Dispelling the Myth That IIFYM is Poor for Your Overall Health

 

Clean Eater: “IIFYM is all about eating junk food.”

Strict Meal Plan Dieter: “IIFYM diet isn’t as good as a meal plan.”

Let us ask you a question…

Are you tired of hearing the above statements?

Are you sick and tired of hearing that an IIFYM diet is poor for your overall health?

I know we are.

You usually tend to see this from those that look at nutrition with a black and white mindset (1).

Or

From those that favor and have an emotional attachment to another nutrition concept such as:

• Intermittent Fasting
• Clean eating
• Paleo
• Keto diet
• Eating cardboard diet 😉

What’s frustrating about this is nutrition shouldn’t be looked at as good or bad or right or wrong or one diet is “better” or “best.”

The way nutrition should be looked at is what we call “conceptual integration.”

Taking concepts from different diets and integrating them together to fit your lifestyle, goals, preferences, and ultimately increasing adherence and consistency which thus produces results.

But, this topic of “conceptual integration” can be a topic for another article.

In this article, we will discuss dispelling the myth of IIFYM is poor for your overall health, the 80/20 and 90/10 approach within an IIFYM diet, and practical applications you can apply immediately.

For now, put your macros and IIFYM flexible dieting calculator away and let’s talk shop!

 

 

Dispelling the Myth of IIFYM is Poor for your Overall Health

IIFYM gets a lot of flack outside the IIFYM community.

The main reason being those that have never experimented with it tends to jump to conclusion and think that an IIFYM diet can be predominated by junk food so long as you hit your macronutrient targets.

This is far from the truth.

What’s funny is, long before the IIFYM movement, researchers noted in a 1991 publication that dieting bodybuilders used very limited menus when preparing for bodybuilding competitions and suggested instead that bodybuilders should use the Exchange System (which is very similar as counting macros) for food selection to add variety without altering the distribution of macronutrients (2).

Consume at least 80% of your calories from whole, single item food ingredients and consume at least 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables, each, per day

A new study out of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism showed that a macronutrient-based approach to dieting results in at least equal dietary adequacy compared to a traditional, “strict” meal plan based approach (3).

This was a cool study because they had subjects (both male and female competitive bodybuilders) take an online survey and they were grouped by two dietary approaches:

A) Strict meal plan (following a strict meal plan without any food substitutions)

B) Macronutrient based (self-selected foods so long as they hit their macronutrient targets)

Here’s what the results found:

– Males consumed less than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) or adequate intake (AI) of vitamins A, D, E, potassium, and fiber

– There was no significant difference between the males following a strict meal plan or a macronutrient based diet

– Females following the macronutrient based diet consumed more protein, sodium, and vitamins E and K, fiber, folic acid, magnesium, and iron

– A macronutrient or IIFYM diet approach will not result in micronutrient inadequacies to any greater degree than a traditional strict meal plan approach

– Remember in women, it might even be a better approach to follow an IIFYM diet

This study is a great piece of a large puzzle that lends credence to showing that an IIFYM diet approach is not poor for your overall health.

 

 

The 80/20 and 90/10 Approach Within an IIFYM Diet

Now that we have the myth of an IIFYM diet isn’t good for your overall health dispelled, that doesn’t mean that an IIFYM diet approach should be abused.

We see time and time again people posting pictures on Instagram of their ice cream, pop tarts, donuts, what have you.

1. It’s immature and misleading to do this
2. This is what gives IIFYM a bad rep
3. If you really are predominating your IIFYM diet with highly palatable and refined food sources, you are doing yourself and your health a dis-service

Now, if you aren’t doing this, enter the 80/20 and 90/10 approach within an IIFYM diet.

This can also be looked at as “daily linear allotment of indulgence foods rule” where 10-20% of your calories can come from indulgence foods each day.

Here’s a real-world example:

You have 2,000 calories to work with for the day

You decide to use 20% of the calories (2,000 x .20 = 400 calories) towards non-traditional foods, “dirty foods,” whatever you want to call it

That means that 1600 of your calories should be predominated by whole and minimally refined food sources
Once you meet your daily protein goal and fiber goal, the remainder 400 calories can come from semi-junk to junk food

Basically, discretionary calories comprise the margin of leftover calories that can be used flexibly once essential nutrient needs are met.

Still skeptical of a daily linear allotment of indulgence foods rule?

The current Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) report by Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine lists the upper limit of added sugars as 25% of total calories (4).

Moreover, a review by Gibson and colleagues found that 20% of total calories from added sugars is roughly the maximum amount that won’t adversely dilute the diet’s concentration of essential micronutrition (5).

Both of these figures are in reference to refined, extrinsic sugars, not naturally occurring sugars within whole foods like fruit or milk.

Discretionary Calories

Finally, the USDA has attempted to teach moderation with their concept of the discretionary calorie allotment, defined as follows (6):

“The difference between total energy requirements and the energy consumed to meet recommended nutrient intakes.”

Basically, discretionary calories comprise the margin of leftover calories that can be used flexibly once essential nutrient needs are met.

Coincidentally, the USDA’s discretionary calorie allotment averages at approximately 10-20% of total calories (7).

Take note that discretionary calories are not just confined to added sugars. Any food or beverage is fair game. The USDA’s system is still far from perfect since it includes naturally-occurring fats in certain foods as part of the discretionary calorie allotment. This is an obvious holdover from the fat-phobic era that the USDA clings to, despite substantial evidence to the contrary (8).

We have had a ton of success with ourselves and clients with the 80/20 and 90/10 rules. We highly recommend using this tool within your IIFYM diet.

Practical Applications

• A macronutrient or IIFYM diet approach will not result in micronutrient inadequacies to any greater degree than a traditional strict meal plan approach
• When implementing a macronutrient or IIFYM diet approach, remember to provide 5-10g ranges for each macronutrient, and allow for a fallback strategy if a target is missed, such as hitting a minimum protein target and 100 kcal energy intake range
• A regular dose multivitamin for men and women is good insurance to have in your IIFYM diet
• Consume at least 80% of your calories from whole, single item food ingredients and consume at least 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables, each, per day
• Utilize the 80/20 and 90/10 rule within an IIFYM diet. We recommend if you are in the offseason or maintenance phase, you can be a bit looser and flexible, using the 80/20 rule. Yet, if you are in a dieting phase or contest prep, then the 90/10 rule will be a better option as you have a finer line to walk within calories

Wrap Up

Now that we have dispelled the myth of IIFYM isn’t good for your overall health, we want you to remember that IIFYM diet approach is such an amazing and awesome concept within nutrition, so don’t abuse it.

