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.)
One thing that I’ve noticed is that eating this way curbs my hunger. If I have 2 or 3 cups of broccoli or spinach, 1.5 to 2 cups of black or pinto beans, mix in a small amount of chicken or beef, and add as much picante sauce as I want, I will not be hungry for the next 4 to 6 hours.
I lost 30 pounds earlier this year, and then gained some weight back. Eating 1 meal a day like the one I described above, plus incorporating my own variation of a “free day” or “free weekend” has helped me get back on track. I’ve lost 13 pounds in the past 3 weeks.
Not sure how many will actually see this link since there are so many comments but figured I’d share anyways. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Ketogenic diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low carb diets. Ketogenic diets also produce several adverse metabolic and emotional effects so don’t cut out all your carbs. Control your calories, exercise more, and you will lose weight.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/83/5/1055
Why no fruit!? I can’t live without fruit!
I lost 3 lbs my first four days on this diet. I look forward to sharing more about my success with it over the next few weeks. I have always wanted to write a book about health to add to list of books I have published. This will finally give me the information and the backing to make it a personal success story as well as a self help book for others. Thanks for sharing this great information.
Well, I Said I Was Going To Post My Weight Today & My
Starting Weigh is 202 lbs.
Just start adding raw veg and fruit to your diet. You could also try replacing a meal with a raw veg juice so you’ll also be getting lots of vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
As of June 30, 2009 my starting weight is 202 lbs.
WOW ANNA!!! You must look so Awesome!!! What is your height?
@ruckus
Dude?! Did you read Tim’s initial post? He calls it the “Slow-Carb” diet. Why? Because you DO eat carbs, beans. The more I look into it the more this is the ideal diet to keep forever. Beans have a low GI and on top of that, have good amounts of protein AND dietary fiber which most americans don’t get enough of anyway.
Your link you posted referenced “weight loss” well I would assume most people want to lose the fat, not necessarily weight. Fat is like carrying around dead weight with you, I’d like to keep my muscle. Also did you read about the starvation experiment he posted about? Did you read “Glucose revolution”? I am curious to know, I read Tim’s initial post and followed some of the links and I can’t see how you feel your link is a viable reference?
By the way I started at 217, first 2weeks lost 10 lbs. Then I stopped for a little and ate like crap again we are talking Krispy Kreme and Dairy queen Blizzards Daily and I didn’t gain my weight back?? I have been working out but this was a shock to me as I thought I blew it. I am back on the diet this week and now at 204 and MORE important, my bodyfat went from 24-26% to 17-19%(using the BF calc scale) AND my energy is more even throughout the day. The only difference I do in this diet is I make sure I have a nice juicy apple waiting after my workout (this is okay per tim) and I have a protein shake after weights(not recommended by Tim)
So in conclusion, I don’t think you should post links that aren’t really related(i.e.-weight loss vs. fat loss) that can deter someone from trying this diet. This is the easiest and most cost effective way of eating I have ever experienced.
If you are reading this TRY IT! Just say you will stick to it for 4weeks and you will love it! Make sure you read all the comments by Tim so you don’t end up repeating a question or comment he has already posted.
Have a great day!
Mark
Congrats Anna !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When Did You Start This Diet So I Can Have Some Idea Of How Long It Will Take Me Thanx… Once Again Congratulations!!!!! You Must Really Love Shopping For Clothes Now =)
Hello All — It’s update time again:
Well, to those of you just starting out, don’t get discouraged! You can do it. Once you get the ball rolling, it’s really not difficult to maintain this way of eating. And once you start to see the results, you’ll be happy that you started. Try and stay as strict to the eating plan as possible for best results. I saw a few women posting, wondering if this will work for females. YES! YES! YES! You just gotta eat what Tim is suggesting and soon you will start to see those results.
As for me, well, let me just say that this has been the best thing since sliced bread. I’ve been eating like this now since April 15th and I look and feel great. Again, I don’t live my life by the scale so it’s difficult to give specific weight loss; however, I’m sure at least 5-10 lbs have disappeared. I totally have a waistline now! I have stomach muscles — right now it’s a 2 1/2 pack, but I see those muscles peeking through. I work out on a consistent basis as well as run 2-3 miles 3-4 times a week.
I must admit, I started to tweek things a bit because I didn’t want to get too thin. I’m 5’5″ and last time I weighed in (about 2 weeks ago) I weighed 143lbs…when I started I was at least 151-154 lbs. For about 30 days, I decided not to drink any alcohol and that’s when I started to see my tummy muscles coming through. Now, I’m only drinking 1-2 drinks over my weekends. I like the results I’m seeing when I don’t drink as much.
I’ve also noticed that those “health bars” that I used to eat whenever I wanted a snack, taste like total crap now…..I mean they are pure sugar, and my body recognizes it too. Now when I get the urge for a snack, I crave tuna! Unbelievable! Yup, a can of tuna! I’ll add a little mustard and maybe 4-5 crackers and gobble it up like it’s a prime rib dinner! Amazing how the body tells you what it wants and knows when it’s something tasty or pure sugar! I love it.
I hope this experience helps someone out there. Good luck to everyone! …thanks again, Tim!
Hi guys, I’m one of those that has tried everything to lose weight. When I came across this site, I became hopeful once again. I started yesterday, but I have a few questions that I hope someone can help me with. First of all, I’m 27 years old and my starting weight is 275. I want to lose about 80-90lbs. I joined my local gym, and am going to workout at least 5 days a week, mostly cardio. As far as the meals, do we have a range of calories we should consume? I followed the 4 meal plan, but at the end of the day I totalled about 1100-1200 calories and was super full. I just don’t want to go into starvation mode. Next question is about salt (sodium). What number should I try to stay under? I purchased canned beans with no salt added. The taste was not that great, can I purchase regular?
Hi Jose,
Don’t worry about calories. Counting calories usually backfires and causes people to regain weight. Just follow the directions in the post — make sure to get at least 20-30 grams of protein per meal — and you’ll be fine. It will control your insulin levels and you won’t get as hungry.
