My 14 Day Intermittent Fasting Results Experiment
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How To Do 16:8 Intermittent Fasting
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m showing you how to do intermittent fasting, as well as sharing my 14 day intermittent fasting results.
If you missed it, 14 days ago I filmed a Live Lean TV episode to answer your questions about what I thought about intermittent fasting.
Well, as I mentioned, I couldn’t tell you my thoughts because, at the time, I never tried intermittent fasting before.
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As you know, I’m not one of those dudes that just talks about the latest research.
I actually experiment with real world action, by testing things on my body.
So what do I think about my 14 day intermittent fasting results?
Before I share my intermittent fasting results, let me first go on a quick intermittent fasting rant to first set the record straight.
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting, also known as IF, simply consists of two periods of when you eat and when you don’t eat.
Intermittent Fasting…
- is not a diet.
- is not starving yourself.
- does not tell you what to eat.
- does not give you a green light to eat whatever you want.
- is not a weight loss miracle.
- is just a tool.
Even when doing intermittent fasting, if you consistently over consume unhealthy food, it will wreck havoc on your hormones.
Also, if you’re consistently in a caloric surplus, you will gain fat, even when you’re doing intermittent fasting.
So keep the quality of your food as healthy as possible, regardless of what meal cadence you decide on.
My 14 Day Intermittent Fasting Protocol Experiment
I always started my eating window after my workout.
So this means I would workout fasted, with no food in my system.
Did Working Out Fasted Affect My Strength Gains?
I have to say no.
Looking back on my lifting journal, I actually was right on schedule with my progressions on each lift.
Plus, we all know carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy.
But when you’re working out fasted, the carbohydrates your body would typically burn for energy are not available.
Therefore your body begins to burn stored fat for energy, quicker.
Winning.
But to ensure my body was burning stored fat, rather than muscle, I supplemented with 10 grams of branch chained amino acids, also known as BCAAs, pre-workout.
I also boosted my energy by adding in a cup of black coffee or a zero calorie pre-workout supplement.
My Workouts Were Scheduled At 11am
Since my workouts typically take 50 minutes, I broke my fast at 12pm, with my post workout protein shake that I store in my locker.
Damn that’s good.
Once I got home, I followed up my protein shake, with a big ass meal.
My Intermittent Fasting Meal Times
My first whole meal after the fast is always my biggest meal of the day.
There are many reasons why I do it this way.
After your workout, this is when insulin sensitivity is at its highest.
This is a good thing because it means your body is primed to use up the calories and carbohydrates.
These post workout calories and carbohydrates help build muscle and replenish your depleted glycogen levels directly in the muscle and liver, without spilling over and being stored in the fat cells.
This spill over effect happens to a lot of people who are not active and eat a lot of carbohydrates.
Since their glycogen levels are already filled with sugar, the sugar from the carbohydrates spills over into the fat cells.
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The combination of not working out and overconsumption of carbohydrates often leads to insulin resistance.
This is not a good thing.
I typically would have two more meals up until 8pm that night.
Then the fast kicks in, and you do it all over again.
That’s How Intermittent Fasting Works Using The 16/8 Method
So all in all, I didn’t starve myself.
I was still consuming the same amount of calories as I did before I started intermittent fasting.
However, I was just eating those calories in a smaller window.
I have to admit, getting in all those calories in a shorter window has been somewhat of a challenge.
So if your goal is to add more muscle, intermittent fasting may not be optimal.
It doesn’t mean you can’t build muscle, intermittent fasting just may not be optimal in building muscle.
But if you’re looking to get lean, here’s the other benefit with intermittent fasting.
When you’re in a fast, you’re giving your body more time to burn stored fat for energy, rather than carbohydrates.
So basically the only thing that has changed with my nutrition plan is I now skip breakfast, and I workout fasted.
My calories and macronutrient ratios are the same, and the quality of the food I eat is the same.
