Working on a plan

[Bflat]

Hello everyone

I got down to 215 this summer, my lightest weight in about 20 years (back to 230 now). I'm 6'2'' over 40 and have been working the last two years to get back in shape. My primary exercise is weight lifting ( I keep my pulse about 120-130 the entire workout) plus I bike and go for a 45 min walk 4-5 times a week. Going to try a 16/8 intermittent fast the next month, so I am here to record it and learn a few things on the way.

 

[Trusylver]

Welcome to the forum

 

[aiminglow]

Hello, Bflat! Good to meet you, and I'll be looking forward to hearing how the fasting goes - it has been bery useful for some of us here.

 

[FoodC]

Hello @Bflat
It is so good you are motivated! We will try to keep you on this path
So... what is your plan?

 

[Intellectual vegetable]

Bflat, it seems you have a good activity plan. If it is scheduled, you already know that planning is the key to success. If by contrast you just exercise whenever you feel like it, your short term success will inevitably recede and you'll start reverting to your original body state.

However, what concerns me is that you are going to try intermittent fasting. Your post indicates you have experience and maybe some knowledge about exercise, but perhaps lack that with regards to diet. If this is the case, you will fall into the scenario I proposed above (short term success).

I encourage you to learn about what fasting does to the body (the real science behind it is an extraordinary thing). You can do this while you're on the fast, just to get your feet wet. But until you have a great understanding of fasting (with whatever regimen suits you), you won't be able to sustain the benefits that come with it. At some point, you'll move on to the next tool you hear about (keto, for example).

I believe diet and exercise as a lifestyle is the method to excellent health. Of the two, I really think diet prevails. If I was trying to achieve perfect health, I would do as much research on the food I eat every day (or in this case, the food I abstain from for 16 hours).

You're looking at the right track. Keep chugging along. Have a plan for the I.F. like you do for your exercise and you'll see results. Learn about fasting while you're doing it, and you'll sustain those results.