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.)
Tim, or someone, PLEASE HELP ME!!
After about 5 days on the diet I am experiencing extreme pain in my legs and restlessness in them, it feels like some sort of muscle-related pain. Is this muscular atrophy? Or some kind of mineral deficiency?
Is this related to the diet and how could it be? Thank you.
Hi Paula,
Please see your doctor! That is very unusual and could be any number of things, but none of which should relate specifically to this diet.
All the best,
Tim
[…] of success with the paleolithic diet that Tim Ferriss has written about on his blog (check here – How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise). I dislocated my shoulder 6 months ago and, in the down time, ended up putting on 20-25lbs of […]
Hi Tim and everyone,
Great diet, it’s working wonders for me so far but I have one burning issue.
I just can’t stand eating this same food more than once per day, so I only eat one meal per day. Sometimes I snack on carrots (the only consistently good-tasting part of the diet, IMO) in-between, but I only eat the one meal.
I never, EVER get hungry, so I’m hoping I can just do it like this and wait it out until Junk Day. I’ve heard, however, that eating only once a day slows the metabolism down and makes the body go into “Starve mode”, meaning that it stores all the food you eat as fat and eats away at your muscle.
Is this true? I hope not, because I’m perfectly content with eating just one or two (at most) meals on each of the 6 non-Junk days.
Thank you all for input!
Hi Jason,
If you’re not hungry and continuing to lose bodyfat, one meal per day is fine. I might add in a casein protein shake or two, just to get minimum protein intake up to at least 80 grams or so per 24 hours.
Good luck!
Tim
TIM,
Purines are a concern with so much bean consumption. High purine intake leads to gout and kidney stones in susceptible individuals.
Spinach, asparagus, and peas are also moderately high in purines. Beef is very high.
HI , thank you so very much for this diet, i am on my 2nd week, i lost 6 pounds, and on Sat i went crazyyyyyyyyyyyyy, from wine to dine. i am very grateful to find this website. i had back surgery a few years ago and gained very good amount of weight. i walk with my dog for an hour then i started to do crunch/set-up too.
very happy with your diet plan..thank you again and again
PJWPP
7 days 5’7″ started at 195lb goal weight 160. 1st week lost 3 lbs when I weighed this morning.
Hello Tim,
I have not seen anyone mention these foods too much in the post, and have heard from several bodybuilders that they are good “carbs” to consume. I just wanted to hear your thoughts on sweet potatoes and oatmeal as they pertain to losing weight. Do you think they still spike your insulin and glucose levels?
Thanks
Jose
Hi Jose,
If you are looking to add mass and maintain bodyfat, oatmeal (non-instant) in the morning is permissible and even helpful, but I wouldn’t consume sweet potatoes and oatmeal past 2pm or so. If you’re sole objective is gaining muscle, adding both is fine.
Hope that helps!
Tim
ok i have a question… What about people who have diabetes they have to have some amount of calories a day then what?
I just do wanna loose some weight but i guess i can’t do it maybe you can help me.
Hi Tim,
I wrote a message to you a couple days ago regarding the high-level of purines in the diet you’re recommending and how it may contribute to Gout and kidney stones in those who are susceptible to these diseases. There are conflicting studies on whether vegetable purines are harmful or not. I live in China so I am well-aware of the problem of censorship. I assume you’re just taking some time to look into this rather than censoring me here, right?
Regards,
Randy
Re: beans – Can you substitute kidney or great northern beans for pinto and black beans?
Re: day off – On your day off, can you have white carbs?
Re: meat – How about deer?
Lost four to five pounds in the first week.
Thank you Tim.
Hi all,
I am a 43 year old former athlete (not professional) who let the pounds pile on after I stopped playing. I have tried every diet under the sun from Atkins to Zone. Without question, this eating regimen has topped them all….and it’s not even close!
I started 6 weeks ago at 286lbs. I am now at a very lean 265lbs. I feel great, I sleep great (really great), I have more stamina (my honey is extremely happy), and I am proud of the way I look.
I am motivated to work out now because I look and feel good (don’t mean to sound haughty), I’m eating right and I know the work out will make a difference.
I eat for nutrition on Sunday-Friday. I eat to reward myself on Saturdays. It really feels great to treat myself and I look forward to it all week.
This eating regimen is great for me because:
-It is simple
-It is rewarding (Saturday Cheat Day)
-It is educational (teaches me a lot about my body and I like reading other people’s experiences)
-It is Highly Effective
In short, this diet has changed my life! I am happy, giddy,healthy,slim, encouraged and excited about the way I look.
Thank you Tim. Thank you SO MUCH!!!!!
Hi there,
If there are tomatoes in Salsa….does that mean I can eat tomatoes with some meals? Technically its a fruit. But most people consider it a vegetable. I’m sticking rigidly to the diet bar the tomatoes, but not loosing weight, do you think this could make a difference?
thanks,
Amy
hi guys I started the diet and stayed on it for two weeks I lost about 4 pounds , then for some reason I got discouraged am very sad can anyone help me get on track again coz seriously this is the best diet I’ve been on …….am really not sure what went wrong plz help me
Hi Tim,
You think if i went on (hydroxycut hardcore ) this could give me better results while am on the diet ????
Hi again Everybody….just another quick update. So, I had another cheat day on Saturday and for the life of me, I just can’t seem to get a big enough appetite to eat a bunch of crap! I guess that’s a good thing?
