The 30 Day Diet and PHA

-Because the people demanded it

I’ve been a personal trainer since 2010 and have been asked thousands of times how to “lose fat quickly” in some form or another.

Normally I suggest not doing this, as rapid fat loss almost always has a rebound effect.

However, when I worked in Hollywood, I was often asked to visibly slim someone down in no less than 4-6 weeks, and my job depending on delivering.

Thus, I created a protocol to maximize fat loss to physiological limit, and strip fat off.

There IS a way to lose fat quickly

It's called a Protein Sparing Modified Fast.

Here is the challenge…

It sucks.

During an authentic PSMF (shorthand), you consume ONLY protein, zero carbs, and a minimum of fat.

In application, it works amazingly.

The weight loss will be unparalleled between fat loss, water loss, and glycogen depletion.

It’s also going to be boring and tedious.

And you will be HUNGRY.

But nothing else works better.

A true PSMF, has one major side effects.

The main one is HUNGER.

You will be hungry.

You will also be tired.
It's unavoidable.

There is no way to be at peak energy when you are in a deficit on a PSMF.

And lastly, the diet can only be done short term 4-6 weeks. And your weight will largely return to its prior baseline. Not because of “metabolic damage” but because weight is rapid and calorie intake is so low.

GLP-1s make this far easier however

But you’d still be limited to a short term application.

What makes the PSMF so powerful?

Its because you are in a -1000 calorie deficit off your Basal Metabolic Rate.

Not TDEE, but BMR itself.

This means your calorie intake is sub 1000 calories every day.

Thats the secret sauce.

Subtract -1000 off BMR.

Divide those calories that into 20-30 grams of fat and the rest Protein.

And then thats it, thats the whole diet.

Sample meal plans to see what it looks like in action

They are straightforward.

The meal plans are categorized by weight:

160lbs, 180lbs, 200lbs, 220lbs, 240lbs.

Select the meal plan closest to your current weight, rounding UP.

For example, if you weigh 166 lbs, choose the 180lb plan.

Do not round down.

This is because you want protein intake as high as possible while doing a PSMF.

FYI: Multi-vitamins and 2-4 grams daily of fish oil are recommended

160lb Man Diet

Meal 1:

• 2 cups of egg whites, cooked with vegetables with 1 tablespoon of oil of your choice

• 1 cup of sautéed spinach or kale (Cooked with 1 tablespoon oil of your choice)

• 1 cup of sliced bell peppers and cherry tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar dressing (low-calorie)

• 1 multivitamin supplement

Meal 2

• Slow-cooked or grilled chicken (4-6 oz), marinated in vinegar dressing or something else low-calorie

• 1 cup of steamed broccoli or green beans

• 1/2 avocado (sliced)

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice dressing

• 1 serving of fish oil supplement (for essential fatty acids)

Meal 3: Snack

• 2 scoops of whey isolate protein powder (mixed with water)

• 1/4 cup of mixed nuts, your choice

Meal 4: Dinner

• Slow-cooked or grilled chicken (4-6 oz), marinated in vinegar dressing or something else low-calorie

• 1 cup of mixed leafy greens (spinach, arugula, lettuce)

• 1 cup of sautéed zucchini or asparagus (Cooked with 1 tablespoon oil of your choice)

• 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil (for additional healthy fats)

180lb Man Diet

Meal 1:

• 2 cups of egg whites, cooked with vegetables with 1 tablespoon of oil of your choice

• 1 cup of sautéed spinach or kale (Cooked with 1 tablespoon oil of your choice)

• 1 cup of sliced bell peppers and cherry tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar dressing (low-calorie)

• 1 multivitamin supplement

Meal 2:

• Slow-cooked or grilled chicken (8-10 oz), marinated in vinegar dressing or something else low-calorie

• 1 cup of steamed broccoli or green beans

• 1/2 avocado (sliced)

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice dressing

• 1 serving of fish oil supplement (for essential fatty acids)

Meal 3: Snack

• 2 scoops of Vega Plant Protein Powder (mixed with water)

• ½ cup coconut milk

Meal 4: Dinner

• Pan fried chicken or fish (6-8 oz), marinated in vinegar dressing or something else low-calorie

• 1 cup of mixed leafy greens (spinach, arugula, lettuce)

• 1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil (healthy fats)

200lb Man Diet

Meal 1

• 2 cups of egg whites, cooked with vegetables with 1 tablespoon of oil of your choice

• 1 cup of sautéed spinach or kale (Cooked with 1 tablespoon oil of your choice)

• 1 cup of sliced bell peppers and cherry tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar dressing (low-calorie)

• 1 multivitamin supplement

Meal 2

• Slow-cooked or grilled chicken (8-10 oz), marinated in vinegar dressing or something else low-calorie

• 1 cup of steamed broccoli or green beans

• 1/2 avocado (sliced)

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice dressing

• 1 serving of fish oil supplement (for essential fatty acids)

Meal 3: Snack

• 2 scoops of whey isolate protein powder (mixed with water)

• 1/4 cup of mixed nuts, your choice

Meal 4: Dinner

• Slow-cooked or grilled chicken (8-10 oz), marinated in vinegar dressing or something else low-calorie

