First, let me preface this by saying that I am not a doctor, I don’t even play one on TV.. I’m not responsible for what you put in your mouth, I’m just telling you what I’ve done. Be smart, don’t develop eating disorders please. And lastly, don’t hold me responsible for anything you do that might end you up in some form of medical trouble.. or any other trouble for that matter.

In the past 2 weeks, I’ve managed to lose 19 lbs of fat. In the past 2 weeks, I’ve done 3 pull ups, and my ab workout consists of me sitting up when it’s time for me to get out of bed. I’ve honestly done almost no physical activity. I’m a computer nerd by day, and can spend about 10-15 hours a day sitting in front of a computer. Needless to say…

I’ve been getting quite a few questions on both my facebook and twitter about my diet lately, so I thought I’d just slap a little know-how down for all of you that have been wondering.

First, let me say that this is NOT “my” diet. I took the idea from a very wise man… a Mr. Tim  Ferriss over at The 4-Hour Workweek (which, as an aside, is a fantastic book). The specific post that I referred to for this diet is called:

How to Lose 20 lbs of Fat in 30 Days Without Doing Any Exercise.

Read through that about 5 times and make sure that you absorb the message.

In the post above, Tim takes the stance that all calories are not created equal. And while I could go on and on just rehashing what he already wrote, let me just spill it how I see it.

In practical terms, there are a few different types of food, starch based food and protein based foods being the focus of this conversation.

Starch based foods are all of the things that most people love. Bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, etc… They take forever for your body to consume (i.e. burn calories) and they stick around and turn into fat.

Protein based foods are, obviously, meats (and tofu, for you veggie people). They burn significantly faster which generally stops them from turning into fat. They also allow you to produce muscle, which we all learned in health class, burns fat.

I happen to be a carnivore, have been since I was born… so a protein based diet isn’t that tough for me to follow, because I actually enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy protein, you’re probably going to hate this diet.

For this diet, starch = BAD, protein = GOOD.

The three groups you need to have in every single meal are:

• LEAN protein
• Vegetables
• Legumes

Here are my rules, and (in my opinion) why I’ve been able to lose 19 lbs in the past 2 weeks.

1. Eat LEAN

Don’t go gorging yourself on corned beef or summer sausage because you think it’s protein. The meat you eat needs to be lean. I prefer chicken breast or chicken tenders. I substitute turkey, when I have it, to help keep the cholesterol in check. I limit my red meat to once a week.

If you can stomach it, eat fish (unless your pregnant). Fish is one of the healthiest meats around, and if it’s cooked right… it’s awesome.

2. Get yourself a George Foreman Grill

They’re like 25 bucks and BY FAR my favorite cooking tool. They’re so simple a caveman could do it… (Gieco, don’t sue me). They drizzle off all the fat and nastiness, cook on both sides at the same time, and require almost no mental capacity to operate.

3. Eat lots of veggies!

Veggies are so calorically light-weight that you can eat tons and tons of them and not have to worry about gaining weight. Plus they burn quick, and help clean you out. I know, I know… I hate them too… Actually, I lied. Now that I’ve been eating them for a while I’m actually starting to like them. Hold the butter and other fatty crap you like to put on them to cover the taste.. this is the stuff that likes to stick around and make you tubby.

4. Drink massive amounts of water.

Seriously, this is probably one of the things that I’ve been trying to do since about 4 months ago (I really couldn’t stand water) that has had the greatest impact on how I feel, on my energy level, and on my overall life. I feel SO much better now that I drink lots of water.

Pro-Tip: Keep a glass by the sink that is solely used for “water shots”. Mine is about 6 oz or so. Don’t be afraid of the tap water.. it’s the fastest way to get your fix. Every time you come into the kitchen, take a “water shot” of room temperature water. Just down it like it’s cough syrup and it’ll be over soon enough. Do that 8 times a day and you’re more than half way to your water quota for the day!

5. Eat the same meals over and over

This is one of the drags of this diet… you really do have to eat the same 4-6 meals over and over again. If you make the meals you choose taste good enough, that doesn’t really matter though. I also tend to switch up the meals at the 2 week mark…

6. No really, take a day off.

It’s VITAL that you take a day off. Despite what your stomach is telling you, your calorie intake has dropped dramatically. If you keep that trend going non-stop, your body will down-regulate its metabolism and you’ll plane off and stop losing weight.

Take the time to eat all the crap you craved the other 6 days. It doesn’t matter what day you choose, just choose one day and keep it regular.  No rolling days off…

7. Supplement with a daily vitamin

You lose some good stuff by cutting out carbs too. So I tend to supplement my diet with a daily vitamin just to make sure. I use Stresstabs Advanced

That’s pretty much what I do. It’s really not hard at all if you can find some good meals to eat… and Sam, I know that’s been your problem so let me show you guys a few of the meals that I eat on a regular basis.

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Those are my main meals. Sometimes I’ll vary and have some stir-fry with some chicken tenders, or I’ll cook up some fish or something.

If you’re interested in hearing more, or want some recipes or videos or something.. Let me know. Post a comment below with any questions and I’ll try to answer them the best that I can.

Mini-FAQ

Q. I work.. how do I keep my diet if I can’t pop out a George Foreman at my desk?

• Simple. Make your meal the night before, when you’re cooking dinner anyway, and package it up using one of these Cool tupperware containers.

Q. Do you exercise at all?

• Honestly, no. I’m pretty lazy when it comes to that. I do try and be active as much as possible, but (especially lately) I’ve been going 2-3 days without even seeing the sun at a time (I work from home)

Q. Isn’t dairy not on the menu?

• Yeah, technically I suppose I cheated there… but it was all natural, sugar free (no aspartame either) 100% natural yogurt. And I don’t do that every day. I also ate Filiburto’s last wednesday… but I don’t make a habit of it.

Q. Can I eat fruit instead of veggies?

No. You may have fruit in moderation (according to me) but don’t go eating 5 apples a day or anything.

Q. What can I snack on?

To be honest, I’ve been having the same problem.. I’ve selected almonds as my snack of choice and I eat them very sparingly. I also eat original corn nuts if I just need something to chew on. Another great way to avoid snacking is to chew gum. Plus you get the benefit of good breath.

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