IFing and binge eating page

[JonOhJay]

Hi, first off, I would like to state that my goal with the paleo diet is NOT to lose weight but just to eat healthy. That said, IF is frequently used as a way to lose weight but I do it anyway to save time and money as a college student. It works but I find that I eat a lot upon breaking my fast. I am relatively skinny male at 129 lbs height 5 8. I definitely eat a lot but the strange thing is that upon eating I don't feel bloated despite the amount i eat. Should i continue doing this? Any IFers out there? TMW lol?

[Sandra in BC]

You should keep doing what's working for you.

[Paleobird]

Hi, first off, I would like to state that my goal with the paleo diet is NOT to lose weight but just to eat healthy. That said, IF is frequently used as a way to lose weight but I do it anyway to save time and money as a college student. It works but I find that I eat a lot upon breaking my fast. I am relatively skinny male at 129 lbs height 5 8. I definitely eat a lot but the strange thing is that upon eating I don't feel bloated despite the amount i eat. Should i continue doing this? Any IFers out there? TMW lol?

Relatively? Eat more, my child. Please. Every chance you get. Don't worry about IFing. Just eat.

[tarek]

There's nothing wrong with IFing if you're doing it for the purposes mentioned (as a plus, it can definitely give you a boost in energy), but you definitely need to eat a sufficient amount of calories when you break your fast. 2,500 - 3,000 per day depending on your needs. If your activity level warrants it, you could probably eat even more.

I'm 5'11" and 22 years old -- when I started eating paleo two+ years ago, my weight would fluctuate between 140 and 150. After doing home workouts and eating around 3,000 calories every day, I now weigh about 165 - 170. I'm not ripped or anything, but my weight definitely feels a lot more natural at this point.

[Kilian]

Yeah you're tiny. You need to lift more really heavy things and eat more really tasty food...

[Derpamix]

129 at 5'8 isn't tiny, that's "normal" weight. It also depends on the body composition. He could be a flabby skinnyfat mess at 129lbs, we wouldn't know.

Don't worry about eating a lot at your age though. I'm 6'3 155lbs and can eat upwards to 10,000 calories in a day and not bat an eye. It depends on your metabolic rate. Overeating increases thermals and raises metabolism.

[Damiana]

You're at a normal weight. Keep eating healthy food and eat when it works for you. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[KeiraJayne]

I started incorporating 24hr fasts into my routine a few weeks ago. Apart from wanting to shift some stubborn weight, the biggest thing I hoped to achieve was becoming in-tune with my body, learning my physiological responses to 'real' hunger and also learning to stop eating when I was full. Initially, my first meal after a fast was larger than my regular portions, but I've noticed that this has gradually reduced over the weeks as I've learned to listen to my body's cues.
Just a suggestion, when you break your fast, pretend like the fast never happened. Eat whatever meal you would usually have at that time, whether it be a full meal or a snack, eat it slowly and stop when you're full.

As a side note about IF in general, I really enjoy the energy boost I get from a 24hr fast. I'm more alert, I think faster on my feet, train harder and feel like my senses are heightened. That and I enjoy feeling lighter and leaner.

[Ripped]

You should keep doing what's working for you.

Good advice!!!

As for the others, telling someone to eat more is the worst advice one could ever give, unless the goal is to get fat.

With that being said, it's ok to eat a lot when breaking your fast. You could afford to gain some weight anyways. I would just lift some weights a few times per week just in case. That way if you gain a bit hopefully it will all be muscle. If fat gain occurs, you have to cut your calories for a while to drop it.

At 5'8" I wouldn't let your weight go above 160. So you clearly have some room for growth, but just don't go too crazy.

[Paleobird]

Good advice!!!

As for the others, telling someone to eat more is the worst advice one could ever give, unless the goal is to get fat.

With that being said, it's ok to eat a lot when breaking your fast. You could afford to gain some weight anyways. I would just lift some weights a few times per week just in case. That way if you gain a bit hopefully it will all be muscle. If fat gain occurs, you have to cut your calories for a while to drop it.

At 5'8" I wouldn't let your weight go above 160. So you clearly have some room for growth, but just don't go too crazy.

At 129lbs I don't think he is in imminent danger of obesity. I do however agree that doing some lifting along with the eating would be optimal. Me telling him to just eat was my reflexive motherly reaction to a thin person over-thinking IFing.