I am so done. There is something broken with my brain. Why can I not push this forward? I keep consuming material. And I keep consuming bad food and booze.

Do I have such little self control? Is that it?

Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D.

@hubermanlab
This from 
@bretcontreras
 who is recently a guest on the Huberman lab podcast discussing resistance training. With proper intensity, 6-7 (work) sets per muscle group per week appears optimal. This squares with my experience. Even fewer sets (3-4)  if you go to failure.

Damn, this is a wake up statement.

You CANNOT miss a week. Because it will take you 2 weeks to come back.

No matter what, you will lift for 40-45 mins 2 times per week. Or no matter what you will run 3 times for 30 mins every week. If you can (and want) to do more, great, do it.

Andy Baker
@BakerBarbell
If you find that you are missing 1-2 weeks of training at multiple points during the year because “things got crazy” or “life got in the way” you need to accept the fact that you just aren’t gonna make much progress beyond a certain point.  

Especially once you hit the two week mark of time out of the gym then some significant detraining is gonna creep in.  

It will take you roughly 2x that amount of time to make up that lost ground.  

If you miss 6 weeks of training, it’ll take you roughly 12 weeks to recoup that lost  ground.  

Thats 1/3 of your year gone.

Hybrid Athlete Guy
@hybridathlete8
This is the primary reason that most of you never make any real progress, whether it's lifting, running, or whatever.

No consistency and lots of excuses. Or trying to do too much to start and not building the habit first.

3 days per week for 12 months is FAR better than a cycle of 5-6 days per week for 4-6 weeks followed by 1-3 weeks of nothing.

The easiest way to break this cycle is to commit to a minimum each week and never, outside of extreme circumstances, break it.

Example: No matter what, you will lift for 40-45 mins 2 times per week. Or no matter what you will run 3 times for 30 mins every week. If you can (and want) to do more, great, do it. 

But never go a week without at least hitting your minimum.

Veggies and sausage. I can eat that ANYWHERE in the city

Also increasing MATCHA

I want this to improve. But weight loss seems to be the main way to do this.

strength may not help directly. But weight loss does.

You cannot loose weight if your insulin is high

The following is a summary of the video, “Fasting Is THE Cure – NO FOOD FOR 7 DAYS Heals Everything!” by Dr. Nick Zyrowski:

Dr. Zyrowski argues that fasting is “the cure” for many ailments and a key to longevity by activating the body’s natural repair and regenerative mechanisms. He connects fasting to the prevention and reversal of the three major diseases people die from prematurely: cancer, heart disease, and diabetes [03:56].

Key Benefits and Mechanisms of Fasting

1. Autophagy and Cellular Repair

• Activation: Autophagy, the body’s self-cleaning process, typically begins around the 17-hour mark [00:54].
• Function: It removes damaged cells and organelles, breaks down dysfunctional proteins and pathogens, which, in turn, reduces inflammation and promotes longevity [00:31].
• Neuroprotection: Autophagy helps reduce the risk of neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease [01:23].

2. Metabolic Health and Inflammation

• Insulin Sensitivity: Fasting is a powerful tool to improve glucose control, reduce insulin resistance, and can help reverse Type 2 diabetes [03:05].
• Inflammation Reduction: Fasting reduces pro-inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and TNF-alpha [02:14]. This is beneficial for overcoming autoimmune conditions (like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus) and chronic inflammatory disorders, including cancer [02:45].
• Joint Pain: He notes that joint pain and discomfort can diminish greatly during a multiple-day fast [02:38].

3. Heart and Brain Health

• Cardiovascular System: Fasting helps lower chronic high blood pressure, balances cholesterol (reducing LDL and improving HDL), and reduces inflammation and oxidative damage specifically in the cardiovascular system [06:31].
• Brain Function: Fasting enhances mental clarity by boosting BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) [08:18], which improves memory, cognitive function, and focus, while lowering the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s [08:28].

4. Immune System and Gut Reset

• Immune Reboot: Fasting acts as a “reboot” for the immune system by removing damaged immune cells and stimulating stem cell regeneration, leading to increased production of new white blood cells [10:07]. It helps with autoimmune disorders and seasonal allergies [11:10].
• Digestive Rest: Fasting gives the digestive system a break, helping to repair the gut lining (leaky gut), calm IBS, and balance the microbiome by killing off fungus and candida [12:12].