@Will: I know you said you were having the same issue. How was your latest cheat day?
I’ve also noticed that I’m really not that hungry after some of my workouts. For example, I ran 2 miles today. Before I ran, I had a can of tuna and a few crackers (I know I’m not supposed to have carbs, but I needed it for a boost of energy to get my run on). After my run, I prepared my lunch (black beans, squash, spinach, and two drummettes). I was so NOT hungry. I almost had to force myself to eat and now I’m so full I wish I wouldn’t have eaten at all. What’s up with that??? It’s been happening a lot after my workouts. It used to be the opposite – I’d be ravenous after a major workout in the past (before starting this diet).
Maybe these are little blessings in disguise? I’ll take ’em!
So, I’ve been looking at my body take shape now. I live in LA and I go to Redondo Beach to the Sand Dunes. I went yesterday. Up and down the sand hill 3 times, then the stairs once, then down to the beach to run my two miles and then back home to eat. I’m so proud of myself because I can see some stomach definition now. My upper stomach is trying to do sumthin!! lol I just feel better and am so glad I’ve finally decided to incorporated my diet and exercise simultaneously.
I mentioned that I was not going to drink any alcohol for 30 days and now I’m on day 8! Lovely! No desire to even have a drink! I hope I don’t turn into a 40+ year old female body builder! lol A girl can dream, right!
Oh, I’m really not monitoring my weight at this point. I figure the scale will say one thing but my body is showing me something else. One of my friends actually called me skinny the other day! lol whew! That was a first! Trust me, I’m definitely not skinny but apparently she could see the difference in my body – I’ll take that too!
@nadeen — I’ve been watching the news and I believe they are recalling hydroxycut, so please do your research before taking this.
ok…ttfn!
Hi Paula,
I had the same thing happen after a few days. I did some research and learned that after a high protein diet some people lose a lot of potassium because of water loss. To correct this I eat a whole banana with a few nuts and once a day I take a potassium pill. Also I use potassium salt instead of regular salt. It is called “Lite Salt”.
This should help. After 1 day my leg issues where gone.
Regards,
Gonzalo
Hi Tim,
I’m very interested in this diet, is it ok for a 16 yr old?
I go to the gym 4 days a week and do cardio and several weight-lifting machines plus an abs class per week, but i’m still struggling with my weight.
Should i take some vitamins or supplements?
do the meals have to be repeated or can i just make my meal out of one bean one meat and one veggie?
hey nadeen i am trying to do this diet to maybe we can help each other out if you want my aim is jellybelltinktot we can be each others support through it. 🙂
hey tim , im 14 and i was wondering if i could do this and about the pizza do you eat the whole thing and can i make it at home, or what can i substitute for it.
I stopped following the diet 5 days ago and have lost 7lbs. I also haven’t worked out in a week. What’s up with that?
hey tim,i’m really interested in this 20lbs. in 30 days program i was wondering, if i can eat fat free cottage cheese, natural applesauce, protein shake, sweet potato w/o skin with marshmallows and brown sugar, dannon light and fit yogurt, fat free skim milk, you said no to fruit… right? if i misunderstood you can you tell me what i can eat. thanks again. oh also i drink a lot of water about 10-13 8oz. cups a day.
Also can I eat plain oatmeal. It really fills me
I lost 5 pounds, and im on day 6 today! super happy! I also run a mile daily.
can i use “i cant belive its not butter” for my veggies and wat can i use for my chicken breast so it dont stick…? PLEASE ANSWERE
Question: Can I drink a glass of prune juice for my post workout carbs? I have a problem with constipation
@Sugar,
If you consume the juice within 30 minutes post-workout (or during), I don’t expect this would be an issue.
Best,
Tim
Tim: I am thrilled with my results. I am 2 months into this…I have lost approimately 20 pounds but my lean muscle has taken over and flushed away a great amount of fat. My guess is that I have really lost 30 pounds of fat. I am hoping to lose 40 more pounds with this plan.
I do CrossFit at least 3 times per week. So, this is helping me to become healthier, strongern and leaner all around.
Like previous poster, I was anxiously awaiting my cheat day. Now, because I can tell such a huge difference in how I feel, I actually dread the cheat day….major carb and sugar crashes!
Biggest plus of this diet: effective AND a way that I can eat as part of my lifestyle.
Negatives of diet: hmmmm…can’t really think of any. It did take me a couple of weeks to find the right combos of foods that I enjoy eating.
Thanks Tim!
Hi Tim,
Thank you for giving me the motivation I was lacking…I will start your diet tomorrow.
a couple of questions though…
Are fruits an absolute no on this diet? didn’t see them mentioned anywhere.
Also how about dairy products? Low fat milk and yoghurt? if yes, to what frequency or quantity?
Finally, is it ok to mix the foods or keep it simple in a way that you’re only eating one kind of food at a time? So would I be eating only meat or could you combine meat and vegetables at one meal?
Many thanks!
Nadeen, don’t give up!!
I have been on diets before and I, like you take a loooong time to lose weight. My metabolism is very slow comparing to other people and it takes for me longer to start losing the weight. So don’t expect to lose exactly what everybody else is losing at the same time as them, but the certain thing is that you will lose it eventually if you stick to it. If you give up you’ll never know.
