20:4 Intermittent Fasting Calorie Question

(Jacqueline Heath) #1

Hi there,

New here so I apologize if this topic has already been discussed. I have heard you guys are amazingly nice and won’t hang me from my finger nails if I accidentally did post something already discussed. LOL This is a GOOD thing because some of these keto’ers on facebook scare the hell out of me.

Anyway, I have been keto for about 4 months and have all of a sudden hit a stall. I started doing a 16:8 IF just by accident because I was never hungry when I woke up in the mornings but now I am thinking I may have to bump it up to the 20:4 IF to get this party started again.

I watched Dr. Bergs video regarding intermittent fasting and it explained that you have a 4 hour eating window a day. My question is this though, are you supposed to be eating an entire days calories/macros in 2 meals within 4 hours? Being fat adapted now, hunger has been a real issue for me. I just don’t get hungry like I used to so the though of eating huge fatty caloric meals in a 4 hour window has my stomach on red alert. LOL

Thank you so much! I am so glad to have found this board through a friend.

#2

My short answer: eat until you’re no longer hungry. Don’t worry about calories.

And, ask as many questions as you like.

(Dan Dan) #3

Its not hard if you like Fat :heart_eyes:

I practice IF(OMAD) 2000-2500 kcals

1 Pound Veggies with Butter/Fat
1 Pound Fatty Beef or Pork
1 hour :wink:

“May the Force (fat adaption) be with you”

IF/EF Keto WOE is Self-Discovery :wink:

Good luck and much success in your journey in IF/EF Keto WOE :grin:

(Dan Dan) #4

Check out

(Michael ) #5

Ideally you will get all your calories in within 4 hours. It takes a while to get used to. You can add butter and olive oil or mct to everything and increase calories. It’s ok to have a deficit but if you’re not able to get a days worth of calories in a week or two, you might want to go back tp 16/8. You can always rotate back and forth. And even have full binge days with excess if your body wants it. I sometimes do 5 or 6 thousand calorie days after a few really tough weight sessions. Especially if I recently fasted. There’s really no right or wrong, just play around until you feel your best. At the end of the day, feeling your best is better than loose jeans. If you can manage both, even better

#6

@inspire_me I often do IF 4 days on, 3 days off as it’s apparently more effective when practiced with randomness - ie, not every day. Jason Fung MD and Megan Ramos talk about that, also Cristi Vlad in the books Periodic Fasting and Persistent Fat Loss.

And in the eating windows, I don’t worry about trying to fit in a whole days’ food, no way! But that’s because of satiation. I’ve noticed on days when I’ve had a good strength training weight lifting workout I have a more fired up digestion and can usually eat more!

Some studies put the max effectiveness of a protein serving at 20-30 grams per meal and say the rest is insignificant in terms of amino acids and muscle feeding. There are other benefits like thermogenesis and immune system support though - depending on the person’s situation.

Dr. Fung has pointed out that fat-adapted ketogenic/LCHF IF doesn’t negatively impact muscle mass with lower daily protein intake - it’s only during Extended Fasting that that is an issue.

So, I don’t worry about cramming in a day’s worth of nutrition in a feeding window - I just focus on quality food sources and a tasty 70-80% fat in the window.

Also, there isn’t really such a thing as a ‘stall’ - lots is going on under the surface. Fat cells replace fat with water for weeks in a lymphatic process before a swoosh happens and they shrink (Nurse Cindy explains it great here: https://youtu.be/xF3rmi4DJAw) and other things like muscle cell repair, metabolic healing, brain nourishment, digestive healing and such are happening. If you search this forum for “stall” you’ll find a lot of interesting posts I’m sure. For females, there is the additional reality of water retention & releases over the hormonal monthly cycle - and “swooshes” may tend to happen midcycle due to that :wink:

If you rely on how your clothes fit, your actual measurements and other “non-scale victories” once every month or two it should help a lot!

(Michael ) #7

Thanks for video reference

(TiffanySue) #8

And were you able to lose bodyfat this way, Dan? I’m a bit worried that if I eat 2000 kcals anyways with my one meal, that I’ll be fasting for nothing and destroying all the fat loss I achieved during the day. :thinking: I’ve been struggling quite a lot cos my insulin production is off the charts and my body does not want to let go of any fat.

(Dan Dan) #9

I continue to loose on average 12 pounds a month :open_mouth:

I have lost 10 inches from my waist :blush:

I have lost 10% body fat :heart_eyes:

I have gained 5% muscle :muscle:

(TiffanySue) #10

That is very nice to read! Great that it’s working so well for you! Good job! I’ll give it a try for the next 30 days to see if I am also losing bodyfat even though I eat a massive meal in the evening. I hope so… I love that I don’t have to portion control :stuck_out_tongue:

(Dan Dan) #11

Thank you :blush:

That why I do it every meal is a feast - Appetizers, Main Course, and Dessert :heart_eyes:

(TiffanySue) #12

I followed your example and really treated myself in the evenings. I ate like a queen and had a weekend without fasting or calorie restriction, and even a few more carbs than usual. I was up 3 pounds after those two days but am still 8 pounds lighter than a week ago :smiley: It’s definitely not just water weight! Let’s see how my second week goes!

(Willie) #13

Hi @inspire_me,

I’m in the same pickle and I was wondering if you have any updates on if the 20/4 IF schedule helped you with your plateau? Any details/results you can share?

Thanks!

(Buck Marshall ) #14

I lost 15 lbs on keto, then seemed to plateau. Added 16:8 IF. Initally I was eating large meals… after 4pm. Gradually I began eating later, and a little later. Then it seemed the more I paid attention to how I actually felt (not really that hungry), instead of my thoughts (okay now it’s time to eat), I began to eat smaller portions. Now on 20/4, and I have much less appetite. I’ll eat an 8 ounce container of bbq cicken, wait 30 minutes then eat an 8 ounce container of something else… shrimp with celery and water chestnuts. Lost another 5 lbs in one week.