Experimenting with your body is much like a recipe. A little cardio here, a couple of squats there, more protein, throw in some more carbs, etc. It’s always interesting seeing how your body will change with all the variables – and there are so, so many of them.
Recently I’ve been doing a little experimenting myself. Now, since most of you know my viewpoints on portion control, and being a non-calorie-counter, this should come off as a bit ironic… but hear me out.
I’ve decided to start counting calories again. And I believe I’m finally in a good position to do so, because I have different goals in mind which are OPPOSITE of attempted fat loss.
As I mentioned in a previous post, it’d be good if I put on a couple of lbs. for health reasons. I found that when I wasn’t counting, it was easy for me to maintain my look, but gaining was a different story. I was preparing foods I liked and eating well, but apparently not enough. Counting calories AT LEAST until I’m up to where I need to be, is something I feel would be helpful at this point.
Since the donut is lighter, that means it has less calories....right?
But notice that I’m referring to counting as a tool, rather than a lifestyle or a requirement. It’s absolutely not required, and unless you have some very specific weight gaining goal in mind, or unless you’re preparing for a physique contest, I see no real reason to have to count them meticulously. And I’m not doing that either. If I’m aiming for 80g of oats and I pour 82g into the bowl, I’m not going to sit there and pick out flakes until it reaches 80g. I am keeping tabs with a healthy goal in mind, and once I’ve reached that goal it’ll be easier for me to maintain without having to keep such a close eye on my exact intake.
Which brings me to the main point of this post, which actually ISN’T calorie counting. (I tend to go off and ramble) What I really wanted to address today was a little something called Intermittent Fasting.
I was very skeptical at first. Very. I love breakfast, and it seemed like blasphemy to go without it. That is, until I spoke with a friend about it, and he kindly reminded me,
“Christine, you’ve experimented with every diet imaginable, including lemon juice diets and fruit-only diets. You’re the master guinea pig, so why not just give it a go?”
I thought about it, and figured, what the hell. Let’s give it a shot. After all, I’m a big eater, so the large meals appeal to me.
I did research until it came out of my ears. I stumbled across a fantastic blog, which was the final word on my decision. Everyone, meet Martin Berkhan:
Well...hello there!
High priest of intermittent fasting. He did not invent IF, but he did invent an approach which he likes to call the “Lean Gains” approach to intermittent fasting. The quickest breakdown I can give you is this:
- Fast for 16-18 hours, and feed for 6-8 hours. (women start off with 14 hours and work their way up as needed)
- Coffee, tea, and calorie-free beverages are all fine during the fast.
- Approx. 20% of your calories should be had as a pre-workout meal, with roughly 80% being consumed in the post-workout window.
- Post-workout should preferably be your largest meal
- Once the feeding ends, the fast begins. So if you go from 1pm-9pm, starting at the end of your last meal, that is when the fast begins, and you wait until 1pm the next day to eat again, making it a 16-hour fast.
It’s actually a very simple approach, and yet very effective. What people seem to not understand about IF though, is that it’s not a magical solution. If your diet and training is off, IF isn’t going to cure anything. IF is merely a different way of positioning your meals to help provide you with a more convenient and maintainable way of losing weight, maintaining, or in my case, gaining.
So why am I really a big advocate? Well, I’ve been at it for about 3 weeks now, and I’m seeing fantastic results. I didn’t want to bring it up on the blog until it was 100% certified by myself. I don’t like spreading false info anywhere, and figured it would be the best and safest thing to do. Lucky for me, (and for you) I’m hooked.
Benefits I’ve found since switching to an IF lifestyle:
- Increased insulin sensitivity
- Increased energy (like, crazy energy)
- Better training performance
- Clearer thinking
- Decreased mood swings
- Endorphin-like rushes during the fasting period
- No more crazy hunger because of having 6-8 meals per day
- Improved body composition, despite the static scale weight
- Amazing meals
- Lots of variety, less restriction
- Very convenient for my lifestyle and my daily schedule
- No concern with preparing food every 2-3 hours
- No more packing foods with me everywhere I go
- More freedom to go out and eat without having such small portions
- Improved sleep
- More time to focus on other things that need to get done during the fasting period
The list really can go on.
