Intermittent Fasting: How to Best Use it for Fat Loss (5 Things You Need to Know)
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the impact of intermittent fasting on body composition, debunking myths that it hinders fat loss or muscle retention. It emphasizes the importance of calorie deficit for fat loss, not just fasting. The 16:8 protocol is recommended for minimizing muscle loss during fat loss, with advice on fasting duration, meal composition, and timing. The video also addresses the benefits of fasting for appetite suppression and adherence to calorie deficits, suggesting a diet rich in whole foods and sufficient protein intake. It concludes with practical tips for training while fasting and the potential advantages of different meal frequencies.
Takeaways
- 🍽️ Intermittent fasting does not directly increase fat loss or muscle gain compared to traditional dieting when calories are equated.
- 🕒 The 16:8 protocol, fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window, is recommended for fat loss while minimizing muscle loss.
- 📅 Consistency in fasting and feeding windows is key for the body to adapt and suppress hunger hormones.
- 🚫 During fasting, avoid calorie intake and focus on drinking water, black coffee, green tea, or sparkling water to suppress appetite.
- 🍵 Calorie-free sweeteners are acceptable during fasting as they don't spike insulin levels.
- 🥦 During feeding windows, aim for 80% whole, unprocessed foods and 20% less healthy options for a balanced diet.
- 📏 Calculate daily calorie intake by multiplying body weight in pounds by 13 to maintain a calorie deficit for fat loss.
- 🥩 Prioritize protein intake at 0.73 to 1 gram per pound of body weight to preserve muscle mass during fat loss.
- 🥗 Three protein-rich meals are suggested for effective hunger control and adherence to a calorie deficit.
- 🏋️♂️ The timing of meals around workouts is crucial, especially when training in a fasted state, to minimize muscle breakdown.
- 🔄 There's no one-size-fits-all approach; experiment with fasting and training to find what works best for your lifestyle and goals.
Q & A
What is the primary benefit of intermittent fasting for body composition?
-Intermittent fasting can help individuals lose fat faster without sacrificing muscle mass by making it easier to stick to a calorie deficit.
Does intermittent fasting provide any direct benefits for fat loss or muscle gain when calories are equated?
-No, systematic reviews show that intermittent fasting does not provide any direct benefits for increased fat loss or muscle gain when compared to traditional dieting when calories are equated.
What is the recommended fasting protocol for minimizing muscle loss while losing body fat?
-The 16:8 protocol, which involves fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window, is recommended for minimizing muscle loss while losing body fat.
How long does it typically take for the body to adapt to intermittent fasting?
-It usually takes around two to three weeks for the body to adapt to intermittent fasting.
Is there a difference in how men and women should approach intermittent fasting?
-Research suggests that women may have slightly more adverse reactions to fasting than men, so it's recommended for women to start with a 14:10 protocol and gradually build up to the 16:8 over time.
What can be consumed during the fasting period to help suppress appetite?
-During the fasting period, it's suggested to drink plenty of water, black coffee, green tea, or sparkling water to help suppress appetite.
Are calorie-free sweeteners acceptable to consume during the fasting period?
-Yes, most calorie-free sweeteners do not have an appreciable effect on insulin and are fine to consume during fasting periods.
What should the composition of meals be during the feeding window for optimal fat loss?
-A good rule of thumb is to have 80% of your food coming from whole unprocessed sources and the remaining 20% from less healthy foods.
How much protein intake is recommended per pound of body weight for muscle retention during intermittent fasting?
-It's recommended to intake roughly 0.73 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to maintain muscle mass.
What is the optimal number of meals to eat during the feeding window for hunger control?
-Three protein-rich meals are suggested for better hunger control and convenience.
How important is the timing of meals in relation to workout sessions when intermittent fasting?
-The timing of meals in relation to workouts is important to minimize muscle breakdown and optimize recovery, especially when training fasted.
Outlines
🥗 Intermittent Fasting for Fat Loss
Intermittent fasting is a dietary approach that involves cycling between periods of fasting and eating. While it may seem counterintuitive for improving body composition, it can actually be beneficial when done properly. The script explains that fasting does not directly increase fat loss or muscle gain, but it can make it easier to adhere to a calorie deficit, which is crucial for fat loss. The 16:8 protocol, which involves fasting for 16 hours and eating during an 8-hour window, is recommended for fat loss with minimal muscle loss. The script also emphasizes the importance of consistency in fasting and eating times to help the body adapt. For women, starting with a 14:10 protocol might be more suitable. During fasting periods, it's suggested to drink water, black coffee, green tea, and other non-caloric beverages to help suppress appetite. The feeding window should include 80% whole, unprocessed foods and 20% less healthy options. The script advises calculating daily calorie intake based on body weight to achieve a calorie deficit and emphasizes the importance of protein intake for muscle retention.
