Lose Weight in a Week Guaranteed

Lose weight in a week you say?  Is it possible?  Is it safe?  Is it legal?

Not only is it legal but it’s safe and involves no drugs (unless you consider carbohydrates and sugar a drug).  This non-revolutionary method has been used by thousands of bodybuilders for decades to get ready for a contest.  It’s been used by many diet experts that took the contest prep idea too far and turned it into a lifestyle.  It’s been used by average people to strip away fat and weight without even knowing what they were doing. And it’s part of a preparation phase for people looking to gain weight.
So what is this ultra super secret revolutionary method to lose weight in a week?  Let’s make the definition of a week to 10 days.  7 days is almost enough but add on just 3 more and you’ll notice a significant change in your body.

Lose Weight in a Week Guaranteed

Eliminate usable carbs— all carbs except fiber—for 10 days.  Ultra-low carb for 10 days—all day every day.  It’s like carb backloading for weight gain without the carbs.
Taking away carbohydrates from the diet to somebody who’s never done it or not used it, offers up a few surprises.  To the uninitiated person, the changes can be subtle to dramatic and when confused they are likely to stop.  They quit in a few days because they don’t realize the experience is normal.  Let’s break down what happen during the 10 days so you have a full understand of what happens during this phase and why things happen.
So what was my weight loss doing low carb for 1 week?
I went from 182 to 178 in a week by following the steps below.  I felt fine (minus a couple of days) and my training in the gym didn’t suffer.  It did surprise me as I’d be indoctrinated to believe you needed carbs pre-workout or you wouldn’t have the energy.  Not true.
Lose Weight in a Week Phase 1:  Days 1-4
In about 3 days, your body will burn thru it’s glycogen stores.  Maybe longer if you are totally inactive or shorter if you are some super athlete (runner, long high volume gym sessions).  I laugh when people tell me they need to eat carbs before a workout for energy. Do they not understand the body stores energy for more than a few hours?
You store about 3 grams of water for every 1 gram of carbohydrate.  So as your glycogen stores start to deplete from using your stored energy (carbs), you’ll lose water weight. Most of the weight loss is water at this point (~60%) and the rest is fat.  Expect that weight gain to come back when you start eating carbs again and filling up your reserves.
So the first 4 days or so, most of the weight lost will be water as your glycogen stores are used but there will be some fat lost.  Don’t expect miracles yet!  But you are on your way the lose weight in a week promise.
Lose Weight in a Week Phase 2:  Days 3-6
Now that your body’s reserves are nearly drained, you’ll start to produce ketones.  These ketones are going to be used for short duration exertion and brain function.  Somewhere around the 6th day, the ketone production reaches a peak.  Some call this a cross over point where your body has no more carbohydrates to burn but ketone production lags a bit behind.  This phase is where people complain that low carb diets make you mentally foggy. It’s here where you might experience those common symptoms. You are changing your body’s primary fuel source.  You didn’t think that came without any noticeable effects?
Lose Weight in a Week Phase 3:  Days 7-10
“Body, please stop using carbohydrates for energy and use ketones.  Thanks!”  It’s referred to as fuel reorientation.  You’ve run out of carbohydrates for energy long ago, you started producing ketones and now you are using them as fuel.  But when’s the last time you used that fuel transport?  Probably at infancy!
At this point you are using a new fuel source.  The mental lethargy from the last stage should be over and you’ve successfully adapted to life without carbs.   Congratulations, your certificate in is the mail.
Go weigh yourself, you’ve lost weight in a week guaranteed!

Read This Before You Get Too Thrilled

So you can lose weight in a week but here’s my own take on this.  I think the low carb lifestyle isn’t for everybody.  While I did the 10 day preparation phase myself, I would not want to make this into a long term lifestyle.  Eliminating your body’s primary and most efficient fuel should is a mistake.
Carbohydrates are critical to proper athletic functioning.  I’m not saying it’s impossible to live sans carbs and perform at high levels but I am saying it’s not efficient nor fun unless that’s your thing.
Carbohydrates are the most anabolic substance you can take legally.  If you are seriously about building muscle fast, a low carb lifestyle is not the way to go.
That being said, this is the lose weight in a week method that worked wonders for me.  I used it for my carb backloading experience and I lost almost 7 pounds in 10 days!
I’d look at the carb-nite solution for a more realistic approach to limiting your carbohydrate intake if you are looking to lose weight vs carb eliminating entirely.
Additional Tips to Lose Weight in a Week:

• Wanna get to the last stage faster?  Toss in a couple of high intensity interval training sessions.  You’ll use up your glycogen stores faster and within a week, be using ketones for energy.
• Drink plenty of water
• Do not forget that fiber is important.  Most fiber is obtained thru carbohydrate sources.  That’s gone now and fiber is ultra important.  Better eat those vegetables.
• You’ll find it nearly impossible to gain weight during this phase and eating all protein and fat meals is extremely filling.
• Your hunger levels may decrease during this phase, make sure you eat enough to support your activity levels.

Be Fit, Stay Strong!
Marc David – CPT