‘How to Lose 22lbs or 10kgs in 28 Days Without Starving or Training Like an Olympic Athlete!'

By Stephen Smith BSc

If you seriously want to lose 22lbs or 10 kilograms in 28 days then you must perform all of the principles exactly as recommended. Unlike the recommendations in my book, ‘Look good, feel great!', where you can pick the principles you want to use and ignore the rest and where you can even modify the principles to suit your lifestyle, these principles must be followed exactly as they are outlined. If you want extraordinary results, then you must be willing to put in an extraordinary effort!

I realise that some people may be thinking, ‘But it is impossible to lose 10 kilograms of fat in a month!' I agree- it is! However, the truth is, it is impossible to only lose fat on any type of weight-loss program. You will always lose a combination of fat, Water, stored carbohydrate and some muscle.

Furthermore, most people who want to lose 10 kilograms in the first place are generally retaining excess Fluid anyway, so a system that helps get rid of the excess fluid is certainly going to accelerate their results.

Perform 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise morning and night.

Yes, you read that correctly, morning and night- 2 sessions a day… every day! No excuses. We're all busy, we all feel tired some mornings, but if you're serious about getting amazing results, then you must be willing to do everything necessary.

When we talk about aerobic exercise, we're talking about exercise! Not walking around the shops, doing the gardening or doing housework. It must be exercise, which means your breathing rate increases, your face goes red, you sweat, you get tired- simple!

Some examples of aerobic exercise include: walking (pounding the pavement at a brisk pace- not dawdling), cycling (stationary bike is ideal), swimming, rowing, stepper, cross-trainer, aerobic classes, boxing, etc.

Use ‘thermogenics'.

There are several very effective thermogenic supplementson the market that can accelerate your progress towards your goal. Those containing caffeine, green tea extracts and an extract from a plant called coleus forskohlii are the most effective. They will boost your metabolismand promote the release of fat from the fat stores. ‘Scorch' by MAN Sports is a good example. It contains a combination of 7 powerful herbal ingredients specifically designed to boost your metabolism, burn body fat and increase your energy.

Unfortunately though, thermogenics are not ‘magic pills'. You can't expect to take a couple of thermogenic capsules and then go home and eat pizza and drink alcohol and expect to get results. Thermogenics only work when their use is combined with a good nutrition and exercise program.

Take 1-2 capsules twice a day; once prior to your morning exercise session and once with your lunch. Don't take them later than 4:00pm in the afternoon because they may keep you awake at night.

Before using thermogenics, see your doctor first and obtain their approval.

Do not eat anything for 30 minutes after the completion of any exercise.

As a result of using the thermogenics combined with the exercise, your metabolism will remain elevated for some time after the exercise session is finished. This means your body will burn fuel at a faster rate than normal.

Any exercise causes the body to use carbohydrate (muscle glycogen and blood glucose) as a fuel source. This means that after the exercise is completed the carbohydrate stores in the body are low and the body will be forced to use fat as its fuel.

If a meal is eaten immediately after the completion of the exercise session, the blood glucose level will rise, inducing the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. One of the effects of insulin is to stop fat burning in the body. Therefore, wait 30 minutes (but no longer because cortisol will rise) before having your next meal.

Perform a weight training workout 2-4 times a week.

Lifting weights is the most under-estimated way to lose fat fast! Now, before you start saying, ‘But I don't want to get big muscles!' or ‘I don't want to look like a man!', consider the following.

The main purpose of lifting weights when your primary goal is to lose body fat is to preserve the muscle massyou already have. You see, muscle is the ‘engine' within which the fat, or ‘fuel' is burnt and maintaining or even increasing your muscle mass slightly will help ensure your body fat is burnt off efficiently.

If you don't lift weights, your body will quite happily lose both fat and muscle as you drop the kilos. Lifting weights forces your body to maintain your muscle mass, therefore keeping your metabolism elevated and turning your body into 24-hour-a-day fat-burning machine!