Something I’d like to address – meal frequency absolutely does not matter. What matters, is that you’re eating enough to properly fuel your body, whether it’s ingested in 6 meals or 3. Eating more meals does not speed your metabolism, and eating every 2 hours does not “prevent catabolism”. We’re learning more and more new things about the body all the time, and one thing that people of the fitness world need to realize, is that they don’t HAVE to eat that many meals if they really don’t want to! Do you prefer 3 meals? Go ahead and eat 3 meals. Just make sure you’re eating enough for YOU, getting in all the nutrients you need, and that you’re happy. That’s what most important, and it really won’t make a difference in the long-run in terms of progress.
To some this might seem like the opposite of a cure for disordered eating. They argue that it “sounds like an ED”. But in my experience with IF and ED’s, it’s been a LIFE SAVER when it comes to keeping a healthy perspective on food. I feel more recovered with IF than I have with any other eating plan, ever. Even with portion control, I had tendencies to skip things sometimes because I felt like “I already had a serving of starch, I won’t have another one” bullshit, and that was causing me to fall back into old habits of restriction. However with IF, I’m never thinking about, or worried about food. Ever. Some days I’ll be so busy during my fasting hours, that 1pm will just creep up on me and I’m thinking, “Oh hey, it’s time to eat.”
OM NOM FREAKIN' NOM
And by the time I’m eating, I’m not concerned with getting a serving of this here, a portion of that there. I found that even with other people who had ED past histories, by eating every couple of hours and portioning everything out, they never fully recovered.
But eating the way I do now FEELS like recovery. I don’t get anxious about going out to eat. I eat chocolate every night if I want. I make sure to get my EFA’s, protein, and nutrient needs covered, and then I have fun with the rest of my calories. And you know what? It feels fantastic.
Let me tell you, there is a big difference between eating 2500 calories in 3 meals or splitting them up into 6-8. I eat until I’m COMPLETELY satisfied. No matter how much I was eating, when I split my meals up into several throughout the day, I was always hungry. Always. I now no longer have that problem, and I no longer think about food 24-7. I don’t wonder what to have for my next meal. I eat, enjoy my food, and stay happy. No more food stress.
So this is me, loving IF.
Yes, anyone can change their perspectives – even me. And if we stuck to one belief and one only, we’d never learn, and we’d get nowhere in life. Is IF the solution to all your problems? Probably not. But it can help with some things. I’m progressing well with it, and I wouldn’t recommend it if I wasn’t.
Sorry Martin, you kind of faded from the limelight there. However I suggest if any of you are interested, that you give his website a look. It’s definitely an informative read:
Take a look at the progress pics section…color me impressed. Seems he has his clients doing something right.
Time for breakfast. French toast with ALL the fixings? I can live with that. 
Bon appetit.
I have been incorporating 3 liquid days into my week. I swear I feel so much better and have tons of energy for cardio in the mornings. Not to mention my pants fit again
It really is great, and I feel wonderful doing this. The best thing is that it’s very maintainable once your body adapts to the change in meal frequency. And for those who need to lose a bit of weight, it makes dieting a hell of a lot easier. Think of eating 1500 calories in 3 meals rather than 6 tiny ones…the satiety effect is LOADS different.
So interesting! Although if I were to do something like this I would have to probably fast from like 5 pm until the morning and then start eating.. I’m always most hungry in the morning and that’s also when I train!
You can definitely do that! There’s no saying you have to go from 1pm-9pm. Actually it’s best that you have your calories/carbs surrounding your workouts anyway
(even though you CAN technically train fasted, it’s not something I’m fond of)
Very very interesting. I’m right there with April on eating in the morning and fasting later in the day. I’m a morning exerciser, so it would probably be more beneficial to get my nutrition in before and after the workout… and much better since I’m a night grazer… I bet I’d wake up with FAR more energy than what I have.
Thanks for the info!
Great plug on the leangains approach! I initially did a 16/8 window back in 2008 and lost 20 lbs rather easily. Now my goals aren’t so much with weight loss, but sticking to an 8-hour feeding window definitely has helped me budget my meals into satisfying chunks.
I think the big question now is this: are you as much a cheesecake master as Martin?
I think someday, me and Martin should have a cheesecake mastery competition. I’m very strong competition.
I’m right there with you! I’ve only been at it for about five days now, but I already notice a HUGE difference in how I feel. My energy levels are MUCH higher, I am thinking more clearly (which is a huge benefit, because I’m almost 40 and going back to school for another Master’s degree…), and my recovery from my workouts is incredible. I don’t calorie count, but on this diet, I could because it would only be for three meals a day, instead of six or whatever I could squeeze in. And there’s no prohibitions! Nope, just keep track of my macros, make sure my proteins and supplements are on track, and push myself six days a week, with a day off for good behavior. I’m glad it’s working for you, because even though Martin is his own best poster child for his approach, it’s always nice to have extra validation. Keep up the good work!
