Fat Loss via Better Science and Simplicity
It is possible to lose 20 lbs. of bodyfat in 30 days by optimizing any of three factors: exercise, diet, or drug/supplement regimen. I’ve seen the elite implementation of all three in working with professional athletes. In this post, we’ll explore what I refer to as the “slow-carb diet”.
In the last six weeks, I have cut from about 180 lbs. to 165 lbs., while adding about 10 lbs. of muscle, which means I’ve lost about 25 lbs. of fat. This is the only diet besides the rather extreme Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) that has produced veins across my abdomen, which is the last place I lose fat (damn you, Scandinavian genetics). Here are the four simple rules I followed…
Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbohydrates
Avoid any carbohydrate that is — or can be — white. The following foods are thus prohibited, except for within 1.5 hours of finishing a resistance-training workout of at least 20 minutes in length: bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you avoid eating anything white, you’ll be safe.
Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again
The most successful dieters, regardless of whether their goal is muscle gain or fat loss, eat the same few meals over and over again. Mix and match, constructing each meal with one from each of the three following groups:
Proteins:
Egg whites with one whole egg for flavor
Chicken breast or thigh
Grass-fed organic beef
Pork
Legumes:
Lentils
Black beans
Pinto beans
Vegetables:
Spinach
Asparagus
Peas
Mixed vegetables
Eat as much as you like of the above food items. Just remember: keep it simple. Pick three or four meals and repeat them. Almost all restaurants can give you a salad or vegetables in place of french fries or potatoes. Surprisingly, I have found Mexican food, swapping out rice for vegetables, to be one of the cuisines most conducive to the “slow carb” diet.
Most people who go on “low” carbohydrate diets complain of low energy and quit, not because such diets can’t work, but because they consume insufficient calories. A 1/2 cup of rice is 300 calories, whereas a 1/2 cup of spinach is 15 calories! Vegetables are not calorically dense, so it is critical that you add legumes for caloric load.
Some athletes eat 6-8x per day to break up caloric load and avoid fat gain. I think this is ridiculously inconvenient. I eat 4x per day:
10am – breakfast
1pm – lunch
5pm – smaller second lunch
7:30-9pm – sports training
10pm – dinner
12am – glass of wine and Discovery Channel before bed
Here are some of my meals that recur again and again:
Scrambled Eggology pourable egg whites with one whole egg, black beans, and microwaved mixed vegetables
Grass-fed organic beef, pinto beans, mixed vegetables, and extra guacamole (Mexican restaurant)
Grass-fed organic beef (from Trader Joe’s), lentils, and mixed vegetables
Rule #3: Don’t drink calories
Drink massive quantities of water and as much unsweetened iced tea, tea, diet sodas, coffee (without white cream), or other no-calorie/low-calorie beverages as you like. Do not drink milk, normal soft drinks, or fruit juice. I’m a wine fanatic and have at least one glass of wine each evening, which I believe actually aids sports recovery and fat-loss. Recent research into resveratrol supports this.
Rule #4: Take one day off per week
I recommend Saturdays as your “Dieters Gone Wild” day. I am allowed to eat whatever I want on Saturdays, and I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. I make myself a little sick and don’t want to look at any of it for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesn’t downregulate from extended caloric restriction. That’s right: eating pure crap can help you lose fat. Welcome to Utopia.
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If you enjoyed this post, check out my latest book, The 4-Hour Body, #1 New York Times and #1 Amazon bestseller. You will learn: the finer details of the Slow Carb Diet (outlined in the above post), how I gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, how to produce 15-minute female orgasms, and more.
You can also get the Expanded and Updated 4-Hour Workweek, which includes more than 50 new case studies of luxury lifestyle design, business building, reducing hours 80%+, and world travel.
Related and Recommended Posts:
Tim Ferriss interviewed by Derek Sivers
Tim Ferriss articles on Huffington Post
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That's how we're gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you're rude, we'll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
Hey, everyone:
Found this diet by chance, just by searching the Internet. I’ve been on it for a week now, only 1 pound lost. I’ve been following the diet as written (it’s pretty easy to follow), no forbidden foods at all.
Anyone else having similar problems? How long b4 I see some results? I don’t want to get discouraged and quit.
Thanks in advance!
i just came across this site.. and by the looks of alll the comments it seems to be legit which is totally awesome.. i wanna try it but i always get discouraged when i dont see results.. any word of advice??
Tim and Friends:
I am so sorry. I am not homophobic, but I can see how my commit could be implied that way. I am so sorry; you may not see me for a while, for I am embarrassed and you don’t even know me. Honest to God, while I was looking at your site, clicking, here and there,as well as on names and highlighted areas, I came across something about rainbow, and something about gay… something or another….and I assumed (which people tell you never to do). Your right, someones personal business is their own business – I was only….I can’t even say anything to escape my commit, but that I’m sorry if I offended anyone. Honestly, this is the first blog I have ever visited, and by my initial entrance, maybe I should never google again. Please know, that I would never, intentionally harm anyone with my commits, or attack anyone’s privacy, or beliefs.
Sincerely,
Julie
Leeia and tbc:
I think, as they say in the ads, “Results can Vary”. Everyone has different body chemistry. Instead of looking at this as a diet, look at it as a lifestyle change that will ultimately make you look and feel better. This is the way you should eat, period. It’s tough at first to break habits. I would crave sugar constantly at first. That will go away.
As this becomes your normal routine, you will come to look forward to it like you may look forward to a cheese steak, a deep fried circus peanut, or a large sized bowl filled with Cadbury Cream Eggs, with lots of white sugar and root beer poured on top! Oh, and then there’s the cake, and cake frosting. Cake frosting, peanut butter, hot fudge and marshmallow fluff! Yeah, and then I put some Ms. Butterworth on that shit and just like ATE IT! But first I put it ALL OVAH MAH BODDDAY!!! I LIKE LUCKXY CHARMS YEAH YEAH!
Tim, I’m totally trusting you with my body here. I’ve never eaten this much food in my life. This feels just plain wrong, but I’ll go with it! Living for Saturdays! 🙂
Ok Tim or anyone else please ding in. I am kind of confused……
Here is the story. About 11 months ago I start the slow carb diet as Tim outlines pretty much to the T and the results were awesome. I went from 220 to 195 within 2-2.5 months. That was with me drinking beer about 4 of the nights during the week (I know I know bad).
At the end of July I downsized my living situation due to a small business failure and moved out of state. I was dependent on a smaller income to cover two people so I just go to off track on the diet.
Now during that time away from the diet I perfectly maintaned my 195 weight with just watching what I was eating and slow the intake of Beer.
4.5 weeks ago I jump back on the slow card diet after my weight goes up to 207. Right away the first week I drop 7 pounds. During that weekend I take a trip to Chicago and pig out fon pizza for a day longer then I should have on the diet schedule. My body gains 5 pounds back by that Monday.
Now 3.5 weeks later doing the same diet as before,I have NOT been able to lose 1 pound. I am eating the same as I did almost a year ago when I lost 25 pounds however I am not drinking beer during the week. However my body is not responding as it did at the start even when I was drinking beer during the week. I do beleive I should be sitting around 160-170 pounds so I do have a belly.
But my body is reacting differently even. I mean I do not have this mean hunger like I used to, heck some days I have to remind myself to have breakfast since my body is not telling me I am hungry. This a lot different then before. I hate even mention this but even my ahhh… “movements” are not the same…lol things floated before which told me I had little fat intake in my body. That is not the case anymore stuff sinks right to bottom.LOL
Is it such a thing that my 6-8 months of being off the diet built up some defense against it?
Here is my eating habits which are the same as when I dropped the 25 pounds:
Breakfast – Egg Whites, mixed veggies and blackbeans
Lunch – Either, Chicken breast or lean turkey pattie, mixed veggies, black beans
Dinner – Same as Lunch
That is sunday – friday at lunch. I take my free day from friday dinner to saturday midnight.
Tim or anyone else can you help suggest anything?
Dan
Hello. I actually stumbled upon this a while back and I happened to know so this may be a sign for me to try this!
I just have a few questions: Do these results last? I plan on exercising while following this “diet” but once i get to my desired weight in 30 days, do I go back to my original weight if I go back to my normal eaitng habits?
Also is salad okay? And if so, what about dressing and what type?
hi all,
stumbled on this website to try and find a quick way to lose 18lb+ before 20 May 2009 – yeah going on holiday:-). I currently weigh 11 stone 6 lb and have gained 1.5 stones stopping smoking in the last 6 months and have really struggled with my weigh since.