Once again, I just have a smaller window to eat.
So To Wrap This Up
I did eat 5-6 meals a day to get to my current physique of approximately 7-8% body fat, and maintain it 365 days a year.
However, I have to admit I was starting to get a little bit tired of always cooking, and watching the clock to see when my next scheduled meal was.
Intermittent Fasting, in my opinion, is just a little bit easier.
During my research, I also read that intermittent fasting was a good way for lean guys to get even leaner.
Bottom Line On My 14 Day Intermittent Fasting Results Experiment
I have to say, I do like the results so far.
I do feel a little bit tighter, plus my energy levels are also good.
But of course, it takes your body time to adapt to intermittent fasting.
I was hungry during the first few days and I did feel less energy in the morning.
However, for me this was just temporary.
I now get more done in the morning and I feel great during my workouts.
Based on all of this, I do plan on extending this intermittent fasting experiment a little bit longer to see if I continue to progress.
But that’s just my story.
You have to experiment with intermittent fasting yourself, and test what tools work best for your body.
The Downsides Of Intermittent Fasting
I promise you one thing.
If you try intermittent fasting tomorrow morning, you will be miserable and hungry.
You will also feel low energy.
But for me, that was just temporary.
In the beginning, intermittent fasting takes willpower.
You either have it or you don’t.
It’s up to you to make that decision.
So once again, my intermittent fasting journey will continue, and I will keep you updated.
Until then, keep Living Lean.
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Question For You:
- How many meals do you eat a day?
- Do you have the will power to try intermittent fasting?
Be sure to share your answers in the comment section below.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
Intermittent fasting helps you eat fewer calories, while boosting metabolism slightly. It is a very effective tool to lose weight and belly fat.
Thanks ?Great video as usual!
Unless you’re an ectomorph, skinny, very fast metabolism, BCAA is
unnecessary. Your body releases a ton of Growth hormone during and after
you wake up, working out further adds GH secretion to a small extent so
even if you don’t immediately eat post workout, your body would still
preserve the muscles because of the GH effect as long as you provide enough
protein during your eating window.
Brilliant review
I have just started IF so stay tuned i will post my results.
I fast from 6 to 8 (14hours), and then spread 5 meals in 8 hours eatin
healthy fats50g proteins150g and also good carbs150g.
Plus tons of vegies + over a galon of water.
Hey bro. How would you recommend intermittent fasting food window if you
are working out twice a day? I normally do my lifting in the morning(8-10)
and my cardio in the afternoon(3-5)…. I’m just wondering. I haven’t seen
any thing about it when working out twice a day. Any advice would be
appreciated. Normally I would just take a protein shake after the weight
training. And that’s it. And my eating window starts at 5 after my cardio.
So technically I’m getting both my workouts in before my first meal. Is
that ideal? Or am I hurting myself?
How many days can I fast and for how long? I’m 5’1 and weight 125. I want
to lose some fat. Thanks!?
There’s a great group of people on facebook who love IF! Hopefully, you’ll stop by and join us 🙂 https://www.facebook.com/groups/799235153498663/
Brad – I’ve been experimenting with IF for the past 3 weeks. My beginning
BFP was 16% at 210lbs standing 5’10, and I’ve since lost 10lbs. I can
definitely see more muscle tone, but I feel like I’ve plateaued somewhat.
Should I give it more time? Your advise would be helpful and you will have
earned a sub. I appreciate your time.
ok how could you make a whole video on intermittent fasting and not say
whether or not you lost weight?
I’m on intermittent fasting and I don’t take BCAAs pre workout , does this
mean I’m breaking down muscle and not stored body fat?
You can get away with eating more junk food so called because after you
need to fill those glycogen levels back up just make sure you get your
protein in
Thanks so much for your detailed and personal analysis… I started
yesterday… Looking forward to it..
[Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a
journey [during them] – then an equal number of days [are to be made up].
