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The High Performance Journal - May 6th, 2024

Since last year, I've been experimenting with a new fat loss protocol that has accelerated my clients' results.

This works exceptionally well for people with more than 20 lbs (9 kg) to lose and who are considered metabolically unhealthy.

This worked so well for my client Brad that he dropped 10.1 pounds in 2 weeks and 14 pounds in a month.

In just over 2 months, he's lost 30.4 pounds of fat, added 3 pounds of lean mass to his frame, and reduced his body fat from 33.1% to 23% (confirmed by DEXA)

In today's newsletter, I want to explain this protocol and how we apply it to our clients so you can get the best results in record time.

You ready? Let's go 🔥

The 30-Day Protocol To Lose 15+ Pounds Of Pure Fat

Brad's weight loss graph

Here's the deal. When you're starting out on a fat loss plan, aka cutting, there are a couple of factors that are working in your favor:

1. You can go hard with your cut due to higher motivation levels and your body's initial response to leaning out.
2. You can also change your taste receptors to start craving healthy foods (but more on this later).
3. If you have a lot more weight to lose, this can help you jumpstart the process and get the ball rolling.

One of my core philosophies is to go to your extremes to find your balance. Also, it's better to do the hard work up front and then moderate things as you get deeper.

That said, here's the first step...

Step 1 - The 14-Day Metabolic Reset

We kick things off with the ​Protein Sparing Modified Fast​. This short, powerful reset involves eating lean protein, green veggies, and minimal fats.

This is designed to drop fat while protecting your muscle rapidly, which is your metabolic engine.

While you consume much fewer calories, thanks to the nutrient-dense, high-protein meals, you will stay full, energized, and mentally sharp.

Most importantly, it will help rewire your cravings and break the cycle of processed food dependency.

For Brad, we took advantage of his high motivation. We didn't treat this as a diet but as a metabolic intervention to kickstart fat loss and prime his body for long-term change.

We didn't do this forever, only for 14 days, which is the sweet spot. After this, we'll get into the refeed, which I'll discuss later on.

Step 2 - Strength Circuits

The most important part of this protocol is that we want to lose body fat, not muscle.

When you cut calories, your body adapts to the new calorie count to conserve energy. It does this in many different ways, but one of the worst is that it starts to reduce muscle mass.

By combining the high protein we were using in step one with a well-programmed strength training program focused on progressive overload, we could maintain, if not build, some muscle while cutting.

We employed a workout called strength circuits, which has been shown to help you build muscle while spending 33% to 50% less time in the gym.

We call it strength circuits because it has you supersetting non-competing movements that don't compete with one another (ie, 10 reps of a squat without rest, doing 10 reps of a bench press).

Step 3 - Shadow Movement

As stated before, when you cut calories, your body adapts to conserve energy, and one way it does this is by reducing your movement throughout the day.

Brad is one of the busiest people you'll ever meet, and we worked together during a time that was considered high season in his profession, so spending the time to do 10K steps a day was a non-starter.

We employed something that I call "shadow movement," and had him invest in a treadmill desk.

He conducted all of his meetings on the treadmill desk and automatically shot up from taking around 4,000 to 6,000 steps to 10-15,000 steps per day just with this simple change alone.

He also noticed his brain worked better simply from moving more. It makes sense—movement stimulates the release of endorphins and neurotransmitters, which switch the brain on.

The key to a shadow habit is stacking one habit with another. This crushes two birds with one stone.

And in Brad's case, this enabled him to run better meetings while getting his steps in.

Step 4 - The Exit Plan

Photo courtesy of ​YQL nutrition​ 

When doing something like the 14-day metabolic reset, you need an exit plan called reverse dieting.

After the 14 days, we would add 300-500 calories above your initial baseline, mostly from carbs and a small bump in healthy fats.

Depending on what your goal is, you would either reverse up to your maintenance level calories or stay in the deficit.

One thing to note is that as you do this, your body will restore water and glycogen, improving your training and performance while stabilizing your hormones, but it will add a couple of pounds to your frame in the short term.

So don't be scared if you see the scale jump up.

Step 5 - Continue Until Goal Is Achieved

By this time, you have dropped a bunch of weight and your taste buds have changed, so you can now eat a healthier, more moderate diet to achieve the rest of your goals if you have more weight to lose.

For Brad, our first goal was to hit 200 pounds, and at the time of this email, we're 7 pounds away.

The great news: In a short time frame, we've massively improved his health, and on top of the results I mentioned in the intro, he has dropped his visceral fat by 60% (image above).

This is what happens when you have the plan dialed in and a client who is motivated to change his life.

Systems Over Outcomes

Whenever I think about any outcome I want to achieve, I always like to figure out the system in which to achieve it.

At the beginning of experimenting with this protocol, I wanted to go back to first principles:

Clients are highly motivated, especially when they are starting. Initially, we can accelerate fat loss by doing unsustainable things, leading to more sustainability on the back end.

This protocol hasn't only helped Brad, but it's also helped our clients get record-breaking results this year.

If you are looking to drop a good amount of weight in a short amount of time, this might work for you.

Onward and upward. 🚀

- Dan

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Disclaimer: This email is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.