Can anyone give me ideas of meals to prevent the POW feeling and also want to check my menu planner to begin Monday.(plan to stay on this for first 2 weeks)
Breakfast: boiled egg, salad veg (e.g tomotes, lettuce, cucumber, peppers)
Lunch: chicken, pinto beans and salad veg
2nd smaller lunch: chicken, salad veg.
Dinner: Chicken, Beans and mixed veg
As mentioned any other advice would be greatly aprreciated and I will keep everyone updated on my progress. thanks in advance for any advice 😉
Sarah
(thanks Tim !!!)
Hey Tim-
I noticed in a few earlier posts that peanuts were generally discouraged from this diet. Just out of curiosity, is this because of the high fat content? And if so, aren’t the fats in peanuts generally monounsaturated fats (good for your heart and such).
I’ve been browsing around the internet trying to find the answer to this, just figured you might be able to share some insight 🙂
Thanks!
Rob
What if you can’t eat eggs then what are you suppose to eat for breakfast?
hello all, i just came across this website, and so far, oh my god, so many posts, so much info! It’s funny, because i started my diet today and it literally consists of chicken, brown rice and black beans, with spinach and broccoli rabe mix.
im about 6’8″ tall and roughly 295 lbs, my ideal focus weight is 245-250 lbs.
i have a wide variety of in-house exercise equipment, even resistance bands.
i bought a ton of supplements that would bankrupt scrooge mcducks money bin, lol
these include:
hydroxycut hardcore
prime (usp labs)
powerfull (usp labs)
anabolic pump (usp labs)
fish oil 1200mg per pill 1 or 2 a day.
size on (creatine)
isopure protein
now, for the advice =)
I CAN EAT! but im trying to limit my intake obviously. so i was wondering, can i eat brown rice, chicken, tuna, black beans, 4-5 times a day, obviously 2 of the meals would be a lot smaller than the other 3.
will this work for losing the weight? obviously with this method, i just cut out all of the garbage ive been eating, and let me tell you, i ate 8 or 9 times a day of the worst possible food!!!! and still, i have a decent physique, which leads me to assume my metabolism must be somewhat fast because i do not look overweight at all, maybe a lil tummy fat, which we all have.
so, again, just looking for the advice and feedback.
thank you all so much!
Hey all-
To address the POW issue:
eventhough I’ve been comfortable with eating the same thing every day, multiple times a day, I found a couple of tricks to keep the exact same meal different (Lentils, Chicken, Green Beans)
1) preparation. I started out my first 3 weeks with straight boiled chicken (using different seasoning each time), but I will be moving on to grilled, totally different taste.
2) dressing it up. Find a number of different sauces (I like a little bit of spice) that have 0 sugar, and use your sauce library to mix up every meal up differently. I have been using Thai Chili Paste (srichacha), yellow, green, and red curries.
Hope this helps
Is there any alternatives for breakfast I am not fond of beans and salsa for breakfast, the spinach omlett is doable, but I need some more choices for breakfast…this is my first time hearing of this and I am willing to try…Im already low-carb as is this shouldn’t be too much of a difference.
also is there a complete list of foods to eat…there seems to be a lot of variations and add-ins.
I started Tim’s diet yesterday and will be tracking my progress on a blog daily.
Hi, I’m Brian and I was wondering if I should eat the whole pizza im 14 years old, 5 foot four and weigh 145 pounds, i was wondering if i could do this meal plan and will it help me lose weigh, what should i do? help Tim Thanks.
I see that this post hasn’t been visited for a while, but Google helped me out. I was wondering, you say to avoid bread, but yet you have pizza in your diet. Are there certain types of breads that are okay, like whole wheat bread? Also, you said to avoid drinking milk, but does this include other dairy products like yogurt and cheese (I am a big fan of both). Thanks for the other ideas though, this is helping me out!
Thanks for the website. I am a 30 year old female who eats whatever she wants, and is lucky to only weigh 155-160 lbs (I’m 5’6″). Anyway, I mainly wanted to do this diet to discipline myself in some way, but also the health benefits and weight loss will be major bonuses. Anyway, after 30 days, I will probably relax a bit from the diet. I just needed this type of challenge right now, I guess.
I am on day three of the plan, and am eating twice per day (I get up very early for work and refuse to get up earlier to cook/eat: coffee is my breakfast). I do not know if I’ve lost any weight as I haven’t weighed myself (I usually become neurotic when I get in the habit of weighing myself), so I intend to measure my success by judging how my clothes fit. This was pretty challenging for me at first, as I’m not a dieter by any means, but the beans are really filling (and I love them). The food is a little boring, but it does make preparing meals easy. I’ve also added a little bit of cheese and low-fat organic sour cream to the meals I’ve been making, but I feel like it’s such a small amount, and still a vast improvement from my regular diet.
I plan on pigging out tomorrow (Saturday!). Anyway, I will update weekly (my final day will be 4/30: the day before my little brother’s wedding).
Hi Tim,
I wanted to know what should we do after this 30 day diet to prevent getting back our lost weight.
Thanks
Here is my update for the end of calendar week four (25 days into the 30). I have shed a total of 11 kilos (just over 24 lbs). My belt now tightens two further holes every time I put it on. My trousers are starting to poof out ridiculously, and I shall need to buy new ones – probably next week.
All of this was accomplished with only one attempted workout. I was in a car accident last year and have not yet recovered. I cannot lift weights because it strains the medial strand of my bicep mercilessly, risking permanent damage.
Tim, you’ve clearly hit on an excellent regime here. When you started this seven years ago, what inspired you to try to construct such a regime? Did you simply glean from the ones you mention above or were there others. Thanks much for sharing it. I shall keep you and everyone else posted on my progress. This started as a Lenten devotional exercise, but I plan to continue it afterward.
TTFN
I was on this diet from 24th-27th March and found it very hard to get used to and ended up extending my fat day into 3 days :-S
So far I’ve lost 2lbs so the diet does work. I noticed a lot less bloating and water retention while I was on it too…I’m back on track now and I’m going to stick with it!
good luck all!
I will start this Monday! I will have trouble having legumes for breakfast and have the same meals over and over…but i need to get it done. I’m 21 , 5’7” and I look like a pork. I have it, nothing looks good on me anymore. Instead of looking for what looks good, I look for the clothes that don’t look as bad as the rest. Very frustrating!
I was reading this and I found it very interesting. I really need to lose weight and I haven’t been able to figure out how to. I guess what I am trying to ask is- All I need to do is watch what I eat, when I eat, and watch the amount of calories I have everyday? Doctors have told me to lose weight and I’ve tried (believe me…I’ve tried everything i can). It just doesn’t work. So please tell me if this is what I need to do because I think this might really be something to help me.
hello i was just wondering im 15 years old i weight about 190-198 will this diet work for me im 5’9 and is it worth it duing it does this really work
I have been going to the gym 5x/week, 2 hours on the treadmill plus an one hour spin class 2x/week and have been doing this for almost three months. In the first 3 weeks is lost almost 20 pounds but since have regained about 7 pounds. I also complete a variety of exercises targeting various muscles groups (2x/week for my legs, hips, arms, etc).
I do not overeat. Mostly fish and unfortunately white foods (rice and potatoes). My vice is cappucino every morning.
I am very disappointed with the results from all this work.
I am willing to give your program a try as I do love all types of beans and vegetables (just don’t like to take the time to prepare them but will get my husband to do it for me). I do not eat meat but prefer fish and shrimp which I hope will be ok.
I appreciate any advice that you can provide and will keep you posted on my progress, if any. Thanks.
@Angie,
I suspect you are overtraining and actually losing muscle, given your description. This will lower your basal metabolic rate and then cause you stall with fat loss. Try the diet with no more than 2-3 short weight training workouts per week and remember to track bodyfat % and not just weight.
Good luck!
Tim
@Nikki
You said: “I guess what I am trying to ask is- All I need to do is watch what I eat, when I eat, and watch the amount of calories I have everyday?”
No, that is not at all what Tim has written here. The point here is that you DON’T watch the amount of calories you take in. You keep what you eat to a basic minimum of choices – as Tim detailed above. You eat four times a day – at regular intervals. You lose weight faster and more safely than you ever thought possible.
I have learned from practice that one of the secret dynamics of this diet is keeping one’s insulin level even. Too much time between meals allows one’s insulin to drop too low, increasing weakness and leaving one open for cravings. Also, overly fancy meals causes one’s insulin to spike. Simplicity is the key.
