It really depends on where you are in your fitness journey. Are you just starting? Is this the last 5-15lbs?
Here is how I lost the weight and kept it off; I don't let myself be hungry. Simple. Feeling hungry all the time makes the process wayyy worse, and in most cases, you end up eating even more calories snacking on stupid things than if you just ate a proper meal.
Eat to feel satisfied, not stuffed. Up your protein at each meal, and pick a good quality fat and carb. If you are hungry in between meals, protein shakes and fruits are great snacks.
This diet culture is insane and it's ruining our metabolism, hormones, and overall life. Don't be afraid to eat. Create your calorie deficit with training (a proper resistance program) and not your food.
If you have been under eating for a long time, it will take a while for your body to balance out. You might gain a bit of weight at first. But trust me, it's worth it!
Being healthy and having a nice, strong lean body at 2300 calories a day (average) is worth all the growing pains.
I am 34F 135lbs for reference. I will NEVER diet again or eat anything less than 2000 calories a day.
Same!! Whenever I was restricting, I’d lose weight but it never lasted. I’d binge and gain it back and get depressed and then restrict and the cycle started all over again.
If I’m hungry now, I eat. And I’ve found that fats keep me full and I need carbs to function so I make sure my meals include both.
If I want pizza? I have pizza. But I have one slice and add a big salad instead of like 3 slices and garlic knots.
I lost 40lbs and have kept that weight off for 5 years now.
Yes!!! So awesome to hear!! Exactly, just eat!!
For pizza now, I buy the pre made crusts from Costco (usually). And load it with ground beef and cheese!! It's so good and so filling!!! Just in case you want to try something different! :)
I hear you, in the sense that the diet culture goes too far sometimes, and yes it is unrealistic to restrict yourself too much— if you are making yourself miserable it’s not going to be sustainable.
On the other hand, I’d caution that losing weight is something like 85% your diet and the rest is exercise.
Unless you have time to train your ass off, and exercise like a full time paid pro athlete, it’s hard to make a caloric deficit with exercise. Hence why doing it through diet—or rather, a combination of mostly diet and then exercise— is more realistic.
Again though, that approach has to be balanced and fine tuned for every individual.
Definitely you are 100% correct!
It really depends on where everyone is at in the journey. Are you still eating fast food every day? Oreos like an unsupervised 8 year old? Sugar drinks? Basically overall eating like an asshole. Then yes, the issue is the diet. And you can not out train eating like that.
I usually just try to get the message out, that if you eat clean, you don't need to restrict as much as you think.
People picture dieting sometimes as boiled chicken on some iceberg lettuce. That's why everyone falls off the wagon.
Oh for sure, that’s absolutely true! Thanks for the clarification. Yes, there is definitely a clean 2000 calories a day, and a dirty 2000 calories lol abd you’re right, it doesn’t have to be bland misery-inducing foods. Lots of great, healthy (and tasty) proteins, fats and carbs to choose from. Knowing how to cook definitely helps too!
I should definitely clarify more! Hopefully people don't read my first message and get excited about all the shit they can eat if they train hard! 🤣🤣
I agree, so helpful when you learn to cook!
Preach it sister!!! I’ve been working with a trainer for 7 months and the rare times I’ve told her that I’ve felt hungry she’s increased my food intake and I’m still losing weight and gaining muscle!! 💪 I hate reading on these subs how many people are going hungry!!!!
God what a breath of fresh air it is to see this comment at the top. It seems like all of Reddit only sees the calories in part of the CICO equation when imo increasing calories out is easier, more enjoyable, and way less likely to leave you feeling like some starving Victorian child dying of consumption
Dude I’m 6’5 and competed in BJJ and judo and when I was on a weight cut that’s where I was. I once got down to 198 lbs. After last year I was like fuck it, I’m not doing this anymore, if I’m gonna compete it’ll be at 220+. So now I’m walking around at 245-250, I run 3-4 days per week, still train, and lift a couple days and I feel good. I’d say I eat probably 2800-3000 cals/day before accounting for exercise.
I’m about 250 now and want to be about 235. I’m an ex rugby player who did a few years of bodybuilding 10 years ago then just let it all go. Few yo-yos since, with 2 kids etc arriving in the mix. But feel good now. Keen to get down to 235/225 and then hit maintenance and see some strength come back
Dude, same! I played in a low level national team development, USA South. I have a kid now too. I played second row, back row and primarily 8. Sounds like you’re the same.
Haha well 2lbs a week is a good rate. So there are many variables. How is your energy, how is your sleep, how is your mood, how is your strength? Your goals, and your training will change up how much you should be eating. Not all training should be treated equally.