Incidentally, it only takes two 30 minute sessions a week to obtain the muscle preserving benefits of lifting weights.

Have 5-6 small meals a day.

One of the most common strategies people use to lose weight is to skip meals. Whilst reducing food intake is certainly an effective way to lose weight, having fewer meals is not the way to go. Many overweight people say, ‘I don't know why I'm overweight, I only eat once or twice a day!' Unfortunately, this is exactly why they are overweight.

Having a mild calorie restriction is effective because if you consume less calories than you burn each day you will lose weight- simple! However, skipping meals forces the body to invoke its ‘Starvation Mechanism' because it thinks it is entering a famine. As a result, the body slows the metabolism to preserve energy. It also increases cortisol output and cortisol is the most powerful catabolic hormone in the body, which means it goes around the body breaking down lean tissue, particularly muscle. A loss of muscle slows the metabolism even further. Skipping meals also results in an increase in appetite, which forces you to eat larger amounts of food when you do eat. In addition to all these factors, the body also increases the activity of fat-storing enzymes, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), so when you do eat the food gets stored as fat. All of this results from simply skipping meals!

By having a small meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day, your metabolism stays elevated and your body will happily burn fat all day long. Unfortunately though, most people are conditioned to having large meals and they automatically assume they will put on weight if they have 5 or 6 meals a day. The fact is, the ideal portion sizes for most people are actually quite small and in order to lose weight fast it is essential that you never feel full from a meal but you do feel satisfied.

Also, most people find it difficult to have a meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day because they are so busy with work and/ or family commitments. Here are some suggestions to ensure you get your 5 or 6 meals a day.

• Plan and prepare your meals the night before

• Use Meal Replacements (Protein shakes or bars)

• Select foods that are quick and easy to prepare and consume

Ensure each meal contains protein.

Protein is a component of all cells and makes up over half the dry weight of the human body. Furthermore, the human body is a dynamic structure, which means it is constantly building up and breaking down tissue. Just imagine a bath full of water. At one end of the bath the plug is pulled out and at the other end the tap is turned on full. The water level in the bath doesn't change but there are ‘new' water molecules entering the bath and ‘old' water molecules leaving the bath all the time. The human body is exactly the same. If the body breaks down more tissue than it builds up, then it is said to be in a catabolic state. This results in the metabolism slowing down due to the loss of muscle tissue.

Having a portion of high-quality protein every few hours throughout the day provides the body with a constant supply of amino acids- the building blocks of the body. This prevents the catabolic state, promotes an anabolic state (tissue building) and therefore keeps the metabolism ‘fired-up'.

If only carbohydrate or fat is consumed for a meal, for example a piece of fruit (carbohydrate) for the mid-morning meal, then the body will still enter a catabolic state because it doesn't have the building blocks (amino acids) to re-build body tissues. Protein, as its name suggests, is of primary importance.

Reduce your intake of high-density carbohydrates.

Most high-density carbohydrates like bread, Pasta, rice and cereals cause a rapid rise in blood glucose. This invokes the release of insulin from the pancreas, which in turn stores the glucose. The body stores glucose in the muscles and liver as glycogen and once these sites are full, the remaining glucose gets stored as body fat. Not only this, but insulin also stops the body from mobilising and utilising fat for fuel (burning fat).

So if you want to maximise fat loss, you need to keep insulin to a minimum and the best way to do this is by reducing your intake of starchy carbohydrates without cutting them out altogether. Cutting them out totally is a philosophy of many low-carb diets on the market. However, these are very hard to sustain long-term and may lead to nutrient deficiencies.

Each day, have a small amount (1-2 serves) of high density carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereals); a moderate amount (2-3 serves) of medium density carbohydrates (starchy vegetables and fruits); and a large amount (5-6 serves) of low density carbohydrates (fibrous vegetables). [For a complete list of carbohydrates, see pages 136-138 of the book, ‘ Look good, feel great! ]

Do not have a Treat Day.