Again, from practice, if you get hungry before your next meal, you have not consumed enough legumes and need to eat a bit more at your next meal. Be sure not to consume more than you need, however, otherwise your weight loss will stagnate. I changed to this regime 29 days ago. I consumed so much food at each meal that one of my wife’s initial comments was “Can we afford for you to be on this diet?” I was eating two chicken breasts and between 1 and 1 1/2 cups of legumes and easily two cups of spinach or similar vegetable at every meal. I lost nearly 11 pounds (5 kg) in that first week. Now, however, my ability to consume has reduced to the point that I am eating maybe 3/4 cup of veg, a single chicken breast, and 1/2 cup of legumes at any meal. I simply cannot eat more.
As for whether you should do this diet, no one can say (after all, who in this discussion has ever spoken with you or seen you?). You can start it like I did, though: as an experiment. I just wanted to see if it would work. Since starting, I have tightened my belt by two holes and am nigh to tightening it to the third (I can do it, but it is a wee tight yet).
This regime has worked so well that I am staying with it. I have gotten to the point that I no longer see it as a diet but as a friend. Last Saturday night, I was winding down to bed and realised that I was actually looking forward to the regime again the next day. It may be a dietary form of Stockholm Syndrome, but I am going with it. HTH.
I just wanted to say thanks Tim. I’ve spent years changing diets every other week and just never getting the results i wanted. I started this 11 days ago and have lost already 10 pounds. Literally, you have changed my life. To everyone else out there, just do it! This diet works and is very sustainable especially since you can have all the ice cream you want on saturday. I also am not much of a cook so probably half the time i just eat at Chipolte Mexican Grill. You can get a burrito bowl with just beans, meat, vegetables, and salsa. So good and you can easily eat it everyday.. thanks again tim.
I’m starting this diet today and very excited. Thanks Tim for your dedication to helping people optimize their lives the way you have yours. What I love about your diet is that it acknowledges nutritional needs and realities. Making an exception for carbs post-workout is a great idea – and so much more tolerable than, for example, the first 2 weeks of South Beach, which prescribes no carbs at all. I’ll follow up later with my results.
Hey TIm, dude, thanks for this diet! This’ll actually work for me!
My BIGGEST problem is that I love carbs. My idea meal consists of roasted potatoes, french fries, rice, pasta, and baskets of bread, maybe some stuffing too.
I’m the only one I know that didn’t lose any weight becoming a vegetarian for six months.
However, this plan works perfectly for me and I’ve been on it successfully for a week now.
The reason why I trust you, is because I did everything you said in the Four Hour Workweek and it WORKED.
I followed your simple 2 page plan on “how to become an expert in your field” and long story short, I am now a Guest Lecturer at Harvard.
I’m also 27, semi-retired and living in Thailand doing Muay Thai Kickboxing and working on my Scuba Divemaster. I’m happier than ever.
P.S. Your pizza looked so good that I checked out the website and ended up emailing “the big cheese” over at pizza my heart and seeing if he’ll name that pizza after you. =)
Warm Regards,
Johnny Jen
This diet definitely works,
I was about 225 when i started and after 3 weeks i weighed about 208. I stopped because I was going on vacation and didnt wanna have to follow it. When I got back from vacation (a vacation in which I ate a lot of garbage) I weighed about 211.
So basically my concern is if the only way to prevent gaining the weight back is by staying on this diet almost permanently. I am 22 and workout (resistance training and cardio) intensely and regularly.
Tim,
Thanks for the prompt response and advice. I will back off on my workouts and I started eating per your recommendations today.
I will try not to fixate on my weight so much but as a woman that is a little difficult. I will post my progress and results over the upcoming weeks.
seems interesting, will give it a try. been struggling between diets to lose those last 10-20 lbs of body fat.
Hi Tim,
I have been trying to read all these q & a’s but my eyes started to hurt.
I am 5’6″ weighing 165 lbs. Should I incorporate cardio with the weight training in order to loose the fat. The fat I want to loose is of course all in my belly.
Thanks,
Jenn
My weight loss goals haven’t made too much progress. I’m going to try this out and see how it does for me. Thanks for all the specifics and even the sample meals — it really helps make this seem doable. I’m down 10 lbs, so if I can drop 20 with this diet, I’ll reach my goal of 30 lbs. — thanks!
I have been doing this diet for about 4 days now and it’s pretty easy to do for me….but I was just wondering, can u really eat as much as you want of the listed food items? 🙂 I’m not gonna lie, I have a big appetite sometimes and I can EAT! So if any of you have any feedback on this, I would appreciate it! Thanks
I love how everyone comes back and share with us their progress because its really inspiring. I found this website 2 weeks ago and I have been trying to follow Tim’s diet regime. But I keep failing and sneaking carbs into my food.
I am going to start afresh today and I shall check in back in a week to tell you guys of my progress. I need to lose 15-20 pounds!!!!
Ladies and gentlemen, this way of eating works. The two most important things to emphasize are that you have to be notoriously strict during the week, and you have to fully embrace that cheat day at the end of the week. When I started this diet last summer, I weighed in at about 220 (I’m about 6′ 3). Now, I weigh about 154 and I have my bodyfat percentage down to about 7-8% Know this. Arguably the most brutal part of reshifting how I ate was the first month or two, because I still had pretty bad eating habits ingrained in my head. During this month or two, I subsided my snacking cravings by substituting nuts, cheese, and other somewhat fatty foods (read: filling) for popcorn and the other simple carbs I was eating. In addition, I did not work out at all. In many ways, working out during this critical transition period might throw a lot of people off the wagon because the workouts will actually increase your cravings for a lot of food, and in some sense will have a reverse effect on your weight. So don’t work out until you have your cravings under control and a really strict diet.
As for the cheat day, like I said, embrace it. Buy a bunch of crap food (however, try to stay away from trans fats and high fructose corn syrup laden drinks (you can have ones with pure cane sugar instead :]!), because those two things are absolutely atrocious for your health in general). But as I was saying, plan a chill day, buy a load of crappy food, chips, pizza, chocolate, chicken tenders, you name it, buy it, invite some friends over, and snack, watch movies, and just be an eating machine for that entire day (I’ve eaten in excess of 7k-8k calories during my cheat day and even then so the damage was minimal, because your body is not going to be able to convert all that to fat within the time span of a day). Tim’s not joking… when you’re done with that cheat day, you won’t want to touch crap food for a long time…. and so the cycle goes.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again. This works. It only works if you’re as notoriously strict as he recommends to be though. You DONT need a bunch of fruit in the morning, you DONT need that cappuccino, and you certainly dont need crap food 95% of the time. It’s easy. Just don’t eat it. The food can’
t make you eat it. Reject it, knowing that as soon as Saturday rolls around, you can go ahead and indulge guilt free, and be as much of a bum as possible :]!
Good luck all, and hopefully you’ll find your ways :]!!
Amy, protein as a primary component for breakfast (eg, protein shake) is a must. Your body is in a catabolic state at that time.
If you want to liven things up with a banana, that should be reasonable. Just don't make bananas your primary diet plan.
I don't recall whether porridge is specifically good; check the label for protein content.
A good alternative is steel cut oats. Protein content plus low glycemic index.
Juan,
It isn't good to go without eathing for that long, so I would suggest you eat a good sized breakfast and bring something with you for lunch. I know it can be hard to bring a lunch from home when everyone else is pigging out on chips and fries, but you have to decide what is more important: loosing weight or feeling a bit silly eating a “home” lunch. Since you are on this site, I think loosing weight is important to you.
I have noticed that eating the beans cold is kinda tasty, so you may not have to worry about heating up your lunch. Also, if you are serious about wieght loss, take the time to prepare your lunches the night before. That way you won't be rushed and have to eat something not on the plan.
Some “take with you” lunches:
-Tuna mixed with beans and veggies
-A couple hard boiled egg whites (one with yolk for taste if you like), hummus (chick pea dip) and raw veggies for dipping
-Taco Salad (minus the taco of course). Brown some lean ground turkey, mix with taco seasoning mix. Add black/pinto (refried) beans, tomatoes, salsa, lettuce, gaucamole. I find this very good cold and I oftem make it for dinner and eat the left overs the next day.
I usually rotate between these types of meals (I'm a vegetarian, so my “meat” is the fake kind, but I make the above items for my boyfriend who loves meat and he is quite happy). If you can heat up your food, then there are a lot of other options as well.