I lost 10kilos in the past and it took me about 3 months, when for my friend it took 1 and half month…the secret is not to give up, you will be rewarded of your efforts in the end…
Tim,
I love this blog! I am going to start this tomorrow. I hope it works, since I am a female… 🙂 I just have ONE QUESTION…
Can I eat fruit? Or should I avoid it?…
Thanks!
xoxo
Hi,
Could anyone explain how the meal plans go? Does it mean that you must eat the same foods for every meal everyday for that week? Or can you eat three different meals each day but eat them all week long? I dont know if that makes any sense but im not sure how to plan the meals. And does anyone know where I can find more information about this diet? Thanks!
hey im gonna start this diet tomorrow cause i want to loose weight so i can join the marines hope it works …. ill keep you up dated..kool :}
@Sam: I think what he means by eating the same meals is the simplicity. It’s easier just to cook a day or two worth of meals and just microwave them when it’s time to eat. It also saves money and the constant hassle of having to cook different meals all day long. Say you cooked a whole pot of black beans or some kind of green vegetable and grilled a whole pack of chicken, if you left it in the fridge for a few days instead of reheating it for other meals, it would go bad.
hey tim,i’m really interested in this 20lbs. in 30 days program i was wondering, if i can eat fat free cottage cheese, natural applesauce, protein shake, ,dannon light and fit yogurt, fat free skim milk, you said no to fruit… right? if i misunderstood you can you tell me what i can eat. thanks again. oh also i drink a lot of water about 10-13 8oz. cups a day, and i eat like to eat a cup of plain oatmeal, is that fine. Also why can’t I eat a sweet potato, does it have white carbs? Please reply back. thanks
Hi
can anyone tell me where I can get more information on this diet.
Hey Tim, I just read the book and found your blog. I love it all, and have started this diet about 4 days ago. I think it’s great, but I wanted to ask you to expand a little on sodium limitations. I am trying to find places to eat out and keep with the diet for lunches during the week etc. Someone else posted that a modified Cihpotle burrito bowl fits the criteria of the diet (Black Beans, Chicken, Pico de Gallo, Salsas, Lettuce, Guacamole). I’ve been eating that the last couple of days and I started to wonder if I am eating a huge salt shaker and mistakenly thinking that I am aiding my weight loss. Just wanted to get your thoughts on that. God bless. Avoid the Swine Flu. I love you.
I posted on the 23/04 been almost month lost 10lb, weigh in as follows:
1st week 12.6
2nd week 11.12
3rd week 11.11
4th week 11.10
It does work!
Best tip for me: oven bake batch of sausages and wrap in 2’s in tin foil and then microwave following morning ensures breakfasts are very quick.
Also I am cooking joints of meat in the slow cooker which is also easy.
Hey Tim,
I’ve been on the diet for 2 months now and lost around 25 lbs, which is great! I feel a lot healtheir in general. I have one worry with my personal diet.
– For breakfast I’ve been eating a spoonful of peanut butter, and a 1/2 serving of low fat vanilla yogurt before running off to work. Does the vanilla yogurt have too much sugar in it?
@ Dennis
Fat free cottage cheese might be ok, take a look at the sugar content before eating. However, I probably would avoid it.
Applesauce – NO
Protein Shake- Yes
Light Fit Yogurt – No, often has a lot of sugar
Fat Free Skim Milk – Nope, too much sugar
Fruit – Avoid if you are trying to lose weight
Oatmeal – Avoid if you are trying to lose weight
Sweet Potato – Avoid if you are trying to lose weight.
Honestly the best way to do this diet is to be completely uncreative. Eat simple meals of veggies, beans and proteins. Copy Tim’s sample meals for awhile and see how it works out for you. I have had the best results just sticking to the basic plan and have lost about 20 pounds of body fat so far. The only times I see my weight loss decreasing is when I start venturing out to add other things to the diet.
First of all, thanks Tim for sharing this!
I had an eating disorder when I was younger, so as policy, I never, ever weigh myself. At the doctor’s office the other day, I asked not to be told my weight, but my doctor told me, for the sake of my health, that I had gained twenty pounds in the past year. I was pretty shocked (I thought I’d gained maybe 10 – I quit smoking, and that tends to come with the territory). I was lucky to find this diet in my first search.
I just started on Wednesday and am surprised at how satisfied I feel and how much energy I have. These are all foods I love (I am a healthy eater for the most part, but am almost never home) – I’ve been eating salads at my office cafeteria, and eggs or Mexican (hold the rice) whenever I have to eat out. I’ve also enjoyed a couple of steaks.
I have a couple of questions:
-Can you give a guideline for caloric, carb, and protein intake? I’m tracking everything I eat (with fitday.com), but I feel a little lost as to how much of everything I need. For example, on the first day I consumed 1,000 calories, 30 grams of fat (from beef, mushrooms, and avocado), 33 grams of carbs, and 90 grams of protein.
-Is yogurt ever okay? It’s my one addiction (greek yogurt specifically) and something that’s easy to eat on-the-go in the morning. Any types better than others? Or do you have any other on-the-go (literally, I eat on the bus) suggestions?
Thanks again!
I’ve been eating the beans, veggies, and lean meats for the past week and actually enjoy eating this way because of the simplicity. However, I’ve been limiting my beans to a serving (1/2 cup) each meal but eating plenty of veggies and meat. I’ve found myself snacking on peanuts in between meals (maybe too much) and I feel it has hindered my wt loss. Should I eat more beans maybe? If you have to eat a little something between meals should I simply snack on these same foods and keep the nuts for my “free day?”
