The Full 13 Day Diet

1. 
Due to the length of this diet, it is recommended that you plan it so that you do not have
any big event during the next 13 days

2. 
The best time to start is on a SUNDAY, which only gives you one miserable weekend

3. 
You need to drink a MINIMUM of 2 LITRES of water per day!!!

4. 
IMPORTANT!!! Eat the wholewheat bread with ONLY A SCRAPING OF BUTTER!

5. 
If the diet is followed IN A STRICT MANNER, you should lose all excess body fat (depending on your BMI), between 9-20 kgs

6. 
The diet must be followed for 13 DAYS ONLY and no longer!!!

7. 
Please note that this is not a traditional crash diet, but a diet to change your METABOLISM- it continues working even after the 13 days.

8. 
WARNING...NB!!!!If during the 13 days you CHEAT, e.g. consume beer, a glass of wine, a piece of chewing gum, or any extra food, you might as well STOP THE DIET because it becomes pointless and the diet will have NO EFFECT in this case. You may try again in 3 MONTHS time!

9. 
If you followed this diet perfectly for 13 days, you must not repeat it under any circumstances before 12 months have passed!!!

10.  It is recommended that this diet is repeated every 2 years if so required

RULES: 

1. 
No cheating. Not even slightly

2. 
NO chewing gum (even the sugar free types)

3. 
NO ALCOHOL: beer, wine, champagne, ciders etc

4. 
No oil for cooking (even if it is extra virgin olive oil)

5. 
No honey

6. 
No sugar

7. 
No extra food

8. 
No salad dressing (even if it is light)

RULES- Thngs you may use:

1. Salt

2. Pepper

3. Lemon juice

4. Sweeteners

5. Onions

6. Balsamic vinegar


NOTE: As much as you like has been abbreviated: AMAYL

DAY 1


BREAKFAST: Coffee, no sugar, no milk
 
LUNCH: 2 boiled eggs, cooked spinach (AMAYL)
 
DINNER: Grilled minute (lean) steak (AMAYL)

DAY 2
 
BREAKFAST: Coffee & buttered wholewheat bread 
 
LUNCH: Ham 200g  

DINNER: Grilled minute steak & Green salad (only cucumber & lettuce: NO SALAD DRESSING) & quality fruit

DAY 3

 
BREAKFAST: Coffee & buttered wholewheat bread 
 
LUNCH: 2 boiled eggs, tomato salad & green beans
 
DINNER: 1 slice of ham & green salad (only cucumber & lettuce)

DAY 4:
 
BREAKFAST: Coffee & buttered wholewheat bread 
 
LUNCH: Cooked or raw carrots, with cheese (AMAYL)
 
DINNER: Fruit salad (any fruits of your choice) & natural (plain) yogurt

DAY 5:
 
BREAKFAST: Carrot (cooked or raw) with lemon & coffee

LUNCH: Grilled white fish with raw tomato

DINNER: Grilled steak & green salad

DAY 6:

BREAKFAST: Coffee & buttered wholewheat bread 

LUNCH: 200g Grilled skinned chicken

DINNER: 2 boiled eggs with carrots



DAY 7:

BREAKFAST: Lemon tea

LUNCH: Grilled steak & fruit (AMAYL)


DINNER: Anything (even if its not on this list)!!!

DAY 8:

BREAKFAST: Coffee with as much SUGAR as
you like


LUNCH: 2 boiled eggs, cooked spinach
(AMAYL)

DINNER: 200g Grilled minute steak

DAY 9:

BREAKFAST: Coffee & buttered wholewheat bread 

LUNCH: Grilled steak & green salad

DINNER: 200g Ham


DAY 10:

BREAKFAST: Coffee & buttered wholewheat bread 

LUNCH: 2 boiled eggs, tomato salad & green beans

DINNER: Ham & green salad (only cucumber & lettuce)

DAY 11:

BREAKFAST: Coffee & buttered wholewheat bread

LUNCH: Cooked or raw carrots, with cheese (AMAYL)

DINNER: Fruit salad & natural yogurt

DAY 12 & DAY 13:


BREAKFAST: Coffee & buttered
wholewheat bread

LUNCH: tomato & grilled skinned chicken

DINNER: 2 boiled eggs with carrots

So that's it. I'll let you guys know how it goes afterwards.

I'll keep you posted daily......

Why Are You Alive? Find Your Purpose!

Very few of us have ever died and come back. In fact, very few of us have had near death experiences. But the one thing I have picked up from the few people who HAVE had near death experiences, is that they came back viewing life totally differently.

They come back with a renewed passion for life. And they attack life voraciously. More importantly….they find their purpose in life. Call it a religious or spiritual awakening, or just a newfound passion for life. Because they realise that life in itself is a gift. Therefore every trial and tribulation that comes their way is nothing but a small hurdle. The bigger picture is being alive. The bigger picture is living to see another day.