Utilize the 80/20 and 90/10 tool within IIFYM so that you can enjoy your diet, tailoring it around your preferences, and lifestyle.

We will leave you with these 2 quotes:

“The best diet for long term adherence is the one based on foods you love. Honoring personal preference Is the most overlooked and underutilized tool for long term success in a weight loss plan.”  – Alan Aragon

“the key to long term sustainability isn’t in perfection or restriction; it’s in mastering the art of getting through periods of stress, fatigue, chaos, lack of motivation, and unexpected events both big and small- the unpredictability that is life” – Hill. AJ

 

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Flexible Dieting Vs. The Keto Diet

 

These two diets are growing in popularity, so much so, that the mainstream is now picking up on them. Especially the keto diet which continues to gain steam. Whereas flexible dieting (IIFYM) is still building a notable audience.

Yet, the main principles of each one have existed for quite some time. Flexible dieting is based on macronutrient ratios which bodybuilders and fitness professionals have been using for two decades at least.

While the keto diet is relatable to the Atkins diet and although many contests this. They are eerily similar, and although this is watering these two approaches down. It’s important to understand that we are merely refining these diets, making them more sustainable.

With that said, here is how the two diets stack up against one another. Which is more useful for your lifestyle?

What is Flexible Dieting?

Flexible dieting is a relatively new nutrition concept, which focuses on tracking the macronutrient composition of foods in order to achieve one’s desired body shape. What differentiates flexible dieting from other diets, is that it does not restrict food groups.

Yet, it rather permits the consumption of all foods so long as the food product chosen adheres to the individual’s set macronutrient targets.

The diet is typically moderate in protein, with around 2.5g of protein per kilogram of lean muscle, with moderate amounts of fat and carbohydrates which make up the remaining calories in order to achieve their desired body composition.

However, theoretically, flexible dieting can be used with any kind of macronutrient breakdown so long as those macronutrients are accounted for in the individual’s daily totals. In this way, flexible dieting is not a ‘diet’ per say, but rather a system of dieting.

As mentioned before, the concept originally gained popularity with bodybuilders who were becoming tired of inflexible and restrictive dietary practices during contest preparation.

Rather than adhering to a rigid meal plan, bodybuilders would track their daily protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake, which enabled them to enjoy a wider variety of foods and better conform to their nutritional requirements.

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too!

The premise of flexible dieting is that the body does not differentiate between individual foods. There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods, but rather what is important is the macronutrient composition of each food.

For example, if I wanted, I could eat a bowl of whole wheat pasta, and this would be equivalent to me eating a pop tart, so long as they both provided the same amount of carbohydrate, as they would both break down the same way in the body.

Provided the carbohydrate, fat, and protein content of the foods I select fit within my daily macro targets, the remaining foods I consume are made at my own discretion. Soley based on personal food preference, as opposed to adhering to a strict meal plan.

 

What Else Does the Diet Require?

If you wish to follow flexible dieting, you’re also required to track your daily fiber intake, as this encourages consumption of wholesome and fresh, plant-based foods. Not only will this assist in meeting your daily fiber requirements, it promotes thermogenesis and digestive health.

Consuming adequate amounts of fiber also increases the likeliness of you adhering to the daily nutrient reference values for all the essential micronutrients.

As a general rule, I advise flexible dieters to first meet your overall caloric and macronutrient needs by including a wide variety of ‘nutrient dense’ foods.

While the basic concept of flexible dieting is rather straightforward, the importance of vitamins and minerals and their various functions within the body of the often overlooked.

This can be achieved by consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, grains and cereals, dairy and dairy alternatives, nuts & seeds, as well as lean red meats, poultry, seafood, eggs and various other protein sources.

For any vegetarians wanting to follow flexible dieting, it’s important to include the highest quality plant-based proteins, specifically soy-derived products such as tempeh and tofu.

This is due to their amino acid profiles offering a superior/profound effect on muscle protein synthesis compared to other plant-based protein sources.

Once these basic needs are met, you can consume calories from more processed take away foods.

The Key to Flexible Dieting

To begin flexible dieting, you must first determine your total daily caloric intake, along with accurate macronutrient ratios, which are specific to your desired physique or sporting goal.

Caloric intake and macronutrient ratios can be calculated by a health professional such as a Dietitian, Nutritionist or another suitably qualified nutrition expert.

IIFYM.com has a fantastic macronutrient calculator that can provide a great starting point for determining your macronutrient breakdown based on your goals. My website also offers a variety of flexible dieting coaching programs.

These are specific to your physique or sporting goal, and can also provide you with a semi-custom diet plan to help you get started with flexible dieting as you begin to learn how to track your macronutrients.

The Pros and Cons of Flexible Dieting!

As flexible dieting does not prohibit the consumption of specific food groups or food types, including takeaway foods.

The temptation to consume more of these junk style food types is often greater. For a variety of reasons, processed, take away foods are more energy dense than an equivalent home cooked version.

Food manufacturers and restaurant owners want their products to taste good to encourage repeat purchase, and the addition of fats and sugars are often necessary to increase the shelf life of packaged goods.

Thus, flexible dieting with the inclusion of more processed foods typically limits the total volume of food able to be consumed in a day, which could possibly lead to feelings of increased hunger and make the diet more difficult to adhere to.

However, this is usually a concern for those in a calorie restricted state and can be avoided with careful planning.

 

 

Abusing the freedom

Many people will often misinterpret flexible dieting as a license to consume as much processed “junk” food as they like.

While the basic concept of flexible dieting is rather straightforward, the importance of vitamins and minerals and their various functions within the body that are often overlooked.

Including the production of hormones, energy metabolism, digestion, immune function and overall health.

This being said, I believe that having a knowledgeable nutrition coach or educational resource can help flexible dieters better adhere to their micronutrient requirements.

Tracking Foods & Eating Out

If you are new to flexible dieting, familiarising yourself with the weight of food and counting macronutrients intakes can be time-consuming and overwhelming. However, there is a range of books, mobile phone apps and online resources that can simplify the tracking process for you.

Easy Diet Diary is a great mobile app for Australian consumers and My Fitness Pal, which contains over 5 million food products is a good option suitable for users worldwide.

While flexible dieting allows greater food diversity, it can be challenging to find restaurants that provide foods macronutrient information.

For restaurants that do not display nutritional information, it can become difficult to know exactly what you are consuming and how to track mixed meals.

I could argue, however, that even if the nutrition information is listed, it’s not always guaranteed the accuracy, as the chef’s main concern is more likely about ensuring the food being served tastes great and unlikely to be weighing out exact measurements of ingredients.

