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"75 Hard" challenge (1 Viewer)

How's everyone doing a week into this thing?
Water is getting easier, though every day there comes a point where I get oversaturated, and pee like every 15 minutes.

Reading not bad either.

Have needed a couple 10pm walks to finish the exercise requirement, but I stay up late anyway.

One pescatarian meal a day on track.

One selfie :bag:

The challenge will be traveling, but no trips scheduled until July. I prefer window seats, so will have to plan accordingly.
 
Challenge going well for me so far. Most days I've got everything except for my second workout done by 5pm. Water has gotten to be super easy. Started around 215 pounds, and after a week I'm down under 212. I don't have a ton to lose (goal is 200-205), so that's good progress. Wife is talking about doing some watered-down version of the program, which would make it even easier.
 
Down 10 pounds in the first week.
Yikes. That’s really fast. Are you feeling OK?
I’m feeling good and taking in a good number of calories. Biggest issue is sleep with two workouts and life. Yesterday I had to get up at 5:30am for the first workout and then by the time work was done 8 pm workout. Eat, shower, and read 10 pages and it was 10 pm before a two hour drive. Up at 5 am today. The plus side is I’d be blowing off these workouts without this challenge.
 
Down 10 pounds in the first week.
Yikes. That’s really fast. Are you feeling OK?
I’m feeling good and taking in a good number of calories. Biggest issue is sleep with two workouts and life. Yesterday I had to get up at 5:30am for the first workout and then by the time work was done 8 pm workout. Eat, shower, and read 10 pages and it was 10 pm before a two hour drive. Up at 5 am today. The plus side is I’d be blowing off these workouts without this challenge.
Yeah, I was up at 3am on Wednesday to fit in my first workout before a 6am flight. Gotta do whatcha gotta do!
 
Challenge going well for me so far. Most days I've got everything except for my second workout done by 5pm. Water has gotten to be super easy. Started around 215 pounds, and after a week I'm down under 212. I don't have a ton to lose (goal is 200-205), so that's good progress. Wife is talking about doing some watered-down version of the program, which would make it even easier.
Please, no more water!
 
Challenge going well for me so far. Most days I've got everything except for my second workout done by 5pm. Water has gotten to be super easy. Started around 215 pounds, and after a week I'm down under 212. I don't have a ton to lose (goal is 200-205), so that's good progress. Wife is talking about doing some watered-down version of the program, which would make it even easier.
Please, no more water!
:turnsonfaucet:
 
Well, just when I thought this was getting easy, my wife has Covid. I don’t have symptoms (yet), but if I’m infected, I expect things will be a little tougher.
 
Down 10 pounds in the first week.
Yikes. That’s really fast. Are you feeling OK?
I’m feeling good and taking in a good number of calories. Biggest issue is sleep with two workouts and life. Yesterday I had to get up at 5:30am for the first workout and then by the time work was done 8 pm workout. Eat, shower, and read 10 pages and it was 10 pm before a two hour drive. Up at 5 am today. The plus side is I’d be blowing off these workouts without this challenge.
I ended up taking a 2 hour nap on Sunday and I’m still in bed by 10pm now. Fatigue could become a factor.
 
Down 10 pounds in the first week.
Yikes. That’s really fast. Are you feeling OK?
I’m feeling good and taking in a good number of calories. Biggest issue is sleep with two workouts and life. Yesterday I had to get up at 5:30am for the first workout and then by the time work was done 8 pm workout. Eat, shower, and read 10 pages and it was 10 pm before a two hour drive. Up at 5 am today. The plus side is I’d be blowing off these workouts without this challenge.
I ended up taking a 2 hour nap on Sunday and I’m still in bed by 10pm now. Fatigue could become a factor.
You should try it with covid.
 
Down 10 pounds in the first week.
Yikes. That’s really fast. Are you feeling OK?
I’m feeling good and taking in a good number of calories. Biggest issue is sleep with two workouts and life. Yesterday I had to get up at 5:30am for the first workout and then by the time work was done 8 pm workout. Eat, shower, and read 10 pages and it was 10 pm before a two hour drive. Up at 5 am today. The plus side is I’d be blowing off these workouts without this challenge.
I ended up taking a 2 hour nap on Sunday and I’m still in bed by 10pm now. Fatigue could become a factor.
You should try it with covid.
Hopefully it’s quick and easy like mine.
 
Down 10 pounds in the first week.
Yikes. That’s really fast. Are you feeling OK?
I’m feeling good and taking in a good number of calories. Biggest issue is sleep with two workouts and life. Yesterday I had to get up at 5:30am for the first workout and then by the time work was done 8 pm workout. Eat, shower, and read 10 pages and it was 10 pm before a two hour drive. Up at 5 am today. The plus side is I’d be blowing off these workouts without this challenge.
I ended up taking a 2 hour nap on Sunday and I’m still in bed by 10pm now. Fatigue could become a factor.
You should try it with covid.
Would rather not.

Keep it up y’all! :stalker: :popcorn:
 
Down 10 pounds in the first week.
Yikes. That’s really fast. Are you feeling OK?
I’m feeling good and taking in a good number of calories. Biggest issue is sleep with two workouts and life. Yesterday I had to get up at 5:30am for the first workout and then by the time work was done 8 pm workout. Eat, shower, and read 10 pages and it was 10 pm before a two hour drive. Up at 5 am today. The plus side is I’d be blowing off these workouts without this challenge.
I ended up taking a 2 hour nap on Sunday and I’m still in bed by 10pm now. Fatigue could become a factor.
You should try it with covid.
You didn’t think it was tough enough as is? Between you and Bass with his ultramarathons I’m just trying to finish a 75 meh.
 