Hope that helps and please do eat while at school you need energy to concentrate!
Hi Tim (if you're still reading these posts) and to everyone here who have inspired me to change my eating habits (once again sadly). I'm an average 37 yr old mother (18 yr old daughter) who is 5'6″ and currently weigh 168lbs. I wear between a size 10-12 now. My goal is to lose 30lbs of fat. I naturally have a more muscular build….I don't “exercise” per say especially right now as it's REALLY cold here in MD and I have some knee and back issues at tis time. I am a professional dog groomer (so I'm lifting and bending and on my feet for hours each day) and I raise and show standard poodles so the everyday care of several dogs requires alot of movement. I also have horses and other pets so I am in no way “inactive”. I started my new way of eating a week and a half ao and started at a weigh in of 171.8lbs (digital Weight Watchers scale ..first thing in the am). I guess I'm a bit discouraged already (yes yes I know…typical woman lol) because I thought I would have lost more by now. Naturally I read how many folks have lost so much in such a short timeand I wonder what I need to change….or if i just need more patience. I am being VERY strict…even my cheat day wasn't all that bad.
Here's been a recap of the last week and a half.
Breakfast is a whole egg and one egg white….usean omlet fry pan with a hint (tsp maybe) of garlic infused olive oil just to coat the pan. While it's setting in the pan I add a little salsa for flavor…maybe a tbls or two. With the egg I have 3/4 cup of fat free refried beans. honestly…I could eat this all day….I LOVE the taste.
I also made a huge batch of lentil chili which is basically lentils,,,chili powder, a little tomato paste….can of fire roasted tomatoes….can of black beans, chopped onion and green pepper and a little bit of corn for more texture. I usually eat this for my 2nd and 3rd meal. Sometimes just in a bowl and other times I'll make a salad and plop the chili over some mixed greens of romaine and raw spinach. With the salad I'll use a smidge of fat free salad dressing (tbls or so) of a vinagrette. Sometimes with a baked chicken thigh shredded on top….sometimes without.
For my last meals of the day I have some sort of green vegetable….either cooked spinach, peas, green beans, mixed veggies, or brocolli. Also 1/2 can of blackbeans. With that I'll have either a 4-5oz porton of salmon fillet (my FAV fish)….a similar portion of chicken breast or lean pork. No beef yet but planned to add once I get to the grocery store again.
Liquids have been tons of water which I don't mind and a few green hot teas mainly to warm me in the am and at night. I do love wine and have a few nice bottles of chianti classico reserve I could crack open but have been battling a sinus “thing” since last week and thought it might had to my headaches right now.
I eat when I'm hungry and I'm quite full after each meal…..the only “cheat” thing I have done is grab 2 or 3 Utz Honey Wheat Braided Twists when I feel I need a snack. they do have unbleached wheat flour, whole wheat flour but figured that wasn't under the “white” catagory. A serving size is 7 stix for 110 calories, 1.5g of fat and 1g of fiber. Again, I only have 2 of them with a hint and I mean you can barely taste it smidge of peanut butter (maybe a 1/4 tsp or less).
Ok guys……for those who have lasted through this long boring post, any thoughts or comments for me? I did a little modeling (catalong/advertisment stuff) in my 20's…I am not being realistic with thoughs of looking that that again. I do however want to “feel” better and want to get into a size 5/6 which I don't think is unrealistic for my height/build.
HELP 🙂
Lisa
Tim, with the success of this post, would you consider writing a book? I think the information you’re bringing forward would be successful with the right marketing. I’m going to start this plan starting with my next trip to the grocery store and will do some before and after photos. Just throwing it out there, if you’re not interested throw it right back.
Hi James and All,
Yes, please take before and after photos! I will be doing much more in this world soon, though I have to keep it top-secret a bit longer 🙂
Look forward to seeing your results!
All the best and good luck,
Tim
Hi everyone!!
I’m a 31 year-old female and after reading ALL the posts ( took me many hours) I decided to give it a try.
I’m 5’8″ and 196 lbs.
I started last Friday, so this is day 8. I have pcos, so I thought that a diet like this, low in carbs will help and will be more suitable for me.
Unfortunately I haven’t lost anything! This is very strange, because even if I’m not doing the diet EXACTLY as Tim suggests, I should’ve lost a few pounds. I’ve cut out all white carbs, no bread, rice, sweets, flour, milk. I’ve totally cut out junk food and just by this I was assuming I’d loose some pounds, but nothing!!
My meals usually look like:
Breakfast:
2 eggs, mixed veggies and 1/2 cup beans (sometimes add 1 tbs cottage cheese)
Lunch:
Protein ( meat or fish), salad, legumes
Dinner:
Chicken or tuna salad
Even though I’m not loosing I don’t plan to give up. It’s the 1st time I was actually excited about this diet- lifestyle change and honestly can’t believe I’m not having any success.
Any opinions? Is it worth sticking to? Will I finally get some results? Last year I tried the south beach diet, wasn’t as careful with my meal choices and lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks. Why not now, with a healthier diet that’s easier to follow. Tomorrow will be my cheat day. Hopefully it’ll be a kick start.
I do not plan to give up!!!
I don’t take any supplements, don’t drink the glass of red wine and do about 30 mins of moderate exercise 4x a week.
@Rob. 6’3″ and 154lbs? That doesn’t sound healthy.
@Jac If you eat until full, and eat protein, you won’t need a snack.
I”m down 25lbs since February 4th. And I’m not strict else I’d be down more.
The above post from Panda is exactly what I found. Tuna, taco salads (without the chips or tortilla), chili. All easy to make, and easy left overs. I also found that the larger Chicken cans are better than Tuna unless you are eating the Albacore tuna in packets.
Also, chicken stir fry (easy on the sugar ladden terryaki..) is wonderful way to get veggies, left overs, and protein in one shot.
@Lisa, check the sugar content of the bean cans. Many have added sugar so wash the coating/liquid off to remove most of the added sugar. I read the back of my pinto beans and kidney beans and there was 6g of sugar per serving with 3.5 servings in the can.
Good luck all.
Hi Tim,
This diet sounds great. I plan on starting tommorrow I will keep you udated on my progress. I weight 185 right now so wish me luck.
Maria.
hi, i dont want to lose much weight just 10 pounds, im not really overweight,
is it okay if i follow this diet everyday including saturdays, i dont really like sweets or candy, but will that lower my metabolism? is there any other way to higher my metabolism? also i dont like meat i may eat chicken but i dont have time to cook, will this still work with only veggies and eggs and lentil soup ? i also take ballet but thats only once a week for 1 hour but i also have dance thats 2 to 3 times a week for about 90 minutes. and i try joggin/running/sprinting 3 miles atleast twice a week
Can you have fruit with this way of eating?
@Pat. 6′ 3″ and 154lbs is actually a healthy weight when you take BMI into account. Granted, my bodyfat percentage is ridiculously low… again, we’re talking 7%-8%, and the little muscle that I have actually shows through.
@Rania. You’re not going to see results within 7 days of starting a diet. In fact, I would even refrain from weighing yourself until you’ve done about 6 weeks of the regimen. The reason? It’s probably going to demoralize you because there’s going to be water weight gain and loss like crazy, and you’ll probably only end up looking at that instead of the small amounts of fat you’re losing per week (anywhere from 2-4lbs per week, if you’re somewhat heavy), Trust the plan and stick with it for at least 6 weeks, if not more. You have nothing to lose at all.
Starting this today! Thanks for the info, can’t wait to see the results.
Once I was in shape and handsome like Tim Ferriss,but tomorrow is a new day!! I will begin your diet! Thanks All.
I agree, sorry. If you really want to lose weight it’s so much easier to just not eat and hop on the treadmill 3-5 miles per day until you look how you want to look. If you really must eat have some fruit or a bowl of cereal or something.
People try so hard to lose weight by focusing so hard on a specific diet or weight loss plan that they don’t realize that all they think about is food, even if the focus is on eating healthy. They spend all their time cutting 100% lean chicken and canned vegetables and feeling good about themselves while eating it that they don’t realize they’re still consuming calories. The goal is not to make food the main focus of your life, it’s to make it something you do because we need to eat to survive, not a pleasure thing. If you just say “screw it” and stop eating for a while, you stop wanting to. You don’t even like eating after a while. I realize this isn’t considered “healthy” but screw it I”m sure you’ve all tried healthy ways and they didn’t work and you’re probably fat if you’re reading this so it’s not like you’re healthy anyway. You wanna lose weight fast? Save yourself some money and stop gorging, stop eating, healthy or unhealthy, and while you’re at it join a gym, hop on a treadmill, go for a run outside. Come back in 2 weeks and tell me how you feel.