And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] – a ransom [as
substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]. And whoever volunteers
excess – it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only
knew.
Quran surat al-Baqarah 2:182.
I have tried IF.It was one of the best tool i have used for reducing my
fat.
I’ve been doing 18/6 for a week or so. I start getting some pretty awesome
enhanced mental concentration a couple hours before my eating window comes
around. Especially if I’ve been physically exerting myself. I almost don’t
want to eat because it’ll ruin the buzz.
78% body fat, eh? Fatass.
this guy is pretty objective.me gusta
I have a question? The thing is I work out at 7 or 8 pm since I some times
don’t get to due to work . So my question is will I have to not eat
afterwards since it will be considered late specially for the 8 hour window
period?Please someone get get back at me.
You can workout fasted or not – you’ll see great results from a fasted workout but don’t let timing stop you!
Did you say how many hours you fasted? I just started with a 8 hour eating
window of 9 A.M to 5 P.M so I don´t have to skip breakfast.
I do ADF out lined by Sara Solomon. Fast Mon, Wed, Fri. Eat Tue, Thur, Sat
and follow 20/4 on Sunday. Its the best thing Iv ever done! Leptin levels
are high with usually no or little hunger. I do drink BCAAs.
Faster results through IF
I first started trying to lose weight and was 240 then got down to 226 not
bad. Then I could not go lower then I started IF but with NO working out
just to see how my body could handle it, that was a week and a half ago and
now I am 218! Not bad! I am starting cardio circuit tomorrow and am really
excited to see some weight come off!!!
Mirin the vascularity
Would you recommend to go in a slight caloric deficit for more fat loss?
IV BEEN DOING THE #intermittentfasting FOR 2 MONTHS, AND IV SEEN MORE
RESULTS THAN I HAVE THE PAST 17 MONTHS THAT I HAVE BEEN ON MY WEIGHTLOSS
JOURNEY (@LOSINGWEIGHTFINALY )
great vid with good info
This video is good but I learnt about intermittent fasting mostly from
Spartaris Fasting Secrets. Way better than the usual YT broscience… IMO.
Hi Brad!
My question is that can I put half a lemon’s flesh into my water or strictly the juice only? As far as I know half a lemon’s juice is 8kcal and with flesh it is 11kcal but it has fibers in it so I guess it wont work sadly.
Thanks in advance!
I work 6am-6pm and have been fasting throughout the entire day. Instead of skipping breakfast I actually eat breakfast (eggs and bacon) at 4:30am and fast until 7pm. I drink hot liquids through the day that seems to help. I haven’t seen anyone else do this type of IF schedule so I was just curious of this would be beneficial or detrimental. Thanks.
Hey Ryan, that’s the great thing about IF, is that it’s feeding/fasting periods are flexible to your lifestyle. This works as well if you can get in your calories.
He should have given it more than 14 days, that’s barely even trying it.
cut the music and stop the yelling. just get to it.
I workout at 6 in the morn and take my shake immediately after I’m done.
But it makes me break my fast and I don’t want to break it until 10-11
am..what should I do? The post workout is most effective when taken
immediately after the workout.
I love IF personally. I do 15/9
Funny how not eating for 1/2 a day is considered “fasting”. First world
pussies.
ive been dieting for 6 months now, on 4 to 5 meals a day, im now at 2000
calories, 225 protein 180 carb and 50 fat, my weight has stopped and im
thinking of doing 16 hour fast and 8 hour eating window to break through my
fat loss platue cause i dont wana drop below 2000 calories i want to
compete in natural bodybuilding wana get to 4% bodyfat, is IF bad for
maintaining muscle and fullness? and does it decrease protein synthesis ?
and another question after my comp im gona do a reverse diet and slowly
bring up my calories by eating 5 meals a day, so if i stop doing IF will my
bodyfat increase ?