Thanks!
Hey
I saw this and I don’t know if it work for me .I’m I guy that has been fit all my life .but in the last few years I let my work out slip some well ,(what I eat I should say),I’m 44 5’9″ 178 pounds right now I need to get to 165.I work out about 4 – 5 days a week ,its hard to eat right for me .I need help anyone have any ideas,It,s eating right for me that I need help with ,I run 4 miles a shot after working out .I singed up for the Tough guy race in the UK I need to be at 160 to 165 by November.
hey iam twelve and almost thirteen ( in july) im having a pool party and i think im out of shape. I weight 129 , i am gonna try this diet so i can get in shape for bikini season lol, but i have a question can i eat fruit? if so please tell me what kind.
– wish me luck =)
Hey, Tim i was curious so, I have been following your diet plann and doing workouts with it. The thing is the way i am doing it is just pick one food from each group sometimes i will have a couple veggies instead of just one and, wait three hours before eating again. If i get hungry before the 3 hours have past i will have a glass of milk to sustain me, is that ok. also i will only let myself have white carbs if i go run, and then i just eat enough pasta, pizza whatever till i am full like tonight i had about 2 and a half pieces of pizza… is this ok. Also i have noticed with me working out i am gaining alot of muscle and bulking up, is this diet going to help me tone things down?
Thanks
ok im starting this tomorrow , 129 my goal is to be 109 . . tell u my updates every week
i apologise if your name is not Tim i assumed it was because i was sure i saw it in a past post,….. i was also curios to know how many calories i should take in if i do a work out for 30 minutes 2 times a day and i am somewhat active for the rest of the time.
sounds good but I’m vegetarian … no beef, pork, chicken or fish … can you help me with that? I’ve been trying to lose weight for a while now with not much success.
Great article …
this is going well ….. iam finally realizing that i can live without all of this junk. you no? like when youre craving junk like chocolate ice cream , but i wasnt even hungry all of those times but i told myself i was. im actually never really hungry.
THANKYOU TIM
hey tim,
i have one more question, for snack in between my 3 meals, can i eat no salt peanuts, almonds, or any kind of nuts. i want the real answer because i really want to stick to your program. i want lose the 20lbs. of body fat. please reply back thanks
b/c right now i am only eating 3 small meals, and i am hungry for my in between snack.
love your diet im definatly going to try it, it sounds simple enough, but tell me if this is wrong, all of last week i have been haveing a salad (iceburg lettece, the purple-ish cabbage, gratted cheese, bacon bits, small chunks of ham, andn a small cup of melted cheese, and crackers) is that really going to help me lose weight?
one concern of mine about this is how beans are used so much. wont there be a gas issue? i dont mind beans but i typically stay away because of how much gas i get from eating them. do certain beans like the ones you suggest cause this?
Hi ,
I do moderate – rigorous excercise at home almost everyday except for Sunday. Within 1 hour of workout I eat heavy breakfast like cornflakes with banana , milk and 1 tpsp sugar or Indian bread with mixed vegetables or bread omlette etc..I take the break fast around 10.30 and by 12:15pm I take my lunch which again comprises of rice , veg , pulses etc , by 4:30 i take coconut water or canned juice with a pack of biscuits and by 7:30pm I slight heavy snacks like indian bread and veg or cake , sandwiches etc and by 11:45pm i take my dinner which again comprises of bread , chicken or veg etc.
I try to keep my dinner always light but can not resist and that’s the reason i can not reduce my weight at a faster rate. Please help.
i dont have a problem with soy beans but they are more pricey and hard to find shelled rather than in the pod.
So many posts my eyes are bleeding. I have tried to read most of them, but, really just want to hear some opinions.
Any of you heard of the Sacred Heart Memorial Diet.. a lot of people call it a fad.
I have tried it twice before and had great results. Usually in the form of superhuman energy and some weight loss.
The diet consists of mainly throwing it lots of canned vegetables and vegetable stock. It’s kind of high sodium-ish.
You eat this special soup for the week…. your 2nd day you have a banana…. third a steak… each day is a bit different.
I was wondering if I followed Tim’s Diet for a week, and then switched to this sodium fest diet for the 2nd week, if I wouldn’t be throwing away all Tim’s hard work….
The soup I can totally get down… but the beans and guacamole I could only take a week at a time.
Any opinions…
Hi Tim,
Was wondering about the GM diet ..what do you think about it.
You said fruits are fatttening..What about fruits like watermelon,cantaloupe, apples whcih arre suppoesed to have negative calories?
Hi Kavita,
What is the GM diet? General Motors? 🙂 I don’t suggest eating them these days. But seriously, apples will not be negatively caloric, at least with my understanding of digestion and thermodynamics. Granted, I’m no physicist, but genetically-modified (also GM) apples can top 100 calories and have greater fructose content that much of the naturally-occurring fruit our paleolithic ancestors would have had access to.
Can you please explain the diet?