Instead of asparagus and spinach could I substitute spinach for broccoli and asparagus for green beans? On this diet could you have a half cup of oatmeal for breakfast with the egg whites?
Heyy..i had a sports injury but and i am going to be off for a couple of months. Do you think this diet would be effective without much physical activity during the day. Yes i know the name should answer my question. But can you please expand if you can.
Thank you!
@momo: I humbly disagree with your viewpoint, and here’s why. Without sounding completely mean, try to picture this in your head: Have you ever seen a 300-400lb man or woman trying to lose weight by ‘hopping on a treadmill’, as you suggest? Because I have, and it’s quite a disturbing sight. People who have that much weight to lose are in essence injuring themselves trying to lose weight via working out (when they’re that heavy). In addition, someone who works out and doesn’t eat won’t be able to keep it up for very long, because their body is requiring more calories on top of an even more ridiculous base calorie intake. Try to stifle that kind of hunger, and most likely you’ll fail.
Getting right to the point though, consuming calories is not a problem. Everyone has to eat, and if you don’t like it, sorry, but the human body was designed with that in mind. The key is to eat healthy. And even better, the whole point of this article is to show people that there really is a feasible way to eat healthily. There’s a lot of misconceptions too about healthy eating, that this article aims to resolve, and judging from my own success following it, (220lbs to 154lbs), I would say it works pretty darn well.
To your point though, I agree in some way. People who disapprove of how they look need to DO something about it and stop whining that they can’t do it. And yes, I realize that your post could have been a joke post, but for all I care, this hopefully will clear up issues that anyone else may be having with regards to eating/not eating. 🙂
Rob
hi (: I hope you don’t mind me asking-
i hope you’re still reading these – i am a biiiiig
cereal person, since i have about like 5 minutes to
eat breakfast – my sister recently told me that
it’d be better if i ate special K, do you think that
would be okay? Also its either that or i eat a plain
whole wheat waffle. But i only exercise about 1 hour daily.
& I don’t take any ‘me’ days -___- unfortunately. because
I’m going to visit my family on July 1st so i have around
80 days or so to loose 15-20 lbs. Thanks , i found the
article really helpful :]
@Rob
Did you lose 66 pounds following the advise on this site or have you done something differently?
I really would love to hear from you and your experience. I am at 191 and should be 160/155 to be ok. Please let me know if you could help me providing me with a few tips and tricks.
Thanks.
@vanesa: If you’re a big cereal person, become not a big cereal person. Unless you’re eating something like oatmeal (not instant or flavored, either rolled, old fashioned oats, or even steel-cut oats), cereal is generally pretty garbage for you because it’s so refined.
You said you have very little time in the morning to eat breakfast. To fix this, you can just prepare something at night, or save a few leftovers from last night’s dinner to eat in the morning. I’m sure that sounds a little weird, but once you get used to it, it’s kind of cool 🙂
You said you exercise about an hour a day. Keep it up, just keep in mind that exercising doesn’t give you excuses to eat crap all day. And always take your Saturday “me” day, or Friday, or whatever you wish. Seriously, it helps beyond belief with cravings, and it does wonders for your metabolism.
Best of luck :]]
Rob
Hi everybody,
I-m from Germany and like to know if anyone else here is? Would be fantastic if the post would be written in german! LOL
I start yesterday and don´r konw exactely how i feel. I am a little tired and it feels as if my body is a bit slower.
I love to drink tea with a little bit cream. Is that ok?
And how about the beans: The blood type diet recommends that O -blood types should not eat to much lentils or read beans.
I planned to follow this diet for 2 weeks to find out how it works for me.
Is it neccessary to workout or is it ok to let my body do the whole work alone?
Thanks for answering.
Tim,
First off, I just want to say I love the website. I recently (last fall) lost 25-30lbs. (from 245 down to 215-220) in about 1 1/2 months by following a diet very close to this one and only riding a stationary bike for 30min. each day. I accidentally came across this blog post and your website towards the end of that 1 1/2 months and was shocked to see that I had basically been following this diet without ever having known it was an actual “diet.”
However, for one reason or another, the holidays came around and I fell off the wagon, so to speak, and have since around New Year’s Eve just been maintaining my 220lb. body weight. Currently, I am trying to get back to eating completely clean again, but have been finding it a little more difficult this time around for some unknown reason. I would like to drop another 15-20lbs. and get down to 200lbs.
After several failed attempts at getting on track, and researching weight-loss strategies, etc I’ve come to the conclusion that, for me at least, it all comes down to my appetite. If only I could find a way to control my appetite, I would have no problem eating healthy and working out. It would just be a matter of time and watching the weight fall off. But, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this, I have not come across any credible way to curb your appetite.
Do you or anyone else reading this post, have any suggestions or know of any supplements (preferably natural and non-thermogenic) that might help in the appetite suppressing department?
Thanks for your time. And again, I love the website and look forward to future posts.
Justin
@Rob: I’m impressed by your fat loss, especially without working out!!! I have a couple of questions for you: 1) What was your typical daily meal plan? 2) Did you experience any muscle tissue loss? I recently cut from 240lbs to 195lbs and I’ve been stuck at 195. I’m just looking for a solid diet to cut my last 25lbs. Any info would help. THANKS
“. Cheese (ideally low-fat), nuts, and occassional fried food (ideally without a ton of breading) are fine on this diet. Notice that all are protein-rich and low GI.”
~Tim
duh, look at the quote above.
So skim cottage cheese, which is high in protein, is fine.
@Will
I started this plan last July, so the results I’ve gotten have been nowhere near instant. I’m going to be 100% honest with you. I followed Tim’s diet to a T. The weekend I decided to hop on the plan, I went out, got a bunch of lentils, beans, chicken, if it was up there, I went out and bought it (and I was pleasantly surprised, because a lot of the ingredients are quite cheap :]]) So just by eating properly, I had successfully dropped to about 170lbs from 220 by that December. A couple things to note here though: I’m pretty darn sure I lost a lot of muscle, because I hadn’t been working out at all (I didn’t get my BF taken until I had dropped to my current weight). Taking that into stride though, it’s not that discouraging because getting muscle back is often easier than getting there the first time.
That January, I started working out 3x a week for about 45 minutes each (all cardio). Sure enough, within 6-7 weeks of this regimen, I had dropped once again to about 157-158. And from there, with the workouts, I’ve more or less plateaued at about 154, which is perfectly fine with me. The best advice I can give you is: be strict. Eat at set times during the days, make sure you control your portions, and I’m telling you, that’s the secret. Eating at set times regulates critical hormones that are essential in helping you lose weight, and has the added effect of keeping your blood sugar more or less steady throughout the day so you’re not babbling like an idiot when you’re hungry :]
And one more thing? Use that cheat day. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Tim hit the nail on the head with that cheat day, because it makes you sick and damn tired of crap food for quite a while. And if you really think about it, it’s what you eat 95% of the time that counts, the other 5%…. well, that’s for you to take and enjoy :]
On a little side note too, people… stop spamming the poor guy asking if you can eat certain foods. Try to do some research of your own as to why the diet really works, and then you’ll be able to make informed food choices :]]
Rob
I’m back to report how my first week went. I have tons of eating out plans in my social and work schedule. I realized quickly that trying to adhere to this every single meal was really hard for me and drove me a little crazy; however, if I let myself eat normally at restaurants and super-healthy Tim style at home, I could stick to the regimen without much effort. Of course my results aren’t as dramatic as they would be if I had stuck to it, but this is a modification I am happy with. I lost 2 pounds my first week and am looking forward to losing 2 more this next week. I think I only want to lose 12 in total, so we’ll see where I am after 6 weeks total!
@Rob: Thanks man. I’m well aware of the GI diet plan, there’s just so much negative stuff written about it I don’t know what to believe. As far as the working out thing goes, I totally agree with you. I have a rigourous workout routine and it has me eating everything I can get my hands on. Although I maintain my weight this way, on the other hand I’m dissapointed from the lack of weight loss. I’m a mesomorph, so I’m not too concerned about the muscle loss.
Do you eat four times a day like Tim suggests? I currently work 8 hr shifts for a MGM property at the pool bar. Normally there is anywhere from a 5 to 6 hr period between my second meal and when my shift ends. Any suggestions for a quick meal during a busy shift?
