If you're looking to lose non-lean body mass (i.e. bodyfat), you could try following this simple, but effective approach for two weeks.
If you stick to it - no excuses, no cheating, no clandestine snacking - you may be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Here are the 10 steps:
1) Cut out ALL liquid calories.
This means no alcohol, no squash/fruit juice/fizzy drinks (including zero calorie/diet ones), no milk.
You can drink black coffee and tea, green and herb teas, but water (still or sparkling) should be your main source of hydration.
2) Cut out ALL refined sugar.
This means no sweets, desserts, no chocolate, no table sugar, no biscuits, no sweet sauces (ketchup, cook-in sauces and so on).
3) Cut out ALL white refined carbohydrates.
No white bread, white rice, pasta, crackers, cheese biscuits and so on.
4) Eat unrefined, wholegrain based carbs (wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, brown or wild rice) only in moderation
- as a guideline, no more than two portions a day (a portion equals one slice of bread, or one cupful of cooked wholemeal pasta or cooked wild/brown rice).
5) Eat starchy and or higher glycaemic vegetables (potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, carrots, beetroot, butternut squash, parsnips) and legumes/pulses (lentils, broad beans, haricot beans, peas) only in moderation
- try eating no more than one cupful (cooked) of one of these per day. This does not include tinned baked beans, by the way, which should be avoided - they contain a lot of sugar.
6) Eat A LOT of fresh raw or cooked vegetables to form the bulk of your meals.
These include lettuce, Chinese leaf, other green salad leaves, peppers, celery, spinach, chard, kale, cabbage, green beans, courgettes, avocado, pak choi, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes (tinned tomatoes are also fine), onion and so on.
You can make salads, stir fry, steam or lightly boil the veg.
Make dressings with a small amount (a tablespoon) of olive oil and vinegar and use spices, garlic, and so on to liven up stir-fry and cooked veg.
7) Eat a portion of LEAN PROTEIN with each meal.
For women this should be a portion of lean meat, fish, dairy, egg or soya protein which is about the size and thickness of the palm of your own hand.
Men should eat two of these sized portions at each meal.
8) Eat THREE substantial meals per day
- the bulk of these should be vegetables and you can eat a lot of them!
I repeat, you can eat a lot of veg!!
Your breakfast is one of these meals - do not skip it!
No snacking between these meals, except for your fruit allowance (see below) - if you're hungry, you need to eat more veg at mealtimes.
9) Eat three portions of fresh fruit a day
- apples, pears, bananas (limit these to one of your three), a small bowlful of berries and so on.
10) Do some exercise!
At least 15-20 minutes at least 5 days per week - preferably some type of simple resistance circuit, which gets you hot, sweaty and breathing hard.
For example: warm-up for 5 minutes and do as many rounds as you can in ten minutes of 5 press-ups, 10 squats and a 15 second plank hold. Rest when you need to, but work as hard as you can. Keep track of your rounds and try and beat your score each session over the two weeks.
Cooldown and stretch for 5 minutes.
That's it!
Disclaimer:
This blog is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to be taken as prescriptive nutritional or medical advice.
Before undertaking any radical change in diet or exercise habits, you should always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional.
Please be aware that you are using any information presented here at your own risk.
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