Intermittent fasting question

[BookNerd]

I had been doing 16/8 intermittent fasting for about 6 months to lose some weight, then in the last 2 month started using a heavy bag and weight lifting (before that my exersize was minimal, sporadic walking and yoga). Now I am doing 15-20 mins heavy bag and about 45 strength training 5 days a week. The intermittent has been so much harder to do. Often I am getting really hungry at like 10 and if I don't eat it will make me feel ill. Is this normal with the addition of the strength training. Is intermittent fasting still ok/healthy to do at the same time? Or do I need to just push through it and my body will re-adjust? Any tips?

[TimovieMan]

If you're going from minimal exercise to about an hour 5 days per week, then you're spending a lot more energy than you used to. That means your body wants more fuel to burn, and makes you hungry. Perfectly natural.

 

Also, strength training will build muscle mass, which will increase the amount of calories your body burns just by being alive (even when not working out). You may have to adjust your diet a little: up your calorie intake during the hours of eating and focus on protein for muscle building and recovery.

 

5x strength training per week seems high, though. Are you targeting different muscle groups each time? If not, you may need to lower the frequency/intensity. You destroy muscle during workouts, the repairing and rebuilding stronger happens when we rest. Not enough rest -> no gains...

[BookNerd]

My routine I am targeting is S- cardio and some abs, M- rest, T -light cardo + upperbody, W- light cardio + legs, T- light cardio + back/abs, F- rest, S- light cardio + whole body.  I was trying to do whole body everytime but it was too much so I recently changed to this routine. My cardio most days I'm lifting is the heavy bag for 15-20 mins. Does this still sound like too much? Most of my sessions have like 10 exercises and I do 10 reps and 3 sets. 

 

 

[TimovieMan]

4 hours ago, BookNerd said:

Does this still sound like too much?

No, it doesn't.

What's your goal, though? What have you achieved so far with intermittent fasting?

Are you at your target weight and looking to bulk up, or looking to build / maintain muscle mass while continuing to burn fat?

 

If the former, you will definitely need to up your calorie intake (can't really build muscle while at a deficit) with an emphasis on protein.
If the latter, this might interest you: "Lose weight and build muscle (at the same time)"

[BookNerd]

Gain some muscle while still loosing some. Ive lost some  but could still loose another 10lbs. Just trying to get healthy over all I guess. Thanks for the link! I definitely need to up my protein intake but stay in calorie deficit. Appreciate the responses 

[TimovieMan]

1 hour ago, Ynynn said:

I read a lot of reviews of intermittent fasting and plan to give it a try. It seems like a really great way lo to lose weight.

 

Here's a beginner's guide: https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/a-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting/

 

It works for me because it's sustainable for me, makes me less hungry overall (my body is used to not getting food for longer periods)*, and I can be a bit lazier about counting calories for the meals that I do eat. Your mileage may vary, of course.

 

* this takes at least three-four days to kick in, don't expect to not be hungry when just starting IF

[BookNerd]

1 hour ago, Ynynn said:

I read a lot of reviews of intermittent fasting and plan to give it a try. It seems like a really great way lo to lose weight.

If youre not sensitive to caffeine, black coffee and tea helped me alot with distraction from being hungry while I adjusted to the new schedule. I'm going to try to jump back into it this week. Hope it works well for you if you decide to try it!

[ali hassan]

It is normal to experience increased hunger when you start incorporating strength training into your routine. Strength training places a greater demand on your body for energy and nutrients, which can lead to increased appetite. This can make it more difficult to stick to an intermittent fasting schedule.

However, intermittent fasting can still be a healthy approach to weight loss and can be combined with strength training. It is important to listen to your body and adjust your eating schedule as needed to ensure that you are meeting your energy needs and fueling your workouts adequately.

Here are some tips that may help:

Consider adjusting your eating window to better fit your new workout routine. For example, you could shift your eating window earlier in the day to better align with your workouts.

Make sure you are getting enough calories and nutrients to support your activity level. Strength training requires more energy and nutrients than walking and yoga, so you may need to increase your overall calorie intake.

Focus on eating nutrient-dense foods that will keep you feeling fuller for longer periods of time, such as lean protein, vegetables, and whole grains.