Down 10 pounds in the first week.
Yikes. That’s really fast. Are you feeling OK?
I’m feeling good and taking in a good number of calories. Biggest issue is sleep with two workouts and life. Yesterday I had to get up at 5:30am for the first workout and then by the time work was done 8 pm workout. Eat, shower, and read 10 pages and it was 10 pm before a two hour drive. Up at 5 am today. The plus side is I’d be blowing off these workouts without this challenge.
I ended up taking a 2 hour nap on Sunday and I’m still in bed by 10pm now. Fatigue could become a factor.
You should try it with covid.
You didn’t think it was tough enough as is? Between you and Bass with his ultramarathons I’m just trying to finish a 75 meh.
It hasn't been too bad. To be fair, I'm not running ultramarathons every day. And I probably work less than many in this thread.

If I had to rate the difficulty of the individual components:

Eating a healthy, alcohol-free diet. I'm doing one meal a day, pescatarian, with no other restrictions. This has been easy, as it's essentially how I eat anyway, but one less meal a day. Hunger has not been an issue, due to water bloat. I rarely drink alcohol under normal circumstances, so abstaining is a breeze. I'm a little concerned I may lose too much weight, but still have a ways to go before that enters the equation. Also, I have three trips with separate groups of friends in the next 2 months, which may be challenging - New York City in particular.

Exercise 45 min twice daily. Also not difficult. I try to exercise nearly every day anyway. When I climb outside it's an all day affair, and some hikes are several hours long - not sure twice a day is meaningful in those contexts. But most days I'm just walking a few miles on level ground in my neighborhood. Unlike many guys here, I tend to do the second exercise late at night.

Reading 10 pages a day. A little harder, and I'm reading a verrrry dry book, basically a textbook. Just ordered another on longevity recommended by @Sand , which I'm hoping will be easier.

Gallon o' water. Still miserable, but getting better. Far and away the most difficult part of the challenge.

And I only took a "before" selfie. So I'm not even playing by the rules.

Covid has made the exercise much more difficult, and maybe diet as well. But I'm feeling better today.
 
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Following the format above:

Alcohol free - Piece of cake. Easy to not do something

Eat healthy - So far so good. I'm not counting calories, but aiming for about 2000 cal a day. Supposedly my resting cal burn is 2500. The exercise is burning 600-1000 more. That should be good for 2 pounds lost each week. I'm trying to get in 100 grams of protein a day in at least 3 meals, preferably 4. Also adopting a lot of the Greek diet. Also added a multi vitamin and creatin.

Read 10 pages - Actually been enjoying this.

Exercise twice a day separated by 3 hours - Actually got 3 sessions in yesterday. My biggest struggle is I hate morning work outs. My lifts are off by 10% in the morning compared to the evening. been doing lots of walks.

Selfie each day - Surprising hard as I often overlook this until the last minute.

Drink a gallon of water - Still a huge PITA. Hate having to pee constantly. Today I had to piss behind a job site. During walks I'm finding a spot in the park. Every time I have an appointment I have to make sure to drain it before getting in the car. I suspect as my running improves and the temps go up this will become easier.

Weigh in tomorrow. Said goodbye to the 280s, looking like the 270s are in the rear view. I've weigh numerous times the last few days...lots of 269.x.
 
I've done it twice.

Highly effective. The second/outdoor 45 minute workout was the hardest for me. Took a lot of very late night walks just before bed. Once or twice in the rain.

My wife just started it again on Wednesday. I told her I'm not doing it again this year...but I've made enough consistent changes in my life from the first couple of times that I don't really need it.
I’ve done this twice as well, both times with my wife though we didn’t do many of the workouts together.

If possible, incorporate intermittent fasting. Makes a huge difference.

Read what you like…not something your wife has always wanted you to read. Got sucked into that…once.

Going for a walk at a decent pace absolutely is a workout.

And the most obvious…get as much of your water as you can in before 6:00 at night.
 
Following the format above:

Alcohol free - Piece of cake. Easy to not do something

Eat healthy - So far so good. I'm not counting calories, but aiming for about 2000 cal a day. Supposedly my resting cal burn is 2500. The exercise is burning 600-1000 more. That should be good for 2 pounds lost each week. I'm trying to get in 100 grams of protein a day in at least 3 meals, preferably 4. Also adopting a lot of the Greek diet. Also added a multi vitamin and creatin.

Read 10 pages - Actually been enjoying this.

Exercise twice a day separated by 3 hours - Actually got 3 sessions in yesterday. My biggest struggle is I hate morning work outs. My lifts are off by 10% in the morning compared to the evening. been doing lots of walks.

Selfie each day - Surprising hard as I often overlook this until the last minute.

Drink a gallon of water - Still a huge PITA. Hate having to pee constantly. Today I had to piss behind a job site. During walks I'm finding a spot in the park. Every time I have an appointment I have to make sure to drain it before getting in the car. I suspect as my running improves and the temps go up this will become easier.

Weigh in tomorrow. Said goodbye to the 280s, looking like the 270s are in the rear view. I've weigh numerous times the last few days...lots of 269.x.
Also not counting calories, but I’m thinking 1000-1500/d. Sample menu from today: TeriyakI salmon + big arugula salad with corn, peas, beets and guacamole + a handful of dates. All I drink is water 🤢

Didn’t realize exercise needed 3 hour pause. I definitely haven’t adhered to that.

Also hate p!ssing all the time. Exercising in the heat helps.

And eff the selfies.

I‘ll weigh myself at the 30 day mark. I’m starting at 168, 5 foot 10. Wife has set low weight of 150 before I change the diet.
 
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I've done it twice.

Highly effective. The second/outdoor 45 minute workout was the hardest for me. Took a lot of very late night walks just before bed. Once or twice in the rain.