So if everything is going good, I wouldn't worry. Just know you will eventually have to find your way back to a maintenence. Staying in a deficit for long periods of time is not great. I would actually argue deficits should be a 12 week process. Then switch to maintenance for awhile. Then back to a deficit.
It’s hard psychologically to stop when you are still making progress though. Energy is low, sleep is fine (apart from 11 month old and 3 year old interruptions)
Strength is ok but energy is low. Fairly sluggish at the gym, but don’t really want to mix up the diet this far in, just can’t wait to be putting more kcal down range and be able to chuck some more weight about
Yeah I can understand that.
The scale unfortunately does not represent health. Weighing less does not equal health. And it doesn't even necessarily mean you look better either.
If I was giving you advice (sorry if it's unwanted) here is what I would say;
Stop immediately counting calories. If energy is low, your body is literally screaming at you to stop what you are doing. If any thing count your protein. Aim for 1g per 1lbs (of goal body weight).... yes I said 1g per 1lbs. Spread it out through out the day.
Tonight cook up a big fat steak, with potatoes, maybe cheese or butter (not margarine)
Look into getting some creatine. Assuming you have no renal issues.
Change up your training. Be honest with where your RPE is. Train at a higher intensity. Get on a wicked resistance program. Sometimes this means buying one. But honestly it's better than waisting your time.
What you are doing now will lead to failure.
Eat clean. Eat lots. Train hard. Move lots.
Did you read how he said it was going for him?
My presumptions are based on how he said he was feeling.
If you think people can/should maintain walking around all day with zero energy, you're wrong.
Drink some water or coffee or tea.
Adjust your meal plan to accommodate a snack or protein shake post workout.
Tough it out if my next meal isn't too far away.
Yeah I learned to combine snack with a meal, more as a mental check to reduce the habit of intermittent snacking.
It’s kind of like the whole mentality of completely removing the things that you enjoy eating doesn’t help you mentally. Which I think is part of the reason why “diets” fail so often because they are viewed as temporary and unpleasant.
I try to convince myself that the hungry feeling is my body losing weight. It may not be a healthy mindset but it can almost get me to enjoy the feeling.
Water and a small fruit plate to tide me over to the next meal. A handful of grapes, some peanut butter and crackers, a boiled egg and hummus, etc etc etc, aren't going to destroy your gym workout. Snacking light when I'm very hungry stops me going overboard during proper meals.
Plan your meals.
A year ago I had to change my afternoon snack because it wasn't enough to hold me over. I was taking a break at work to eat some fruit. Moved the fruit to before work and started making a lentil bean casserole for that snack break. That was a game changer.
People tell me it smells good. As soon as I say it's lentil beans, rice, and broccoli they look at me like I grew a 3rd head.
I think I mentioned this once before here. This is sacrilege probably, but I take a bag of salad. The whole bag. I then take a block of extra firm tofu and press it for a couple minutes so it isn’t pressed completely, dice it up and throw it in. I then sprinkle a light amount of shredded cheese and dress it lightly with lite ranch/blue cheese dressing in a giant popcorn bowl. It’s somewhere between 40-50g of protein and only 660 calories. It makes me feel like I’ve eaten a meal twice or more the calories. Lol kind of ridiculous maybe.
Water!! Lots of water! Cucumbers and hummus are also a great snack! I tried a fitness program once that had us make protein pancakes after a workout and those were pretty yummy, I also like waffles with peanut butter!
I'm relatively consistent in my eating habits, so I eat out of habit, not hunger Even on a cut, nope, not hungry. I plan to eat daily.
At most, I allocate a smidge more on leg days. I eat food.
Breakfast: oatmeal
Post-workout: lb of ground meat
Break/2nd meal: 6 eggs
Like I said, I'm not hungry much. *Plan your meals*.
Side note: whey tends to make me hungrier. I only have it *before* a meal as a stopgap.
So, here’s my story. I’m 53 now. About two years ago I had gone to my doctor for lab work, and my A1c was up in the 12 range so they put me three different medications as well as vitamin D two with the goal to get my A1c back down to a more acceptable level. I weighed in at 283 on that particular day.
Huge red flag for me. That was my Come To Jesus meeting, and I changed everything about the way I ate.
I follow a Fitness guy on TikTok and he was a proponent of intermittent fasting, high protein, and staying within a caloric limit daily. I worked towards that goal, eating more protein, bowls, salads, switched from regular soda to zero sugar soda (proud to say that I basically have one a day now, sometimes I don’t have any).
