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.)
Glad to see that you found something that works for you. Awesome!
JayC
Have you been working in much exercise?
Great losses. Are you still going all out on your cheat day?
Best
Tim
What do you eat on the go? If you dont have time to go in a sit down place, or have time to cook or reheat? I drive an hour to school every day and then an hour home. Sometime I am just starving after class and dont want to wait til I get home to eat and fix somthing.. and ideas?
On the diet you propose, are participants permitted to cook with oil or butter in moderation? Obviously greater benefits can be seen sans accoutrements, but are they “ok?” Then again, I guess I can bite the bullet since Saturdays are not holds barred. Thanks!
HELP!!! I started the diet last week and lost 5lbs. I am so excited about the weight lost but this week I’m 4 days in and have not lost another pound yet. I’m almost afraid to cheat on Saturday. Is this common? I did include Crystal light lemonade, Black bean soup, and salted mixed nuts in my diet this week. Can I keep those things in my diet? When will I start to drop weight again? What should I change?
I started this on April 15th so here’s my two week update. I only cheated on my designated day and I’ve been stairclimbing, light lifting a few days a week. I have lost 5 pounds. Not what I dreamed of but 5 pounds in two weeks seems sensible. I have noticed my muscles seem more defined. And I have kept my water intake constant at 1.5 litres/day so I hope that the changes mean I’ve gained some muscle in lieu of fat.
I didn’t measure my body or fat percentage at the beginning for comparison but as long as I’m not counting calories and still losing weight, I’m happy. I have gotten a couple of comments that I look thinner, so doesn’t look like it’s my imagination. Once I’m done losing, I could see sticking with a plan like this long-term, however incorporating back fruits and soy milk. I think the cheat day is a good idea however you may eat, as it sets workable boundaries.
Started today.
Breakfast:
canned black beans simmered with chopped green onion and black pepper (2 servings)
3 egg whites beaten with 1 tsp taco seasoning and scrambled (eliminates the need for the yolk for taste)
1 small green pepper and 1/4 red onion sauteed in olive oil (just a little bit)
1/4 lime squeezed over prepared beans
have to say that i would have been unlikely to play with these ingredients otherwise, and i think i found my new favorite breakfast food. lot of flavor, very satisfying… probably throw a chopped chipotle pepper in there next time. took about 10 mins to prepare.
i strongly oppose salad as a meal so lunch will take some creativity. off to the whole foods store.
Your diet not only works but has also taught me how to learn how to drink.I’ve lost 15lbs of the hardest to lose pounds in my entire life in 4 weeks.People need to just do it and quit complicating it.eat less move more and talk less.I’ve had a bit of a drinking problem kind of like the rest of America and learned through you Tim how to make my drinking a little more James Bond pairing up my Mal Bec merlot with entrana and my white wine with a pollo napolitano.This diet has changed my life.I use it to help with my mind movie programming.Everything seems to be interconnected.Thank You
Congratulations, David! Ah, I’m thirsty for a Malbec as I write 🙂
Keep up the great work,
Tim
@Tim C – Ya, I exercise 4-5 days a week alternating between weights and cardio. And yes, I go all out on my cheat days.
I just came upon this blog entry last week. (a few yrs later haha)
I started this diet yesterday and will update on my progress as it goes.
I’m not sure if I want to do the “Saturday Fatter-day” yet…does that concept really work? I’m just scared to stuff myself and watch my weight go up – I’ve been overly restricting my calories since I was a teen and have messed up my metabolism pretty bad so I eat lettuce and gain weight nowadays.
Anyway, probably won’t receive a response but thought I would post anyway.
wow…just realized that people are still commenting haha hence why i suggested i wouldn’t receive a comment – i had only seen page one!
Tim, just started the diet and feel great. I just had a question, is lean ground beef ok (7% fat). Also I am constantly on the go and find myself eating at different times is that ok or should I try to keep exact meal times.
Thanks
Sim
So, Just started this life hack and I feel great. When I read about Legumes and the protein choices… I Instantly thought ” Hey!! I can make some chili!”
Wow, this article has enjoyed quite the life, hasn’t it? I recently started this diet (about 2 weeks) and even though I’ve cheated a couple times when I had to eat out, I feel great. I have plenty of energy throughout the day, don’t get hungry between meals, and have saved money by eating the same several meals repeatedly and not buying any extra, wasteful, groceries.
As a suggestion, consider turning your lunch meal into a salad. I use one of the many salad mixes you can buy at any market, add some extra vegetables, bean of your choice, and either chicken or lean beef slices. This allows me to prepare a few days worth of salad, portion it easily and keep it in the fridge to grab quickly for taking to work. I’ll do one type for a week or two then change up the meat, extra veggies, and bean type for something new.
My favorite is Southwestern Salad made by mixing black beans and corn, iceburg mix, green peppers, banana peppers, tomato, mushroom and grilled chicken.
