There are many good and extremely detailed Intermittent Fasting Guides out there.

I learned about Intermittent Fasting (IF) at www.leangains.com and I've never been shy about giving him credit.

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This is not a comprehensive guide.  I just want to hit the highlights and get you up to speed quickly.

This page is like the Cliff's Notes on Intermittent Fasting.

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(Does anyone still use Cliff's Notes?  For those under 35, this page is like the wiki summary on Intermittent Fasting.)

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When I say Intermittent Fasting, I mean daily Intermittent Fasting, specifically 16/8 Intermittent Fasting where you fast for 16 hours and then consume all your nourishment during an 8 hour eating window.

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There are also weekly and monthly forms of Intermittent Fasting, as well as daily Intermittent Fasting using different time periods (e.g. 14/10, 20/4, or you could eat just one meal per day).  They all have validity and benefits.  If 16/8 Intermittent Fasting doesn't work for you, I encourage you to consider one of these other options.  Because fasting in any form can be beneficial to your health.
 

Intermittent Fasting is not a diet.  It is basically an eating schedule with intrinsic benefits, which I'll cover below.

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You are not guaranteed to lose weight while doing IF.  In fact, you could get fat doing IF.  You can lose, maintain, or gain weight while doing IF.  Depending on what and how much you eat, and also your level of activity and exercise.

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Some studies have found IF to be no better than traditional eating schedules for fat loss.  Total calories consumed vs. total calories burned is the main driving force for fat loss.  There can be fat loss related benefits to the timing of when you eat and the content of what you eat, but they are of secondary importance to total calories consumed.

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Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

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The main benefit of IF for me is helping control my daily food intake.  I don't feel hungry upon waking in the morning.  With the help of sipping water and very weak decaf coffee, I have no problem getting to my morning meal at 10:00 AM.  I could easily go longer, but I work out at 12:00 PM and I like to have a light meal in me before I go to the gym.

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If I ate breakfast in the morning before work, like we are told to do, that would be a small meal around 6:00 AM.  I know the way my body works.  I would then be very hungry two hours later, around 8:00 AM, so that would be another small meal.  A small meal for me is between 300 and 600 calories, so that equals 600 to 1200 calories by 8:00 AM.  I still have another 15 hours until bedtime!  And I've already used a good chunk of my daily calorie intake!

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I suppose I could make those two meals really small, but then I would just feel hungry and unsatisfied the whole time when I wasn't hungry to begin with!  So IF is an easy way to avoid consuming all those calories in the morning and save them for later in the day.  It also helps me in the evening to have a cutoff time for eating.  It's not easy like the morning is, but it's still helpful mentally.

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Beyond helping control my food intake, Intermittent Fasting provides a multitude of beneficial effects which improve health, facilitate fat loss, build muscle, and increase longevity.  Without getting into all the details regarding how, here are some of the many benefits of Intermittent Fasting:

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• Increases Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Levels

• Improves Immune System Strength and Regulation

• Facilitates Autophagy (Process whereby the body repairs damaged cells)

• Increases Testosterone Levels

• Improves Blood Sugar Regulation

• Starves Cancer Cells

• Reduces Inflammation Throughout the Body

• Facilitates Genetic Repair Mechanisms

• Lowers Blood Pressure

• Lowers Cholesterol

• Lowers Triglycerides

• Improves Brain Function

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Many of these things directly and indirectly help with fat loss.  I know I said earlier that some studies have found IF to be no better than a calorie restricted traditional eating schedule for fat loss.  Those studies exist.  I can't explain this discrepancy.  Unfortunately, when it comes to human physiology there are many gray areas and many conflicting study results.  My two cents:  For fat loss, calories consumed minus calories used* trumps everything, BUT quality foods, high protein, strength training, and Intermittent Fasting can help the equation!

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* I chose the word used instead of burned because used covers both calories burned and calories spent building muscle mass.  

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Eating Window

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There are a few things to consider for your eating window.  When do you strength train?  What 8 hour eating window works for you and your daily schedule?  And how will this affect your family or those close to you?

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Do you wake up ravenous and just have to eat something?

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Do you have a family dinner every night?

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Is the only time you can strength train late at night before bed?

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Do you have low blood sugar issues?

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Do you strength train in the morning before work?

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Do you get late night hunger pangs and tend to cheat on your diet?

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 You have to figure out what your issues are and what constraints you have to work around.  The schedule can be almost anything you make it.  There are only two hard and fast rules (Of course, pun intended!) when it comes to Intermittent Fasting.

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Hard and Fast Rule # 1

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The first rule is you only get the benefits of fasting if you actually fast, so that means no calories for 16* hours!

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*You can go as low as 12 hours and still get some of the benefits of fasting, but 16 is better.

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You can have as much water, tea, and black coffee as you like.  Don't overdo the caffeine too much.  Adding a few drops of MCT oil, coconut oil, or even cream to your coffee or tea is OK if done sparingly.  It's OK to have a splash of lemon juice or a lemon wedge in your water or tea occasionally, as well.

