I have a few questions/concerns regarding nutrition that i hope others will be able to fill me in on through personal experience.
i think its first necessary to let you now a little about me.
I am currently about 195 lbs, 6 ft, and around 20-25 bf %
My main goal is to conquer the ongoing struggle of simultaneously losing fat while gaining or at worse maintaining muscle.
I workout intensely at least 5 times a week
Over the last year and a half i have committed to eating 6-8 small meals a day keeping protein >200g and trying to keep carbs <200g, however it has been an unpleasant journey as i am never satisfied and always hungry, i have noticed slight increase in strength but the stubborn fat is still there.
I have recently discovered the intermediate fast (IF) and IIMYM methods. I am yet to try this but want to hear peoples opinions. i think it will work for me as i will be able to fast throughout the day get in a workout and then refuel in a 4-6 hr time period. However deciding the correct macros is where i need help. I understand everybody is different but i am looking for a general direction to pursue. Also what is your guys take on carb cycling? Can this be implemented to the IF? Getting a little picky here but… i understand natural whole foods will be the best option but on IF flexible dieting is a lucrative option, should sugar intake be managed?
Any and all advice is welcome!!!
Looking for a little help, guidance and motivation!
[quote]alext21 wrote:
Over the last year and a half i have committed to eating 6-8 small meals a day keeping protein >200g and trying to keep carbs <200g, however it has been an unpleasant journey as i am never satisfied and always hungry, i have noticed slight increase in strength but the stubborn fat is still there.
I have recently discovered the intermediate fast (IF) and IIMYM methods. I am yet to try this but want to hear peoples opinions. i think it will work for me as i will be able to fast throughout the day get in a workout and then refuel in a 4-6 hr time period. However deciding the correct macros is where i need help. I understand everybody is different but i am looking for a general direction to pursue. Also what is your guys take on carb cycling? Can this be implemented to the IF? Getting a little picky here but… i understand natural whole foods will be the best option but on IF flexible dieting is a lucrative option, should sugar intake be managed? [/quote]
A few thoughts:
while I can understand the sentiment behind combining multiple, currently-popular dietary approaches (in the hopes that synergy will emerge and outpace any single approach), it doesn’t really work that way.
related to above and generally speaking, carb cycling is about nutrient timing, whie IF is about meal frequency, and IIFYM returns the focus to overall daily intake (vs micro-managing individual meals).
point being: there’s no magic inherent to any approach; the magic comes from learning what fits your preferences/lifestyle best (and thus enables consistency over the long-term).
refined/processed sugar intake should be eliminated, regardless of diet