I’m going to start 16:8 soon eating from 12 pm to 8 pm. My goal is to lose 10 lbs but I also want to build muscle mass. I can only workout at 5 am (lifting for 30 mins and 30 mins cardio). Working out 6 hours before eating, will that just burn fat and muscle or can I still build muscle?
That’s nearly the exact schedule I used to have. I would do 18:6 and would lift weights at 5am, followed up with a run. I’d hit up boxing training around 10:30am and break my fast around twelve. It worked for me. Managed to retain mass, recomp, and lost a ton of fat.
It’s worth noting that if you’re new to lifting, you’re likely going to make some good solid gains so long as you’re eating right. The protein window probably isn’t as important until you’ve been at it a while and are nearly maxing out your current potential.
I do some basic muscle training at home. I do it about 10 hrs after eating and 13+ hrs before eating. Sometimes I’ve tried to exercise just before eating, other times just after eating. In the end, I’ve found zero difference in the timing. The results are the same. I’ve been able to build the amount of muscle I want by working out in the middle of my fasting.
I have zero clue about the science behind this, though. But based on my own personal experience, you can absolutely build muscle with the schedule you’ve described. Or any schedule for that matter.
That being said, I recommend chewing gum, drinking water with lemon or tea, or something that won’t break your fast, but that will kind of give the body the illusion that it’s getting energy to burn from. Otherwise, working out while hungry and fasting is going to lead to feeling foggy and ultimately just a lesser workout than you would otherwise be able to do. Of course, this depends on the person, but just sharing what I’ve learned based on my personal experience.
The most important thing is consistency and do what works for you. The science behind it says that for best results you should fuel ur body for workouts…but in all honesty…i been working out all my life, always had muslce, just recently took off over 70lbs of fat. And in all my years of experience the best ive ever felt is recently these past couple years when i started IF and OMAD. I wake up at 4:30am every morning, drink my black coffee, gym by 5:30am…no cardio just weight training. my workouts are better fasted than when i have food in me. Sure i could probably have better results if i ate before or after or whatever…but to me it doesnt matter. i do what keeps me going everyday. I LOVE my workouts fasted in the early mornings. I love eating later in the day. I love that i dont get hungry or fight hunger pains.
TLDR….experiment and do what works for you. Just think and realize…there are thousands of people out there who have figured it out and love their bodies and their mental health and who they are….you can get there too. just do the work, stay consistent, find what works for you. dont worry about the rest.
I will echo everything that has been said. I wake up at 5am, do HIIT from at 6:15, and then break my fast between 11-12, depending on when I last ate the night before.
Since you are waking up early to go to the gym, why don’t you just move your feeding window up an hour or two to 11-7 or 10-6? Then, you only have a couple hours after your lifting session before it is time to eat.
I’m not starting weight lifting for a few months yet (want to make sure I’ve really established solid IF/keto habits before I add more on top of things) but from the reading I’ve done, my plan will be to start out (or, more realistically, built up to) some HIIT in the mornings, and then three times a week, get in some weight training before breaking my fast (usually at or a little after 3pm.) I have the luxury of WFH though, so that might not be feasible for many.
My understanding is that doing cardio fasted is fine (might not have much endurance, but you’ll be fine; and specifically HIIT really helps you burn fat while fasting. I used to do cardio work outs fasted all the time in the morning before work, before it was cool, and despite the prevailing wisdom that you “needed“ energy to work out effectively. It was just easier than also trying to make a smoothie or scarf down a banana when I’m not hungry, and I always felt heavier/worse when doing cardio with food in my stomach.) But, I have heard you really should refuel pretty shortly after a weight training session, or you risk not building muscle effectively (as well as increased soreness and other stuff that I can’t recall.)
But given my experience with doing cardio while fasted, it can’t hurt to try out and see how you feel. As long as you start slow, listen to your body, and adjust if/when needed, I’d argue that for otherwise healthy people, exercising even sub-optimally is probably going to be better than not exercising at all.