My wife just started it again on Wednesday. I told her I'm not doing it again this year...but I've made enough consistent changes in my life from the first couple of times that I don't really need it.
If possible, incorporate intermittent fasting. Makes a huge difference.
Agree with this. I‘m basically doing 23:1 IF, though my single meal varies between 5 and 7pm each day. As long as you don‘t pig out on junk food, it’s hard to overeat, and you save meal prep time. Plus your stomach is empty throughout the day, to accommodate all the extra water.
 
I've done it twice.

Highly effective. The second/outdoor 45 minute workout was the hardest for me. Took a lot of very late night walks just before bed. Once or twice in the rain.

My wife just started it again on Wednesday. I told her I'm not doing it again this year...but I've made enough consistent changes in my life from the first couple of times that I don't really need it.
If possible, incorporate intermittent fasting. Makes a huge difference.
Agree with this. I‘m basically doing 23:1 IF, though my single meal varies between 5 and 7pm each day. As long as you don‘t pig out on junk food, it’s hard to overeat, and you save meal prep time. Plus your stomach is empty throughout the day, to accommodate all the extra water.

Can you explain your thoughts on one meal a day? From a longevity standpoint preserve muscle mass seems to be critical. I don't see how some can ingest enough protein in one meal when we can only process 30-40 grams at a sitting and as we get older we don't synthesize all of the grams ingested. Also have there been large peer reviewed studies on the benefits of fasting? Obviously a person who fasts is more likely to lose weigh than someone who eats constantly. But has someone studied the health benefits of taking in x number of calories over y hours as opposed to z hours?
 
I've done it twice.

Highly effective. The second/outdoor 45 minute workout was the hardest for me. Took a lot of very late night walks just before bed. Once or twice in the rain.

My wife just started it again on Wednesday. I told her I'm not doing it again this year...but I've made enough consistent changes in my life from the first couple of times that I don't really need it.
If possible, incorporate intermittent fasting. Makes a huge difference.
Agree with this. I‘m basically doing 23:1 IF, though my single meal varies between 5 and 7pm each day. As long as you don‘t pig out on junk food, it’s hard to overeat, and you save meal prep time. Plus your stomach is empty throughout the day, to accommodate all the extra water.

Can you explain your thoughts on one meal a day? From a longevity standpoint preserve muscle mass seems to be critical. I don't see how some can ingest enough protein in one meal when we can only process 30-40 grams at a sitting and as we get older we don't synthesize all of the grams ingested. Also have there been large peer reviewed studies on the benefits of fasting? Obviously a person who fasts is more likely to lose weigh than someone who eats constantly. But has someone studied the health benefits of taking in x number of calories over y hours as opposed to z hours?
I think there have been a lots of positive studies on autophagy and cell revitalization. I listen to Dr Rhonda Patrick - she has a podcast. I don’t understand most of the science but it seems logical.
 
I've done it twice.

Highly effective. The second/outdoor 45 minute workout was the hardest for me. Took a lot of very late night walks just before bed. Once or twice in the rain.

My wife just started it again on Wednesday. I told her I'm not doing it again this year...but I've made enough consistent changes in my life from the first couple of times that I don't really need it.
If possible, incorporate intermittent fasting. Makes a huge difference.
Agree with this. I‘m basically doing 23:1 IF, though my single meal varies between 5 and 7pm each day. As long as you don‘t pig out on junk food, it’s hard to overeat, and you save meal prep time. Plus your stomach is empty throughout the day, to accommodate all the extra water.

Can you explain your thoughts on one meal a day? From a longevity standpoint preserve muscle mass seems to be critical. I don't see how some can ingest enough protein in one meal when we can only process 30-40 grams at a sitting and as we get older we don't synthesize all of the grams ingested. Also have there been large peer reviewed studies on the benefits of fasting? Obviously a person who fasts is more likely to lose weigh than someone who eats constantly. But has someone studied the health benefits of taking in x number of calories over y hours as opposed to z hours?
Several things to unpack here:

1. Protein is overemphasized in current fad diets. That’s not to say it’s unimportant, but it’s become too heavily emphasized, when protein deficiency is relatively rare compared to diseases of excess caloric consumption. And there are health consequences of ingesting excess (especially animal) protein-rich foods.

2. While people trying to build muscle benefit from increased protein throughout the day, to the tune of 1-1.5 g/kg, maintaining muscle mass requires much less, somewhere around 20-25 grams/day. As we get older, muscle gains are less important, but preserving muscle is critical. Not to sh!t on bodybuilders, but anecdotally, all the long-lived people I‘ve met are thin, and most are quite lean.

3. Though counterintuitive, fasting hasn’t consistently shown to promote weight loss, and when it does, weight regain is common. Just like other diets which aren’t sustainable.

4. As far as clinical data behind IF: it’s limited. Most of the interest is based on bench research and animal studies, where fasting and caloric reduction contributed to longevity and decreased chronic disease. The New England Journal did a nice review here.
Until recently, studies of caloric restriction and intermittent fasting focused on aging and the life span. After nearly a century of research on caloric restriction in animals, the overall conclusion was that reduced food intake robustly increases the life span.

In one of the earliest studies of intermittent fasting, Goodrick and colleagues reported that the average life span of rats is increased by up to 80% when they are maintained on a regimen of alternate-day feeding, started when they are young adults. However, the magnitude of the effects of caloric restriction on the health span and life span varies and can be influenced by sex, diet, age, and genetic factors.7 A meta-analysis of data available from 1934 to 2012 showed that caloric restriction increases the median life span by 14 to 45% in rats but by only 4 to 27% in mice.28 A study of 41 recombinant inbred strains of mice showed wide variation, ranging from a substantially extended life span to a shortened life span, depending on the strain and sex.29,30 However, the study used only one caloric-restriction regimen (40% restriction) and did not evaluate health indicators, causes of death, or underlying mechanisms. There was an inverse relationship between adiposity reduction and life span29suggesting that animals with a shortened life span had a greater reduction in adiposity and transitioned more rapidly to starvation when subjected to such severe caloric restriction, whereas animals with an extended life span had the least reduction in fat.

