The HARDCORE Diet

[shaun]

Have any of you tried the fat fast?

1000 calorie, up to 90% fat diet?

A small section was mentioned in Atkins, and a modified version can be found in T-Mag.

Comments? I'll post up a link.

[shaun]

This is Part 1The Fat Fast Experiment
by Brock Strasser




I've got something going on this summer, a little event where I wear a tux, line up next to some woman in white, and promise never to sleep with another woman again. Really. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm not kidding.

Anyhow, this past winter hasn't been particularly kind to me. Like many species of Alaskan walrus, I added a few layers of blubber to protect against the harsh cold. My waist, or what's supposed to pass as a waist, crept up to 35" in girth. I may not exactly look like "Fat Bastard" of Austin Powers fame, but I'm getting a little "thick." I'm actually hitting the scales at about 212 pounds now, but I want to be down to 185-ish and fairly ripped for this "event" I have in June, but I don't want to lose a ton of strength or muscle mass.

In short, I need to shed 25 pounds of pure fat.

One of the things I've noticed — and about the only good thing about being "fat'" — is that I'm pretty strong in the gym now. It would be depressing as hell to get ripped and lose all that strength. So what am I to do? Like many of you, I favor those ketogenic diets to shed the adiposity as fast as possible, but I'm going to go on a ketogenic diet that's about as hardcore and as crazy as you get. I've started something called a "fat fast." It's a four-week program designed to rip 20-30 pounds of body fat off your (or my) tubby body.

The traditional fat fast has been used in emergency situations to rid morbidly obese people of body weight in short periods (three to five weeks) of time. The problem with the fast is that unlike other keto diets, you tend to lose about 30-50% of the weight as muscle loss! Not good. Make that "not acceptable."

So what is a fat fast? The "fat fast" is a ketogenic diet where 50% of your calories come from quality fats and the other 50% come from good proteins. Sounds pretty straight and simple, right? Yeah, keto diets are a bitch, but this one will be as easy (or as hard) as any other one, right? Not so quick! There's a caveat here: you can only ingest 50-60% of your resting energy expenditure in calories per day. Not as easy as it first seemed, is it?

I put a morbidly obese female client of mine on a fat fast last year with the help of keto-guru Lyle McDonald. In December of 1998, this morbidly obese woman was referred to me by an orthopedic surgeon friend. The woman weighed 230 pounds. Now that may not seem morbidly obese, but when you stand 5'0" tall, carrying this amount of weight makes you 5'0" wide, also.

Like many women, this woman carried a disproportionate amount of fat in her thighs and buttocks. She was referred to me after she had fallen down and dislocated her hip. When the hip was rearticulated, a compression of a blood vessel occurred and the femoral head suffered from an ischemic injury (similar to what Bo Jackson had). She needed a hip replacement. Trouble was, because she was so obese, no less than three orthopedic surgeons refused to operate on her until she lost at least 50 pounds. Of course, none of these surgeons offered her any suggestions to how she should go about doing this.

I put this woman on a fat fast, followed by a traditional ketogenic diet with a 20% caloric deficit. This woman, merely 30 years of age, had been on Zoloft for the treatment of depression for the previous five years, took Maxide for high blood pressure and lower extremity edema, and had asthma so bad that she had to carry around a Ventolin inhaler which she used four to six times per day. Her mobility, due mostly to her fatness, was severely compromised. And sadly, she also hadn't had a date in close to six years.

During the fat fast part of her program, which was five weeks long, she lost a whopping 33 pounds. After that, we put her on a more traditional keto diet, and she continued to lose, albeit not so quickly as in the first five weeks.

Ten months into this diet plan, this woman's a fairly svelte 128 pounds. That's an astonishing 100-pound weight loss (an average of ten pounds lost per month). She wants to lose another 15 pounds, and I know she'll do it. She threw away her Ventolin inhaler as her asthma is all but gone (along with the fat weight). She also ditched the Zoloft as she's no longer depressed, and the world seems to be a better place for her, now that it's literally her oyster.

I don't hear from her much anymore, mostly because she's so busy beating the guys off with a stick that she doesn't have much time to speak to "ol' Brockdawg." Her hip-replacement surgery (which she had when she got down to 155 pounds) went without a hitch.

So if the fat fast works, the question is, how will it work for someone like me? Will I be able to keep my strength up and my muscle weight on while I'm doing this?

One obvious solution would be anabolic steroids. Another would be human growth hormone (which is an effective, albeit a very pricey fat-loss aid). Both of those options aren't available to me because they're illegal (for me, anyhow), so I'm going to try something else. I'm going to stack Biotest's new Androsol product with MD6.