• 1 cup of mixed leafy greens (spinach, arugula, lettuce)

• 1 cup of sautéed zucchini or asparagus (Cooked with 1 tablespoon oil of your choice)

• 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil (for additional healthy fats)

220lb Man Diet

Meal 1

• 2 cups of egg whites, cooked with vegetables with 1 tablespoon of oil of your choice

• 1 cup of sautéed spinach or kale (Cooked with 1 tablespoon oil of your choice)

• 1 cup of sliced bell peppers and cherry tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar dressing (low-calorie)

• 1 multivitamin supplement

Meal 2

• Slow-cooked or grilled chicken (10-12 oz), marinated in vinegar dressing or something else low-calorie

• 1 cup of steamed broccoli or green beans

• 1/2 avocado (sliced)

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice dressing

• 1 serving of fish oil supplement (for essential fatty acids)

Meal 3: Snack

• 2 scoops of whey isolate protein powder (mixed with water)

• 1/4 cup of mixed nuts, your choice

Meal 4: Dinner

• Slow-cooked or grilled chicken (10-12 oz), marinated in vinegar dressing or something else low-calorie

• 1 cup of mixed leafy greens (spinach, arugula, lettuce)

• 1 cup of sautéed zucchini or asparagus (Cooked with 1 tablespoon oil of your choice)

• 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil (for additional healthy fats)

240lb Man

Meal 1:

• 2 cups of egg whites, cooked with vegetables with 1 tablespoon of oil of your choice

• 1 cup of sautéed spinach or kale

• 1 cup of sliced bell peppers and cherry tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar dressing (low-calorie)

• 1 multivitamin supplement

Meal 2:

• Slow-cooked or grilled chicken (12-14 oz), marinated in vinegar dressing or something else low-calorie

• 1 cup of steamed broccoli or green beans

• 1/2 avocado (sliced)

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice dressing

• 1 serving of fish oil supplement (for essential fatty acids)

Meal 3: Snack

• 2 scoops of whey isolate protein powder (mixed with water)

• 1/4 cup of mixed nuts, your choice

Meal 4: Dinner

• Slow-cooked or grilled chicken (12-14 oz), marinated in vinegar dressing or something else low-calorie

• 1 cup of mixed leafy greens (spinach, arugula, lettuce)

• 1 cup of sautéed zucchini or asparagus (Cooked with 1 tablespoon oil of your choice)

• 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil (for additional healthy fats)

Fluids and Hydration

• Drink plenty of water throughout the day—at least 3 liters

• Consume 3-4 grams of sodium and 4-5 grams potassium daily.

• Green tea or black coffee (without sugar or cream) can be consumed as much as you want—Also, avoid having caffeine past 2 pm.

Modifications

You can replace chicken with fish and vice versa. 2 cups of egg whites can be replaced with 1 cup of egg whites + 1 scoop of whey isolate if you want to make “protein pancakes.” Don't add the vegetables from the pancake—it probably won't taste good.

ReFeeds

Every 10th day on the diet, I want you to do a REFEED day.

This means you will eat unlimited CARBOHYDRATES on this day.

But keep the meals low fat .

Rice crispy cereal with nonfat milk is excellent. Fruit is excellent. Candy is great in fact.

High carbs.

Sushi, thin-crust pizza, poke bowls, children's cereal, and even regular breakfast with eggs, pancakes, and honey is good.

But again, keep the overall fat LOW during meals.

Eating Mexican food all day and finishing with ice cream is a NO.

What About Training and Exercise?

Walk 10k-20k steps daily.

Follow a Total body Workout 2-3x weekly. The goal of this is maintaining muscle mass.

My favorite routine is a version of Vince Girondas Peripheral Heart Action Training.

PHA is an old model thats been used for many decades even in clinical settings.

The overall setup is continuously alternating between upper and lower body exercises, with minimal rest in between, and for moderate to high reps. This keeps our heart rate elevated and burns more calories both during and after the workout (EPOC effect). The sustained elevation in heart rate combined with being full-body increase the demand for energy. Its basically lifting turned into cardio, because the circuit style targets more muscle fibers and burns more energy per session.

Vince Gironda PHA Circuit Example:

• Chest exercise (e.g., bench press) –12-15 reps

• Back exercise (e.g., chin-up or bent row) –12-15 reps

• Shoulders (e.g., lateral raise) –12-15 reps

• Quads (e.g., squats) –15-20 reps

• Calves (e.g., standing calf raises) –15-20 reps

• Triceps (e.g., dips) –12 reps

• Biceps (e.g., barbell curls) –12 reps

• Forearms (e.g., wrist curls) –12 reps

• Glutes and Hamstrings (e.g., deadlift, hip thrust, or leg curl) –15-20 reps

• Abdominals (e.g., crunches) –12 reps

Instructions:

• Perform one set of each exercise in sequence, with no resting between sets.

• After completing all exercises, rest for 1-2 minutes, then repeat for 2-4 total circuits.

• Use moderate weights so you can complete all reps and exercises with good form.

• The focus is continuous movement and pumping blood throughout the body, you are not chasing maximum muscle pump or fatigue in one area. Stay moving, its okay if a few reps are left in the tank