I enjoy this a lot more than a full plated looking meal for lunch, and it’s really easy to grab a prepared plastic bowl from the fridge and dig in.
what about the following for breakfast:
1/2 cup of oats
1/4 cup of cottage cheese
2 egg whites, 1 egg yolk
apple sauce
all blended together and cooked as a pancake?
hi,
i have a boy ,its 3 mounth, he eats my milk, but i want to lose my weight , what can i do??
thanks
I have been looking for a way to eat that will keep me full and not make me feel guilty. This sounds like a great way to lose weight and still feel satisified. J Armstrong I wanted to tell you that I love your salad lunch option.I really appreciate all the recipes that people have put on here and come up with. I went to the store this evening to purchase everything that I would need to try this for a week, really excited to give this a try. Good luck everyone!
Hey Tim,
Would the following meet the requirements for this diet:
Breakfast:
2 eggs
2 sausage patties or 2 pieces of bacon
Lunch
Pinto Beans
3 slices fried bologna
Dinner
Pinto Beans
3 slices fried bologna
So I’ve been doing this for 8 days now.
Overall my weight fluctuates a lot b/c of water weight but it seems I have lost a solid 3 lbs. Thats not a huge change, but appreciated nonetheless.
I would like to lose another 6lbs in the next 10 days so I’m going to try very hard to maintain this.
I follow the diet strictly except for my saturday fatterdays and to increase the weightloss to meet my goal i will attempt to incorporate more exercise since I am only doing a very little bit of that right now.
hi
i have a problem, have a child , and im brestfeeding, but i want to lose my weight (about 10 kg), what can i do ??/ please help me. please
Anyone have any good recommendations for ready-made salads at the grocery stores? I’m realizing that I don’t necessarily like eating heavily all day. Even though I try to stick to 1/2 cup beans, 1 1/2 cups of veggies, plus my meat/egg whites, I try not to lay it on too thick. I know there are delis that specialize in this, and I guess I can open a can of beans if need be. I usually go to Chipotle or Moe’s for lunch, and find that I can still get full off of a salad if I have enough of the right combo on it.
I had to stop going to the salad bar at Whole Food$. That place is high as hell.
Anyone got any good bean recipes? I tried this one below and it’s good.
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
* fresh lime juice
* fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions
1.
1
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2.
2
Add garlic, chili and cumin and sauté 30 seconds.
3.
3
Add beans and broth and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Coarsely mash beans with potato masher.
4.
4
Continue boiling until thick, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with lime juice, salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Tim,
I believe you mentioned that you like wine, and believe in some health benefits of it as well. Well, I’m not much of a wine guy, nor a beer guy, but I am more or a liquor guy.
Was wondering if Vodka, with limited mixers…mostly straight up, olives, lime, or maybe a diet drink, would work with this diet?
Quite frankly, I can handle the foods, and can adjust to the exercise if need be. However, I do enjoy my drinks, at home, and socially as part of my business and lifestyle.
Thanks
hey can anyone help me, i’ve been having cravings for peanut butter and cereal, and also granola bars, how can i stop? please i gained 15lbs. in like 1 week and a half, and no not muscle. thank you. i want to weigh 160-65, and then be 180-85 pure muscle. i am doing the insanity program by shaun t, it’s crazy, but fun. thank you
PORK?!?!?!
do my eyes deceive me???
OMG this diet already has my attention.
i’ll do it and let you know the results later on :]P
Tim,
Is it safe to assume that rather than going back through this post and all the comments and re-posting them as a cohesive whole for the benefit of noobes (like myself), you’re saving them for the new book? 🙂
If not, any plans to repost, since there’s now a lot of great info dispersed over 7 comment pages and a few other of your related posts.
FYI, I just started, so can’t report any results yet, other than enjoying stabilized blood sugars (duh).
J
Hi Jackson,
The original post tells you most of what you need to know, but — yes — there will be plenty of goodies and tweaks in the new book 🙂
Tim
Great blog!
I believe low carb is the only way to go for some people and I am one of them. When I’m eating sugar I just can’t control myself and eat like crazy no matter how full I am. When I do low carb I need to remind myself to eat, and I can maintain 1200 calories a day no problem.
The only thing I can’t seem to get a hold of is having a cheat day. I know I can obviously do it but as it stands now my shortest cheat day has been two months. That’s the effect eating high carbs has on me I just can’t stop. Well I can, but for reasons I have yet to conquer. So I’m back on low carb after a couple of months off and gained about 20 lbs back of 60 total lost. I know a lot of it is water weight and the next two weeks I’ll probably lose 10-12 lbs, but still, I should be able to have a day off and leave it at that.
Anyone have any good advice for me? I have no problem eating very restrictive to lose weight, but once I get to where I want to be, then what? I want to be able to eat whatever I want in moderation, but is that possible for everyone? Do some people live their entire lives eating very restrictive diets in order to stay healthy and in shape, or is it possible for people that are prone to being overweight to eat a variety of things in moderation?
I don’t think the low carb has anything to do with the low carbs other than the fact that the less carbs the less hungry I am. I’ve tried to eat 1200-1500 calories eating whatever I want and I think the closest I’ve come is 2500 calories… lol… I just can’t do it; it’s crazy how carbs have that effect on me.
