The
New V-Diet Test Drive
by Dan John and Chris Shugart
A few months ago, coach Dan John said that the Velocity Diet was
an insane diet for insane people. A few weeks later, he started the
diet.
Well, that explains a lot, doesn't it?
All kidding aside, I was thrilled to have Dan try the diet. He's
brutally honest, intrinsically curious, and he has the heart of a
teacher.
He also had a big fat belly.
Now, I admire the hell out of Dan. He's an athlete, and at 49
years old he's still a record-breaking competitor. But after seeing
Dan speak at a couple of seminars, I couldn't help but notice that
his "strong guy gut" was getting bigger.
Now, Dan doesn't train to look good naked like a lot of us do,
but this went beyond aesthetics: Dan was starting to look
unhealthy. And after talking to him, I knew he had some other
problems he needed to get a handle on. They weren't big problems,
but they were growing.
For one thing, Dan was developing a bad case of visceral
or
central adiposity. That means he was accumulating
fat sub-abdominally — underneath the abs. This creates a hard,
pregnant belly look.
And worse, it's a sure sign of impending health problems. In
fact, it's linked to just about every bad health issue out there
that can kill you. It wouldn't be overly melodramatic to say that
the "pregnant belly look" on males is a clear foreshadowing of an
early death.
And Dan had it.
But he was ready to do something about it, something kinda
crazy: go on my Velocity Diet. As a recap, the Velocity Diet is
basically a liquid diet where you drink protein shakes all week and
eat only one solid healthy meal on the weekend. You supplement with
healthy fats and fibers and you have a post-workout drink after
lifting.
The diet lasts 28 days, then you transition off. Most people
lose 10 to 20 pounds or more and report a loss of cravings for
unhealthy foods and new preferences for healthy ones after the diet
ends. Basically, the diet "reprograms" their behaviors toward food,
and fat loss usually continues after the diet is over.
Dan started the diet about the same time I was starting an
updated V-Diet book, and he agreed to try out some of the new
ideas. What happened? Let's talk to Dan.
Chris Shugart: First things first, Dan, what were your results
after four weeks on the Velocity Diet?
Dan John: My body weight on day one was 249 and some change. I
used the wrestling scale at school. On day 29 it was 226 on the
same scale. My waistline on day one was 42 inches and a little
extra. On day 30 it was 37 inches.
 |  |
| Before | After |
Shugart: Excellent! And you had some killer abs and obliques
under there too! Okay, so you lost 23 pounds during the diet,
plus
five whole inches off your waist
measurement.
Let's cut off the naysayers and the perpetual critics right now.
Sure, some of that was water weight and glycogen, but probably only
a few pounds, if that. So, outstanding results!
I also notice that you kept the fat loss up after the diet was
officially over. Now, most people rebound after a strict diet and
blow up like the Michelin man. But with the Velocity Diet, people
usually experience radical food preference changes and overall
behavioral changes when it comes to nutrition. Put all that
together and the fat loss is permanent, plus they can continue to
lose fat, if needed.
Now, didn't you also take some blood tests?
Dan John: That's the really exciting part, Chris. Check this
out:
Before:
Total Cholesterol: 255
Triglycerides: 182
HDL: 41.2
LDL: 177.6
After:
Total Cholesterol: 171
Triglycerides: 103
HDL 46.9
LDL 103
Doctor Brunetti said, "I have never seen this! What did you do
again?"
This is fact. This is science. This is much better: HDL up, bad
stuff down. Twenty-eight days... look at the
difference!
Shugart: The centralized adiposity, that nasty sub-abdominal
"heart attack fat," is pretty much gone! That's great news, Dan.
Now, what made you decide to do this crazy diet?
Dan John: This guy named Chris Shugart kept saying I was fat!
Beyond the tears, I decided to change my life, and maybe love
myself a little.
Actually, I've had two disappointing seasons back-to-back. I
blamed job changes, kids, being an idiot, etc. But I realized at my
annual doctor's appointment that I'd put on a lot of weight.
And, dear Lord, there was a big fat guy in every one of my pics!
