#2 - Pre-Bulking: The Sugar Diet

Lose Fat Fast. Rewire Your Metabolism. Bulk Like a Machine.

June 14, 2025

Enough teasing. Let’s dive right into it!

Before we pack on size, we need to shed fat and reset our metabolism. That’s why my first move before bulking is a rapid fat-loss protocol: a modified version of Mark Bell’s sugar diet.

🍬Why Sugar?!

The idea sounds crazy at first — eat sugar to lose fat? But here’s the simple logic:

Fructose, found in fruit and honey, is processed almost entirely by the liver and doesn't require insulin for uptake. This tricks the body into perceiving a state of caloric abundance — even when you're in a calorie deficit.

The result? Increased secretion of FGF21, a metabolic hormone that ramps up fat oxidation, enhances insulin sensitivity, and boosts overall metabolic rate.

This approach is great in our pre-bulk phase because it:

  • Improves nutrient partitioning for your coming bulk.

  • Gives the digestive system a break.

  • Keeps energy high despite cutting calories.

  • Can trigger rapid fat loss without muscle loss (if done right).

🥭 Not All Sugar is Equal

Despite the name, the “sugar diet” isn’t about eating candy all day. The priority order is:

  1. Whole fruits

  2. Fruit juice

  3. Honey, maple syrup, agave

  4. Table sugar, jam

  5. Processed treats (of good quality and used sparingly)

The higher the fructose content, the better the liver effect — within reason.

🧪 The Sugar Diet: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Sugar Fast (48–72 hours)

Consume only sugar-based calories — ideally from fruit, juice, honey, jam, and sweet drinks — with no fat and minimal protein. Ideally, also avoid foods that contain artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, and additives.
This is where fat loss accelerates and metabolic momentum builds.

Why it works:

  • Fructose → liver → FGF21 release → fat-burning mode.

  • No fat = reduced insulin resistance.

  • No protein = low digestive load = metabolic lightness.

  • High sugar = energy for movement and cardio.

2. Break the Fast

After 5pm or after the gym, reintroduce some starch and lean protein. I also add specific fatty acids there (saturated fats or omegas-3s usually), depending on what my goal is.

  • Lean protein (chicken, fish, beef, whey protein isolate..)

  • Clean starch (white rice, root vegetables, gluten-free oats etc..)

  • Targeted fats (omega-3s, egg yolks, macadamia nuts, olive oil..)

The leaner the protein, the better. Pick starches that you can digest well.

Aim for 1-2g/kg of BW of protein. Keep the added fats under 20g.

This resets hormones and helps preserve muscle. Add electrolytes, especially sodium.

This could look like:

  • 150g cooked white rice (~50g carbs)

  • 150g lean beef or 3 eggs + sardines (~35–40g protein, 10–15g fat)

  • Salt to taste, spices of choice

  • Fermented vegetables (kimchi, sauerkraut..)

3. Repeat

Alternate sugar fasts with structured refeeds. Add a cheat day on Day 7 if needed — just don’t overdo fat and protein together.

Here is an example of what a week on the Sugar Diet looks like:

Monday: Full Sugar Fast
Tuesday: Full Sugar Fast
Wednesday: Sugar Fast until gym or 5 PM, then lean protein and starch
Thursday: Full Sugar Fast
Friday: Full Sugar Fast
Saturday: Sugar Fast until gym or 5 PM, then lean protein and starch
Sunday: Optional cheat day — or continue fasting until gym/5 PM, then refeed

🔧 Supplements & Add-ons

Here is the key supplement to focus on. There are others that can seriously boost the effects of the diet, but let’s keep it simple for now. Magnesium’s a great addition too.

TMG (Trimethylglycine): 

Supports liver detox and fat export. Morning + evening, 500–1,000mg 2x/day, ideally with sugar meals or juices.

Steps, Sun, and Steel:

The three pillars that anchor fat loss, mood, and muscle. Get outside, stay active, and lift heavy. Aim for 10k+ steps/day. Walk in the sun! Most importantly, train hard.

❗ But Sainté, What About Diabetes?

Fructose doesn’t cause diabetes — fat accumulation in the liver does. As Tim Berzins explains, the issue is impaired hepatic insulin signaling, not sugar itself. Major risk factors include:

  1. Intracellular fat overload

  2. Chronic glucose overexposure (usually with high fat intake)

Still, if you have preexisting conditions, don’t be stupid. Consult your doctor!

That’s the blueprint in a nutshell. Grab your groceries and commit. Start tomorrow morning and don’t stop until your body fat is where it needs to be.

Any questions? Shoot. I’ll do my best to help you troubleshoot your diet.

Next: A full day of eating on the Holy Bulk Sugar Diet.
Stay tuned!

— Sainté