How many IF'ers do we have vs other diet strategies?

[Tom]

I did 2 weekly 24 hour fasts for 8 weeks back in march-may. I lost 10 lbs bodyfat with no loss in lean mass or strength. I only gained back 2 lbs since then eating normally. I just started the same IF again a couple days ago.

 

[Elvia1023]

I believe your body needs (bodybuilding goals) and can process more food at certain times. Therefore I eat varied amounts throughout the day. I have to admit though I have been abit abit off in the last 2 weeks due to funds so just getting in cals when I can.

Generally I tend to have 3 fairly large meals per day consisting of about 60-100g protein, 100-250g carbs and 20-40g fat. Then I will have smaller meals in between usually about 60g protein, 60g carbs and 10g fat. In the evening I sometimes have less carbs and concentrate on protein and fats. A typical day in the next few weeks could be...

5 whole eggs, Cereal (maybe 2 big bowls) and some blueberries

Pre workout- BCAA's with a tin of pineapple

Intra workout- Shake of 175g carbs, 60g protein and 5g fat

45mins Post workout- 2 Turkey breasts, White Rice (about 100g carbs) and Honey (I tend to do honey turkey/chicken) with cayenne pepper and chilli flakes)

Tub of cottage cheese or greek yoghurt and 2 chicken sandwiches and some fruit (mixed berries or banana)

WORK FOR 4-5 HOURS

2 Chicken Breasts, Brown Pasta (alot... about 200g carbs) and Cashew Nuts

2-3 pieces of fish with chinese stir fry

Protein shake and some nuts (walnuts and/or almonds). Maybe a tub of cottage cheese. Maybe just a weight again shake... all depends upon appetite etc. Been having 5 whole eggs pre bed quite alot as it is fast and easy. 4/5 times I have added a weightgain shake to those eggs too


So yeah I definately don't follow IF at all. I don't currently work many hours and I tend to not eat during work. So I like to have larger meals before work to keep me going. By the time I get home I am starving so I have a huge meal that goes down easily. When I cook pasta I use alot of olive oil so drizzle is not the word I use coconut oil for my eggs. I tend to have most of my carbs around my workout. If I trained in the night it would be the same.

Just a general idea of my way of eating. Personally I believe smaller balanced and frequent meals would probably be best for me with my waist (strethcing due to huge meals). But overall I like my way of eating and it suits my large appetite.

People got lost with Phil's eat when your hungry. They misunderstood what he meant and almost thought it meant eat like a bird. You could be consuming 6k cals of whole food with his way of eating if you have primed your body to do so. I don't follow anyones way but I take bits from various methods. The main point I will follow is never forcefeed. It's never good to forcefeed imo. Sure if your sick and have had 700 cals and it's 8pm force yourself to eat. But if you have had 4k cals of good food and you think you must eat more cos you want to be huge and you force it down that is never good.

I am just starting to feel good about things so I hope to progress more and more. I will definately be having over 4k cals each day as my appetite is never an issue. I don't even count cals and haven't totalled it up but I know it is alot

 

[Bigd50]

In the off season I eat whatever I want. Precontest I eat about every 2-3 hours. I'm about 250 right now and weighed 223 last show.

 

[ajdos]

I believe your body needs (bodybuilding goals) and can process more food at certain times. Therefore I eat varied amounts throughout the day. I have to admit though I have been abit abit off in the last 2 weeks due to funds so just getting in cals when I can.

Generally I tend to have 3 fairly large meals per day consisting of about 60-100g protein, 100-250g carbs and 20-40g fat. Then I will have smaller meals in between usually about 60g protein, 60g carbs and 10g fat. In the evening I sometimes have less carbs and concentrate on protein and fats. A typical day in the next few weeks could be...

