T Nation

Critique/Help with IF Plan

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

So Im working on starting a 16/8 IF routine. I honestly, for some reason, have never been so confused in my life after reading 1232+ articles on IF.

Right now, i eat 6-7 meals, including 2 weight gainer shakes a day, which gives me about 4000 calories a day (which is what i need to grow).

Now, with IF, do i just eat all my meals/calories in that 8 hour window? or is IF mostly designed for just fat loss, which means ill drop my calories to around 2200.

How the hell am i supposed to consume 4000 calories in an 8 hour window…i struggle to do that eating every two hours now.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

#2

If you have read that many articles on the subject I think you would know your answer to your questions.

What time do you train? Is there a particular IF plan that you are trying as there are many different ways of doing it?

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#3

i train around 8pm. the 20/4 one is the one id like.

#4

Why are you so caught up on doing IF when trying to build? No, it’s not ONLY for fat loss, but the point is to worry less about when you get your calories. That said, if you have a hard time getting enough in that window, don’t do IF.

#5

[quote]ESPmuzzy1990 wrote:
How the hell am i supposed to consume 4000 calories in an 8 hour window…i struggle to do that eating every two hours now.
[/quote]
Pick a diet that works for you instead of trying to shoehorn your life into a random program.

There is more than 1 way to skin a cat.

#6

[quote]ESPmuzzy1990 wrote:
How the hell am i supposed to consume 4000 calories in an 8 hour window…i struggle to do that eating every two hours now. [/quote]

Firstly, here is a great tool for trying to figure out a starting point for total kcals and then macro breakdowns depending on your goal. http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

Secondly, you will be surprised at how much food you can put down in a sitting. My schedlue is IDEAL for IF. I fast from 10pm - 2pm. I lift at 12:30 pm and eat about 20 min after I get done at the gym. When I was trying to slowly gain, it was nothing at all to sitdown at that first meal and have 2,400 calories. And those aren’t shit calories. They were 85% clean, whole foods. That 2nd meal was around 1,000 cal, and then 5-600 right before bed. Slept like a baby!! It is easy to do and like everything else, once you get used to it and the schedule, it is smooth sailing with minor adjustments.