IF Challenge Day #2: IF is Not About Starvation. Why You Still Need to Eat

May 13 2008

Published by Mike OD at 9:26 am under Intermittent Fasting

IF Challenge Day #2 Tip: Make sure you get enough quality calories in

I am sure if you tell anyone that you are doing any type of fasting they will respond “But that isn’t healthy to starve yourself”. No, of course starving yourself is not healthy, but IF is not about starving yourself. In fact you can still get in enough healthy calories in your eating windows. Make sure your IF plan does not leave you with little calories for too long. Like any diet that is just low on calories, you can see results quickly…but then your metabolism will slow down and you will see the weight come back on. That is the “starvation” reflex built in to our system.

Our fat cells have different receptors on them (alpha and beta) that are signaled by hormones to do certain things. Think of it like a couple guards sitting outside the gates of the fat cells…they will get messages whether to open the door one way to start emptying out fat to be burned, or will open the door the other way to let more fat in to get stored inside the cell. A fat cell is just a storage tank…and waits for the right signals to either empty or fill the tanks. (If you need a refresher course on the fat loss hormones, re-read the fat loss 101 post) For fat loss you have what are known as Beta-1 (B1) and Alpha-2 (A2) receptors on the fat cells, each cell has them but the % of the type of cell can vary. Cells with more B1 receptors (good) will easily burn the fat…it’s the first to come off when losing weight. Cells with more A2 receptors (bad stubborn fat) will not as easily burn the fat, this is what we call our “trouble spots”. Another reason we can not spot reduce, because it is more dictated by the hormones and receptors involved. When you stay on a low calorie diet for too long, you actually increase the number of A2 receptors on fat cells, so when your metabolism drops and you start putting the weight back on…now it will become harder and harder to get off (this and the loss of muscle that usually occurs).

So make sure you are not putting yourself in the starvation mode by:

Eating enough healthy foods during the window to maintain metabolism & muscle (but also some calorie deficit to burn fat…not usually a problem with IF unless you are eating alot of high calorie processed foods. Remember IF is not an excuse to eat poorly, eat healthy and you will never have to count calories again!)
Try adding a weekly non IF day to expand your eating window (more important for those doing the daily IF windows) such as taking the weekends off if you IF weekdays. Just in case you are not eating enough during the week, having an up day in calories at least once every 7-10 days will help signal that there is no prolonged period of starvation. (this is the standard trick when dealing with any lower calorie diet for weight loss). Again this is not a pass to dive face first into the bakery, this is to just remove the IF window to get in some more calories than normal (assuming the you are still in deficit during the week). Note: The biggest thing I see go wrong in an IF plan (especially in more active people who have more recovery needs) is just not getting enough calories in the IF window. If that is the case, taking a day off once in a while to get some more calories in can be a great benefit in reseting the metabolism. (and not lead to thyroid issues down the road) Remember use your non IF day wisely….you can still overdo it and cause fat gain from excess calorie and carbohydrate spillover (not stored in muscle glycogen, stored in fat cells instead). If you reach a fat loss plateau while doing IF, this could be the thing your body is looking for. Again, it’s all about continual progress for weight loss.
Do not fast too much or too long (depending on what type you do). Again IF is about good fasts with proper recovery/calorie, more fasting is not necessarily going to be better. Start slow if you have to, but don’t take it to the extreme thinking more fat loss will occur by longer and more periods of not eating.
Remember IF is about a lifestyle change, not a quick weight loss gimick. While you can lose a good amount of fat while doing IF, like any real lasting change it has to be a sustainable and healthy lifestyle. (otherwise you can easily rebound and make weight loss tougher in the future, as explained above) Find what works for you physically and mentally and enjoy the journey.

18 Responses to “IF Challenge Day #2: IF is Not About Starvation. Why You Still Need to Eat”

# Our Longevity Diet » Should You Take A Day Off From Fasting?on 13 May 2008 at 4:56 pm

[...] on The IF Life blog, Mike OD suggests that those living a fasting lifestyle take one ‘up’ [...]
# Mike ODon 13 May 2008 at 8:18 pm

Note from Editor - The above article has been edited from the original release early today to add more clarification for eating on the off days, or originally called “up” days. (Although it seems it has not been released via email yet for some reason today, so those that get the article via email tomorrow will get the updated one) Thank you for a great point made in the review above and bringing it to my attention.
# Louiseon 13 May 2008 at 10:00 pm

Reporting for duty - Day 2

Going great today. Feel very energetic, looking forward to my dinner which will be grilled tandoori swordfish and salad with avocado with raspberries and yoghurt for dessert.