Good luck and trust in the program!
Tim
Colin Congrats On Your Weight Loss!!! Do You Plan On Losing More Weight????
What is the highest the glycemic index should be for food in this diet?
[…] bloggers and author of The Four-Hour Work Week, Tim Ferris had posted on his blog a while back How to Lose 20 lbs of Fat in 30 Days without doing any exercise. I said to myself “This month I am going to try this experiment and get back to my ideal […]
hey tim
i m 26 following ur diet from 1 month n have lost 8 kgs could u tell me can i eat caned pineapple slices?
hi tim
i am following yr diet from almost 1 month and i have lost 10 pounds in 1st two weeks and 5 pounds in next week.i want to ask can i eat grilled chicken instead of beef or mutton.i had taken pinto beans in diet during last month,is that ok?i would likr to know if there r any specified low fat biscuits to take as small lunch @ 5.i would be thankful if u take ur precious time out to answer my querry.ur diet has helped me alot n its working out for all of us
u r doing a wonderful job.we all appreciate ur work.loads of thanks from all of us for helping us lose weight.
Hi Sam and All,
Grilled chicken is fine, as are pinto beans.
Good luck!
Tim
This sounds exactly like what I’m looking for…I have until August 6th to get down to around 118-120, and I’m 134 pounds right now. I was in recovery from a pretty bad eating and exercise disorder, I was 108 pounds in early May, and ended up gaining WAY too much weight back, and fast too. I want to look good for my upcoming birthday (which is August 11th but my vacation starts the 6th) so I’m definitely giving this eating style a try.
A couple of questions though- I like to eat Smart Pop popcorn (it’s 94% fat free and 100 calories) after I work out, is that okay? I’m not sure if those are white carbs or not. And I eat fish and soy meat (Boca, Morningstar Farms), is that alright? And would fat free, low-calorie yogurt throw this diet off?
Thanks so much!
Hello,
Well I don’t agree with everything in the post but there’s more good stuff packed in one page than many resources put together!
I am curious as to why no milk… Milk has a GI of 30, so it sounds fine to me in the sense of a slow carb diet. Also it seems that fiber (non soluble and prebiotic) is missing (although there is plenty of the soluble type with the beans), so I would just recommend garlic and/or onions for the prebiotic and… well, I use All Bran for the non soluble so it goes against the no wheat rule (it is true that All Bran has an GI of 50, which is a bit too high, but the only alternative I’ve found is raw carrots).
Don’t overlook the drinking plenty of water rule, without it fatty acids can’t be prepared for lipolysis in the mitochondria. That can get very technical but being dehydrated is a major cause for fat burning to just STOP, and most people are exactly that: dehydrated!
@Bips: 10 kg = 90 000 calories, or 3000 a day on average. That’s more than you would burn without eating at all. If you succeed it won’t be fat, but water, gut flora, muscle and glycogen… Besides, you’ll go beyond your body’s normal capacity to burn fat and start ketosis, which is dangerous. Just don’t.
Hi Tim and readers,
I’ve followed this post to Dr. Eades book “Protein Power.” Starting 6/29 I started the slow-carb style diet, eating a maximum of 30-40 grams of carbohydrates per day. The first two days were BRUTAL. After the hump it was smooth sailing. When I’m hungry I eat quality quality protein rich foods and fats with a sliver of carb on the side. My fiance started a calorie counting diet at the same time and we decided we’d do a weigh in after the first week to compare results. (Side note: why would you want to count calories all day when you can eat all you want as long as you don’t surpass a small carb restriction?)
Result: 5.2 lbs in 5 days (scale weight) 2.6% of total weight reduction
Fiance result: 1.8 lbs in 5 days (scale weight) 1.2% reduction
At first I was shocked – conventional weight loss dictates a maximum of 1.5-2lbs of weight loss per week is safe, anything beyond that and you’re losing muscle mass. But after further research on slow-carb type diets – this result is not atypical.
I really appreciate how you keep your posts brief and on target, not giving out detailed information encourages the truly curious to practice in research – something that most 9-5ers lack in skill.
Hey Tim,
This is great advice for people just starting out on a weight loss journey.
Exercise isn’t even necessary for weight loss success if you have your diet in order.
You can lose weight effectively without exercise while eating any type of food if you watch your calorie intake each day.
Yet, to be healthy, your diet should be made up mostly of lean meats (like chicken and fish), vegetables and fruit.
As a former bodybuilder, I love your comments about avoiding “white” carbohydrates and not drinking calories.
This article is sure to help a lot of people!
Tim, and to all my partners in the quest,
The quest against the almighty scale! OK thats lame but I’m trying to keep myself in a fighting mood. Week 2 and i lost 5 pounds .. down to 299! It is getting easier, ok I’m fibbing its not! Temptation is everywhere, but because I’m feeling so much healthier, it’s easier to say no. I made some Organic beef (couldn’t find grain fed, so i presume this is a close substitute) w/ peas and some shredded cabbage and a couple tablespoon of Low Sodium soy soyce, and it tasted GREAT! Don’t think I’ll ever go back to regular beef again. And it was good for 2 meals for my wife and I.
Keep up the posts everybody, It’s very motivating.
GMC Jr.
hey tim
i m 25 i am followin the prescribed diet n it has done wonders .i tried all the diets and exercises but they didnt seem to work for me unless i came across this one .i have lost 30 pounds within one month.i wanna ask if i could eat canned pineapple for breakfastor any other fruit? or brown bread with peanut butter ? and one more thing if i could eat whole wheat bread on the off day? could i take a cup or two of green tea daily?it woul be very kind of u to help me with this .
i love what you have don to me and i believe that i can loose more weight because i use to weigh 250 ans now i weigh just 142! your great!keep on doing sucha a great job with what your doing
i think that your great and keep up the great work
im just 41 years old and im feeling like if i wher 21 again
Thanks Tim!
I’ve only been on your diet for 2 weeks but have already lost 10 pounds. Will try to lose another 20.
