Kym Johnson - The 5-6-7-8 Diet: The 14-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss

65 Bleecker Street

New York, NY 10012

Copyright 2016 by Kym Johnson

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Regan Arts Subsidiary Rights Department, 65 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012.

The information provided in this book is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. This book is not meant to be used, nor should it be used, to diagnose or treat any medical condition. For diagnosis or treatment of any medical problem, consult your own physician. The publisher and author are not responsible for any specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision and are not liable for any damages or negative consequences from any treatment, action, application, or preparation, to any person reading or following the information in this book.

First Regan Arts hardcover edition, January 2016.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015951637

ISBN 978-1-942872-91-7

eISBN 978-1-942872-92-4

Interior design by Nancy Singer

Jacket design by Richard Ljoenes

Jacket photograph by Glenn Nutley

Interior photographs: Glenn Nutley, .

To my Mum:

Thank you for being there every step of the way. I would not be where I am today without your love and support.

I love you.

To Robert, who encouraged me to write this book and makes me believe every day that anything is possible.

KYM JOHNSON is an Australian native and 3-time Dancing with the Stars Champion . She is the only professional dancer to have won Dancing with the Stars in two countriesonce in Australia and twice since joining the US version of the ABC hit show. After winning the 2009 season with Donny Osmond, Kym headlined on Broadway in the modern ballroom dance production Burn the Floor . She recently placed in the top six of the tenth-anniversary season with partner Robert Herjavec. A certified fitness professional and wellness expert, Kym has starred in multiple Dancing with the Stars fitness DVD programs and appeared in countless publications including Self , Shape , and People . Kym created the 5-6-7-8 Fitness platform to share her passion for healthy, clean eating and for personal fitness with her fans. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

I cant remember my world without dancing in it.

I started dancing when I was three and loved it from the first minute I set foot in the studio. My mum had been a dancer herself, and she recognized and nurtured my potential early on, letting me take jazz, tap, ballet, and music theater classes after school and on weekends. On days when I didnt have dance classes I would come home and practice my dancing before The Brady Bunch came on the telly. On Saturdays, Id be at the Langshores Dance Studio in Sydney from ten in the morning till three or four in the afternoon, but I didnt mind at all. I loved to dance, and the girls in the class were my best friends. Often theyd come over to my house afterward and wed watch Annie and tell ourselves wed be stars someday.

Because thats what people see when they look at dancersstars. They see the beautiful costumes, the bright smiles, the effortless grace. But dancings not as easy as it looks, especially for women. We dance in three-and-a-half-inch heels and need to be highly flexible, doing splits, being lifted and thrown around. I actually cant believe Im still dancing at my age, up against colleagues who are a generation younger than I am!

I often say that Ive been lucky enough to have a career doing what I love for my whole adult life. But then I realize thats not quite true. Yes, there was quite a bit of luck involved, but luck has little to do with hard work. And I mean hard, hard work. My days have been filled with dance classes since I was a very little girl, and it was hard work to get to them and stand in front of those mirrors and rehearse and practice and rehearse some more even when my feet were screaming at me to stop and my teachers frown told me that I wasnt even close to mastering the routine.

Like all professional athletes, dancers are a particular breed. Our careers are finite. We run the risk of an injury that could stop us in our tracks every time we rehearse or perform. We work in a highly competitive world where we are always being judged and reminded that someone else is better, or taller, or more shapely, or stronger, or more flexible... you get the point.

So why do we dance? Thats easy. Because we love it.

And this love makes everything worthwhile. It sustained me whenever I had an off day and performed poorly in a competition and wondered if Id ever do better again. It sustained me when tours were canceled, when the jobs I thought I had evaporated overnight. It sustained me through my parents divorce. It sustained me even when I had a broken heart.

When you love what you do, its not a chore. Its one of the greatest gifts you can have. So even if circumstances have left you feeling stuck or frustrated at the moment, finding something you truly love and working toward making that love a reality should be one of your top priorities. I never dreamed I would be a two-time Mirror Ball winner. I never dreamed I would meet a man like Robert Herjavec, an incredibly successful businessman and entrepreneur, whom you might know from ABCs Shark Tank or as my partner on the tenth-anniversary season of Dancing with the Stars . But dreams can come truethey just take a little work. Trust me on this!

What makes a dancer? A natural sense of rhythm and love for music and movement, of course. A sense of grace. A love of performing. A fierce inner motivation and drive. Knowing when to start, and knowing when to stop. And a willingness to work hard and keep at it, with discipline and determination, until we get it right.

In other words, dancing teaches you how to be a winner. Not in the classic sense of coming in first or being on top, but a true winner, someone who works hard, follows their dreams, and is gracious even in defeat. Ive been so blessed for my entire run on Dancing with the Stars . I won the ninth season with Donny Osmond and the twelfth with Super Bowl champ wide receiver Hines Ward, and I was even invited back to judge on the Australian version of the show. But while Im proud of these successes, I know they dont define me. Rejection is a part of life, and what matters is your resilience. How do you cope with obstacles in your way? How do you turn negatives into positives?

These are the qualities Ive seen in the best dancers and learned from the best teachers, and theyve served me well in my career and in all aspects of my life. And as Ive learned from these amazing teachers and peers, Ive discovered something about myselfjust as much as I love dancing, I love teaching dance. For me, the most rewarding part of my job on Dancing with the Stars was teaching my celebrities what to do and watching them blossom.

And what I was teaching them wasnt just the steps to the paso doble or the tango.

I was teaching them about body confidence, about a positive attitude, about dealing with insecurities and fears, about facing the world with your eyes focused and clear. (What youll read about in part 1.)