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New to IF and would love advice

42F 5’7” CW: 155 GW: 130 and really want to take advantage of the next few months to get rid of the 25 lbs I gained over the pandemic. I want to try 16:8 IF with counting macros. Using a macro calculator I’m at 145p 116c 45f. (Which currently feels like SO MUCH PROTEIN). Working out a little with weights and peloton 3 times a week. Would love recommendations and advice on maximizing my results.

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Answer

That’s a LOT of proteins. I’m 140-145lbs and lift heavy weights 3 times a week and “only” have a budget of 129P (which I already find a bit much most days). For people who train with weights, the recommended range is 1.6 to 2.2P per kg of body weight (some say lean mass. The high range is clearly for people trying to build a fair amount of muscle mass, which requires more than “working out a little with weights”). For you that would be 112 to 155P. Less if you count lean mass instead, but most importantly if you only train light weights, you’d probably be just as good within the low end of the range.

Now to answer your question, I’m not sure what you’re looking for, but the most important thing to remember is that what ultimately matters the most is calories in vs. calories out (CICO). IF helps a ton with that but it won’t work if you eat too much. Your macros put you at ~1,450 kcal a day, which seems fair.

Make sure you eat a shit ton of non-starchy veggies - they’re healthy, very low in calories so you can eat more, full of stuff you need (fibers, micronutrients, water…) and they’re filling.

I personally go with low carbs (very low starch) and higher fat. Because I like fatty (not greasy) food better, and I find them more satisfyingly and more filling. Find your sweet spot.

Some tips and tricks:

Answer

You cannot eat too much protein. The science has turned a corner on this and it is just logical- humans we’re basically carnivore for about a million years - there is no broccoli in nature and fruits are seasonal. So eat what your body tells you to eat. Drop sugar completely. Go close to zero carb but that is a personal choice. If worried about protein check out carnivore diet subs - they do 200 grams protein easily. Eat good fats. Calories in calories out is not accurate as the human body is not a bunson burner - if you are low carb calories don’t matter as fat and proteins behaves differently due to extremely low insulin spike.

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