The answer is: in just 14 days. I receive hundreds of emails monthly asking me questions on how to lose weight in just a few weeks. And today I’ve decided to finally share a diet plan that helped many of my friends and relatives lose approximately 20 pounds in just 14 days.
I call this diet the 14 x 20 diet. And I don’t recommend this diet for people with a great amount of excess weight since the risk is too high that they will gain the lost weight back.
How did I come up with the 14 x 20 diet?
I came up with this diet a few years ago after one of my overweight friends complained that every single diet he had tried failed. And I immediately understood him, as I’ve seen hundreds of diets that are doomed to fail before you even start following them. Most of weight loss diets available on the Internet have been designed by incompetent people or people who have little understanding of how the human body works.
But in the 14 x 20 diet, I thought through every single detail. I based this diet on a number of scientific studies. The Journal of the American Medical Association even used to be the homepage of my browser – that’s how frequently I referred to their studies.
What is the 14 x 20 diet about?
The foundation of the diet constitutes certain protein products. Carbohydrate food (its excess in the body faster converts into fat) is limited to only 20 g per day. You must eat frequently but in small portions. The amount of food is not limited. These are the basic rules of the diet. Now, let’s see which products can be eaten and which ones should be excluded.
How does the 14 × 20 diet work?
As in all protein diets — due to the absence of the carbohydrate fuel, the metabolism switches to burning excess adipose tissue to provide the required amount of energy. Blood glucose levels become stabilized, the insulin sensitivity increases, your well-being improves, while the constant hunger and sleepiness dissipate.
In case of problems with the kidneys, liver, elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood, this diet is contraindicated.
How to start the diet correctly?
It recommended to drink a glass of pure, non-carbonated water (you can put a slice of lemon) first thing in the morning. Meat and fish should be baked in the oven or steamed. In no case should you fry or grill meat and fish.
Season the salad with olive oil and lemon juice. The ratio meat (fish eggs): vegetables should be 2: 1 (for example, 200 g of chicken, and 100 g of cauliflower). You need to drink about 2 liters of pure non-carbonated water throughout the day. However, don’t drink when consuming meals; drink half an hour before or after meals. The last meal should be no later than at 8 p.m.
Which products should be excluded?
Starchy foods and sweets (including sweeteners), sausages, fatty dairy products, cereals, pickles, alcohol, fruit juices, nuts and starchy vegetables (carrots, potatoes, beets and so forth.), beans, corn, shrimp, squid, pate, liver, fast food, fruits (exception – unsweetened lemon and berries, especially cranberries).
Which products should be included into the diet?
Protein: lean meats (lean beef, veal, rabbit meat), poultry (chicken, turkey, ostrich meat) and fish (preferably fatty fish), low-fat cheese and yogurt. Eggs (no more than two every two or three days or one egg per day).
Vegetables and cellulose: Vegetables may be any of those that contain no more than 10.5 g carbohydrates per 100 grams. For example, cucumbers, tomatoes (except cherry), cauliflower, cabbage, zucchini, eggplant, radishes, lettuce, spinach, asparagus, radish, celery, green onions, mushrooms, herbs, sprouted seeds, olive oil.
Drinks: water, coffee, tea.
How many times a day should you eat?
Strictly five times a day – it stimulates the metabolism.
Duration of the 14 × 20 diet and its result
The 14 x 20 diet should be last for no more than 2 weeks (14 days). During this time, you will lose from 9 to 20 pounds. If you need to lose more weight, take a break for two or three weeks and repeat.
One-week sample menu
Monday
• Breakfast: One or two soft-boiled eggs, salad of fresh vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, sprouted seeds, herbs) with 1 tsp. olive oil, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• Second breakfast: 45 g low-fat cheese in ‘sandwich’ of lettuce.
• Lunch: two baked chicken breasts, salad of fresh vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, radishes, germinated seeds) 1 tsp. olive oil, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• Snack: 1 tbsp. yogurt, a handful of berries.
• Dinner: salmon fillet (tuna, mackerel, plaice, halibut), baked vegetables with herbs and grated cheese (tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower, sprouted seeds).
• For the night: 1 glass of low-fat milk or yogurt.
