macgyver
TID Board Of Directors
- Nov 24, 2011
- 1,997
- 1,672
I have posted about this before. But I just had another annual physical and I am reminded of the wonders of I.F.
For those that dont know, I used to be the guy eating 5-6 meals a day. I weighed and tracked macros fanatically for years.
I would eat structured surpluses for 4-5 months and then a 500-750 deficit for 10-12 weeks. Rinse and repeat. Most of my training was done naturally, however after actually needing trt for an unrelated injury, I then added (conservative) aas usage in my mid 40's for the first time.
The first few days were a strange shift for me since I could NEVER go more than a few hours without NEEDING to eat. I would get 'hangry' all the time. What I soon found is it was easier and easier to go without food. What was also cool, is I did not whither away. Controlling composition was as easy as pulling a few light days here and there. Maybe dropping down to a single meal and then substituting some additional protein.
These days, I probably get 160-180g protein/day. I used to eat 230+ EVERY day. In order to hit those levels, I utilize whey since I only eat 2 meals. One, my first around 230, and then dinner.
My shake, is a mixture of leucine, fiber, and whey. I take it every night and will add as much protein as I need to get my intake where it needs to be. The leucine 'up regulates' the protein bolus as well, and besides tasting like sh!t, it is not a bad practice. The fiber...well that goes without saying
Eating less, and many times not as 'healthy' means it keeps the works in order.
Now here is the crazy part. I have seen subtle changes in my bloodwork since switching to IF. For reference, I have annual bloodwork going back 15+ years.
1-my blood sugar is much more 'normal'. My fasted blood sugar was always low. (very low). Maybe this is why I need to eat so often or was sensitive to eating. Since switching to IF, my fasted ranges are always mid range. NEVER in 10+ years before was that ever the case.
2-My ldl has come up. My cholesterol was always good, a little on the low side, but so was my LDL. Since switching to IF, my overall profile of my lipids has improved significantly.
So those things sound pretty good. But here is the backdrop you need. This past year in particular, I have eaten the WORST I ever have. I eat fried chicken 2-3 days a week for lunch. I eat a few tubs of ice cream a week. Been dipping into processed foods like chips and snacks which was not something I ever did. My meals are pretty much open season since I eat so much at a sitting.
I work from home so a typical lunch I eat is 10 oz chicken cut into nuggets and fried. I make 2 thin fillets and eat them on sweet rolls and eat the rest as nuggets. (I do this 2-3 times a week). Then I grab some greek yogurt, and add some granola cereal. If I want more carbs, I will eat a pack or ramen noodles. Then I grab a granola bar and go snack at my desk and some chocolate covered raisins.
This has also opened me up do a new way of losing weight. It is similar to a PSMF (protein sparing modified fast) except I only do it a few days a week. Essentially if I want to drop fat, I just pick 2 days out of the week and eat only about 200 g protein. Lowest fat I can get. Since my hunger is so well modulated, this is actually not hard at all to do.
I get the same results from this, approx 1lb of fat loss a week, as I would from a conventional 500 cal deficit diet. And it is MUCH easier, since the other days, I am still eating mexican take-out w/ 6 tacos and chips and cheese dip...etc.
Just throwing it out there for some good thought for anyone considering trying IF. I say give it a shot.
For those that dont know, I used to be the guy eating 5-6 meals a day. I weighed and tracked macros fanatically for years.
I would eat structured surpluses for 4-5 months and then a 500-750 deficit for 10-12 weeks. Rinse and repeat. Most of my training was done naturally, however after actually needing trt for an unrelated injury, I then added (conservative) aas usage in my mid 40's for the first time.
The first few days were a strange shift for me since I could NEVER go more than a few hours without NEEDING to eat. I would get 'hangry' all the time. What I soon found is it was easier and easier to go without food. What was also cool, is I did not whither away. Controlling composition was as easy as pulling a few light days here and there. Maybe dropping down to a single meal and then substituting some additional protein.
These days, I probably get 160-180g protein/day. I used to eat 230+ EVERY day. In order to hit those levels, I utilize whey since I only eat 2 meals. One, my first around 230, and then dinner.
My shake, is a mixture of leucine, fiber, and whey. I take it every night and will add as much protein as I need to get my intake where it needs to be. The leucine 'up regulates' the protein bolus as well, and besides tasting like sh!t, it is not a bad practice. The fiber...well that goes without saying
Eating less, and many times not as 'healthy' means it keeps the works in order.Now here is the crazy part. I have seen subtle changes in my bloodwork since switching to IF. For reference, I have annual bloodwork going back 15+ years.
1-my blood sugar is much more 'normal'. My fasted blood sugar was always low. (very low). Maybe this is why I need to eat so often or was sensitive to eating. Since switching to IF, my fasted ranges are always mid range. NEVER in 10+ years before was that ever the case.
2-My ldl has come up. My cholesterol was always good, a little on the low side, but so was my LDL. Since switching to IF, my overall profile of my lipids has improved significantly.
So those things sound pretty good. But here is the backdrop you need. This past year in particular, I have eaten the WORST I ever have. I eat fried chicken 2-3 days a week for lunch. I eat a few tubs of ice cream a week. Been dipping into processed foods like chips and snacks which was not something I ever did. My meals are pretty much open season since I eat so much at a sitting.
I work from home so a typical lunch I eat is 10 oz chicken cut into nuggets and fried. I make 2 thin fillets and eat them on sweet rolls and eat the rest as nuggets. (I do this 2-3 times a week). Then I grab some greek yogurt, and add some granola cereal. If I want more carbs, I will eat a pack or ramen noodles. Then I grab a granola bar and go snack at my desk and some chocolate covered raisins.
This has also opened me up do a new way of losing weight. It is similar to a PSMF (protein sparing modified fast) except I only do it a few days a week. Essentially if I want to drop fat, I just pick 2 days out of the week and eat only about 200 g protein. Lowest fat I can get. Since my hunger is so well modulated, this is actually not hard at all to do.
I get the same results from this, approx 1lb of fat loss a week, as I would from a conventional 500 cal deficit diet. And it is MUCH easier, since the other days, I am still eating mexican take-out w/ 6 tacos and chips and cheese dip...etc.
Just throwing it out there for some good thought for anyone considering trying IF. I say give it a shot.
