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.
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:
During your fast, you must eat or drink NO calories. That means no creamer, no sugar, etc. Drinks should be plain water (flat or fizzy), black coffee or plain tea (actual tea or herbal). Again, no sugar, no creamer, no milk.
Hunger comes and goes. Ignore it and it will go away. You will most probably get hungry at times where you would previously be eating something (breakfast, morning snacks). That’s just your brain being an alarm clock. It will take a little while for it to catch up with the new program. Ignore it and it will stop.
When hungry (or when you feel like you want to eat something) during fasting hours, drink a big glass of water, or a coffee/tea/decaf. It works.
It’s ok to be hungry. This is something we have been trained to see as being a bad thing that needs to be resolved immediately. That’s not true. You won’t die if you’re a little hungry for a few hours. You get used to it and after a few weeks, you’ll find that you don’t actually get hungry much anymore.
That’s not a reason to starve yourself, though.
Make sure you drink more water during the day that you normally would. You will get less water from food because you’re eating less, and intake will be limited to a small window. You must complement that during your fasting hours to avoid dehydration.
Headaches? That’s dehydration. Take electrolytes and drink more water.
Cramps? That’s dehydration. Drink more water.
Don’t be afraid to adjust your eating window until you find what works best for you and your life. Skipping breakfast is the easy answer that works for most people, but it’s just one of the many, many possibilities.
As a woman, especially a middle-aged one, you might find that it takes a few weeks to start showing on the scale. Give your body about a month (and at least one cycle) before you decide it’s not working. Take measurements because you may start losing inches before you lose scale weight. Take pictures too. Ignore the daily scale weight variations and focus on, say, your weekly average.
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.