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Artificial sweeteners and diet soda pop are unfortunately a gray area.  I happen to love the taste of diet soda pops, even with the funny aftertaste.  Some artificial sweeteners can induce an insulin response even though they have no calories.  And artificial sweeteners may interfere with some of the benefits of fasting for other reasons, as well.  Studies are not conclusive on these.  It is best to go without them if you can.  If it is the only way you can get through the fast without cheating, then go ahead and use them.  But work towards weening off them long term.

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Hard and Fast Rule # 2

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The second rule is when you strength train, it must be done during, or immediately prior to, your eating window!

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Do not strength train during your fast and then have your first meal hours later.  You can strength train while fasting, but it should be at the end of your fast period, with your first meal immediately following strength training.  Your first meal could simply be a protein shake and some carbs.  It doesn't have to be a full blown meal, but it has to have protein and it has to be as soon as possible.

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Also, if you do strength train at the end of your fast, you should consume 10 grams of BCAA's (Branched Chain Amino Acids) before your workout.  They won't mess up your fast significantly and they will help ward off muscle loss.  If you use a workout shake or have a meal before strength training, then you don't need the BCAA's.  If the workout shake is your first calories of the day, you simply count it as your first meal.

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Aside from these two rules, you can pretty much make Intermittent Fasting fit your schedule however you like.  Obviously, I can't cover every situation, but let's go through a few different scenarios.

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Example 16/8 Intermittent Fasting Schedules

 

Example # 1 (This is my schedule)

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10:00 AM - Eating Window Opens

12:00 PM - Workout

6:00 PM - Eating Window Closes

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Example # 2 (Fasted strength training)

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12:00 PM - Workout (Fasted with 10 grams BCAA's)

1:00 PM - Eating Window Opens

9:00 PM - Eating Window Closes

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Example # 3 (Afternoon workout)

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2:00 PM - Eating Window Opens

4:00 PM - Workout

10:00 PM - Eating Window Closes

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Example # 4 (Morning workout fasted)

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6:00 AM - Workout (Fasted with 10 grams BCAA's)

7:00 AM - Eating Window Opens

3:00 PM - Eating Window Closes

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Example # 5 (Late night workout)

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4:00 PM - Eating Window Opens

10:00 PM - Workout

12:00 AM - Eating Window Closes

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There are way too many permutations to cover.  You get the idea.  Make of it whatever you want and whatever works for you.  Change up your schedule week to week if you need to, or even day to day if something comes up.  You're not locked in forever.  And if your favorite team is playing a night game and you want to partake of yummy snacks while the game is on, just shift your eating window.  Or say 'screw it,' and get back on schedule the next day.

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As long as you follow the two rules and stay within your total calories for the day, you will get the benefits of Intermittent Fasting.  That is pretty much all there is to it.

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If for some reason, you just can't seem to make it work for you, that's OK.  I know Intermittent Fasting can be hard.  It may not be for you.  I think most people who really want to, can fit it into their lifestyle.  You may have a medical condition, low blood sugar issues, or some life situation that just makes it untenable right now.

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Don't sweat it if it doesn't seem to work for you.  As great and beneficial as I think Intermittent Fasting is, I can easily think of 7 things that are more important for transforming from fat to fit!

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• Maintaining a Calorie Deficit

• Dealing with Emotional Issues

• Reducing Stress

• Strength Training

• Getting Proper Hydration

• Increasing Protein Intake

• Getting Restful Sleep

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There are probably many more, but you get the point.  Intermittent fasting is a helpful tool for getting lean and staying lean, but it is not the sole key to transforming from fat to fit.

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Bonus Material for Extra Credit

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If you are doing Intermittent Fasting and you're looking for a little extra edge in the fat burning department, here are two things you can add to your IF routine.

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Fat Burning Bonus # 1

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Do LISS cardio during the 12th to 16th hour of your fast period.

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During this phase of the fast, your body will readily burn fat for fuel.  I don't mean do 4 hours of cardio!  I just mean do cardio during this phase of your fast.  I used to ride the exercise bike for 50 minutes (length of a Star Trek episode) every morning about 13 hours into my fast period.

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It is important that this be low intensity cardio.  Walking is good or low speed pedaling on an exercise bike.  Anything too intense could cause the body to break down muscle tissue for fuel, and we never want that!  Because when it comes to transforming, muscle mass is your friend!

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Fat Burning Bonus # 2

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Limit your starchy carbohydrate intake to just the first 4 hours of your eating window.

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This means oats, pastas, breads, potatoes, etc... would be eaten only during the first half of the eating window.  Carbs don't include salads, leafy greens, red onions, brussels sprouts, etc...  If it's green or purple, it's probably OK.

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This may not work for everyone.  I still recommend having carbs with your protein after strength training.  So if you work out later in the day, this might not be a good fit for your schedule.

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The purpose of this is to get most of the carbs out of your system before your fast period even begins.  You can get to the fat burning portion of your fast even faster (Yes, intended!  Do you even have to ask anymore?) this way.

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I did this when I was doing Intermittent Fasting during my transformation.  I had oats and protein for my early meals and then I had my workout shake with some carbs in it.  However, the rest of the day I only had a protein shake and a large salad with meat on it.  I Believe it helped me get even leaner.

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As always, thank you for reading.  If you have any questions, please feel free to Ask Me a Question!

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