The best thing is I love mexican food. This diet with all the beans feels like I eat mexican 3 times a day 🙂
Just found a great article on npr.org that all of you will probably find very interesting. It details how and why the BMI (Body Mass Index), for calculating body fat, is Junk Science and Junk Math-10 reasons. Here’s a link to it, or just search NPR. http://bit.ly/NmqAg. It’s very well put.
Tim, you have amazing advice on this site for hacking life. Thank you. I can’t get over all your helpful stuff. For instance, I just tried the upside fire while camping. Huge success. I was, at first, the scorn of the camp, then the hero. It seemed like every layer lasted approx 1 hour.
Kudos, and much appreciation,
lisa
Hi Everyone,
I have re-started this eating plan. I started it but wasn’t following it exactly how Tim laid it all out…..I added peanuts and I was eating chick peas and no weight loss so thought it was time to get real. I re-started 5 days ago and I am happy to say I have lost 5lbs in 5 days by following EXACTLY as Tim says in the beginning, making no adjustments or substitutes in any way, getting real and honest about what I can and can’t eat.
Day 3 I was really craving something sweet and normally I don’t eat a lot of sweet food but I think you crave those things because you know you can’t have them till day 7 “PIG OUT DAY”. So I eat beans or lentils, vegetables (no starchy veges) and protein …chicken, lamb, beef or else I will have eggs and I drink unsweetened herb teas. I have been making a lot of vegetable soup and adding lentils….that takes care of my beans and veges then i just add my protein on the side.
It’s count down till PIG OUT DAY…but I won’t be going overboard I will just eat a few of the things I’m craving for….PASTA…STICKY DATE PUDDING and of course CHOCOLATE 🙂
I will keep you posted on my progress. I love hearing about every ones progress it’s uplifting and encouraging and gives us all hope 🙂
Just wondering, what about females? does this diet work for girls? and is it good for girls to do that dieters gone wild day?
Tim
I have tried a bunch of different things to loose weight. I start a new job in August and i would love to lose the weight that i have. I was wondering if you could send some simple healthy recipes consisting of the types of food you listed. I have tried many ways to eat them but i dont find them very tasty. Please help me.
Caroline
I found this on stumble upon a while ago. seems realllyyy good and worth my time espcially since ive gained 15 lbs in the past 6 months.
I know its really bad and im going to the doctor to have everything looked at becuase i havent changed my eating patterns really
but what do you reccomend for us vegitarians!?!
just replacing meat with veggiemeats?
Tim, this was a great article and I have found that much of what you are doing is what I have been researching myself. The added tid bits are a great help and I have included this article as a reference point on my own website. Good job!
hey guys, especially all the constant posters on this site, i could use some help.
i’ve tried this lifestyle change a few times and have given up after a few days-succesful days, but i’ve still given up. i’m a college student and when surrounded by beer and junk food, the easier thing to do is just go with the flow and eat what’s there.
i’m 5’4″, 185 pounds, and need to get to around 150. i’m pretty muscular so i think 150 would be a good starting goal for me. i’ll keep everyone posted on my results-my third try officially starts tomorrow morning…third times a charm!
any advice, motivation, tips, would be much appreciated. i need to get healthy again and nows the time. thanks guys can’t wait to lose weight along with yall!
@ wfugirl
You never fail until you quit trying!
Here are the most important tips I know:
1) YOU MUST PLAN AHEAD in order to stay on track. Do not under any circumstances try to ‘wing it’ unless you have an IRON WILL which it appears you do not (me either, by the way).
2)Instead of looking at your goal as 35lbs to lose… break your goals down. This week, your objective is to get down 5lbs… anything over that is a bonus.
3)Cheat day KILLED ME! My first cheat day turned into a two week free for all!! What I learned is that I am a CARB Addict!! Once I have given them up(and am doing well on the plan), I cannot ‘cheat’ one day and then go back to the plan. For me, food is like CRACK! Because of this I have a cheat MEAL or a very decadent dessert only… that is planned. I eat it at a restaurant or at someone ELSES house so there are no leftovers for me when I get back home.
4) Ultimately, you have to decide what is more important to you… getting the healthy, sexy body you want… OR beer and junk food…
My college days are long gone and it really is true… the older you get the more difficult weight loss becomes – and don’t even THINK of how catty-whompus your body will be once you become a mom. You might as well establish some healthy habits NOW before you hit your 30’s, like me. It will be a huge disappointment for you to be having this same weight problem as the years roll on, believe me.
Focus on your goal…
Plan for your success…
Commit to the plan…
Execute the plan….
Mission Accomplished in 7 weeks or less…
Hi guys, I have question in regards to the “cheat day”. Is it ok if on that day, instead of splurging on foods that I replace that with binge drinking? I love beer and a lifestyle change without any sounds awful.
Also I’d like to ask if it’s ok to have only a cup of coffee or two for breakfast, instead of a meal? I’ve never had much of an appetite in the morning and forcing myself to eat something early in the day feels wrong. I understand that eating in the morning is a good way to jump start your metabolism but wouldn’t a cup of coffee (splenda and non dairy cream) have the same effect on your metabolism?
Hey WFUGIRL I Was Reading Your Post I Say You Grab A Pen & Paper & Make A List Of Why U Want To Lose Weight
@ Pritibrowneyes
Hey I Was Reading UR Post & From June 10th & U Decided To Get Back On The Wagon I Was Curious Of How The Ride Has Been Since It’s Almost A Month???? I Weigh 202 On June 30th I’ve Been On & Off Tim’s Slow Carb Diet I Will Post My Weight On July 31st Hoping I’ll Be Happy With The Results I Probably Would If I’m Cosistant
@mireya007
I am doing well! I have discovered that a ‘cheat day’ is not an option for me because I lack the WILL POWER to have a full day of eating crap and then go back to eating good. My mind does not work that way. So I usually have a cheat meal or a very decadent dessert and let that be that.
