Should I fast?

#1

Back again, I’ve been lurking about but not posting for a while.

I have decided that I stick to diets plans, routines, goals etc, much better when I take them a couple of months at a time. I am way more likely to stick to something if I know it is just for a short time. Rather than it being for the rest of my life.

So phase 1 for me was July-October when I started low carb and lost 20kg.
Phase 2 was still keto, but i focused on strength. I have started the same weight but lost fat and gained muscle which is exactly what I was aiming for.

Now I am looking at losing some more fat. I am think of fasting but have not gated more than 15 hours before.
I get very very hungry when I am strength training and have been eating 3000 calls a day, but still losing fat.

How should I approach fasting?

Should I reduce calls for a week and cut down strength training first?
Just stop eating and see how long I last?
Or try OMAD for a few weeks before a longer fast?

I do not have a goal in mind, so it is difficult for me to plan a routine. Which is frustrating as I am a planner at heart.

I am fairly well fat adapted. I’ve started under 20g of carbs a days for 4 months, and only had and extra 20g of carbs before a few workouts last month.
But I do get really hungry for protein.

(Megan) #2

Hi Rusty, I can’t answer any of your questions about fasting, but congratulations on your fabulous achievements to date!

(Michael) #4

Fasting is neither required nor should it be discouraged. I have been exercising irregularly in the mornings before eating and on fasting days. I always work out fasted regardless When I exercise consistently, I have made strength gains/improvements over the past months. Best time to eat is shortly after a workout to take advantage of insulin signalling.

#5

I just can say how I do things (but I never gained much muscles or lost fat since ages :slight_smile: I just enjoy my eating and fasting alike)…
I can’t and am not willing to force things (without some very serious health issue reason but I don’t have that). I typically fast only if I am perfectly satiated and it’s the easiest to do. Sometimes I push a little but still eat when hungry except if I get that strange cute hunger I like and what never triggers eating. I get determined to fast - and my body decides if it cooperates with me. Determination is key for me, once I fasted for 120 hours out of curiosity and determination without problems (I felt odd in the end but that was probably due to me not consuming any sodium during the whole time. it was funny). But if my body tells me it WANTS food, I eat.

OMAD is something I really want to do longer term sometimes, it didn’t happen yet but I have OMAD times. Starting is the hardest but with some planning and a tiny bit of self control(?) I manage to eat an OMAD sized satiating meal at the right time for me. And a big meal lasts for a day for me but I am ready to eat much enough again so it’s fine for a few days. But my energy need is way smaller than yours, IDK about our eating abilities though. Choosing our food is very important, at least to me but probably for most of us. Not anyone can eat a big meal using just any food on keto, to put it lightly.

I personally need to be well-fasted when I do my workouts as I only have enough energy and mood for it at that time. Not too late, 23 hour after my last meal is problematic but 18-20 is fine for me. But many people like/need eating before workouts. I need a substantial meal afterwards (not immediately but soon), at least I did and I always do it so I can’t check if it changed lately. But probably not. And I feel it right to eat after, my body probably really need the nutrients then.

It probably doesn’t help people. They usually are “strong” and just don’t eat when they decide. It’s very foreign to me. I can’t even wait until hunger most of the time… That’s one reason I want OMAD, a big, good meal gives me perfect satiation for almost a day and I just don’t want to eat in that blissful state.

OMAD or a longer fast is easier…? Can’t tell, it depends on many things. If you want autophagy too (as I do), try a longer fast. But maybe you should just wait until a really serious hunger you can’t ignore and if it gives you OMAD, good, if a longer fast, even better. But as I wrote, me and eating according to plan isn’t a thing, I just make a plan and let my body decide what it allows. Making the plan already does its job to my mind so it’s up to the physical part.

(Bob M) #6

What I’ve been doing lately is exercising, taking a day off with food, then fasting a day. I have found that I have difficulty trying to fast the day after exercising.

For my fasting day (one per week), my goal is 36 hours, with a workout at 32 hours. However, I sometimes do OMAD instead.

