World's Greatest Four-Week Diet Plan

[size=12pt]The following is from the ' Men's Health Big Book of Exercises ' By Adam Campbell. The plan is based on scientific research of Jeff Volek, PhD, RD, one of the world's top nutrition scientists, in a study done at the University of Connecticut.[/size]

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The Diet Plan
The way this diet works is simple: Cutting back on carbs reduces your calorie intake, causing weight loss. But, it also triggers your body to use its fat stores -- instead of sugar -- as its primary source of energy. Research shows this helps people better control blood sugar, hunger, and cravings. So, you'll eat less without feeling deprived. The end result is that you'll lose fat faster and more easily than ever before.

What to Eat
Eat any combination of the foods from the three categories listed in the chart [in the table below], until you feel satisfied, but not stuffed. It's likely that this simple approach will regulate your appetite. The upshot: You'll automatically eat less and lose fat -- without having to count calories.

The Guidelines
Consume high-quality protein at every meal. Eating protein ensures that your body always has the raw material to build and maintain your muscle, even while you lose fat. It also helps you feel fuller, faster.
Go ahead, eat fat. Dietary fat is a crucial factor in helping you control the total number of calories your body craves. That's because it's very effective at keeping you feeling satisfied after you've eaten. So, know this: As long as you're losing fat, you're not eating too much of it.
Indulge in vegetables. When researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York City polled more than 2,000 low-carbohydrate dieters, they found that, on average, those who were most successful consumed at least four servings of low-starch vegetables each day.
Avoid foods that contain sugar and starch. These are foods that are high in carbohydrates. The list includes bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, beans, candy, regular soda, and baked goods -- as well as any other foods that contain grains, flour, or sugar. An easy way to gauge: Read the ingredients label. If a food contains more than 5 grams of carbohydrates per serving, skip it. And, don't obsess, either. When ordering food at a restaurant, just worry about the main components of the meal. Sure, there could be hidden sugar or starch in a dish, but if the recommended foods are the major players, you'll be fine. Just use your best judgment.
Limit your fruit and milk intake. In the study, participants were told to avoid these two foods as well, in order to keep their total carbohydrate intake below 50 to 75 grams a day without having to count carbs. However, you can consume milk as well as low-calorie fruits, particularly berries and melons, if you don't overdo it and you monitor your overall carb consumption.

As a general rule, limit yourself to two total servings of fruit and milk combined. A serving of fruit is 1/2 cup; a serving of milk is 1 cup (8 ounces). Each contains about 10 grams of carbohydrate. So, in a day, you might have 1/2 cup of berries and a cup of milk, or just 1 cup of berries.

HIGH-QUALITY PROTEINS	LOW-STARCH VEGETABLES*	NATURAL FATS
Beef	Artichokes | Mushrooms	Avacados
Cheese	Asparagus | Onions	Butter
Eggs	Broccoli | Peppers	Coconut
Fish	Brussels Sprouts | Spinach	Cream
Pork	Cauliflower | Tomatoes	Nuts and Seeds**
Poultry	Celery | Turnips	Olives, Olive Oil, and Canola Oil
Whey and Casein Proteins	Cucumbers | Zucchini	Full-Fat Sour Cream and Salad dressing

* These are just a few common examples of low-starch vegetables, but, you can consider any vegetable besides potatoes, peas, and corn to be fair game.
**Limit yourself to two servings a day (a serving is about a handful)

A Meal-by-Meal Guide
Don't complicate your eating plan. Just think of it as a meat-and-vegetables diet. Here's a sampling of what you might eat throughout your day.
Breakfast: Any type of eggs, whether scrambled, fried, boiled, poached, or made into an omelet (with all the fixings). You can add cheese, of course, and serve with any type of meat -- even bacon and sausage.
Snacks: Just about any type of cheese makes a great snack, as do nuts and seeds -- almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds are ideal. So are fresh vegetables dipped in ranch dressing. And, of course, a protein shake works any time of day.
Lunch:A great choice is a big salad that includes chicken, turkey, or tuna -- for example, a chicken Caesar or a Cobb salad. But, you could also eat a burger without a bun, or you could have lef-overs from the previous night's dinner.
Dinner: This should be your easiest meal of the day. Just pair any meat with any approved vegetable and you're sticking to the plan. A great meal might be a sirloin with a Caprese salad of tomatoes and mozzarella, or roast chicken with steamed broccoli.

What to Drink
You can consume any beverage that has 5 or fewer calories per serving. What's on the list? Water, of course. But, also unsweetened coffee or tea (you can use cream), and no-calorie beverages such as diet soda and Crystal Light.

As for alcohol, it's fine in moderation. Limit yourself to two drinks per day of wine, light beer, or hard liquor. Just make sure any liquor you down isn't combined with a mixer that contains calories, such as juice or regular soda.

Workout Nutrition
Use these guidelines, as study participants did, anytime you perform the workout. Here's what you do: Consume at least 20 grams of protein anywhere from an hour before to 30 minutes after your workout. A protein shake is ideal at this time. Use a product that's mostly protein, with only small amounts of carbs and fat. For instance, At Large Nutrition Nitrean (www.atlargenutrition.com) is an excellent choice. One serving has 24 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbs, and 1 grams of fat. So, use that for comparison shopping. You can also eat regular food, of course. Here are some easy options:

• A small can (3.5 ounces) of tuna
• 3 to 4 ounces (three to four slices) of deli meat, such as turkey or chicken
• A serving of any kind of lean meat that's about the size of a deck of cards
• 3 eggs: hard-boiled, scrambled, fried

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Troubleshooting
1. If you're not achieving the results you want, monitor your calorie intake. Simply multiply your target body weight by 10 to 12. The total is the number of daily calories you should shoot for.

2. Don't be surprised if you're irritable or tired for the first 3 to 4 days. Your body typically needs a few days to adjust. If it's been 5 or more days and you still feel tired, make sure you're getting adequate salt and drinking enough water. A good rule of thumb: Consume 8 to 12 ounces of water for every 2 hours that you're awake. And, don't avoid fat. this diet increases your body's use of fat for energy, so you absolutely need to eat fat.

3. If you're having GI discomfort, try taking a fiber supplement -- such as Metamucil or Benefiber -- once a day.
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