Would you recommend fasting?

[CouchSpud]

I rock climb 3 times a week and do some band work and body weight exercises twice a week. I also either run, mountain bike or hike once a week.

For the past couple of months I have been fasting until 1pm and then eating well for lunch and dinner. I then have a habit of eating shite in the evenings…toast/chocolate/biscuits etc. Not excessive, but still not ideal. I think I might not be getting enough fuel due to high exercise levels and fasting.

The problem is though. I’m in my 40s and worry that if I don’t fast I’ll just gain weight… both through fat and muscle and with climbing lots I need a balanced weight the strength ratio.

How do you weight train and stay lean?

I think it's different for different people. I can't fast, my body needs regular meals. I tend to do 4 meals a day and aim for around maintenance calories. If I train early I will have an extra snack of 200 cals or so beforehand, mostly carbs. If I eat less my training suffers!

Do you know what your maintenance calories are roughly?

I don’t count calories at all so I have no idea

My training suffers when I don’t eat beforehand, but my training time can be so random. For example:

Today I did a weight bearing workout at 9am. A 5km run at 11:30, and a 10 km hill walk at 13:30. I had breakfast, which I don’t normally do. But if I hadn’t I’d have felt it.

I am no expert on these things but from what I've read/heard late eating is not good for you. I mostly do a very gentle IF where I still eat 3 meals but not before 9am and not after 6/6.30 (have dinner with my kids). Could you try something like that - eat more earlier and try to avoid rubbish in the evening?

This is the problem. My willpower is awful in the evening! But it may be due to not eating enough during the day.

I’m going to try eating earlier in the day. And more protein

I fast from around 5pm until 9am and it works for me...but I do like breakfast and have to eat it at my desk.