With that said, here’s how to best approach eating out while flexible dieting.

Diet Selection & Macronutrient Variance

Similarly said, I could also argue the accuracy of daily energy intakes for any dieting strategy, as the macronutrients listed on packaged food products have a 20% variance, so knowing the nutritional value of a food doesn’t necessarily ensure 100% accuracy.

If a restaurant does not list the macronutrient composition of their meals there are two simple ways to estimate your intake.

1) Input each individual ingredient in the food along with the amount you believe was in the dish. While tedious, this can work quite well for the seasoned flexible dieter. 2) Search food databases for other similar dishes and take the average of the macronutrient breakdowns you find.

The key positive to flexible dieting is that it encourages food variety and allows for the inclusion of foods you enjoy and flavors you love.

This is important because it means you are far more likely to adhere to the dietary protocols in a calorically restricted state. Research shows that the most successful long-term dieting strategies are those that permit adherence and are sustainable in the long-term.

Part 2. Keto Diets

 

How is Flexible Dieting Different to a Keto Diet?

While many people view flexible diets and keto diets as mutually exclusive, that isn’t necessarily the case.

While it is true that most flexible diets allow for a moderate or even high carbohydrate intake, and keto diets are very low in carbohydrate, you can still follow a keto diet while flexible dieting. Simply by tracking your macronutrients, just ensuring that you consume a low carbohydrate/high-fat macronutrient breakdown.

The main difference between traditional flexible diets and keto diets is that a keto diet is a very high-fat diet, moderate to low in protein and very low in carbohydrate.

This causes a shift in primary metabolic fuel source from carbohydrates to fats. It also alters fat metabolism so the body produces compounds known as ketone bodies in the liver which we can use as energy in tissue like skeletal muscle and more importantly, brain (2).

To give you a short rundown on how this works, under normal conditions, the brain would exclusively use glucose for energy, but in a keto state, the brain will shift to using ketones as a fuel source (i.e. aceto cetate and beta-hydroxy buterate), in order to spare blood glucose for essential tasks such as red blood cell metabolism (which can only use glucose as fuel since they lack mitochondria).

Keep in mind that even with zero carbohydrate intakes, the liver can still produce about 120g of glucose per day in a process called gluconeogenesis (GNG) for essential tasks from substrates like amino acids and other gluconeogenic metabolites.

Why are Carbohydrates Viewed as the Bad Guys?

Diets which include carbohydrates are often viewed as less than optimal for achieving a desirable body composition.

Why might you be wondering? Well, this is often due to the fact that consumption of carbohydrate can over time, lead to insulin resistance through frequent insulin secretion.

…people have made large leaps of logic here, they also point out that in keto diet, carbohydrates are not being used as fuel, whereas fats become the primary fuel. Their logic is, eat more fat, burn more fat.

Insulin is a hormone that is released when blood glucose rises and shuttles glucose into various tissues including muscle and fat.

As a result of this, insulin is frequently referred to as a storage hormone and thus many people have made recommendations to avoid carbohydrates at all costs.

Carbohydrates and Insulin: Are They the Primary Cause of Body Fat Gain?

Well yes, carbohydrates do increase insulin, and insulin is a storage hormone, so I can see how it could be easy to point the finger at carbohydrates as being the primary cause of fat gain as opposed to an overall caloric intake.

Yet, people have made large leaps of logic here, they also point out that in keto diet, carbohydrates are not being used as fuel, whereas fats become the primary fuel. Their logic is, eat more fat, burn more fat.

While that is true to a certain extent, it’s not quite that simple. They have missed the fact that by limiting carbohydrate to very low levels in the diet, you are also typically going to restrict calories as well.

In fact, many people have become so passionate about low-carb lifestyles that they become keto-zealots, rather than considering the science of what actually makes a fat loss diet successful. This debate is a major factor as to why keto diets are such a hot topic right now.

 

Image Source: Myoleanfitness.com

 

Are Keto Diets Superior to Other Fat Loss Diets?

There are several studies that keto-zealots often point to in order to support claims of a keto diet being superior for loss over diet strategies such as flexible dieting.
For example, a recent meta-analysis published in 2013, compared very low-calorie keto diets (VLCKD) to low-fat diets.

They found that individuals who were assigned to the VLCKD were able to achieve greater weight loss than participants in the low-fat groups.

What this study does not consider is that the research studies selected for inclusion in this analysis did not equate to protein and in some cases even overall calorie intake. So it’s likely that greater weight loss was achieved in VLCKD by default (3).

What I will also draw your attention to is that a keto diet can be more satiating, due to slower rates of digestion, and often what happens is people tend to consume lower calories overall than in low fat, high carbohydrate diet.

So What Does the Science Say?

Guys! When calories and protein are equal, keto diets do NOT seem to offer any additional fat loss benefit compared to an equal calorie, equal protein non-keto diet according to a study published in 2006 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2).

In this highly controlled study, both groups lost an almost identical amount of weight and body fat. This tells us that for fat loss, you could use either flexible dieting or a keto diet (1,2). I suggest following whichever diet strategy you are best able to stick to long-term.

Pros and Cons of Keto Diets

The major mistake I see made by people who are starting out with a keto diet is failing to adhere to the correct ratios of macronutrients necessary to ensure ketone production.

On a traditional keto diet, carbohydrate intake is actually about 5-10% of total caloric intake, protein is low at ~10-15%, and fats are around 80%.

Currently, the most popular form of the keto diet is a modified keto diet which sees carbohydrate intake at around 5-10% of total caloric intake, protein at 20-25% of total energy intake and fats making up the majority of total calories at approximately 70% of calories.

In a carbohydrate-restricted state, the body calls upon its secondary energy sources, namely fats and proteins in order to function. Here, protein is converted to glucose through the process known as gluconeogenesis in the liver as described previously.

This is why it is important to ensure your protein is not providing greater than 20-25% of your total caloric intake while following a keto diet.

As too much protein results in glucose production and remains the primary energy source, as opposed to fats or ketone bodies.

Abusing the Freedom

The idea of being able to eat plenty of high-fat foods at every meal may sound highly appealing, but this doesn’t come without nutritional consequences!

Eliminating carbohydrates, such as any diet that restricts whole food groups, makes it far more difficult to meet daily micro-nutrient requirements, in particular B- vitamins.

It is important to make sure you consume a wide variety of fresh vegetables, as these are essential for their rich source of fiber, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and other important micronutrients.

In any case, I would strongly recommend taking a multi-vitamin as well as an iron supplement, especially for those adhering to large caloric deficits, since it is difficult to consume a sufficient iron intake without essentially all your protein sources being provided by lean red meat.

