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How I Lost 16lbs In 1 Month by doing The 28 Day Keto Challenge…

26/05/2020

16lb weight loss in 28 days…

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How did I do it? 

This is the most dramatic weight loss I’ve experienced to date (and I’ve been in this game for 10 years!). I set myself a goal to lose as much weight as possible in just 1 month! I was kind of hoping to lose 6-8 lbs, but I actually ended up losing 16lbs (high five!).

In my opinion, one of the best and quickest ways to lose weight is to do a ‘ketogenic diet’. In this post, I’m going to show you how I achieved a rapid weight loss, by giving away my secrets and sharing tips so you too can shed some serious pounds of body fat.

After all who doesn’t want to lose a bit of timber from their love handles?

I’ve also put together a Video Vlog so you can see the ups, downs, pro’s, con’s and gain further insight into my experience with a ketogenic diet plan.

You’ll also get the opportunity to complete the 28 Day Keto Challenge yourself. Let’s see if you can beat 16lbs! I know people who’ve lost up to 20lbs following this exact plan.

Firstly though I’d recommend getting clued up by reading the content below – there are some serious knowledge bombs that you don’t want to miss before diving into your own 28 Day Keto Challenge…

What is ketosis? 

Ketosis is a metabolic process that occurs when the body does not have enough glucose for energy (1). When fasting or removing carbohydrates from the diet, your body undergoes hormonal changes that stimulate the release of fat from your fat cells, where it is transported to the liver and made into ketones, which are then used for energy (2).

In much simpler terms, ketosis forces your body to use fat for energy. This is also known as training your body to become fat-adapted (3) – meaning the body becomes super efficient at utilizing fats for fuel.

Ketosis and weight loss…

sheffield personal trainer nickeh screetoni - owner of LEP Fitness in sheffield

In today’s day and age, and for many of us, our diets are made up of foods that are high in carbohydrates…

The likes of bread, pasta, pizza, chocolate, sweets, you know all the good, tasty stuff! 

In normal circumstances, our bodies prefer to use glucose (carbohydrates) for energy, however when carbohydrates are removed and no more carbs are put in the petrol tank (so to speak!) our body has no choice but to use its alternate fuel source…. fat! 

As I found out during my 28-day ketogenic challenge, by following a keto meal plan it’s possible to lose a drastic amount of weight (16 lbs!) over a very short period of time.

The Benefits of ketogenic dieting…

why the ketogenic diet is great for weight loss

Here are all the benefits that I personally experienced…

Increased Energy Levels – Instead of feeling tired, sluggish and slow in the mornings I  had much more energy. The energy also largely continued throughout the day. My energy felt stable as opposed to the usual rollercoaster (up and down) daily slumps I had experienced before switching to a keto meal plan. I could really feel that this was a healthy lifestyle.

Extreme Weight Loss – I lost a whopping 16 lbs in just 28 days. This completely boosted my self-confidence, and I was much happier with the way I looked. I was amazed to see such dramatic results over a very short period of time.

ZERO Bloating – before switching to a ketones diet I’d regularly get stomach bloating, especially after eating certain foods (milk, carbs, etc). My stomach would do cartwheels, and look as though I’d swallowed a football! I often felt bloated, which subsequently made me tired and insecure about how my stomach looked. Within 7 days of following a ketogenic diet plan, most, if not all bloating subsided. I looked leaner and felt pretty damn amazing.

Sharper Mental Focus – Before the ketones diet, I’d often get regular moments of brain fog and hazy thoughts, you know the ones where your mind just aimlessly wanders and before you know it you’ve lost concentration or you feel depressed about something? After switching to a ketogenic diet menu I felt much more focused at the gym, at home, when reading, writing, and working. I also felt more creative – coming up with some great ideas for my blogs.

Happier Mood – My mood was largely much happier,  I felt content with the fact that I was looking better physically and also feeling much sharper mentally. My mood was very stable, whereas before it would often fluctuate up and down like a yo-yo depending on what I had eaten and what time of the day it was!

Better Skin – I noticed that my skin looked clearer, and my complexion had a healthier glow.

The Negatives of ketogenic dieting…

the negative side to ketogenic diets - sheffield personal trainer - LEP Fitness

I feel that it’s super important to create an honest account of not only the pros but also the con’s and here’s some that I experienced.

Banging Headaches – the first 5-7 days were pretty horrific. I’d get banging headaches and felt pretty down in the dumps (get the Violins out!). To be honest most of it was just the withdrawals of all the cr*p which I’d put in my body: sugar, caffeine, and junk food. It’s very normal to experience a low when switching up your diet whilst your body adapts. I went completely cold turkey and boy did I feel rubbish for the first week.

Food Restriction – When following a keto meal plan you are restricting many foods, stuff like rice, pasta, potatoes, grains and foods which taste good: pizza, bread, chocolate, sweets, and all the other good stuff! This can be difficult at times and test your will power.