Stay hydrated throughout the day, as dehydration can sometimes be mistaken for hunger.

Give yourself time to adjust. It may take some time for your body to adapt to your new workout routine and eating schedule, so be patient and persistent.

[BookNerd]

Thanks Ali, I am trying to get back on a 16/8 schedule this week but might consider adjusting the time to 11-7. I am trying to up my protein intake too as it was fairly low before. 

[DaemonCorax]

I did IF pre-kiddos as a rock climber, outdoor athlete, powerlifter, and cyclist. It's absolutely compatible BUT you may need to eat more in your window! Especially fat and protein. So add some peanut butter to your morning oats (or whatever), and see how it goes. I also second the morning coffee as a way of dealing with adjusting to the transition. It's normal for your perceived hunger to respond to and increase in activity of course! Also YMMV but I've seen different responses in (AMAB) men v  (AFAB) women* to IF and increases in exercise - specifically the men's bodies always seemed to ask for more carbs at inopportune times even if it wasn't as useful as protein, whereas there is some data (and my personal experience) that women can eat a higher fat diet and take really good advantage of that slow burn fuel alongside and increased protein intake.

 

[Lisa1575]

Dr suggested I f. Worked for her. Do I set a number of calories like 1500 and get those in in my feasting time?  Do I worry about how much protein I eat?  Do I look at numbers at all?  I’m currently doing high protein snd 1700 kcal. I don’t know how to set calorie snd protein levels. I’d love a huge bowl of Cheerios.  

[The Most Loathed]

4 hours ago, Lisa1575 said:

Dr suggested I f. Worked for her. Do I set a number of calories like 1500 and get those in in my feasting time?  Do I worry about how much protein I eat?  Do I look at numbers at all?  I’m currently doing high protein snd 1700 kcal. I don’t know how to set calorie snd protein levels. I’d love a huge bowl of Cheerios.  

Of the people I know who do IF or have done IF, I'm not aware of any who are tracking calories. I would suggest as you start, don't track your calories, just work to find a pattern that feels good to your body. After a few weeks, if your weight hasn't moved you can track if you want. The people I know who do this generally just push their fasting window longer.

I have a friend who likes IF as a lifestyle. Most of the time he eats between noon and 6 pm. This window is what serves to restrict his calories. If he tries to slam 2K calories in that window he won't do much of anything else. So he eats to a comfortable level in that window and holds his weight or pushes it down a bit. If he feels like he needs to lose a couple pounds he might close his window down to 2 - 6. Then he gets a smaller meal in the afternoon and has supper with the family but that's it and it pushes his calories lower without tracking. 

There's some talk about hormones and burning fat being higher with IF but it's my understanding that literature doesn't show a significant difference between IF and other forms when standardized for calories. That said, for a lot of people, IF is an easier and more comfortable way to restrict calories. This is my understanding anyway but I'm not a licensed expert, just an experienced hobbiest. 

I did a quick google and of the couple of pages I trusted that came up first, this one seemed like the most friendly guide to getting started. 

[Lisa1575]

Thanks to The Most Loathed.    Do IF starting at about 8:00 pm till noon tomorrow. Church dinner. Blew calories out of the water today. I can ignore calories. Do I ignore fat numbers too? 

[The Most Loathed]

On 9/10/2023 at 9:39 PM, Lisa1575 said:

Thanks to The Most Loathed.    Do IF starting at about 8:00 pm till noon tomorrow. Church dinner. Blew calories out of the water today. I can ignore calories. Do I ignore fat numbers too? 

As your are starting, you're probably fine to ignore all of the details (calories, macros, nutrients). If you get a month or six weeks in and it feels like a normal part of your life, then you can start messing with the finer tuning. 

One of the things that seems to happen the most often is people start a new health habit (diet, workout, meditation) and try to go 0 to 60 as fast as possible. I'm as guilty of this as anyone. For myself and for anyone I recommend going slower than feels good. Take one small step at a time. So, start IF, see how it feels. If you hate it, you discard it and move on. If it feels normal after a while and you want to push the weightloss or need to address something then do one more thing maybe it's tracking calories or fat and managing then. Then same rules, if it feels normal you can add, if it feels terrible you can back away.