The discrepant results of two landmark studies in monkeys challenged the link between health-span extension and life-span extension with caloric restriction. One of the studies, at the University of Wisconsin, showed a positive effect of caloric restriction on both health and survival,31 whereas the other study, at the National Institute on Aging, showed no significant reduction in mortality, despite clear improvements in overall health.32Differences in the daily caloric intake, onset of the intervention, diet composition, feeding protocols, sex, and genetic background may explain the differential effects of caloric restriction on life span in the two studies.7

In humans, intermittent-fasting interventions ameliorate obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and inflammation.33 Intermittent fasting seems to confer health benefits to a greater extent than can be attributed just to a reduction in caloric intake. In one trial, 16 healthy participants assigned to a regimen of alternate-day fasting for 22 days lost 2.5% of their initial weight and 4% of fat mass, with a 57% decrease in fasting insulin levels.34 In two other trials, overweight women (approximately 100 women in each trial) were assigned to either a 5:2 intermittent-fasting regimen or a 25% reduction in daily caloric intake. The women in the two groups lost the same amount of weight during the 6-month period, but those in the group assigned to 5:2 intermittent fasting had a greater increase in insulin sensitivity and a larger reduction in waist circumference.20,27
I’m pretty active, but no longer lift weights. When I did, I was fairly strong, but I‘m sure I can only lift a fraction what I once did. Still I regularly do body weight exercise, through climbing and hiking. It will be interesting to see how my strength:weight ratio changes on this diet.

But to be clear, I don‘t intend on doing this forever. So if I lose a little muscle with the fat, I‘m not concerned I can’t gain it back.
 
I've done it twice.

Highly effective. The second/outdoor 45 minute workout was the hardest for me. Took a lot of very late night walks just before bed. Once or twice in the rain.

My wife just started it again on Wednesday. I told her I'm not doing it again this year...but I've made enough consistent changes in my life from the first couple of times that I don't really need it.
If possible, incorporate intermittent fasting. Makes a huge difference.
Agree with this. I‘m basically doing 23:1 IF, though my single meal varies between 5 and 7pm each day. As long as you don‘t pig out on junk food, it’s hard to overeat, and you save meal prep time. Plus your stomach is empty throughout the day, to accommodate all the extra water.

Can you explain your thoughts on one meal a day? From a longevity standpoint preserve muscle mass seems to be critical. I don't see how some can ingest enough protein in one meal when we can only process 30-40 grams at a sitting and as we get older we don't synthesize all of the grams ingested. Also have there been large peer reviewed studies on the benefits of fasting? Obviously a person who fasts is more likely to lose weigh than someone who eats constantly. But has someone studied the health benefits of taking in x number of calories over y hours as opposed to z hours?
And to emphasize how we’ve become a little protein obsessive: blue zones (areas with unusually long lived populations) typically consume about 15% of their calories from protein (and 65% carbohydrates 😱). The USDA says 10-35%, while the WHO doesn’t even mention protein in their guidance for a healthy diet.

Yet, in pop nutrition, everyone’s favorite “macro” is protein. And food scientists are adding it to every processed food, just like they did with sugar, after we demonized fats in the 70/80s. Not to say there will be the same consequences, but protein deficiency isn’t driving our obesity epidemic.

To be clear, @BassNBrew will need extra protein in preparation for his intense races. For most of the rest of us, we likely consume enough already.
 
I've done it twice.

Highly effective. The second/outdoor 45 minute workout was the hardest for me. Took a lot of very late night walks just before bed. Once or twice in the rain.

My wife just started it again on Wednesday. I told her I'm not doing it again this year...but I've made enough consistent changes in my life from the first couple of times that I don't really need it.
If possible, incorporate intermittent fasting. Makes a huge difference.
Agree with this. I‘m basically doing 23:1 IF, though my single meal varies between 5 and 7pm each day. As long as you don‘t pig out on junk food, it’s hard to overeat, and you save meal prep time. Plus your stomach is empty throughout the day, to accommodate all the extra water.

Can you explain your thoughts on one meal a day? From a longevity standpoint preserve muscle mass seems to be critical. I don't see how some can ingest enough protein in one meal when we can only process 30-40 grams at a sitting and as we get older we don't synthesize all of the grams ingested. Also have there been large peer reviewed studies on the benefits of fasting? Obviously a person who fasts is more likely to lose weigh than someone who eats constantly. But has someone studied the health benefits of taking in x number of calories over y hours as opposed to z hours?
And to emphasize how we’ve become a little protein obsessive: blue zones (areas with unusually long lived populations) typically consume about 15% of their calories from protein (and 65% carbohydrates 😱). The USDA says 10-35%, while the WHO doesn’t even mention protein in their guidance for a healthy diet.

Yet, in pop nutrition, everyone’s favorite “macro” is protein. And food scientists are adding it to every processed food, just like they did with sugar, after we demonized fats in the 70/80s. Not to say there will be the same consequences, but protein deficiency isn’t driving our obesity epidemic.

To be clear, @BassNBrew will need extra protein in preparation for his intense races. For most of the rest of us, we likely consume enough already.
I just wanted to say thanks to you for spending the time that you do posting about nutrition. I have learned a lot from you in recent years.
 
I've done it twice.

Highly effective. The second/outdoor 45 minute workout was the hardest for me. Took a lot of very late night walks just before bed. Once or twice in the rain.

My wife just started it again on Wednesday. I told her I'm not doing it again this year...but I've made enough consistent changes in my life from the first couple of times that I don't really need it.
If possible, incorporate intermittent fasting. Makes a huge difference.
Agree with this. I‘m basically doing 23:1 IF, though my single meal varies between 5 and 7pm each day. As long as you don‘t pig out on junk food, it’s hard to overeat, and you save meal prep time. Plus your stomach is empty throughout the day, to accommodate all the extra water.