It's my hope that the Androsol will keep my muscles from atrophying through its "anti-catabolic" mechanism of action. I also decided on MD6 because I'm sure I'll feel crazy hunger pains on this diet, and MD6 is the best appetite suppressant (bar none) on the market today. It's also quite thermogenic, though not unbearably so, and this is doubly good because I'm sure that the reduction in calories from this fat fast will cause my metabolic rate to drop quite a bit.

MD6 also has some pleasant neuro-stimulatory aspects to it that make it desirable for this diet. (Ever start a keto diet and feel totally lethargic? Try MD6 and blow the lethargy away!!!) So what's this whole thing look like, and what am I going to live on for the next 28 days? Glad you asked.

My daily food intake will consist of five tablespoons of cold-pressed, organically derived flaxseed oil which I purchased at a discount at GNC. This will be 650 (about half) of my daily caloric intake. Since Biotest hasn't finished their zero-carb Grow! product yet, the other half (650 or so calories) will come from about 160 grams (640 calories) of a custom-blended protein I had made through a little company called the Protein Factory, which specializes in making small amounts of custom blends.

I may augment this with a little oil-packed tuna here or there. Also, I may throw in a slice of bacon or hard cheese, or maybe a hard-boiled egg once in awhile, but I won't ever let my total caloric intake exceed 1,300 calories per day.

I plan to throw in some aerobic activity (about 45-60 minutes, three times per week), like the treadmill or the bicycle. I'll also allow myself the "luxury" of black, decaffeinated coffee (as much as I want), and I'll try to drink a gallon of water per day.

To make sure I don't become vitamin depleted, I'm using a "Centrum clone." I'll also suck down one of those "yummy" Metamucil orange-colored sand drinks before bed to "keep the pipes unclogged." Unlike BodyOpus or other CKDs or TKDs, I'm planning on 28 days of straight and total ketosis. I guess now is the time to stock up on breath mints, right?

So why am I doing this? Why this radical (some might even say "crazy") diet? Why not just lose the weight or the fat over a longer period of time? Glad you asked.

I codeveloped Androsol with Bill Roberts. Our idea was to make this legal prohormone supplement as potent and as effective as a real cycle of traditional anabolic steroids. We think we've done just that. In fact, we're pretty sure we have. Too bad our feelings don't cut any mustard with the world. Obviously, we need to gather more data to see exactly what Androsol can do.

We know that it'll send your Testosterone levels into the stratosphere. But so will an injection of Sustanon-250. We also know that it'll work tremendously at adding lean body mass to those that are looking to gain mass in a hurry. But so will Testosterone T-200. What we don't know is whether Androsol will impart any muscle protective effects in those who are dieting for vanity (like yours truly) or those dieting for some bodybuilding show. And almost any real steroid will do that.

This is what I hope to find out: can Androsol possibly replace the "cutting cycle" that so many steroid heads do to either get a beach body or prepare for a bodybuilding show? I'm confident that Androsol will help me maintain maximal lean body mass. But until I do it — until I live it — we won't know for sure. So I'm putting Androsol to the test. I'm undertaking the most extreme dietary challenge I can think of, short of total starvation: the fat fast.

I'll let you know how Androsol and I made out and whether I had to borrow Fat Bastard's tux. I'll also let you know if I had to make any adjustments.

Now wish me luck!

[shaun]

Part 2The Fat Fast Experiment — Part Deux
The results are in!
by Brock Strasser



Brock Strasser is an extreme guy. While most of us are satisfied with a nice Trans-Am, Brock tears up the streets in a Viper. While we think our Labrador Retrievers are really cool, Brock prefers Mastiffs, which are roughly the size of small horses.

And while we're really happy to have girlfriends or wives with nice racks, Brock likes his women with nipples the size of dinner plates. So it's no surprise that when Brock decides to go on a diet, he's going to take it to extremes. Since he's also a sort of mad scientist, he thought he might as well experiment a little while he was at it. In case you missed it, Bock outlined his program here back in issue 107.


I have some disheartening news. The Fat Fast Experiment was a failure. I set out to lose 25 pounds of fat and I only lost 14. Because of my weak will, I only lasted 24 days on this Draconian diet and supplement scheme. I went from 212 pounds at 16.5% body fat to 198 pounds at 10.6% body fat. No rippling veins, no shredded glutes, and no six-pack of abs. My goal was to hit 185 pounds and lose 20-30 pounds of fat. I failed.