Got my hour walk in today too. I took some ‘before’ shots yesterday, can’t wait to see the ‘after’ versions! Thank you for this challenge, I think it will help many people get serious about their IF.
# Sarena Kopcielon 14 May 2008 at 7:23 am

It’s a start: I got into bed last night at 10:50! And I got up this morning at 7. I am trying….
# Hanneke_chicagoon 14 May 2008 at 8:37 am

Thanks for this challenge, I started monday and so today is my 3rd day. I didnt think I would leave a post but knowing myself it will be difficult to continue after 14 days so I better get myself out here for extra motivation.
Very hungry this morning. I try to do an 18-19 hr fast. The first 2 days I wasnt hungry in the morning so lets see how today will go. I’m very busy today so that will help.
The other thing I am a little worried about is that I am moving this month which will add some more stress. I am a typical stess eater so I hope by posting to keep myself motivated and strong.
Thanks for the above article too. Lot ot truth in it for me, things to work on!
# Mike ODon 14 May 2008 at 9:45 am

Hanneke - I’ve found for hunger that a morning coffee or Americano (no sugar, black) helps. Just make sure you are still getting in plenty of quality calories during your feeding window. As for the stress….don’t sweat what you can not control or deal with in the present moment. Most stress and worry is uneccessary, and if you notice what you worry about it’s always something in the past or future. Deal with right now, and what you can control and need to do…the future will take care of itself without your worry. Also if you feel run down, add some healthy protein and fats in during your moving. Again, IF is meant to fit around your lifestyle needs. Excess stress means chronic cortisol which can lead to some muscle loss, eating some protein and fat will help negate that.
# Patri Friedmanon 14 May 2008 at 2:16 pm

I’d like to hear more about how to burn stubborn fat. I’ve been doing IF and CrossFit, and my body looks great from the chest up and hips down, but I still have a bunch of stubborn fat in the midsection. It’s weird.
# Mike ODon 14 May 2008 at 3:16 pm

Patri - The stubborn bodyfat is always last to go. There are many strategies such as carb depletion workouts, fasted cardio, and other tricks used by professional bodybuilders and figure models to get that off. It takes some work and is slower than that “all over” bodyfat. Men’s A2 receptors are mainly in the stomach/lovehandles/back…women are hips/thighs/butt (as well as face for both). Things like alcohol and other hormones come into play as well. Try adding in some lifestyle “cardio” activities after a High intensity workout….like walking, hiking, etc. Take advantage of depleting liver glycogen, freeing fats to be burned and then burn them in the muscle. Kind of like how DeVany says to do something after lifting, or Lyle McDonald says to do intervals before a longer cardio routine. These guys know their stuff and it works.
# Jenniferon 18 May 2008 at 4:36 pm

Mike,

Could you give me some feedback regarding my IF schedule? My goal is fat loss, but obviously would like to maintain muscle. I’m a 5’10 female and 165 pounds. I think my body fat is about 22%, or maybe more?

I currently have been fasting for a few weeks (about 3 times a week) from 8pm – noon the next day. Each week, I’ve also tried a 24 hour fast where I’ve fasted from around 6pm – 6pm the following night. I work at a school, so it is easy for me to fast until noon and then have my first meal which consists of a piece of protein (about the size of my palm), a salad, and cooked vegetables. Sometimes I’ll have some starchy carb in there too like a portion of a potato.

I’m doing body weight work outs 3 times a week and I usually combine that with either a 30 minute fast walk or 15 minutes of HIIT. This workout typically will begin between 4-5pm, and then I usually wait an hour before I have my PWO meal. This meal is similar to my lunch meal. Again, sometimes I’ll have a starchy carb in there. I generally eat until I feel full.

I’ve been trying different things…for example, sometimes I’ll have an apple around 3:30. Anyway, I’ve read lots of your posts, and I’m also trying to take in more fat, while limiting processed carbs. Desserts and sugary snacks can be a downfall.

Do you have any advice or thoughts on what I’m currently doing? Should I be trying to get another meal in before I work out? I would eventually like to fast 5x a week, leaving the weekends more open.

Thanks for such informative blog posts!
# Mike ODon 19 May 2008 at 10:55 am

Jennifer - Good questions, I’ll try to get them all answered as best I can. Remember that like eating all day long, IF can have many variables. So it is important to make sure that what you are doing is working, and if it is not then you need to switch things up. That being said:
- Ideally your workouts should be in a fasted state (or as much as you can). Where it is later in the day, just try not to eat a couple hours pre-workout. You should have enough stored glycogen to get through the workout.
- The goal is to use up all your glycogen during the weight training or intervals, and then burn fat afterwards with extra activity. So do your workout, keep it short and intense and then add in some walking or other movements for another 30min to keep the fat burning.
- If you can add in some 30min activity in the AM also when you are fasted from overnight that may help in additional calories being burned from fat
- Remember it’s still about total calories for the day, so there has to be a slight deficit for the body to want to burn energy from the fat stores
- Protein at every meal is key. Unless you are needing it, I would say skip the complex non-veggie carbs unless it is after a workout. After all, you want to burn fat for energy…not the carbs you are eating. That’s why a higher fat/lower carb based diet can get better fat loss.
- Sugar is not your friend, as it signals fat storage. Just tell yourself everytime you eat sugar “I dont want to burn fat for the next 3-4 hours” as that is what you are telling your body hormonally.
- You could try more carb cycling to keep the carbs low weekdays, and then have a little more flexibility on the weekends to eat more.
- Use the rule of thumb, if carbs are up during a meal…fat needs to go down…and vise versa. Having them both high at a meal is DISASTER for fat loss efforts.