Can you explain your thoughts on one meal a day? From a longevity standpoint preserve muscle mass seems to be critical. I don't see how some can ingest enough protein in one meal when we can only process 30-40 grams at a sitting and as we get older we don't synthesize all of the grams ingested. Also have there been large peer reviewed studies on the benefits of fasting? Obviously a person who fasts is more likely to lose weigh than someone who eats constantly. But has someone studied the health benefits of taking in x number of calories over y hours as opposed to z hours?
And to emphasize how we’ve become a little protein obsessive: blue zones (areas with unusually long lived populations) typically consume about 15% of their calories from protein (and 65% carbohydrates 😱). The USDA says 10-35%, while the WHO doesn’t even mention protein in their guidance for a healthy diet.

Yet, in pop nutrition, everyone’s favorite “macro” is protein. And food scientists are adding it to every processed food, just like they did with sugar, after we demonized fats in the 70/80s. Not to say there will be the same consequences, but protein deficiency isn’t driving our obesity epidemic.

To be clear, @BassNBrew will need extra protein in preparation for his intense races. For most of the rest of us, we likely consume enough already.
I just wanted to say thanks to you for spending the time that you do posting about nutrition. I have learned a lot from you in recent years.
You’re certainly welcome.

Nutrition is a murky science, but it doesn’t really have to be complicated. Although I think he gives animal products a bit too much leeway (and is a jerk, apparently), Michael Pollan’s general rules are good:
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
I drop in the diet threads periodically, and you’d be hard-pressed to extract that type of info from most of the posts. We’ve really lost focus on what’s important imo.
 
I've done it twice.

Highly effective. The second/outdoor 45 minute workout was the hardest for me. Took a lot of very late night walks just before bed. Once or twice in the rain.

My wife just started it again on Wednesday. I told her I'm not doing it again this year...but I've made enough consistent changes in my life from the first couple of times that I don't really need it.
If possible, incorporate intermittent fasting. Makes a huge difference.
Agree with this. I‘m basically doing 23:1 IF, though my single meal varies between 5 and 7pm each day. As long as you don‘t pig out on junk food, it’s hard to overeat, and you save meal prep time. Plus your stomach is empty throughout the day, to accommodate all the extra water.

Can you explain your thoughts on one meal a day? From a longevity standpoint preserve muscle mass seems to be critical. I don't see how some can ingest enough protein in one meal when we can only process 30-40 grams at a sitting and as we get older we don't synthesize all of the grams ingested. Also have there been large peer reviewed studies on the benefits of fasting? Obviously a person who fasts is more likely to lose weigh than someone who eats constantly. But has someone studied the health benefits of taking in x number of calories over y hours as opposed to z hours?
And to emphasize how we’ve become a little protein obsessive: blue zones (areas with unusually long lived populations) typically consume about 15% of their calories from protein (and 65% carbohydrates 😱). The USDA says 10-35%, while the WHO doesn’t even mention protein in their guidance for a healthy diet.

Yet, in pop nutrition, everyone’s favorite “macro” is protein. And food scientists are adding it to every processed food, just like they did with sugar, after we demonized fats in the 70/80s. Not to say there will be the same consequences, but protein deficiency isn’t driving our obesity epidemic.

To be clear, @BassNBrew will need extra protein in preparation for his intense races. For most of the rest of us, we likely consume enough already.
I just wanted to say thanks to you for spending the time that you do posting about nutrition. I have learned a lot from you in recent years.
You’re certainly welcome.

Nutrition is a murky science, but it doesn’t really have to be complicated. Although I think he gives animal products a bit too much leeway (and is a jerk, apparently), Michael Pollan’s general rules are good:
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
I drop in the diet threads periodically, and you’d be hard-pressed to extract that type of info from most of the posts. We’ve really lost focus on what’s important imo.
I also appreciate the info on nutrition. I’ve seen your posts in numerous threads and you’re obviously knowledgeable about the human body. I will say, I have made it a point to try and get about 1 gram of protein per body weight 165 during the past month. I’ve never really had any intention to consume a certain amount of protein, but I’ve been getting back into lifting lately.

I’ve been Vegan and a runner for about the past 6 years. I seem to notice a huge difference in my body composition, strength, and energy since I’ve been getting in about 165-180 grams of protein a day. I’ve gained about 15 pounds of muscle since January. I’ve cut sugar out completely but it seems getting a large amount of protein has worked wonders for me. Maybe it’s to your point that I needed it to gain muscle. Hoping I can start reducing it soon to maintain it. Keep up the good work in here, fellas. Doing anything for 75 straight days takes a lot of discipline.
 
I've done it twice.

Highly effective. The second/outdoor 45 minute workout was the hardest for me. Took a lot of very late night walks just before bed. Once or twice in the rain.

My wife just started it again on Wednesday. I told her I'm not doing it again this year...but I've made enough consistent changes in my life from the first couple of times that I don't really need it.
If possible, incorporate intermittent fasting. Makes a huge difference.
Agree with this. I‘m basically doing 23:1 IF, though my single meal varies between 5 and 7pm each day. As long as you don‘t pig out on junk food, it’s hard to overeat, and you save meal prep time. Plus your stomach is empty throughout the day, to accommodate all the extra water.

Can you explain your thoughts on one meal a day? From a longevity standpoint preserve muscle mass seems to be critical. I don't see how some can ingest enough protein in one meal when we can only process 30-40 grams at a sitting and as we get older we don't synthesize all of the grams ingested. Also have there been large peer reviewed studies on the benefits of fasting? Obviously a person who fasts is more likely to lose weigh than someone who eats constantly. But has someone studied the health benefits of taking in x number of calories over y hours as opposed to z hours?
And to emphasize how we’ve become a little protein obsessive: blue zones (areas with unusually long lived populations) typically consume about 15% of their calories from protein (and 65% carbohydrates 😱). The USDA says 10-35%, while the WHO doesn’t even mention protein in their guidance for a healthy diet.