14 days is never enough to fully adapt to it. I takes 1-2 month of clean IF
the see and feel the benefits. Nutrient timing and carb/fat cycling is
always crucial for optimal results.
I recomend to start the fast after lunch or after a snack in the
noon/evening, and break the fast with breakfast (as the word says)
you talk like a robot
Please stop overemphasizing every damn word.
The beat and him being loud in a echoing room is hard to watch… I really
want to focus on what he is saying but my mind drifts away with his voice
echoing in my ear :/ damn.. anyone else having this problem???
what’s with the annoying drumming? can’t watch.
I eat 2 meals a day. Never liked eating first thing in the morning. Coffee
was all I needed. So I.F. has been easy for me. Break fast is at 12:00 noon
for me.
you should wait about 2 hours after you workout to eat just to give your
body a little more time to burn off those last stored calories instead of
burning off calories and immediately replacing them
As God as my witness. Back in the 90’s, I didn’t realize at the time, that
I was actually doing the 16 Hour fast. At the time, I wasn’t proud and
thought I was “cheating” or “starving” myself. My schedule was 1/2 my
calories at 1-2pm, 2 hours of circuit training, and 1/2 my calories at
around 6-7pm. In bed by 10pm, up at 6am. I went from 260lbs to 166lbs in 3
months.
Well, to be fair; he was addressing more than one.. liver?
i believe it depends on your daily schedule mostly if your going to do intermittent fasting. I truly want to try it out im 12% bodyfat and just want to know beforehand if this can get me as low as 9-8%.
The thing here is that i work from 8am to 5pm workout until 6:30pm so imagine having to eat everything from 7:00 to 10:00 its a 3 hour window! Also i believe that it would be difficult for me stay fasted until 5:00pm when i workout.
Whats your opinion Brad?
Sounds like intermittent fasting is another way of saying “skip breakfast.”
Thanks brad
I see you’re point of view from you’re side of the ball. It can be a
challenge to those who come from calorie restrictions and 5 small meals.
I have been fasting for over a year with 160lbs lost and 80 of it while on
I.F and learned about nutrition during fasting so to me my body handled the
adaption well. So since you’re BF is already so low putting on muscle
while I.F. will be a true challenge but if you already have fat to begin
with you can build muscle too. That is my side of the ball the endo/meso
side. Great info bro, you should stick with it and I would be interested
to see if you can bulk while on it 🙂 Thats what I wanna know so when my
BF gets below 9% I have a guide to follow lol
Cheers,
Tof
Would it matter if you had a coffee with milk in the morning? Will that
stop internment fasting mode??
Hey Brad…I’m thinking of doing intermittent fasting, I work 12 hours a
day from 6am to 6pm I go to the gym after work around 7pm…I eat my one
meal at around 9:30pm. When should I eat and not eat?
“78% bodyfat” nice…..na I did here 7 to 8 percent but only just!
Would love another update on your intermittent fasting experience :0)
Thanks Brad. So glad you answered! 🙂 Keep it up. You’re really inspiring me to keep living lean and eating clean! You helped me pass that Mental block with your 4min Tabata workouts and tips. Keep going amd Living!
7 to 8
correct. protein shake and my biggest meal after my workout to break the fast. then have the rest of your calories for the day within an 8 hour window (the # of meals within that 8 hour window does’t matter – just stay within calorie limits).
heyBrad, so what your saying is skip breakfast and just have bcaa’s and coffee. do you workout. then have protein shake and big lunch. I’m not sure what to do after that. are you supposed to have a meal before your second workout and a meal after your workout? and is that all your meals for the day?
At 4:28
He says he 78% BF
i’m a professional athlete so I train 2 times a day. so i dont think this would be good for me since i couldn’t manage to get a meal after both training sessions
thanks for replying so fast! its appreciated,just one more thing though,(this may be obvious to others) so if i last eat at 8pm (post workout) and then continue the fast from 8pm untill 12ish the next day,am i going too long without protein etc? (for muscle building/recovery) or would it be better to just not fast on the day following an evening workout and just eat and have a normal breakfast etc? hope that makes sense! and thanks again!