🏋️♂️ Optimal Meal Frequency and Training Timing
The second paragraph discusses the optimal number of meals during the feeding window and the best timing for training sessions. It suggests that three protein-rich meals are the most convenient and effective for hunger control and metabolism regulation. The script dispels the myth that fewer meals can reduce metabolism, emphasizing that total calorie intake and meal composition are more important. It also touches on the benefits of spacing out protein intake over four meals for maximizing protein synthesis, which is particularly relevant for muscle building. Regarding training, the script advises that the best timing depends on personal schedules and performance. For those who train fasted, it's crucial to have a protein and carb-rich meal shortly after the workout to minimize muscle breakdown. If this isn't possible, consuming essential amino acids or a protein shake during or after the workout is an alternative. Conversely, if training occurs within the feeding window, it's recommended to have a meal before and after the workout. The script concludes by reiterating that fasting is not magical for fat loss but can facilitate adherence to a calorie deficit, especially when combined with an effective training plan.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Intermittent Fasting
💡Calorie Deficit
💡Fat Loss
💡Muscle Retention
💡16:8 Protocol
💡Circadian Rhythms
💡Calorie-Free Sweeteners
💡Protein Synthesis
💡Post-Workout Nutrition
💡Meal Frequency
💡Fasted Training
Highlights
Intermittent fasting can help lose fat faster without sacrificing muscle mass.
Intermittent fasting is not magical for fat loss; calorie deficit is key.
Fasting makes it easier to stick to a calorie deficit.
Research shows fasting suppresses appetite better than traditional dieting.
Fasting allows for larger, more satisfying meals within a calorie deficit.
The 16:8 protocol is recommended for minimizing muscle loss.
It's important to be consistent with fasting and feeding windows.
It takes about two to three weeks for the body to adapt to fasting.
Females may have more adverse reactions to fasting and should start with a 14:10 protocol.
During fasting, consume no calories and avoid anything that spikes insulin.
Calorie-free sweeteners are fine to use during fasting.
During feeding windows, eat 80% whole unprocessed foods and 20% less healthy options.
To lose fat, multiply body weight in pounds by 13 to calculate daily calorie intake.
Protein intake is vital for maintaining muscle mass while losing fat.
Three protein-rich meals are recommended during the feeding window.
Lower meal frequency doesn't reduce metabolism; total calorie content is more important.
Spacing out protein over four meals may maximize protein synthesis.
The best time to train depends on your schedule and performance.
If training fasted, time your post-workout meal to minimize muscle breakdown.
If training within the feeding window, ensure pre- and post-workout meals are protein and carb-rich.
Intermittent fasting can be a powerful tool for fat loss when paired with the right training plan.
Transcripts
at first glance intermittent fasting
seems pretty counterintuitive when it
comes to improving body composition the
idea of skipping breakfast consuming
zero calories for several hours on end
and then feasting within a designated
time period goes against much of what's
typically believed to be optimal for fat
loss and muscle retention however the
truth is when done properly intermittent
fasting can be a great tool to help you
lose fat faster and for good all without
sacrificing tons of muscle mass in the
process and in this video i'll show you
exactly how to do so by taking a look at
the following points but before we get
into that it's important that you first
understand that intermittent fasting is
by no means anything magical when it
comes to fat loss
in fact the largest systematic review
covering 40 studies on the topic found
that when calories are equated although
intermittent fasting may provide various
physiological and psychological health
benefits it does not provide any direct
benefit for increased fat loss or muscle
gain when compared to traditional
dieting simply meaning that at the end
of the day the calorie deficit is what
ultimately produces fat loss when
fasting rather than the act of fasting
itself however the great thing about
fasting and why i personally implement
it for fat loss and recommend that you
at least try it is that it makes
sticking to your calorie deficit much
easier to do not only does research show
that it suppresses your appetite better
than traditional dieting but by
ingesting all of your calories within a
shorter time period you're able to
incorporate larger more satisfying meals
that help you stay full despite being in
a calorie deficit therefore likely
leading to better adherence and more fat
loss for you in the long run so with
that being said let's start with how
long you should fast for although
there's several different types of
fasting if your main goal is to draw
body fat while minimizing muscle loss
i'd recommend sticking to the 16 8
protocol popularized by martin burkhand
this simply involves fasting for 16
hours and then eating within an 8 hour
feeding window for example only eating
between 12 to 8 pm and fasting outside
of these hours it's as simple as
skipping breakfast but if you struggle
with this you can gradually build up to
16 hours of fasting over time and or
gradually increase the number of days
you fast for per week the time of day of
your fasting and feeding windows are of
little significance the key though is to
be consistent with when they take place
because it's emphasized in this 2009
paper on circadian rhythms this will
best enable your body to adapt by
suppressing your hunger hormone during
the time of your fast it does often take
around two to three weeks for your body
to adapt but trust me it will become
much easier over time also worth noting
is that at least in rats research shows
that females may have slightly more
adverse reactions to fasting than men
meaning that it's a good idea for
females to start with a 14 10 protocol
