Check with a doctor to make sure you do not have any problems with cholesterol, diabetes or heart issues. Low carb means high protein and relatively high fat. If there is a history of heart disease, diabetes or other issues that need to be addressed, be sure to ask your doctor if this diet will exacerbate the condition.
If
you want to lose 10 to 15 lbs., you must cut carbohydrates to less than
20 g per day. Check the labels on all foods and read carbohydrate
content. You will see that most foods contain some carbohydrates.
If
you have the option, get rid of everything that has any carbohydrate
content. This includes bread, cereal and rice. Eliminate all vegetables
except lettuce. Fruit is not acceptable for the 2-week period, either.
Unfortunately, fruit does contain some carbohydrates. It is almost
impossible to diet when these foods are right in front of you.
If you have children and you must cook for them, try to prepare 2 weeks' worth of meals ahead of time, so that you will not be tempted to eat or taste the food they will eat. If there is anyone else in the household who can do this task for the 2-week period, delegate the task to them. Keep all carbohydrate snacks out of sight.
When
you get hungry you want to be sure you have enough on hand to eat. Buy
salad, preferably in large bags. It is much easier to put salad on the
plate when you do not have to prepare it. Tomatoes are also acceptable
for the 2-week period, but only 1/2 per day. They do contain
carbohydrates, and it is important to keep these below the acceptable
20-g level. In addition to the salad, it is ok to top with bacon bits,
shredded cheese (1 oz. or less) and low carbohydrate dressing (1 g or
less of carbohydrates). Blue cheese is usually the best.
Meat
and eggs are very important on this diet. You should purchase many
types of meat, including steak, chicken, bacon, pork, shrimp and
lunchmeat. Make sure lunchmeat is 1 carb or less per slice and be
careful with consumption.
When
you have gotten your supplies, make sure that they are separated into
easy to cook and eat portions. Having a lunchmeat wrap is also
acceptable. Salad should be limited to approximately 4 cups per day in
the 2-week period. Pickles contain approximately 1 carb each and can be
used in place of a lettuce cup. Tomatoes can be fried with a touch of
salt for a quick snack.
At
the drugstore, buy lipolysis strips at the prescription counter. They
are typically used by diabetics, but can be used on this diet to test
for fat burning. At the end of each day you can test your fat loss by
urinating on the strip. The darker the strip becomes, the more fat you
are losing. Although this may sound unappetizing, it is a real
motivator to actually see the fat loss.
Eggs
can be cooked in a variety of ways to make them appetizing. They can be
poached, boiled, scrambled, over easy, deviled and made into a bacon,
ham and cheese omelet. Having eggs that are hard boiled or deviled is a
good snack.
It
is ok to cook with butter on this diet, because the goal is to
eliminate carbohydrates and not necessarily fat. However, because of
the high fat content of most meats, use a non-stick cooking spray.
Make
sure you have plenty of low-cal sweeteners on hand. Although this can
be used, it needs to be limited. Each packet of sweetener contains 1 g
of carbohydrates, and needs to be included in your daily count.
Instead of using milk in your coffee, use creamer. Read the label before you buy. It should have 1 g or less of carbohydrates.
If
you buy lemon juice and mix with sweetener, you have instant lemonade.
It is important to get plenty of fluids. Although you will stay full on
this diet because meat and eggs can be consumed in unlimited amounts,
the fluids should be used to flush the system.
Although
diet soda contains no carbs, it is not recommended. It can be used if
necessary to replace the need for sweets, but limit consumption to as
little as possible.
It
is possible you may feel sluggish for the first few days due to the
lack of carbohydrates being consumed for energy. However, as your body
begins to burn fat for energy, your energy should increase
substantially.
Keep
your menus very simple. For breakfast have eggs in any form with either
sausage or bacon. For lunch have a lunchmeat wrap with a small salad.
For dinner have a large salad with chicken or steak. For 2 weeks it is
important to eat a very limited diet. Any amount of meat or eggs can be
consumed in-between meals.
Weigh your self daily. It is motivating to see the quick weight loss on this diet.
Try
to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day. This can be in
the form of walking, biking, a class or a video. As long as you are
moving, it will help increase fat loss.
Drink
plenty of water to encourage the release of toxins and increase bowel
movement. High protein diets can sometimes interfere with normal bowel
movements, especially in the first few days. This is generally due to
the lack of fiber in the diet. This usually goes away almost within a
few days, but can be uncomfortable at first. Water consumption will
help alleviate the problem. If necessary a product that contains fiber
may help, but be aware of carbohydrate content.
If
you do not notice any weight loss within 3 days, look at the carb
content in the products you are using. There may be hidden
carbohydrates in something you are eating. Go back to basics. Eat only
meat, eggs and limited salad. Stay away completely from dairy. Check
all products for hidden carbohydrates.
This
is a 2-week plan. If you choose to go beyond this time limit, begin to
incorporate minimal amounts of carbohydrates back into your diet. You
can do this by adding an apple a day, or one slice of thin bread. It is
important to increase carb intake very gradually if you wish to
maintain your results. Adding about 5 g of additional carbs per week is
usually safe. If you find yourself gaining the weight back, go back to
1 to 2 days of the basic diet. Then try adding a small amount of carbs
again.