Fatigue – As I’ve mentioned the first 5-7 days I felt extremely flat and tired. I didn’t really want to train and my motivation was pretty low.

Cravings – I’d crave all sorts of junk food during the initial phase of the keto diet. This soon went but initially, I found things pretty tough.

Poor Muscle Pumps – if your aim is to build muscle I wouldn’t recommend doing a ketogenic diet, that’s not to say it can’t be done, it can, it’s just very difficult. One of the things carbs do is help you get a good muscle pump when lifting weights, this is important when it comes to building muscle mass. I noticed after 10 days of following a keto meal plan that I was struggling to get a good muscle pump when training. In my opinion, a ketones diet is not ideal for building muscle at all, it is however super effective if  FAT LOSS is the goal.

Ketosis Breath – yep, eating lots of meat and vegetables doesn’t leave you with the best breath! I call it ‘ketosis breath’, however as long as you brush your teeth 2x per day (and floss!) + keep some chewing gum in your back pocket… you’ll be absolutely fine.

28 Day Ketogenic Challenge Video…

What is a ketogenic diet?

A ketogenic diet largely consists of eating foods that are high in fat and protein. In order to go into ketosis, we have to switch up the foods we eat and train the body to become fat-adapted, it’s not going to do it by itself! I’m going to be sharing some ketogenic diet foods with you very shortly.

Carbohydrates & Ketosis… 

Although I’ve mentioned eliminating carbs completely, this is near enough impossible and your body can still go into ketosis with a certain amount of carbs, although quantities are to be kept to a minimal amount…

For example the only carbs I consumed during my 28 day challenge came from green vegetables and fruit (I only consumed between 20-40g of carbs per day – which is very low).

Now people will argue all day long over the best ratio of fats to proteins, but from my own personal experience, when following my keto meal plan I found a ratio of around 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs to work extremely well.

Keto Foods…

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Here’s a list of 25 keto diet-friendly foods…

  1. Steak
  2. Pork
  3. Ham
  4. Mincemeat
  5. Chicken
  6. Turkey
  7. Pheasant
  8. Bacon
  9. Sausage
  10. Eggs
  11. Salmon
  12. Clams
  13. Crab
  14. Mussels
  15. Squid
  16. Lobster
  17. Avocado
  18. Macadamia nuts
  19. Brazil nuts
  20. Walnuts
  21. Peanut butter
  22. Almond butter
  23. Coconut butter
  24. Olive oil
  25. Organic butter

My ketogenic diet menu 

Here’s a taster of some of the recipes I used on my ketogenic meal plan. *Note these meals serve 1 person.

1) Crispy Sweet Salmon with Veggies Galore 

keto - keto meal plan - foods for keto diet - keto diet foods

Ingredients:

  • 200g Fresh Salmon
  • 1x Lemon Slice
  • 10g Organic Butter
  • 5g Honey
  • 100g mixed vegetables
  • Mixed Herbs
  • Garlic
  • Seasalt

How to Make:

Place 200g of fresh salmon on some tin foil, add on top a diced lemon, 10g butter, 5g honey, a pinch of garlic, and a sprinkle of mixed herbs, and then wrap it all up in the tinfoil. Place in the oven (medium heat) for 25-30 minutes (depending on how well you like it cooked!). 10 minutes before you pull out your salmon, put 100g of mixed vegetables in a pan and cook them on the hob, add in a sprinkle of sea salt to add some flavour to your veggies! Once both your salmon and veggies are cooked, discard the lemon from your salmon, then put them both together on a plate and enjoy.

2) Peanut Butter Protein Shake

peanut butter protein shake - LEP Fitness

Ingredients:

  • 50g Whey Protein (chocolate)
  • 300ml Almond Milk (Unsweetened)
  • 30g Peanut Butter
  • 5g Honey

How to Make:

Wow, this is super easy! Just put all the above ingredients into a blender or protein shaker, then thoroughly mix them up and … drink!

3) Cheesy Chicken Bacon Feast 

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Ingredients:

  • 200g Chicken Breast
  • 2 x rashers of Lean Bacon
  • 30g Mozzarella cheese
  • Mixed herbs
  • Asparagus (as much as you like)

How to Make:

Slightly slice your chicken breast (like you would a pitta bread) and insert mozzarella in-between, closing like a sandwich. Then wrap your bacon around your chicken, sprinkle some herbs on top, and then place in the oven (medium heat) for 25-35 minutes, until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Either steam or boil your asparagus, and then serve up.

More Ketogenic Recipes…

You can also pick up my Keto Recipe Book…

Keto recipe book by LEP Fitness

In the recipe book you get 30 delicious and easy to cook keto meals – breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and desserts.

You can swipe up this book for just £1.99

I also use recipes from:

ketosis & exercise 

sheffield personal trainer nickeh screetoni - owner of LEP Fitness a pt company in sheffield

As well as following a ketogenic diet meal plan, I also completed plenty of physical training to promote further fat loss. One thing we have to remember is that fat loss ultimately comes down to calories in – calories out. In order for us to burn fat, we have to create a deficit.

