Body fat scales
Before we go any further, let us be clear: Body fat scales fail by larger percentages in estimating our body fat. I have kept data on my body for years. I have found a direct correlation between body weight and percent fat. This was not a big deal as I went from 227lb to 162lb (2009-2014). Since 2014, however, my body weight has fluctuated between 162 and 173, and my body fat has followed almost perfectly. At first, this made some sense, because perhaps I gained fat after I went back to 3 meals after 2014. Then I cut my caloric intake, and as expected my body weight went back up. This may have been due to a lowering of my metabolic rate. All the while, however, I have been gaining lean body mass, which is a part of my total weight gain. Yet, my percent body fat had not reduced much at all. I never wanted to dismiss my body weight gain as muscle gain without support from my scale measurements. Since last year, however, after going back to OMAD I have progressively increased in my body measurements. I believe that my more recent gains may be muscle, rather than fat, starting in Nov. 2018. It is unprecedented, at least for me, so see a gain in body weight while in OMAD. This might be because I have progressively increased the intensity of my pushup routines. If true, then the scale determination of body weight fat is completely inaccurate or even worse, it is very misleading.How to measure body fat
The Body Fat Calculator from Calculator.net works with measurements of the neck, waist, and hip. Add to those, age, height, and weight. In my case, it seems more consistent with my expectations. To be as unbiased as possible, I am going to keep a diary of all my measurements: body fat mass and lean body mass, macronutrients, exercises for the day, calories in and calories out, etc. All these in an effort to properly evaluate the gains in muscle mass and reduction in fat stores.How do we prevent muscle loss with IF?
After years in OMAD, then back to 3 meals a day and then back to OMAD, I am convinced: OMAD could but does not have to reduce muscle mass. To be sure, we need to appropriately measure our body fat and muscle mass. Just using a scale will not work for most of us. Using the Body Fat Calculatorwill give us a reliable measurement of lean body mass. As one loses body mass, the last thing one wants is to look gaunt or sick. This is why is critical to accompany a fasting regimen with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Cardio or endurance training is not enough. How do we prevent muscle loss, or even increase your muscle mass when losing fat or in the maintenance face?1. Keep track of your macronutrients.
I use MyFitnessPal to enter all the food consumed in my OMAD. I enter the data after eating, I eat to satiety and do not try to restrict my caloric intake. In MyFitnessPal you can enter your goal for each macronutrient. I keep a good balance between protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Some may be in a ketogenic diet, some may have diabetes and some may be trying to build muscle. Therefore, I leave it up to you to come up with your macronutrient proportions. As to the minimum caloric requirement for your age, gender and weight, use the Calorie Calculator from Calculator.net.2. Use high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
I am partial to the use of pushup pyramids. Eventually, when you become efficient at this exercise, you will need to increase the intensity. Otherwise, it will become an endurance, rather than a resistance type of training. To increase resistance, you may use dumbells to rise you further from the floor and thus increase your range of motion. Further, you can increase the intensity of your pyramids by skipping steps. For example, instead of 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10, you may do 2-4-6-8-10-12-10-8-4-2. I am currently doing pyramids of 22, skipping the odd numbers. This way you should be able to reduce the time it takes to complete your workout. I end up with more intense exercises condensed in a shorter time. You may have started with the goal to reduce weight, and for that OMAD alone can go a long way. However, sooner or later, you should incorporate HIIT into your life. You want to end up with a body you are proud of, not just skinny.3. Avoid restricting calories
You may be tempted to eat less to make OMAD work faster. It won’t work. Your metabolic rate will decrease making it more difficult to lose weight. Instead, eat to satiety in your OMAD. After calculating your minimum caloric requirement, try to keep that as your minimum intake. Then eat more to compensate for the calories burned in your exercises. You do not want to have your metabolic rate decreased. Eventually, you will gain your weight back when you leave your regimen. You also want to have enough nutrients to rebuild your muscle after intense workouts. Keep in mind that OMAD will tend to make you keto-adapted. Your body will use your fat stores for energy, and this is a more efficient way to use energy. Don’t worry about the carbs for energy. In fact, working out near the end of your fasting period will deplete dietary carbs and glycogen stores. This is when you will be in ketosis and your body will use body fat for energy. Your performance will increase too.
