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
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New to the post….just bought the book on my Kindle – would recommend buying a physical copy (and will probably do that as well) as it is easier to flip through and you can write notes down in a real book…
I started the diet about a week ago and have the following personal comments and observations:
1. I added taking Metamucil in the morning…I take a lot of flack for this from friends who find out but being super regular feels great… The product is psillum husk – not sure how that actually fits in to this diet though?? Any thoughts??
2. I found that it took 6 days from starting the diet to see any real effect at all….but when I did it was fairly dramatic. My starting weight was 200 lbs and I’m usually +/- 3 lbs….it seemed like after the 6th day my median weight went from 200 to 195 and have seem about 1 lb every 2 days since then (other than cheat day where there is a plateau)
3. What about corn? Technically I think its a whole grain….but it comes on some of the cobb salads I’ve been eating….its not much but is it good or bad?? (ie – good, I would eat way more, bad I would limit to about what I take in now)
4. olive oil and red wine vinegar is my favourite way to dress a salad now.
5. learning how to make eggs not stick to a stainless steel frying pan is an art – heat the pan up first, make sure you’ve got good coverage of oil (I use canola oil) before putting your eggs in.
6. Undecided about cheese – good or bad?? Some help there…I’ve cut it out for now but I freakin love cheese. Are there better kinds than others??
7. Rye bread – I understand that rye bread has a really low GI and insulin reaction…..so is it alright or not??
8. I’ve been involved at a Crossfit gym for a while – looking for pros / cons / and comparisons to the 4HB workouts……
I’ve seen numerous comments approved since my entry, is Tim going to approve it? Or just when he’s around to answer the question?
My question posed was this, but more elongated…
I run 3 x per week. Since starting this diet my energy levels have been worse and I’m unable to run the distance and with the pace, that I was doing all last fall. Could this be to the lack of carbs (fuel) and more importantly, is there anyone (if Tim’s not around to answer this) who can make suggestions to gain more energy and stay within the confines of this diet?
Thanks!
Tim, try refueling immediately post-workout with Vitargo S2, per the book recs in “Ultraendurance.” Good luck!
I started this diet on New Year’s Day. My starting weight was 225 and 7 days later, I’m now 209! I’m SO EXCITED! I purposely did not look at the scale throughout the week, but by day 3 I felt thinner and lighter. I knew I’d lost some weight, but 16 pounds in 7 days?!? AWESOME!
My goal was to get to 200, but at this rate, I’ll get there by the end of week 2. Hmmm…maybe I should try for 195?
The only exercise I’ve done was that I walk to work and back every day (about 2 miles round trip) and I play 1.5 hours of indoor volleyball once a week. THAT’S IT.
The hardest part was the really bad sugar cravings on day 4, but it went away within 24 hours. I had no idea I was consuming so much sugar every day–my body was addicted to it.
I pretty much followed the diet to a T. I ate lots of:
grilled chicken breast
black beans, pinto beans
mixed veggies, spinach
canned tuna
grilled chicken breast salad
grilled salmon
grilled skirt steak
sweet potato (1 night canned, another night, baked)
for breakfast, I ate 3 egg whites & 1 or 2 whole eggs (hard boiled, or scrambled and zapped in the microwave) with salsa.
the thing I missed most was milk, so on my cheat day, (today) I had a stack of buttermilk pancakes and 2 large glasses of milk for breakfast…and two Reeses’ cups…and two cookies.
I really hope this cheat day doesn’t ruin my weight loss.
Anyway, I’m thrilled with the results so far, so I’m going to try and go at least another week.
thanks Tim!
Hi Tim, I love your book, and I have been on your diet and program for a week now. Today was my first binge day, and although it was extremely difficult for me to go without chocolate for the first few days, by the time my “binge” day came around, I actually didnt feel like it anymore and almost had to force myself to eat it only because I could. 🙂
I do have a question for you regarding the cold showers. I take one Tues and Thurs but to make it less traumatizing, I start with a warm shower for 5 mins then gradually within the next 10-15 mins slowly put it colder and colder. Do I need to shock myself into the pure ice cold water from hot in order to get the best results? Or will slowly acclimating myself in this way still show good results? Also I do the ice baths on MWF as suggested, but dont use ice bags as you recommend but just use the coldest water from the faucet. Is this still okay? (Believe me, it is still freezing)
I have already lost 5lbs this week alone! Cant wait to see what I lose next week 🙂
Congratulations! The shock isn’t necessary, and the graduated shower is just fine.
Keep it up!
Tim
It’s been about a week since I’ve started this and I’ve lost a little over 5 pounds. I have about 20 to lose. I do notice that on the days I work out I don’t lose weight the next day but the next day when I don’t work out I lose (double time). It’s fine. I’m not tired, I don’t feel that this is a diet and I think this is a good way for me to maintain the weight once it’s off. I don’t miss rice and have been frequenting Chipotle like others.