So, am I like a drug addict? I’ll never be able to just control it? I’ll have to go my entire life low carb or else deal with these demons every day?
Oops – meant to ask this as well:
What’s with the oranges before bed boosting HDL? Is that unique to oranges, or do other fruits do that as well? Why before bed, is that better than other times in the day?
My triglycerides are off the charts (genetic and diet, oops), and I hate taking my statin but I do it. At one point I used diet and exercise to perform the 2nd largest improvement my Dr. had ever seen, but they were still elevated. I would love to be able to get my levels to a healthy range “naturally” so I can drop the drug.
My weight has been on a roller coaster since about 4th grade. Sometimes it’s up and sometimes it’s down. Right now it is up 40 pounds more than what it should be. This diet is perfect for me because I hate how long it takes to lose weight but if I can lose 40 pounds in 2 months I will be fine, I just have a few questions if you could please answer them it would be greatly appreciated. After I lose the weight must I continue with this diet for ever to keep it off? Is it okay if I excersize on this diet just because I take dance classes? Are the results different for women on this diet? My metabolism is fairly fast but probably not the same as a male’s.
One more question, can we eat fruits on this diet? Like Bananas and apples? Can I eat avocados? I really like avocados.
Hi Notadr,
Maybe for your cheat day just spike it with healthy sugars and carbs…..i.e. fruit, brown bread, pizza, real chocolate (80%) but lay off the rubbish and junk such as crisps and bars…..so try and have a normal healthy eating day, but treat yourself by having something of what you like for your meals. But it doesn’t mean you have to go all out to eat rubbish all day. I can’t do that either…for one its sickening, and secondly I put all the weight back on so it ruins everything worked hard for.
Ann
Hey-I Signed Up For A Gym Nearly 4 Months Ago. I Have Been Going To The Gym 5 Days A Week And Took The Extra Two Off To Rest-I’ve Gone On A Strict Diet Of Recomended Foods To Gain Muscle Mass-I Gained 15 Pounds Since Feb 16th And I Am Seeing Very-Very Little Results 🙁 I Want More Results But I Cannot Find A Way!-I’ve Been On My Own On This Since The Crazy Price At The Gym To Hire A Personal Trainer Is Well Over 2,000 Dollars! I Need Help.
Is it necessary to take those supplements before bed time? The diet sounds very interesting and easy to follow, and I would like to get a shot. I am never big on the supplements. I am wondering if it would affect the result without them? Thanks.
Hi, when i first saw this diet plan i was very intrigued and excited to get going, however i saw on the ‘Atkins diet’ (a diet plan for long term success as well as a quick start) that on the quick start part, it says to stay away from ‘Foods that combine protein and carbs – lentils, chickpeas (garbanzo beans) kidney beans and other legumes’ which goes completely against your weight-loss program.
Please could you shed some light on this matter, as i am now confused.
Many Thanks!
Carly
Hi
Your info sounds good.
I suffer from hypothyroidism now under control by medicines.
I now exercise 90 mins at the gymn ,5 times per week….. i am loosing inches but no weight on the scales…. does it meant hat i have to cut further cals.. i take between 1600 to 1800 cal per day with abalanced meal..
Thanks
uzma
Was so excited after my first 7 days. Then had my cheat day and voila, back up again….a little disappointing but I’ll keep at it.
Tim, thanks homey for the diet hack. I have lost 13 lbs. in 3 weeks and splurge days are fantastic. Quick question: I am preparing for Seattle to Portland bike ride and am on my bike for 3-4 hours some training days. All of the prevailing thought about cycling diets point to carb loading during training. Today on my first long ride while on the diet I “bonked” or basically had an energy crash midway through my ride. Is the carb loading notion an unchallenged assumption or would you suggest eating more carbs prior to a long ride?
Oh and I just did my first ice-bath…way cold, mad shrinkage, but way worth it!
Thanks dude,
Chris
Your color scheme makes it nearly impossible to read what you’ve written. Please at least brighten up the gray if you’re going to keep all this black.
Hey Tim,
I have tried your diet for the last month with some customization. It really works and doesn’t taste bad at all. The only catch is that I had to take enzyme supplements to break down the huge amounts of protein and fat that went into the diet. Is this your experience too or do you think the gut should get used to it in time?
Thanks,
Gaju
I started this diet today. I am 5 4′, 130 lbs and hoping to lose 5-10 lbs of fat. My scale says I am 29% body fat and I would be thrilled with just a 5 % reduction. I have been doing one hour of weight-lifting twice a week with 2-3 days of cardio and I have increased strength, but the layer of fat over the muscles has not gone away and I gain weight very easily if I eat anything remotely “junky”. I have been eating @ 1500 cal/day of “healthy food”, which included whole grain breads, rice and wheat pasta, but no luck.
Hopefully, a month on this will jump-start the fat loss!
hey great info! i’m not sure if you’ve heard of it or not but I recently learned of the grain, quinoa. it tastes great and is supposed to be the best grain out there. it also has as much protein per serving as an egg!