Now……here is my plea to you. Start with that. Start with being grateful that you are alive. Before you take stock of everything else in your life, take cognisance of the breath that you are able to take. A lot of people didn’t make it this morning. Millions didn’t see the sun rise this morning. And they would have been so grateful to do so.

Before you complain about all that you don’t have….be thankful for all that you DO have. Somewhere out there, there is somebody on life support, as we speak. Hanging on to life by a thread. Somewhere out there, there is somebody waiting, praying for the phone to ring, telling them that they have found a healthy heart or a healthy kidney or liver that will save their lives. And they will give all their worldly goods, just to be healthy again.

So, if you happen to have your health….trust me, you are fortunate already.

Before you complain that you don’t have the fancy house and cars that you feel you deserve, take a minute to think about the homeless person, who calls a cardboard box his bed. The homeless woman who lives under a bridge. The child who was abandoned this morning and may never experience a mother’s love.

I am not here to preach. Lord knows I am far from being a preacher. But one thing I do know is that, I am as guilty as the next man of getting so caught up in all that I don’t have, that I often forget about all that I DO have.

Here is MY epiphany: Towards the end of last year, through the Wakeup Woman Group  http://www.facebook.com/groups/456627244360205/  I came up with the crazy idea of collecting Christmas gifts for the underprivileged. We discussed it within the group and decided to include the following, in our gift pack: 1. A Facecloth. 2. A bar of soap. 3. A Toothbrush. 4. A tube of Toothpaste. 5. An item of clothing. 6. A toy. You wrap all these in a shoebox and gift wrap it and viola! You have a gift to present to a child.

Somehow, miraculously, we were able to gather or buy 54 gift boxes for the 54 children at Ethembeni Orphanage in Doornfontein. And it became one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done in my life.  All I did was to use what resources I had, what little influence I have on the social media and somehow, we made it happen.

I have found my purpose. To be a philanthropist. I have said so many times that you don’t need to be wealthy to be a philanthropist. Sometimes all you need to do is to turn ONE person’s frown into a smile. Sometimes all you need to give is your smile. Your time. Give a smile to somebody who needs it and somehow, YOUR smiles will be multiplied as well.

This year, I’d like to take it to the next level. If I can get people who can “adopt a child”. Pay for ONE child’s survival per month. To all those who are blessed, spending R500 to make sure that one child gets fed for a month….that is small change to you, but it is survival to one child. R500 is what you spend on a Friday night at News Café. It is very easy to give.

But let’s not limit it to those with a lot of money. Every little bit counts. And even if you have nothing to contribute….even your TIME is valuable. Help raise funds. Talk to companies. Companies always have Social Responsibility Programmes where they are more than welcome to help.

Speaking of time…..if you are able to pop in and see the children. Play with them for a few minutes. As you can imagine, the staff at an orphanage are often busy. They are exhausted by the end of every day. They really could use somebody to just come in and play with the children for 30 minutes. Imagine looking after 54 children aged 0-3 years old.  If you are a parent, you KNOW what a handful just ONE toddler can be.

As I have said…I have found MY purpose. And I am grateful to have done so without having a near death experience.

Count your blessings today.

13 Day Diet.....(Does it live up to the hype?)

The month of December has always been a bit of a mixed blessing for me. My birthday falls smack in the middle of the month. Then of course, there is Christmas and all the wonderful festivities that come with December. That's the good part.

However....the down side is: you drink so much and eat so much that inevitably you find yourself literally ballooning in size when the new year comes.

So.....I decided to try this 13 Day Metabolism Diet. Some call it 13 Days of hell, so I asked myself: "How bad can it really be?" So, when Domina decided to go on this diet, I rose to the challenge and joined her. Yes, the 5kg that I picked up during December also had something to do with it.

Apparently, they say that this diet improves your metabolism. You lose between 9kg and 20kg in the 13 days. And because of your much improved metabolism, the weight stays off. Even after you have gone back to normal eating. Look, I think it stands to reason that you can't eat the way I was eating throughout December and expect NOT to gain any weight. But if you eat a fair amount, you will keep the weight off.
They are also very adamant that if you cheat even slightly, you will lose all benefits of this diet. Every single thing on the diet has been put there for a reason. So behave! I am not even allowed to suck on a mint. If I feel my breath getting a bit funky (which inevitably it will, from hunger), I have to brush my teeth. Not even "sugar free" gum is allowed.

So, let's see if it will live up to the expectation:



Saturday 05 January 2013 (Day 1)
Starting Weight: 87.0 Kg

My first problem....I don't drink coffee. I can't. I have not touched caffeine in 12 years. And I'll be damned if I am going to fall off the wagon over some diet. So, we agreed that I would substitute coffee with Green Tea. Which tastes quite rubbish, really. Second problem, I noticed that there is ham on it. I don't eat pork, either. So we substituted that with chicken slices. I really hope none of that messes up my results. Third problem (sort off) is that I have to drink at least two litres of water per day. I think I drank 2 litres of water the whole of 2012. I HATE drinking water. That stuff tastes awful. Who drinks that?

