ALPHA LION DIET

An ALPHA Following a 36 Hour Fast on the LION DIET

It’s time to take an honest look at food. We know that hormones trigger hunger feelings. These hormones are largely based on Circadian Rhythm. That is like our internal alarm clock to remind us its eating time….based on time, not a need of nutrients. We eat at the same times each day. So, we have trained our bodies. It’s just like going to the gym. Our body will adapt to heavy weights. We also learn when we eat. Its that simple. The hormones are based on time and habit. We have months of energy stored.

We have to tell our own brain who is in charge. Eat with intension. Feed your long term goals. Your body will adapt and hormones will change. AKA…it will get easier. For some of us there is a price that needs paid.

The Problem: The average American uses 400% more insulin as 100 years ago every day. This is also increasing hunger…the release of the hormone ghrelin. Increased insulin is driving the Metabolic Syndrome crisis. It is the leading cause of Chronic Illnesses. I’m not blaming Insulin. It is the Firetruck that shows up at the fire. We have to stop lighting the fire.

Note: Metabolic Syndrome is not a disease of the obese. Skinny people can have it. It is the result of too much sugar (fructose) and Carbohydrates, especially refined carbs. Cause: 1)The Insulin Levels are too high for too long. 2) The liver stores too much fat and is unhealthy. A person can have a very low body fat percentage and have a very high liver fat percentage. Mayo Clinic says 1/3 of adults have metabolic syndrome. Both diets below will reverse or prevent Metabolic Syndrome. The Maintenance Diet is for those at a healthy weight.

The Weber Family set out to find ways to be more healthy. It was just an interest at first. For me, Jeremy Weber, it became a necessity. My research partner is my son, Ethan. Ethan Weber is a biology major at Lafayette College where he plays football. Wellness has been his passion since he was 13. While other kids were playing Fortnite, he was watching body builders talk about nutrition on YouTube. I am a former athlete and my other kids are all athletes. The combination of my health issues and their athletic interests had us constantly learning about lots of different techniques and even the biology involved.

I have spent a couple years creating this diet for myself. I have lost weight many times during my life. I have gained the weight back many times over the years, until now. I wanted to find a method to lose fat, but not muscle. There is only one way to accomplish this goal. We need to utilize a combination of Fasting, Food, Supplements and Resistance Training. I have created 2 different diet plans.

The “Cut Cycle” is the program for weight loss. This is for those of us carrying too much visible (adipose) fat on our bodies. The objective is 2+lbs weight loss per week, maintain strength and energy for workouts and maintain skeletal muscle mass. Fasting periods can be longer. Food focus is in this order veggies, fat, protein, Ferments. Multivitamin is a important. Electrolytes are important.

Once you hit a healthy weight, the “Maintenance” program is designed to slowly lose fat%. The focus is fat loss, not weight. Your weight can actually go up or down on this program. But, the objective is a lower body fat %. It is designed for building strength and muscle and burning fat. Fasting periods can be shorter. Food focus is protein, legumes, fat, gut health and free day. Multivitamin is important.

We hope you’ll join us on our journey to wellness and prosperity. Always consult your doctor about lifestyle changes. I worked closely with my doctor and talked about my ideas and will continue to do so.

I do want to be very clear about one thing…no matter what diet you like and decide to apply to your life. Get a good multivitamin!

The “Lion” in the room…. What’s the Lion Diet?

Jeremy & Ethan Weber

Before: 305lbs, Insulin Resistant, HBP, HCL, 3 Blood Clots

Jeremy & Silas, Cooper, Rachel Weber

After: 250lbs, No HBP, No HCL, No Blood Clots

Alpha Lion Diet--Cut Cycle

Read this entire section.

The Cut Cycle is designed for a more rapid FAT loss. The goal is Fat loss/Muscle retention. You will not see quantities or amounts listed below in the plan. You can eat until full. If you are experiencing a lot of cravings between eating, increase your protein. This diet is designed to avoid insulin spikes in the blood and to reduce cravings. It is important to not eat between meals. Grazing is out!

Insulin

When we consume calories our body releases insulin. Not all calories are the same. Fat calories cause almost no release of insulin. Protein calories cause a moderate release of insulin. Carbohydrates with Fiber cause a large insulin release. And, Carbohydrates with no fiber cause an Insulin Spike. Insulin’s main function is to signal for cells to use only Glucose (sugar in the blood) until a normal level is returned in the blood. Carbohydrates become glucose in the blood. The glucose is then sent to all the cells of the body and used or stored. Insulin basically makes your body empty the sugar from the blood.