5 whole eggs, Cereal (maybe 2 big bowls) and some blueberries

Pre workout- BCAA's with a tin of pineapple

Intra workout- Shake of 175g carbs, 60g protein and 5g fat

45mins Post workout- 2 Turkey breasts, White Rice (about 100g carbs) and Honey (I tend to do honey turkey/chicken) with cayenne pepper and chilli flakes)

Tub of cottage cheese or greek yoghurt and 2 chicken sandwiches and some fruit (mixed berries or banana)

WORK FOR 4-5 HOURS

2 Chicken Breasts, Brown Pasta (alot... about 200g carbs) and Cashew Nuts

2-3 pieces of fish with chinese stir fry

Protein shake and some nuts (walnuts and/or almonds). Maybe a tub of cottage cheese. Maybe just a weight again shake... all depends upon appetite etc. Been having 5 whole eggs pre bed quite alot as it is fast and easy. 4/5 times I have added a weightgain shake to those eggs too


So yeah I definately don't follow IF at all. I don't currently work many hours and I tend to not eat during work. So I like to have larger meals before work to keep me going. By the time I get home I am starving so I have a huge meal that goes down easily. When I cook pasta I use alot of olive oil so drizzle is not the word I use coconut oil for my eggs. I tend to have most of my carbs around my workout. If I trained in the night it would be the same.

Just a general idea of my way of eating. Personally I believe smaller balanced and frequent meals would probably be best for me with my waist (strethcing due to huge meals). But overall I like my way of eating and it suits my large appetite.

People got lost with Phil's eat when your hungry. They misunderstood what he meant and almost thought it meant eat like a bird. You could be consuming 6k cals of whole food with his way of eating if you have primed your body to do so. I don't follow anyones way but I take bits from various methods. The main point I will follow is never forcefeed. It's never good to forcefeed imo. Sure if your sick and have had 700 cals and it's 8pm force yourself to eat. But if you have had 4k cals of good food and you think you must eat more cos you want to be huge and you force it down that is never good.

I am just starting to feel good about things so I hope to progress more and more. I will definately be having over 4k cals each day as my appetite is never an issue. I don't even count cals and haven't totalled it up but I know it is alot

I didnt get confused but we do see people who dont have shit for appetite, they in fact look for supplements and drugs (usually EQ) to help stimulate appetite, in these cases 'eating when hungry' is a plan in failure.
And BTW force feeding is not going to kill anyone, I dont do it as a whole sale practice but over the years plenty of times I did some force feeding ate when I didnt feel hungry and I lived to tell about it.
There are going to be a lot of nutritional strategies, this thread primarily is looking at GROWTH.
WHat Im hearing about IF mostly is its very effective in terms of fat loss.

 

[sazo75]

I didnt get confused but we do see people who dont have shit for appetite, they in fact look for supplements and drugs (usually EQ) to help stimulate appetite, in these cases 'eating when hungry' is a plan in failure.
And BTW force feeding is not going to kill anyone, I dont do it as a whole sale practice but over the years plenty of times I did some force feeding ate when I didnt feel hungry and I lived to tell about it.
There are going to be a lot of nutritional strategies, this thread primarily is looking at GROWTH.
WHat Im hearing about IF mostly is its very effective in terms of fat loss.

Yes that seems about right, I'm somewhat of a big boy for my height definitely not what alot of the people that hate on IF and portray people that use it as having a skinny fitness model or skinny abercrombie model look lol and I don't plan on being that small , ( have pics in another thread about transformations).I tried it for bulking and sometimes it was just too much food and I ended up having to force feed and came extremely close to puking just having to force feed myself with so many calories during the eating period . I now only use IF for cutting since its easier and more satiating / "normal" & convienent( i.e eating a late lunch and dinner with family) .

The main site I found for this that people led me to was leangains.com and that's pretty much the original version not counting the "warrior diet" one which really wasn't focused ( or didn't seem like it) on people who partake in lifting, just curious if you have read it, it is REALLY interesting and has very good information on it , and the guy is a straight up no bullshit type of guy , its rather an enjoyable read and it was definitely something that led me away from taking tupperware all over the place and worrying about losing muscle if I didn't eat constantly . You should give it a read if you have time , not only for the IF part but just the general articles on there are pretty interesting.

 

[TNH]

People misunderstand IF thinking it is eating like a bird after starving yourself all day.