Breakfast: Green Tea for breakfast. Awful! But not a train smash. 

Lunch: Boiled spinach (yuck), tomato and 2 boiled eggs. That was not bad at all. And I had dinner to look forward to. 

Dinner: Green salad (lettuce, cucumber, green pepper, raw mushrooms with balsamic vinegar mixed with some lemon juice) and (thankfully) a grilled 200g steak. Very tasty and filling. Half way through it I was full. But I knew it would be AGES before I get the next meal. So i soldiered on very bravely.

Honestly....not a bad start at all. My energy levels were quite high. Didn't really have any hunger pangs at all. So I am very upbeat. Great start this....

Sunday 06 January 2013 (Day 2)

Weight: 86.1 Kg (1kg lost)

The weight loss is not staggering. But, hey! it's a start. Even if I lose the weight at this rate throughout the 13 day period, I will end up at 74 Kg. Which would be fantastic. My belly measured a HEFTY 101 cm when I started. I really want to see what that will read on day 13.

Breakfast: Once again....Green Tea. I am anxiously waiting for lunch time!
Lunch: 200g of ham (or in my case, shaved chicken slices) and 100g tub of plain yoghurt. I enjoyed that, actually. Honestly, most of this diet, I think I will be able to carry over into my normal routine.
Dinner: Green Salad and 200g steak again. Tasted awesome!

I must mention, in the interests of full disclosure, that Domina walked in, just before lunch time and announced that she is DONE. She quits, and she wants pizza for dinner. I was quite hungry during the day...but the lunch helped. Worse still, I had to go see some friends and they had a massive cheese platter on the table and ice cold Heineken! I sat with them for a full hour, salivating at the contents of the table, drinking my ice cold water.....and I lived.

On my way back, I had to pick up Domina's pizza. And drive with it in the car. BUT I lived.

I absolutely loved my dinner! And I attacked my steak voraciously. Can't wait for Day 3.

Monday 07 January 2013 (Day 3)
Weight: 84.9 Kg (2kg lost)

Breakfast: Green Tea and a slice of wholewheat toast. Some versions of the diet say that you can put a bit of butter on the toast. While some say that you can have as much toast as you want. I'll stick to a maximum of 2 dry slices. Just for control. Today, I had one only.

By 10h00, I regretted having one slice of wholewheat for breakfast, as I felt my stomach rumbling. But just like a person feeling some muscle pain after gym, I enjoyed the hunger pangs, as I imagined that the rumbling was just fat melting from my stomach and muscles forming. Hey, one can only dream. If you won't endure the pain of situps and crunches, the least you can do is endure some hunger pangs. That's my logic.

Lunch: Two boiled eggs and a green salad with tomato. NOT great. But at least, I was full. And I loved the fact that I have lost 2 full Kg's in 2 days. That was really inspiring. So much so, that I decided to go for a 4km jog, in the blistering heat, in the middle of the day. That was incredibly stupid! But I enjoyed it nonetheless. Until I got back and discovered what dinner is. I have just burnt off all the lunch that I ate and now I discover that tonight's dinner is the lightest so far. If anybody sees me walking towards McDonalds at 22h00 tonight, don't get in my way. I WILL be deranged!

Dinner: 1 Slice of ham (or chicken in my case) a green salad and a fruit. Really? NO grown man should be made to eat like this. Certainly none that had such a measly breakfast and lunch. AND foolishly went for a jog. I swear, if I don't have abs like Usher at the end of these 13 days, there WILL be trouble.

But I am staying strong. Let's see what happens at 10 tonight. PS: The Indian neighbours are cooking up a STORM, right now. I may have to kill them all.

Tuesday 08 January 2013 (Day 4)
Weight: 84.5 Kg (a disappointing 0.4Kg)

Ok, so I wake up quite grumpy. I went to bed hungry and my energy levels were not at their best. But I was very positive. I figure: If I managed to lose 2 Kg in 2 days,  while eating steak, hell, I have probably lost 4kg overnight, with the measly meals I ate yesterday.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I discovered I lost a measly 400g. I am FUMING! This is the closest I have ever come to just calling it a day and just buying myself a slice of cheese cake. Dammit!

Anyway, I must soldier on. So, I just had the usual breakfast, a cup of tea and 4 (yes, FOUR) slices of wholewheat crackerbread. And that was the highlight of the morning.

Lunch time: It gets worse. Damn carrots. That's it. Carrots. Nothing more.

 Dinner: A fruit salad and 200g of plain yoghurt. In the words of Tupac...."I see death around the corner"
The only thing keeping me sane right now, is the thought of tomorrow. Tomorrow's lunch and dinner are going to be amazing. I am salivating at the very thought.

Right now, all that is keeping me on this diet is willpower. Oh, and the fact that I have gone public with it, so my failure would be equally public. So.....I am staying on.