At day 13ish I said I wouldn’t go past 28 days. I’m at 32 days now and still doing it. I like the simplicity, I like the change in my bloodwork, I like it keeping me in check with bad habits. I’m like you, where in the past I would think i had to have food before working out, or in my case a snack multiple times a day, etc. Amazing that I feel as good or better, being far below my previous caloric intake. Good luck
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I’m glad to hear you’ve had such great results!
Day 14
Weight: 159.6 (daily change: -.8)
Total weight change: -6.2
Holy crap, under 160! This is going well. Today was an extremely long work day (15 hours). I had my typical daily late afternoon crash, then was resurrected by eating. I felt like eating when I got home, until I walked past a mirror. My wife also made a suggestive comment. Okay, this is worth it!
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congrats
great to read
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Day 15
Weight: 158.8 (daily change: -.8)
Total weight change: -7
Climbing was a bust this morning. A lot of the routes were wet, and when I was on one of the few dry routes, it started downpouring. I give myself props for climbing soaking wet 5.10 slab and not falling though!
I ate a bit of lunch today. My HSM dinner calories were probably too high as well. I also drank at a concert. I’m not proud of it, but I can’t say I regret it. At the same time, tomorrow it’s back to business. There won’t be other days like this until the diet is over.
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Day 16
Weight: 160.2 (daily change: +1.4)
Total weight change: -5.6
Not much to report today. Back on the grind, still suffering for a few hours in the afternoon!
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Day 17
Weight: 160.0 (daily change: -.2)
Total weight change: -5.8
Oh man, the psych is high and the wheels are turning today! Today was my first session doing heavy hangboard training. It’s intense on the fingers, but leaves lots of time and energy to get a full-body strength training session in as well. This means I’ll be back to lifting twice a week, while still maintaining my two cardio sessions! I plan to do ring pushups, ATG split squats, and weighted pullups in addition to the hangs. I also need to remember to push myself harder in the gym.
I’ve been throwing my Metabolic Drive pudding in the freezer for the past two nights. I pull it out before it’s frozen and it tastes like I’m eating chocolate mousse cake. That and a black cherry Zevia is as satisfying as any dessert, and way healthier. I can see myself continuing to start and end the day with protein after this diet is over.
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Day 18
Weight: 160.2 (daily change: +.2)
Total weight change: -5.6
I’m slightly annoyed that my weight has stayed the same for three days. I understand this doesn’t work linearly, but I’m hoping I make more progress in the next ten days. (Or maybe I’m just building muscle! I’ll let everyone else judge that based on my after pictures 
)
I’m still trying to figure out exactly how to integrate what I’ve learned so far, but it’s been worth it.
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Day 19
Weight: 159.6 (daily hange: -.6)
Total weight change: -6.2
I had a solid workout this morning. Work went alright as well. It was a pretty low-hunger day overall, which was nice.
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Day 20
Weight: 159.0 (daily change: -.6)
Total weight change: -6.8
Today I had a kick-ass bike ride, a solid climbing session, found a house that my wife and I put an offer in for, and it was another low-hunger day! I’m quite happy at the moment. Eight days to go! Hoping I can continue to make solid progress. There’s definitely a visual difference in how I look!
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Day 21
Weight: 159.6 (daily change: +.6
Total weight change: -6.2
Today was a work day and a rest day. I was insatiably hungry after eating dinner, which was bothersome, but I sucked it up.
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Day 22
Weight: 157.6 (daily change: -2)
Total weight change: -8.2
Another great day on the rocks! It’s now obvious to me that I don’t need to stuff my face with sugars in order to perform well. Also, I don’t think I’ve been this light in 9 years.
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Day 23
Weight: 156.6 (daily change: -1)
Total weight change: -9.2
I had the ride of my life on the bike today! It feels like so many things are coming together lately. I’m stronger (both with climbing and with lifting), faster, fitter, and since I’ve been doing this diet, a whole lot leaner too!