So what does this mean…By eating Carbohydrates all day long, you are not in fat burning mode. Therefore, you must be in a caloric deficit to get to the fat. This isn’t easy. One the flip side…if we eat in brief windows and cut out the carbohydrates, we can limit the insulin releases and let the body use Ketones, Bad Cells and the stored energy….FAT.

My Ah-Ha moment…there is a list of things the body makes and consumes while fasted. We were designed to operate this way.

PROTEIN

We recommend eating at least 1/2 your weight in protein. Click here for more information on healthy protein consumption. For example, I weigh 240lbs, so I should eat at least 120 grams of protein per day. There are 9g Protein per 1oz of cooked Chicken Breast. So, if I ate 13oz of cooked Chicken Breast each day I would hit my total. FYI the average Chicken Breast is 3oz. I need to eat 4-5 Chicken Breast. Pro Tip: Eat the skin. It has the Fat. The fat has all the Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Vitamin K that we also want. Bonus! Your body is designed to store Fats and Carbohydrates when consumed. There isn’t a place to store Protein. It is used.

SPICES

I recommend using lots of spices. Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Cayenne Pepper are my Faves. They are very healthy. I use Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt. It has trace Minerals. Spice Blends are fine. Just make sure they don’t have Carbohydrates. Sugar is not allowed. You can substitute Zero Calorie Sweetener, like Stevia. But over time, try to get away from it all together.

BEVERAGES

The best beverage is Hydrogen Water. Outside of hydrogen water, drink all the water, black coffee, tea that you want. I will squirt lemon juice or a flavor enhancer in my water. I will drink a diet soda if I am craving sugar. Diet soda doesn’t break a fast, but it isn’t good for the gut. Hydrogen Water satisfies me more than anything else. You can tell a difference.

Warning: No beer. No liquor. If you must drink alcohol, have 1-2 glasses of dry red wine. You may have up to 2 glasses of dry red wine per day. It will not hinder your weight loss results, but there are other negative side effects. Wine breaks a fast. You can only have it during your feeding window. Let me be clear…alcohol is bad for the liver.

SUPPLEMENTS

Crazy Nutrition Pre-Train and Creatine can be consumed before workouts at any time of day, but not the protein shake. If I have a protein shake during my Cut Cycle, it is my Meal 1. I mainly cook with Protein Powder. I eat my protein in food.

FASTING

This is one of the healthiest protocols of the Alpha Swoletauris system. By fasting, we trigger our bodies to burn fat, produce Ketones, Release HGH, Perform Autophagy and make stem cells! Click the link below to learn all about fasting.

Check out the many benefits of Fasting and the 72-hour Timeline

Note: You can Fast whatever hours works best for you. If you love breakfast and are fasting 16 hours per day, you can eat when you get up at 6:00am, have a snack at 10:00am and finish Meal 2 by 2:00 and drink water all night until bed. Or, If you want to fast 12 hours while working, You can finish Meal 1 by 6:00am, eat Snack at 6:00pm and Meal 2 at 10:00pm. The standard 16 hour water fast is to finish your dinner by 8:00pm and then not eat until 12:00pm (noon) the next day.

I recommend a 16:8 Intermittent water fast 6 days per week. That is a 16 hour fasting window and an 8 hour eating window. It is much easier than it sounds. Stop eating by 8pm. Start eating at noon. You sleep half that time!! Have coffee, tea, hydrogen water, lemon water, Dill Pickles (Yes, they are 0 calorie, 0 carb) for breakfast.

Advanced Fasting

You can burn Fat at a much higher rate if you keep your fasts going for longer periods of time. This is not starvation. Starvation begins at 73-145 hours of fasting, depending on how fast adapted you are. The hard work is getting into Ketosis (fat burning mode). This is like unplugging the laptop. A laptop will automatically switch to battery power. The same thing happens for your body when the food runs out in the stomach.

One day per week fast 24 hours. It is very beneficial to your body to hit the 24 hour mark. Here’s why:

Your body will release extra Human Growth Hormone. HGH is the fat burning/ tissue building hormone.
Your cells will also actually recycle damaged cell parts from a process called Autophagy.
Your body will burn fat for at least 8 straight hours.
You will be making ketones.
You will begin to regenerate some stem cells!