My Recommendations

Any diet that creates a caloric deficit is going to result in fat loss. PERIOD.

When calories and protein are equated, there are many dietary approaches that can all be equally effective for improving your overall body composition (1).
So don’t be mislead by the diet scams promising you rapid weight loss.

Its more than likely that the diet will be highly restrictive and unrealistic in nature, and no sooner do you lose weight, will you have piled the kilos back on once regular foods are reintroduced.

If you prefer higher fat foods in preference to carbohydrate-containing foods, particularly during a calorie deficit, and you believe you will find it easier to adhere to, then by all means, try a keto diet!

If you equally enjoy eating carbohydrates and think you prefer a wider variety of food choices, then flexible dieting may be a better strategy for you. Either way, the most important consideration, whichever dietary approach you choose, is to ensure it is sustainable.

 

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Does a Higher Daily Protein Intake Keep You Leaner in the Offseason

 

Picture this…You just ended your 28-week contest prep diet or 16-week vacation dieting phase.

Your daily protein intake is through the roof, you are sick and tired of sucking down protein shakes, your jaw is exhausted from chewing animal protein sources, and you are fed up with the extra money being spent on protein sources.

We all know by now that a higher daily protein intake during a calorie deficit has its benefits, there’s no arguing this (1).

What if we told you it may be worth experimenting with a higher protein diet during the offseason?

In this article, we will look into the protein overfeeding research, see some of the pros and cons to a higher daily protein diet during the offseason, and give you some practical applications that you can implement right after finishing this article.

(Side Note: a good tool to track your daily protein intake is with the IIFYM flexible dieting calculator)

Get your protein shakes ready!

What’s Protein Overfeeding and Why Should You Care?

Jose Antonio and his lab are doing some fascinating research on protein overfeeding and we are almost certain that if you are reading this article, you know that the recommended daily allowance on daily protein intake is 1.76 g/kg/d (0.8 g/lb.) (2,3).

Now what’s cool about what Antonio and his colleagues did was they challenged this RDA of daily protein intake notion and overfed subjects with higher daily protein intakes.

Here’s what they did in their 2015 Protein Overfeeding Study:

• They took resistance trained subjects
• Provided a sound resistance training program
• Had subjects tracked food on My fitness pal
• Took 2 groups and compared regular protein (0.8g/lb.) vs high protein (1.4g/lb.)
• They used a Bod Pod to measure body composition

The results showed:

The higher daily protein group lost an average of 1.6 kg (3.5 lbs.) of fat mass versus 0.3 kg (.66 lbs.) and ended up consuming approximately 400 calories more a day.

What’s interesting is there have been speculations over the “disappearance” of extra and higher daily protein intake which includes (4):

• A higher thermic effect of feeding (body burns more calories during digestion)
• Increased NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis)
• Increased TEE (total energy expenditure)
• Increased fecal energy excretion (poop actually has more calories in it so you haven’t assimilated as much of what you ate)
• Reduced intake of other macronutrients via increased satiety
• Suppressed hepatic lipogenesis (suppressed liver fat accumulation)
• Decreased misreporting of food intake

 

 

Moreover, a year later, Antonio and colleagues conducted another overfeeding study and here’s what they concluded:

“In male subjects with several years of experience with resistance training, chronic consumption of a diet high in protein had no harmful effects on any measures of health. Furthermore, there was no change on body weight, fat mass or lean body mass despite eating more total calories and protein. Contrary to popular belief, the consumption of a high protein diet is not mutually exclusive with a diet high in fiber nor does the consumption of cholesterol above the standard recommendations result in any untoward effects on blood lipids. This is the first 1-year longitudinal investigation in resistance trained males that demonstrates the lack of harm caused by a high protein diet.”

After seeing these studies by Antonio and colleagues, it has really put together a piece to a massive puzzle that in a real-world setting, one could have a higher daily protein intake, and overconsume protein, and get great benefits from it.

A Deeper Look at What a Higher Daily Protein Intake in the Offseason Can Really Do

A 2017 study out of the International Journal of Sports Science took 19 male bodybuilders and put them into 2 groups (5):

• Group 1- Overfeeding subjects (mainly overfeeding with carbohydrates) and 0.8g/lb. of protein per day
• Group 2- Protein overfeeding subjects (mainly overfeeding with protein) and 1.4g/lb. of protein per day
• Total calories were matched and training volume was matched

The results showed that the protein overfeeding group led to increased muscle mass, reduced body fat, and improved blood panels.

What’s interesting in this study is it was done in bodybuilders, calories and training volume were matched, and if you do the math in practical terms, just as an example, Group 1- 150-pound male x 0.8 = 120g of daily protein and in Group 2- 150-pound male x 1.4 = 210g of daily protein. Which shows a 90g daily difference of protein intake.

Another interesting study was done by Beals and colleagues, where they took 30 female subjects and divided them into 3 groups (6):

• Group 1- Overweight subjects
• Group 2- Obese subjects
• Group 3- Healthy weight subjects

They gave each group 170g of lean pork which turns into about 36g of high-quality protein post workout and showed the obese and overweight subjects had blunted muscle protein synthesis responses (prohibited your body from being in a muscle growth state) and it was most likely due to the excess body fat they were carrying.

Now, obviously, this study has a lot of limitations and the ones that stand out most are:

• we need a larger sample size of people
• this needs to be replicated in athletes or resistance trained subjects
• there was no resistance training protocol
• we don’t truly eat protein in isolation
• more long-term studies need to be conducted

But, this could be a good start to a large puzzle on perhaps having a higher daily protein intake and staying leaner in the offseason to make sure you’re getting a daily response with muscle protein synthesis which over time will keep your body in a muscle growth state and lead to more muscle growth.

A great way to experiment with this is most likely having a higher daily protein intake like the overfeeding studies suggest and really taking advantage of the protein adaptations.

 

 

Pros and Cons of a Daily Higher Protein Intake During the Off Season

This area of research really interested us, so we ran our own individual experiments for a full month.

Now, keep in mind we controlled as much as we possibly could, these weren’t actually in lab-controlled experiments, and it was only a month.