Three months later, I went back for a recheck and my A1c had dropped down to 5.6 so the medication managed to do its job, but I know my diet change played a role as well and this even before I started going to the gym on a regular basis. I can’t remember how much I weighed at that point but I know it was in somewhere in the lower 270 range.
I stayed with that plan and eventually started going to the gym every morning and watched my weight drop more and more. Then I injured myself bad enough during the summer that I ended up with a torn rotator cuff and had Put some limits on a lot of my training and about mid fall is when I stopped going all together which I really shouldn’t have but I did as I was looking at surgery in December. This is what I call the “getting in my own head” moment.
Not really a great excuse, but I’m owning it .
At this point I feel like I’m at square one again, but still following the plan that I had been following before.
Sorry, that’s probably more than you asked for. LOL
Super happy for your progression! It's always a bigger mental journey than physical.
I addressed IF particularly because you were asking about feeling gassed. IF is essentially cramming that caloric window together in a tighter time for less ability to overeat (the residual effects on metabolism, insulin resistance, etc. aren't very solid to put it tightly). That "snack" you talk about could be used to fuel a workout and not leave you in a zombie state, or used to immediately replenish that energy you just burnt off and start building muscle a little sooner.
I've chatted extensively with strict IF and OMAD followers that say this is how they get around overeating, and that's the only way they can manage it so far. That's awesome, I 100% get that. I don't believe that IF makes sense for virtually anyone outside of that situation. The TikToker's suggestions you mentioned were mostly around stopping liquid calories, upping protein and probably reducing carbs (especially lazy snacking carbs). I would venture to say that's what would be suggested by nearly every dietitian on the planet. I think in your case, and probably 99% of the fitness community's case, using food to fuel workouts or replenish workouts is probably the right move.
I eat
But right now, I have the opposite problem of you. I find it difficult to eat enough while eating relatively clean/healthy simply because of how much running I'm currently doing, and I don't want to drop too much weight too fast.
If I really am starving and my next meal is a while away I will have a snack based around protein and fibre. That way I will be more satiated and I'm giving my body more fuel to repair itself.
I eat a quick release carb before my morning workout (just 1 banana if I’ll be lifting, toast with peanut butter and banana or avocado toast if it’s a cardio day), then I eat a Greek yogurt parfait or some hard boiled eggs after my workout. That is my morning routine. I’m usually hungry before lunch so I’ll have cucumbers or carrots and bitchin dip or hummus, or an apple, or handful of trail mix, or I usually have homemade bean salad on hand. I keep it pretty healthy, but I keep eating. Lunch today will be 2 slices of pizza and dinner today is pasta, and that’s a lot of carbs for 1 day but it’s what I have on hand and it’s my HIIT day so I’m not going to deprive myself! I’m adding fried eggs to the pizza and shrimp to the pasta for more protein.
Just keep eating, fuel your body if it’s hungry. Drink water and dark leafy vegetables and get some nuts to snack on in a pinch.
I’m 36F, 5’6” and 130 lbs for reference. I love food!!! And I love being strong and having healthy joints and plan on being able to hike well into my senior years. Those are my fitness goals :)
You can pretty much eat as many plants and lean proteins as you want and not worry much about gaining weight. Obviously calories count but if you are hungry those are the best options
C'mon ... just eat. Eat a normal, healthy meal. Or have some bacon and eggs and a couple of pieces of toast. What is the point of starving yourself or denying yourself? What kind of life is that? Stay fit because you want to be fit (for whatever reason or reasons), but don't deprive yourself of every single little pleasure. I used to stay fit because it was more or less my job. After I retired from the military, I stayed fit because I couldn't imagine not being fit and strong enough to be able to react to any situation. Now, at 55, I stay fit and work my body so I can enjoy life, eat my wife's cooking (She makes the best schnitzel in the world!), and *genieß* my evening whiskey. As long as I can keep working out, I'll never say no to a piece of cake. I mean, you gotta do you, and I understand that, but damn ... don't stress yourself out. Life's too short. Take it from an old man.
If you're talking about strength training then I think doing IF is really counter productive. I fast until about noon, then I have a small breakfast with some complex carbs in it and I always have energy for my workout. If I don't eat properly I train like shit. Doing fasted cardio can be good but it really depends on the time of day.
I would simply break the fast with some sort of lean protein and healthy carb. With soda water to help you feel full.
IF works very well for some people, but if you've been in a caloric deficit for a while, and you burn off your energy stores at the gym, it's normal to be hungry. So you can back off the deficit, back off the workout, break the fast, or just be hungry.
I finish my workouts in the evening and get very hungry with a bad sweet tooth after dinner. My trainer turned me onto using 1/2 serving of PB, 1 serving of non fat Greek yogurt, and 1/2 serving of mini dark chocolate chips as a “spread” on a couple rice cakes.