Your eating window would still be around 12pm-8pm but your meal #1 would be 12PM (approx 25% of your total daily calories)…meal #2 would be pre-workout
4PM (approx 25% total cals)…meal #3 is post-workout 7pm (remaining 50% of cals)
so how would this work if you trained in the evenings at about 6pm? i mean what would the eating window be for example? i can see why it would work for a morning training session,but how so in the evening? thanks!
yes i do still have lemon water in the morning
Hi Brad. Aside from the cup of black coffee.. were yiu still.drinking the lemon water in the morning, before you got to the gym? Pleeeease answer me lol
I used IF for 12 weeks to get off a plateau. I dropped 30 lbs, and took 7″ off my waist. Macros were 40P, 20C, 20F. Increased my calories after the 12 weeks to maintenance for two weeks and gained 3 lbs. Back on IF and in a deficit to hit 9% BF. Just finished the Nike Marathon and ran it in a fasted state and had no issues. Thanks for doing this experiment Brad and the video; it verifies what I’ve experienced.
hi brad!
could I adapt my fasting window to my lifestyle, skipping breakfast and having my 1st meal around 11 2nd meal, working out around 16, big meal, and 3rd around 19?
and…are wine, tea and drinks in general allowed during fasting?
cheers!
teo
Brad, thanks a lot man. Have a good weekend!
Love IF. I don’t do it now (6 months pregnant) grazing helps my morning sickness but that is how I’ve stayed lean for the past 4 years 🙂 I have tried several techniques though.
Hey Jay, you got it. Skip breakfast…then for meal one around lunch have about 25% of your daily calories…then eat about the same amount of calories 2-3 hours before your workout, then consume the remaining (and most of your calories) after your late night workout,
Great! Glad you are continuing. I’ve been doing it since beginning of Sept. It was adjustment at first, but now I feel its something I can continue long term. I’m foing it for weight loss and have consistently lost up to 2lbs per week. My window is 2p – 10p which works for my lifestyle. I do fasted cardio and light strength training around 6:30a. So far so good.
Thanks anyway, brad (:
We need Less bullshit and more people like brad on youtube
I’ve only read your and one woman’s experience with IF, but I definitely would be interested in seeing if there are difference with women and men who use it over a long period of time.
@BradGouthro hey! Ive been watching your videos n episodes and everything you do but can you make a video of a shoulder workout, i have narrow shoulders ;\
His body is great 🙂 motivates me that’s for sure lol
looking to try this and want to eat 2K calories a day . Can i do it with 3 meals and not 5 ?
7 to 8% body fat is what he said I think.
@midtheory232323 you can switch your window of eating if you want. in other words, if you’re going out…fast until later in the day (for example till 2pm) then end your fast at 10pm.
@MarkUrlaub approx 40p 20c 40f but have been adding in more fat lately and lowering protein
@mgmaggio1 been doing it everyday
@SeanPowell yes you can
Can you have creatine with the BCAA’s during workouts?
Because I need breakfast for school eat lunc in school and then have dinner at 6-ish. Thanks
Can anyone suggest an intermittent fasting plan for 15 year old in school?
Do you do it everyday or just a few days a week?
Thanks for your thoughts Brad.
This is basically what most of Jason Ferruggia’s (mediocre) Renegade diet book is about.
I love the concept of fasting, and it’s always come natural to me.
Hey bro I’ve been doing if for about 3 weeks so far I like the results. I’ve had to change my eating window to 3pm to 10 pm to adapt to my work schedule. I’m a basketball coach so simply I don’t eat at school. I try to eat after my workout fasted but sometimes I can’t. Is that OK?
Great vid. How. Could be interesting to carry out a vegan diet as an experiment….
