How much should I eat
Occasionally I get the question “how much should I eat on the days I’m not fasting”
Since I don’t believe in complex mathematical equations that involve counting calories (within reason), I have a simple approach to this problem.
Take 2 weeks off of from fasting.
On day three weigh yourself. On day four weigh yourself again. Take the average of these two number as your starting point. Then on days 13 and 14 weigh yourself again and average these two numbers.
If your weight has gone up more than three or four pounds between your starting average and you final average then you are eating slightly more than you need too.
If your weight has stayed within three or four pounds during these two weeks you are eating the right amount.
If your weight has gone down by three or four pounds then you have some room to add some more food into your life.
(Remember to weigh yourself in the morning before eating.)
This technique works very well for men, but woman will have to keep in mind that their monthly changes in hormones may affect their body water levels. So for men I would use the 3 pound limit, for woman I would allow myself up to 4 pounds.
This technique works very well for people who have lost considerable weight with fasting and need to figure out how much food would be eating responsibly for their new weight.
BP
PS – Please keep in mind, the reason I use 3 or 4 pounds is to account for the daily fluctuations in weight. Due to the weight of water and food, most of us will see our weight change by one or two pounds over the course of the day, so the 3 or 4 pounds includes this fluctuation.
hello brad!
this is what i posted at fitnessblackbook.com…
eric:
hi again! i have a similar question like nelrock: due to a bit too radical diet i lost fat but also i am lacking of a well-proportioned amount of overall muscle . my problem is that back to the times had more muscle and lifted weights regularly i never had the feeling of making a good progress.. ..there was no difference between lifting heavy or light..i used to lift ridicilous light weights in the gym in comparison to other guys or to you!..but seriously, i want to give it all a fresh start and slowly gain 5-10 pounds of muscle…according to your recent post, what would recommend me to do? please help to not feel like a complete wuss in the weight room again!what about cardio? i am sort of getting addicted to it once i started it so i quit it all..the thing is i stay lean (as i post in another article) without cardio…thanks to ESE..now i am a bit afraid of not getting the “extra sharpness” and losing functional fitness..i also think that sprinting shape my legs very well. so what about doing ESE just once a week and adding some intervall training? i am sorry, i use to ask to much questions but i have been struggling for getting a great body for around 10 months now.. and it seems to end in a fiasko…guess i need much more continuity and patience, or didn`t i?
as you see i got too obsessed of the idea of being “ripped” … i try to cool down and look for a good level of fitness and good body composition in the long run..any suggestions?
Hi Brad. I have one paticular question for you. Can people of all ages use your book? What I mean is will weekly fastings have a negative effect on teens?
Thank you for sharing these tips with us. I think losing weight needs lot of patience and self discipline.
As you are concerned about your health, what do you think about these Monavie Products? are they for real or are they just another nutrition supplement?
Hi Kisho3,
I only recommend Eat Stop Eat to people over 18 years of age.
We have different nutritional needs as we age, and the research that I use for Eat Stop Eat only used adults as subjects.
BP
Hi Eric,
I think you need to commit to finding the simplest approach to meeting your goals.
But in order to do that, you need to really define your goals. Make them measurable and real.
Once you have clearly set your goals, you need to look at your current situation.
How old are you, how much to you weigh currently, how tall are you.
Then you need to assess what you can and can’t change.
Can you workout more often? Are you working around injuries…that sort of thing.
Then from there…it’s a matter of keeping your eye on the goal and making sure you are consistently moving forward.
I know this is a really vague answer, but without knowing more, its the best I can give you.
I hope it helps,
BP
thanks so far brad!
my goal is to put on slowly around 10 pounds of weight (most of it should lean muscle mass but thats rather unrealistic and if i gain some fat it wouldn`t hurt so much). i want to build up expecially my (upper) chest and shoulder circumference. legs are not necessary to train for me because they are quite big natural. my waist is very small; i think it is lower than 45% of my height which is 5″11. i am 22 and looking “bulky” isn`t my goal. zac efron for example is at the same age like me and he has the look which comes nearest to my goals. but due to my natural body composition and and genetics (small frame and flat chest) more likely will end up looking like david backham which is great in some point but as you write in one of your post it won`t hurt him to carry a bit more muscle- i guess the same counts for me! about the frequency of my workout it is realistic to afford around an hour 2-4 times a week depending on my college schedule.
thanks again for your help i really appreciate it! i do my best to make ESE as popular as i can in germany!
i forgot to state: i am around 150 pounds now and started dieting at 165 at june..yep, you can mark me as being “skinny as a rake” ; )
Thanks Brad. Would you mind giving me some advice? I’m 15 years old. I’m not fat nor skinny. But I want to get a better body. A more athletic and ripped type of body. I know that most research out there isn’t done on teens. But what would you reccomend me to do? I’m about 5ft 2-3 inchs. Somewhere around there. And weigh about 125-129 in the mornings. Depending on how much I ate, drinked water the last day. My BMI says that I’m close to being overweight. What would you reccomend me to do? Is it even possible to be ripped at my age? One more thing, would having a more muscular/ripped body make it harder for a person to grow, increase it, or do nothing?
P.S. about the BMI thing I do not feel unhealthy and out of shape. I feel perfectly fine. And I also eat helathy foods. I only eat unhelathy food sometimes.