Increasing output by training is a great way to lose weight. If you then combine the training with a keto meal plan you suddenly have a lethal concoction guaranteed to annihilate body fat!

During the 28-day keto challenge I did weight training every other day and on my rest days, I’d make-sure to walk at least 15,000 steps. Done over 28 days… this leads to a great amount of fat fuel burning! You can see my training in action by watching the 28-day keto challenge video.

In the future, when I do the 28 Day Keto Challenge again, the one type of exercise I will be adding in to maximize fat loss is Sprint Interval Training. These cardio workouts will be short BUT intense – lasting no longer than 20 minutes. With people losing almost 1.5X the amount of fat by doing SIT vs HIIT, combining this with 28 Days of Keto Dieting will probably lead to even more dramatic results. 

You Don’t Have To Go To The Gym…

If you’re the type of person who likes working out at home… then I’d recommend picking up some dumbells and a bench. If you prefer, you can still get good results doing bodyweight workouts and resistance band training. I’ve put together three home workouts you can try below:

Dumbell & Bench Workout:

9 Bodyweight Exercises:

16 Resistance Band Exercises:

3 Bonuses That Compliment Your Keto Diet:

#1 Butter Coffee

Butter coffee has become hugely popular over the last few years. What is butter coffee? It’s exactly how it sounds…butter in coffee. Butter coffee can be great for fat loss, as it increases focus (allowing you to train harder). It also raises your body temperature, encouraging fat loss. As butter coffee is high in fat and has zero carbs, it can be a great way to start your keto day.

#2 Improve Your Sleep

Your sleep may suffer on a keto diet, especially when you first start your keto diet. If your sleep is poor…guess what will happen? You’ll be more likely to crave sugary foods and fall of your keto meal plan. That’s not what you want. There are lots of ways to improve your sleep. I would recommend doing the following:

  • Make your bedroom as dark as possible – use blackout blinds, or wear a sleeping mask.
  • Turn off your phone at least one hour before bed – Blue light interferes with hormones in your body that help you sleep. 
  • Take either a warm bath or shower 30-60 minutes before bed – This will help your muscles relax.
  • Remove stresses – no emails, or checking social media, anything that could stimulate thoughts or fight or flight emotions. You want to be as relaxed as possible if you want to sleep well. 
  • Avoid eating 2 hours before bed – Going to bed on a full stomach is one of the worst things you can do, and it will stop you from having optimal rest and recovery. 

For a more in-depth post on improving your sleep, please read this post I wrote – How to get the best night’s sleep you’ve had in 10 years

#3 Keto Supplements 

Alongside eating highly nutritious keto foods, I would recommend using supplements such as whey protein (or vegan protein powder). You could also buy supplements such as ketone pills to give you extra energy while following your keto meal plan.  

My Overall opinion of ketogenic dieting…

In my opinion following a ketogenic diet meal plan is a phenomenal way to shed some serious pounds. In this post, I’ve shared the advantages and disadvantages and tried my best to paint an honest, unbiased opinion of what I think about a ketones diet.

I’ve been fully immersed in the fitness industry for the past 10 years and have yet to come across a dieting method to work as quickly and effectively as this. There are many ways to lose weight, but for me, this has been an absolute success, with very little trade-off. One thing I will say is that I believe the ketones diet to be a short term fix, I don’t think myself (or most people) would be able to sustain a keto diet for life.

I do however know that by following the 28 day Keto Challenge amazing results can be achieved. It’s perfect for those who want rapid weight loss. For the short term and for the most bang for your buck the 28-day challenge is well worth ago and besides… it’s only 28 days! What have you got to lose?

Grab Your Own 28 Day Keto Challenge…

So after all the knowledge bombs and proof that the 28 Day Keto Challenge works, who wants in on the action?

If you like you can follow the exact method that I used to lose 16lbs in just 28 days. I’ve also used this super successful strategy on hundreds of LEP members – but don’t just take my word for it go check out the hundreds of testimonials on my site!

Testimonial collage of LEP Fitness members

What’s in the 28 Day Keto Challenge? 

  • A 28 Day Written Plan of action – A personal road map guaranteed to achieve success
  • A Ketogenic Diet Plan – A meal plan to help you shed layers of fat
  • 7 Day Training Plan for the gym
  • 7 Day Training Plan for at home (if you don’t want to go to the gym)
  • A Post Keto strategy for further weight loss (once you’ve completed the 28 days) 

*Disclaimer

Basically everything you need to know to shift some serious timber! whether you’re a man, or woman, old, young, fit, or unfit this plan will get to work on exterminating stubborn body fat!

Typically for an LEP Custom Meal Plan the investment is £150. For the 28 Day Keto Challenge, I’m making this plan available for just £9.99! That’s a crazy offer, and one I’m very unlikely to make again.

‘Swipe Up’ Your 28 Day Keto Challenge NOW to Start Rapidly Losing Weight…