Adjustment for muscle gains

This topic contains 6 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by Sue Denim 10 years, 3 months ago.

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Jimbin

5:28 am
1 Aug 13
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Hello,

I’ve been following the 5:2 diet for 3 months now, and have lost a total of 16kg. I’m pretty thin now, 6 foot tall and only weight 67kg. I have always been active, training in gymnastics 4 days per week. I don’t want to lose any more weight, but am unsure how to adjust the plan for muscle gain. I’m eating roughly 2600cal/day on non-fast days, and fasting twice per week. Should I simply increase my daily non-fast day calories and keep the two fast days per week to stave off fat gains, or drop down to one fast day per week?

Thanks for any information anyone can provide.

rockyromero

10:43 am
8 Sep 13
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This may require experimenting on your part.

Logically, increasing calorie intake on non fast days would make sense.

Which days do you train on?

➰

Jimbin

3:12 am
24 Dec 13
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Update with my findings:

About 3 months ago I started combining 5:2 with a cyclical ketogenic diet, specifically the ‘Anabolic diet’. I have seen (and measured) my body fat % decrease down to 9%, and at the same time put on almost 5kg muscle. The gains have been pretty consistent.

I don’t weight train as such, I do about 50 minutes of gymnastics skills training 4 times per week. My strength has increased significantly in all movements.

The first couple of weeks were tough with the new diet, but not unmanageable. I’ll be sticking to this for the time being, no point in changing it if it is working after all. Anyone looking at building lean muscle should check out the Anabolic Solution, a quick google search will get you a pdf version of the book for free 😉

Side note: after reading ‘sweet poison’ and ‘wheat belly’ as well as material by Dr Robert Lustig and Professor Gary Taubes, I have cut wheat and sugar (fructose) completely out of my diet, and I believe this has helped significantly. The transition wasn’t difficult due to the large range of alternatives available. I no longer diet, I have a satisfying and long term lifestyle.

Nika

7:24 am
24 Dec 13
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Hey Jimbin, good to hear from you 🙂 And good news all round I hear! Congratulations on all you achieved and may you reach whatever other goals you set for yourself in life from now on.

Jimbin

9:47 am
24 Dec 13
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Thanks Nika, I appreciate the well wishes and encouragement. How has 5:2 been treating you?

Nika

4:23 am
26 Dec 13
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I’m doing a bit of a different form of the 5:2. It’s not really 5:2 to be honest. I tend to switch it up a lot… I do daily 22:2 though, which means I don’t take in any calories for 22 hours (only water and green tea) and then eat my food in a 2-hour window. But besides that, I’ve done 5:2, 4:3, and am currently doing some ADF. Just depends on the previous week and all that. Last week I had some bad days with a lot of food so decided on ADF, if I’m doing good and going steady I tend to do 5:2. Oh but I do also take in less than my TDEE on normal days by the way.

Anyway, so far I’ve lost about 13-14kg (I didn’t weigh last Sunday because I had those bad days and didn’t want to discourage myself). Got 16-17 still to go, give or take 😉

Not a gymnast myself, I’m a martial artist. So I need to be lean and fast, I think a little bit like a gymnast, but maybe even a little less buff than some you see in there… x)

Sue Denim

7:13 pm
10 Jan 14
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Done the 5;2 for 18 months – I fear dropping down to 6:1 as I think it will become too hard with 6 eat days in a row. I tend to eat more on eat days and every once in a while I am a bit relaxed on the second day (maybe another 1-200cal). I’m no longer losing weight but my BMI is exactly where I want it. I’m a cyclist and its very easy to get a little anorexic due to the benefits associated. Lighter = faster to a point. I didn’t do 5:2 for weight loss I did it for the health benefits (hopefully) and maybe to drop a few kg. I ended up dropping around 10.

you’re not far off sir bradley’s vitals 😉