I personally find OMAD difficult. If I exercise that day, since I exercise in the morning (say, 5:30-7am), I can’t make it until evening to eat. I have to eat 2MAD, eating around 10 am then again at dinner.

I think you’ll have to test some things out and see how you feel. I recommend rotating, that is, not eating OMAD all the time and instead trying OMAD on an off day, once a week. See how that is. Go from there.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

A lot of people get into fasting almost accidentally, when they’ve been keto long enough that they find themselves forgetting to eat. If you’re at that point, then by all means try fasting and see if it works for you. My advice would merely be to give it a shot, but not to force your body to do anything it’s not ready to do.

Some people love fasting and swear by it, while others find they have great trouble with it. There’s no great virtue in being a faster, and no great shame if you’re not. Fasting is just a tool.

#8

Thanks Paul.
It certainly is not something that is coming naturally.
Though, when I was too injured to train I did not feel as hungry and I only ate in A 4hour window every day and found it quite natural.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #9

This sounds very much as though your body is working as designed. :+1:

#10

All of that completely defies logic my man. Fasting isn’t a friend of muscle gain, or metabolic rate as far as I’m concerned. You’re eating 3k cals a day, you’re gaining muscle AND you’re still losing fat! You have a perfect situation. You’re hungry and wanting protein because you’re adding muscle, which further raises RMR. Don’t screw up a perfect situation.

#11

Rather than plateau and lose interest, I would like to switch things up.
Like many serious weight lifters will do a bulking and cutting cycle.
I would like to discuss on different things thought the year.
I play badminton one night a week but have the option to play 4 times. So next year I play to drop all other types off training and just play 4 times a week.
Then I might join a gym just for 4 months and do a 5x5 power lifting routine.

I can’t keep things the same indefinitely, I need to change things up so I don’t get board. I hyper focus on my current interest, then drop it when the next thing comes along. It is a life long habit that I have only just realised I do, and I have now learned to use it to my advantage.

#12

You don’t have to plateau, if you’re watching what you’re doing, don’t create the environment to cause that. You’re going in the correct direction now, you’re losing fat AND building muscle, that’s the total opposite of heading for a plateau.

Bulks and Cuts are done because there’s no other way, you can’t do either 100% while you’re trying to do the other, recomp is short lived when it works.

If you get bored easy, 5x5 isn’t the workout for you as it never changes. You’d be way better off doing Phased and Periodized workouts since they’re changing every couple weeks, which they should either way, our bodies adapt to our workouts very quickly.

I have the exact same mindset, just always make the main focus improvement, and it can only go so wrong. Obsessive personalities get stuff accomplished! It’s a positive thing!

#13

Where can I find out more about this kind of training?

Thank man, I was hoping you would show up.
Maybe cutting and bulking is not for me. I am just keeping my eye on the next thing I might want to do.
I have just messaged someone about collecting a full set of kettle bells which would compliment the 4 I have now.
So actually my next ‘phase’ might be a full on kettle bell phase.

(Laurie) #14

I really understand the boredom part, and needing a change, and how it can lead to just abandoning the whole project. Great that you’re figuring out how to manage it instead.

#15

Most of the professional programs at this point are both Phased and Periodized, nothing wrong with cutting and bulking, it’s the fastest way, and in a lot of ways the easiest, as long as you pay close attention and don’t lose control over it.

If you’re going to wind up going a gym and have full equipment access, I’ve got a ton of really good professional workouts, depending on how many days you wanted to spend on it, I’m sure I’ve got something for you already. Wouldn’t even the waste the money, I’ve done it already LOL!

(Shannon) #16

I would be interested in this, if you don’t mind sharing. I sort of do the same few things over and over again at the gym when it comes to weight training, I could use some variation. I have access to both machines and some free weights.

#17

Cool thanks.
I only have kettle bells and a pull up bar at the moment.
I have actually cut it one of my weight training workouts a week to add some mobility training. It’s the only way to make sure I actually have a really good stretch session and work on core.

I would like to join a gun I just don’t have one close enough for me to join.