I am not sure when my “cheat” day is going to be. I don’t want to have a full out cheat though because I want to keep in mind portions for some day when the weight is off and I am just in maintain mode.
I’m female FYI. I’ve read a lot of posts from females who are having a hard time and all I can say is stick with it and stick to normal portions. Unlike other diets you can’t have as much as you want so this “diet” helps you both get portions under control and healthy eating under way.
Hi Tim,
I’d have a few questions about PAGG that weren’t addressed in the book.
1) You recommend taking PAGG six days a week (one day off each week and one week off every 2 months). You mention that the week off is critical. What are the reasons for the day and week off?
2) What about the timing of the PAGG day off relative to the binge day? I’m guessing it would be best for these not to be the same day (based on the “Damage Control” chapter).
Thanks very much,
RR
My diet has always been fairly similar to the 4-hour body but I used yams oats and quinoa for my carb meals then add fats instead of carbs to meals after 3 or 4. Since my last competition I had put on about 12 ugly pounds and decided I needed to make a change since I was having a hard time sticking to my meal plan with out a competition in my future. I am guessing when I started to substitute beans for all of my carbs I was at about 19% BF I know this is in a healthy range but I have a lot of muscle and any additional fat makes me look chunky, not fit. I prefer 13-15%. I quickly lost 5 pounds in the first week, I am not sure if it was the beans that helped or that I did not cheat knowing that I had a planned binge coming up soon! (where as before I seem to binge eat whenever the opportunity arose) I missed my morning oats and egg whites but I have found that the beans are actually very satisfying and seem to keep me full longer. I just had my first scheduled binge yesterday. Today I am heavier than I was when I started. I’m trying not to get down, I know that when I eat sugar and excess carbs I swell as well as have a bit of a hangover the next day. Today it is hard not to eat bad because I feel crappy. I’m going to give it another week or two with the binge days and see if in fact it does all go away within a few days after the binge plus some. Great! My hubby just brought home a bag of breakfast tacos! Where were these yesterday????? I’m off to make my breakfast bowl of champions before I cave, 1/2 cup black beans, 1 cup eggwhites, 1 whole egg, veggies and salsa. Good luck everyone. Make 2011 your healthiest and fittest ever! Please post success stories. They are very encouraging!
sorry, I’m posting again! I read through some of the posts listing what they eat and my diet is far different. I do workout for about 2 hours a day so maybe that is why,
eggwhites, whole egg, veggies and beans for breakfast
post workout shake
chili (turkey, kidney beans, tomatoes, spices) over veggies
beans, chicken, salsa, veggies,
lean protien and veggies with a small fat
lean protein and veggies with a small fat
meals are 3-4 hours apart, if I don’t feel like eating any more chicken or fish in the evening I just eat some cottage cheese. I used to eat Fagi with a scoop of vanilla protein powder which is absolutely amazing but I’d end up eating too much. I’m not a huge fan of cottage cheese but it gets the job done without making me crave more. I shoot for 1500-1800 calories a day.
I have always been told that you need to always eat a protein with a carb and or a fat. Carbs during the day and add fats in the evening to help keep you full .
Tim – I bought three books and registered my info within the time parameter for the initial NY Times (4-Hour Body vs Guinness) challenge.
Was wondering when I might hear back about the premiums?
Thanks!
Diet is very interesting.. All the beans is difficult and all the food peroid is hard especially if your used to starving to lose wieght. I’m 49 years old (50 on the 18th of this month) and female. I am not in horrible shape, exercising off and on for about 10 years. I would like to lose about 20, 25 lbs.
I am 5`8 and half inches tall. Starting wieght 157.7 on January 6th, 2011
1/09/11 weight, 154, lost, 3.7 lbs. 🙂 No exercise yet, but will start that on Monday the 10th. Also took measurments today. Will keep you posted!
Hey Tim! Hubby and I followed this diet and made frequent updates and posts for the last year and have loved the results – hubby dropped 40 pounds and I went from an 8 to a 2 in a season! Got the book just in time for Christmas, and after 2 months of a free-for-all Holiday foodfest, we were excited to start the diet again for the new year. Instead of the old reliable recipes I’d used before, this week I took all my meals from the new Low Carb Cookbook. Well, at week’s end, hubby had lost 0 pounds and I had *gained* 2 pounds! I reviewed a lot of the ingredients that I had used in the meals that the cookbook required and they don’t line up with the “rules”, and the advice we had followed from a year ago?
The Bacon, Egg, Avocado and Tomato Salad (we ate it for breakfast every morning) has syrup and sugar in the bacon – even reading the backs of every package of turkey bacon in the store all list sugar as a main ingredient, and many have Maltodextrin that initially was forbidden. When looking for beef broth for “Leon’s Lentils”, I found no cans or boxes of beef broth that didn’t contain some type of sugar, although I found several chicken broths that were completely natural. The Italian Meatballs called for 1/4 cup bacon fat, (drained from sugar and syrup packed bacon), and the Worcestershire sauce recommended in the turkey casserole contains molasses, corn syrup and sugar. Maybe it just so happened that I picked every single recipe this week that was questionable, and maybe it’s just my anal Type A personality, but some things don’t seem as strict as they did originally, like butter and parmesan cheese and nuts in all the salads. And 4HB mentions several times that lemon juice lowers the GI, but initially it was forbidden because it was a fruit. And what happened to the dire warnings about Maltodextrin? Is it still bad?
