Based on the context of your goals this is exactly what you should be doing. Looking back at the beginning of my weight loss journey it is what I wished I had done myself. Fat loss will be slower but right now you can take advantage of "newbie gains" where your body will partion calories into fueling muscle growth as it adapts to the new inputs. Depending on your genetics and training history you might be able to milk these kinds of gains for 3-6 months.

My suggestion would be that once you stop making progress on adding weight to the bar you reevaluate what you're doing and perhaps but a bigger emphasis on fat loss. Till then - minor deficit and hard training is what the doctor ordered.

I agree with John. You have to get a feel for how your body is reacting, and increase it gradually over time to sustain what you have. By doing so gradually, if you pay close attention, you will notice the changes of what is and is not working where you can make adjustments. If you just jump in full swing, then you can completely throw off that balance in trying to maintain the muscle, as your body will turn the muscle back to fat so it can try to counter starving itself. Always do things over time when you can help it.

Yes it is a hard lesson to grasp though. I think alot of us start off wanting to see fast results. And if that worked I wouldn't be here again (meaning back to the 180's when I've lost down to the 150-160 a few times in the past). I need to take a different approach this time. And while slow progress is frustrating it is so good to hear other say that this is the right way.

Thanks guys!

Hi everyone! I'm excited to say that I think I'm beyond the binge phase of Fast-5. Yesterday when my window opened, the food that I ate actually tasted gross and I didn't even finish it. That never happens, I'm the type of person that ALWAYS clears my plate. Then we went to the races and I bought some nachos and the same thing happened. They said it would happen but I'm mildly surprised by it because I haven't been fasting every day, usually only during the week.

I hope everyone is doing just as good!
*Weigh in is tomorrow*

Hi, Everyone, I have been reading some of the posts for months. I have tried IF, Atkins, and vegetarian. I overindulged on Atkins and I am concerned about getting enough protein on a vegetaian diet. I decided to stick with the IF way of eating. I am on my third day. My eating window is 11 am to 4 pm. Every four days, I intended to start my eating window one hour later. Instead of trying to be a perfectionist, I wil gradually incorporate changes to diet and exercise routine.

Your posts are helpful and encouraging. Thank you.

Feels good doesn't it tonimaroni? :)

Welcome and good luck Valeriao!

I just read a great tip for the scale obsessed like me. I tend to get really discouraged by the day-to-day ups and downs, and it leads to me either dieting obsessively or throwing in the towel completely. Neither is healthy.

So here's what the suggestion was: get one of those scales with the sliding weights like in a doctor's office. Weigh yourself, and keep track of where the slides are. The next time, before you get on, but the slides back where they were the last time you weighed. Then, step on the scale. ONLY adjust the slides IF you have lost weight.

Over time, you should be sliding the weights down gradually. You don't even THINK about those days you don't move it, because you don't record your weight those days.

I think this is really going to help me. For example, I didn't weigh at all this morning because I had chinese food last night, and I knew my weight was going to be up. I know it's purely psychological, but to me that number DOES make a difference in how I feel for the day.

Of course, you do have to make sure that you are following your diet plan. You wouldn't want to be actually gaining weight and not know. :-)

I really think this will help me relax a little with the scale. Hopefully that will be the case.

I've been doing really well with my IF. :) I ate pretty poorly Friday night, but it was movie night! Hubby and I went to see Avengers. We got burgers and milkshakes, and the best part, I didn't gain any weight.

I do have a question.. I weighed myself on two scales today; the digital and a doctor's scale. With the digital scale, my weight is different, even if I weigh myself multiple times in a small time frame. With the doctors scale, my weight stays constant in a similar time frame ..And yes, I am using the scale properly. CNA training paid off! :)

What scale seems more accurate, the digital scale or the doctors scale? These scales are both at the gym.

Hello All!
Just finished a 24 hour fast - needed to do that after a weekend with a little too much wine and cheese! Feel great right now, though.

Love all the new posts. You guys are burning up the IF world!!!!

