Weight loss is one of those subjects that everyone has an opinion on. It should be added to the list of ‘conversations to avoid at the dinner table.’ Politics, religion, money, and “How do you lose weight?”
Everyone trying to lose weight has heard one of these:
- “You should try keto!”
- “Atkinson worked for me.”
- “A simple Mediterranean diet is best.”
- “Eat whatever you want, just not after 7.”
Cue the eye rolls.
You’ve tried them. And you hated them.
You meal prepped, and you tried meal plans.
You got on the treadmill. You bought a new pair of trainers. You might have even got a personal trainer.
And still! Nothing works.
You’re desperate to know how to lose weight fast, but it seems all the methods, formulas, and diets went designed for you. If you want to truly give yourself a treat, book a total body+mind detox retreat. Not only will you lose weight fast, but you’ll learn to proactively live a meaningful and fulfilling life.
How hard can it really be to lose weight fast?
With so many people struggling in this area, how hard can it really be to shave off that extra weight?
You want to look good and feel good, and hopefully, you’ll be healthy too. A boost in self-confidence and a new, healthy life is what most people search for in the jungle of diet regimes.
But how can you possibly feel good about yourself when you’re punishing yourself? Now, we’re not saying go eat a whole cake, but we’re also not saying to only eat kale.
Dieting is like a jail with a life sentence. You’re locked in a cage, being punished for your crimes. You want to escape, jump the wall, see blue sky. But if you get caught trying to run (aka, breaking your diet), you’re right back where you started: in your cell (putting weight back on). And of course, once you’re out of parole, you swear you’ll never go back. But, don’t lie, you’re a repeat offender, and you’ll find yourself in that cell again.
Want to know how to lose weight fast?
Losing weight fast and maintaining a healthy weight are rooted in embracing a healthy lifestyle that not only focuses on the body but also takes into account your whole being.
This is why dieting isn’t your answer. Health, fitness, and even self-confidence is about changing the way you think.
The guilt of food when losing weight
Diets and meal programs are punishments, as we mentioned before. We’re taught to feel bad about ourselves and our appearances, and we punish ourselves for it.
Diet culture tells you that losing weight will make you feel better about yourself. Especially doing it fast to meet your dream weight.
This is a lie.
You will only feel better about yourself when you make changes you want to make, that are good for you, and improve your quality of life.
That doesn’t mean being skinny, a size 2, or with arms like Michelle Obama. The key to feeling better about yourself is treating yourself well.
Eating a kale salad if you hate kale is not treating yourself well. Eating a hot fudge sundae every night of the week isn’t treating yourself well either.
You probably feel like food always has guilt wrapped up in it somewhere. You’re either guilty because you’re eating something unhealthy, or you’re eating something healthy because you’re guilty. It’s like there’s no escape.
But, if you are making a conscious decision for your health and your wellbeing, then you need not feel guilty.
The key to eating for your own wellbeing- treating yourself well- is eating with mindfulness. No guilt, no judgment, just controlling your eating with your rational mind.
What is mindful eating when you want to lose weight?
What is mindful eating when you want to lose weight?
For starters, mindfulness means maintaining a constant awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations that is free from judgment. It means the past and future are not as important as the moment you are in; the here and now.
Eating with mindfulness, then, is eating with awareness of your experience.
When you want to lose weight, there are three critical factors to this type of consumption:
1. Eat for your current needs.
This doesn’t mean giving in to cravings. It’s the opposite. It means recognizing your cravings, your wants, your desires, but turning instead to your rational self, which knows what’s best for you. If you want to know how to lose weight fast, it all starts by understanding that not all cravings are a result of hunger. Some are triggered by seeing, smelling, or hearing about a specific food.
Sometimes we eat when we’re not hungry. We eat when we’re stressed, bored, or just when we feel like we should. So often, hunger or need is not our reason for eating. With mindfulness practice, you will eat with a consciousness of why you’re eating (and stop eating if you realize you’re not actually hungry!).
Discipline yourself to only eat when you need to, not when your cravings dictate that you eat. Doing so will only jeopardize your plans to lose weight. This is especially if you want to know how to lose 15 lbs fast.
