Disclaimer. I’m not a Doctor! Be smart and consider your own needs when looking into these diets, and consult a physician if you aren’t sure about your health.
I got home last Tuesday to find my roommate watching “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” on Netflix instant queue. I looked up at the TV to see this average looking Australian man… and some text on the screen that said he had lost over 30 pounds in 30 days.
I stopped dead in my tracks, sat down on the couch, and zoned in.
The movie is a documentary about a guy with a very rare skin condition that was brought on by his obesity. He hit a point in his life where he absolutely had to make a change, and so he decided to take time off of work and go on a 60 day juice fast in America.
His diet consisted of pure fruit and vegetable juice, made by buying fresh produce at the grocery store and shoving it into a juicer. He did not eat solid food for 60 days. I’d say he looked like an ordinary fat man in the beginning, but by the end he looked like Gerard Butler. His mind worked faster, his skin looked cleaner and younger, and he had a ton of energy.
I look over at my roommate, and he says, “Dude, I’m thinking about doing this. Do you want to try it?”
I reply, “Sure…do you want to start now, like tonight?”
“Um…yeah.”
And that was it. We went out and bought a Jack LaLanne juicer and a ton of produce that same night, and our 1 week juice fast had begun.
I am six feet one inch tall. At 9pm one week ago today (Tuesday), I weighed 221 lbs. This evening, I weigh 213.5 lbs, and I have one chin instead of two. I feel amazing.
The Rules
- Drink fruit and vegetable juice from fresh produce.
- Drink water.
- No coffee.
- No food.
The Process
When buying our fruits and veggies at the market, I get into a conversation with my cashier about the journey I am about to embark upon. She says, “This might be TMI, but you may not want to leave the house – or even the bathroom – for the first few days.” Sound advice.
We begin our fast on Tuesday night, experimenting with all sorts of random vegetable and fruit combinations. I notice that if you combine one apple and one orange, the drink tastes like an Orange Julius.
Wendesday: The first full day isn’t bad, but I cheat right off the bat. My fiancee and I have dinner plans with old friends, and they serve us potroast for dinner. Wanting to be polite, I have some (hehe). Being a coffee addict, I struggle with caffeine withdrawal headaches. I suffer through Day 1 and go to sleep with a pounding migraine.
Thursday: Day 2 is all juice, all day. I am up early and have a ton of energy throughout the day. It is considerably my most productive day of the week, up to this point. I have a caffeine headache in spite of my cheerfulness, and have to take Excedrin at night in order to drive my car home safely.
Friday: I start Day 3 with juice for breakfast, and again for lunch. My roommates and I decide that it is acceptable to eat fruit or veggies in addition to the juice meals so we can feel more satisfied during the day. I have begun drinking tea as a way to sip something hot out of a mug. It doesn’t help with the headaches, but I find that I really enjoy drinking tea.
Saturday: By Day 4, my headaches are barely noticeable. I now hate the taste of carrots. Any drink with carrot in it makes me want to throw up. People around me try to tempt me with pictures of delicious food, and for the first time it doesn’t phase me. I feel satisfied with my progress up to this point. My fiancee’s sister notices that I look thinner than usual. Score.
Sunday: On Day 5 I feel skinny, energetic, and very happy. My jawline from college has seemingly come back overnight. Then the Seahawks beat the Giants! I am ecstatic. After the game, I go out on the deck and indulge all three of my forbidden vices at once, caffeine, tobacco, and then alcohol (wine) for the first time since Tuesday. Amazingly, I can’t finish my cup of coffee and dump half of it out in the yard. I finish the day with veggie juice and a protein shake.
Monday: Day 6, I begin the day with juice in the morning, a protein shake for lunch, and have a balanced dinner of spinach, salmon, and red beans. A morning weigh in at 211 lbs helps me justify eating dinner instead of drinking it.
Tuesday: Day 7. I wake up this morning and have a pineapple orange apple juice. It’s incredible. I weigh myself in the evening: 7.5 lbs lighter at 213.5 lbs. Feeling incredibly healthy, I treat myself to a real dinner and a glass of wine to celebrate.
Results After One Week
- My waist is slimmer…I had to move down one notch on my belt.
- I can see those muscles girls always talk about at the front of my hips again.
