# Who does IF for fat loss?



## Gadawg (Mar 8, 2019)

I know what the general consensus will be on this board but wondering about people's experiences using intermittent fasting for fat only loss.  Ive used it in the past (on a trt dose) and within a few weeks I lost noticeable fat without losing any strength.  (I usually use strength as an indicator of muscle loss). In the past I just eat between noon to 10pm and above all things I make sure to hit my protein target.  

Im almost two weeks in to a 700 mg test cyp cycle and will add some var once the test really gets going so I thought now would be a good time to "lean out" quick before everything gets going and then lean bulk for the rest of the blast.  I only really would want to lose maybe 4-5 lbs of fat.  

Im a very big believer in IF for health reasons (especially cancer prevention) but not sure of the effects for a bodybuilder in the long term.  In the future, I will definitely do IF most days once Ive toned down this lifestyle.  

Anyway, thanks for any experiences.  Particularly interested in hearing from Spongy and Hulk.  Believe Hulksmash does this daily.


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## maxmuscle1 (Mar 8, 2019)

If I only have a couple pounds of fat to lose, I just add some Slow cardio (post weights) on the step mill 30-40 min OR short duration walk sprints for 15 min(FASTED A.M.) I increase my protein in the form of whey isolate and lower my fat intake.  It works IMO/IME.  I lose too much muscle personally with intermittent fasting but it’s great for weight loss overall.


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## Spongy (Mar 8, 2019)

I have done it before on a cut and honestly don't have any issues with it in terms of results.  I did a 16 hour fast followed by 8 hours feeding between 2pm and 10pm with the majority being consumed between 4 and 7.  

I leaned out quite a bit and didnt notice a significant loss of muscle mass, but I certainly did not put on any muscle mass.  

I think it definitely has its place if it works for you.  Some people just can't follow it, and that's fine.  To each their own.  

If you're looking for a super rapid fat loss with minimal muscle loss I would reccomend 2-4 weeks of PSMF lyle McDonald style with a glucose tab prior to lifting.  I had a ton of luck with that recently while prepping for this endurance event.


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## snake (Mar 8, 2019)

IF you eat too much, you'll get fat.

That's my diet IF.


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## Straight30weight (Mar 8, 2019)

I’m using if currently, I’m a big fan of it. I eat in an 8 hour window plus I’m in a calorie deficit. I’ve been steadily losing fat for the past 3 months, only on trt dose. Oddly enough I think my strength is mostly unaffected.


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## Gadawg (Mar 8, 2019)

I find it's just very easy to do.  If I told myself not to eat for a whole day or two, it honestly wouldnt be that hard.  Counting shit all day is what sounds like a pain in the ass to me.  Thanks for the replies everyone


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## Straight30weight (Mar 8, 2019)

Gadawg said:


> I find it's just very easy to do.  If I told myself not to eat for a whole day or two, it honestly wouldnt be that hard.  Counting shit all day is what sounds like a pain in the ass to me.  Thanks for the replies everyone


I count shit all day too. But again, I need to stay in a deficit and that’s how I make sure I am. It’s really not that bad. 

My psycho father went 6 months doing a 22/2 IF period. Literally only ate 2 hours a day. The benefit was he at anything he wanted in that 2 hour window. Once he started lifting again he had to stop as the tank was always empty.


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## CJ (Mar 8, 2019)

I've skipped breakfast once in awhile before. It dropped my cals for the day, didn't even notice, so I didn't end up compensating by eating more later in the day.

I feel if I tried a longer fast, I'd just pig out when it was over.


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## John Ziegler (Mar 8, 2019)

IF = intermittent fasting ( googled it )


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## automatondan (Mar 8, 2019)

Spongy said:


> I have done it before on a cut and honestly don't have any issues with it in terms of results.  I did a 16 hour fast followed by 8 hours feeding between 2pm and 10pm with the majority being consumed between 4 and 7.
> 
> I leaned out quite a bit and didnt notice a significant loss of muscle mass, but I certainly did not put on any muscle mass.
> 
> ...