Since you are expecting an extraordinary result, it is essential that you put in an extraordinary effort. Accordingly, for the next 28 days you must follow the plan exactly as it is outlined without deviating. This means you can't allow yourself to indulge in any ‘forbidden foods'. This also means avoiding alcohol for the entire 28-day period. I know this may be hard for some people but let's face it, it is only for 28 days!

By committing to the plan and disciplining yourself to see it through, you are ensuring that the results will follow. Plus, the disciplines you create to help you achieve your physical goal will have a ‘carry-over benefit' to other areas of your life as well.

I wish you the greatest success in achieving outstanding results!

* Before using any nutritional supplement, speak with your health care professional.

I agree with Tellly that you have to up your calories if your active. My doctor told with to have 6 half cup meals and to get at least 60-80 grams of protein per day. Good luck!

Checking back in - I have been following this plan religously - except I can work out once a day only since I am up and out by 5 am daily. I do cardio kick boxing, weight training, stairmaster, walks on beaches, have been extremely active and have ate like a superstar. No white flour, only healthy carbs - no drinks or any food products with high fructose corn syrup. I've been eating to live and notice a difference in my food cravings - however, I am still only at 220 lbs. The scale sometimes dips to 219 - then back up. I am losing a few inches but by no means am I losing still...I have been to the Endocronologist, General Physician, Nutritionist and now seeing a Holistic Dr. to find out why not losing....

Ive worked out since 1993 and I did slip severe into obesity. Since banding Ive returned to it. 3+ years now. I am almost as strongas i used to be. I say that the program above would be a challenge to me and certainly overwhelming to a newbie to fitness. I agree with you all in saying we do have time and can we really afford not to? No we cant. Use your head and listen to your body. One step at a time. heavyweights be careful!!

Probably some of that is really amazing muscle! Sounds like your body is reforming itself in some really healthy ways at the moment.

Hi Telly,

I was reading this thread and saw what was recommended as far as food intake. Right now I am struggling in this category. How much intake do you have at your snack and meal time? Can you give me an example. I am having difficulty getting in 1k calories a day. My fill is just right, I'm just not hungry. Julie

Here is an example of one of my days. It can be found in the "competition readiness" thread. It is a struggle for me to get in my calories as well. Sometimes I add seasonings and dressings to my meals to add more calories. I hope this helps.

Revamped. See my journal.

Thanks Telly. I know it can be difficult to get the calories in but I support the way you eat to keep your metabolism going. Thanks for the input.

Thanks Julie

Telly or others: has anyone taken the supplements mentioned in the first thread - it is : Scorch by Man? Just wondering how that goes witht the band - i'm always somewhat concerned about taking any piills with the band and only take what is absolutely necessary. Any cautions, special instructions, etc. Well, I'm off to the gym for my 60-90 minutes - wish me luck.

hi Marys,

I occasionally take Lipo6 and it is a capsule. i can take 2 at a time and have no problems.

good luck!

I did this program for 10 days with the exception of two exercise sessions - i only did one in the morning for 75-90 minutes, 1 ate one protein shake and egg whites every two hours until a smaller dinner and I didn't lose anything - good program tho - never hungry, lots of exercise - felt stronger but still fat.

I'm about to start the program, I'm about 2 1/2 weeks post op. I can't do too much yet, but I feel I must start exercising to get this weight off. I sure hope it will help with sagging skin.

What is Lipo6?

I have a question regarding these small meals throughout the day. When are we supposed to drink our Water if we aren't supposed to drink until an hour after we eat? If we are eating that many small meals per day, that's more hours of not being able to drink our water.

I have no excuse about the exercising. I am definitely going to increase my exercising! I am just wondering how to co-ordinate the eating and drinking!

thanks a bunch, Denise

My Dr. says 3 meals and if there are snacks, they should be way small and not often. I do better with snacks. Of course I don't need to get in much food since I'm not an exercise fiend like our role model here. I don't think of the snacks as a filling meal, so I don't worry about drinking with them. I drink 3 glasses AM before anything. Then I mostly drink just before I have a meal.