Was Russell Okung Weight Loss a Result of His Excessive Fasting?

Find out how former NFL player Russell Okung, who claims to have lost nearly 100 pounds through an extreme fasting method, lost weight. Is extreme fasting the key to quickly losing weight? Let’s look into Okung’s way and see how well it works and what risks it might have.

Russell Okung Weight Loss

The incredible change in Russell Okung keeps on going. The former NFL offensive lineman went on a 40-day water diet and shed another 50 pounds, bringing his total weight loss since April to nearly 100.

“​​long term water-only fasting is one of the best and hardest things I’ve ever done.”, Okung wrote beside an Instagram photo documenting his ongoing metamorphosis.

You may compare him before and after his weight loss journey by looking at the Instagram photo below:

The sixth overall choice in the 2010 NFL Draft saw great success, playing a pivotal role on Settle’s Super Bowl champion team in 2013 and 2014 and being named to the Pro Bowl twice for his play at left tackle. But he had to fight an uphill battle to maintain that level of achievement because of his weight. The lineman claimed that it was “hard” just to get out of bed.

Okung told GQ in June:

“For me, as I reflect back on my career, there were a couple of issues. I went through a pulmonary embolism, I had lacerated lungs, a series of surgeries, ligament and tendon damage — getting up every day was hard.”

Russell Okung Weight Loss

“I thought, magically, that when I finished playing it would be easier. But it actually got harder. I had completely depleted testosterone. I have two kids, a wife, and a life that has demands. I couldn’t meet those demands. When I was playing, I didn’t think of these things. When I took a step back, I could see the reality. I was in my youth, but I didn’t feel vitality. That’s what led to the change.”

The 34-year-old has lost weight by drinking six bottles of water every day and feels great. “Oh, my goodness. I feel alive!”

Several celebrity weight loss stories have been discussed recently. Read the articles we’ve linked below to learn more!

Is fasting useful for weight loss?

A recent surge in interest in water fasting seems to medical professionals who study weight reduction and fasting to be a logical progression from the intermittent fasting mania of the past several years. While water fasting does yield more visible benefits in a shorter amount of time, experts warn that it’s not the magic bullet for weight loss that “before and after” pictures might lead you to believe.

Why? The weight and health benefits usually disappear as normal diet is resumed. Additionally, slowing the metabolism through prolonged fasting can make it “harder to keep the weight off or to lose weight later,” as stated by Johns Hopkins.

In his social media posts about the fast, Okung said, “Fasting isn’t for everyone, I get that. But for me, it was a life-changer. The benefits are profound. Clearer skin, better digestion, improved mental focus, even my joint pain has decreased.”

Joint pain reduction is a normal result of significant weight loss, specialists say, even though studies haven’t backed up most of Okung’s assertions. An upcoming research Varady co-authored for the medical journal Nutrition Reviews shows that weight reduction caused by water fasting can help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure and improve blood sugar levels and management, but the costs outweigh the benefits.

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