So, I'm currently in the process of loosing weight to get very lean again.
History:
- from 93kg to 73kg completed May 2020, I was very lean then with few muscles
- bulk from 73kg to 88kg until two week ago, put on a good amount of muscle but also some fat (intended respectively accepted as I prefer that in comparison to a lean bulk)
Goal: go to 80kg, maybe 78kg
I started doing 56h fasts a couple of weeks ago but that felt her hard on the second day of the fast.
Then I switched to 34h fasts which are doable (doing 2-3 fasts a week and continuing my training plan of 3 times whole body per week). I‘m now down to 86.5kg
However the weight loss is not comparable to longer fasts and I feel like that in combination with the repeated carb withdrawal on each fast is not a very good deal.
Therefore I figured to try a longer fast again like I did last year a couple of times. Maybe if I bite through the second day it will get easier.
The only question I have: am I risking to loose a lot of muscle if I do so? Training while fasting is not for me, I feel weak and have little motivation. I will snake walk however.
Planning on doing one 7 week fast before and one after easter.
Answer
Fast when you have fat to burn and drinking snake juice is naturally muscle sparing. You only burn muscle when you eat tons of food in small increments and/or train super hard. I’d keep my cuts and bulks separate though. Lose the weight and then focus on building muscle again. It’s about maintaining moderation. Also I’d suggest you try 72 hour fasts. But keep refeeds small. Like 4oz of steak and some bell peppers plus berries or low carb fruit. If you are really trying to keep as much muscle as possible along with building muscle on a fast then workout right before your refeed and focus on lifting 60% of your maximum weight/intensity level. Feed your body moderate protein and good amounts of fat along with a solid fiber source like vegetables or low carb fruits.
This is what has worked for me in the past. So understand it’s not going to work for everyone. But maybe that gives you some inspiration or a starting point. Best of luck and no matter what just do something, but don’t gorge on carbs.