Hey tim, I was looking for an alternative to breakfast and came up with this: pearled barley porridge, Its just some boiled pearled barley, egg whites and some cinammon. The pearled barley has a low gi of around 35. Is that good or would the beans, eggs and greens be better?
I started this diet May 24 and had lost 7 pounds by June 5th. I went back up a few pounds after my free day, but now13 days into the diet, without exercise, I’m down 10 pounds from my starting weight. I stopped all candy, bread, potatoes and rice, in addition I feel much more energetic!!
Does cross-fit and muai thai exercise count as resistance workouts?
Just wondering whether carbs are allowed afterwards.
Thanks,
Luke
Thanks everyone for all of the advice… I am gonna mark this page as a favorite and give it a try… In one month, I had a granola bar and a bottle of water for breakfast, lunch was a can of tuna with mustard and onions and a decent meal without breads and i was able to lose 10 lbs… I also avoided sodas and had at least 3 to 4 bottles of water a day… Its nice to know that there are other foods that are safe to eat… this diet is sooo much colorful than the one ive been suffering with. lol!!!! keep yall posted 🙂
Hi Tim,
So glad to see that you re-arranged the blog style to its original position. (It is much easier to get here from “Most Popular” side bar). And it’s amazing that you still allow and keep commenting back! Thanks for your time and effort, I think I am on the right track of this diet.
Tim, it works! So does baking soda (Your Hard-boiled Egg video rocks! )
On the “All dieters gone wild day”, I eat whatever I want and probably exceeding 3000 cal, yet, I’ve been losing weight regularly.
I don’t do the weight or any muscle training. Besides, my arms have already average +20percet muscle( it was a by-product of the towing heavy suit cases around the world. ) I just swim minimum 40 min, 6 days a week. I will do the muscle training when I hit a plateau.
Again, thank you so much and I am looking forward for your new book.
Yukie
Hey guys!
Started this diet on June 1st…………….weighing in at 171 lbs
woke up this morning at 162 lbs!
If you are looking to lose weight try this its so easy to follow!
Thank you Tim! I’ll keep you updated!
It is unbelievable that Dean Karnazes ran 50 marathons in 50 days. That is dedication.
[…] was reading Tim Ferris’ blog and I was quite inspired to try out this diet. I’ll not spoil it for you- go ahead and read it. I’ll be eating more frequently […]
Can you have salsa with this diet. Can it be salsa from the store, it should it be homemade?
could you please list veggies, fruits, drinks, etc (any kind of food) that is not bad to eat at all ? anything that will actually help my diet?
Hi!
i just want to know does tthis help for your Stomach to or just your lower body?
Someone please reply to this. I searched in the previous comments for answers but I didn’t find any satisfying ones. Please bear with me and help a girl out!
1.) Is fruit allowed or not? I’m kinda confused about this. If it’s not allowed, do I treat it the same way as white carbs?
2.) What is meant by “white”? Does it refer to all kinds of pasta and bread or am I allowed to have whole wheat stuff and oatmeal instead?
3.) What role do calories play here? Do I have to count calories or can I just eat until I feel satisfied?
4.) Can I eat dairy or not?
I’m 21, 5’10 and I wanna lose 20 lbs. in 40 days, starting tomorrow. I hope somebody replies! Thanks in advance!
OKAY NEVER MIND! Sorry for my previous post! I got the answers now (I had accidentally skipped page 5, then came back and scrolled randomly and therrree all the answers were).
So, my SW is 175 lbs. I’ll let you know my results soon.
HI TIM, I was wondering if I could eat green apples
Tim,
Can you please explain why tomatoes are not on the diet (especially if Mexican food is a staple and because they are so god for you heart)?
Hi Guys.
I am starting on this today.
Been Think on how to lose weight.
thanks for this wonderful guideline. the testimonnies speak for it.
I’m on my 6th day of the diet. I’m constipated and don’t feel I lost weight(didn’t weigh myself yet, am waiting for Fri, but usually can feel when losing). I don’t get how come some lose loads of weight and some don’t and how to keep motivated? shall I carry on and hope the weight will drop? Is it the body trying to adjust to this new way? I will appreciate comments.
Thanks
Hi Grace,
Be sure to get your fiber and also take some magnesium, potassium, and calcium supplementation. If needed, use some Metamucil, but the supplements should help.
Drink A LOT of water.
Good luck!
Tim
Hi Tim,
Can you please define “slow-carb” for everyone? Is it a combination of GL and GI? If so, is this a true statement: GI of 55 is low; GL of 10 is low. Does that make it a slow carb? I would rather look up nutrients, than ask you specific vegetables each time I go to make a meal. Thank you!
Hi Tim,
Need to tone up and slim down. You’re technique seems simple enough and it gives me a day to indulge. I like that! I am planning to exercise and do some strength training also to slim down faster and build up some muscles.
I am auditioning for Oprah Winfrey to have my OWN cooking show with her new network. I thought this would be a HUGE motivation to slim down in case I do get my OWN TV show.