We made some interesting observations with a high protein intake during a surplus, along with what the current data says about protein overfeeding, along with the two studies above, and we have compiled some pros and cons to having a higher protein diet during the offseason:

Pros:

• Leads to less overeating, due to more satiety and protein being the number one most filling macronutrient
• Increased TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) due to your body working harder to break down protein
• If you have a personal preference to consume higher protein amounts, then this may work for you
• There’s something about being more accurate with tracking food when you have a higher protein goal, so this may lead to eating less processed and packaged foods and being more accurate with your macros and calories as research shows misreporting is a big reason why people don’t get results (7)
• Don’t quote us on this, but a higher protein intake during a surplus combined with a proper high-volume resistance training program may lead to further muscular adaptations. Yet, Roberts and colleagues showed there was no major difference between a high vs moderate protein intake in resistance trained subjects (8). More long-term and replicated studies need to be conducted in this specific area
• Eating a higher protein intake post diet phase leads to lower weight re-gain due to increased muscle mass, increased REE (Resting Energy Expenditure), increased TEF (Thermic Effect of Food), and Increased satiety (9)

Cons:

• A higher protein intake may not be a viable option if you don’t have a personal preference for a higher protein intake
• A higher protein intake in a surplus won’t be feasible if you are vegetarian or vegan
• A higher protein intake in a surplus could get financially expensive since protein is the most expensive macronutrient
• The theory of a “Muscle Full Effect” could come into play (10). Some researchers have proposed that muscle protein synthesis tops out at approximately 20-25 grams of protein per serving for young adults. Protein consumed above this dosage is thought to be oxidized for energy rather than used for tissue-building purposes – a phenomenon called the “muscle-full” effect. In what is often cited as the definitive support for this contention, Areta et al investigated the effect of different protein boluses on resistance-trained men (11)
• All subjects performed a bout of resistance training and were then confined to rest where they consumed 80 grams of protein over a 12-hour recovery period in one of the following three conditions (11):

• 8 servings of 10 grams of protein every 1.5 hours
• 4 servings of 20 grams of protein every 3 hours
• 2 servings of 40 grams of protein every 6 hours

• Over the course of the recovery period, the greatest effect on stimulation of muscle protein synthesis was seen in the group consuming 4 servings of 20 grams of protein. This would seem to indicate that there was no added benefit to consuming the higher dosage (40 grams) and that the additional amino acids were indeed oxidized for energy (11)
• Trained individuals may have a lower requirement for protein due to increased efficiency of use of protein. Several studies have shown that resistance trained athletes, consistent with the anabolic stimulus for protein synthesis it provides, actually increases the efficiency of use of protein, which reduces dietary protein requirements (12). If indeed, regular heavy resistance training enhances efficiency, there would be no effect of added protein and body comp alterations

Practical Applications

• If you are interested in trying a high protein intake during the offseason or having your clients try it, we recommend first setting your daily calorie surplus and then setting protein at 1.4g/lb. Ex) You are consuming 3,000 calories and you weight 175 pounds, multiply 175 x 1.4 = 245g of daily protein and multiply that by 4 (4 calories per 1 gram of protein) = 980 calories. You are then left with 2,020 calories for carbs and fats
• Then Set fat after that, anywhere from 20-30% of calories
• Then set the remaining calories as carbs and partition more of them around workouts unless you have a personal preference for other times of the day
• Experiment with it for a month or so with yourself or your clients, get both objective and subjective data from it and try and control everything as much as possible then re-evaluate everything
• Don’t expect more muscular adaptations from the higher protein intake, as this will most likely be from the calorie surplus and increased training volume in your resistance training program
• We highly recommend this for clients or those out of a long contest prep where one lost a significant amount of weight and calories became very low so most likely metabolic adaptations occurred from satiety signals being down, hunger hormones up, and reward system cravings for highly palatable foods were increased (13)
• We highly recommend experimenting with a higher protein intake for clients or someone that has a tendency to binge or overeat especially those post prep or dieting phase

Wrap Up

Now that you have the secret ninja tips (HIYAAAA) to try a higher protein intake during a surplus, the biggest piece of advice we can give after self-experimenting with this and diving into the research is to have an open mind and just try it out for a month.

See how you respond to it. See how you feel. See what kind of observations you make out of it all. And just have fun with it all as this is what a flexible fitness journey should be about. Taking valid scientific research and implementing it into practice.

There’s only one thing we ask of you after having a higher protein intake during a surplus, don’t come knocking on our door after you see your weekly grocery bill 😉

 

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Best Fish Oil Supplement for the Price

 

As someone who believes it’s difficult to put a price tag on good health, I’m still price conscious when shopping for supplements. I don’t buy into the hype and I’m not about to spend money on something that does not have science backing it.

With that being said, IIFYM.com isn’t your source for pushing supplements—in fact, most of the time we try to teach you how to get nutrients from your diet alone. However, there are a few key supplements that we believe are truly beneficial. But, proper nutrition should be at the forefront of your mind at all times.

If you aren’t sure where to even begin with your nutrition, don’t worry. The IIFYM.com website is a wealth of information and even includes calculators to help put you in the driver’s seat when it comes to taking ahold of your health.

In the spirit of helping you maintain and improve your health, I went out in search for the best fish oil supplement for the price. Now mind you, as always, real whole food sources should always come before supplements.

Yet, we know that many of you out there are not fans of eating fish, let alone multiple times each week. So, to give you all the healthy fats and benefits that come along with consuming fish regularly, we found the best fish oil supplement for you to consider adding to your regimen.

Why Should You Consume Omega-3 Fatty Acids?

Healthy fats play a key role in our health since our body cannot manufacture it on its own. Omega-3 fatty acids have the ability to help lower your risk of heart disease and can help lower your levels of triglycerides (blood lipids).

Going along with high triglycerides, you also run the risk of pancreatitis as well, which is inflammation of the pancreas.

This is by far the best fish oil supplement we found that meets our high standards. Each serving is two softgels and gives you 2,100mg of omega-3 fatty acids. Each softgel gives you a 3:1 ratio of EPA and DHA.

When looking for the best fish oil supplement, you need to pay attention to EPA and DHA. EPA is a type of omega-3 that helps reduce inflammation in the body while DHA plays a key role in brain health and function.

Both are extremely important. Your brain needs fats, and with the addition of fish oil, you give it what it’s craving to function optimally.

In addition to finding the best fish oil supplement for your needs, do your homework on if the brand you are looking at is certified and meets the standards so you aren’t tossing your money into a deficient product that won’t make much difference if you used it or not.

 

 

Foods High in Omega-3s

Consuming enough healthy omega-3 fatty acids can be extremely difficult if you don’t like the taste of fish. Our body needs omega-3 fatty acids and is considered essential because our body is not able to produce them on its own.

A simple way to get in enough omega-3’s would be to consume something like salmon and tuna or any other fatty fish twice a week for that matter. You could also get a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids from items such as nuts and flaxseeds.

At IIFYM.com, we have many different nutrition plans for you to utilize. In those plans, you can include fatty fish as well as the addition of something like the best fish oil supplement that we will get to shortly.