It takes me roughly 4,500 calories to grow right now. I can eat those calories throughout the day in a traditional way (which I do most of the time), or I can get them all in doing IF. When doing IF, after my fasting period, I still eat 4,500 cals if I want to grow. I get all that food in during the post workout feasting period, which is about 6 hours. Some people can't eat that much in 6 hours, but I don't find it to be a problem at all, especially after fasting all day and then training.

I actually like IF for the convenience, which is why I do is some times. It is easier for me to stay energized and focused on work if I just grind it out with no breaks until the late afternoon (self employed). Then I train, go home, and feast until bedtime. I prefer IF when trying to cut body fat, it's easier for me because I am used to fasting, but when I feast afterwards it is easy to drop some cals because I can feel full from what I already stuffed myself with. I reduce my oil intake (EVOO, coconut) and lose a few hundred cals right there, and that's not even solid food. I really only need to reduce the portions of my last couple meal(s) and I can be in a deficit.

 

[jaltb4k]

how many of you guys are using I.F for muscle growth?

 

[kscowboy]

I have been doing IF for a while with decent results.
Here are a few of my thoughts on it:
I started it in order to lean up and to my surprise I have lost fat and continued to gain strength.
It works for me because I rarely have an appetite in the morning and being in the business world I often have lunch and dinner meetings. If I had a big breakfast I would easily end up over my macros if I ended up going out for lunch and dinner meetings. Sure, I can be selective with the menu but if I am at Morton's, Gibsons, Ruth's Chris, etc, I sure as shit will not be ordering a salad.
Sometimes I work out in the mornings @ 10am fasted except for EAA's, PeptoPro, etc so those days I am really not 'fasted' (from protein) very long in comparison to a regular diet when my first meal would be 8am ish.
In another thread someone thought this method is for lazy people that don't want to fix 6 meals a day. Maybe, but I don't fit that mold. I will fix my own meals or have someone fix them for me. I have a staff at the house and an executive assistant. I could have 30 meals a day prepared or delivered for me if I wanted to.
With all of that said:
I'm not a mass monster like most of you guys. 5'6" 195 so my macros are much lower than most of you. For you big guys, I just don't see how you could get all of your macros in 8 hours, especially if primarily solid food.
I agree that it is not the most efficient way to build muscle as quickly as possible-no way it can be.

Very good post.

Everyone has to remember one thing. Most people are not using IF to become 250lbs ripped. People that are true bodybuilders and trying to get as huge as possible, can't use this system. This system is for the ordinary man and ordinary gym rat that wants to get lean, not put on 50 lbs. I have never tried it but i won't dismiss it either. People slam IF but they are not putting its relevance into practical applications.

I took a new job 3 months ago and am so damn busy i can look up at 11 o'clock and think its 8am. I have cut down to 4%bf by using the traditional 6-8 meals a day method. I have used John Meadows, Shelby, Phil and Sagi Kalev all of which use mostly traditional methods with a few different twists and had success with all of them. But at the time i had my own business and had way too much freedom and flexibility. I am also one of those guys that really doesn't have an appetite until about noon. So maybe its something i will look into in the future. I really don't know but for those that are putting this system down please consider the reason you are trashing it. Is it because you are a mass monster (If so you don't need to even consider this method anyway) or are you one of those people that slam everything that doesn't fit into the way you think even though you have never tried it.

I would love to do an experiment with Shelby or John Meadows incorporating IF into their diet beliefs just to see if there is another tool some of us can put into out tool box. Is the most efficient mechanic the guy that has the want to or the guy that has the most tools in his tool box?

Just my 2 cents, its not worth anything

 

[TheOtherOne55]

BUT, if it involves NOT eating for an extended period of time i dont care to know anything about it.
any top tier pros do anything like that to get em where they are now....
i will continue eating call me logical lol. just kinda makes sense to me.
-MB

I completely respect your opinion but I think the argument that "no pro BBers do it so I won't even THINK about it" is ridiculous.

Do you know that in the 1930's Jack Lalanne and other "fitness stars" of their time thought vegetarianism was the right nutritional approach for muscularity?

Vince Gironda would have 2-3 large meals of eggs+cream+half&half throughout the day...and at different times of the year would go vegetarian to "re-alkalise" his body.