…
Tim, et al:
In your original post, you allude to the fact that your metabolism can “down-regulate” unless you take a day off from the diet each week. Is there a point at which your body “down-regulates” anyway, becomes accustomed to this new six-days-on/one-day off routine, and you stop losing weight? And is there anything you can do to jolt the body’s weigh-loss machinery back into action?
For instance, would it be worth taking a break altogether from the diet for a few weeks and coming back later–basically, taking a much bigger version of the “day off?”
I started this diet in a slightly modified form on April 19, and lost six pounds within the first month. My goal is to lose ten, and it’s been a real struggle to shave off those last four pounds. I haven’t made any other changes to my diet or workout routine since starting the diet two months ago, and I’m wondering if it’s time to shake things up again. Is there any chance that my body has adapted and adjusted to this new diet, and is there anything I can do to get back on the fast track? I know the post promises results without exercise, but I’d love to hear suggestions that involve either diet or working out or both.
Thanks for any advice that you and the other commenters can provide!
Scott R.
PS: By way of background: I’m 32 years old, started the diet at 180lbs, and now weigh 174 on a 5’8″ frame. I run 3-4 times a week, usually 3-5 miles at a time at roughly 9-minute mile pace. I do a some pullups and pushups each morning, but not much else in terms of weights or upper body. I would be willing to up the intensity of my workouts or substitute another exercise for those runs, but I can’t significantly increase the amount of time I spend working out due to other commitments. Thoughts?
SLOW Niacin is not only harder on your liver, the benefits in terms of lowering cholesterol are much lower than regular, normal, “Fast Niacin”, which is cheaper, too. However, taking more than 500 mg a day of Niacin OF ANY TYPE is not recommended, you might damage your liver. Once your liver dies, YOU DIE.
Having said that, I take regular, “Fast Niacin”, almost every day, 500 mg from DNC, in the silver bottle. After a couple of days of this, there is no flushing response ~ somehow your body adapts to the Niacin and does not give you that “5 min sunburn” feeling, which is a harmless, but interesting side-effect from taking niacin in high doses.
Hey Tim,
I really love this blog and found it really mind-opening. I have a problem I’ve been trying to solve and I’m wondering if you can help me. I’m 14 and I’m really overweight. I weigh 173 pounds and stand at 5’6”. I’ve been overweight since I was 8 and I’m really embarrassed when I go around everyday. I do sports regularly and I don’t eat a lot of carbs. I can’t really keep up with the schedule, however, as I have live with my parents who refuse to cook lentils and beans based on their personal preferences and only cook rice and pasta instead despite me telling them of the high carb amounts. Do you have any other suggestions as to how I should lose fat?
Thank you Tim!
Jutsw
Hello! I loved this blog! Its very interesting. Can some help me choose my meal. I am about 160 pounds, 6 ft. 3 inches tall. I am starting to work out and I want to avoid any fats. I want to eat things with proteing and iron in them. Also, I am vegetarian so its hard to find food with lots of proteing. What should I eat for my breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
I cannot believe it.
I cannot believe it took me 3 years to learn about this book, these case study’s, and the overwhelming fact that I can leave my 9-5 jobs.
I seriously thought about joining the military just for “Veterans Preference Points” for government jobs..Freaking 3 years of service to try and get a promotion? wtf was I thinking?
1st step: trying this experiment: starting 06/18/2010 at 258 Lbs 6’2″. First meal was, Chipotle Burrito bowl – Fajitas, steak (Their beef is Grass Fed) Guacamole, Black beans, half tomato/corn salsa.
Turns out it was only 580 Calories, 23g fat, 21g fiber..Not bad..
Now, to switch to low amounts of wine instead of my usual Rum and Beer.
lol. Talk about Lifestyle Design 😀
Thanks Tim, for being someone who shared this information with us, instead of holding it back.
-Jeb
🙂
hey umm im new to this and i am wonderig if this rlly works…im only 13 years old but i do not feel comfortable with my body and wanna loose weight…any suggestions on wat i should do to start off..
i also have a question about my breakfest wat do u reccomend on me eating…its becuz i also want a hig protien low calorie meal thats dietery and loss of fat..
tim, it looks as if ur tired with all the comments, ur only human after all…. but i am 15, i am more than an average weight, but am tiying ur diet and i want u to know it helps me, maybe not with the weight or how i feel but am more controlled now, and with a bit of confidence am sure the diet will pull through, but can i ask, what is ur exercise plan, and how did u keep the flabby loose skin away
Hi Tim,
I’ve been looking for ways to lose weight and go on a diet that would work for me throughout the summer and I came across your post about this particular low carb diet. I’m on my very first day, and I’m actually very excited to go through with this and see how my body adapts to it.
I’ve always had issues with eating, and while I’ve never been fat, I’ve never been skinny either. This is great because these are all types of foods that I enjoy eating. I’ve read through the comments and a concern of mine was how effective it would be for women but I can see that it shouldn’t be a problem.
With that being said, I have a question about working out. I’m home for the summer from college so it’s difficult to find a gym to join for such a short period of time and not having to pay a copious amount of money. I want to incorporate physical activity so if I don’t have a gym to join, or at least one until I go back to school, is something like pilates every day, or an aerobics class okay to do? Also in mind that I take certain days to do basic running?