Remember, you are training your brain that you decide when you eat. This is all so good for your well being….especially for our goal of fat burning and muscle building.

Once per month fast 36-72 hours. It is very beneficial to your body to hit the 36 hour mark, but work up to 72 hours. Your body will release 5X the normal Human Growth Hormone levels. This will assist in retaining muscle and burning fat. Your cells will also actually recycle your damaged and radical cells. Good cell will generate extra mitochondria. This increases your fat burning. Studies show that a person who needs 2000 calories when eating food will burn 2200 calories/day when fasting. Remember, you are training your brain that you decide when you eat. This is so beneficial for your well-being. You are fighting aging and burning fat and building muscle. That’s our goal!!

EXPERT TIP

Make this as simple as possible. Find meals that you like and have them over and over again. Variety is not your friend. I eat Alpha Power Bowls daily. You can meal prep or cook on demand. I do both. I don’t measure things. I eat until I’m full. I highly recommend taking a 10 minute break half way through a meal. It takes 10-20 minutes for your brain and stomach to agree that you are full. I know that i can overeat a lot in 20 minutes. However; I make the amount of protein that I need and eat it all even if I get full.

After a week or two, you’ll have a good idea what a filling meal looks like. I like to add Guacamole and Over Easy Eggs to make my meals fun. I use the air fryer, oven and grill. I try to avoid the frying pan. Fry in Real Butter, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil. Keto Bread, Keto Taco Shells are legal if you need to trick yourself. I eat tons of keto tacos. It keeps meals fun for me, and I can add a lot of garlic, spices and ginger.

Skip the Nuts and Nut Butters while Cutting. The calories add up fast and portion sizes are hard to regulate. Add them back in while on the Maintenance Plan.

ALPHA THINKING

If you mess up a day, flush it. Forget it. Get back on track the next day. Don’t condemn yourself. Be flexible with yourself. 1 day will not set you back. 2-3 will, however. If you normally fast 16 hours but you are really hungry, just go 12. That is fine. Eat your meals until your normal stop time and go for your normal 16 hour fast the next day. Everything will be OK! If you need a 3rd meal, have a 3rd meal. Increase your protein the next day on Meal 1, Snack and/or Meal 2. Remember your goal!

EXERCISE

It is important to incorporate resistance training into your weekly schedule. If you have a routine that works, continue with that. If you need a program, Click here. I also recommend low intensity aerobic exercise…Like walking for 30-60 minutes. Both types of exercise will increase Metabolism, HGH production and Autophagy. In an ideal world, you’d do a high intensity resistance training at the beginning of the fast and a low intensity aerobic exercise during the fast.

CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN

It is always important to talk to your doctor about diet, exercise and lifestyle changes. If you are currently being treated for anything, be sure to consult your physician before starting the Lion Diet.

MULTIVITAMIN

You must take a multivitamin. Click here for our recommendations. Even if you are eating lots of veggies with each meal, you need a multivitamin. It is very difficult to get all the micro and trace nutrients from food alone.

Goal:

1 Meal of 75g Fat, Protein with lots of Veggies every day or even every other day. The goal is to be burning FAT as much of the time as possible. If you are new to fasting, click on the Fasting Link. We want to eat fats so our body continues burning fat even while we eat. We need Protein to keep building our muscles. We want veggies for the micronutrients and fiber to feed our guts. We do not want sugar or carbs to spike our insulin. That drastically decreases our efficiency for getting back into the fasting processes…like burning fat, increasing HGH, Autophagy, etc.

You will need to work your way up to the Goal…Start by skipping 1 meal per day for a couple days. Then, shorten the window between the 2 meals by an hour each day until you are fasting 20 hours and eating 2 meals. Then, start skipping a second meal. So now you are fasting 23 hours and eating 1 time per day. When you are ready…go every other day. You will be amazed at how fast your body can adjust and the cravings go away.

Knowing that you have the ability to fast for 48+ hours will change your life. You will feel like you can do anything!!

Keep in mind that the Cut Cycle is just until you hit your desired weight. This isn’t the forever plan. Then you jump onto the Maintenance Plan.