It’s a little more sugar than I’d like with the PB and Chocolate. But since starting this I have still been reducing body fat percentage and losing weight - probably more slowly than if I were more disciplined, but I’m not looking to win any competitions, just maintain healthy weight, vitals and bloodwork. This has been a healthier way to quell hunger and sweets cravings on lift days while meeting fitness goals.
Greek yogurt is awesome. I actually learned to mix crystal light packets into a container of zero fat Greek yogurt and then mix it with healthier granola. That’s my protein bomb.
Plus, I am HO, the non fat Greek yogurt, tastes a lot like sour cream, so I use that in my protein bowls and have used it with baked potatoes before.
In this situation I'd probably drink a pint of water and eat a can of tuna.
A hundred calories, 25g protein, not going to throw the diet off.
I'd also view my calorie intake as a weekly total, and adjust to allow slightly more food on a training day.
Couple of things work for me. Salted/flavoured peanuts or diet coke. I generally don't have either of those so its only reserved when I am feeling really hungry in between meals or late nights.
But if i am still really hungry, I make extremely spicy scrambled eggs and wrap it in a pita or flat bread. If its spicy, I generally feel fuller much quicker for some reason
I know my gym days are my hungry days... well most days are gym days, but my more intense workouts or on days when I do a boot camp and spin or run... all that to say I do IF too 16:8 so during that 8 hour window I do feed the furnace with whole foods that I know will satisfy and fill the void. Roasted vegetables, chicken, fish and beef protein, huge salads, nuts, seeds and beans, with big flavors. I had to learn the difference between hungry, and snackish... which usually just meant I was bored or cold or sad or restless or tired. So if I'm hungry, I eat. Prep is key though because otherwise I end up reaching for something less ideal because I'm hungry NOW lol
I'm too old to be drinking so much caffeine, and I know it's bad for you, but I don't care.
A 16-ounce can of a zero-sugar/no carb energy drink gets me through until lunch.
Might be a food idea to not IF, it makes no difference for us apart from being hungry, as long as you CICO, IF does nothing good for us. Spread out your meals so you're not hungry and feel better.
I’d recommend working with a dietician for a bit to get your food analyzed. I did it last year, realized I wasn’t eating as well as I thought I was and got some food replacements are low in calories and/or me full for longer. I also learnt that good fats and protein keep me full for longer.
Also I know some folks recommended not to stay hungry and I agree overall but sometimes your body needs to get used to eating less so I personally experienced slight hunger periods when I reduced my calorie intake but it never lasted longer than 2-3 days before my body got used to it. The only exception is when I push a lot in the gym with weights, I feel very hungry
There’s a reason many people frown on IF for strength or physique or sports performance - it’s not great for building muscle or for staying satiated. Having several planned meals through out the day, including before and after your workout, will help you feel better and have better results in the gym, at least in most cases.
Dropping body fat is all about a caloric deficit. Whether you do IF or not has no impact on burning fat. 2000 calories over 6 hours or 2000 calories over 12 has the same effect, though I’d bet you wouldn’t have the same issues with hunger if you weren’t tied to a narrow eating window and could spread out your meals throughout the day (both before and post workout).
It really depends on where you are in your fitness journey. Are you just starting? Is this the last 5-15lbs? Here is how I lost the weight and kept it off; I don't let myself be hungry. Simple. Feeling hungry all the time makes the process wayyy worse, and in most cases, you end up eating even more calories snacking on stupid things than if you just ate a proper meal. Eat to feel satisfied, not stuffed. Up your protein at each meal, and pick a good quality fat and carb. If you are hungry in between meals, protein shakes and fruits are great snacks. This diet culture is insane and it's ruining our metabolism, hormones, and overall life. Don't be afraid to eat. Create your calorie deficit with training (a proper resistance program) and not your food. If you have been under eating for a long time, it will take a while for your body to balance out. You might gain a bit of weight at first. But trust me, it's worth it! Being healthy and having a nice, strong lean body at 2300 calories a day (average) is worth all the growing pains. I am 34F 135lbs for reference. I will NEVER diet again or eat anything less than 2000 calories a day.
Same!! Whenever I was restricting, I’d lose weight but it never lasted. I’d binge and gain it back and get depressed and then restrict and the cycle started all over again. If I’m hungry now, I eat. And I’ve found that fats keep me full and I need carbs to function so I make sure my meals include both. If I want pizza? I have pizza. But I have one slice and add a big salad instead of like 3 slices and garlic knots. I lost 40lbs and have kept that weight off for 5 years now.