My birthday is a month away and my sweetie will hopefully be home for a few weeks in August before being sent to Afghanistan… SO needless to say I want to look especially Sexy, lol. I have a picture of Beyonce on my bathroom mirror (from her photo shoot in Sports Illustrated) that I use for inspiration. I read she runs 6 miles a day as a warm-up before meeting up with her trainer!! YIKES. Since I would most likely pass out if I tried to run 6 miles I have to compromise by giving up fatty unhealthy food in order to get the results I want!
That being said… I am about 15 lbs from my goal. It is going slower than I had hoped BUT I haven’t been 100% sticking to the plan. Some days I only eat protien and veggies and skip the beans… and I am only eating about 3 small meals per day. I don’t know what effect this is having on my weight loss… but I DO know that the more protien I eat the less hungry I am. In fact, sometimes I have to force myself to eat. And as we know, not eating enough can be a negative when it comes to losing weight.
What happens next remains to be seen! I wish you all the best of luck.
hi,
i am a office goer at present i am 64 kg with a height of 4.11,i dont eat nonveg i am vegetarian but i eat fried patotoes twice a month atleast,as i have a sitting job in front of the computer you are requested to guide me with a deit prog to what should i have for breakfast,lunch and dinner,i want to loose weight desparaetly kindly help
thankyou
Guys, I have been reading most of the posts, and I find it a great diet, as far as most of you have been saying!!! So when I return from my vacation next week, I will start with the diet!!!! 4 days count down!
Regards,
Jacob
Plateauing.
I am week 3 and I seem to be plateauing. What technique’s should i try to break it. Or am I just gaining muscle in place of fat? (yes, I forgot to measure before I started) I plan on going on a more carb-oriented cheat day this Saturday, try to stay away from proteins as much as possible. Will this help, or is it just a “diet myth”?
Well… I lost 14lb in the first month and another lb this month. I like the diet and it has been over 2 months.
I am assuming at this point, excercise is going to have to be a piece of the puzzle.
– j
would it be okay if i didnt work out for 2 weeks cuz am traveling??? and there is no gym in the hotel!! so wut shall i do to keep the muscles ive built?
I think So J Now It’s Time To Focus On Toning I’m Still On The Losing lol
Hopefully I Can Get Your Level
I have been doing this diet for a good 2 months now. I have lost 15 pounds and gained a lot of muscle (so I lost more pounds). I get really motivated to work out if I want something “bad” to eat (i.e. pizza ect…).
My question is I really want to start running. I’m all motivated to do it, but I get super dizzy when I do the 20 minute work out (when I eat the carbs I feel fine after). So what should I eat either before and/or after I go running? So I don’t pass out while doing so.
Thanks for any response at all!!!
GMC make sure you get enough water, getting dehydrated is a big cause of plateaus, and for the days off I would say a lot of everything. I just had steak tartare for a break yesterday, as well as ice cream and soda… No weight gain this morning, actually 1 lb less. For info I went from 95kg to 75 kg using rules much like the ones on Tim’s post, with a bit more emphasis on fiber and focus on water (he says drink a lot, but we forget, we always forget!), sliced turkey and chicken for meats (no grass fed bisons here in Paris lol).
I had plateaus too along the way, forcing more water down and not holding back on days off (variety of fun foods) got me through each time!
would i still be a vegetarian if i eat fish and vegies or i only have to eat vegies to be one??? like nowadays i eat a vegeie cheese ,a vegie salamy and turkey…..! but i eat salmon fish and shrimps?? sooo help!
[…] made progress based on how I felt, but I had not seen any physical signs of it on the scale yet. I have done my best to stick with the Tim Ferris diet. I have adjusted it a bit to fit my eating schedule and eating habits, and I am here to report that […]
Hi Tim!
I want to try your diet but I have a question….
I do it to lose bodyfat and to keep my muscles. I work out every day (weights and cardio) and eat lots of mixed salads (with spinach), fruits and vegetables, nuts, eggs, meat, chicken brest, turkey brest, fish… (no bread, no pasta/potatoes/rise, no beans, once in a while a bit chocolate or other sweets but very rare).
Do you think I´m gonna lose or gain weight because normally I eat less then your guide lines?
Thank you!
Sylvia
anyone have any breakfast ideas for someone who hates eggs?
I’ve just had shoulder surgery and will be unable to use my right (dominant) arm for the next 3-4 months. I was planning on starting the diet next week, but I’m not sure about the results since there is no way I can any kind of workout at all.
I’ve been riding the diet roller coaster for a number of years and don’t want to get discouraged if I don’t see any results.
Tim, do you have any suggestions?
@ Jordo… You don’t have to eat eggs at all for breakfast or otherwise… you just have to get your protein. You can have meat, beans and veggies for all three meals if you prefer.
@ Mark… if it wouldn’t jostle your shoulder too much, one of those mobile exercise pedal things might help you get some exercise while you recuperate. You can do it while watching TV. I like to put mine under my computer desk and pedal away while I work (ehm, play) on the computer. You will be working your legs which are your largest muscle group… thereby increasing your calorie burn while your body is at rest. Also, you might want to google some of the deep breathing weight loss tecniques until you can work out… Diet is 80% of weight loss, whether you are exercising or not, so just getting started on the eating will have a huge impact. I wish you a speedy recovery and success in your weight loss.
I have a few questions. If anyone could help I would really appreciate it.
First. I have been eating lean protein for about a week now and haven’t lost any weight. I work out lifting weights and decided I’m going to try this diet and see how it goes. Anyway back to the questions. Is drinking Gatorade and Powerade ok or would you not advise it? How should I cook the eggs? For the last week I’ve been using pam spay but I’m not sure if this is recommended? Also Tim said after your workout you can eat pasta and tuna. How long after the workout should I wait and because I’m trying to loose weight should I just not eat the carbs? I take 1200mg of fish oil will this effect the diet at all? And last but not least Is salt and other spices ok?
Sorry for all the questions but I’m new to the whole eating healthy idea and just wanna make sure I’m doing everything rite.
@Chaz Gatorade is a no-no. You should be staying at less than 30 grams of carbs per day to get into ketosis. There is some leniency during the after workout time period, but especially to get started I would stay away from gatorade and drink water. According to the ketostix test strips I got into Ketosis within 4 days.