Yet, in pop nutrition, everyone’s favorite “macro” is protein. And food scientists are adding it to every processed food, just like they did with sugar, after we demonized fats in the 70/80s. Not to say there will be the same consequences, but protein deficiency isn’t driving our obesity epidemic.

To be clear, @BassNBrew will need extra protein in preparation for his intense races. For most of the rest of us, we likely consume enough already.
I just wanted to say thanks to you for spending the time that you do posting about nutrition. I have learned a lot from you in recent years.
You’re certainly welcome.

Nutrition is a murky science, but it doesn’t really have to be complicated. Although I think he gives animal products a bit too much leeway (and is a jerk, apparently), Michael Pollan’s general rules are good:
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
I drop in the diet threads periodically, and you’d be hard-pressed to extract that type of info from most of the posts. We’ve really lost focus on what’s important imo.
I also appreciate the info on nutrition. I’ve seen your posts in numerous threads and you’re obviously knowledgeable about the human body. I will say, I have made it a point to try and get about 1 gram of protein per body weight 165 during the past month. I’ve never really had any intention to consume a certain amount of protein, but I’ve been getting back into lifting lately.

I’ve been Vegan and a runner for about the past 6 years. I seem to notice a huge difference in my body composition, strength, and energy since I’ve been getting in about 165-180 grams of protein a day. I’ve gained about 15 pounds of muscle since January. I’ve cut sugar out completely but it seems getting a large amount of protein has worked wonders for me. Maybe it’s to your point that I needed it to gain muscle. Hoping I can start reducing it soon to maintain it. Keep up the good work in here, fellas. Doing anything for 75 straight days takes a lot of discipline.
I noticed that during lifting stints over the last few years that I don't gain strength unless I'm adding in protien.
 
I've done it twice.

Highly effective. The second/outdoor 45 minute workout was the hardest for me. Took a lot of very late night walks just before bed. Once or twice in the rain.

My wife just started it again on Wednesday. I told her I'm not doing it again this year...but I've made enough consistent changes in my life from the first couple of times that I don't really need it.
If possible, incorporate intermittent fasting. Makes a huge difference.
Agree with this. I‘m basically doing 23:1 IF, though my single meal varies between 5 and 7pm each day. As long as you don‘t pig out on junk food, it’s hard to overeat, and you save meal prep time. Plus your stomach is empty throughout the day, to accommodate all the extra water.

Can you explain your thoughts on one meal a day? From a longevity standpoint preserve muscle mass seems to be critical. I don't see how some can ingest enough protein in one meal when we can only process 30-40 grams at a sitting and as we get older we don't synthesize all of the grams ingested. Also have there been large peer reviewed studies on the benefits of fasting? Obviously a person who fasts is more likely to lose weigh than someone who eats constantly. But has someone studied the health benefits of taking in x number of calories over y hours as opposed to z hours?
And to emphasize how we’ve become a little protein obsessive: blue zones (areas with unusually long lived populations) typically consume about 15% of their calories from protein (and 65% carbohydrates 😱). The USDA says 10-35%, while the WHO doesn’t even mention protein in their guidance for a healthy diet.

Yet, in pop nutrition, everyone’s favorite “macro” is protein. And food scientists are adding it to every processed food, just like they did with sugar, after we demonized fats in the 70/80s. Not to say there will be the same consequences, but protein deficiency isn’t driving our obesity epidemic.

To be clear, @BassNBrew will need extra protein in preparation for his intense races. For most of the rest of us, we likely consume enough already.
I just wanted to say thanks to you for spending the time that you do posting about nutrition. I have learned a lot from you in recent years.
You’re certainly welcome.

Nutrition is a murky science, but it doesn’t really have to be complicated. Although I think he gives animal products a bit too much leeway (and is a jerk, apparently), Michael Pollan’s general rules are good:
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
I drop in the diet threads periodically, and you’d be hard-pressed to extract that type of info from most of the posts. We’ve really lost focus on what’s important imo.
I also appreciate the info on nutrition. I’ve seen your posts in numerous threads and you’re obviously knowledgeable about the human body. I will say, I have made it a point to try and get about 1 gram of protein per body weight 165 during the past month. I’ve never really had any intention to consume a certain amount of protein, but I’ve been getting back into lifting lately.

I’ve been Vegan and a runner for about the past 6 years. I seem to notice a huge difference in my body composition, strength, and energy since I’ve been getting in about 165-180 grams of protein a day. I’ve gained about 15 pounds of muscle since January. I’ve cut sugar out completely but it seems getting a large amount of protein has worked wonders for me. Maybe it’s to your point that I needed it to gain muscle. Hoping I can start reducing it soon to maintain it. Keep up the good work in here, fellas. Doing anything for 75 straight days takes a lot of discipline.
That's quite a bit of protein, as the recommendations are per kilogram, so you're taking 2.2 grams per kg/day. Given your activity level and desire to gain muscle mass, 1.4-1.6 would probably suffice, though there's a smattering of studies which show additional benefit with even higher intake among weight lifters.

As long as you're getting adequate fiber and micronutrients from all the fruits and veggies in your usual diet, I wouldn't change it in the short term. Just don't abuse your joints too much - a lesson I learned the hard way, after years of lifting just for the sake of extra muscle (and vanity).
 
