Now that I have a bit more room outside I got my mace bells out of the gym where I had parked them and have since then taken to swinging them outside for a quarter hour or so a day.
That combines lifting and cardio, just have to be careful not to put my back out like I did last week.
For those that are cleared by a medical professional to do so, I would heartily recommend an extreme 7-day water fast during which only water and electrolytes (sodium, potassium and magnesium salts) are consumed. Unsweetened black tea and coffee are also allowed.
I do this twice a year as part of my personal health routine and metabolic and hormonal reset. Afterwards, I slowly reintroduce whole foods and continue to avoid sugar and refined carbs.
Key Benefits of a 7-Day Water Fast:
- Deep Autophagy: Extended cellular cleanup that peaks after 72 hours.
- Visceral Fat Loss: Aggressive mobilization of dangerous organ fat.
- Insulin Reset: Significant improvements in insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.
- Immune Rejuvenation: āRebootingā the immune system through stem-cell regeneration.
You will hit a wall by day 2, but if you push through its really worth it, and if you can add light aerobic workouts then the results are even more impressive.
Iām a late 40s bloke in fairly good health just fyi.
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Fun fact, I went on an involuntary/unplanned water fast for 4-5 days back in 2004, driven by a very painful breakup. TMI what amazed me was that the body keptā¦eliminating for a couple of days after Iād consumed nothing but water. Makes you wonder how full of shit we all are, literally! There was a lot of clarity, too, and hunger subsided after ~48 hours, to the point Iād imagine itās not that hard to maintain for longer. Havenāt managed to do that ever since, but have read a lot about the benefits of the occasional water fast.
People whoāve done this for weeks at a time note that at some point you hit ātrue hungerā, and you know it. Whatās not good, though, is that if you see videos of people who do it for 3-4+ weeks itās evident itās taking a toll on them, their hair and skin look bad, they show severe loss of muscle etc, thatās probably the point the body is really starting to cannibalize healthy tissue to keep going. I donāt know how well vitamins and minerals would prevent this.
Whatās interesting, and telling regarding how hard it is to lose weight and the comorbidities associated with it, is that something like that - no matter how extreme it sounds, itās still just a few daysā pressure - instantly curbstomps serious issues like insulin resistance, resets non-advanced diabetes, probably NASH too.
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Iāve found a less drastic way of fasting. For work, I need 3 meals otherwise, the brain doesnāt work.
During vacations i donāt have to think. 2 meals a days is enough. Usually, I skip breakfast. Either breakfast or lunch are skipped. And itās mostly fatty food. Last year I went down like 4 kg while arms and legs gained a bit of muscleā¦I need vacations
Also, travel days allow this too. Only water, wine and beer during travel. Anyway, airplane food is not that good. Also easy to skip a meal or two during a driving day.
I find that kind of stuff highly esoteric and I believe that your body just does its own thing.
Basically your body looses weight when body fat is broken down by the cells for energy with carbon as a waste product, about 80% of this carbon is exhaled just by breathing and the rest is removed by sweat and pee.
Its really just math and physics, you exhale around 80 to 200 g of pure carbon per day so if you eat less than you breathe out you loose weight, eat more and you gain weight.
This is the idea behind my Auschwiz diat.
Youāre describing the physical mechanism by which fat leaves the body, not whether fasting changes metabolism or body composition. Fasting affects insulin, glycogen stores, ketone production, appetite regulation, mood and water balance in ways that go well beyond āeat less than you breathe outā.
It is if you are going to undertake strenuous exercise the following morning.
Thereās some seriously bad advice on this forum.
Probably best to chose a less offensive name, or at least a more a applicable one as Iām pretty sure the inmates at Auschwitz were not eating fish and chips, sausage and pasta dishes.
Thatās just my opinion though.
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When did I advise anyone?
1000% agree.
The first time I tried it I followed the nutrition plan as historically documented, it is literally called: āThe Auschwitz diatā
Talk about tough, by the end of week one I could smell what a person had eaten perviously and would dream about food.
So Ok, Iāll find something else to call it.
Actually it led me down a rabbit hole and I took interest in WW2 nutrition in the UK and now I know about tbings like the national loaf and Woolton pie.
I just want to say that not everything connected to that period is meant to be offensive.
So itās just what you (donāt) do?
I guess itās lucky that this isnāt advice either, as itās also wrong:
Depends on the exercise, lifting heavy weights needs fewer carbs than cardio. And screw cardio!
Lifting heavy weights is anaerobic exercise and relies totally on carbs to convert to glycogen.
Running for long distances, for example, burns both fat and carbs, especially when running slowly.
Weight training only uses less carbs than cardio exercise in the same way as cleaning your teeth uses less carbs, as the exercise is less intense, or for a shorter duration, or both.
No, definitely not everything.
Some things though.
Exactement.
I donāt understand what youāre getting at to be honest.
Iām disagreeing with your statement that lifting heavy weights needs fewer carbs than cardio .
Itās incorrect - more so if you are lifting weights to increase muscle mass rather than just putting in the hours at the gym because you feel itās the right thing to do.
Been reading this thread with interest as Iāve lost about a stone since OHs misfortune happened. During the first week when I wasnāt sure if heād recover I just forgot to eat as I didnāt have time in the panic, at one point I was existing on tea and some flapjacks Iād made for his office.
Day five ends with a bang thanks to a thunderstorm.
Two litres of water and three teas and a alcohof free shandy took care of the liquids and 470g stirfry with sweet potato did the solids.
670g total.
āIf you are lifting weights to increase muscle massā ā¦ ārather than just putting in the hours at the gym because you feel itās the right thing to doā - donāt understand what you mean. I do put in the hours in the gym, because I like it, and lift weights to be stronger, and less so put on muscle mass, but itās a good byproduct.
Fine with the statement about carbs being corrected.
You as in one - not you personally!
Day six: Starting weight, 174.3ā¦ damnnit! Probably the revenge of the pasta.
Breakfast was toast 150g total and a cuppa.
The next three days Iāll be away from the scales so we will see Thursday if I have been a good boy.
The gym. At the moment I am having motivation problems, since moving it is now a 50km round trip and I am finding it hard to dredge up the energy after driving for hours.
@Slammer, weighing every day can really de-motivate, whereas if you do it every week, or even bi-weekly, you can feel proud. I almost never weigh. Instead, I have a favourite pair of jeans that I wear regularly. If they start feeling too snug, I know I have to rein it in. Also I have a 15-year-old pair of jeans that I love. I vow that some day Iāll be able to zip them up again!
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Weighing daily makes it more of a sport, a goal to look forward to.
At least in my opinion.