2. Eat with curiosity for and awareness of the food you’re consuming.
- Where did it come from?
- Is it nutritious?
- What does it taste like?
- How does it make you feel?
We sometimes forget to experience our meals. It’s not uncommon to eat when you’re in a rush. We’re multitasking people and often eat while working, watching T.V., or (goodness forbid) driving. We eat on the go. It is increasingly uncommon to sit down and really enjoy a meal, but mindful eating demands this.
Want to know how to lose weight in 21 days — the guilt-free way?
Then you must embrace mindful eating.
If you consider the food that you’re eating and how it makes you feel, you will pay more attention to your consumption patterns. This will help you regulate your eating and thus ensure you only eat what your body needs.
3. Savor your food.
Experience the food you are consuming, bite for bite. Part of mindful eating is a bodily awareness of small details: tastes, smells, textures, and sensations. It is not just about feeling hungry or full.
So I can eat ice cream every day?
Sadly, no, not if you want to follow this diet, and for your changes to stick.
This weight loss program doesn’t embrace your love of the rocky road, nor does it prescribe pills or surgeries. It will give you a plan to raise your awareness of what you put into your body. This awareness- this mindfulness- will improve the control of your food intake, your consciousness of your nutrition, and your overall experience of food.
Many diets leave you hungry, miserable, sometimes even malnourished. The idea here is to change your relationship with your food, not beat yourself down to compliance. You will need to learn to enjoy choosing your food, cooking your meals, and eating every enjoyable bite.
This “Lose 15 lbs in 21 days” program is for a healthy intake of food.
You’ve probably heard it a gazillion times, but if you want to know how to lose 15 pounds in 3 weeks, we’ve got the perfect plan for you.
Unlike other “lose weight fast” programs, this one is not designed to make you feel good by punishing yourself.
This program is for a healthy intake of food. It matches your body weight and won’t starve you. It encourages farm-fresh foods, so you’re not relying on factory-made powders and supplements. It gives you an outline to eat food that is good for you and satisfying at the same time.
Are you going to fall in love with it? Probably not. This is a diet, after all. You have made a choice to lose weight, and we want to help you do it. And if you do this right, you will lose weight fast. What you definitely will fall in love with more than that though, is how you view food after.
And it’s not a life sentence! It’s for 21 days only. Fast weight loss is not sustainable, but you’ve decided that losing 15 lbs is the best for your health, and you want to do it now. So, this program is to drop that weight quickly and in a healthy manner. Even more important than losing that weight is that after these 21 days, you will have learned to eat with awareness so you can sustain the changes you experience.
So once you finish, if you want an ice cream sundae… Do it! Life is short; you have to enjoy yourself sometimes. But enjoy it, experience each flavor and texture, from that sweet and creamy scoop of childhood gusto to the colorful rainbow sprinkles on top. If you eat that one ice cream sundae with mindfulness, you might just realize you need one sometimes- but only when you really enjoy it.
Here’s the plan – “Lose 15 lbs. in 21 days”:
Is this a diet?
Yes.
It’s a diet meal plan to lose weight fast.
You have chosen to lose 15 lbs in 21 days and that’s going to take some work. But, in this short journey is a more significant lesson you need and want to learn: mindful eating.
The diet, “Lose 15 lbs. in 21 days” comes from Dr. Philip Goglia’s book, “Turning Up The Heat.” The premise of his book lies in turning up your metabolism by eating right and healthy. He carefully lays out a plan that is well thought out and gets you involved with your food.
You will eat a series of small, healthy meals throughout the day. By spreading out your intake, you will cause your metabolism to run all day consistently. Rather than setting it off with two or three large meals, you’re stoking a fire to burn fat.
A balanced diet, eaten intermittently throughout your day is optimum for your overall health and weight loss. Pair this with water and exercise, and there is no doubt: you will be off to the races on your journey to mindful eating.
For the plan to work, you have to follow a few rules:
- Absolutely no cheating. One substituted meal will cost you multiple days of make-up. After this journey, you can explore earthly pleasures like desserts and snacks. Now, remember, you committed, you can’t falter! It is only for 21-days.