If the foods mentioned above aren’t your favorite or make your stomach queasy, a supplement is the best way to go and we’ll touch on that next.

The Best Fish Oil Supplement

You came to IIFYM.com because you demand the best content possible, and we don’t want to let you down. Not only do we have some of the best macro-friendly recipes out there to send your taste buds into a frenzy, but we searched high and low to find you the best fish oil supplement for the price.

From the data gathered, we can recommend to you: Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold.

This is by far the best fish oil supplement we found that meets our high standards. Each serving is two softgels and gives you 2,100mg of omega-3 fatty acids. Each softgel gives you a 3:1 ratio of EPA and DHA.

The brand gets its omega-3s from wild-caught whitefish. You are getting yourself some of the most concentrated healthy omega-3s that money can buy. In addition, unlike many other fish oils on the market, the Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold has been known to not give you fish burps or a fishy taste when taking it.

The Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold is certified by IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards Program), ConsumerLab, and Labdoor where it scored a high 77 out of 100. It’s made right here in the United States and is Marine Stewardship Council Certified (MSC).

Not only are you paying for a good quality fish oil supplement, but your money is well spent knowing there has been extensive research completed and certifications given that provide you with peace of mind that the product you are taking is safe.

At IIFYM.com, we don’t want you to waste your hard-earned money on subpar products—that’s why we looked from sea to shining sea to find you the best fish oil supplement. So, if you’re in the market for a fish oil supplement (which you all should be if you aren’t already using one), I’d highly recommend that you give Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold a try.

We hope you found this IIFYM.com article helpful! If you did, please share it with your fellow IIFYM family and friends. Also, don’t forget to check out all of the other great IIFYM.com articles!

 

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The Top 10 IIFYM.com Posts

 

This list doesn’t include just our 2017 posts, these are our top posts from the absolute beginning. That made this quite the task, we have so many personal favorites. Yet, this isn’t about us, this ia about the posts our audience appreciated the most.

We are beyond grateful to all of our readers, followers, and clients. Our aim is to continue putting out more content and resources to help you succeed. The Macro Calculator is a prime example of this, we are always building upon it to help our audience.

Each post below is geared towards creating sustainable lifestyle habits. Without further setup, here’s the list:

 

1. Tracking Alcohol Macros – Can I Drink With IIFYM?

Alcohol consumption is heavily ingrained in our society today. Which make sense that it sits at number one on our blog as the most searched. Even though we don’t condone drinking at IIFYM.com, the people have spoken.

We created this since it’s so common among our population and it would be a tall task to eliminate from everyone’s diet.

We delve into whether you can drink alcohol, how you can track it, and what is the best way to go about it while dieting. As the cliche goes, “everything in moderation”(I’m sure this will get skewed). That pertains to alcohol and dieting quite a bit.

To read the entire article, here’s the full post.

On top of this article, we have a couple of articles that go over low-calorie alcoholic drinks that are easier to track.

 

2. The Perfect Macro Ratio: Is There A Superior Macro Split?

This is a loaded question, which is why we fleshed it out. If you’ve been here for a while then you know the answer to this question. Figuring out what ratio works best for you may take some time and understanding (or a coach to create a plan for you such as our Macro Blueprint).

We go over each facet that needs to be considered to make the right choice. The beauty of this article is that it addresses what each macronutrient brings to the table and what factors are in play.

To see what will lead you to a great macro split, read the entire blog post here.

 

3. Do I Add Back Calories I Burn During Exercise?

I’d be Scrooge McDuck if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me this question. Diving around in gold coins like a maniac, getting in enough exercise solely doing that.

This is a simple answer, but of course, there’s a reason why. This article goes over why macro calculators such as ours include all activity (involuntary and voluntary) within their calculations.

To read the full article, click here.

 

4. IIFYM & Carb Cycling

Whenever someone mentions carb cycling, my first thought is a person eating a sandwich on a bike. If that’s similar to your thinking on the topic, we’re both not far off from what carb cycling is.

With that said, this has to be one of the most common diet approaches. Its scientific backing isn’t there but it still has value. Its benefit stems from helping with diet adherence which is arguably the second most important aspect of being successful in changing your body composition.

There’s a lot of lifestyle scenarios where carb cycling can be applied, but it does have its disadvantages as well.

To read the full post, click here for the insight.

What’s even better is that we added another carb cycling article that fleshes it out even more. Check out that post here.

 

5. The PCOS Playbook: Tracking Macros For Weight Loss

When I began working here PCOS clients were few and far between. Now, “Close to 12% of our female clients have PCOS and need dietary and nutrition changes. This means that over 250 women diagnosed with PCOS come to IIFYM every month…” So, it comes as no surprise that this article comes in at number 5 on the list.

The prevalence of PCOS seems to only be growing (especially in the U.S.). Yet, the positive aspect of this post is that the science of nutrition is trending in a positive direction for women dealing with PCOS.

There’s more available data which can help them decide how to follow a sustainable diet. Here’s the full post which includes the PCOS macro calculator.

(Side note: please consult your preferred physician before following any diet suggestions on our site or any other.)

6. 30 Tips To Maximize Food Volume With Low Macros

This isn’t the exciting part of dieting down, we wish that no one had to get here to reach their body composition goals. Thinking about “poverty macros” makes me sad, but fret not, it should be temporary.

On that note, satiation while not having enough calories is a crucial aspect that we go over. Some of these tips are incredibly simple while others are game changers and make this process sufferable.

Although I don’t wish eating low calorie on my worst enemy, this article doesn’t make it sound so bad.

To read this full post, click here and help yourself to succeed.

 

7. The Benefits and Drawbacks Of The Keto Diet

Oh, the keto craze, it’s not only alive but it’s thriving. Just when you think it’s dwindling, it rears its head out of nowhere. This isn’t to talk down on the diet but to point out that there is so much misinformation associated with it.

It has its own zealots that believe ketogenic dieting is superior and magical (hint: it’s not, it works but it’s not the best. There is no “best diet”.)

Although the above statements make me sound like a hater. We have had plenty of clients who follow a keto diet since it fits their lifestyle. In any case, this article is an incredible analysis of the diet and whether it’s worth your time.

To read the full post, click here!

 

8. Why Does IIFYM Give So Many Calories?

This movement is massive, it’s much larger than us (obviously); even though we are an authority in it. IIFYM is an idea that you can achieve flexibility while dieting. Yet, dieting is synonymous with eating low-calorie and suffering along the way.

For chronic dieters, this means being masochistic. We have been told to hate ourselves while we are working on changing our body composition. The classic diet, a woman should eat 1200-1500 calories, while men should eat between 1800-2000 calories to lose weight.