@silvia If you are trying to get into this diet specifically, you will have to lose the fruit. Men and women a like should be at or below 30 grams of carbs for this plan to be most effective. Everything else you listed is very good.
@chaz I forgot to mention, salt and spices are fine. And cooking spray like pam is ok, but there is no reason not to use butter if you want.
Hello everyone,
I first started this diet a year ago, and lost about 15 lbs in 3 months before plateauing. Since then I’ve had trouble getting back on, but now I’m starting my 4th week again.
So I’m coming back to help anyone who needs it, as I’m pretty experienced with this diet, and to help keep me motivated.
Chaz: You may not be losing weight because you’re losing fat and building muscle at the same time. I recommend either focusing on losing fat or gaining muscle at one time. I believe bodybuilders call this a “cutting phase” or a “bulking phase.”
Powerade/Gatorade has sugar and should be avoided, unless it’s sugar-free. Fish oil is fine. Pam spray is fine. If you want to lose more weight, figure out your basal metabolic rate and consume less calories than that each day. Mine is 1800 and I consume about 1350 each day (except for the cheat day)
Just a quick tip for travelers. I used to eat a lot like this about fifteen years ago. I was sooo skinny then. I just ate a lot of lentils and vegetables. What i got in the habit of doing was using a steamer. i don’t remember the company but I have pulled it out again. It is oval shaped, and you put water in the inner part, then a clear cover on top. It steams anything, including cooking lentils. You can leave it and come back and your food is done. It probably would cook beans too if you soak them. of course canned is good too. I am sure you can cook eggs, and you can steam meat and fish easily too. it fits easily into suit case, and you can use it easily in hotel rooms or anywhere else you are staying. All you need is some water and an outlet. I used to travel by car and stay in hotels, hostels, and with friends and I would use it for days and days on end. You can get one at a garage sale or thrift store for cheap. often never even used. They are an amazing thing for a diet like this.
@ Chaz – in my opinion, gatorade and the like are for performance, so good for competition to keep your energy storage from depleting, but not good for training for weight loss as you want the depleted energy to be restored by slow carbs while the rest of your body uses the fatty acids (hence burning fat). Don’t overdo this though, if you fell woozy, that’s ketosis and ketosis is bad for your health.
For the above reason I stay away from pasta after training, especially any training that involves speed or strength (although I would say OK after cardio), the reason beingthat cardio burns fat directly (so after training it is done and over with) while weight training (almost) only burns glucose, and fat will burn while you use carbs to restore glucose storage. This is all about what kind of muscle cells you’re using (type I or type II).
Make sure you drink plenty of water, it is necessary for lipolysis, and plateaus are often caused by dehydration, among other things.
@ Fozzie: woozy = ketosis!
Unlike weight training, running burns fat directly, given you go beyond roughly 30 minutes, no matter how much carb you have in your bloodstream (this is due to a biological mechanism called Pasteur effect, which prevents using sugar for energy in red muscle cells after a while, switching to fatty acids only – this prevents you from running out of glucose and actually keeps you alive).
So there is absolutely no reason to restrict yourself particularly before running (just have what you need), whereas sticking with slow carbs is better when weight training.
Hey everyone I was wondering im 15 and 150 pounds at 20% body fat do you guys think that i can lose 20 pounds of pure fat before september before school starts? Just want your ideas guys keep me posted.
Thanks to all those who responded to my questions. You guys were such a big help.
Mike: Why is it ok to use butter on this diet? Won’t it decrease the amount of weight I’ll lose? Also I’ll stay away from everything besides water for now.
Jack. You are correct on the fact that I have gained muscle in place of the fat that’s more than likely the reason I haven’t lost any weight.
I think I’ll just focus on losing weight for now because I’m taking the wife and my 5 month old son to the beach on the 25th of this month. In order to burn more fat in a short amount of time I’ll run more often for longer periods of time. Is there any other workouts you guys would recommend to lose weight quickly? Thanks again guys and hope to here from you soon.
Holy $#!+ 2,205 comments!?
@chaz Butter is ok because the theory behind ketosis is that you are burning your fat stores because you are not taking in sugar/carbs to create glycogen in the blood stream. Your body will burn fat as it takes in fat. The overall calorie intake is what will determine how much weight you are losing over time. So long as you are at a calorie deficit, you will lose weight.
can you eat blue berries or black berries on this diet
Hello,
I was reading in the katest comments, some people say ketosis is bad, anothers say its necessary to be in ketosis in order to start burning fat/ losing weight. some people mentioned that they have reached ketosis in 4 days. is ketosis good or bad?
also I saw in MIKE’s comment he says we should stay at 30 grams of carbs per day in order for this to work and reach ketosis. are the beans and lentil in this diet included in the 30 grams of carbs? or is that separate?
hope I can get answers to this questions.
thank you,
Kary
@ Aaron R… you can eat whatever you want on your cheat day. Other than that stick to the plan.. protien, beans, veggies.
@ Chaz… you are gaining muscle so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see a change on the scale. As we all know muscle weighs more than fat, etc. That being said, to see a difference more swiftly, KICK UP THE CARDIO!! Here is a link http://www.shapefit.com/cardio-exercises.html You need to be breathing hard and sweating. PS, you can cook the eggs any way you like (boiled, scrambled, fried, etc.) Congratulations on the new baby!!!!
@ Anthony… and that’s just on THIS subject!
Sorry for asking this question again guys but at 15 and 20% body fat weighing 150 pounds could i get down to 5-8% body fat in 7 weeks. That would basicly mean that i lost 20-25 pounds of pure fat. Can that be done along with cardio and weight training.
Thank you very much Charles for the reply. You are very knowledgeable and I reallty appreciate it. I saw your comment about ketosis, is that bad? Am I doing something wrong? When I work out (hard core arms, shoulders, and back)… its a good 20 – 30 mintues and after I feel very light-headed. But when I eat the carb (“bad food”) it goes away almost immediately.