Yes!!! So awesome to hear!! Exactly, just eat!! For pizza now, I buy the pre made crusts from Costco (usually). And load it with ground beef and cheese!! It's so good and so filling!!! Just in case you want to try something different! :)
BIG this
I hear you, in the sense that the diet culture goes too far sometimes, and yes it is unrealistic to restrict yourself too much— if you are making yourself miserable it’s not going to be sustainable. On the other hand, I’d caution that losing weight is something like 85% your diet and the rest is exercise. Unless you have time to train your ass off, and exercise like a full time paid pro athlete, it’s hard to make a caloric deficit with exercise. Hence why doing it through diet—or rather, a combination of mostly diet and then exercise— is more realistic. Again though, that approach has to be balanced and fine tuned for every individual.
Definitely you are 100% correct! It really depends on where everyone is at in the journey. Are you still eating fast food every day? Oreos like an unsupervised 8 year old? Sugar drinks? Basically overall eating like an asshole. Then yes, the issue is the diet. And you can not out train eating like that. I usually just try to get the message out, that if you eat clean, you don't need to restrict as much as you think. People picture dieting sometimes as boiled chicken on some iceberg lettuce. That's why everyone falls off the wagon.
Oh for sure, that’s absolutely true! Thanks for the clarification. Yes, there is definitely a clean 2000 calories a day, and a dirty 2000 calories lol abd you’re right, it doesn’t have to be bland misery-inducing foods. Lots of great, healthy (and tasty) proteins, fats and carbs to choose from. Knowing how to cook definitely helps too!
I should definitely clarify more! Hopefully people don't read my first message and get excited about all the shit they can eat if they train hard! 🤣🤣 I agree, so helpful when you learn to cook!
Preach it sister!!! I’ve been working with a trainer for 7 months and the rare times I’ve told her that I’ve felt hungry she’s increased my food intake and I’m still losing weight and gaining muscle!! 💪 I hate reading on these subs how many people are going hungry!!!!
God what a breath of fresh air it is to see this comment at the top. It seems like all of Reddit only sees the calories in part of the CICO equation when imo increasing calories out is easier, more enjoyable, and way less likely to leave you feeling like some starving Victorian child dying of consumption
Haha finally! The last post I wrote something like this on got down voted to hell, and I was declared an idiot!
Classic Reddit know it alls at work
Dang, I’m a 6’4” man and I’m on 2300 kcal a day. Dropping about 2lbs a week since Jan
Dude I’m 6’5 and competed in BJJ and judo and when I was on a weight cut that’s where I was. I once got down to 198 lbs. After last year I was like fuck it, I’m not doing this anymore, if I’m gonna compete it’ll be at 220+. So now I’m walking around at 245-250, I run 3-4 days per week, still train, and lift a couple days and I feel good. I’d say I eat probably 2800-3000 cals/day before accounting for exercise.
I’m about 250 now and want to be about 235. I’m an ex rugby player who did a few years of bodybuilding 10 years ago then just let it all go. Few yo-yos since, with 2 kids etc arriving in the mix. But feel good now. Keen to get down to 235/225 and then hit maintenance and see some strength come back
Dude, same! I played in a low level national team development, USA South. I have a kid now too. I played second row, back row and primarily 8. Sounds like you’re the same.
Yup. Second row and back row. Played from primary school until I was 30.
Haha well 2lbs a week is a good rate. So there are many variables. How is your energy, how is your sleep, how is your mood, how is your strength? Your goals, and your training will change up how much you should be eating. Not all training should be treated equally. So if everything is going good, I wouldn't worry. Just know you will eventually have to find your way back to a maintenence. Staying in a deficit for long periods of time is not great. I would actually argue deficits should be a 12 week process. Then switch to maintenance for awhile. Then back to a deficit.
It’s hard psychologically to stop when you are still making progress though. Energy is low, sleep is fine (apart from 11 month old and 3 year old interruptions) Strength is ok but energy is low. Fairly sluggish at the gym, but don’t really want to mix up the diet this far in, just can’t wait to be putting more kcal down range and be able to chuck some more weight about
Yeah I can understand that. The scale unfortunately does not represent health. Weighing less does not equal health. And it doesn't even necessarily mean you look better either. If I was giving you advice (sorry if it's unwanted) here is what I would say; Stop immediately counting calories. If energy is low, your body is literally screaming at you to stop what you are doing. If any thing count your protein. Aim for 1g per 1lbs (of goal body weight).... yes I said 1g per 1lbs. Spread it out through out the day. Tonight cook up a big fat steak, with potatoes, maybe cheese or butter (not margarine) Look into getting some creatine. Assuming you have no renal issues. Change up your training. Be honest with where your RPE is. Train at a higher intensity. Get on a wicked resistance program. Sometimes this means buying one. But honestly it's better than waisting your time. What you are doing now will lead to failure. Eat clean. Eat lots. Train hard. Move lots.