Alpha Lion Diet--Cut Cycle:

Fast 16-48 hours

- Drink Coffee
- Drink Tea
- Drink Hydrogen Water
- Eat Dill Pickles or other 0 calorie foods (Optional)
- Eat Very Low Carb, Moderate Protein, High Protein
- Stay in Ketosis, Get back in Autophagy Fast, Keep HGH High
- Only Eat if Hungry

Meal 1

- Protein–Fatty Beef, Eggs, Chicken Thigh, Pork, Turkey, Bacon, Fish-Wild Caught Sardines, Salmon, Shrimp, Shellfish
- Eggs–Eat 3+ Eggs
- Healthy Fat (3 TBSP)–Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Real Butter, Avacodo, Olives
- Fermented Veggies–Shop Here (Unlimited Quantity)
- Approved Veggies–Leafy Greens, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Arugula, Spinach, Beet Greens
- Example: 3:00pm Salad topped with Taco Meat, 3 Eggs, Fermented Salsa, Salt/Pepper, Olive Oil/Vinegar

Meal 2 (Optional if Hungry)

- Protein (Lean Meat)
- Eggs–Eat 3+ Eggs
- Healthy Fat (2-3 TBSP)
- Fermented Veggies
- Approved Veggies
- Example: 7:00pm 12oz Taco Meat w/ Guacamole, Over Easy Eggs, Fermented Salsa, 4 Keto Soft Taco Shells, Dressed Greens

*No Grains, Wheat, Pasta, Bread, Sugar, Fruit, Beer, Liquor, White Wine
*Cottage Cheese, Plain Greek Yogurt is Legal. Limit other Dairy. Whey Protein spikes insulin.

Great video to explain why we fast everyday.

Alpha Lion Diet--Maintenance

The Maintenance is designed for slower fat loss. The goal is gradual Fat loss/Muscle gain. Your weight can go up or down. It really depends on your body composition. For Example, if you currently bench 400lbs but you have a belly, you could lose weight. Your muscle gains will be incremental at this point. On the other hand if you are new to resistance training, you could gain weight as your muscles grow and you lose fat.

We do not assign quantities or amounts to the food listed below in the plan. You can eat until full. If you are experiencing a lot of cravings between eating, increase your protein. You do not want to eat between meals. Grazing is out! This diet is designed to avoid insulin spikes in the blood and to reduce cravings.

PROTEIN

We recommend eating at least 1/2 your weight in protein. For example, I weigh 240lbs, so I should eat at least 120 grams of protein per day. There are 9g Protein per 1oz of cooked Chicken Breast. So, if I ate 13oz of cooked Chicken Breast each day I would hit my total. FYI the average Chicken Breast is 3oz. I need to eat 4-5 Chicken Breast.

SPICES

I recommend using lots of spices. Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Cayenne Pepper are my Faves. I use Sea Saltd with trace Minerals. Spice Blends are fine. Just make sure they don’t have Carbohydrates. Sugar is not allowed. You can substitute with Stevia or Splenda. But, try to get away from it all together.

BEVERAGES

The best beverage is Hydrogen Water. Outside of hydrogen water, drink all the water, black coffee, tea that you want. I will squirt a flavor enhancer in my water or drink a diet soda if I am craving sugar. Hydrogen Water satisfies me more than anything else.

SUPPLEMENTS

Crazy Nutrition Pre-Train and Creatine can be consumed before workouts at any time of day, but not the protein shake. If I have a protein shake during my Cut Cycle it is my Snack. If I worked out in the morning, I will eat Snack, Meal 1, Meal 2 and drink my protein shake at 3:00.

FASTING

Note: You can Fast whatever hours works best for you. If you love breakfast and are fasting 16 hours per day, you can eat when you get up at 6:00am, have a snack at 10:00am and finish Meal 2 by 2:00 and drink water all night until bed. Or, If you want to fast 12 hours while working, You can finish Meal 1 by 6:00am, eat Snack at 6:00pm and Meal 2 at 10:00pm. The standard 16 hours water fast is to finish your dinner by 8:00pm and then not eat until the next day at 12:00pm (noon).

I recommend a fast of 36-72 hours 4-12 times per year. It is very beneficial to your body to hit the 36 hour mark. Your body will triple is normal Human Growth Hormone levels. This will assist in retaining muscle. Your cells will also actually ingest your damaged and radical cells in the blood stream. Remember, you are training your brain that you decide when you eat.

Click here to learn more about Fasting and its benefits.