Does this have anything to do with drinking alcohol (getting drunk) on my day off days. I’m a college student and my day off (Saturday) is usually the day I go out drinking with friends.
Thanks for any info at all!!!
@ Aaron R: Carb-restricted diets like this one aren’t recommended for teens. Your body is growing and you don’t want to interfere with that. Here’s some info I found for you: “It is not recommended that a growing teen try this diet. It is fine to reduce the intake of refined carbs, but they should still have a good balance of whole grains and healthy vegetables and fruits in the diet. The healthiest diet for teens is one that is well-rounded nutionally with no food groups completely eliminated. This way you can ensure that your teen is getting the nutrition he or she needs to continue to develop physically and mentally.”
Don’t worry about it too much Aaron, when I was your age I started losing a lot of weight and I was at my skinniest by the time I was 17. Just exercise a lot & eat healthy foods!
@ Fozzie – Ketosis is safe for a healthy individual. Ketoacidosis is the dangerous one, which is an extreme and uncontrolled form of ketosis. There is an informed post by ‘Cody’ on page 1 that explains this in greater detail.
[…] not that he makes squillions of dollars online; it’s not even that he helped me to lose 15 pounds in 20 days – it’s that he’s a student and advocate of […]
To everyone that is discussing ketosis on this diet… I don’t really think the point of this diet is to induce ketosis. The point of the diet is to control your insulin levels so that you don’t get fat because you’re resistant to insulin. Eating slow carbs and legumes will not allow you to get into ketosis. If you look at an extremely strict diet like the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet, a diet like that does not even allow slow carbs.
I lost a ridiculous amount of weight by switching to this lifestyle. I’m a 6’2 guy that went from about 220lbs to 170lbs over 6 months by eating alone (I’m in college so I walk a lot, however), plateaued, started a 3 day a week, 30 minute a day moderate cardio plan, and dropped from 170lbs to 150lbs over the next 4 months.
You can imagine how skinny I was at this point. Of course, I was not going to stay small like that forever, so I added 2 weight training days, following the Colorado Experiment. Currently, I’m still at 150, but my bodyfat percentage is hovering around 5-7%, with most of my mass coming from lean muscle.
Without sounding blunt, you really have two options here.
1. Do like Tim says and trust the program. If you do EXACTLY what the rules of the program dictate, you’re going to see results. Simple as that. Also, if you are just starting, I would not recommend changing your diet and exercise at the same time. Do it gradually so that you can stick with it. As a huge side note, if you are curious as to how this diet works, I would research it. Doing your own research is far more beneficial in the long run than sitting on the comment board crying about specific questions that you haven’t even attempted to look up yourself.
2. Be a half ass, don’t trust in the program, and get no results. This includes justified daily cheating such as eating white carbs outside of the post-workout window (about 1-2 hours after a workout).
If you trust the program, you’re going to get epic results. I guarantee it.
P.S. Thank you, Tim, for posting this. If I did not learn about this way of eating, I probably would still be 220 pounds and unsuccessfully trying to lose weight!! It’s changed the way I look at nutrition forever.
Rob
@KARY Regarding the beans of Tim’s diet, the answer is yes and no. A traditional CKD diet wouldn’t be as heavy on beans as Tim suggests here. That said, when counting carbs to stay under 30 grabs, you are counting NET carbs, which means you subtract fiber from your total. Since beans and legumes have high fiber, that would not count towards the total.
@rob you bring up some great points. One specifically is the “justified daily cheating.” That is the best way to NOT succeed on a diet. That and Tim’s comment about not drinking calories are probably the most important things to make sure you follow or you can ruin your whole diet. A few sodas or glasses of juice and you can forget any progress.
Thanks again to everyone who have helped to make this diet experience as understandable as possible.
Pritibrowneyes: Thanks for the info and the congrats.I will definitely kick up the Cardio.
Mike: I get it. What you said makes perfect sense. I looked up ketosis and now better understand it. Thanks again.
If I should have any more questions I’ll post them but as of now you guys have done a more than satisfactory job thus far. Thanks again and I’ll keep you posted on my progress. Good luck to all.
P.S: Anyone have any good workouts to lose weight in the mid section? My stomach and lower back ( love handles ) are my problem area’s. If so let me know. Thanks.
Hey Fozzie,
It’s all about glycemic index, (the lower, the slower the carb, and beer’s is 110 (about as bad as it gets).
So insulin spikes up, which causes sugar low on the short term (and you usually get a sugar craving, causing thre next sugar high, which causes the next low…)
and resistance to insulin over time (fat and sugar stay in the bloodstream because your cells aren’t responding to insulin, you get tired, the fat ultimately ends up in the fat cells for lack of any other place to go).
Concerning Ketosis, I just looked it up on Wikipedia (En). It does say that insulin prevents ketoacidosis in healthy individuals. My sources differ (in French), saying that physiological reduction of insulin secretion due to low carbs (not slow) can cause ketoacidosis (acidocétose) so the debate is open I guess.
Personally, unless monitored by a doctor, I’m sticking to feeling funny/woozy = going too far, but it’s your quarter 🙂
Hi Fozzie,
Light headed after a 20 min hardcore workout probably has nothing to do with ketosis, just oxygen going to your head? I doubt you can empty the glycogen storage that fast, unless perhaps you’ve been on very low carb for a while before starting…
Generally speaking, I would say feeling light headed means you should slow down, ketosis or otherwise.
Concerning beer, it’s all about the glycemic index, and beer’s is 110, or about as bad as it gets (slow carbs are under 35, table sugar is at 60 and pure glucose is the reference, set at 100).
High GI means strong insulin response, leading to fast storage and a sugar low, which causes a craving for more sugar, which causes the next sugar high, which causes the next sugar low… This cycle repeating leads to immunity, or resistance to insulin, which means sugar and fat can’t go in the cells fast enough (the higher the resistance, the slower the transport). This means you get tired instead of burning fat, which ultimately ends up in the fat cells for lack of a better place to go.
This is the whole point of the slow carb diet, stabilizing blood sugar and giving the pancreas a rest.