Big deal, right? I wouldn't have changed, because as a
"strength athlete" I'm allowed to not care about my
physique. But I was beginning to drop in performance. I started to
get little injuries.
The thing about the Velocity Diet wasn't that I'd lose
weight or body fat or whatever. I liked the discipline. I liked the
jumpstart it would give me on my other goals.
Listen carefully: If you can do the V-Diet, if you can give up
food and booze for 28 days, you can go out and attack any other
goals you may have rattling around in your brain.
So, it just came to me. I was sitting there watching my left
knee oozing with infection and wondering how to train for
Pleasanton and it hit me: "V-Diet." No kidding. And I
have little memory of why that sounded so right. Part of me, the
part that wants to be a monk, loved the idea. My favorite part of
me, the party guy, objected. The monk won.
Shugart: I like what you said about the discipline aspect. I
have a theory here that some people thrive on this diet because it
gives them full control over one aspect of their hectic lives. It's
an empowering and somewhat enlightening experience. Or is that just
corny?
Dan John: It's corny, but in a good way because it's true! We
find some interesting things with teenagers and their various
eating disorders: it's the one area in their lives they often feel
they can control. So, maybe, just maybe, we all have a little place
that wants "control."
As a parent with all the various "hats" I wear, I
often find that something as simple as changing something in the
yard tends to bring me some relief, some quiet or isolation. This
is a good point, Chris, and I really didn't think much about
it until now. Really, you're on to something...
Shugart: I hope so. The rapid fat loss aside, the Velocity Diet
seems to give people some control back, and that control transcends
into other aspects of their lives.
Okay, just another thought I want to toss out regarding the
psychology of all this: sometimes the best choice to make is to
have no choice. Do the V-Diet as written and all of your daily
choices regarding food are taken care of.
We all know that to lose fat and get healthier you have to "eat
less and exercise more," but it doesn't work for most people based
on the skyrocketing obesity rate. People have too many choices with
most diets: what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, how to
prepare it, etc.
With the V-Diet, no choices. And for a lot of people, it's
allows them to thrive. Any thoughts on that?
Dan John: I absolutely agree. People would ask me, "Dan, how
about Greens Plus, cottage cheese, and cheap Scotch?" I'd
reply, "No, Chris said to do
this!"
I couldn't even entertain options! So, you took care of
food and I just followed. It was a great model for me. I asked all
the trainers at the last seminar I spoke at, "Who trains you?"
That's my issue: I have great ideas for everybody else, but I
treat myself like an afterthought.
You saved my life, Chris.
Shugart: Aw, shucks. Give us a quick outline of what you did
every day.
Dan John:
Briiiiiing, briiiiiiiiing.
"You have to be f'ing kidding."
That was what happened from day one of the diet to about day
twenty. The 5:30AM alarm. I would pee, again. I'd open my morning
"baggie" filled with two HOT-ROX Extreme capsules, four
BCAAs, and Tribex Gold, swallow some water, get the dog leashed,
and go walking.
The dog, by the way, looks so much better after my diet, too. I
did this for the dog.
Shugart: Funny, I read once that if your dog is
overweight, then you probably are too. Okay, what came
next?
Dan John: When I got back, I drank some coffee, tried to read
the local paper (it's awful), usually read a book, then had
shake number one. Here's a good combo: a scoop of chocolate
Metabolic Drive, a scoop of banana cream Metabolic Drive, and flax
meal. Not bad really, considering.
School days were easy. I had two shakes in the morning between
classes, then, at "lunch," I had my fiber tablets, my
multivitamin (I bought the "Orange Urine Special" it
seems), two more HOT-ROX, and four BCAAs. That was it for
supplements.
Before the end of the day, I'd have an additional shake, go home
and train, then my dinner shake and the "night" shake of
one scoop of Metabolic Drive and the natural peanut butter. I ended
up taking Flameout at night, too. I guess I also took some ZMA
every night before bed. I really like it. But basically, I stuck to
the exact outline that you sent me, Chris.
Accueil 
