Note: This is a reprint of an answer I posted in the comments section of my article on Bodybuilding.com.
Question: Hi OP! I read from one of your posts earlier that: "for instance, the last three weeks of the Challenge I started doing Intermittent Fasting" meaning you only started IF in your last 3 weeks. May I know what you did when you started? before starting IF? Also, if you could do it all over again but with the knowledge you have now, would you say that you would have started with your IF routine from the start? and or what other changes would you have done? btw, really inspired by all your messages and progress!
Answer: If I knew everything I know now when I started, I would without hesitation follow the Intermittent Fasting protocol. I am totally sold on it. The place where I learned about Intermittent Fasting is leangains.com. I went through a few different phases before discovering Intermittent Fasting. I began by simply eating healthier. No pop, no junk food, salads everyday, drinking lots of water. For the first 10 days of the Challenge, I probably averaged about 1800-1900 calories a day of pretty healthy food and supplements. Then I realized that simply eating healthy and doing cardio was not going to be enough to lose all the fat I wanted lose in the timeframe in which I wanted to lose it, so I cut my calories to 800-900 daily. I would do re-feed/cheat days every week or ten days, based on how I was feeling. I stayed at this calorie level for the next 5.5 weeks. The last few weeks of this period is where I made my biggest mistake. I kept cutting back on carbs until I got to the point where I had gone no-carb for more than a week or two (I can't remember exactly how long it was now). I still felt healthy and energetic, but I was losing strength at the gym, so as I was researching different topics to discover why I was getting weaker, I came across lots of information on the importance of carbs for weightlifting. At this point I bumped my calories up to 1400-1500 daily and added in more protein and carbs. I also started using a carb/protein workout shake, which I had never done before. With the higher calories and carbs, my strength started coming back almost immediately. I stayed at this calorie level for two weeks, and then right after that is when I discovered Intermittent Fasting. Thank you so very much for the kind words! Inspiration flows in both directions. When I get positive feedback, I am inspired to keep working hard and maintaining my new healthy lifestyle. Thank you again! I hope you have a great day!
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