I imagine that feeling lightheaded quickly when working out MIGHT be explained by resistance to insulin…
Concerning ketosis, Wikipedia EN says healthy individuals do not undergo ketoacidosis because the insulin is spiked by the ketones, causing them to be eliminated. Other sources (in French) say low carb diets can lead to ketoacidosis because the lack of carbs cause insufficient insulin secretion, regardless of the impact ketone bodies have.
But if you think about it, if you have resistance to insulin, what impact will the insulin have on the ketone bodies? Less than if you didn’t, which means you can undergo ketoacidosis. What is the definition of a healthy individual anyway?
If you are more than reasonably overweight, you aren’t terribly healthy, and you probably have a more or less advanced state of resistance to insulin, as well as a predominently type 2 muscle profile which makes ketosis easier to start…
To me as a rule of thumb, unless monitored by a doctor, if you feel dizzy or nauseous, just slow down, there’s no rush. But it’s your quarter 🙂
@ Rob, I agree, doing the research and understanding what you are doing helps tremendously.
@ Chaz, fat is burned by adrenaline (peripheral lipolysis), which travels in the bloodstream, and cannot target specific areas. Speeding up localized fat loss can be done if something is slowing it down (poor circulation), by treating that problem (massage, cream), or just keep losing fat and it will go eventually.
Gee my comment isn’t appearing… A long half hour of typing, down the drain sheesh
Must have been too long.
Hi Fozzie,
Light headed after a 20 min hardcore workout probably has nothing to do with ketosis, just oxygen going to your head? I doubt you can empty the glycogen storage that fast, unless perhaps you’ve been on very low carb for a while before starting…
Generally speaking, I would say feeling light headed means you should slow down, ketosis or otherwise.
Concerning beer, it’s all about the glycemic index, and beer’s is 110, or about as bad as it gets (slow carbs are under 35, table sugar is at 60 and pure glucose is the reference, set at 100).
High GI means strong insulin response, leading to fast storage and a sugar low, which causes a craving for more sugar, which causes the next sugar high, which causes the next sugar low… This cycle repeating leads to immunity, or resistance to insulin, which means sugar and fat can’t go in the cells fast enough (the higher the resistance, the slower the transport). This means you get tired instead of burning fat, which ultimately ends up in the fat cells for lack of a better place to go.
This is the whole point of the slow carb diet, stabilizing blood sugar and giving the pancreas a rest.
I imagine that feeling lightheaded quickly when working out MIGHT be explained by resistance to insulin…
Concerning ketosis, Wikipedia EN says healthy individuals do not undergo ketoacidosis because the insulin is spiked by the ketones, causing them to be eliminated. Other sources (in French) say low carb diets can lead to ketoacidosis because the lack of carbs cause insufficient insulin secretion, regardless of the impact ketone bodies have.
But if you think about it, if you have resistance to insulin, what impact will the insulin have on the ketone bodies? Less than if you didn’t, which means you can undergo ketoacidosis. What is the definition of a healthy individual anyway?
If you are more than reasonably overweight, you aren’t terribly healthy, and you probably have a more or less advanced state of resistance to insulin, as well as a predominently type 2 muscle profile which makes ketosis easier to start…
To me as a rule of thumb, unless monitored by a doctor, if you feel dizzy or nauseous, just slow down, there’s no rush. But it’s your quarter 🙂
@ Rob, I agree, doing the research and understanding what you are doing helps tremendously.
@ Chaz, fat is burned by adrenaline (peripheral lipolysis), which travels in the bloodstream, and cannot target specific areas. Speeding up localized fat loss can be done if something is slowing it down (poor circulation), by treating that problem (massage, cream), or just keep losing fat and it will go eventually.
Tim, I am vegetarian i work almost 12 hours a day behind my desk i started having a small belly 1 of the reasons is because i eat late dinner (after 11) i always feel hungry when i come home i don’t have time to exercise, i need your help on what i should have for: breakfast, lunch and dinner plus need vitamins because most of the times if i dont eat bread i feel weak. thanks a lot
Tim.. I just came across ur site and ur so inspiring..:) I am a vegetarian and just a person who wants to lose weight and also maintain it… I am not athlete… but I am trying to include a bit of regular exercise in my lifestyle.. Do u think I can lose weight tooo using ur suggestion?
I am a vegetarian but eat eggs. Can I have soya milk isnt of 1% milk? can u please advice me… it will help me jump start into a good eating habit…:)
I know the diet isnt healthy for teens but could i drop 20 pounds of pure fat in six weeks.
can i have 1 cup of yogurt a day? also can you explain this to me – i’m 145lbs have been doing weight watchers for exactly 2 weeks meaning i’ve been on a low calorie diet of 20 points (or 1,200 calories) and have been burning 1,000 calories a day, but have not lost any weight, i’ve actually went up to 149lbs (but that would be just because of the food i’ve ate thruout the day – nxt day i’d be 145 again!). do you think it could be because i’ve been doing the same exerice to much for the past 2 years (running and walking)?
@ Aaron R… How tall are you?? Normal body fat is about 18%, so you are in a good range already. If you are dead set on getting your % down, You CAN do it! You are only looking to drop an average of 3 lbs of fat per week and that is completely do-able. Since you are trying to get in shape before school starts, here are a few suggestions:
1) DIET: Start the plan immediately. Protien and veggies and beans – breakfast, lunch and dinner. Have an orange at night as a snack (as Tim suggests). Follow the plan religiously!!
2) EXERCISE: See if the coach will let you workout with the football team. They usually have 2-A-Day’s which means they work out in the morning, break for lunch and then work out again in the afternoon. My son plays high school football during summer practice he drops weigh like crazy! If you cannot workout with the team, KICK UP THE CARDIO… jump rope, job, bike, hike or whatever… you need to be breathing hard and sweating hard for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week then Spot train with weights every day… Example:
Monday – Morning: Bike Ride Evening: arm (pushups, curls, etc)
Tuesday – Morning: Swim laps Evening: legs (squats, lunges, etc)
Wednesday – NO EXERCISE… relax and let your body rest
Thursday – Morning: Jump Rope Evening: Abs (crunches, etc)
Friday – Morning: Cardio Evening: Weights
Saturday – CHEAT DAY: Eat whatever you want NO EXERCISE
Sunday – Morning: Cardio Evening: Weights
And so on…
3) After a vigorous workout, eat some carbs – Read Tim’s original plan at the top of the page regarding carbs after working out.