5. Anti-Aging and Detoxification

• Human Growth Hormone (HGH): Fasting can boost HGH by up to five times, which helps preserve muscle mass while burning fat, supports skin elasticity, and enhances recovery [05:23].
• Detoxification: Fasting promotes liver health, aids in the removal of toxins stored in fat cells, and enhances bile production [13:30].
• Longevity: It lowers oxidative stress, reduces DNA damage, and activates longevity genes like the Sirt1 gene [14:51].

Recommended Fasting Regimens

The video recommends different types of fasting for specific benefits [15:18]:

The following is a summary of the video, “How Fasting Transforms Your Metabolism & Tips to Get Started Today,” from Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, MD:

The video clip discusses the metabolic benefits of fasting, particularly 36-hour fasts and longer, and provides a gradual plan for beginners to achieve metabolic flexibility and reduce insulin resistance.

The Power of Ketones and Longer Fasts

Dr. Jamnadas highlights the “magic” of longer fasts, which is their ability to induce a state of ketosis:

• Glycogen Depletion: The body’s stored sugar (glycogen) is typically depleted from muscles and the liver after about 12 hours of fasting [00:21].
• Ketone Kick-in: Ketones, which are a clean energy source, begin to kick in around 20-24 hours [00:26]. The average person starts making good quantities of ketones at 36 hours [01:02].
• The Sweet Spot: While 36 hours is a good goal, the benefits increase with longer fasts, with 72 hours being a “very good sweet point” for making a significant dent in metabolism [01:37], [03:36].
• Energy and Cognition: Once ketones kick in, many patients report feeling great, with better hunger control, higher energy levels, and increased clarity of thought [03:14]. By 72 hours, 60–70% of the brain’s energy can be utilized from ketones [02:27].

Addressing Insulin Resistance

The primary physiological goal of fasting is to lower insulin levels:

• Insulin is the “Bad Boy”: Dr. Jamnadas refers to insulin as the “bad boy” of metabolism because when levels are chronically high, they promote serious health issues, including fatty liver, weight gain, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and even some cancers [11:54].
• Weight Loss Barrier: As long as insulin is high, the body cannot lose weight because insulin’s job is to put everything into storage [01:43].
• Metabolic Reset: A prolonged fast (like a 3-day water fast) can change your sensitivity to insulin. When you become insulin-sensitive, you produce less insulin for the same meal, making the body “forgiving” and helping to prevent weight gain upon refeeding [11:07], [11:31].
• Inflammation and Toxicity: The more inflamed a person is (e.g., suffering from a fatty liver or coronary artery disease), the longer and more often they need to fast to see significant results [02:45].

Gradual Steps to Start Fasting

To avoid the “keto flu” (a feeling of being run down caused by a gap when glucose is depleted but fat burning hasn’t started), Dr. Jamnadas recommends a gradual build-up:

1. Skip One Meal: For a week or two, simply skip one meal per day (e.g., skip lunch or breakfast) [06:51].
2. Time-Restricted Eating (16:8): For the next two weeks, try to eat two meals within an 8-hour window, resulting in a 16-hour fast [07:24]. Skipping breakfast is the easiest way to achieve this [07:30].
3. One Meal A Day (OMAD) – 2 Days/Week: Begin doing OMAD (One Meal A Day) two days a week (choosing days when you are busy) for another two weeks [08:25].
4. OMAD – 5 Days/Week: Transition to doing OMAD five days a week for two weeks [08:52].
5. 3-Day Water Fast: Once the body has metabolic flexibility through the previous steps, the 3-day water fast will be much easier to manage without experiencing keto flu [09:04].

Additional Tips for Fasting:

• Fasting helps break the psychological addiction to food, which is often driven by the reward centers in the brain and Pavlovian eating reflexes [04:41].
• For prolonged fasting, especially initially, Dr. Jamnadas advises supervision and the use of tools like electrolytes, water, black tea/coffee, MCT oil, and occasionally bone broth to help the patient [04:12].

You can run miles. And you can eat well.

But the true battle is within. The philosophy is great.

    * Been studying for 10 years
    * Been preparing to be in the late 30s for more than 10 years
    * Now is the final exam. It's time to work at it. 

Don’t loose the steam now. Protein Power book. Keto. Strong Lifts.

Obsession about Insulin. ApoB. Cholesterol.

Glaucoma

Everything

I have studied this for YEARS. I have to now start to ramp it up.

Let’s go bro.

I plan on running a lot more than I did in 2024. The running load will be massive.

I will HAVE to slim down, otherwise I won’t be able to keep up. There is no choice.

I have a plan in mind. I need the obsession to keep it going.