Step 1:

No refined sugar. That bears repeating. Absolutely…no…refined…sugar. It ruins your insulin sensitivity, causes rampant inflammation. And one more time for the folks in the back….NO REFINED SUGAR!

Step 2:

Quadruple your vegetable intake. No, not potatoes and beans! We’re talking non-starchy vegetables: broccoli, spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, etc. All day every day you should be consuming vegetables!

Step 3:

Increase lean protein intake. Lean proteins are drastically lower in calories than their fatty counterparts. Proteins in general can help you feel fuller for longer. This will help satiate your hunger and prevent you from reaching for sugary snacks.

Step 4:

Water. All of it. It is such a vital aspect of your life, and wildly overlooked in the day-to-day occurrences in life. Plan to drink at least a gallon every day. And no, you cannot chug it just a few times. The human body can only process, roughly, 1 liter of fluid an hour. Shoot for 1/3 liter per hour and you should reach your goal of 1 gallon per day (there are approximately 3.8 liters per gallon).

Step 5:

What about carbohydrates? Can you eat them, or should you eliminate them altogether?

Answer: Both. For a number of days, eliminate direct sources of carbohydrates. We clarify “direct” because even broccoli and carrots contain small amounts of carbohydrates. That’s okay, it isn’t going to break the proverbial bank! Further references to vegetables can assume that we’re implying non-starchy.

Don’t worry, we’ll discuss more about how to layer your carbohydrates next.

Putting it all together: Let’s take a look at a daily planner for what these steps would look like. We won’t go into details on the exact amounts simply because trying to plan out a plan for each individual would take months to do! However, we’re confident you can choose foods that you personally enjoy, but will still meet the requirements for our plan. 

So, we’ve come to Day 7 and 14, and we’re allowed to have carbohydrates, yay! What will that look like?

To keep your body from shifting into starvation mode, and to give ourselves a mental break, we’re going to indulge in a large serving of carbohydrates. Feel free to have a large serving of potatoes (white or sweet, it doesn’t matter), oatmeal (not the kind that comes in packets though!), or rice (our favorite is Jasmine). Don’t plan on doing much after this meal as you’ll likely feel very relaxed and comfortable from the surge of serotonin. Contrary to popular belief, Thanksgiving turkey isn’t what makes you tired, it’s all the carbohydrates!

The 14-day shock diet for weight loss is certainly extreme. There is very little fat, and even fewer carbohydrates to help fuel your body. These two weeks are not the time to push yourself to the extremes in the gym, and chances are, your brain will feel foggy and unable to focus. The purpose of this diet isn’t to be a long-term solution, it’s meant to kick-start your healthy lifestyle in the fastest way possible. It will help eliminate your addiction to carbohydrates, improve your insulin sensitivity, and most importantly, get you in the habit of consuming more vegetables (the true key to a sustained, healthy lifestyle).