Spongy, can you expand/explain about taking the glucose tab prior to lifting? I'm wondering why you recommend this...? Does it have something to do with insulin? Would it pull you out of ketosis?


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## transcend2007 (Mar 8, 2019)

I was thinking about eating less and exercising more ... but using techniques that have been proven to work for centuries just seems too much like work ... you got a pill ...


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## Gadawg (Mar 8, 2019)

transcend2007 said:


> I was thinking about eating less and exercising more ... but using techniques that have been proven to work for centuries just seems too much like work ... you got a pill ...




Actually intermittent fasting is the way humans evolved and had eaten for over half a million years before the agricultural revolution ruined our health.


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## transcend2007 (Mar 8, 2019)

Gadawg said:


> Actually intermittent fasting is the way humans evolved and had eaten for over half a million years before the agricultural revolution ruined our health.



If you are referring to hunting and gathering (and starving to death) yes that could be considered IF I guess ... but it was not optional ... today we have advanced ways to measure macros and calories .. and research that show best way to lose fat without losing strength or muscle ... fasting does work ... but controlling ones diet in a measured way like MyFitnessPal and/or increased cardio would seem to be more incremental ways to lose fat or gain muscle depending on ones goals ...


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## jennerrator (Mar 8, 2019)

snake said:


> IF you eat too much, you'll get fat.
> 
> That's my diet IF.



You and I are both simple...lol...thank goodness we are IH!!!


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## Gadawg (Mar 8, 2019)

If I increase cardio any more Im going to be considered a crossfitter.


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## transcend2007 (Mar 8, 2019)

Gadawg said:


> If I increase cardio any more Im going to be considered a crossfitter.



... and decreasing calories ....(not that I am any authority - I had DQ this week but it was Snakes fault .. he looks too darn young)?


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## Gadawg (Mar 8, 2019)

I can do it this way for two weeks, lose five lbs of fat and zero strength and count nothing.  Think Ill do this.


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## Bro Bundy (Mar 8, 2019)

John Ziegler said:


> IF = intermittent fasting ( googled it )


i thought the word fasting was banned


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## transcend2007 (Mar 8, 2019)

Gadawg said:


> I can do it this way for two weeks, lose five lbs of fat and zero strength and count nothing.  Think Ill do this.



Many would say you cannot improve what you do not measure ... and fasting will not help in bulking ... I understand if works for you .... to me understanding reducing and increasing calories is preferred and keep things constant for maintaining ... but I'd be the first to say using MFP requires effort even with saved meals ... but better than being 50 pounds overweight like I was much of my life ...


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## jennerrator (Mar 8, 2019)

transcend2007 said:


> understanding reducing and increasing calories is preferred and keep things constant for maintaining ...



I've learned this the hard way...but not in a bad way...and I'm good at staying the same forever....lol


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## Gadawg (Mar 8, 2019)

Until a few days ago, I was training for a powerlifting meet.  Keeping my diet super clean would have been stupid of me.


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## Oblivious (Mar 13, 2019)

I've lost over 70lbs in 3 months on IF


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## Straight30weight (Mar 13, 2019)

People act like there’s only one way to skin a cat (don’t skin cats). “Oh you didn’t do it the way I do so you’re wrong”. There’s no right or wrong way, just do what ****in works.


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## Gadawg (Mar 13, 2019)

Didnt eat til 11 today.  Will go til noon tomorrow.  Abs starting to poke through and strength still going up!  

I think the 700 mg is helping though.


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## hulksmash (Mar 13, 2019)

I do water-only fasting on average time of 9pm to 10-12pm while at work.

Off work, average of 9pm to 3pm. 

For years. Water only. It's not fasting if you have anything other than water or coffee/tea (no sugar, cream, or ANY calorie). Has to be 0 calories during the fast.


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## Gadawg (Mar 13, 2019)

I do black coffee only.  It's very easy


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## ccpro (Mar 14, 2019)

snake said:


> IF you eat too much, you'll get fat.
> 
> That's my diet IF.


No, that's my diet


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## Spongy (Mar 14, 2019)

automatondan said:


> Spongy, can you expand/explain about taking the glucose tab prior to lifting? I'm wondering why you recommend this...? Does it have something to do with insulin? Would it pull you out of ketosis?