All the best,
Tim
hey tim,
i was wondering if i could eat nuts, baked beans, refried beans, and pork n beans?
please reply back. thanks
Hi Tim –
Just wanted to you give you and everyone an update. This way of eating is AMAZING. I look good! 😉 ok, ok, I’m not usually the vain type, but I can’t stop looking at my tummy in the mirror. It’s literally transforming right before my eyes! I don’t weigh myself, so I’m not sure just how much I’ve lost at this point, but all I know is that I look fabulous. I have a waist line now too.
Tim, because I’ve cut out so much sugar and carbs from my diet, I’ve began to notice a few things that maybe you can address for me:
My energy level is rather low. I still run at least 2 or more miles 3-4 times a week in addition to weight lifting but finding it difficult sometimes to complete my entire workout. Why is this and what can I do about it?
My body is hot – not like “girl, you’re fine, you are hot!” but like, literally sweating all the time….sorta like hotflashes, but kinda worse. What is going on? What can I do to tone that down a bit? I drink about 85 oz of water a day, but I’m still hot.
My appetite has dwindled so much. Even after a hard workout, I’m finding that I’m just not that hungry. I know I need to eat (and I do) but I could actually do without it. Even on my cheat days, I really have no desire to eat. What’s going on?
I was told that maybe I’m over doing it and should cut my workouts in half and only continue if I’m not too exhausted. I would truly appreciate your feedback or the feedback of others who might be experiencing this or can offer some advice.
Thanks in advance!
“hot girl, signing out…..” 🙂
P.S. 16 days of no alcohol and counting……
Hi Pssssst,
Congratulations on the fat loss! I’ve been doing some additional research, and — as per previous commenters — I suggest you might want to look at supplementing 200-400mg of both potassium and magnesium per day. Start with 99mg (the usual tablet size) of potassium per day and 200mg of magnesium before bed. Of course, discuss this with your doctor, especially if you are taking blood-pressure lowering medication.
That said, I suspect increasing your electrolyte levels a bit should help.
Best of luck!
Tim
Hi Tim,
I was trying to read all of the posts to see if the answer to my question was on here, but there are so many posts! I find this diet ideal. However I am a vegetarian. What could I eat in place of the meat?
Hi Tim,
Thanks for your response.
Yes Gm diet is the General Motors diet..Its basically fruits (watermelon/cantaloupe etc) for day 1, veggies day 2, day 3 fruits n veggies, day 4 bananas and milk, day 5 ,6 ,7 beef/neand and veggies…soup on all 7 days..
It apparently guarantees 10 lbs los per week.
I am 5’5” and weigh 136 lbs..I need to lose 25 pounds to get back to what i used to weigh before I had the baby,I need to do it in 3 weeks as I have a big event coming up.
I have been following your diet for 7 days now,with eating a normal meal on day 7.But i have been eating fruits all along..i am a vegan, got bored of eating only lentils..
Do u suggest not eating any fruits at all, watermelon,canatloupe etc for more effective weight loss?
Please let me know.
Regards
Kavita
Hi Tim –
Thanks for your quick reply! I’ll do what you suggest. I already eat a banana a day for potassium but will add supplements for the magnesium and see what happens.
It’s kinda funny, but when I woke up this morning, I looked even more toned than I did yesterday!
Thanks, again!
Tim you have this all down to an art form. I love your articles, I love your book and please keep it coming. I’ve been looking for a concise, yet descriptive way to lose fat that isn’t crazy or requires me to pop pills or anything crazy. Thanks
I’m only 16 and I’ve been looking for a practical diet for the past couple of months, and it looks like this is the best. What I’m trying to do is tone up. I’m about 6’0” and 172lbs or so. I’m not quite sure of my BF% but it’s not bad. I exercise about 6 days a week, with core training, a little free weight, and cyclying/running (every other day).
My problem is I can’t seem to get toned muscles. I’ve been eating a lot better lately but it’s so hard to eat good when all of your friends are eating junk food and drinking mountain dew. Its hard to say “No man, i’ll just cook up some legumes with a couple eggs..” Any suggestions on how to avoid awkward situations like that? Also, I noticed you had mentioned avoiding fruits? I usually eat at least one banana a day, because I know they’re good for you (just high in NATURAL sugar) but I was curious if they are bad for you.
Well, thats all for now. I’m gonna buy this book and definitely try this out. I’ll post again in a little. Congrats to all who have succeeded.
Austin
Hi Tim and everyone else,
I want to loose 20 pounds in 30 days but I also want to loose inches, is this diet okay, or will I gain body muscle and be the same size after loosing body fat?
Also, I will stick to the list of foods and include some carrots and celery, but would like to know;
what could I eat in place of the meat?
and are cucumbers okay to eat for this diet??
Thank you very much in advance
~Sugarito
Tim, after reading the two books you recommended above, The Glycemic Index and Protein Power, I think I have a pretty good idea of the science you’ve based this diet around, but I wanted to clarify some things. To me, it seems like you are trying to encourage fat loss by keeping blood glucose, and subsequently, Insulin levels low. Most of the carbs you recommend have a low GI, but also low general levels of carbohydrates. Which do you see as more important? What is the highest GI level you generally let yourself go? What is your usual grams of carbohydrates per day? In Protein Power, the authors said that the GI of a food was irrelevant, only the effective carbohydrate content mattered. Also, wouldn’t the spiking of carbs on the cheat day keep you from lowering your insulin sensitivity? Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions and thanks for all the great info above.