I’m just trying to find a solution that doesn’t require me to go to a gym if I can’t find one and to cancel out that mental block that always assumes you need a gym to stay in shape all the time.
Thanks for reading!
~A
hi i’18 years old but i cant control my weigh so this summer i decid to exercis and to us some dite i hope it work
Tim, May I have salsa (mission) from a jar. I love just eating salsa out of a jar.
Hi, I did this diet for 2 month in August, I was 12 at the time at a staggering 165 pounds, within those months, I lost 40 pounds, granted some of it was probably puberty, but this diet did work for me. To any of you younger kids, this diet works, you just gotta stick with it!
___________________________________________
I’m starting this diet again, because I’m back to 150, and feeling sluggish.
Wish me luck!
Would there be any problem with a Sweet Potato or should I wait until go crazy day?? Can I assume there is no need to track calories or fat as long as I eat protein, veg and beans? Thanks… I am going to give this a whirl. 🙂
Tim
Off topic, quick questions:
1. Produce, dairy and egg: eat organic, not organic or makes no different?
2. To increase energy and focus: coffee or yarba mate?
3. I read somewhere in the Blog (I cant find where) that you’ll be talking in a nutrition conference in Texas, if so, where and when?
Thanks in advance
Great video!!!
[…] I have lowered my cholesterol 50 points and I have toned my muscles. I owe most of the plan to Tim Ferris, but I have tailored my exercise and eating routine myself. It has also saved me a lot on my food […]
20lbs of body fat is quite alot to lose in 30 days. Your meal plans and food choices are very healthy, keeping that up for 30 days can be hard for some people, but that’s the problem with diets. I like the “take one day off a week” I think that is the key to successful weight loss, nothing like a change from the norm. Overall I think this is a good choice for anyone who is looking to lose that amount of weight quickly. I have no choice but to link this on my blog…
Great content!
Hi My name is Mia and im 23 years old… I just had my second child 3 months ago by c section. I have this horrible tire around my waist and I am trying everything to get rid of it… I am overweight as of right now but I am thinner then I was before I got pregnant with my son. I am also breast feeding…. Is this diet okay to do? I am spoken to my doctor and he said as long as I’m not taking diet pills and starving I am okay but I would rather get your input also.
Thank you 🙂
Hi there. this sound like a great work out diet for me i will be trying it out soon here. i am starting at 246LBS i am 6′-3″ tall. i am going to be going into the air force or try to and i need to be down under 220 i am shooting for 215 or 210 but need to do it some what quickly. hopefully this works. i exercise 6 days a week on the ellptical 29 mins. i do a quick warm up about 6 mins. followed by a level 10 resistance for one min the a level 6 for 2 mins. that is one round 1 min the 2 mins. i do about 6 round then cool down for 5 mins. try this one time it is rough but make you feel great at the end i am pump up. dripping in sweat but still feel great. and tim if there is any advice you give me to help me reach my goal fast that would be great. thanks
Tim,
I’m coupling weight lifting/cario with this workout. Per busy schedule I can only do weights/cario at 5:30am. What do you recommend eating before workout to get some fuel in the tank?
After workout I have been having your recommended breakfast (egg whites, beans, veggies)
Thanks,
Roberto
What if I can’t eat legumes because of colitis and crohns?
Hi there.
I am running a marathon in November and aim to lose weight as well as get fit. What sort of foods would be right ? Is fish ok as an alternative to the other meats?
Thanks
I am a 53 year old woman who has been trying to loode weight since December. I am a recovering addict (codaine) and have bee clean for 1 year this June 30. My problem is that I dont do alot of exercising and am limited to any access to a gym. Most of my problem is Belly Fat. What can you recomend to me
Love the blog and all your ideas.
This plan works, its very simple, however, simple does not equate to easy. It is difficult initially to stick to the same few meals when most Americans are used to variety central. Once you get over the transition phase of variety of junk to regimented healthy meals, it becomes fairly manageable. More importantly, seeing belly fat come off with muscle staying is quite the motivational force.
A tip for everyone that I have found to work great is making legume soups.
Example: Big Ron’s Creamy Dreamy Black Bean Soup
1 can drained black beans
1 can drained pinto beans
fresh pico de gallo (or as fresh as your store provides without sugar)
(optional: salsa verde, or other fresh salsas)
water (can use chicken stock if ya must)
a combo of cumin/garlic/salt (sparing)/pepper/chili powder to taste
bring everything to a boil, reduce heat to low for a while.
I prefer blending the soup to a not too smooth consistency, it imparts a nice creamy mouthfeel.
This soup is absolutely delicious and very filling. A bowl of legume soup fills one up fairly well, effectively decreasing cravings and allowing for healthier eating and less cheating.
Once you get used to this, you’ll realize how easy it is to cook other soups, like minestrone by using fresh tomato sauce, different beans (white and kidney) and obviously italian seasonings and perhaps spinach…or lentils, chopped tomatoes onions and garlic, indian seasonings to create a “dal” or indian soup…you get the idea.