Great to see people in so many different phases and types of IF here. Newbies, novices, and seasoned people encouraging each other.

Penguin - I'm guessing the scale that reads consistently will be the more accurate. Either way, it's the progress that's important, not the specific number at any time.

Tonimaroni - Way to go! Conquering cravings and gaining control is such a good thing. Congrats on that success.

vs11972 - Great tip on the scale thing. I must say, I get on it too often and do let it control me more than it should, although much less so since I've started IF, as this is just how I live now and the weight will have to take care of itself.

Valeriao - Welcome aboard! You'll find an IF path that works for you. Loads of options out there.

Have a great night everyone!

I'm probably going to stick with the doctors scale because it seems more reliable. Well that and it's not on carpet... No more digital scale for me!

The weird thing was that the progress that I did see today was on the doctor's scale. As of right now, I'm sitting at 184lbs on the doctors scale. With the digital scale, it said I gained weight(186lbs), which is what made me try the doctors scale in the first place.

Technically, I've lost another pound. But I don't think I'll count it unless I weigh in the same weight over the next few days.


I think I'm going to try and implement a 24 hour fast at some point this week, just to see what its like. Am I allowed to drink coffee with creamer during a 24 hour fast?

Today was my official weigh in day and I'm the exact same as last week. I can't complain about that, except that yesterday I was almost 2 lbs less. Which brings me to my next question for the more experienced fasters.

I've been getting headaches nearly everyday for the last 2 weeks and I NEVER get headaches. They feel like hangover headaches, although I know I'm not dehydrated. Could this be one of the affects of my body going into ketosis? I haven't been sticking to my eating window on the weekends so my body has to keep readjusting on Sundays, which might explain why I keep having the same repeated cycle of headaches during the week. I'm not sure. Any thoughts?

penguin - Not sure what the pros say on a 24 hour fast, but on leangains you haven't broken your fast unless you go over 50 calories, which a splash of cream wouldn't do. Someone else may have a better answer!

tomaroni - Not sure about the headaches. Could it be blood sugar related? I don't know about the ketosis affect. I've been in ketosis before, but noticed more of a bleery feeling (possibly similar to what you have) but that went away after two or three days.

I have found that on the days I lift and then run I have no problem holding my fast, but on the days I run and then lift I get STARVING.

But I dont know if it is specifically related to the order of the exercises or some other factor. e.g. I usually do weights first on MWF and because of kids activities tend to eat later on S/T/Th. Or because MW tend to be heavy burn days so T/Th I am hungrier to compensate and that just happens to be the same days I run first.

or because cardio tends to surpress my appetite or because of timing. Today I was starving after weights (cardio, then weights) but didnt have TIME to think about eating and by the time I had time I wasnt as ravenous anymore.

All I know is I am better off not eating until I have done all the working out I intend to do that day, how ever much it is.

I havent been posting much lately. Kind of in a funk. Coming out of the funk, I need to spend less time on a computer.

tonimaroni Headaches are often a carb withdrawal symptom. I get BAD headaches if I do carb cutting way before I ever get to ketosis - it doesnt usually last 2 weeks, but if you are reintroducing every weekend you might not be ever really adjusting. Also...if you are struggling at all with your window many people clench their jaw when they are hungry which can lead to headaches.

penguin Fasting is really about what rules you make it to be for yourself. Some people are fine with a calorie limit and get all the benefits. Some it is a carb/protein thing so they can do heavy cream even if it goes over 50 cals, but couldnt do creamer because of the sugars.

Hello everyone;

I have been lurking here for abour 1 month and I have switched to this way of life. In one month I have dropped 10 lbs. This is a no brainer for me. I always forced myself to eat breakfast, which I hated trying to do things the normal way. This is great to see other people "normal" like me.

Welcome Mercee. Way to go on the 10 lbs!!!

Ennay- I suppose the headaches could be a carb withdrawal symptom, I'm not sure. In any case, I usually have no problem sticking to my eating window during the week so I'll see if I can just do better on the weekends, that should help me out.