Nice to see a balanced opinion. What are you opinions on the 5/2 fasting programme?
Hey brad, I’m currently reading man 2.0. And they say for I.f it’s best to start the 8 hour window of eating later in the day. Like your doing 12- 8pm. My question is, if I’m working out at 5:00a.m, at 6. ( after my workout) i need to replenish myself with a protein shake, and if I wait too long to eat after that I start to feel weak. But I want my 8hr window to be 12- 8. Not 6-2. What should I do? Working out early morning is my only option. I thought maybe after my workout I can limit myself to just a protein shake until noon. Or is that defeating the I.f purpose?
I’m a lean guy but I’m looking to shred up my abdominals more. Also, after my workout (once I’m off work) any suggestion on how I should eat if I load up on lunch (if you suggest to). I look forward to see what you have to say. I hope my questions aren’t super confusing. Thanks for your time bro.
Hey Brad, keep up the good work. WILL POWER! I just have a couple questions that hopefully you can give me a little advice on. I work for a moving company plus I workout 4-5 days a week. With that said, do you suggest I skip breakfast and just take bcaa’s with black coffee to keep me going til lunch, then just eat a bunch of (healthy) food on my lunch break? The reason I ask is because I burn a lot of calories before lunch time.
Does IF works for women? I heard it was good for men only…
I eat 3 – 4 times a day. I started IF this past June. The first week was horrific. I now recommend IF to anyone who will listen. Once you get over the first week you’ll know whether IF is right for you.
I currently have 3 meals a day and I’ve been intermittent fasting for 5 months and I have no problem getting in all my calories! Intermittent fasting has also been linked to greater longevity, Increased Growth Hormone Levels, and also great digestive tract health!
Yes! Finally! I’ve been waiting for this video! So excited to see it in my youtube feed! Glad it’s working out for you Brad! I was skeptical after watching other people’s videos but I trust your opinion and now I’m definitely going to try this for myself. You always keep us well informed. Keep up the great work! 🙂
I tried it brad and it wasnt for me, i see better results off the meat and nuts breakfast, and yes i eat according to the keto diet, love my fats! 😉
I’ve been IF’ing for a year and a half and I love it. I’ll never go back to the six meals a day/eating every 2 1/2-3 hours. My life revolved around my meals and I began hating every moment of it. I’ll never go back. IF is the best change I’ve made for my overall fitness. You can build muscle more efficiently as your body has more time for natural growth hormone to go to work.
I have been IF’ing since June. I love it. I usually do a 14 hour fast, train fasted, and sometimes do a 24 hour fast every 2-3 weeks.
3 meals with IF. biggest meal post workout. other two meal are smaller.
what are your macros brad??
At last, a good and honest IF review. 3 high protein meals a day in 7 hours. Making gains in the gym AND keeping body fat at 11% which is the lowest it’s ever been for me since I just started working out this last February. IF works great!
Hey YouTubers, Come checkout my fitness channel. Let me know what you guys think of my latest video “Breaking Stength Plateaus.” Thanks
Awesome!! IF is the best!! My eating window is 8-4 . 8am, 12pm, and 4pm are my big meals. 10am and 2pm I have something light maybe a protein shake.. I also drink a protein shake with my last meal which keeps my satiated until the next day.. I combined this with carb cycling and I’m getting great results… great video !!!
I usually try to eat 3 meals a day ranging from 500-800 calories per meal. I’m on 1800-2000 calorie diet. I use the Flexible Dieting method!
2-3 meals a day ive been doing IF for about 1 year actually friday will be a year!!!!!!
I think I can do this. Here is my situation. I get up at 4:30am, and workout at 5:30. I should then not eat until 11am? I eat last meal at 6:30pm. I am wondering if that is good to workout at5:30, but not eat until 11 am?
How many meals are you currently eating a day and do you have the willpower to try intermittent fasting for 14 days?
5-6 but getting bored of eating so often so might try the fasting……..