for example and then build up to the
16-8 over time when you feel you're
ready now as for what exactly to consume
during your fasting and feeding windows
it's actually quite simple during the
fasting period you don't ingest any
calories or anything that spikes your
insulin i would however suggest drinking
a lot of water as well as black coffee
green tea and or sparkling water while
staying busy in order to help suppress
your appetite during this time as for
calorie-free natural and artificial
sweeteners a 2010 literature review
found that most calorie-free sweeteners
don't have an appreciable effect on
insulin and are therefore fine to have
during your fasting period if you enjoy
in your coffee or tea for example as for
your feeding window the actual foods you
should be eating are no different than
the foods you should be eating with any
fat loss diet a good rule of thumb is to
stick to eighty percent of your foods
coming from whole unprocessed sources
with the remaining twenty percent being
foods considered not as healthy so to
speak a good example of this with
various meal ideas is my science-based
diet for fat loss video which i'll link
in the description box down below now
for exactly how much to eat during your
feeding window as i mentioned before
there's no strong evidence that
intermittent fasting will help you lose
fat without also being in a calorie
deficit therefore i'd suggest taking the
advice from this 2014 paper by eric
helms and colleagues and simply
multiplying your body weight in pounds
by 13. this will provide you with
roughly the amount of calories you need
to ingest daily in order to be in a
calorie deficit such that you're able to
lose around a pound a week and in
addition to this your protein intake
will also be vital to maintain your
muscle mass as you lean down so amunet
intake roughly 0.73 to 1 gram of protein
per pound of body weight would be ideal
and in agreement with the literature so
for example a
pound individual utilizing intermittent
fasting should place a priority on
hitting these two main goals during
their feeding window as for the optimal
number of meals to eat during your
feeding window i think the best and most
convenient option is to stick with three
protein rich meals this not only enables
you to have larger more satisfying meals
as your dieting but is shown in this
2010 paper by lady and colleagues that
compared ingesting three large meals
versus six smaller meals throughout the
day three meals seems to be the better
option for hunger control although this
will likely vary individually in
addition contrary to popular belief as
shown in this paper from the journal of
nutrition when compared to eating more
frequently a lower meal frequency
doesn't cause a reduction in your
metabolism as it's your total calorie
content and composition of your meals
that governs this rather than the actual
frequency at which you eat do note
however that research indicates that
there may be a slight advantage to
spacing out protein over four meals
rather than three in terms of maximizing
protein synthesis meaning that if your
main goal is instead to build muscle
fasting may actually be sub-optimal for
this reason but this is likely of little
significance if you're still consuming
adequate protein with your three meals
which is the more crucial factor
regardless though experiment with it and
stick to a meal frequency that best
suits your lifestyle now as for when to
train although there are various
potential benefits to facet training and
various benefits to training in a fed
state the best option for you will
ultimately depend on your schedule and
also what enables you to perform the
best in your workout but in either case
there are a few things to keep in mind
in the event that you have to wait train
fasted in the morning as shown in this
2014 paper from helms and colleagues
this is where the timing of your
post-workout meal becomes of greater
importance in order to minimize any
potential muscle breakdown meaning that
you want to time your first meal such
that you're able to ingest it shortly
after your workout and it should ideally
be rich in protein and carbs but if
you're unable to do this based on your
schedule and feeding window a good
alternative is to simply ingest
essential amino acids during your
workout and or a whey protein shake
afterwards although this will
technically spike your insulin and break
your fast you still get the benefit of
pushing your calories later on in the
day which is ultimately what makes
fasting such a powerful tool for fat
loss whereas in the event that you train
within your feeding window for example
after work you'd want to time it such
that you're able to get in a meal or two
with adequate protein and carbs before
your workout and have a meal sometime
post-workout as well although the timing
now is not as important as it was with
fasted training but again experiment
with it and see what works best for you
and what you'll be most consistent with
so to conclude the video here are the
main points just again keep in mind that
fasting is nothing magical in terms of
fat loss but for many it does make
sticking to a calorie deficit that much
easier to do which is why it can be such
a powerful tool for fat loss especially
when you pair it with the right training
plan and if you're looking for a
complete evidence-based program that
shows you exactly how to optimize both
your nutrition and your training in
order to transform your body as
efficiently as possible then simply head
on over to buildwithscience.com forward
slash courses where you can view the
four programs i have up and choose the
one that best suits you and for those of
you who haven't yet done so i'd really
appreciate a follow on instagram where i
post a lot of my daily meals and more
informative content and as always please
do me a big favor by giving the video a
like leaving a comment down below and
subscribing to my channel and turning on
notifications from my channel as well as
this all really does help me out thank
you so much everyone i really appreciate
all the support and i'll see you next
time
[Music]
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