Week 1 - Overcame some calf issue Sun-Tuesday - too much soccer on Saturday. Played Wednesday morning without issue. Week 2 looks well set up to continue without a hitch.
  • Weight - 199.9 - 193.1 - Down 6.8lbs
  • 13708 average steps, 14 workouts including golf, soccer, ERG.
  • Finished The Four Pillars of Investing - Started The Deficit Myth
  • Finished 128 oz of H20 before 5:30pm everyday
  • Salad everyday, replaced cream with unsweetened coconut milk in coffee, only coffee and water before noon.
  • Progress pic every morning
Week 2 - Tweaked my left calf again on Saturday - taking a couple weeks off of soccer - added more ERG sessions and 3 mile walks. Work was stressful and my sleep schedule was trash. Ended up on the rowing machine at 10:30 on Monday night.
  • Weight - 193.1 - 188.7 - Down 4.4lbs for the week, 11.2lbs overall
  • 10786 average steps, 14 more workouts, need to include more variety
  • 146 pages into The Deficit Myth - hope to finish next week - hard to find more than a minimal amount of time
  • Average day is water and coffee with unsweetened coconut milk until noon, bag of salad, 3 eggs, steamed veggies with greek yogurt, string cheese, dark chocolate
  • Still taking morning mirror selfies
 
Week 1 - Overcame some calf issue Sun-Tuesday - too much soccer on Saturday. Played Wednesday morning without issue. Week 2 looks well set up to continue without a hitch.
  • Weight - 199.9 - 193.1 - Down 6.8lbs
  • 13708 average steps, 14 workouts including golf, soccer, ERG.
  • Finished The Four Pillars of Investing - Started The Deficit Myth
  • Finished 128 oz of H20 before 5:30pm everyday
  • Salad everyday, replaced cream with unsweetened coconut milk in coffee, only coffee and water before noon.
  • Progress pic every morning
Week 2 - Tweaked my left calf again on Saturday - taking a couple weeks off of soccer - added more ERG sessions and 3 mile walks. Work was stressful and my sleep schedule was trash. Ended up on the rowing machine at 10:30 on Monday night.
  • Weight - 193.1 - 188.7 - Down 4.4lbs for the week, 11.2lbs overall
  • 10786 average steps, 14 more workouts, need to include more variety
  • 146 pages into The Deficit Myth - hope to finish next week - hard to find more than a minimal amount of time
  • Average day is water and coffee with unsweetened coconut milk until noon, bag of salad, 3 eggs, steamed veggies with greek yogurt, string cheese, dark chocolate
  • Still taking morning mirror selfies
Preferred yoga pants brand?
 
It's great to see all the transformations happening. The best part to my 75 was quitting marijuana. Among many other negative things, I convinced myself that MJ was spiking my DHT and causing me to start balding. I might be crazy--I should have taken pictures--but it looks to me like my hairline is already recovering. My restorative sleep and body's ability to heal are undeniably much better.
 
Alright, so I'm motivated to give this a go. Kind of. My 10-year anniversary is coming up and the mid-life crisis is kicking in. I'm 66 days out. I'm going to do a WholeHardInsanity60, which I know looks weird, but it's a modified combination of Whole 30, Hard 75, and Insanity Max 30. Diet will be Whole 30, I'll combine the two daily workouts, water, and reading from Hard 75, and one of those daily workouts will be a Shaun T Insanity Max 30. Then I'll lift/swim/bike for the other on some kind of rotation.

Thanks for the motivation. I'm giving myself 6 cheat days in here for the 4th of July and a few other pre-planned events.
 
Week 1 - Overcame some calf issue Sun-Tuesday - too much soccer on Saturday. Played Wednesday morning without issue. Week 2 looks well set up to continue without a hitch.
  • Weight - 199.9 - 193.1 - Down 6.8lbs
  • 13708 average steps, 14 workouts including golf, soccer, ERG.
  • Finished The Four Pillars of Investing - Started The Deficit Myth
  • Finished 128 oz of H20 before 5:30pm everyday
  • Salad everyday, replaced cream with unsweetened coconut milk in coffee, only coffee and water before noon.
  • Progress pic every morning
Week 2 - Tweaked my left calf again on Saturday - taking a couple weeks off of soccer - added more ERG sessions and 3 mile walks. Work was stressful and my sleep schedule was trash. Ended up on the rowing machine at 10:30 on Monday night.
  • Weight - 193.1 - 188.7 - Down 4.4lbs for the week, 11.2lbs overall
  • 10786 average steps, 14 more workouts, need to include more variety
  • 146 pages into The Deficit Myth - hope to finish next week - hard to find more than a minimal amount of time
  • Average day is water and coffee with unsweetened coconut milk until noon, bag of salad, 3 eggs, steamed veggies with greek yogurt, string cheese, dark chocolate
  • Still taking morning mirror selfies
Week 3 - Missed my reading on Saturday. Spent 3 hours in a canoe so I feel like I made the right decision. I'll still measure from when I started on June 1st, but rather than 21 days down, I've got 4 in the bag.
  • Weight - 188.7 - 186.9 - Down 1.8lbs for the week, 13.0lbs overall
  • 13192 average steps - workouts included soccer, golf, canoeing, ERG, and walking. Looking to add disc golf and biking at some point - maybe a swim.
  • Should finish The Deficit Myth tonight. Poverty, By America is on deck.
  • Coffee, water, salads, steamed veggies, tuna salad, chicken continue to be the bulk of my meals. Less dependent on the cheese/almonds/chocolate squares.
  • My photo roll says I'm getting sexier.
 
25 day update. 1/3 of the way.

Water still the toughest part, for me. Not sure how I’m gonna manage three longish flights, beginning in July. Thinking about pounding 2L in the morning, giving myself a couple hours to pee off excess before the flight, then gulping the rest after I land. The direct flight to NYC is gonna be a challenge to get it done without really disturbing my prospects of sleep.

