The 12-Week Shape Up: A Doctor's Weight Loss Plan Without Injections

The injection quiets the hunger for a while. Your habits are what keep the weight off for life.

Almost every week in clinic I meet the same young patient. Not diabetic, blood pressure still fine, maybe told their sugar is "borderline." They tried the weight loss shot and it worked for a few months. Then the insurance stopped paying, the price got too high, or the side effects made them stop. Now they ask me, "Doctor, the weight is coming back. What do I do now?"

This guide is my answer, written the same way I explain it to patients in the exam room. It is also for you if you never took the injection and want to do it the natural way from the start.

Three simple pillars

• The Plate: choose Desi Keto or Smart Carb. Cut the flour, keep a little roti if you want, and "eat the leaves": a big salad with your dal or chicken curry on top.
• The Clock: intermittent fasting built up slowly from 12:12 to 16:8, done the smart way, not the feast way.
• The Feet: forget the gym. A simple walking plan of 150 to 200 minutes a week, plus optional at-home strength moves.

What's inside (20 pages)

• Life after the injection: why the hunger comes back and how to hold your progress
• The flour list, desi swaps, a protein guide and a sample day
• Keto, the honest version, including the cholesterol warning
• A 12-week roadmap with one focus each week
• Surviving dawats, weddings, eating out and plateaus
• Fillable trackers for weight, waist, labs and daily habits, plus a months 4 to 6 plan to keep it off

Instant PDF download. Type into the trackers on your phone, tablet or computer, or print them.

Written by Dr. Mushahid Farooqi, MD, a Family Medicine and Urgent Care physician in New York.

Who it's for: adults, roughly 18 to 45, who are overweight or obese and not taking medicine for diabetes, blood pressure or cholesterol. Prediabetes is fine. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other medical conditions, or take any medication, please use this plan only with guidance from your own doctor or nutritionist. Not for pregnancy, breastfeeding, type 1 diabetes or anyone with a history of an eating disorder.

Please note: This guide is for general education and is not medical advice. Talk to your own clinician before starting any diet, fasting or exercise program. Individual results vary. Because this is an instant digital download, all sales are final. See our medical disclaimer.