Great post, I follow the Leangains approach with great success myself.
I’ve been researching IF after reading your post and like what I’m reading. It’s pretty interesting info. Are you doing fasted trainings?
Glad you’re interested, I think it’d be a great option for you. I have trained fasted a few times due to schedule, but for the most part I train fed, just out of preference. But I never noticed any negative effects from training fasted, so long as I ate BIG after my training!
I’ve noticing that if I have a teeny breakfast (due to running out the door to class) that ohmygosh my arms won’t fall off and I won’t go on a crazy cookie-fest later on, despite what Shape and Oxygen like to tell me…when I flip through them at the bookstore of course (no way in hell I pay $6 for a magazine).
Some of the stuff I’ve read about IF is really interesting.
Sometime I might try it, because, like you, I’ve always been my own guinea pig. Also, haha, I can’t help it. Maybe I’m a piggy, but I don’t like being “just kinda sorta satisfied,” I like feeling full. Not stuffed, but nice and fuzzy-full. A bird eater I am not. Meanwhile, I’m still trying to mend my emotional relationship to food. I mean, food should make you feel good, but there’s a definite line.
I’m curious–did you find yourself hungry at first? Did you just “deal with it”?
Yeah exactly. It takes your body up to 72 hours (or somewhere around that number) WITHOUT food before it starts becoming catabolic. People think that going 2-3 hours without food is catabolic, haha. I wonder if they realize how long it takes the body to digest food.
Actually, that’s another thing – since starting IF, my digestive issues have cleared up COMPLETELY. It’s like I’m finally giving my body time to digest again, and it’s responding well.
I was hungry at first, but I don’t really get hungry during the fast anymore. I adjusted pretty quickly. I just drink coffee/water, and I’m usually preoccupied with other activities during the fasting period, so I’m a little distracted from food. If I do get hungry now it’s only for a short period of time, and then the endorphins kick in and I feel fabulous! Your body will get used to the differences in feeding times, and now I usually don’t even get hungry until the 12:30-1pm mark.
Yeah, it’s a funny thing about hunger–it’s SO psychological. I might get a hunger pang but if I drink some tea, bam, it goes away…I guess if I was really in dire need of food it wouldn’t, but even if I’m not a fatty, I’m not what my mom would call an “Ethiopian castoff.”
So, what about workouts? Do you just workout in the afternoon? Like, if I were to try IF (it’s definitely something that’s sparked my curiosity), I’d hate to fast during the evening–I like to go to bed nice and satisfied (just not stuffed). But I like working out earlier in the day. Like, right now, I usually go after my morning class gets out at 10. Blah.
This is so cool, I’ve wondered about the specifics of IF for a while(see it a lot on the BB boards nowadays) and you saved some research time while making it super informative
What works the best for me is 1) eating foods I find appealing, whenever it is a good time to eat 2) eating a small meal, or a large meal, whatever I feel like 3) not stressing about protein/carbs/fat, just eating what I crave 4) eating a varied, nutritious diet. 5) if I feel like foregoing food, then I don’t eat, I just usually eat more later on when my appetite kicks in. I think by doing this, I incorporate shorter fasts throughout my day (at least a 12 hour overnight one), I’m not disordered or restrictive about what I eat, and most importantly… I pay attention to my body. I’ve never felt better, and my body still looks great….as good as it did when I was trying to follow a ‘perfect’ diet. This is completely what works for me… and I love that you’re reinforcing this concept!
That’s awesome! I like that you eat intuitively, but with a brain…you know? Some people will eat a whole bag of doritos and say, “I’m eating intuitively, and listening to my body!”…but there’s a world of difference between what your body needs and what your taste buds want
Anyway, you have a good and balanced approach which I really like. The way I eat now is so convenient for my schedule and sanity, I don’t think I’ll ever switch.
I think that as long as your calorie needs are met, and you’re eating properly around your workouts, that’s all that really matters in the end.
I’ve been doing the leangains approach with fasted morning workouts (use protein powder of course) and I love it.
You might feel “hungry” but mine was more mental. I was thinkign “I worked out at 7am and is almost lunch time and all I’ve had is protein powder…..I should eat!!!”
You also realize that your hungery is often thirst.
I tried a 24 hour fast (I plan on doing that once a month) and that was such a mental mind game. I did not plan and did my grocery shopping and cooking for the week during my 24 hour fast.