Exercise has been fine, though I don’t always allow more than a brief (15-20 minute) rest break between 45 minute segments. And it’s hard to gauge work out time when rests are factored in. As an example, I went climbing for 6‘ish hours yesterday. The approach hike/scramble is 20+ minutes with 600 feet vertical gain. Short but intense. I then climbed 5 eighty foot routes over the course of the afternoon, which is an exhausting entire body work out. But the rest of the time was spent stretching, belaying and hanging out with friends. I counted that as one 45 minute segment.

Diet overall OK. One meal a day is challenging for social functions. I know many of you guys are worried about alcohol in that context, but I’m far more concerned about looking like a glutton, as the one meal tends to be a big one.

Yesterday was an exception; there was a party at my gym. One of my climbing buddies talked me into going, as there was free vegan pizza (she’s a nutritionist, and vegan). So I went, but they limited you to two slices. Unsurprisingly, they ran out early, and I only got one piece of faux pepperoni - pretty tasty, though not ideal after climbing all day, and not eating anything for over 24 hours. So I left the party, drove home immediately and ate a huge salad. Maybe a stretch to call that one meal, but I consumed everything over an hour and a half.

I‘m definitely still running at a caloric deficit, which will be confirmed at my first weigh-in, at month’s end.

As I said before, my wife set a limit on weight loss before the diet must change. She arbitrarily chose 150 pounds, which works out to a BMI of 21.5. I‘m starting at 24, so we’ll see how close I get.

Reading is easy if you choose an interesting subject. My first choice was too dry, but the longevity book has been excellent.

Still no interest in selfies.

So not strictly adherent to the rules, but 75 kinda hard. Feel free to critique my rule bending.
 
25 day update. 1/3 of the way.

Water still the toughest part, for me. Not sure how I’m gonna manage three longish flights, beginning in July. Thinking about pounding 2L in the morning, giving myself a couple hours to pee off excess before the flight, then gulping the rest after I land. The direct flight to NYC is gonna be a challenge to get it done without really disturbing my prospects of sleep.

Exercise has been fine, though I don’t always allow more than a brief (15-20 minute) rest break between 45 minute segments. And it’s hard to gauge work out time when rests are factored in. As an example, I went climbing for 6‘ish hours yesterday. The approach hike/scramble is 20+ minutes with 600 feet vertical gain. Short but intense. I then climbed 5 eighty foot routes over the course of the afternoon, which is an exhausting entire body work out. But the rest of the time was spent stretching, belaying and hanging out with friends. I counted that as one 45 minute segment.

Diet overall OK. One meal a day is challenging for social functions. I know many of you guys are worried about alcohol in that context, but I’m far more concerned about looking like a glutton, as the one meal tends to be a big one.

Yesterday was an exception; there was a party at my gym. One of my climbing buddies talked me into going, as there was free vegan pizza (she’s a nutritionist, and vegan). So I went, but they limited you to two slices. Unsurprisingly, they ran out early, and I only got one piece of faux pepperoni - pretty tasty, though not ideal after climbing all day, and not eating anything for over 24 hours. So I left the party, drove home immediately and ate a huge salad. Maybe a stretch to call that one meal, but I consumed everything over an hour and a half.

I‘m definitely still running at a caloric deficit, which will be confirmed at my first weigh-in, at month’s end.

As I said before, my wife set a limit on weight loss before the diet must change. She arbitrarily chose 150 pounds, which works out to a BMI of 21.5. I‘m starting at 24, so we’ll see how close I get.

Reading is easy if you choose an interesting subject. My first choice was too dry, but the longevity book has been excellent.

Still no interest in selfies.

So not strictly adherent to the rules, but 75 kinda hard. Feel free to critique my rule bending.
My link
 
So not strictly adherent to the rules, but 75 kinda hard. Feel free to critique my rule bending.
You're obviously doing great. I think it's a personal decision, but I'm not allowing myself to bend the rules, only because I think one of the main points of the challenge is that it's supposed to be inconvenient and force you to avoid making excuses. I know the 3-hour break between workouts is totally arbitrary, but it absolutely makes it more difficult from a time management standpoint, which I kinda like (in a demented sort of way).

But again, personal decision, and obviously you're making positive life changes and getting healthier, which is really the most important thing.
 
So not strictly adherent to the rules, but 75 kinda hard. Feel free to critique my rule bending.
You're obviously doing great. I think it's a personal decision, but I'm not allowing myself to bend the rules, only because I think one of the main points of the challenge is that it's supposed to be inconvenient and force you to avoid making excuses. I know the 3-hour break between workouts is totally arbitrary, but it absolutely makes it more difficult from a time management standpoint, which I kinda like (in a demented sort of way).

But again, personal decision, and obviously you're making positive life changes and getting healthier, which is really the most important thing.
Everything you say is valid, though I see no tangible benefit, and possible detriment to the rules I’ve bent. Perhaps that’s just a rationalization, or excuse, but if the point is to improve health, I’m OK with that.

Also, aside from BassNBrew‘s post, I don’t see the interval between work outs explicitly delineated - is there a reference for clarification? I’m also interested in defining exercise duration when rests are accounted for, like my day climbing, and nonfiction reading, as I have days of multi-hour self-testing, with a bunch of reading coming up.

Although I‘ve beaten this horse to death, I still find it amazing how much emphasis is placed on the difficulty not drinking alcohol for 75 days. That part is an afterthought to me, so inconsequential I’ve forgotten to mention it when I explain the rules. For those taking the challenge, how tough has it been to abstain?
 
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For people where alcohol is part of their lifestyle it’s difficult. Family and friends all drink so social events and family events all involve alcohol. Wife and I enjoy drinking together. We get to Thursday and we’re ready for a drink. I like to have a cocktail by the pool or match a nice wine with a meal. Sporting events need grilled Meat and booze. Holidays certainly do as well. Alcohol has been a part of my life for 20+ years. It’s my biggest vice.

If those things aren’t true for you I’m sure it’s easier. But, I don’t know if I could trust a man that goes 75 days without a drink! 😝
 

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