I'm definitely not saying anyone here is looking to have the Jack Lalanne type body (we are all looking to be much bigger than that), but I'm saying the main difference between THOSE days and TODAY is advances in science and our understanding of the human body...

What people thought worked 20 years ago can be made easier today...it's not for everyone, as most people have stated....but I am always interested in changing dogma's and theories in bodybuilding.

Once again, I don't use IF to bulk up...I use it to maintain mass or cut body fat.

 

[jaltb4k]

you honestly feel you can "maintain" muscle using the I.F protocal?

 

[Tom]

you honestly feel you can "maintain" muscle using the I.F protocal?

Without a doubt! Have even had phenominal workouts in a fasted state.

 

[sammy555]

you honestly feel you can "maintain" muscle using the I.F protocal?

Absolutely better than any approach I've ever used even when natural. It's by far the best muscle preserving approach I've used but I do 24 hour fasts 2 or 3x weekly when cutting. I'll always use it cutting along with cpwo. An occasional 24 hour when bulking is good damage limitation too but only as needed, bulking is to eat and grow and I think it's better for digestive system to spread it out more over 4-6 meals

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[earch]

you honestly feel you can "maintain" muscle using the I.F protocal?

Yes especially if your on test/gear or cruising.

I would not come down advocating IF for mass gaining periods, but think it can be used well for maintaining a lean physique or cutting. Im talking in terms of physique competitors here more than I am bodybuilders which is where most of us fall, my self included.

its nothing I would personally want to do year round, but I do like to try new things out and was surprised how well I responded. Also my workouts fasted in the morning 12-14 hours without food did not suck nearly as much as I thought they might.

 

[Muscleaddict69]

I'm pretty impressed with intermittent fasting. I got in great shape while using IF and after years of being convinced that I need to have a decent meal a few hours before training or at least some protein I was blown away by how strong I was when doing deadlifts in fasted state.

From my experience I wouldn't recommend IF if doing a cycle to gain mass. I did that on my last cycle and still got in my normal amount of on cycle calories but I didn't gain that much muscle, although I did get really lean.

 

[Elvia1023]

I didnt get confused but we do see people who dont have shit for appetite, they in fact look for supplements and drugs (usually EQ) to help stimulate appetite, in these cases 'eating when hungry' is a plan in failure.
And BTW force feeding is not going to kill anyone, I dont do it as a whole sale practice but over the years plenty of times I did some force feeding ate when I didnt feel hungry and I lived to tell about it.
There are going to be a lot of nutritional strategies, this thread primarily is looking at GROWTH.
WHat Im hearing about IF mostly is its very effective in terms of fat loss.

I know you started this thread but I never meant you when I said some people got confused. I know you disagreed with Phil but you got what he meant. I meant quite a few people and some even used the phrase eating like a bird in that thread and others.

I agree there are different ways for everyone and one way doesn't suit everyone. I think anyone thinking their way is the best and only way to eat is fundamentally wrong. An example may be Bert who I know struggles with his appetite all the time. Eating when hungry does not make sense in his case... would be stupid. Numerous reasons for people not having an appetite (too many hormones, orals, brain chemistry, fat in the past, list is endless). Therefore bb's in those cases should be forcing themselves to eat more... how will they grow if they don't.

I never said forcefeeding will kill anyone. I have done plenty of it and my waist reflects that There is a place for forcefeeding if you want to be a freak of size. The way I look at it the human body doesn't want to be a freak of size so we have to do things that a normal human wouldn't. We have to elevate hormone levels to a large degree, train intensely and eat much more than we really should be... so forcefeeding is a way of doing that if you don't have the appetite.

