My Special K diet experiment

"Special K diet didn't work for me - but here's how I lost 20 pounds in 20 days - without saying no to my favorite foods or exercising hard..."

- by Lara

Yes, it's true. I lost 20 pounds in 20 days:

- without dieting
- without saying "no" to my favorite foods (like chocolate cake)
- without joining a gym or exercising like crazy

In a minute, I will tell you exactly how I did it. But before that, allow me to tell you a bit about myself and how my life used to be not too long ago (you'll see that we probably have a lot in common).

So, until about 6 months ago, my life was a mess. I was about 45 pounds overweight. And, they may tell you that "fat people are cute" (most of my friends used to tell me the same) - but the reality was that:

- I was treated like a lower life form. I remember at least two people calling me "fat ass" while in the bus. Is that rude or what?

- I was unemployed and I couldn't find a job either - even though I knew I was smarter and more qualified than others. Yes, the "thin and sexy people" would always get the job. What does my weight have to do with how I perform in my work?

- Although I have a cute face and a reasonably nice personality, I couldn't find someone to have relationship with. My friends had set me up with a couple of "blind dates" but those went sour faster than you can say "chocolate cake." My last relationship had ended about 3 years ago - and I knew what the reason was when I saw my ex 1 month later with a super-sexy blond he met at the gym...

- I couldn't fit into my favorite jeans. I had to wear these extra large clothes - that actually made me look even fatter than I was...

- My self-esteem was at an all-time low. When everything in your life goes wrong, it's not hard to imagine why. There where days when I was almost afraid to look myself in the mirror. I didn't really want to have an "honest look" at myself. And, eve if I did, I didn't think that there was a way for me to change my life...

- Because of my depression, I was doing the last thing I should be doing: eating even more. I'm very much what you would call an "emotional eater." Whenever I would feel sad, I would eat a double serving of pasta or some chocolate cake ( I love chocolate cake). I admit I was goinga little over board with it as at some days I would eat 3 "normal servings" of chocolate cake in one sitting...

- Because of my eating habits, I was feeling sluggish and very low on energy all day long. I was getting tired very easily and didn't feel like "living" at all. I'd much rather sit on the couch and watch TV...

I had tried everything you can imagine but nothing worked (I even tried the special K diet but got no results).

One day, a relative of mine whom I hadn't seen for 6 years, didn't even recognize me when she saw me. She wasn't mean or anything but I could see it in her eyes that she felt pity for me - which was even worse...

I had already tried several (rather expensive) weight loss programs and weight loss drugs and I was never able to lose weight and maintain it. I would lose 10 pounds and 3 weeks later I would gain it all back with interest - plus, I was out my money and time...

But I'm not telling you all this to feel sorry about me. As you'll see, all this changed very soon. Keep reading to find out how I did it and how you can do it too...

One day, I saw an ad for a new weight loss product. I didn't think much of it, as ads for weight loss products are a dime a dozen. Most of those products are just overpriced and ineffective junk (do I sound bitter?). So I just forgot about the whole thing...

But a week later, I met a friend of mine whom I hadn't seen for over 3 months. She used to be overweight too - only this time she wasn't. In fact, she looked great! I asked her how she did it and she said she was usng this new weight loss product. And what do you know, it was the exact same product I had seen being advertised a week ago!

I thought to myself: "I have to get my hands on some of this stuff." And I did. There was a free trial available so I took advantage of it.. It arrived at my doorstep 2 days later.

Now, what I conveniently "forgot" to tell you is that I hate dieting or exercising. I mean, I'm not an Olympic athlete or something. What I have found is that, if I don't like my weight loss program, I won't stick to it...

In my opinion, self-discipline and willpower are grossly overrated in our society. For how long do you think you can be disciplined and "tough it out"? 1 day? 2 days? 2 weeks? That's how most people are and that's OK - that's just human nature. So I won't pretend I'm someone I know I ain't.

I had read some weight loss advice on some weight loss forums I used to hang out at. It's not that I didn't really know what to do: It was just that I hated going to the gym or "eating right."

So, I asked myself: "How can I create a weight loss program that I actually ENJOY?" Sounds like a tall order, right? When most people hear the terms "weight loss" or "diet", they immediately connect that with months of starvation and sweating their butts off at the gym. Well, I knew that there was no chance I would do that - so I came up with a more "manageable" plan...

1) The first thing I did was make sure that I was drinking enough water a day. Now, most people drink almost no water during the day - or a couple of glasses max. On the other hand, super-athletic types may drink a gallon a day (about 5 liters). I wanted to avoid these extremes so I just made sure I drank about 1,5 liters of water a day (about 51 oz). Not too much but not too little either. I found that water kept me fuller and I wasn't having that many cravings. I would drink some first think in the morning and then a glass about 30 mins before a meal. I would also drink a small glass immediately after any meals that contained fat, while I was using my new weight loss product.