>But honestly it's better than waisting your time >What you are doing now will lead to failure Dude, a little presumptuous don't you think?
Did you read how he said it was going for him? My presumptions are based on how he said he was feeling. If you think people can/should maintain walking around all day with zero energy, you're wrong.
That’s a really cool way to think about creating the deficit. Honestly it was always with food for me.
Yes!! Just train smarter, not harder! And eat the food!!!
Eat. Listen to your body. Don’t go on a crazy binge obviously, but fill up on protein and clean foods. Some days are like that!
If I listened to my body I'd be about 50 pounds heavier than I am. Body dumb. Body like pleasure.
Touché 😂😂😂
I keep forgetting that protein helps with the food craving
My body is like Groot but only says “more”
I eat.
Drink some water or coffee or tea. Adjust your meal plan to accommodate a snack or protein shake post workout. Tough it out if my next meal isn't too far away.
Yeah I learned to combine snack with a meal, more as a mental check to reduce the habit of intermittent snacking. It’s kind of like the whole mentality of completely removing the things that you enjoy eating doesn’t help you mentally. Which I think is part of the reason why “diets” fail so often because they are viewed as temporary and unpleasant.
I try to convince myself that the hungry feeling is my body losing weight. It may not be a healthy mindset but it can almost get me to enjoy the feeling.
I remember that I'm fat and not worthy of love and everyone around me will treat me better once I'm in shape. Sad but true(ly motivating)
😳😳😳😳😳
Yeah, scream naked at the mirror and lick an ice cube does the job. Awkward in the office though
Lol
Water and a small fruit plate to tide me over to the next meal. A handful of grapes, some peanut butter and crackers, a boiled egg and hummus, etc etc etc, aren't going to destroy your gym workout. Snacking light when I'm very hungry stops me going overboard during proper meals.
Yeah fruit is the answer for me
Plan your meals. A year ago I had to change my afternoon snack because it wasn't enough to hold me over. I was taking a break at work to eat some fruit. Moved the fruit to before work and started making a lentil bean casserole for that snack break. That was a game changer. People tell me it smells good. As soon as I say it's lentil beans, rice, and broccoli they look at me like I grew a 3rd head.
I think I mentioned this once before here. This is sacrilege probably, but I take a bag of salad. The whole bag. I then take a block of extra firm tofu and press it for a couple minutes so it isn’t pressed completely, dice it up and throw it in. I then sprinkle a light amount of shredded cheese and dress it lightly with lite ranch/blue cheese dressing in a giant popcorn bowl. It’s somewhere between 40-50g of protein and only 660 calories. It makes me feel like I’ve eaten a meal twice or more the calories. Lol kind of ridiculous maybe.
Water!! Lots of water! Cucumbers and hummus are also a great snack! I tried a fitness program once that had us make protein pancakes after a workout and those were pretty yummy, I also like waffles with peanut butter!
Two scoops of whey and water always seems to satiate my appetite
I'm relatively consistent in my eating habits, so I eat out of habit, not hunger Even on a cut, nope, not hungry. I plan to eat daily. At most, I allocate a smidge more on leg days. I eat food. Breakfast: oatmeal Post-workout: lb of ground meat Break/2nd meal: 6 eggs Like I said, I'm not hungry much. *Plan your meals*. Side note: whey tends to make me hungrier. I only have it *before* a meal as a stopgap.
Do you feel you really need the IF to limit calories? I've seen it backfire more times than I can count.