Anyway, tomorrow I will be going to purchase plenty of chx, beef, veggies, and beans and look foward to the fat loss. Keep in touch Rob, I responded to your post out of over 1700 for a good reason. The only thing is I have an obsession with weighting myself, but I plan on breaking that habit.
THANKS,
Will
@Rob: Sorry man, i’m full of questions. I love salads, is it cool to have ranch or honey mustard dressings? Also, I love to run. Do you think I should lay off to get my body used to the diet?
@Anyone: I love bartending, it’s work without the stress. I recently finished Tim’s 4hr work week book and I’m brainstorming ideas for my niche. Any suggestions? I would really love to learn to surf and explore the world but I feel financially stuck.
@Rob
Your story is pretty inspiring. Especially for me since I am currently 220lbs., which is where you started off. I don’t quite want to get down to 154lbs, but I would like to be under 200lbs.
Do you have any suggestions in terms of appetite control? The advice you gave in your post was to be strict. Which I completely understand is neccessary in order to lose weight. I was previously 250 and dropped to 220 in about 1 1/2 months, but have since just been maintaining. For some reason it has been harder to start back up this this time around.
I’m curious as to whether you were just able to “flick the switch” and ignore your appetite once you started the diet? Or if you had some advice on how you kept strict on this diet?
Thanks,
Justin
@Will:
No problem :] I eat 4 times a day, just like Tim suggests. If you need a quick meal, try to grab a handful of almonds (try to avoid peanuts, I guess peanuts kind of throw your omega-3 / omega-6 ratio off balance if you eat too many), or maybe pop open a can of tuna and just have that, if you can. And to answer your salad dressing question, the key is to just have ONE serving of salad dressing if you’re going to be having it (a serving is like a tablespoon or something to that effect) And if you’re going to be having salad dressing, try to find one that doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup in it. As for your running question, if you’ve already established a routine with working out, don’t sabotage it for the diet, just try to control your appetite as best as you can :]
@Justin
The first month or two of the diet was miserable. I was so used to coming home from school/work, popping my feet up, grabbing a bag of Oreos or some other snack food and just chilling out like that. Well, once I couldn’t do that anymore, it’s almost like I didn’t know what to do with my time. So this is what I did… to control my hunger cravings, I didn’t count calories or “watch portion sizes” or any of that stuff. I even was eating a lot of cheese and stuff like that (I cut down on this later) because it was an extremely satisfying food. My logic (and this could be totally false) was that if I was hungry, I would listen to my body and satisfy my hunger… but not with crap food. And really, I would just sit there and try to actually chew and enjoy my food, not hurry through a meal. On top of that… water. Water helps a lot with hunger. A lot of the times if you feel “hungry”, you might actually just be thirsty. Get yourself a nice cold glass of water, sit and drink it, and if after 20 minutes you’re still craving food, then you’re probably hungry.
Seriously though, I know where you’re coming from with the appetite… If you’re hungry, don’t feel guilty eating! Just make sure your food choices are good and proper, otherwise you’re going to end up in a vicious hunger cycle. And as far as craving naughty food… well, just tell yourself the food isn’t going anywhere and once that Saturday rolls around, eat until you’re sick :]]
@All people seeking advice
I’m really flattered that people are seeking opinions, and using my story for inspiration, and the like :] On the other side of the coin, please don’t be insulted if I can’t hand out personalized responses on a constant basis in the future… it’s certainly no insult to you, but exams and such are rolling around and I definitely won’t have enough time to ‘patrol’ the blog :] The best thing that I can tell you all is, research this stuff on your own. Seriously, look up various diets, cross reference them, find out what works, and what doesn’t work, and once you’ve done that, played around with your diet, etc, you’ll find yourself happier and healthier. Consider it an experiment for your health and well being :]]]
Rob
Of course it's healthy and important to exercise, but this plan is taking exercise, as a variable, out of the picture. He is not advising you how to exercise. If you want to exercise on top of this, great.
I have been trying this for about one month, and I am not as strict as Tim, but I have noticed a huge difference. I am pretty healthy, exercise regularly, and eat healthy, but I could never break through to the next level and get rid of the rest of that stomach fat. I have probably lost half of my stomach fat this past month, which is very exciting.
He doesn't mention it here, but oatmeal and cornmeal mush should apply, based on what I've read elsewhere – they are slow carbs. Of course, that doesn't mean sugared instant oatmeal packets, that means real oatmeal that you cook on the stove.
Try adding dried fruit (apricots, cranberries, etc.) when you add the oatmeal to the water, or cooking the oatmeal in fruit juice (Tim says no fruit juice – I just limit it) to make it tolerable to eat 4-5 days a week. You can also sprinkle crushed mixed nuts over the top (I buy nuts at Whole Foods with no bitter chemicals or salt added).
I read below that Tim said to cut out even whole-grain foods, so I guess you shouldn't eat oatmeal if you want to commit to this plan 100%. However, oatmeal is really healthy.
There are some other healthy foods I won't cut out either – like skim milk and fresh fruit … as far as having trouble finding whole-grain foods without lots of additives, either make it yourself or buy from Breadsmith.
meant to put this under my other comment … sorry it doesn't make sense here
Hi Everybody!
I’ve gone through most of the posts here to capture the gist of it all. The basics seem to be to stick to the plan that Tim has outlined. I kept looking for posts about fruit (I love fruit) but saw that the first two weeks, fruit shouldn’t be eaten.
I have a banana every day — it helps with the leg cramps that I would get everyone once in a while. I’m sure this won’t be a big problem. I love to drink water, so this wasn’t going to be an issue for me either.
I’m 43, female, 2 kids (so, yes, I have a baby pouch) and work out regularly. I’m not naive in thinking that I’ll have a six pack but I know I can lose the fat I currently have on my body. I weigh about 150lbs, and I’m 5’5″. I lift weights and know that I have a lot of muscle, but I’m looking to lose about 15-20 lbs.
I’m using a workout program called P90X which, I must say, is amazing. I’ve never been one to workout AND watch my diet 100%. I always figured that I look good for my age so it’s ok to eat bad things in moderation. I was actually working out to eat what I wanted! Now I want to really slim down and feel more comfortable in my clothes.
I get a little worried when the scale goes up, but I have to realize that I’m weight lifting and the gain is probably muscle mass. Any suggestions on how to handle this?
I started this new eating plan 2 days ago. I did a fast first – drinking only water – and then came across this website and figured what better way to get back into the groove of things. I’m really excited about this plan and have enjoyed the food so far. I have no problem with food redundancy – so this is cool too. I haven’t weighed myself and don’t plan on doing so until another few days.
I run 2 miles on Mondays, P90X on Tues, Gym on Wed, P90X on Thurs, run 2 miles on Thurs, Gym on Fridays. Again, my gym days, I lift weight and do a spin class for 45 minutes. I drink about 84,5 bottles of water every day. I wanna try and drink more – I seem to lose weight when I drink more water – and it keeps my skin looking great.
I’ve never been a sweet eater, so that really won’t be an issue for me. I have noticed however that I have had a mild headache since my fast. Maybe my body is adjusting?
I hope I’m not over doing it with the workouts, so any suggestions would be very appreciated.
Anyway, good luck to everyone and to me!
can i eat something else besides legumes
hey, this sounds very interesting and i am willing to try it. i have been trying to lose weight but it doesnt seem to work for me!!! i have a question though….say i do loose the weight, do i just stop this diet and go back to my old lifestyle??? i dont want to do this diet everyday for the rest of my life, i already swim 2 hours a day and im a pretty healthy eater…
I am 5″9 (29yr old female) weighed in at 12.6 on 15/04/09 – 7 days later I weighed in at 11.12 thats 8lbs!!!
I thought the Wii fit was wrong until my partner, 6″1 28yr old male, weighed in at 14.7 and 7 days later he weighed in at 13.12, also losing a lot!
We have generally been eating:
Breakfast: 2 microwave sausages, 1 egg plus additional egg white
Lunch: Salad with either tuna/chicken/mackeral
Tea: Meat, veg & lagumes
I honestly have not been hungry except coming in from work when Ive had a babybel light as I tend to eat around 7.30. I cant believe I haven’t missed bread as im usually a toast/fresh bread monster.
I haven’t been doing any exercise to see if it works, I will start running again after the 30days when I re-introduce some carbs.
Whether I will lose 20lb is another story and maybe some of the 8lb is probably water (?) however Im gonna stick to it. And.. off forpizza and wine on Saturday..yummy ..