2) As I said, I don't like exercising. But I knew I needed to become more active. I knew I wouldn't join a gym. I hate too much effort. Plus, I didn't want the "gym rats" who where in great shape to laugh at me behind my back. So what I did was make a list of all the activities I enjoyed. NOT activities that would make me sweat - just activities that would burn a few more calories than just sitting on the couch.

For me those activities where:

- Going for a 30-minute brisk walk at the park while listening to my favorite music in my portable MP3 player.

- Riding my stationary exercise bike at home at level 3 (it went from 1-10) while watching my favorite TV shows like Desperate Housewives or Seinfeld.

I'm not saying that I would do both of them every day - but I would try to do at least one of them a day. If at some point I was getting tired or bored, I would immediately STOP exercising as I didn't want to develop an aversion for that type of exercise (very important - you have to like your exercise program - not hate it). Consistency is the name of the game. As they say "you are either consistent or non-existent." That said, I found that, while I was on my new weight loss product, I had more energy (without feeling jumpy) and I could "keep going" without feeling tired. That's probably because the food I ate was being digested more slowly and gave me sustained energy rather than energy spikes that would "dive" later.

3) What about diet? Even though I know its healthy, I admit that I don't like "diet food" too much. I knew I had to find a way to continue eating my favorite meals while also losing weight. I know this may sound hard to believe but I didn't really changemy diet all that much. Because I was drinking a glass of water 30 mins before each meal, I wasn't feeling as hungry so I naturally ate less (without feeling hungry). I also made sure that I was taking my new weight loss product religiously.

A very important lesson I learned is that you should strive for PROGRESS - NOT PERFECTION. Perfection doesn't even exist - besides, it's very tough to stick to...

4) Something else that will help you stick to your weight loss program is motivation. And nothing is more motivating than seeing RESULTS. Once every 5-7 days I would weigh myself as well as measure my waist and hips. No need to drive yourself crazy and do this every day. This isn't necessary or even logical. The bodyweight may fluctuate from day to day. But over longer periods of time, you should see consistent success. Keep in mind that the fat we have around our hips and belly is usually the last to go - so don't worry if you don't see results for the first few days. That's normal. Something else that I did was put on my clothes and see how they fit. I saw that they would feel looser and looser on me. And after a while, I was able to wear the smaller sizes that I had somewhere in my closet. Seeing that I was losing weight, losing inches and droping sizes added fire to my motivation!

After 20 days (the 4th time I had weighed myself), I had lost 20 pounds. I had also lost 5 inches around my thighs and 6 inches around my belly! And after 2 months total on this program, I had lost all my 45 extra pounds!

So, how did losing weight actually change my life?

- First of all, my family was giving me compliments all the time about the new way I looked. My friends also gave me compliments although I could see that some of them where feeling very jealous deep down (which is fine by me - I'm not complaining :-))

- My self-confidence skyrocketed. Not only did I look different - I also acted different. I was more outgoing and "chatty" (before losing weight I was really introverted and closed in myself).

- I managed to land a new office job. I admit that I was qualified for the job but the fact that I also looked good during the interview didn't hurt a bit! I had been interviewed several times in the past for similar jobs but never got them. I wonder why?

- Now that I was feeling more confident and had a job, I also started going out more. And I see how guys look at me now. The same guys wouldn't even notice me a couple of months ago. I know this may sound shallow but it's really nice to feel wanted and liked...

I know that this may not sound fair but overweight people are not treated the same in our society. They just don't get the same chances, you know?

If you are overweight now, ask yourself:

- What are you missing on right now by having all that extra weight?
- How much better will you feel when you lose all your extra weight?
- How much more confidence will you have?
- How more liked and accepted will you be?

If you want to lose all your extra weight without suffering in the process, then I can't recommend highly enough that you use the same weight loss program I just outlined. You may want to modify it here and there to suit you better but remember to KEEP THINGS SIMPLE AND FUN.

Above all, take advantage of all the shortcuts you can and let "modern technology" do the heavy lifting. By using the weight loss product I used:

- You will have more energy

- You will not feel as hungry or have as many cravings

- You will boost your metabolism and burn more calories even while you sleep

I have used many weight loss products and programs in the past and I was very dissapointed. If you haven't lost weight until now, it's NOT your fault! Most popular programs don't work for average people.

It's nice to find one that works for a change. The company that makes this product is so confident that they offer you a free trial.

Hope this helps a little...

To a new slim you,

Lara