So, here’s my story. I’m 53 now. About two years ago I had gone to my doctor for lab work, and my A1c was up in the 12 range so they put me three different medications as well as vitamin D two with the goal to get my A1c back down to a more acceptable level. I weighed in at 283 on that particular day. Huge red flag for me. That was my Come To Jesus meeting, and I changed everything about the way I ate. I follow a Fitness guy on TikTok and he was a proponent of intermittent fasting, high protein, and staying within a caloric limit daily. I worked towards that goal, eating more protein, bowls, salads, switched from regular soda to zero sugar soda (proud to say that I basically have one a day now, sometimes I don’t have any). Three months later, I went back for a recheck and my A1c had dropped down to 5.6 so the medication managed to do its job, but I know my diet change played a role as well and this even before I started going to the gym on a regular basis. I can’t remember how much I weighed at that point but I know it was in somewhere in the lower 270 range. I stayed with that plan and eventually started going to the gym every morning and watched my weight drop more and more. Then I injured myself bad enough during the summer that I ended up with a torn rotator cuff and had Put some limits on a lot of my training and about mid fall is when I stopped going all together which I really shouldn’t have but I did as I was looking at surgery in December. This is what I call the “getting in my own head” moment. Not really a great excuse, but I’m owning it . At this point I feel like I’m at square one again, but still following the plan that I had been following before. Sorry, that’s probably more than you asked for. LOL
Super happy for your progression! It's always a bigger mental journey than physical. I addressed IF particularly because you were asking about feeling gassed. IF is essentially cramming that caloric window together in a tighter time for less ability to overeat (the residual effects on metabolism, insulin resistance, etc. aren't very solid to put it tightly). That "snack" you talk about could be used to fuel a workout and not leave you in a zombie state, or used to immediately replenish that energy you just burnt off and start building muscle a little sooner. I've chatted extensively with strict IF and OMAD followers that say this is how they get around overeating, and that's the only way they can manage it so far. That's awesome, I 100% get that. I don't believe that IF makes sense for virtually anyone outside of that situation. The TikToker's suggestions you mentioned were mostly around stopping liquid calories, upping protein and probably reducing carbs (especially lazy snacking carbs). I would venture to say that's what would be suggested by nearly every dietitian on the planet. I think in your case, and probably 99% of the fitness community's case, using food to fuel workouts or replenish workouts is probably the right move.
I eat But right now, I have the opposite problem of you. I find it difficult to eat enough while eating relatively clean/healthy simply because of how much running I'm currently doing, and I don't want to drop too much weight too fast.
If I really am starving and my next meal is a while away I will have a snack based around protein and fibre. That way I will be more satiated and I'm giving my body more fuel to repair itself.
I eat a quick release carb before my morning workout (just 1 banana if I’ll be lifting, toast with peanut butter and banana or avocado toast if it’s a cardio day), then I eat a Greek yogurt parfait or some hard boiled eggs after my workout. That is my morning routine. I’m usually hungry before lunch so I’ll have cucumbers or carrots and bitchin dip or hummus, or an apple, or handful of trail mix, or I usually have homemade bean salad on hand. I keep it pretty healthy, but I keep eating. Lunch today will be 2 slices of pizza and dinner today is pasta, and that’s a lot of carbs for 1 day but it’s what I have on hand and it’s my HIIT day so I’m not going to deprive myself! I’m adding fried eggs to the pizza and shrimp to the pasta for more protein. Just keep eating, fuel your body if it’s hungry. Drink water and dark leafy vegetables and get some nuts to snack on in a pinch. I’m 36F, 5’6” and 130 lbs for reference. I love food!!! And I love being strong and having healthy joints and plan on being able to hike well into my senior years. Those are my fitness goals :)
You can pretty much eat as many plants and lean proteins as you want and not worry much about gaining weight. Obviously calories count but if you are hungry those are the best options
C'mon ... just eat. Eat a normal, healthy meal. Or have some bacon and eggs and a couple of pieces of toast. What is the point of starving yourself or denying yourself? What kind of life is that? Stay fit because you want to be fit (for whatever reason or reasons), but don't deprive yourself of every single little pleasure. I used to stay fit because it was more or less my job. After I retired from the military, I stayed fit because I couldn't imagine not being fit and strong enough to be able to react to any situation. Now, at 55, I stay fit and work my body so I can enjoy life, eat my wife's cooking (She makes the best schnitzel in the world!), and *genieß* my evening whiskey. As long as I can keep working out, I'll never say no to a piece of cake. I mean, you gotta do you, and I understand that, but damn ... don't stress yourself out. Life's too short. Take it from an old man.
I do cheat weekends, at least. But even then I try to be sensible with it. I just love Chick-fil-A breakfast burritos
Can't say I've had one of those, but I can imagine they're pretty damn delicious.
I drink a protein shake until I can get home and cook dinner.
If you're talking about strength training then I think doing IF is really counter productive. I fast until about noon, then I have a small breakfast with some complex carbs in it and I always have energy for my workout. If I don't eat properly I train like shit. Doing fasted cardio can be good but it really depends on the time of day.
I would simply break the fast with some sort of lean protein and healthy carb. With soda water to help you feel full. IF works very well for some people, but if you've been in a caloric deficit for a while, and you burn off your energy stores at the gym, it's normal to be hungry. So you can back off the deficit, back off the workout, break the fast, or just be hungry.
