Hugo L
Ok, you want to see some quick results and lose weight fast? I would say that to get noticeable results, a time period of around two weeks is an absolute minimum.
Shorter than that and any weight lost will be overshadowed by the normal daily variations in body weight we all have (caused by fluctuations in how much water is stored).
So, two weeks it is. Let’s try to find a 14 day diet plan that will kickstart your weight loss and get you on track toward a slimmer and healthier you!
As always, make sure you consult your physician or nutritionist before making any extreme changes to your daily diet.
There Are More Than One 14 Day Diet
There are a few different 2-week diets to choose from, but these are the three most interesting ones (I will explain how they work in a little while):
- The Two-Week Rapid Weight Loss Diet
- The Scarsdale diet
- The 13-day diet (yes I know, 13 is not 14, but it’s close enough!)
Before embarking on any diet, remember that the first two weeks are only the beginning of a longer commitment. For sustainable weight loss, you have to continue to eat healthy (and preferably throw in some exercise) after the initial weeks are over. Getting slim and healthy really is a change of lifestyle and NOT a quick fix. But to see results right from the start can be very motivating and encouraging. And to stay motivated is crucial for long-term success!
The Two-Week Rapid Weight Loss Diet
This diet was developed by the famous Dr Mehmet Oz, and it’s focused on eliminating foods that make you sick and fat (listed below). According to Dr. Oz, the rules you need to follow are:
- No alcohol.
- No coffee. Although there aren’t any calories in coffee, people often drink it with sugar and/or milk, and quite often with pastry or donuts on the side. So by drinking coffee, you are tricked into eating unnecessary fat and sugar. Green tea is a great substitute.
- No white sugar.
- No artificial sweeteners.
- No wheat (except for ½ cup of brown rice). Not eating any wheat is said to be the hardest part of this diet, as pasta and bread are key parts of many people’s everyday life.
- The only dairy allowed is greek yogurt.
- No food between 8 in the night to 8 in the morning.
Make no mistake, eliminating these foods can be very tough. At least for the first few days. But you shouldn’t worry too much about it, as it’s said to get much easier within one week as your body adjusts to the low-carb and low-fat food you are eating.
Now you know what you can’t eat. What about what you CAN eat? According to Dr. Oz, a normal day should consist of these foods:
- Breakfast smoothie
- Green tea
- Greek yogurt
- Chicken, fish or turkey (6 oz/day)
- As much vegetables with low glycemic index as you want
- Cooked brown rice (½ cup/day)
- Avocado and olive oil (the only fat allowed)
- Pickles, hummus and a few nuts (snacks)
Watch the episode where Dr. Oz presents the Two-Week Rapid Weight Loss Diet! From there you can also get testimonials, recipes and more information on what to eat and what to do.
The Scarsdale Diet
The Scarsdale Diet was developed by Dr. Herman Tarnower in the 1970s. The first two weeks consist of a low-calorie diet (only 700 calories/day) designed to lead the dieter into a physical state called ketosis. Ketosis will then force the body to burn fat. You are said to lose 4-8 kilograms during this first phase, which is a lot.
Although a complete Scarsdale diet is longer than two weeks, the initial 14 days are crucial. That’s because if you can follow the strict and highly specified menu plan for the entire two weeks, you will have a great chance of succeeding as the next 14 days (called the Keep Trim phase) are less strict. In this second phase, you are allowed to eat more foods and even plan your own menu. The entire four-week cycle is then repeated until you’ve reached your goal weight.
The idea behind switching back and forth between the diet phase and the Keep Trim phase is to make sure your body doesn’t get accustomed to the low-calorie diet. This will maximize your body’s ability to burn fat.
Remember that once you have reached your goal weight, you can’t go back to old eating patterns if you want to maintain the new slim you. You should skip junk food and stick to a healthy and balanced diet that appeals to you. A personal favorite is the Prasouda diet (also called the Mediterranean diet).
The 13 Day Diet
The 13-day diet is explained in more detail in this post (where you can find the exact diet menu), but in essence, it is a very strict diet that specifies exactly what you are allowed to eat. It only lets you eat about 500 calories a day, so it is very tough and challenging to follow for the entire 13 days (some would even say it’s unhealthy). But if you do, you are likely to lose somewhere around 6-15 kilograms. Now that’s a lot!
To be fair, not all that lost weight will be fat. Most of it will be water, and a small portion will be muscle tissue. The basic idea behind the 13-day diet is that the low amount of calories will first shock and then force the metabolism to improve. It is said that the boosted metabolism remains for several years. You will no longer gain weight by simply eating normal food (like most people eat).
To avoid dehydration, you must drink at least two liters of water a day. And for the best possible result, you should eat a well-balanced diet with lots of vegetables after the 13 days have passed.