- I don’t need 3 cups of coffee a day to function anymore. In fact, half a cup is usually more than enough.
- I like salad now. People who know me well know how freaking crazy this is.
- I have stopped snoring at night. I don’t wake up in the middle of the night to get a snack…I used to do this nearly every night.
- I have learned to cope with feelings of hunger, and I reach for a glass of water now instead of a snack.
- I feel happier and even more productive than I was before this fast.
Moving Forward
I’ve been on diets before. I went on the 4 Hour Body diet at the beginning of this year and lost 20 pounds in 3 months (I went from 240 to 220). This juice fast is much more demanding and much more immediately rewarding. My next challenge is to convert this experiment into a lasting change. I like feeling healthy and energetic, and looking better doesn’t hurt either.
I’m learning that there is no one right method to losing weight…but I’m getting close to what is right for me. The juice fast may have been quick, but it’s not yet sustainable for me. Conversely, the 4 Hour Body was sustainable for a few months, but then I got lost in free days when I hit my target weight. So my challenge here is to set a target weight and then live as if I want to stay there.
So I’ve devised an experimental diet that should continue my fat loss while keeping me eating delicious meals at least once during the day. I’m combining the two diets above.
The New Food Pyramid
This food pyramid was taken from the movie, “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.” It was created by an MD. I’m clearly not qualified to tell other people how to diet, so I’ll leave that disclaimer here.
Now, based on what I’ve tested with my own experience using the 4 Hour Body and the juice fast, I am going to try combining these two diets into my own food pyramid.
- Breakfast – Pinapple, Orange, Apple juice blend. Load up on micronutrients to start the day 🙂
- Lunch – Juice blend with green vegetables.
- Afternoon – Protein shake.
- Dinner – 4 Hour Body style meal: Poultry, beans, vegetables. 50% of the plate is veggies, 25% beans, 25% meat. Substitute poultry for beef once or twice per week.
Here’s how the food percentage per day breaks down for me:
- Fruits – 20%. Begin the day with fruit.
- Vegetables – 30% or more. Replace fruit with veggies as the day goes on. It seems preferable to have less sugar in my system before bed.
- Beans, Legumes – 10%. With dinner.
- Seads, Nuts, Avocados – 10%. Peanuts with lunch, or as a snack between meals. Or…get a mondo burrito at Taco Del Mar and add guacamole.
- Potatoes, Whole Grains – 10% or less. One serving of bread, tortilla, or potato during the day. That means if I have a sandwich at lunch, I’ve eaten enough of this category. If I have a flour tortilla, I’ve eaten enough of this category. If I have a potato with dinner, well, you get the idea.
- Eggs, Fish, Dairy, Poultry – 10%. Usually chicken or fish eaten at dinner.
- Beef, Sweets, Cheese, Processed foods – Rarely. Once every few days I’ll substitute poultry with beef. Or if I decide to get a burger for dinner, I’ll need to skip meat and grains/potatoes earlier in the day.
When I can master this diet for a week and demonstrate that I am maintaining my current weight or losing weight, then I’ll consider adding a free day a la 4 Hour Body – where I eat absolutely anything and everything I want all day. Tim Ferriss describes this day as beneficial for spiking caloric intake once a week so as to prompt your body to not go into famine mode and store excess fat. We’ll see how that works.
Update: One week after the fast, I have successfully dieted for 4 days and binged over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday while visiting friends for Oktoberfest. My lowest weigh in was at 210.9 lbs on Thursday night. After the weekend binge, my weight has moved up to 212.2 lbs…still 1.3 lbs lighter than I was at the end of the juice fast. I am continuing the diet this week.
Want To Try The Fast?
If you want to give this juice fast a shot, I recommend doing the following.
- Watch “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.” You can stream it on Netflix Instant Queue for free, under documentaries.
- Find at least one friend to fast with. It is so much easier with a buddy, especially during the first grueling days of the fast. Make it into a competition to see who can lose the most weight.
- Get a juicer (new ones go for about $100) and some produce.
- Leave a comment and tell me how it’s going.
Want To Learn More About The 4 Hour Body?
Check out this book on Amazon, from your library, or at your local bookstore. It’s a great read.
Good luck, and good health to you.
From Here to There 