After gaining significant weight during 1.5 years of intensive CPA exam studying, I knew I needed to take extreme action to reclaim my health once I graduated. My approach was unconventional but incredibly effective: alternating between days of eating as much meat as I wanted (sometimes up to 2 pounds) and complete fasting days, always preceded by heavy weightlifting sessions before breaking my fast. This aggressive protocol leveraged the power of protein for satiety, fasting for rapid fat loss, and heavy lifting to preserve muscle mass while in a severe caloric deficit. The results spoke for themselves - 18 pounds lost in just 18 days, proving that sometimes extreme problems require extreme solutions. While this approach isn't for everyone, it perfectly suited my all-or-nothing personality and desire to quickly reverse the damage from months of sedentary studying. Sometimes the best diet is the one that matches your determination to get the job done.