How To Lose Weight With Intermittent Fasting
Yes. The answer is yes. So, if you came for that, you can run along now. But, if you want to know why and how, then indulge me and continue reading.
Calorie counting is the process of calculating calories consumed. This is usually achieved through weighing and/or measuring food. Apps like MyFitnessPal or Nutritionix make the process easier and more accessible.
Calorie counting is most often used by physique competitors and bodybuilders. These sports often require this regimented and meticulous approach to nutrition. In getting down to elite levels of leanness, you must consider macros, meal timing, and carb cycling. Not only does calorie counting simplify those processes, but it also aids other phases, like cutting and bulking.
Right now bodybuilding is at the center of the fitness industry. It seems like everyone and their mother is competing, wants to compete, or has competed. Beyond that, many of these athletes and fitness influencers use this unique expertise to educate their following.
Their message: if you want to lose weight or gain muscle, you must count your calories (or macros). I’d say 95% of the influencers I’ve followed or watched have at least three videos dedicated to this specifically. Almost as if the ONLY way to achieve your physique goals is to count.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. And, before I continue, I don’t fault these people for their message, however misleading. They’re simply sharing what has worked for them and what they know. But look, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. And 6 + 3 = 9, but so does 5 + 4. The point is, calorie counting is ONE way to ensure fat loss, one of many.
And it’s not just bodybuilding that promotes calorie counting. It’s most CrossFit athletes and calories in vs. calories out “advocates” (if you can even call them that, when CICO is simply a law…but that’s neither here nor there) and online coaches. Generally, I find many people have come to the conclusion of calories in vs. calories out due to the overall lack of societal knowledge around portion sizes and appropriate food/calorie intake.
When someone says they want to lose fat or gain muscle it’s simpler to just tell them “count your calories” so that they can gain a better understanding of what they’re consuming. I believe calorie counting should be used as a step forward in the right direction, not a long term or even short term solution. If your problem is eating too much, counting your calories isn’t your solution, eating less is. Calorie counting is a tool. One tool.
The challenge, is to find the way that works for you. And in order to find what works for you, you have to know what’s out there. That isn’t to say that the following method will work, but it is to say that the following method could be a starting point or serve as your new framework.
Before I get into a method you can use or work off of for fat loss, I want to be fair and provide you with the pros and cons of calorie counting as a tool.
Pros:
It works (if you can adhere to it long term).
It’s pretty straight forward, once you get the hang of it.
It’s a great way to learn portion sizing, for you.
It allows you to be flexible (eating nutrient dense foods and eating less nutrient dense foods)
Cons:
It’s usually unsustainable long term
You develop a relationship with food (read my article about why you should not have a relationship with food here)
You may become obsessive or develop an eating disorder
It becomes a crutch, people often unable to stop without reversing their progress.
From the lists above you can gauge for yourself whether or not you think calorie counting is for you. That is for you to decide and only you. If you’re ready to commit to calorie counting for your fat loss goal, more power to you! I’m happy you’re ready to start and ready to commit. If not and you don’t think calorie counting is for you, continue reading as I share with you what I believe the best way you can achieve your fat loss goals without calorie counting.
Create A Limited Eating Window
This is a huge one and probably the easiest to implement. Some people label it as intermittent fasting, fasting intermittently, whatever. Doesn’t matter what you call it, all you’re doing is restricting the hours in the day you eat. Oftentimes we graze throughout the day. We have breakfast then a breakfast snack, then a pre lunch snack, then a post lunch snack, and they we have another snack because we see someone else snacking, oh look a cookie!, snack, then we have dinner, dessert, and a pre bed snack. The whole day we snack on this and nibble on that. It is in fact ridiculous and is a habit we should all break (read my article about your relationship with food to learn how)
To restrict your eating window would help with this behavior. For example, you could limit your eating window from 12 pm to 7pm. This would give your seven hours to eat. Now, there’s a stipulation, don’t eat like an asshole. Just because you’re eating window is shortened doesn’t mean you should hit up Shake Shack and your local Chinese Restaurant to eat as much food as possible in those seven hours. What it does mean is that you should eat as you normally would within those new guidelines.
Using the example from earlier where you eat three meals and three to four snacks, with this new restricted eating window you might eat two meals and three snacks or three meals and two snacks. Note that just because you’re not calorie counting, doesn’t mean calories don’t count, because they do. What this restricted window aims to do is restrict calories. Which means you can ruin it if you eat like an asshole.
Some might find a more lenient window works for them while others might need a more restrictive window, it all depends on you and what you need. At this point it is important for me to say that the smaller the eating window the more satiated or “full” you might feel during that time. Regardless, if you are losing fat, hunger is an inevitable side effect of fat loss. Don’t convince yourself otherwise.
That being said when you first change your eating window you’ll experience a predictable/hormonal hunger. Essentially, your body gets used to the times in which you eat; hormonally you learn to expect foods at certain times. Allow for an adjustment period as this hunger will likely be a result of habit rather than actual hunger.
So now, it’s on you to use this method and decide for yourself if this is something that would work for you. I genuinely believe it can work for everyone. Some might have to be more strict than others. Give yourself 100 days. 100 days to try it. Get a calendar and mark down everyday you follow your protocol to a T. At the end of the 100 days, if you have less than 80 perfect days, you cannot say “this doesn’t work.” 80% is the minimum. Give it 100 days, and I’m willing to bet you’ll be surprised about your results, both physical and mental.