This general guideline grossly oversimplifies the process. We have been fighting for years to alter that misconception, so far, we are hopeful that this is a dying phenomenon.

With that said, the concern that our coaches or calculator give too many calories is still prevalent. Those same people who ask us, and follow their macros end up reaching their goals. Nothing makes us happier than seeing that.

Without further introduction, here’s the full article to see why we provide the intake we do.

 

9. Tracking Macros While Dining Out: The 3 Best Approaches

Although cooking and prepping your own meals has so many economic and health advantages, going out is great. Trying new places with friends and/or family can be a healthy habit.

Just because your dieting doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying this part of life. Dieting down often leads to isolating behavior. This is why IIFYM (flexible dieting) is a great approach since it’s not a restrictive diet that has you weeping on a minute-to-minute basis.

Anyway, go out and frolick about while you enjoy losing fat. To find out the best strategies to do so, read the full post.

 

10. How Much Protein Is Needed While Following IIFYM?

Protein is fundamental to your success while dieting for fat loss, and is essential, period. It’s incredibly useful while looking to alter your body composition for the better. Without a sufficient amount, you won’t retain as much fat-free mass (bye, bye beautiful muscles). So, understandably, this question resonates heavily with our audience.

Yet, this post isn’t about fear-mongering you into consuming more, but to help you find your sweet spot while in a calorie deficit. No need to worry, since this can be simplified.

Here’s the full article to help you rest assured you’re consuming enough while on a calorie-restricted program.

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Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss: Fasting Myths Debunked

 

Intermittent fasting (also known as IF) is becoming increasingly popular among people who are looking to lose weight and fat, and even among those who are trying to build muscle and optimize their body composition.

Proponents of this meal timing approach to dieting are convinced that it is superior to other forms of energy restriction, with a number of benefits being attributed to the “fasting” element, including:

• more weight loss,
• higher Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR),
• increased muscle retention, and
• increased insulin sensitivity.

Is there any truth to the above claims, however, and is there good scientific evidence to support the weight loss benefits attributed to intermittent fasting?
Read on find out!

Intermittent Fasting Defined

Before proceeding any further, let’s quickly look at what exactly intermittent fasting is and what it entails.

In simple terms, intermittent fasting is an eating pattern which involves alternating periods of little or no energy intake (i.e. caloric restriction) with intervening periods of normal food intake, on a recurring basis (1).

Different sub-classes of intermittent fasting include the following:

• Alternate day fasting (ADF), which involves a 24-hour fasting or very low calorie (~25% of daily energy requirements) period, alternated with a 24-hour ad libitum (i.e. at one’s pleasure) eating period.
• Whole day fasting (WDF), which usually involves 1-2 days of fasting or very low calorie (~25% of daily energy requirements) periods per week, with the remaining days of the week eating at maintenance.
• Time-restricted feeding (TRF), which involves a fasting period of 16–20 hours and a feeding period of 4–8 hours daily, and includes Ramadan style fasting as well as the popular Lean Gains approach (2).

Takeaway point: Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern which involves alternating periods of little or no energy intake with intervening periods of normal food intake, and includes alternate day fasting (ADF), whole day fasting (WDF) and time restricted feeding (TRF).

 

 

Intermittent Fasting vs Caloric Restriction

As you may have noticed from the definition of intermittent fasting above as well as from the descriptions of its different sub-classes, intermittent fasting tends to go hand in hand with caloric restriction.

In ADF, for example, although subjects are allowed to eat ad libitum (as much as they want) on their feeding days, they usually tend to not eat enough to compensate for the caloric deficit they create on fasting days. This also tends to happen with TRF, where subjects restrict their feeding window to a few hours per day (2).

Similarly, since WDF entails 1-2 days per week of fasting or very low-calorie dieting, with the remaining days of the week eating at maintenance, it also results in weekly caloric restriction and, consequently, in a weekly energy deficit (2).

Many people miss this important point and think about the two (IF and caloric restriction) as being fundamentally different or even antithetical to each other. This means that much of the research that the proponents of IF use, in order to support their claims, doesn’t control for the confounding (and very important) variable of caloric intake.

The above is why the research that is cited in this article controls for caloric intake – so that we can identify the effects of intermittent fasting itself rather than just the effects of the associated caloric restriction.

Takeaway point: Intermittent fasting is, essentially, a form of caloric restriction, with its main difference to “normal” caloric restriction being that the fasting periods are longer in duration and further apart from each other. It is, therefore, important to make sure that the research we read on IF controls for the confounding variable of caloric restriction (or, at least, to take it into account when interpreting research).

Common Weight Loss Effects of IF

With the above said, let’s examine a few common weight loss and body composition benefits that are usually attributed to IF.

Intermittent Fasting and Weight Loss

In recent years, research examining the effects of intermittent fasting on weight loss in humans has been growing steadily. Unfortunately, however, most of the available studies we have to date suffer from the following limitations:

• They have no control group to compare results to: doing something is, usually, better than doing nothing.
• The control group doesn’t receive any “treatment” – i.e. they just eat as usual: it makes sense that a group of subjects doing any sort of dieting will lose more weight than the group of subjects who keep eating as usual.
• The control group receives “treatment” but caloric intake isn’t matched between groups: we can’t attribute weight loss effects to one variable (fasting) when a confounding variable (caloric intake) isn’t controlled for.
• The control group receives “treatment” and caloric intake is matched between groups, but protein intake is not: since protein is considerably more thermogenic and satiating than carbs and fats (3), the group eating significantly more protein will have higher energy expenditure and will naturally tend to eat fewer calories while often underreporting their food intake.

When excluding studies that suffer from the above limitations, we are left with a relatively small number of studies which compare the effects of intermittent fasting to continuous energy restriction on body weight, and which show that, overall, the two diet types result in identical outcomes in terms of body weight and body fat reduction (4, 5, 6, 7).

Takeaway point: most of the research on intermittent fasting and weight loss suffers from a number of limitations, including a lack of a control group, comparing intermittent fasting to a “no treatment” group, and not controlling for caloric or protein intakes. Research that doesn’t suffer from the above limitations suggests that intermittent fasting and continuous energy restriction result in identical weight and fat loss.

 

 

Intermittent Fasting and Metabolic Rate

Metabolic rate also called resting metabolic rate (RMR) and resting energy expenditure (REE), usually makes up around 60-75% of our total daily energy expenditure (8). This means that it can easily determine overall energy balance and, consequently, whether an individual will lose or gain fat.

Metabolic rate is known to be reduced with caloric restriction, mainly because of reductions in:

• fat mass,
• fat free mass,
• circulating leptin and thyroid hormones, and
• sympathetic nerve activity (9).