Hey! I m an 18 year old girl and i want to shed all the extra kgs off me as soon as possible! I dont have any objections do the diet plan of yours but i m a foodie. i absolutely love food. actually love all d junk food. and i cant resist them. please help me resist them so that i can follow d food plan.
Sweet Tooth Cure – TAZO Iced Passion Tea (Hibiscus Ice Tea).
I have been at it a week… Dropped a few pounds and have a ton of energy – which sounds different than other people. I am totally enjoying the food… I like simplicity. I found that Trader Joe’s has an amazing selection of canned organic beans.
Breakfast Spinach Omlet (Eggology + 1 egg) and Coffee
Lunch – Green Beans OR Beans + Advocado and Soda Water w/ drop of lime
Lunch 2 – Edamame OR Beans + Advocado and Soda Water w/ drop of lime
Dinner – Chicken Breast with Veges (my favorite is Asparagus)
Are garbonzo beans as bad as the label looks – wow, that is a lot of calories.
Yes, keep Garbanzo beans out of the diet, for sure.
Tim
Started this diet today. I’m so excited. I’ve told a couple of my friends about it, too. Also going to keep a written journal of what I’m eating everyday, how I feel, etc.
Question: I work out for about 1.5 to 2 hours everyday. I do about 45 minutes cardio and 45+ minutes doing various weight machines (I don’t do anything super heavy of course, because I want to tone). I’ve been doing this for a while, and I’ve lost 25 pounds so far. 🙂 I’m curious, though. With a regime like this included while following the diet, how much more weight loss is possible? How many pounds would you estimate for someone who is 5’8″ and 250 lbs? I’m also female and a vegetarian, if that matters (embarrassed now, but we’re all fighting for the same goal right)?.
Oh. Let me elaborate on the “toning” thing, also. I’m terribly afraid of having loose skin… So I guess I do enough weight on the machine to build my arms / burn fat, but also to hopefully not lose it too quickly so skin sags from fast weight loss… if that makes sense. |:
hey tim i know you have a lot of messages, but can i eat eat beans, like baked beans, pork n beans, and refried beans, also can i eat nuts and almonds. i really want to stick to your plan.
I am on day 4 of the 7 day Sacred Heart Diet, the banana day! It is not too bad, hope to lose a good 5 #.
Tim’s diet I am sure is a winner but it is not for me 100% but I still try to eliminate white stuff which I feel is very important.
Seems like a lot of us (ME) want to do Tim’s diet “their way”. But then it is no longer Tim’s diet! He makes it very clear what to eat.
I need to lose 12 # total, I am a female, senior citizen, and a cook! Being a cook and a good cook at that, I find limiting the foods is not my thing.
I do enjoy reading all the posts and wish everyone the best.
Tim,
I have a couple questions because Ive been on the diet for about 2.5 weeks. I have lost 3.5 lbs, I thought I would have lost more.
My questions to you are….
How much working time working out is ok in order to have white carbs for your post workout?
Can I have oatmeal with sugar for postwork out?
How many servings or grams of carbs can I have after a workout and will it need to replace a meal?
Is corn ok to eat for vegetables?
Is Cheese ok to eat?
Maybe I havent been losing weight because I’ve been only working out for about 30-45 min (with weights- very little cardio) and then eating a panera blueberry bagel right after????? and cheese????
Your answers would be greatly appreciated!!!!!! I dont want to give up but maybe Im not working out enough in order to eat carbs after a postworkout.
Please help.
Angelina
Angelina,
I have been on the diet about as long as you now. I would suggest not eating ANY white carbs even post workout until your weightloss has jump started. It seems like your body doesn’t understand what you are trying to do yet. Also, I would make sure that you are doing a pretty intense workout otherwise the white carbs arent replacing anything, just adding on.
I hope I have helped, of course I am not expert. Keep us updated! Good luck!
Shizuko
hey Tim,
Great post thanks. i have a question here:
what about calories restriction?
do you cut calories in a severe manner?
Hello again, Tim and all.
I am at the end of week 10 after changing my eating regime to this one. As of this morning, I have lost a total of 16.5 kg (36.38 lb). As noted in my previous posts, I was in a traffic accident last year and am still recovering so all of this was accomplished WITHOUT ANY EXERCISE. One more kilogramme and I will be mid-way to my target loss of 35 kg (77 lb).
I would have lost more except that I stagnated over weeks 8 and 9, hovering around 14 kg (30.86 lb) of loss. The only thing I was doing differently was to start eating almonds and low-fat cottage cheese. I reckon that these increased my fat levels and decreased my metabolic rate to an unacceptable level. Frustrated, last week I went back to basics and drafted a revised eating schedule that is more in-line with the one above:
BREAKFAST: 3 eggs, pinto beans, and spinach
LUNCH: grilled chicken breast, green and brown lentils, and petits pois (lit. ‘little peas’ – unsure what these are in Amerispeak)
DINNER 1: grilled porkchop, red lentils, and either broccoli or petits pois
DINNER 2: grilled turkey steak, green and brown lentils, and petits pois
I had also let diet cola into my regime. I took that out after reading the recent study out of South Africa on the effects of aspartame on brain cells [http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v62/n4/abs/1602866a.html]. Aspartame has three components: phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol. Part of aspartame (methanol) gets converted to formaldehyde and is stored in one’s bodyfat; any phenylalanine that is not processed by the liver goes to the brain, where it is cytotoxic; aspartic acid can cause one’s neurons to misfire. I encourage all to read the article wherein aspartame is linked potentially to cancer, ADHD, learning difficulties, and Alzheimer-like symptoms. Further studies have shown problems with blood-clotting – aspartame may fight the effects of anti-clotting medication.