For someone like me who has the appetite I ask myself why would I need to forcefeed cos I obviously have just eaten enough food. I want to keep my waist down so thats why I won't be forcefeeding and continually stretching my stomach to an even greater degree. Moreover are the possible gastrointestinal issues. When you have that much food inside things simply slow down and your body struggles to process it and as a result too much fat is added. I am not gonna be blasting away huge doses of gh etc but even if I were I still don't want to do that. I plan to get really big but I still want to remain relatively lean so no forcefeeding for me... I eat enough as it is

Regarding IF I see alot of merit in it and know many who utilize it. Sure I haven't followed it so take my opinion for what it is. I do think it should mainly be used as a fatloss tool. I know you can bulk using IF... common sense... eat enough cals you will gain weight. However even without trying it I can safely state I think it would be far more effective eating wholesome vitamin enriched foods around the clock to bulk. It just makes sense to me. But from what I have seen IF can be an amazing tool to lose bodyfat and add some muscle too.

 

[jaltb4k]

Without a doubt! Have even had phenominal workouts in a fasted state.

Absolutely better than any approach I've ever used even when natural. It's by far the best muscle preserving approach I've used but I do 24 hour fasts 2 or 3x weekly when cutting. I'll always use it cutting along with cpwo. An occasional 24 hour when bulking is good damage limitation too but only as needed, bulking is to eat and grow and I think it's better for digestive system to spread it out more over 4-6 meals

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Yes especially if your on test/gear or cruising.

I would not come down advocating IF for mass gaining periods, but think it can be used well for maintaining a lean physique or cutting. Im talking in terms of physique competitors here more than I am bodybuilders which is where most of us fall, my self included.

its nothing I would personally want to do year round, but I do like to try new things out and was surprised how well I responded. Also my workouts fasted in the morning 12-14 hours without food did not suck nearly as much as I thought they might.

wow! i am truely amazed at these responses. while i dont personally agree with the fasting approach.....i respect you guys enough to listen. thank you for your honest feedback....i was seriously wanting to see the results

 

[flipper2012]

This is so insane... Of course you will maintain size while on gear, peps, GH etc!!! ROFLMAO!! I've eaten literally nothing on days(do to my job) for extended periods of time on and off and kept all my size and strength, BECAUSE I WAS ON GEAR! Throw gear out the window and tell me how beneficial IF would be at maintaining or building an ounce of muscle for the average 5'10" ectomorph at 160-180lbs... Shit when I was a dumb 19(ten yrs ago)year old kid I always thought I looked the best cycling sustanon redijects and finaplix doing a weekend coke binger partying my ass off then waking up Monday morning, dry and vascular as fuck! That don't mean it was conducive to bbing.... Shit almost anything will work wit decent genetics and great gear

 

[Pharm_Fed]

This is so insane... Of course you will maintain size while on gear, peps, GH etc!!! ROFLMAO!! I've eaten literally nothing on days(do to my job) for extended periods of time on and off and kept all my size and strength, BECAUSE I WAS ON GEAR! Throw gear out the window and tell me how beneficial IF would be at maintaining or building an ounce of muscle for the average 5'10" ectomorph at 160-180lbs... Shit when I was a dumb 19(ten yrs ago)year old kid I always thought I looked the best cycling sustanon redijects and finaplix doing a weekend coke binger partying my ass off then waking up Monday morning, dry and vascular as fuck! That don't mean it was conducive to bbing.... Shit almost anything will work wit decent genetics and great gear

I had great results absolutely drug free. Got stronger and bigger while also getting leaner. And I certainly have average genetics at best.

http://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84265

 

[flipper2012]

Great job btw pharm fed! Good shit. Do you think you could have achieved the same results wit cardio and typical 4-6 meal high pro/low carb approach?

 

[Tom]

This is so insane... Of course you will maintain size while on gear, peps, GH etc!!! ROFLMAO!! I've eaten literally nothing on days(do to my job) for extended periods of time on and off and kept all my size and strength, BECAUSE I WAS ON GEAR! Throw gear out the window and tell me how beneficial IF would be at maintaining or building an ounce of muscle for the average 5'10" ectomorph at 160-180lbs... Shit when I was a dumb 19(ten yrs ago)year old kid I always thought I looked the best cycling sustanon redijects and finaplix doing a weekend coke binger partying my ass off then waking up Monday morning, dry and vascular as fuck! That don't mean it was conducive to bbing.... Shit almost anything will work wit decent genetics and great gear

Your observations are mistaken.I too have done very well with intermittant fasting drug free.