Champion!
This blog intrigues me…yes, quite indeed. I will read lean gains and perhaps join you on your fruitful endeavors.
Zip it up, and Zip it out!
G
So it’s almost like you’re doing a warrior diet type thing. I did the WD. I stopped sleeping in class immediately and it was great.
Well, the WD is one HUGE meal at the end of the day…I don’t think I would handle that too well, haha.
Once you go at not eating all day for a couple of days, you can eat days worth of food at a sitting. Times like that, you might wanna try a Golden Corral style buffet, or perhaps a Hibachi Japanese grill. Invariably there will be people there who can’t eat everything they get, allowing you to reap the benefits of it.
Leangains is also the one that convinced me of the power of IF. Now I eat big once a day (or try to). Do you workout fasted? I am going to give this a try as I am still trying to lean out. I am female so this is hard
great blog! Can’t wait to see the progress!
3 times per day seemed to work best for me. If you have trouble eating that much in one sitting, try to break it into 2-3 meals instead of just one large one. I don’t usually train fasted, but sometimes if my schedule calls for it then I will. I just prefer eating before training
Could you please post an example for your day??
Absolutely
I’ll get to that in another post.
This looks like the Warrior’s Diet or Anabolic diet! Hope you reach your goals!
It’s similar to the WD, in the fact that it’s intermittent fasting. The AD though, has nothing to do with fasting…it’s just an ultra low carb diet
Thanks by the way!
I totally agree with you. I mean, some days I get hungrier than others, and then other days I feel like I have to remind myself to eat…but on those days I feel like I did something bad because I didn’t have ‘x’ amount of meals. But, I like how you said- as long as you get enough fuel for your body- that’s what it is all about in the long run anyways.
Love your posts, as always
hey i found you through the chaos and pain website….your freakin awesome. i have adapted martin’s 16/8 guide and i flippin love it. im still recently recovered from anorexia, and used his same approach to bulk with pretty low carb high fat and lifting heavy only like once or twice a week. trying now to get in more lifting(osteoporosis is a bitch) and work on conquering some ‘refeeding’ and such
your an inspiration girl i am gonna keep up with you! and ps- happy belated bday!
Hey there!
Best of luck with your recovery…osteoporosis is definitely a bitch, and I’m sorry you’re dealing with that. Hopefully all goes well!
Thanks, and I’ll be following your blog as well
I was researching the leangains approach to IF and found your blog. Out of all the things I found, your article inspired me to dive in and try it. I have been doing it for a week and the energy surge amazing. I really expected to feel tired when I fasted. It’s the opposite. I no longer feel run down in the afternoons. I can’t wait to see how I feel in a few more weeks. I think this is something I am going to keep doing. It is so much better than how I was eating before. I also love not obsessing about food so much. When I eat, I enjoy it and move on. It’s not a constant nag in the back of my brain.
I have just started reading a bunch of your posts. I love your outlook on life. (Also, your love for food). – Serena
That’s fantastic, Serena!
Great article. Doesn’t it feel like you just have this secret advantage over people that do not follow/know about IF? Haha, I try to explain my diet to people all the time, but no one seems to listen to the real benefits of it.
Low bodyfat while being able to stuff myself with food? I do enjoy
Haha, absolutely
Hey Christine! This may seem like a silly question, but do you follow IF all week? By that I mean, if I train four times a week, would i still eat on this schedule on my off days?
Hi there!
I follow it every day of the week. 16 hours is hardly a prolonged fast
Just started on if and love your website. Your a great inspiriation. I have a few questions, what do you put in your coffee, or do you take it without anything? Also could you give an example of a 20% meal ?
I get home around 6:30 and work out but by then Im dead tired. So it’s hard for me to eat my 80% meals afterwards, I just dont feel that hungry.
Would the leangains aproach only work if you eat big post workout??
How on earth can you tell what “increased insulin sensitivity” feels like?
I too am a recovered anorexic. After having recovered and then let myself go completely to pieces not caring what I ate or drank, I decided earlier this year to get back in shape and eat properly. I also found that the eating 5-6 teeny meals per day was making me insane – I felt myself getting back into anorexic-mind, which I haven’t even remotely had for years now. IFing is fantastic. I feel like a normal person and am not completely consumed with what I ate/what I didn’t eat/how many calories I’m burning/not burning/researching what to eat or not eat, and on and on. Thank goodness for Martin!! And thank goodness I found your blog!