- Working out and healthy eating go together. You are raising awareness of your body and how to treat it. Working out too much and eating too little isn’t healthy, just as eating too much and not working out enough is also. Don’t boost your cardio, work out as usual.
Drink only water (and coffee if you need it). Water is the key to everything, including this eating plan. Staying hydrated does wonders for your digestion, your mental clarity, your skin, your energy… your everything.- Set your intentions. Do you want to lose 15 lbs in 21 days? Then you know what you need to do. Do you want to take this slowly, initiating change over a more extended period of time? Great- do what you need to make that happen. Be clear with yourself and let your intentions fuel your choices. Structure your day to support these intentions.
- Eat the meals prescribed. If you fit in a short workout, you will be hungry on schedule. You won’t feel like you’re forcing yourself to eat when you’re not hungry.
- If you’re over 200 lbs, add more protein to this diet. Protein can be chicken, fish, or tofu. We think that consuming meat every day might be unsustainable and can prove unhealthy. We suggest to try mixing in tofu when possible.
- Use condiments and seasonings! These calories and fats won’t ruin your diet.
The Meal Plan for “Lose 15 lbs in 21 Days
WEEK 1
Meal 1: Oatmeal, plain, cooked (not instant) 1 1/2 cups
Orange (or a banana) 1
Meal 2: Apple 1
Meal 3: White rice, cooked 1 cup
Chicken breast, no skin 4 oz.
OR
Tofu, 8 oz.
Squash, steamed 1 cup
Meal 4: Raw celery 2 cups
Peanut butter (natural) 1 tbsp
Meal 5: Whitefish, cooked
(not battered or fried) 8 oz.
OR
Tofu, 8 oz.
Zucchini, steamed 1 cup
Asparagus, steamed 1 cup
Tossed salad, no dressing 3 cups
Meal 6: Mixed berries 1-2 cups
WEEK 2
Meal 1: Oatmeal, plain, cooked (not instant) 1 1/2 cups
Orange (or a banana) 1
Meal 2: Raw celery 2 cups
Peanut butter (natural) 1 tbsp
Meal 3: Baked potato 1/2 potato
Chicken breast, no skin 4 oz.
or
Whitefish (not battered or fried) 4 oz.
OR
Tofu, 8 oz.
Spinach, steamed 2 cups
Meal 4: Raw celery 2 cups
Peanut butter (natural) 1 tbsp
Meal 5: Whitefish (not battered or fried) 8 oz.
OR
Tofu, 8 oz.
Zucchini, steamed 1 cup
Asparagus, steamed 1 cup
Tossed salad, no dressing 3 cups
Meal 6: Nothing
WEEK 3
Meal 1: Oatmeal, plain, cooked (not instant) 1 1/2 cups
Meal 2: Raw celery 2 cups
Meal 3: Chicken breast, no skin 4 oz.
OR
Whitefish (not battered or fried) 4 oz.
OR
Tofu, 8 oz.
Squash, steamed 1 cup
Asparagus, steamed 1 cup
Tossed salad 3 cups
with low-calorie dressing 1 tbsp
Meal 4: Raw celery 2 cups
Peanut butter (natural) 1 tbsp
Meal 5: Hard-boiled egg 1 whole
Meal 6: Whitefish (not battered or fried) 8 oz.
OR
Tofu, 8 oz.
Zucchini, steamed 1 cup
Tomato, steamed 1 cup
Tossed salad, no dressing 3 cups
You can do this! You have the power to change your relationship with food. These 21 days will take you on a journey to mindful eating. Once you drop that initial weight you’ve decided is healthy for you to lose, you can live your life with more control and more happiness.
Phil Goglia holds certifications from A.C.S.M., M.A.S.M., A.F.F.A., A.C.E., and I.P.F.A. He serves on the Board of Governors for the City of Hope and Cedars-Sinai Medical Centers in the Los Angeles area. The complete Quickstart program to lose weight, along with a long-term diet and workout plan, is detailed in Goglia’s book, Turn Up the Heat.
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