Side note: I’m considering a muscle-building phase this winter. I can only allocate two days a week to lift, which I know isn’t ideal, but if anyone has suggestions, I’m all ears. I’ve never tried to build muscle before, so any tips are welcome!
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Day 24
Weight: 157.0 (daily change: +.4)
Total weight change: -8.8
Not sure if I just slept poorly, but about half the morning I felt like I was getting sick. It went away eventually, so hopefully I’m in the clear. It won’t be the worst thing if I’m under the weather for the last few days of the diet, but I’d rather not stop training (but I will if I get sick).
I crashed hard during training today, but I got through it. Once again, my entire outlook on life completely changed for the better after eating a bit of food. Pretty wild.
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Day 25
Weight: 157.2
Total weight change: -8.6
It’s pretty cool to now be hovering under 160 consistently. I felt a lot better today, and made sure to stay quite active at work for some more NEAT. Yesterday I was pretty sedentary at work.
My body fought me a lot today, but I’ve come to learn that means something is working, so let it ride.
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Day 26
Weight: 157.8 (daily change: +.6)
Total weight change: -8
I had an excellent lifting session this morning. I’m not getting weaker, and probably getting stronger, which is always a good sign that I’m not losing muscle. I’m ready for this diet to be over, but I won’t stop early. Also, I’ve only gone through four of my eight Metabolic Drive containers, which doesn’t make sense. I should be nearly out by now. I’m not complaining though, since I’ll have a supply for a good amount of time after!
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Day 27
I forgot to weight in…
Another great morning on the rocks. Now for the progress pictures…(if anyone can help me make two columns here for side-by-sides, that’d be nice! )
Front before
Front after
Side before
Side after
Back before
Back after
Legs before
Legs after
One extra after since I’m psyched
This is the leanest, strongest, fastest, and most mobile I’ve ever been. Life is good.
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congrats on your progress
Day 28
Weight: 157.6 (daily change: unknown)
Total weight change: -8.2
Thoughts on the diet:
-It really wasn’t that bad to follow. There were definitely challenging moments, but overall it was far from a sufferfest. The hardest part for me was between shake three and my HSM, especially if training landed within that window. It wasn’t hard every day, but certain days were definitely hard.
-The results speak for themselves. I lost 8.2 pounds, and considering my protein intake, and the fact that I got stronger, none of that was muscle loss. 8.2 pounds doesn’t sound like a lot, but I’m not a big guy to begin with, so it’s a lot for me. And of course, larger people have lost more weight on this diet.
-I learned a lot about my body and my mind. It turns out I DO need to fuel my body in order to do well with physical activity, just way, way less than I used to think. I did have two suboptimal workouts that were in the evening after not eating all day. I could have managed that by eating lunch instead of dinner. Going forward, it’s great to know that I can cut a couple thousand calories throughout the week without sacrificing a drop of performance. I also have come to use food as a crutch for anxiety, but it turns out not only do I not need it, but it doesn’t even work that well in the first place!
-Many people speak about how this diet changed their tastes for food. I experienced none of that, which is fine, but maybe that’s because I already enjoy healthy food, and tend to have a pretty utilitarian relationship with food in general.
Overall, not only am I leaner than ever, but I think I will stay leaner for longer based on what I’ve learned.
Personal survival tips:
-Many have said this, but I got salted caramel sugar-free syrup, which helps the shakes taste even better.
-I snacked on carrots, sauerkraut, and pickles. These helped me feel more full, and the salt from the sauerkraut and pickles was definitely helpful. Perhaps this isn’t “on plan”, but 20 extra calories doesn’t seem like a big deal to me.
-I drank a Liquid IV during training, again to help with sodium/electrolytes. Coach Thib has talked about how helpful it is to increase sodium intake while going low-carb, and I tend to agree. For those who want to avoid the 45 calories from sugar that comes with Liquid IV, you could use LMNT, which has no sugar or calories.
-I kept a lot of La Croix and Zevia around the house (sparkling water and stevia-sweetened soda). These also helped a ton.
Overall this went great for me and I’d recommend it!
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