Intermittent fasting diet

[milketc]

Posted this in another thread but then decided I might get more responses if i make a new thread.

After another couple of months of minimal gains I've been trying some intermittent fasting without much success... so decided to put together an exact meal plan to follow every day, as up until now i've just been eating anything and putting it into my macro/calories spreadsheet that i made and have been attempting to get roughly 2100cals on rest days and 3100 cals on workout days.. although ive been increasing it a bit over the last couple of weeks and seem to have just gained some fat instead of any strength sigh. the diet is possibly lacking in fruit/vegetables...


REST DAY
Lunch 2:00pm
300g chicken
0.7cups dry rice
200g yoghurt

Afternoon snack 4:30pm
50g of cashews
4 vitabrits + 1 banana + milk

Dinner 7:30pm
3 cans of tuna drained
1 avocado + salad (cucumber/tomato/lettuce/balsamic vinegar)
500mL low fat milk

calories fat carbs protein
2447.9 126.81 252.15 182.525

WORKOUT DAY
Pre-workout 12:00pm
2 scoops of protein powder in water

Post workout 2:00pm
300g chicken
0.7 cups dry rice
200g yoghurt
6 vitabrits + 1 banana + milk

Dinner 8pm
400g steak
300g sweet potato + cauliflower + broccoli steamed
500mL light milk
100g low fat ice cream

calories fat carbs protein
3157.5 61.81 334.5 279.94


Workout A:
3x10 Barbell squats (80kg)
3x8 barbell bench press (80kg)
1x5 deadlift (100kg)
3x8 dumbbell rows (30kg)

Workout B:
3x10 Barbell squats (80kg)
3x8 military press (50kg)
3x8 barbell rows (60kg)
3x8 lat pulldown (50kg)

I try to go to the gym every 2nd day, was hoping to gain strength/muscle whilst losing some fat like other people claim using IF but im still weaker than i was before christmas and no leaner fml. nutrient content of foods obtained mostly from internet. once i get to 8 reps i add some weight.

I obtained the macro ratios from this calculator: IF Calculator
set to:
lean massing
protein: 1g/lb bodyweight
carbs/fat split (rest 50%/50%) (workout 75%/25%)

Outputs from calculator:
rest day: 223.7g carbs, 160.6g protein, 99.4g fat 2432 calories
workout day: 487.6g carbs, 160.6g protein 72.2g fat 3243 calories

im still about 73kg and 178cm tall

Anyway, does this diet/routine look aiight? I dont know whether IF is popular at all on this forum, havent really noticed it mentioned much. Was thinking of perhaps trying a different gym routine.

 

[Eman]

I'm no guru, but from what I've read around, there's no massive difference between training with food or using IF. It tends to be subjective, some prefer it others don't.

Just to clarify, in the OP you say you've only made 'minimal gains' but in your original thread (diet help) you've said your goal is to lose fat and maintain muscle? By minimal gains do you mean you've only lost minimal weight or gained minimal gains in your lifts?

Also, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I'm basically the exact same height and weight.

 

[milketc]

I'm no guru, but from what I've read around, there's no massive difference between training with food or using IF. It tends to be subjective, some prefer it others don't.

Just to clarify, in the OP you say you've only made 'minimal gains' but in your original thread (diet help) you've said your goal is to lose fat and maintain muscle? By minimal gains do you mean you've only lost minimal weight or gained minimal gains in your lifts?

Also, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I'm basically the exact same height and weight.

When I made the other thread I was looking to lose fat and maintain muscle, but now I'm hoping to gain muscle and not gain any/much fat (when I initially started going to the gym I tried bulking and I ended up not really gaining that much strength and just got a bit fat and I cbf with that anymore... Although a couple of weeks ago I had a bad cold for a couple of weeks that prevented me from going to the gym and I got all depressed and ate poorly and gained the fat that I lost towards the start of the year again.

I'm 21.

 

[Eman]

But now I'm hoping to gain muscle and not gain any/much fat.

If you ever get the chance to, read the first section of Lyle McDonald's UD2.0. It sheds some light on the way the human body works in pretty easy to understand language. (or refer to this article Muscle Gain Mistakes | BodyRecomposition - The Home of Lyle McDonald)

To summarise, gaining muscle comes coupled naturally with fat. Just the same way that it's difficult (or almost impossible, I think) to lose fat and gain muscle.

Btw, sorry I'm not exactly helping with your particular problem, just trying to shed some light on information you might find helpful. I'll leave those problems to the real nutrition guru's here.

 

[jzpowahz]

What Eman said is correct.

If you are training properly (which it looks like you are) and eating at a reasonable surplus then you will gain muscle & fat. As the body can only increase muscle mass at a certain rate, any additional cal surplus will be fat. So that is why a moderate surplus is required. 10-15% IMO.

I take it you're maintenance cals from the calc are around 2600? Has this been tested to be true for you? Remember the TDEE calcs are just estimates. If you're actual maintenance was 2300 for example then that would explain excess fat gain. And I think we need to remember that we are our own harshest critics with regards to fat gain IMO!

 

[haz]

I've been loosely doing a 16/8 IF protocol for the last 6 week. I've gained about 1-2kg with very minimal gain around the waist.
I like it. it fits my life. its good not worrying about eating every 3 hours. and i enjoy the big meals.
its all about managing insulin.