In fact, I'm so disappointed I've decided to quit working in the bodybuilding industry altogether. From now on, I'm going to concentrate my efforts on the other love of my life. That's right, I'm going to start designing feminine hygiene products. Look for new super absorbent "Brock Blocks: Tampons with Attitude," coming soon to a store near you.

Okay, I'm kidding. Here's how the diet went down.

If you remember in my prelude to this experiment, my plan was to go on a ketogenic diet that allowed me only 1300 calories per day. Basically, I survived on the following:

1. Cold-pressed flax seed oil — five tablespoons a day, which is about 650 calories or almost half of my daily caloric intake.

2. A special protein blend (160 grams per day) I had custom made. (Unfortunately, low-carb Grow! wasn't available to me at the time.)

3. I'd also throw in the occasional "delicacy" of oil-packed tuna, a boiled egg, or bit of cheese.

For 24 days, I survived on this diet until I ultimately fell victim to "carb crave" on day 25 when I passed by a local Dunkin' Donuts. I smelled the sugary aroma of carb-laden yumminess drifting from behind the glass doors. The powdered donuts and eclairs seamed to beckon me to come inside and chow down. My body rebelled against my good intentions and I soon found myself shoving a little old lady out of the way and diving into a fresh batch of jelly filled donuts. Three days later I awoke from the insulin-induced coma and knew my diet experiment was officially over.

So was this diet a failure? Truthfully, the answer is no.

I did lose 14 pounds of pure fat in only 24 days and I did it without losing any lean body mass — none, zero, nada! Many have gone so far as to say that losing fat this quickly without sacrificing muscle is impossible, but that's exactly what happened. I lost a full two inches of girth from my waist. My arms and chest are as big as they ever were (within 1/4" on the arms and 1/2" on the chest). I look like an athlete, not a bodybuilder, which isn't a problem for me. I never really wanted to look like one of those 285-pound gorillas anyhow.

My face looks thinner and I look younger and healthier. Everyone, from my wife to people at the various gyms I frequent, have all commented on the "transformation" I've made. I've been accused of being on clenbuterol, Cytomel, Primbolan, Winstrol, Oxandrin, growth hormone, you name it. In reality, I only used two Biotest products (Androsol and MD6) and a plain multivitamin.

Because I know some of you are probably more "steel willed" than I am and will want to try this protocol yourself, I'm going to outline exactly what I did and how I did it.


Fat Fast Training

The first thing I did was modify my workout to include 30 minutes of aerobics three times per week at 70% maximal heart rate. I despise aerobics almost as much as I despise dieting, but I did manage to stick with this. Basically, all I did was hop on the treadmill at a meager 6 MPH for 30 minutes after every resistance training session. On days that I trained legs, I admit to starting out a little slower (4.5–5 MPH for 4–5 minutes). I always did a "cool down" for 7–8 minutes at 4 MPH. I don't know if this mattered or not.

On Mondays, I trained chest and triceps:

• Incline Bench Press for 4 sets of 8–12 reps including a warm up set

• Weighted Dips for 4 sets of 8 reps each

• 100 Push Ups divided up in 5–6 sets

• Tricep Pushdowns (both arms, pronated position) for 3 sets of 10 reps.

• Tricep Pushdowns (supinated) for 3 sets of 10 reps each arm

• Nosebreakers (prone tricep extensions, starting and ending at the nose), 3 sets of 8-12 reps

• 30 minutes of aerobic activity.

On Tuesdays, I trained back and biceps and I did the following workout:

• Wide Grip Chin Ups for 3 sets of 10-8-6 reps

• Low Cable Rows for 4 sets of 10-12 reps (both arms, pronated position)

• Cable Pulldowns (in front of chest) for 4 sets of 10-12 reps

• Standing Barbell Curl for 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• Dumbbell Preacher Curl for 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• Cable Concentration Curls for 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• 30 minutes of aerobic activity

On Saturday I trained shoulders, legs, and abs:

• Squats for 4 sets of 8-10 reps

• Leg Curls for 4 sets of 8-10 reps

• Standing Calf Raises for 4 sets of 20-30 reps

• Leg Presses at 45 degrees for 2 sets of 10-12 reps

• Power Cleans for 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• Cable Upright Rows for 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• Dumbbell Lateral Raises for 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• Crunches, 3 sets to failure

• 30 minutes of aerobic activity

It's important to note that while I didn't gain any strength during this three week period, I didn't lose any either. I still do incline bench presses for reps with 245 pounds and all my other poundages also went unaffected.