It does not pull me out of ketosis and I don't think it would pull anyone out, but everyone is different.  Ketosis is not the goal of PSMF, it's just one of the side effects, so to speak.  The small amount of glucose allegedly provide an energy boost to aid in the quality of workout on such low calories.  That being said, I have yet to have a genuinely quality workout on PSMF,  but I've only done it once.


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## Straight30weight (Mar 14, 2019)

Spongy said:


> I have done it before on a cut and honestly don't have any issues with it in terms of results.  I did a 16 hour fast followed by 8 hours feeding between 2pm and 10pm with the majority being consumed between 4 and 7.
> 
> I leaned out quite a bit and didnt notice a significant loss of muscle mass, but I certainly did not put on any muscle mass.
> 
> ...


I need to look into psmf. Thanks for the recommendation


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## jennerrator (Mar 15, 2019)

Straight30weight said:


> I need to look into psmf. Thanks for the recommendation





This was an interesting read...


https://siimland.com/full-guide-to-protein-sparing-modified-fast-psmf/


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## bogie418 (Apr 11, 2019)

Oblivious said:


> I've lost over 70lbs in 3 months on IF



Can you expand on this please?  How did you do this?


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## Jin (Apr 11, 2019)

bogie418 said:


> Can you expand on this please?  How did you do this?



Oblivious is a cross between a guru and a genie. You’ll never be able to duplicate his results.


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## automatondan (Apr 11, 2019)

bogie418 said:


> Can you expand on this please?  How did you do this?



I heard he ate half a grapefruit a day and did a lot of coke...


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## Straight30weight (Apr 11, 2019)

automatondan said:


> I heard he ate half a grapefruit a day and did a lot of coke...


I heard he bought the grapefruits from Kai


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## automatondan (Apr 12, 2019)

automatondan said:


> I heard he ate half a grapefruit a day and did a lot of coke...



I actually read that this is what Christian Bale did when he prepped for his role in The Machinist where he got down to 128 lbs. 6 months after wrapping shooting The Machinist, he began filming The Dark Knight at a solid 215 lbs. Pretty crazy...


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## MtBikR (Apr 12, 2019)

You see him in Vice? He is a shape shifter.


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## MtBikR (Apr 12, 2019)

Question on IF, if I'm trying to eat in a dedicated window, say 4 hours. I find it easier to do this later in the day. My workout is early in the morning. I've been reading about the benefit of getting some immediate nutrition into the body post workout. Am I hampering my results by staying fasted for an additional 8 hours post workout?


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## automatondan (Apr 12, 2019)

MtBikR said:


> Question on IF, if I'm trying to eat in a dedicated window, say 4 hours. I find it easier to do this later in the day. My workout is early in the morning. I've been reading about the benefit of getting some immediate nutrition into the body post workout. Am I hampering my results by staying fasted for an additional 8 hours post workout?



Short answer: yes.

If you really are set on doing IF, I would set it up (get creative with your schedule) that you train fasted, but then have your feeding window start within an hour of your workout. There are all kinds of reasons behind this on a physiological level (which I don't have time to go into), including a perfectly timed insulin spike.

If this is absolutely not possible, then skip the fasting on your heavy training days... Fast on your off days instead. Or do a shorter fast on training days.


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## hulksmash (Apr 13, 2019)

MtBikR said:


> Question on IF, if I'm trying to eat in a dedicated window, say 4 hours. I find it easier to do this later in the day. My workout is early in the morning. I've been reading about the benefit of getting some immediate nutrition into the body post workout. Am I hampering my results by staying fasted for an additional 8 hours post workout?



You're NOT "hampering" your results.

Most people don't know the *cytological, morphological, histological, and physiological* details concerning muscle growth while in a fasted state.

I continually hit PRs and get desired results while in a fasted state. Hell, my avatar shows how the "facts" given in AAS/BBing forums are wrong, especially for adaptations in fasted states.


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## biohacks (Aug 11, 2019)

I am doing 2-day water fast once a month


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