Another positive effect to note is my cholesterol level. I had it tested about two weeks ago. Where my previous level was 6.1 on the UK scale (around 234 on the US system), it has now dropped to 5.3 (around 204). This has taken me from edging into the danger zone back closer to “normal”.
Many, many thanks, Tim, for designing and sharing such a sustainable dietary regime. If you find yourself around the Lowlands of Scotland sometime, please let me know. I should like to take you out for a thank-you dinner of your choice – the best Tandoori in Scotland or the best fish and chips in the UK (both are award-winners and officially recognised as the best in their class) or whatever suits.
hey tim i know you have a lot of messages, but can i eat beans, like baked beans, pork n beans, and refried beans, also can i eat nuts and almonds. i really want to stick to your plan. also can i drink flavored carbonated water
no fat and no calories, really low sugar, 30 g of sodium serving size, for 24 or 32 oz. container please reply back i have to know these things, so that i can continue eating, or stop eating them. thanks again for your time, and God bless. p.s. reply back i really want to lose my body fat, so that i can see my six pack.
I have followed this diet for 3 weeks plus p90x exercise last two weeks and 30 day shred for 3 weeks before that. However, I have seen only minor changes in 3 weeks of dieting. I might be gaining muscle as well, but my waist size has not changed yet with this diet. The only difference was the tomatoe paste in my cooking instead of salsa. Now I will cut off tomatoe paste and try this diet like that. Is it the sugar in tomatoes causing the problem? I will update you with my progress.
Timbo’s probably a busy dude these days, but I thought I’d post for all the rest of us. I’m on day 4 of this diet, and I’ve lost 6 pounds. I think prep is the biggest help – if I didn’t get my lunch ready the night before work, I’d have an excuse to go to Subway.
Looking forward to my “dieters gone wild day” tomorrow – which will be a healthy balance of KFC, at least a pound of chocolate, about 3 bags of Doritos and 4 milkshakes.
Never been on a diet before, but since turning about 25 the old metabolic rate has slown down and not being a college athlete anymore doesn’t help either. Hello extra 20 lbs of Tys!
Apparently, a guy of my size (6’3″, 230 lbs) burns about 2800 calories just being workout-comatose receptionist. Google’s calorie counter says 4 meals of this diet adds up to about 1500 calories – almost half – nice.
Best thing is, I’m usually full. If I’m not, I fix that quick “omelette” Tim makes in 3 mins on Youtube (minus flaxseed oil), which comes up to a whopping 100-120 calories.
It is true, sometimes you feel wiped out due to a lack of calories. I’m no expert, but I have a caffienated 0-cal soft drink (Coke zero or pepsi max), and I get a little boost till the next meal for “free”.
Shizuko,
Thanks for a response…I will stop eating white carbs after my work outs until I start seeing results. BUT do you think I can eat cheese?
-Angelina
I lost 9lbs in a week!!!
Week 0 – 195
Week 1 – 186
I am so excited about the results. I am fantasizing about 165! As for working out, I played tennis one night for about 2 hours.
Keep it up all.
Tim – Thank you.
Hey Tim. It was great to meet you yesterday at the health summit.
btw guys, Tim practices what he preaches… he’s a lean machine.
One of the tricks I’ve used for years now with some of my personal training clients that are having a hard time losing weight is to have them almost completely eliminate grains from their diet and focus almost all of their carbohydrate intake from vegetables and a small amount of fruit (more emphasis on berries).
It’s such a simple shift, but hard for a lot of people to give up their breads, cereals, and pasta. But what I’ve done to help them stick to this is tell them to eat the grains that they’re craving only after an intense weight training workout (within an hour of finishing training).
All other times of the day, they try to get almost all of their carbs from veggies… which means they end up drastically reducing their total carb intake, without the problems associated with going extremely low carb…. very similar to what Tim talks about here with the “slow carb” plan.
Also, the 1-day per week of “overfeeding” (aka, the cheat day)… is very important both mentally and physically for keeping the metabolism revved up.
Great stuff Tim… can’t believe how many comments you’ve gotten on this one!
-Mike
Hi Tim. I read your article and i must say it seems promising but i have a question. For the breakfast portion, what do you use to scramble the eggs in? I eat a lot of eggs already and i use either butter or margarine, whichever is in the fridge, but i was wondering if that was fine or if there was something else i should use instead of butter or margarine
Tim, I think most of your ideas are really good. However, two little things: (1) I believe drinking massive quantities of water will wash valuable nutrients out of your system, which can lead to anemia, etc. (2) We should all avoid “diet” or “no-sugar” drinks with aspartame, as it is just bad. Otherwise, good stuff!
oh and i have one more question. i use the already seperated egg whites in the carton (egg beaters). is that ok or should i use actual eggs and seperate the whites myself
@Jasmine,
Normal egg whites or egg beaters are both fine. I tend to add in one whole egg for taste.