Fat Fast Supplementation

I used three capsules of MD6 per day. The maximum dosage is six caps per day taken in divided dosages, but three is all it took to make me feel hot and zonk my appetite sufficiently. I also used 70 sprays of Androsol, 35 in the morning after my shower and 35 sprays right after cleaning up from my afternoon workout. On days where I wasn't training, I sprayed on my second dosing between 3 and 5 PM.

To put it bluntly, the worst part of this was meal time. At around day ten, the very idea of the protein drink made me want to gag. Once or twice I was sure the concoction was going to come back up on me. I tried to eat four or five equally divided meals per day, but usually it was more like three per day.

Also, a serving or two of Metamucil is not even close to what you need for proper "bowel hygiene." I learned that lesson the hard way. Remember, no carbs means no fiber and that means constipation. There were a few times I was sitting on the toilet and absolutely sweating bullets. I swore I was giving birth! Next time, I think I'm going to try Peri-Colace every second day in addition to daily servings of Metamucil.


Final Thoughts

There are a couple of items of note regarding the Fat Fast Experiment. First off, I lost 8 pounds the first week. Obviously, quite a bit of this was water weight as ketones have a moderate diuretic effect. I think if I ever do this again, I'll make sure I drink eight full 16 ounce glasses of water per day.

My energy levels never seemed to lag much and I thank MD6 for this. However, I never did seem to get that "pump" during workouts like when I wasn't doing this experiment. I think I might experiment with limited carb intake (less than 60 grams) on training days just before the workout. The alpha lipoic acid in MD6 should help to keep me in ketosis while the small quantity of carbs might help me to "feel the pump." Physiologically, this pump might not mean a hill of beans with regards to muscle growth, but psychologically, I'm one of those people who really need it.

Low carb guru Lyle McDonald also put forth an interesting idea. Once or twice per week it might be a good idea to have virtually 100% of all caloric intake come from protein. The science behind this is sound, so I'll probably opt to try it once per week on non-training days.

I'd be really interested to hear about the experiences of any readers who opt to try the Fat Fast. Drop me an e-mail here if you choose to try this diet. Initially, I wanted to stay on the diet around 30 days. I'd like to see if someone could manage to do this for 42 days (6 weeks) and maybe take some before and after photos. We might even post them right here at T-mag. Any volunteers?

Well, that's all folks. I'm sure I'll do this again, maybe in spring 2001 so I'm in better shape next summer than I am this summer. I think this protocol of MD6, Androsol and a 50% caloric reduction ketogenic diet has a lot of upside. I'm convinced that if you're determined to lose fat and determined to lose it rapidly, legally and without muscle loss, then this plan will certainly work for you. If, of course, you stay the hell away from Dunkin' Donuts!

[IPR]

Originally posted by shaun
Have any of you tried the fat fast?

1000 calorie, up to 90% fat diet?

A small section was mentioned in Atkins, and a modified version can be found in T-Mag.

Comments? I'll post up a link.

shaun.....I didn't read the whole thing, but he is talking about 50% fat and 50% protein with very low calorie intake.

Its an extreme induction phase of a ketogenic diet (almost zero carbs), but with lower cals. Done for 3 weeks only.

Note, his cals were 1300kcals, not 1000kcals as you state. Of this half was protein which means 162.5g per day. This is the key. As he stated, he did this Lyle Macdonald the CKD guru, and he advises that you need a min of 150g of protein in the first 3 weeks of keto to avoid muscle being needed to suppliment dietary protein.

This is no magic diet, just the early part of a normal keto diet, but the lowest possible cals before you hit starvation state.

[shaun]

yes i know. but if you read the new atkins diet revolution, pg 64, 65 and 66 i believe, they put men 230-290 pounds on a 10 day 1000 calorie diet, 90% fat. The men lost an average of 14.5 pounds, with 14 of those pounds being fat.

I wonder.. with so little protein, why not much muscle loss?

[IPR]

Originally posted by shaun
yes i know. but if you read the new atkins diet revolution, pg 64, 65 and 66 i believe, they put men 230-290 pounds on a 10 day 1000 calorie diet, 90% fat. The men lost an average of 14.5 pounds, with 14 of those pounds being fat.

I wonder.. with so little protein, why not much muscle loss?

My guess would be that the people tested were not bbers and were pretty obese.

I will have to look up the references, but there are studies regarding starvation diets which have been used on clinically obese people. But the aim was to save life not spare muscle loss.

I haven't read the atkins book, but Lyle Macdonalds book does do into some detail on the subject.

However, the article you posted above wasn't the 90% fat diet, but a low cal keto diet, more sensible, although I wouldn't recommend such rapid fat loss.