Beans are a very important part of this diet; unfortunately, eating whole beans over and over again is tedious at times. Hope this provides at least one person with an ounce of help.
Okay, I just wanted to let you know that it is now 1:54 AM June 30th 2010 and I have exactly one month before my freshman year of college and I am determined to lose exactly 15.5 lbs to get to my ideal weight before I go (I got to look my best before starting the years that I’ll remember forever, right?)
I’ve tried just about everything in the last couple months but haven’t really committed to anything for a long period of time but I’m determined. I’m seriously going to this- I don’t know if I can stay off the bread but I’ll definitely try to limit it to Saturdays.
I will let you know if I somehow stayed of the carbs and actually tried to move my butt and get to the gym and lose the weight- because if I do then you’re my hero.
I’ll keep you posted and wish me luck!
Hi Tim,
Fisrt of all thanks for sharing all of this info. I was wondering if you could share a few details about your workout. Do you use any on-line resources? If so, could you share them as well? Do you know the heart-beat range at which you should run in order to maximise calories deriving from fat burning as opposed to carbohydrates burning?
Thanks in advance,
F.
[…] muscle building, metabolism, etc. Inspired by what Tim Ferris wrote on his blog about his diet, I decided to try it out. Everything went swimmingly for about a week, when I broke down and bought […]
I have Cerebral Palsy and this is the type of diet I use for weight loss. I never knew Tim was following something the same! 🙂 I do light cardio and strength training 3 times a week for an hour with a physical therapist. Other than that nothing more than walking a lot.
1).I eat a lot of Smart Dogs hot dogs, which are made of soy (1 gram of fat and 1 gram of carbs a serving for the big jumbo size) or egg whites, or tuna in water. I have small amounts of deli lean turkey slices.
2).. I also eat black beans.
3). Spinach, green beans, asparagus, anything green and low in carbs.
I eat A LOT of these things 4 times a day, and I always usually eat the same things.
I DO enjoy tea with Splenda and cinnamon, along with coffee, Powerade ZERO, sugar-free Jell-o, and drink a gallon of water a day.
One day during the week, I eat WHATEVER I want! The scale still goes down.
2 Weeks Later Weight Loss report: It Does Work!
My Original Post on 6/18/2010:
“1st step: trying this experiment: starting 06/18/2010 at 258 Lbs 6?2?. First meal was, Chipotle Burrito bowl – Fajitas, steak (Their beef is Grass Fed) Guacamole, Black beans, half tomato/corn salsa.
Turns out it was only 580 Calories, 23g fat, 21g fiber..Not bad..”
Today I Weighed in at 251.2 Lbs for total of: – 6.8 pounds in 2 weeks.
I did cheat a little. Saturdays became my cheat day, Drinking 5 beers was a bad idea, basically dried up my system, causing lots of food to not “pass through”..
I also feel and sleep better. I’m about to go down in 1 notch on my belt, and my shirts, finally, feel great to wear.
My wife saw the differnce, she’s on the diet now too. 😀
See you in 2 weeks.
-JEB
hi im brett is it true that you should eat i gram of protein for everry pound that you weight. also can you tell me some high protein diets with high protein snacks, drinks, and meals. thanks
I don’t know much about anything other than as I have gotten older loosing weight has gotten harder and harder. The one thing I have learned about myself is that I naturally have a high metabolism. My body wants to burn calories, however, it’s sensitive to lack of food. If I feed it, it will burn at a high rate.
I’m a get up and run out the door kind of person. I usually miss breakfast. I usually miss lunch do to a hectic work schedule. When I finally eat, good stuff or not my body holds on to it.
I can’t stress enough how important eating 4 or more meals a day is. That change in of itself is half the ‘battle’. The only way I have been successful is to pack ‘my lunch’. This includes my breakfast, snacks and an actually lunch. It elimnates needing to find the right foods, it saves money, and your more likely to get in a set routine. It allows me to feed my body when it’s hungry. I basically end up eating 8-9 times a day in really small quanties because I get full faster. This seems to be a symptom of my stomach shrinking. A symptom I love.
My suggestion to anyone like me pursuing a diet like this and who doesn’t have easy access to good food or time due to work is to pack it. This goes along with tim’s suggestion to eat the same things. You can pre cook on the weekend and freeze and or refrid meals to toss in your lunch bag. This’ll get you through the week and then you can switch it up a bit fir the following.
Like others have posted I’m not big on the binge day but it is nice to not feel guilty if I do choose to eat or consume something outside of the diet. I don’t know if this helps anyone but it certainly has helped me.
I also suggest getting your metabolism rate tested. Our bodies are naturally inclined to burn calories in different ways. As I said the main success for me is less the types of foods I’m eating and more than I’m actually eating enough to get my body out of a starvation mode. Those with slower metobolisms will probably need to focus on foods and suppliments that enduce more a burn. A reduction in overall calories and a zoned in approach on higher metobolic foods may be necessary. I can loose signficant weight without excercise eating this way, others will have to add excercise to help increase the calorie burn.