I have to say that this simple plan seems much better to me than most I”ve come across. I’ve even taken to the breakfast above:
Breakfast is a whole egg and one egg white….usean omlet fry pan with a hint (tsp maybe) of garlic infused olive oil just to coat the pan. While it’s setting in the pan I add a little salsa for flavor…maybe a tbls or two. With the egg I have 3/4 cup of fat free refried beans. honestly…I could eat this all day….I LOVE the taste.
Just FYI, I’m a 31 yr old Male 6’2″ and started the diet at 257 lbs.
Over the first 30 days simply following the diet and alternating running/ lifting I lost over 23 lbs and gained muscle (so actually lost more like 25+ lbs. of fat).
Over my 2nd 30 days on the diet I lost another 20 lbs. (again more fat loss once you figure in the muscle I gained).
I’ve never been a big health nut or anything but this works, anyone who knows me is convinced it works and I have helped about 5+ others get started on this same diet themselves.
I’m currently finishing out the 1st week of my 3rd go with the diet (this time in conjunction/ friendly competition with my girlfriend) and have already dropped another 5 lbs. I feel healthier and am in better shape at 31 (almost 32 now) than I was through most of my 20’s.
It’s not complicated, it’s not gimmicky, it’s a solid diet based on facts with the added bonus of an off day once a week to both spike your metabolism and feed those evil cravings, allowing you to stick with the diet easier the other 6 days of the week.
Dieting isn’t easy, but this is about as easy as you can get for the results you come away with. If your considering this diet, don’t consider doing it, just start it, the results will happen, the days will fly by, the pounds will drop, you’ll be happier and healthier.
Thank You for publishing this Tim, It’s changed my life.
@Nesster,
Congratulations! Thank you so much for your heartfelt comment and feedback, which totally made my night 🙂
Keep those old photos and look forward to the beach this summer!
Warmest,
Tim
Hey Tim and all, is it possible I can lose like 4-5 inches off my midsection(in 3 weeks) if I go on a low-carb diet, which I’m doing now but I don’t exercise since I’m a pretty lazy guy, but I eat smaller meals(starting from yesterday) every 2-3 hours throughout the day.(not over 9pm though) I want my stomach to become smaller since its bigger than the rest of my body
Well, I’m a slow metabolized person if there were only ways to get my metabolism up then it may work since I hate being overweight and always had a desire to become a fitness model I’ll try Lipo 6 and see if it speeds metabolism
Hey Tim..
I’m Asian.. here, everybody eats rice..
it’s like the rice is compulsory.. so i’m afraid that i’ll cheat on this plan..
sigh..i’ve tried for at least 3 weeks to skip rice..but after that i’d ate them back! and when i have them back,its like 100years i’ve been losing it.i grabbed them a lot!! and well,i’m a student and got a VERY TIGHT schedule.i’m always skip my meals.and everything in my campus cafe is in huge calories as well as everything nearby my campus. i seriously do love your plan.. please help me to settle this. people starts saying that i’ve put on weight..i really hate it..
btw thanks Tim for your info. 😉
Hi Tim,
Just found your website. Going to give this diet. Any advice for someone on meds for Type 2 diabetes?
Do I need the supplements?
Thx,
Owen
@Nedea
Well, I suppose China has a greater population of rice eaters so what you’ll wanna do is avoid having a rice alone diet or eating toomuch of it, just having at least one cup of rice in each meal with alot of protein or/and vegetables will help you very much
Hello all.
Could someone please tell me. Can I use cottage cheese as a protien source?
@Brittany,
Low-fat cottage cheese is fine, but I suggest including some other lean protein sources as listed.
Good luck!
Tim
OK Gang…
My vitals:
Male
33 (nearing 34)
5’10” (and shrinking)
257 lbs. (at the start)
I have been on this plan now for 21 days. I just finished my 3rd cheat day. My daily menu is as follows:
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
4 egg omelet (1 yolk only) with 1 cup of spinach
Black beans (or more green vegetables)
Sometimes I slice a bit of cucumber
10:00 a.m. Snack
Cucumber slices (with maybe a dash of kosher salt on them)
Small handful of almonds (maybe 1/4 cup)
12:00 p.m. Lunch
Chicken breast sliced and cooked in black beans w/lime juice, chili powder, kosher salt, black pepper, cumin (whatever…depends on my mood)
Green veggie (peas, broccoli, spinach, green beans)
Alternate Lunch
1 small can of Tuna packed in water w/cucumbers chopped in. I will also add a bit of sweet pickle relish and lime juice for flavor
Green veggie
2:00 p.m. Snack
Repeat 10:00 a.m.
5:00 p.m. Dinner
Repeat Lunch
7:00 p.m. Snack
Almonds and Cucumber slices
I typically have a manly sized glass of redwine around 9:00 and sip on that slowly over the course of an hour. During the day I drink water continuously. Additionally, I am taking a large multivitamin every morning. I also prepare the chicken and black bean mix in large quantities so I can eat for 3-4 days just by scooping and reheating. I have done zero exercise since starting (though I am adding gym work starting Monday). I also have not deviated a single time from the daily menu. I may occasionally get off schedule and/or munch on some extra almonds or cucumbers. However, I eat nothing that isn’t on the above menu. Cheat days have been no holds barred. (pizza, beer, french fries, fresh custard, bacon, waffles, cinnamon rolls, fried junk, etc., etc.)
I weighed myself today (mid-cheat day and before several substantial bathroom visits) and I am at 237 lbs. Fan-freakin-tastic. Going forward I intend to clean up the cheat days a bit, (I end up feeling a little sick) add 6 days of pre-breakfast workouts (with some morning menu adjustments to compensate) and go until I like where I am at.
I can’t complain about the results to this point and I consider myself a convert to the “slow carb” concept. White starchy carbs have always been both my love and my nemesis…but I am finding that one a day a week with them is enough.
Best,
Adam
hi tim after joining my university my schedule went out of order specially in terms of diet and due to that i have gained an ackwward belly which is not alllowing me to wear a bit thight out fits. im from pakistan and here is the ternd of eating oily food and high calories thats why i myself faced troulble eating high fat food. so what would you suggest me?
thanks
Hey Tim
are sweetners like Splenda or sweet n low ok?? like making lemonade with those sweetners?
Hi Tim!
Absolutely amazing diet, my friend, it’s working wonders for me. I just had one question: are almonds and/or peanuts (salt-free) an acceptable replacement for the beans? I cannot stand beans (I plug my nose when I eat them), but I’ll still eat them if I have to. I’m looking for any alternative, though. Thanks so much!
🙂
Thank you for this diet outline, Tim!
These are exactly the foods I like to eat all of the time, but, as many do, I have a hard time avoiding my delicious Crap-foods. I mean come on! 😉 However, the knowledge that I can 100% cheat on Saturdays makes this all sound beautiful!
And I like beautiful. 🙂
I am starting this diet right now – my breakfast consisted of eggs, veggies, black beans and water (I’ve never been one to drink my calories and I so appreciated you comments on why you needn’t).
Thank you for sharing!
-Emma
Maybe this has been answered…..are green peas ok to eat on a daily basis as one of my veggies?? Or is that not something I should consume regularly? Anyone who can help with this, I would appreciate it.
@Kesha
Absolutely. In fact, if you follow Tim’s diet, you should.
HTH.
Tim,
Thanks for all of the great information! I have followed this diet very closely for the last 6 weeks and have lost about 15 lbs of bodyweight (5’11”, 215lbs to 200 lbs). I have also been doing light cardio and Pavel’s 5×5 progressive powerlifting program listed in another of your posts. I have gained a significant amount of muscle from the lifting, and I’m estimating that I’ve actually lost 25-35 lbs of fat considering the muscle gains. I’m stronger and more fit than I have been in years!
Readers,
This plan works great if you follow it. My advice is to read Tim’s posts and ignore the rest to avoid complication and confusion in the beginning. Once you have spent 4-8 weeks on the diet per TIM and only TIM, then you’ll have some good data about yourself and can start modification of the program if you feel it’s needed. Make only one change at a time and give it 2-4 weeks at that point. That way you’ll see the impact of that singular change and gain useful data about your own body that will help you for the rest of your life! Also, the ‘cheat day’ isn’t really a cheat day at all. Your body needs the carbs and food you desire once a week to maintain health and keep from going into ‘starvation mode’ where you’ll actually gain weight. I pig out on Saturdays and have done great, but I’m very strict the rest of the week. Good luck to everyone on the diet and congratulations to those who have made progress towards their goals!
