my body takes in. I’m usually pretty hungry by 10am after working out at 5am. But I’ll hold out until 1.

if body composition is your main goal for using IF, yes have the BCAA's or EAA's or peptopro.

If you goal is strictly and i mean strictly life extension, then dont. But realize that its still extremely inconclusive on how much life extension you are really gaining since life extension is more about not constantly forcing foods down our throats, going long periods of time under eating and a thousand other factors, many of which are still being accomplished having something to stimulate protein synthesis like BCAAs.


Only those that workout fasted and wait a while to have a meal should employ this or those that follow the a form of the warrior diet only eating after a workout. ANd honestly those of y'all using BCAA's, next time you reup on supplements, I highly encourage you to just buy EAA's and get glutamine, citruline mallate, and extra Leucine and going that route as EAA+Leucine has been shown in the most recent studies to fully stimulate protein synthesis, where as BCAA's alone do not as a full profile of Essential Amino Acids are needed. Another easy way is BCAAs + EAAs.

So from my N of 1 experience with IF since January I have nothing but positives to say. I do a 18:6 with eating from 5 to 11 at night. I usually lift or cycle at lunch. My main exercise goal is cycling as I am a Cat 4 (decent old guy) cyclist mainly competing in time trials - 12 to 24 mile events in the summer lasting 30 to 60 minutes or so (same type training as for a 5 to 15 k )

Positives: down 8% in body fat in 4 months (awesome for cycling)
easier to not plan for breakfast or lunch
I feel mentally "sharper" during the day. On the rare day when I have to eat a business luncheon I seem to feel more sluggish both mentally and physically in the afternoon.
On the 3 days per week that I lift I do not find that IF hurts at all (doing rest-pause training right now). On the contrary - if I do have to eat lunch and work out I feel more tired and lack energy
Negatives: not many at all

my cycling training involves usually 2 days per week with intervals, one easy day per week and then a day on the weekend with long slow distance (easy pace 30 -80 miles)
I have found that for intervals IF does impair performance that day maybe by 5% but that training intervals fasted makes you perform better in the future when you are not fasted. For long distance days at a slow pace I have not found that it matter one bit. Last saturday I did 50 miles fasted with just water and did not tire out any sooner than if eating/electrolyte supplementing.
Now for races this summer I plan on likely doing some oatmeal a few hours before a race and then using powerade before and during.
I have read recently (sorry can't find the link) about both Kenyan marathoners and pro cyclist at SKY both doing some form of training fasted with the goal to improve usage of free fatty acids during exercise and that seems to me to make a lot of sense. By training fasted you prep your body for the stress and then when you use some food/powerade you feel like superman.

I have found that to be the case personally - both with heavy training days and simulating races - when you do them with some carbs after training without them you feel a huge boost.
just my 0.02 cents - If you are endurance training I personally think IF can help you and won't hurt