opinions on "lean gains"

[Bella]

Shrek are you coming for pancakes too??? lol I think jzpowahz better stoke up the fry pan and get a load of that batter happening....

 

[jzpowahz]

You mean clean?

Yeah mate, prewashed pancake mix

 

[WIzZaMaBoB]

So aside from the discussions about how many meals per day seem to suit everyone and arbitrary comments about what "the pros do", does anyone have any interesting facts regarding the physiological pros/cons to IF?

The Guardian has an article to suggest that it can help with brain function by putting it under stress similar to what we do to our muscles when we lift. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/18/fasting-protect-brain-diseases-scientists
It is however frustratingly scarce with links to backed studies.

 

[Aim2getfit]

I'm a big IF fan for one big reason, I hate eating breakfast at the morning. So eating a big dinner at 19,30 and fasting to 12,00 the next day is great for me.

And I actually can control my hunger better when cutting. I've only "spoken" to Martin, the swede behind Leangains, two times over mail but he's kicking ass!

 

[MaxBrenner]

Because of the amount of food you would have to eat. It would be a nightmare trying to eat that much food less frequently. That is the only reason, It wouldn't be a good Idea to fast for half the day if you were a pro.

You ever been to a buffet'? It is very easy to eat a lot of calories in one go.

 

[strong enough?]

I am giving lean gains a go.

For the past 2 years I have been suffering from what feels like wild blood sugar swings - hungry all the time then after lunch I crash massively and feel like sleeping. In my line of work, I need to focus and be able to think clearly throughout the day.

I tried low carb, no grains, salads for lunch, grazing, adding more fibre, but none of this seemed to affect the post-lunch crash.

I never used to eat breakfast throughout high school or uni, but since working I have become used to it.

I am a voracious eater, and have a very high satiety threshold. I can eat plates of food in one sitting no problem. So I thought lean gains might suit me very well.

So far, so good. After one week I am noticing cognitive benefits - I have more focus during the day. Hunger is noticeable around 9am, but dissipates by 11am.

One question for people who have used this protocol:

I train late at night. I can't train until my son is off to bed, which is around 7.30-8pm most nights. This makes it hard to use a 16/8 fast/feed ratio, because I need to eat after training - which might be 10pm, but I need to take a lunch break at 1-2pm the next day. It also means I can't have 2 meals post-workout, as leangains promotes. I need to get to sleep by 11pm at the latest, as I get up at 6.30am for work. I train 3 days a week. Any suggestions on a protocol? I was thinking

Training day:

1pm lunch
4pm snack
6.30pm dinner
8.30pm train
10-10.30pm post workout meal

Rest day:

1.30pm lunch (15 hour fast)
4pm snack
6.30pm dinner
9pm evening meal (leaving 16 hour fast before next training day)

 

[jzpowahz]

WIzZaMaBoB: being that the pro's are massive dudes and clearly require a LOT of cals just to maintain weight I can't see many (if any) of them opting for IF.

strong enough?: I'd either wait a bit longer to break fast the next day or just eat the last meal before training. Remembering, that the main benefit of IF is being able to stick to cal/macro targets not so much the hormonal affects. If you can only fast for 14hrs but hit you're daily targets then that's all good basically

 

[WIzZaMaBoB]

jzpowahz: I never suggested anything to the contrary? I tend to agree that as the cal consumption increases this protocol would become increasingly hard.

strong enough?: I have a few different timing protocols that I chop and change between on a daily basis depending on whether I workout morning or afternoon, both or neither.
Below are the most common.


Morning & Afternoon Workout
3.50 AM 5-15 minutes pre workout 10g BCAA
4-5 AM Steady state running / cycling
6 AM 10g BCAA
8 AM 10g BCAA
1-2 PM Meal one. Approximately 20-25% of daily total calorie intake
4-5 PM Pre-Workout meal. Roughly same as meal one
7 PM Post-Workout meal. Roughly 60% of total daily caloric intake
9 PM Casein & Bed

Morning Only
3.50 AM 5-15 minutes pre workout 10g BCAA
4-5 AM Steady state running / cycling
6 AM 10g BCAA
8 AM 10g BCAA
1-2 PM The "real" post-workout meal (largest meal of the day). Start of the 8 hour feeding-window. (~60%)
6-7 PM Large Meal. (~40%)
9 PM Casein & Bed

Afternoon Only (2 Pre Meals)
5 AM - 1 PM FAST
1-2 PM Meal one. Approximately 20-25% of daily total calorie intake ~520 Calories
4-5 PM Pre-Workout meal. Roughly same as meal one
6-7PM Workout
7 PM Post-Workout meal. Roughly 60% of total daily caloric intake ~1561 Calories
9 PM Casein & Bed

May I suggest that you have your lunch as late as possible at work, say 2pm, 20%, then a similar sized meal a couple of hours later, then send the little tacker off to bed nice and early so you can be downing your largest meal, 60% at 10pm. 2 meals is not necessarily required, but a majority of your cals need to come post work out.

 

[strong enough?]

thanks guys for the input much appreciated!

 

[Rugby88]

At the end of the day...stick with the basics and what works for you...

 

[MaxBrenner]

At the end of the day...stick with the basics and what works for you...

Which is, for the people who missed it - What works is consuming adequate calories with sufficient macronutrient balance to support the desired body composition and exercsie perfromance you need.

It should come down to the individuals lifestyle requirements and allows for the best dietary adherence for the long term.

 

[chocchillimango]

interesting short article on IF: I?ve heard about intermittent fasting for 24hrs 2 or 3 fasting sessions per week, would this help speed results?


edit: found this today .. throwing a cat amongst the pigeons
just one guy's experience but interesting none the less:

Intermittent Fasting: Part 2, The Fight’s Over Dangerously HardcoreDangerously Hardcore