Sincerely,
Randy
@Al
Thanks for your response! I would also like to say the reason I asked is because a lot of people tend to put green peas under the starch or legume category. And I found myself eating a meal consisting of green peas, black beans, and chicken, so that had me wondering if I was just eating a double serving of legumes in one meal and missing out on veggies….anyhow, thanks again.
I’m currently on day 6 of this diet, and I feel amazing. I started at 196lbs(6’0in tall) and i’m only looking to drop about 25lbs. Although the diet calls for eating legumes at pretty much every meal, I try to eat them only once a day. I recently read where spinach can increase protein synthesis, so i’ve been eating it twice a day(Tim’s microwavable recipe is delicious). I sub the eggs in the morning for all white turkey burgers with a slice of pepperjack cheese because I can’t stand eggs. Also guys, KFC now has grilled chicken and it is a great fast food fix. I normally order a 2 piece(breast and wing) with two orders of green beans and through the biscuit out the window for the birds to eat.
As for the workouts, I still do cardio and will continue. I believe the heart is the most important muscle and one should take care of it. I’ve cut from 6 to 3 days of cardio(45 minute sessions) with a little less intensity than normal due to lack of instant energy fast carbs gave me.
My daily menu goes as follows:
9:00am – .25lb white turkey burger w/ 1 slice of cheese, 1 cup microwaved spinach & .5 cup black or refried beans
11:00am – 1 string mozz cheese(low fat)
1:00 or 2:00pm – 4 oz chilled chx, cabbage, side salad w/ 1 tablespoon ranch(full fat)
5:00pm – another string mozz cheese
8:30pm – 2 piece grilled chx from KFC(breast and wing), 2 sm sides green beans, and 1/2 to full cup black or refried beans(only on cardio days)
Around bedtime i’ll have a vodka and water, don’t care for wine. I love trying out the different flavored vodkas to add a little taste. Anyway, tommorrow is my first cheat day and I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to eat everything I’ve been thinking of over the past week.
But for anyone looking to lose a significant amount of weight, I highly recommend this diet. You will not go hungry as long as you follow the guidelines. LOW FAT DIETS SUCK!!!
A few corrections from above, throw instead of through for you English majors. Please notice the decimals (.5lbs turkey burger) not 5lbs, lol. My salads at lunch usually consists of romaine and mixed spring lettuces, tablespoon chopped ham, raw brocc, approx 10 chick peas, black olives, tablespoon ranch dressing and sprinkle of parm cheese. Sometimes for my last meal I’ll eat at a Mexican restaurant: grilled chx w/ green or red sauce, beans and sauteed veggies(onions and peppers).
Although I haven’t mentioned this yet on here, I’ve been on a successful low carb diet a few years back. When I was 17(26 now) I weighed 290lbs and dropped down to 225lbs. I could’ve kept going but need the weight for my linebacker position in football. The first few weeks suck, but after a while your will power will skyrocket at the site of junk food. The human body has an amazing ability to adapt to anything, so give it time and you’ll be on your way to a lean new you.
I was recently at a wedding this weekend where a lot of old friends and aquaintances were attending, some of whom I haven’t seen in 3 or more years. There were times I stood alone with people walking past me or saying hi without knowing who I was. I’ve known some of these people for 10 plus years. Halfway through, they were coming up to me saying “Oh my god Will, I had no idea that was you. You look so great, didn’t even recognize you”. It’s amazing who this will make you feel after the hard work you put it and it also gives some of the skinny people I knew in high school who are now overweight a good reality check.
Guys, we as an American nation and the rest of the world need to look down and realize that obesity is a problem and it is up to us to take responsibility of our ownself to make a change. No more excuses, no more “I don’t have time”, “nothing I try works.” No one will have any time when we’re 40-50 years old and faced with serious health problems, the time is now. I quit a bartending job a year ago, I honestly had the best bartending gig and schedule in the city I worked, made more than some attorneys do(straight cash money), but my lifestyle was terrible. We drank heavily every night after work and on our nights off, demolished Kystal’s and junk food right before bed and felt mentally and phyically terrible most of the time. I was 250lbs when I quit and am now 195lbs. I feel great, even though I think I need to lose another 25, and I don’t regret the decision one bit.
I think if America was truly concerned about the obesity problem there would be a lot more changes, but there’s not and we’re getting larger and larger. How many cardiologists, dietitians, highly taxed revenued fast food chains, etc. etc., would we have to cut back if everyone was at a normal weight. Think about it, our obesity earns the government and some physicians a lot of money. Soon there might be separate bookstores just for diet and nutrition books.
P.S.,
Sorry about the extremely long rant. I only check my email on Tuesdays so I usually have a lot on my mind. These are only my opinions, although some are based on facts, so read over please and if you wish to reply please do. I would really love to hear your insights and knowledge.
Thanks,
Will
Hi Tim-
I am 5’11” and my weight fluctuates between 190 and 195. My goal is to get to 175, and I believe this diet is the best way to get there.
I do not do any weight training apart from push ups and sit ups almost every day. I am an avid cyclist, riding for 2-3 hours twice during the week, and a longer ride once on the weekend. I also run 5k twice per week. As you can see, I get plenty of exercise. But I’m confused as to whether or not if this diet is good for an endurance athlete such as myself.
I have a couple questions. What differences, if any, will I notice in my performance? What changes, if any, should I make to this diet?
Thanks for the great information! I hope you can answer my questions!
-Garey
Just want to give a quick update: I finally had my cheat day. The funny thing was, although I was all excited about all the crap I was planning to eat, when the day actually came, I wasn’t hungry enough to eat all the crap I planned for.
I ended up having a cold stone’s ice cream for lunch with the anticipation of eating a burger and fries, but after the ice cream I wasn’t hungry for hours! My appetite seemed to just disappear. Anyone else have that issue? Is this common? I have my next cheat day this Saturday and I’m curious as to what kinda stuff I’ll be eating or just dreaming about eating. lol
Since starting this on April 15th, I’ve lost about 5 pounds. Because I do weight lifting I’m not sure if this is the reason why my weight loss isn’t lower than this. I don’t want to get discouraged. I want to stay toned, but I want to be smaller, but toned. I’ve also decided to eliminate all alcoholic beverages from my diet for the next 30 days — don’t want any unnecessary calories!
@ pssst:
Today was actually my first cheat day also. I’m literally having to force all of my food down, after breakfast this morning I have been stuffed. All of this food I’ve been craving over the last 6 days doesn’t tasted as good as it used to. Oh well, i’m still eating pizza tonight.
Just wanted to give a quick thanks to Tim for posting this. I wonder if you realize how much money you could probably make by writing “The 4 hour diet”.
In any case, I’m at 1 1/2 weeks into the program- I’m 5’7″, 34 years, and 155 lbs this post winter. I have been finishing up a Master’s program and have not had time to ride my bike, which I do pretty actively in the spring/summer. I wanted to drop down to about 140-145 before I got on the bike to do any long rides. After my first week I hit 148.5! I’ll try and keep my comments updated. I’m in the middle of my second week and had a big Cheat Day a couple days ago. I only weighed in once since and was at 151, at night, without having gone to the bathroom.
Great stuff. I’m going to try a combination as I am a mesomorph somatotype. Did you get good results?
I’m eating like a normal Joe atm, healthy and junk, way too much white carbs. I’m going to weigh myself and run 3 diets, see how it goes.
Phase one – week long cabbage diet, a detox/system purge, also helps reduce the carb craving.
Phase two – Your diet for a month, making sure I don;t go too mad on Saturdays. Then subsidise with tinned fish for extra protein if issues develop. Increase daily activity to include regular hikes (minimal / easy cardio)
Phase three – CDK diet and increased training, including gym training.
I’m about 83Kg and I would say I could lose 12Kg of fat to be totally lean. I have a challenge. see how it goes!
It begins on 5th May!
This is pretty much the Zone diet developed by Dr. Sears. Dean Karnazes is one of their elite athletes. http://www.zonediet.com/FITNESS/EliteAthletes/DeanKarnazes/tabid/190/Default.aspx
r u sure tht im not suppose to exercise bcuz i heard tht u have to exercise every day and burn off the amount of calories u take in like if someone took in 2000 calories a day they r suppose to burn off 3000 calories to lose 1lb but im not sure please write back im confused!!! do i exerise or … what???
SINCERLY,
Robyn