I’m basically hungry all of the time when I’m eating regularly. When my stomach growls I feed it. I’m also not one to not eat before bed. I just make sure I eat something good for me… We burn calories while we sleep after all and our metabolisms function better with the fuel it needs.
In case anyone is a cyclist (or long distant runner for that matter):
I asked a question in the blog about training for cycling and didn’t get a reply so I did some research (feel free to correct me Tim).
I have been reading “The Glucose Revolution” (suggested somewhere by Tim in the blog comments) and basically it says that if you are to be doing a cardio workout for more than 90 minutes that you should eat slow burning carbs 1-2 hours before the workout. Then while doing the workout you should supplement with more simple carbs to keep insulin production up so that muscles can perform well. And then much like Tim’s weight lifting diet you should eat carbs within an hour after workout. The book also suggests that you should eat more slow burning carbs during the rest of the days of a training week.
This diet is obviously the “How to lose 20lbs. WITHOUT any excercise” but I have lost so much weight following it that I want to stick to it as closely as possible. So in the event anyone is remotely interested, I am going to experiment and try to follow the diet during the rest of the week and on training days follow what “The Glucose Revolution” suggests. I will keep you posted.
I am hubby and need to lose weight is this reccomended for losing the excess fat i have on my body.
Hey guys!
So I’m a sophomore at college and I’ve been eyeing this “20 pounds in 30 days” post for a while now. I’ve gained 15 pounds in the last year (yay freshman fifteen…) and really would like to lose it all and then some.
My question is if this is a short term type of diet/routine change or if it is more of an ongoing, “forever” type of change? I’ve noticed that a lot of people have been on this for at least 2 months… I would LOVE to try this out however I’m worried about how it might affect my schedule in college (my college has a messed up meal plan schedule… 2 meals a day?) Thanks!!
hi tim,
im a 12 year old 233 pound 5″8′ in height. will your diet work for someone my age? i do work out at this boot camp 8 am sharp, its been working a lot, but i need nutrients to. i really want to know because it sounds like itll work, let me know ASAP, i wanna try to be at least 200-190 pounds before my birthday ( next month ) thank you very much
You have opened up my eyes to a better NO WHITE Carb diet guide.
Thank You
Hi..
I don’t know how I came across your blog…and all of sudden I fall in love with you and your blog…lol
Hi Tim and folks,
I have been on a high-protein & low carb diet for 14 days recently, mine is pretty similar to the one you suggested, except with 1/2 of a grapefruit in each meal, with moderate daily exercise (10,000 steps per day), I lost solid10 lbs. I did hit a weight loss plateau on 13th and 14th day, and I decided to break the plateau with “Dieter Gone Wild” approach. I gained 2 lbs in two days by stuffing myself with the junkiest food I can find. My mom is a health food freak and was worried if I would ruin all my effort with all the junk food, but it really didn’t. I started my 12-day diet again yesterday, and today I weighted myself, I lost 4 lbs, the 2 lbs I gained from the “Dieters Gone Wild” plus 2 lbs more. I’m delighted, and I believe I can lose another 10lbs this time again 🙂 Thanks TIm!!
I also decided to add Green Juice into the high-protein low-carb diet for detox. I drink 1 large glass of green juice approximately 30 mins before each meal. It seems to help alot, I feel much better and my skin becomes smoother. I believe it helps to make the diet more sustainable.
My Green Juice: burdock, celery, parsley, ciltantro, kale, cucumber
I also believe that moderate exercise works best if you just want to decrease the fat%, although I know gaining muscles is also helping you to lose fat. Overtraining can only hold on the weight and you would feel a bit discouraged every morning when you weight yourself. So brisk walk , swimming and yoga are good enough for now for myself.
Thanks alot for sharing! 🙂
umm does this work in exactly 30 days because i want to loose wait quickly
Wow! I have been reading all these posts for more than 3 hours LOL! Very interesting stuff. I love lentils, after reading what I needed, I went to the grocery store and bought 3 pack of lentils, brocoli, eggs, and I am so excited to start this tomorrow. I was surprised to read all the things that I shouldn’t be eating, because I thought I was doing good, lol but now I know why I am NOT losing any weight.
I eat a yogurt daily (and not the kind I should be eating [by what I read]). Every morning for breakfast, I have a cup of coffee with creamer and splenda, with a whole wheat slice of bread.
Well. I am 27, weigh 130 lbs. and am 5’1. I am not fat really (let’s say the fat is well distributed lol). My problem is that everytime I get in a diet and lose weight, the first thing to go is my butt, and I love my butt. I know there is no spot reduction as far as fat goes, but my question is, will I lose fat evenly? Will my body get proportioned well? I know, seems ridiculous that I am asking, but this is a real issue for me.
Also, I enjoyed reading these posts and learned a lot from them. Thanks Tim and everyone else. I will return in a week with an update =}
Tim:
First, thank you for the great post. I understand the effectiveness of this diet first hand now. There is one question I hoped you could address:
How much impact do the supplements you listed earlier have? (given the diet is being followed, of course)
Thanks in advance!
Cooper