Tuesday
• Breakfast: Omelet of one or two eggs with tomatoes and herbs, natural yogurt with berries, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk
• Second breakfast: 1 tbsp. yogurt, a handful of berries
• Lunch: Salmon fillet (tuna, mackerel, plaice, halibut), ragout of vegetables (zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, leeks)
• Snack: Tomato and cucumber stuffed with herbs and 45g grated cheese
• Dinner: Two beef steaks baked, a salad of fresh vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, arugula, avocado) with 1 tsp. olive oil, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• For the night: 1 glass of low-fat milk or yogurt.
Wednesday
• Breakfast: Omelet of one or two eggs with tomatoes and greens, 45 g low-fat shredded cheese in a ‘sandwich’ of slices of celery, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• Second breakfast: Natural yogurt with berries.
• Lunch: Salmon fillet (tuna, mackerel, plaice, halibut), vegetable soup (leek, broccoli, tomatoes, herbs).
• Snack: 1 tbsp. yogurt, a handful of berries.
• Dinner: pork fillet, baked cabbage (cauliflower, broccoli, brussels) with 1 tsp. olive oil, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• For the night: 1 glass of low-fat milk or yogurt.
Thursday
• Breakfast: natural yogurt with berries, one or two soft-boiled eggs, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• Second breakfast: 45 g low-fat grated cheese in a ‘sandwich’ of slices of celery.
• Lunch: Salmon fillet (tuna, mackerel, plaice, halibut), a salad of fresh vegetables (cucumbers, cabbage, radish, herbs) with 1 tsp.. olive oil.
• Snack: 1 tbsp. yogurt, a handful of berries.
• Dinner: Two chicken breasts, squash fritters, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• For the night: 1 glass of low-fat milk or yogurt.
Friday
• Breakfast: Low-fat cottage cheese with berries, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• Second breakfast: Salad, one or two chicken breasts.
• Lunch: Salmon fillet (tuna, mackerel, plaice, halibut), salad of fresh vegetables (cucumbers, cabbage, radish, herbs) with 1 tsp. olive oil.
• Snack: 1 tbsp. yogurt, a handful of berries.
• Dinner: Two small beef steaks, baked asparagus with grated cheese, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• For the night: 1 glass of low-fat milk or yogurt.
Saturday
• Breakfast: Low-fat cottage cheese with berries, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• Second breakfast: One chicken breast, salad of fresh vegetables.
• Lunch: Salmon fillet (tuna, mackerel, plaice, halibut), soup noodles with mushroom.
• Snack: 45 grams of low-fat grated cheese in a ‘sandwich’ of slices of celery.
• Dinner: Two chicken breasts, steamed asparagus with grated cheese, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• For the night: 1 glass of low-fat milk or yogurt.
Sunday
• Breakfast: Omelet of one or two eggs with tomatoes and herbs, natural yogurt with berries, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• Lunch: Salad “Caesar” dressing with 1 tsp. olive oil, lemon juice and spices.
• Lunch: Salmon fillet (tuna, mackerel, plaice, halibut), baked vegetables.
• Snack: 45 grams of low-fat grated cheese in a ‘sandwich’ of slices of celery.
• Dinner: Two chicken breasts, Mexican guacamole salad, green tea or coffee without sugar and milk.
• For the night: 1 glass of low-fat milk or yogurt.
Advantages of the 14 × 20 diet
A diet with a large amount of protein (about 30% of the diet) promotes fat burning, not muscles burning, increases the insulin sensitivity, thereby reducing your dependence on sweet and the risk of diabetes.
According to researches of nutritionists from the University of Illinois, diets with a high content of protein reduce the level of triglycerides in the blood, protecting against diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Disadvantages of the 14 × 20 diet
No diet is perfect, and the 14 x 20 diet is not perfect either. During the fat burning process, a large number of ketones appear. These toxic substances, acetone relatives, provoke acidosis – a disruption of the acid-base balance towards acids, a kind of mini-poisoning by products of fat breakdown.
The more fat you lose, the more poison you get, and the more stress is put on the kidneys and liver. In order to help the kidneys and liver eliminate toxins, you must drink plenty of water. In case of problems with the kidneys, liver, and elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood, this diet is contraindicated.
So, what’s your opinion on this diet plan? Have you ever tried it? If yes, what were the results?
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