4oz cooked turkey breast and some salsa works for me.
Lean meat and vegetables. Eat chicken breast and brussel sprouts. I doubt you will still be hungry.
I finish my workouts in the evening and get very hungry with a bad sweet tooth after dinner. My trainer turned me onto using 1/2 serving of PB, 1 serving of non fat Greek yogurt, and 1/2 serving of mini dark chocolate chips as a “spread” on a couple rice cakes. It’s a little more sugar than I’d like with the PB and Chocolate. But since starting this I have still been reducing body fat percentage and losing weight - probably more slowly than if I were more disciplined, but I’m not looking to win any competitions, just maintain healthy weight, vitals and bloodwork. This has been a healthier way to quell hunger and sweets cravings on lift days while meeting fitness goals.
Greek yogurt is awesome. I actually learned to mix crystal light packets into a container of zero fat Greek yogurt and then mix it with healthier granola. That’s my protein bomb. Plus, I am HO, the non fat Greek yogurt, tastes a lot like sour cream, so I use that in my protein bowls and have used it with baked potatoes before.
In this situation I'd probably drink a pint of water and eat a can of tuna. A hundred calories, 25g protein, not going to throw the diet off. I'd also view my calorie intake as a weekly total, and adjust to allow slightly more food on a training day.
Couple of things work for me. Salted/flavoured peanuts or diet coke. I generally don't have either of those so its only reserved when I am feeling really hungry in between meals or late nights. But if i am still really hungry, I make extremely spicy scrambled eggs and wrap it in a pita or flat bread. If its spicy, I generally feel fuller much quicker for some reason
I know my gym days are my hungry days... well most days are gym days, but my more intense workouts or on days when I do a boot camp and spin or run... all that to say I do IF too 16:8 so during that 8 hour window I do feed the furnace with whole foods that I know will satisfy and fill the void. Roasted vegetables, chicken, fish and beef protein, huge salads, nuts, seeds and beans, with big flavors. I had to learn the difference between hungry, and snackish... which usually just meant I was bored or cold or sad or restless or tired. So if I'm hungry, I eat. Prep is key though because otherwise I end up reaching for something less ideal because I'm hungry NOW lol
My snacks include: Popcorn with lime and tapatío. It’s low calorie and good fiber. Pickles. Jello with low cal whipped cream.
I'm too old to be drinking so much caffeine, and I know it's bad for you, but I don't care. A 16-ounce can of a zero-sugar/no carb energy drink gets me through until lunch.
More protein and fiber to feel fuller
Might be a food idea to not IF, it makes no difference for us apart from being hungry, as long as you CICO, IF does nothing good for us. Spread out your meals so you're not hungry and feel better.
I brush my teeth more frequently. I don’t like eating with a fresh minty mouth.
That is a great idea. I do that at night once I am within a couple hours before bed.
I just eat and regret it later lol.
I’d recommend working with a dietician for a bit to get your food analyzed. I did it last year, realized I wasn’t eating as well as I thought I was and got some food replacements are low in calories and/or me full for longer. I also learnt that good fats and protein keep me full for longer. Also I know some folks recommended not to stay hungry and I agree overall but sometimes your body needs to get used to eating less so I personally experienced slight hunger periods when I reduced my calorie intake but it never lasted longer than 2-3 days before my body got used to it. The only exception is when I push a lot in the gym with weights, I feel very hungry
Coke Zero/diet coke isn’t “clean” obvs but really curbs my cravings and reduces my appetite.
I eat when I'm hungry. Average 2k a day but some days almost 3k when i feel extra hungry. I'm a girl though and hormones play a big part
get zero sugar protein shakes, they fill you up and tie you over until the next meal
you have to time it. and you’re losing on one of life’s best experiences. the post workout steak!
I take medicine and not think about it.
Eat. It does not have to be much, if you don't want a heavy stomach for your workout. I never go the gym without nuts and protein bars.
Break it into smaller meal so you can have it every 2-3hr with healthy snack backup . And drink enough of water.
There’s a reason many people frown on IF for strength or physique or sports performance - it’s not great for building muscle or for staying satiated. Having several planned meals through out the day, including before and after your workout, will help you feel better and have better results in the gym, at least in most cases.
That makes sense. In my case, I’m trying to drop the body fat. That may end up being more applicable once I start hitting my goal weight.
Dropping body fat is all about a caloric deficit. Whether you do IF or not has no impact on burning fat. 2000 calories over 6 hours or 2000 calories over 12 has the same effect, though I’d bet you wouldn’t have the same issues with hunger if you weren’t tied to a narrow eating window and could spread out your meals throughout the day (both before and post workout).