4) Stay hydrated with lots of water!!
As Jack said, you are still growing and you don’t want to damage your body in any way.
@ Jack… the beans and lentils ARE carbs, so I don’t know if this plan can be classified as carb restricted… bad carbs (bread, rice, pasta, potato) certainly are restricted… but we should leave those things alone as much as possible regardless of WHAT plan we choose.
Im 5’6 i do workout but want 2 get down to 5-7% body fat, so i can look good when school starts. Btw will this diet get rid of my man boobs lol.
Also can i gain muscle while doing this?
[…] Look at Tim Ferris’s weight loss system http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/04/06/how-to-lose-20-lbs-of-fat-in-30-days-without-doing-a… […]
@ Aaron R… diet will not improve your muscle mass. If you want to gain muscle and get rid of the man boobs YOU HAVE TO WORK OUT. Don’t over think it or make it harder than it is… stop stalling. Either get with the program or stop complaining.
can you eat canned black beans they have carbs in them and some sugar?
@ Priti
Thanx For Responding…. Well, Of Course You’re Gonna Look Hot & Sexy
For Your Sweetie. Same As You I Can’t Just Have One Cheat Day So I’m
Doing The Same As Your Doing Next Week On Monday I’m Going To Really
Try To Stick To It, If I’m Successful Continue The Following Week …..You
Know I Did The Same With The Poster My Precioso(Hubby) Let Me Take
Over The The Walls In The Bedroom So My Room Looks Like A Teenagers
Room With Posters All Over The Closet Wall. I Typed Out The Reasons
How My Life Would Be Changed If I Were To Lose Weigh And Also Photos
Of What I Would Love To Wear Etc. Anywayz When Is Your Birthday So I
Can Wish A Happy Birthday =) Take Care Best Wishes
Mire
@Aaron R,
Black Beans are part of Tim’s “Slow Carb” plan and are OK. Plus they are High in fiber as well. I’d recommend to rinse them out with water, like I do with all my canned vegetables to remove excess sodium as well.
but honestly can i lose 20 pounds of pure fat in 6-7 weeks
also wt does fiber have 2 do with carbs?
Hi Aaron,
20 lbs of fat is roughly 80 000 calories, and 6 weeks roughly 40 days. That’s roughly 2000 calories a day. That sounds very extreme to me, next to impossible even with a rare 3000 cal metabolism a day. This is one of the points I disagree on with the post’s content, the title in this case. 20 lbs of fat in 30 days is nothing less than hype, even if the diet itself is sound.
Then again it also says without exercise and the post starts by talking how pro athletes can achieve it…
Fiber does have something to do with carbs: it slows down and partially prevents the absorption of sugar and fat by acting like a sponge, but this is especially true of insoluble fiber (beans have soluble fiber mostly). In short, fiber lowers a meal’s glycemic index (slows down the carbs).
Hey Tim,
I just started following your diet here, almost to the T. The only major change is my breakfast is consisting of a grapefruit in addition to egg whites. Which I think is a good thing. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.
Also, the first 2-3 days of me doing this are leaving me with bad headaches throughout a lot of the day. I figure there can be 2 reasons, hopefully you or other posters here can give some more insight.
1 reason would be that I am not consuming enough calories. Eating primarily lean meats and vegetables is a lot less calories than pizza and PB & J. So I figure this may be part of the cause.
2. My other guess would be that I am going through some sort of, “carb withdrawal”. This would make sense as I have packed in white carbs almost every day for the last 19 years. So I am curious if this cold turkey quitting is something that is standard and will probably last a few weeks. My study makes me think it is quite likely.
Thoughts by you or the other posters here would be greatly appreciated. I am blogging about the experience but as I am not happy with my blog layout and style I won’t promote it much yet. I read this blog like a drug fiend so I will post updates monthly or something.
Arrivederci!
Jordan Laubaugh
[…] lastings results I have finally got to what feels like the right diet for fast results. Thanks to Tim Ferriss for his well developed insight into this subject. I will be following something very close to his […]
@ Jordan… I would guess that you are having a ‘carb withdrawl’. When I started I also experienced headaches. Also, prior to starting the plan I was always freezing cold, but now I am unusually hot all the time. During the induction phase of a different plan, it is commonly known as Atkins Flu…
Why do you feel the need for the grapefruit?
http://hubpages.com/hub/Health_Benefits_of_Grapefruit
This article claims some of the health benefits of grapefruit. I have heard it revered a lot and I find it enjoyable to eat. The cutting in half and eating it as in a bowl is enjoyable :).
I also find it gives me a little kick in the morning when I need it.
Do you think there are any real drawbacks to eating it? Probably 3-5x per week with breakfast?
P.S I accidentally posted this on the wine appreciation comments.
Are there any recommendations for an average, good tasting red wine in these 1000s of comments?
@ Priti – That’s true, but even with the beans it’s still about 20% of your carbs Daily Value. I wuold call it “carb minimalist.” 🙂
@ Charles – That’s a great explanation of how one gets insulin resistant. Thanks!
@ Aaron – Look, if you’re going to do it, just do it! All this stalling & questioning is making it seem like you’re not serious. If you wanted to know if you can lose 20 lbs in 7 weeks, you would’ve started already! We’re all here backing you up.
The answer is: Yes. You can do it. It might not be 20 lbs of “pure fat” but you can lose 20 lbs. Just follow the diet *exactly* and drink a TON of water and exercise A LOT – cardio and weights. (Don’t start too crazy tho – you’ll injure yourself and then you’ll be out for days.)
Check back in and tell us your progress.