EXPERT TIP

Make this as simple as possible. Find meals that you like and have them over and over again. Variety is not your friend. You can meal prep or cook on demand. I do both. I don’t measure things. I eat until I’m full. After a week or two, you’ll have a good idea what that looks like. I like to eat Guacamole and Over Easy Eggs, so I use the air fryer, oven and grill. I try to avoid the frying pan. Fry in Real Butter, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil. Keto Bread, Keto Taco Shells are legal.

FREE DAY

This is fun! You can eat and drink whatever you want one day per week. This gives your body a day to be flooded with calories to keep your metabolism high. Eat all the sugar, wheat, chocolate, ice cream, beer, wine that you want! Keep in mind that you will gain a lot of weight from this. I have gained 10lbs in a day before. It comes back off over the next 3 days. Plan your free day around events and holidays. This way you can have the cake, the pizza, the buffet. Remind yourself on the days that you are struggling that you just have to make it to the free day.

ALPHA THINKING

If you mess up a day, flush it. Forget it. Get back on track the next day. Don’t condemn yourself. Be flexible with yourself. If you normally fast 16 hours but you are really hungry, just go 12. That is fine. Eat your meals until your normal stop time and go for your normal 16 hour fast the next day. Everything will be OK! If you need a 3rd meal, have a 3rd meal. Increase your protein the next day on Meal 1, Snack and/or Meal 2. Remember your goal!

Exercise

It is important to incorporate resistance training into your weekly schedule. If you have a routine, continue with that. If you need a program, click here.

CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN

Multivitamin

You must take one. Click Here for our recommendations. Even if you are eating lots of veggies with each meal, you need a multivitamin. It is very difficult to get all the macro, micro and trace nutrients from food alone. For me, veggies are just another spice for cooking. I take Youngevity for all my essential vitamins, minerals, etc.

Expert Tip 2

Mexican restaurants are great for sticking to the diet. Get extra beans instead of rice and extra guacamole. It is delicious. I also love BBQ restaurants. I get my meat and baked beans/cole slaw for my sides. You just gotta watch the sugar in the sauces. Go for the Carolina Gold (Yellow) BBQ sauce.

Great ideas to incorporate into the diet. Some foods are great for your FREE DAY!

Alpha Lion Diet--Maintenance

Fast 16-24 hours per day

1 FREE DAY per week!

Fast 12 Hours
Eat extra protein in Meal 1
No Food or Drink Limitations
Eat Fruit, grains, beer, wine, etc.
Free Day keeps metabolism high

The Other 6 Days

Stop eating when full
Don’t eat if you aren’t hungry

Meal 1

Protein–Fatty Beef, Eggs, Chicken, Pork, Turkey, Bacon, Fish-Wild Caught Sardines, Salmon, Shrimp, Shellfish
Eggs–Eat 3+ Eggs
Legumes (1/2 Cup)–Chickpea Pasta, Hummus, Refried Beans, Lentils, Kidney Beans, Black Beans, Navy Beans, etc.
Healthy Fat (2-3 TBLs)–Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Real Butter, Avacodo, Nuts, Seeds, Whole Eggs, Sardines, Olives, Coconut
Fermented Veggies–Shop Here
Approved Veggies–Broccoli, Spinach, Green Beans, Cauliflower, Arugula, Beet Greens
Example: 3:00pm Power Bowl: Refried Beans topped with 2 Air Fried Chicken Thighs, Broccoli, 3 Over Easy Eggs, Fermented Salsa, Butter

Snack (Optional if hungry)

Protein
Fermented Veggies
Approved Veggies (Optional)
Example: 5:00pm 3 Scramble Eggs with Onions, Mushrooms topped with Fermented Salsa and Fermented Hot Sauce

Meal 2 (Optional if hungry)

Protein
Eggs–Eat 3+ Eggs
Legumes (1/2 Cup)
Healthy Fat (2-3 TBLs)
Fermented Veggies
Approved Veggies
Example: 7:00pm 12oz Taco Meat w/ Refried Beans, Guacamole, Dressed Leafy Greens, Fermented Salsa, 4 Keto Soft Taco Shells

*No Grains, Wheat, Pasta, Bread, Sugar, Fruit
*Limit Dairy except Cottage Cheese, Plain Greek Yogurt. Best cheese: Parmigiana (not parmesan)