It is often argued that intermittent fasting results in a lower reduction in REE relative to continuous caloric restriction when adjusting for decreases in body mass, while some even believe that metabolic rate increases in response to fasting. Is there, however, any truth to this? Well, kind of.

Overall, the available evidence suggests that intermittent fasting results in the same adaptive responses as continuous energy restriction, at least on feeding days.

Some studies, for example, have shown increases in metabolic rate during the first few days of fasting, with the average increase in energy expenditure being around 5.5% (10, 11, 12). Other studies, however, have found both decreased and unaltered REE as measured by indirect calorimetry during fasting (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18).

On the whole, studies which have measured REE on feeding days of intermittent fasting have mostly shown reductions in REE similar to those that happen with “normal” dieting in, obese, overweight and normal-weight subjects (6, 19, 20, 21, 22), with one exception being a recent trial where REE decreased with continuous caloric restriction but not with alternate day fasting (23).

Overall, the available evidence suggests that intermittent fasting results in the same adaptive responses as continuous energy restriction, at least on feeding days.

Takeaway point: while some research has found an increase in REE with IF when measured on fasting days, at least in the short term, most research that has measured REE on feeding days has reported reductions in REE similar to those that happen with continuous caloric restriction.

Intermittent Fasting and Muscle Retention

Ideally, weight loss diets should cause the desired rate of weight loss while minimizing fat free mass loss in order to maintain physical function and to prevent reductions in metabolic rate, thereby preventing future weight regain (24).

In general, caloric restriction results in a reduction in both fat mass and fat free mass. However, the percentage of fat free mass lost seems to depend on a number of factors, including:

• initial body fat levels, with higher body fat levels resulting in lower fat free mass losses,
• the degree of caloric deficit imposed, with larger deficits generally resulting in bigger fat free mass losses,
• the extent and type of exercise performed, with resistance training resulting in better fat free mass retention than aerobic exercise and even better retention compared to no exercise at all, and
• the protein intake of the diet, with higher intakes resulting in better retention of fat free mass (25).

Proponents of intermittent fasting argue that less fat free mass is lost with this type of dieting approach, since the increased levels of growth hormone that are associated with the fasting state cause the body to reduce protein metabolism in favor of fatty acid metabolism.

Although it’s true that fasting causes an increase in growth hormone secretion (26), what does the available scientific evidence show with regards to the effects of intermittent fasting compared with a continuous caloric restriction on fat free mass retention?

Well, when the variables listed above (body fat levels, degree of caloric deficit, exercise, and protein intake) are controlled for, research suggests that there are no significant differences in terms of fat free mass loss between groups.

For example, this study by Harvie et al found no statistically significant differences in terms of fat free mass loss between groups (4). Moreover, this trial by Hill et al (5) as well as this 2013 trial by Harvie et al (27) also reported equal levels of fat free mass loss between an intermittent and a continuous caloric restriction group when caloric and protein intakes were matched between groups.

Takeaway point: the amount of fat free mass that is lost during dieting seems to depend on the subjects initial body fat levels, the degree of energy deficit imposed, the extent and type of exercise performed, and the protein intake of the diet. Studies that control for the above variables generally show no statistically significant differences in fat free mass loss between intermittent fasting and continuous energy restriction.

 

 

Intermittent Fasting and Insulin Resistance

Insulin is a peptide hormone produced in the pancreas, the functions of which include:

• increasing the absorption of glucose into the muscles and fat tissue,
• inhibiting muscle protein breakdown,
• increasing the synthesis and absorption of lipids in fat tissue, and
• reducing the breakdown of lipids and increasing glycogen synthesis in the liver (28).

Insulin resistance is a pathological condition in which cells fail to respond normally to insulin, with overweight and obesity being major risk factors for the development of both peripheral and hepatic insulin resistance (28).

Proponents of intermittent fasting argue that it results in improvements in insulin resistance independent of changes in body weight. What does the research suggest, however? Well, unsurprisingly, studies on both overweight and obese individuals report variable results.

One study by Ash et al, for example, reported similar improvements in glycaemic control in 51 men with type 2 diabetes after 12 weeks of intermittent (four days per week) or continuous energy restriction (6).

A 2011 study by Harvie et al which measured hepatic insulin sensitivity in overweight or obese subjects reported a 25% greater reduction in insulin resistance compared to the daily energy restriction group when measured on the morning after five normal feeding days.

Overall, the limited available research has reported variable effects of intermittent fasting on peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity, which may be gender-specific.

It also reported a further 25% reduction in insulin resistance compared with daily energy restriction on the morning after the two energy-restricted days. Importantly, these differences in insulin sensitivity happened despite similar reductions in body fat between the groups (4).

Three other studies that have assessed the effects of 2–3 weeks of whole day fasting and which were designed to ensure that there was no overall energy deficit or weight loss have also reported variable results.

Specifically, the first study by Halberg et al reported improvements in insulin-mediated whole-body glucose uptake and insulin-induced inhibition of adipose tissue lipolysis when measured after two normal feeding days (29), while these results could not be replicated by the Soeters et al study (22).

Interestingly, the third study by Heilbronn et al reported a significant reduction in insulin response and improved glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity in male subjects, whilst female subjects experienced impaired glucose uptake and apparent skeletal muscle insulin resistance (30).

Overall, the limited available research has reported variable effects of intermittent fasting on peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity, which may be gender-specific.

Takeaway point: the results of studies which compare energy-matched intermittent fasting to continuous energy restriction or which were designed to ensure that there was no overall energy deficit or weight loss have reported variable results with regards to improvements in insulin sensitivity.

Conclusions

Based on the available well-designed trials, we can draw the following conclusions:

• Intermittent fasting and continuous energy restriction result in identical weight and fat loss when energy and protein intakes are matched between groups.
• In most studies, when measured on feeding days, the magnitude of metabolic rate reduction is similar with intermittent fasting and with continuous caloric restriction.
• When controlling for initial body fat levels, the degree of energy deficit, the extent and type of exercise performed, and the protein intake of the diet, there are no statistically significant differences in fat free mass loss with intermittent fasting or with continuous energy restriction.
• In studies that compared energy-matched intermittent fasting to continuous energy restriction or which were designed to ensure that there was no overall energy deficit or weight loss, variable results with regards to improvements in insulin sensitivity have been reported.

What is also clearly evident is that there is a need for more high-quality research comparing long-term outcomes of intermittent fasting and continuous energy restriction in order to establish any real benefits of the former with regards to controlling body weight and improving metabolic health in humans.

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