In many cases, people who want to lose weight would resort to a diet that restricts certain foods, such as sugars and fats, which leads them into an unhealthy lifestyle and deprives them of the essential nutrients that they need. This can lead to other health problems down the line. What if I told you that you could eat absolutely anything and still lose weight?
Back in 2019, when I told people that my method allows people to eat absolutely anything they want and still lose weight, many laughed and dismissed me with name-calling. That’s how I entered into a bet to prove my point, to lose 7lbs of fat in 30 days while eating junk foods only. But what truly is “junk food”? Junk food is a general term for food that has little or no nutritional value. It is typically high in calories, fat and sugar. Junk food can be found everywhere – from the corner store to vending machines at work. It is so popular because it tastes good, it’s inexpensive and it’s convenient. However, eating too much junk food can lead to weight gain and other health problems. So, how did I do it?
WRITING DOWN THE PLAN
To start, I had to act as both the personal trainer and the client. As the personal trainer, I drafted the plan for client me to follow for the 30 days. The original goal was a 7lb weight loss, nothing crazy. That was about 1.5lb to lose each week. Based on my data at the time (age, height, weight), I calculated the calories and macronutrients that I would need to stick to in order to make that goal happen on top of exercising a minimum of three times each week. That’s the same thing that I do with my clients. With the plan done and completed, what was left was for client me to execute.
I did mention that the foods to eat were junk only. That was not entirely true. I should say, most of the meals were junk food, while a small portion was nutrient-dense. Living with some disordered eating, it is very difficult for me to have all my meals in solid form. So, to compensate, I have a protein shake or two in a day. The shake was the most nutritious meal on the list.
EXECUTING THE PLAN
The execution of the plan was the most exciting part. Of course, I was in the right set of mind, very eager and determined to do this. On the model of behavior change, I was in the action stage. I had considered the plan, made the decision to act on it, and now it was time to do just that.
My meals were broken down into four. This was a safe amount that I could tolerate. Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner. Just like that. Besides the protein shakes, I would have pizzas, burgers, chips, cake, pies, candies, sodas, you name it.
For exercises, I would top the sessions to 90 minutes maximum and they included weight lifting and cardio. I would workout at the gym and at home, documenting everything including how I felt.
This challenge was performed in December 2019. The month had 4.5 weeks, and the first week went fast and easy. In the second week, I started to feel the effects of such a diet.
THE EFFECTS
Though I believe that every food is good in moderation, junk food was also not the one I would eat regularly. I would stick to whole, fresh foods. And such a diet had my body develop some type of resistance to junk food, and. even reject it. So, in the second week into the program, my body was starting to react. First I had an upset stomach and then bowel movements – especially diarrhea – for days. It was pure hell, and I was starting to regret my choices. Shit was literally hitting the fan.
I was also getting more and more tired. The lack of proper nutrients and the presence of so much empty-calorie foods was taking a toll on my body, and I was starting to contemplate aborting that mission. That thought was almost a daily thing on week 3. Why would I put myself through that mess just to prove strangers who did not even care wrong? I could stop any time and I should. That is the thought that was entertaining my mind on a daily. But I did not quit. I am stubborn and determined. So, quitting was not an option. I fought through. Besides, we were getting closer to the finish line.
Week 4 was probably the toughest of it all. I was more and more tired, mentally and physically. My body was rejecting the junk food, which made me skip meals sometimes. I considered sticking to the protein shakes for the remainder of the challenge but that would have defeated the purpose. So, I stuck to the junk. Eating and finishing each meal was taking longer, too. I would even force myself to eat even when I was not hungry. I was approaching dangerous territories just to prove a point, and it would be very difficult to escape from those territories if I succumbed. I had to keep strong.
My days consisted of sleeping, eating, working out for the most part. That is when I was not working. At the time I was a personal trainer at a corporate gym. It was a bad experience but that is a story for another time, maybe.
THE RESULTS
Usually with my clients we have an assessment every 4 weeks. This is when we see where we are, how things are going and what adjustments we need to make. In my case, because the challenge was shorter – 30 days, the assessments were occurring each week. The other thing that I was also doing differently was to weigh myself daily for the entire 30 days. I always recommend my clients to weight themselves weekly rather than daily. Anyways, it was interesting to see the fluctuations of my weight. And yes, it went very high before it started to go down.
The measurements were interesting to see as well. Of course, I never expected for my muscles to grow bigger. Not in that short amount of time but also because the plan that I followed was not for mass gain but weight loss. What I did not expect was the difference in the fat percentage. It usually takes some time for fat loss to occur.
So, in 30 days, the most I expected was a 4% loss maximum. I knew it could be more because by the end of the 30 days, my abs were more defined and so were my obliques, a sight that I had not seen since the time when I was prepping for a bodybuilding show a few years prior. The abs and obliques were not the only muscles that were showing off. My quads, butt, arms, shoulders, the entire body.
I started the challenge weighing 168.6lbs at almost 24% body fat. I ended the challenge weighing 165.6lbs. Someone would see these results and might conclude that I failed. But did I? I set it out to lose 7lbs of fat. That is about 4.1% of body fat from my starting point, which was quite aggressive already. I ended the challenge at 165.6lbs and 7% body fat loss. In 30 days, I lost about 12lbs of fat! In just 30 days I had successfully altered my body composition, and I did that while eating junk food for the most part.
AFTERTHOUGHT
I overdid it. The challenge was more impressive than originally thought, and I had proven that you can lose weight and more importantly lose fat while eating junk food.
Even with those impressive results, when looking back I have to point out a few things that I could have done differently. First and foremost, before embarking on a fitness journey, it is advised to check in with a physician, which I did not do. I was on my own in that journey and things could have turned uglier than they did. Also, I already was living with disordered eating. I could have easily drifted into an eating disorder. So, not seeing a physician or having one follow my progresses was a dumb idea.
Then, there is the execution of the plan. Yes, you can lose weight while eating junk food but that type of lifestyle is not sustainable longterm. In my case it worked because I had plenty of “free time” on my hands. Yes, I had this part-time job as a personal trainer in that corporate gym, and I had the YouTube channel. I did not have any other employment. So, that’s why I could sleep as much as needed for instance. Also, the plan was aggressive to begin with. The more aggressive your fitness plan is and the lesser the changes to complete it.
Through this experiment I was able to prove that it is indeed possible to lose weight while eating junk food only. It is not ideal but it is possible. I still measured my quantities and tracked everything that I had to make sure that I was staying within my allowables because at the end of the day energy in and out still matters. If you eat more than you need, you will gain weight. Eating less than you need would make you lose weight.
Fat Acceptance claiming that they cannot lose weight is just pure bull manure. There is nothing natural about obesity. You become obese, you are not born with the condition. Weight loss is not impossible. You just need to want it enough to be willing to work for it.
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