Best,
Tim
all i have to say is 6 days and i lost 6 lbs!!! i have energy, and today is my first cheat day! woo!
to make a few suggestions to people: try to stevia, it is a new all natural sweetener that is made from a plant just like sugar.zero calories. it tastes great! i bought mine in the organic section in the grocery store. also its sweetened in the new sobe life water! mmm
primarily i say this because sweeteners are sweeter than sugar, and make you crave more sweets, and after too long they turn in to bad things. so have a cup of tea instead of a can of pop.
Also, Ive found from http://www.articlealley.com/article_93820_17.html that PARSLEY releases the most seratonin, which is our bodies “feel good” horomone, and is also the reason why some people crave chocolate. Also, since this is a high protein diet too much dopamine can be produced causing tiredness. So buy some parsley flakes and put it on/in eggs, veggies, beans, and whatever you think it will taste good with. ive been using parsley for weeks and my chocolate cravings have gone down significantly, and i feel less tired.
i hope this helps.
It’s working. I have only been on this for five days but everything is toning. EVERYTHING. I also lost about 4 pounds so far. What a great way of life. Also, I am never hungry. Loving the nightly glass of wine too.
nice posts thanks
hey Tim, great diet and tips. keep the good work.
Hi, thanks for your Utopic diet. I am going to try it.
I love chicken and as long as i can eat that I am good. You did not say anything about brocolli which I love so I hope its not banned.!
@Monisola,
Broccoli is great. Eat all you want.
Best,
Tim
Dieters gone wild (DGW) day was BRUTAL. I was all excited to eat crap, but after downing about 2000 cals I felt like a bear shot in the butt with a sedative dart. I nearly took a nap at work, and it was actually difficult to keep up the eating for the entire day. Does anyone know what kind of ratio works well for themselves regarding resting calories burned to calories consumed? I’m going to experiment on this with myself on both regular and DGW days. Currently it’s about 1.8:1.
What doesn’t get measured doesn’t get managed…right?
These are the fundamentals to great fat loss success.
Out of the 4 recommendations I have noticed 2 of them really helping me out a lot:
Not eating white carbs and Not drinking calories.
Those 2 have really made a difference in my fat loss efforts.
Nutrition is very important, but remember, it’s just one part of the equation.
hey tim i know you have a lot of messages, but can i eat beans, like baked beans, pork n beans, and refried beans, also can i eat nuts and almonds. i really want to stick to your plan. also can i drink flavored carbonated water
no fat and no calories, really low sugar, 30 g of sodium serving size, for 24 or 32 oz. container please relpy back thanks for your time.
@Dennis,
If you eat almonds/nuts, eat no more than 10 or so a day. It’s easy to pack on a few thousand calories without thinking. Second, I’d avoid aspartame (Nutrasweet) if you want to lose fat, but some sweetening is OK.
Good luck!
Tim
also these nuts and almonds are no salt or very little salt. thanks again
Tim,
Can you eat cheese? or any type of fruit?
This article really inspired me for some reason. I start the plan tomorrow.
I love automation, it’s the only way I accomplish anything.
So following the rules in the article, I created an Excel 2007 file that does a few things for me.
enter number of users (max 10)
# meals per day (1-6)
# days you want to plan (1-28)
Day of week you want off (drop down list)
Date you want to start.
I have a basic load of the foods listed in the article with calorie breakdown, if you care. I don’t, I just got carried away with the spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet creates the plan for the # days & meals AND creates a rough shopping list for all users.
I did it without the use of macros, so no security issues.
It’s free as in “if you want it, ask & I’ll send it to you.”
Just thought I’d share.
Angelina,
Tim said previously that some cheese was ok.
Fruit is a no no because of the high sugar content.
Just remember, Meat, Beans, and veggies. Easy as can be 🙂
im an advocate of the atkins diet, and it was tough for me, and i did lose 30 lbs in about amonth and a half, but i gained it all back and then some. This (tims diet) way of eating is best for someome like me to lose weight because im not the most active person, and I dont consistently go to the gym.
– Adding the legumes(although its a new thing for me) makes the world of a difference in my hunger issue. but you have to add them to every meal to tame that hunger. also if you want to avoid the gas only have a SERVING SIZE, which is just a half cup. (if coming from a can rinse them VERY WELL to reduce gas)http://askville.amazon.com/type-beans-amount-gas/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=16615104
-in the matter of easier to digest legumes i would suggest: green peas, lima beans(best in a salad),and SOY BEANS!! soy beans above all other beans are like no other, and are the best for you. they have 3 amino acids in them, and have a very mild taste that is more chewy than mushy like most beans.(no stinky gas either)
another thing…is fish ok? i love talapia because its so easy to bake in the oven w/my veggies. if not then why?
OK THANKS ERIC.
I started this yesterday (Monday May 18). Today (I know, day 2 is early, but from what I’ve read this diet is uber-effective at dropping weight when you stick to it) I hit a milestone. I weighed 258.5 this morning upon waking and 256 this evening right after dinner. I have NEVER, and I mean NEVER, weighed LESS on an evening than I did that same morning. This. Is. Awesome.
I will update on progress in three months and include links to before and after pictures for that time period.
Thanks for this, Tim – I have the feeling that, like your book, this eating program will help to change my life. As always, your material is change agent and we readers need to supply the action to make it work – thanks for your dedication to those around you, it is greatly appreciated!
Amadeus
Hi Tim,
What kind of wine do you recommend. I want to get some @ Trader Joe’s & I think you shop there, so hopefully this will be an easily answered question.
Big Daddy