Hope that helps, please feel free to experiement and come back with any other questions you have. I know you will find something that works for you!
# Jenniferon 19 May 2008 at 3:54 pm

So, by eating two meals on these fast days, this is ok? I’m a little hungry by the time I work out at 430ish, but I can wait until that PWO meal so I can work out fasted. I don’t want my body to think i’m starving myself. And in some of your other posts (I think) you and others are getting in three meals in that 8 hour eating window.
# Mike ODon 19 May 2008 at 7:20 pm

Jennifer - With your eating window of noon-8pm I would still try to aim for 3 meals. Maybe something like Noon-eat, 3pm-eat, 6pm workout, 8pm-eat. Does that work? Again it’s about making sure you get enough protein for the muscles and dividing up the calories. If you feel you are still not getting enough calories during the week, then I would not IF weekends and try to eat normally there. Again calories have to be in deficit and your hormones have to be saying “burn fat”….aka get rid of sugar and get good protein and healthy fats. You won’t go into starvation mode with just 5 days of low calorie eating…takes longer (hence I recommended a non IF day every 7-10days).
# Jenniferon 19 May 2008 at 8:37 pm

mike, thanks for being patient with my questions. What do you mean when you say, “If you’re not getting enough calories during the week”? How will I know? I do not IF on weekends at all.
# Mike ODon 19 May 2008 at 11:02 pm

Jennifer - signs of hypothyroidism include: (low thyroid function which happens when calories are too low for too long)
* Increased sensitivity to cold
* Constipation
* Pale, dry skin
* A puffy face
* Hoarse voice
* An elevated blood cholesterol level
* Unexplained weight gain
* Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
* Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
* Muscle weakness
* Heavier than normal menstrual periods
* Depression
* Thinning/loss of hair, Brittle Nails
you can read more at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothyroidism/DS00353/DSECTION=2

If you are eating more on the weekends (non-IF days), do not show any symptoms above and still are losing weight….you should be doing ok. Typically anything less than 1200 calories is not recommended for women….but there are ways to get around it with calorie cycling days. Just watch out for anything listed above and you should be ok. That’s why the non-IF days are there…to make sure the above does not happen.
# Katie Bon 22 May 2008 at 12:11 am

Wow Mike, thanks for the above posts (to Jennifer). They answer all the questions I’ve been thinking about lately. Actually almost all. What about not eating at all after a workout? For example, my eating window is 8 hours, generally 9 am to 5 pm, then my workouts are at 7. So I’m working out fasted and not eating at all afterwards. My goal is fat loss. Do you think this will backfire? I can try to move my eating window to encompass my workouts, but I like the way it works for my daily schedule right now.

And thanks for the notes about too few calories. I just started using fitday.com, and apparently I’m barely reaching 1000 calories per day. That’s an eye-opener! Time to up the food… although I don’t know how, I’m full all the time as it is!
# Mike ODon 22 May 2008 at 7:45 am

Katie - Like mentioned above you can cycle lower with higher days….that’s why I like the weekday IF and weekend more open (ideally to get some more calories in). As for pwo in the evening I would say play around with it and just see how you feel. It’s better IMO to fast in the AM (as you are already in that fasting state) rather than too early in the PM. Of course you don’t want your PM meal too late to overly mess up your GH response. I say if you do a pwo meal like 8pm-ish to make it mostly some protein and healthy fats (don’t overload on carbs that late). Like I said, play around with the IF hours to see how your energy levels are. Remember there are no real set rules, just what you can apply to your life and get positive results with!
# Jenniferon 22 May 2008 at 7:04 pm

Mike - can you talk a bit more about carb cycling? Specifically PWO meals? In response to a guy on today’s post (5/22) you recommended protein + carb (fruit/whole food complex carbs) for PWO meal. If my PWO meal is around 6pm, and my goal is fat loss, could I include some fruit PWO also?

Also, above you mention that usually women should stay above 1200 calories per day. When I figure my BMR, it says 1533 kcals/day. Do IFers need to pay attention to that?
# Mike ODon 23 May 2008 at 10:43 am

Jennifer - Carb cycling is just high and low days of carbs. Some do low carbs on non-weight training and then just add a little higher carb pwo on weight training days. Others may do a full week of lower carbs and using the weekend to carb back up. Most of these numbers are low and not meant to give someone free reign to eat pasta all weekend, as that will just put on fat. Something like 30-40g is on the low end, and 60-150g is on the higher end. The amounts vary by the person, their activity level and how much fat loss they are seeing. Just start of slow/lower on the carbs pwo (not a ton) and see how your body responds. You can add little by little until you find your particular number that works for you in weight loss. Personally I don’t count calories…but you need to be in deficit to lose fat. Some people go way too low, but then cycle back up higher calorie days to trick the metabolism (like professional bodybuilders/figure models getting ready for a show). Again all those numbers are based more on consistently eating the same amount and do not take into account any higher or lower cycling days. Cycling is the trick to get results, and why I get paid the big bucks.