Help me out – I’m feeling confused. It seems like the cook book implies that some “forbidden” stuff is OK if it is in small doses, and initially I was under the impression that even breathing some of that stuff would prevent weight loss, and to avoid it at all costs?
When in doubt, stick with “the rules.” I’ll take another look at the cookbook.
is dill pickles okay, pork and beans in a can for beans?
Hi Tim,
Going to try this one more time and hope my post makes it through moderation. First off, loved the 4HB book, love the diet, and just feels good to eat this way. However, not feelin’ the love yet with any results and am really hoping you, or anyone else, could weigh in (no pun intended) with thoughts, advice or similar experiences.
I know metabolism is supposed to really slow down as we age and I’m 45, which is not exactly paleolithic last time I checked, 5’9″ and pretty active and fit, albeit 15-20 pounds too heavy for my satisfaction at 150 lbs. For the past 3 weeks I’ve been doing the following:
1. following the diet protocol to the letter, except for occasional dairy;
2. taking the PAGG stack 4 x day;
3. doing posterior chain exercises w/kettlebell 3 x week + running or swimming for 30 min. 2-3 x week.
My weight has only fluctuated between 145 back up to 150. It is sooooo frustrating to be so diligent and so so few results and I begin to wonder if my metabolism is still alive?!
Should I:
reduce portion size?
exercise more?
increase PAGG dosage?
Some suggestions or shred of hope from others possibly progressing at similar turtle like pace would be really, really great.
Thank you!
Holly
Holly, I share your frustration. Starting my 3rd week on this diet and have only lost 4 lbs. I follow the diet religiously. No deviations. On my cheat days I start off with my usual breakfast but at lunch I allow myself a sandwich or pasta dish… I will also nibble on a few cookies or pieces of candy…
I have been doing very moderate exercise … yoga and hiking… what can I do to increase the rate of weight loss? I’m a 43 year old woman, active, with about 15-20 pounds to lose and body fat of 22.5%. should I restrict my portions (I use as a guide 1/2 c of beans, unlimited veggies and equivalent of 20 g worth of animal protein… breakfast is always egg whites, beans & spinach).
Any ideas or advice would be much appreciated!
Holly & Cathy –
I’m in pretty much the same boat – 1 week doing slow carb. Followed plan to the letter. Lost 2 lbs before cheat day. Moring after cheat day had gained only .5 lbs. This morning – I’m back to my starting weight.
I’m going to stick with it for another week – perhaps not get on scale again until before cheat day – so as not to get discouraged. But, I fear that this might not work the same for us ladies of a certain age…
Holly and Cathy,
Same here, sort of frustrated. Follow the diet to the max, I’m vegetarian so use egg whites and protein powder, but have only lost a couple of lbs going into week 3. I only want to lose 10 – 15 lbs, but hoped this would be faster. I also do one hour spin classes 3 to 4 days per week. I was following WW and so still am counting my points for the curiosity of it, and they are lower eating this way than I was before. But still not losing faster. Any helpful comments anyone? I am 53, 5’6, and about 138 lbs.
Anyone know if mixing in canned corn would be much of an issue, I know corn is a vegetable and according to the guidelines that would be acceptable. However I have read conflicting reports on whether or not corn is a suitable vegetable for this diet
Hi Tim and Everyone,
Today my partner and I start the 4HB diet and we are really excited! I have called the challenge “My Body Redesign: A Journey to 60 kgs”. Apart from our own daily and weekly measurements, we will be posting here (until of course, Tim makes a 4HB Community site, nudge nudge wink wink) each month to update you on our progress.
My weight: 82.6 kg (Goal weight: 60 kg)
Partner weight: 90.1 kg (Goal weight: 80 kg)
Mmmm, spinach for breakfast. Black beans were great and so far we have been able to find everything Tim recommends even though we’re in a faraway land from the States.
So, until next month (10 Feb 2011), it’s full steam ahead… (no pun intended :p)
Good luck fellow 4HBodiers!
Tim,
Some two questions about ice baths:
1) is it necessary to induce shivering even if one currently doesn’t shiver when in an ice bath?
I find it easier to relax all my muscles during the ice bath, very little shivering occurs.
During that last 15-20 mins where I’m submerged upto my neck, I feel a pleasant urge to fall asleep.
In one of my sessions I began to fear falling asleep/losing consciousness so I quickly hopped out of the ice bath around the 15 min mark. I’m guessing I should induce shivering (otherwise I’m totally relaxed after the first 3 minutes of an ice bath) to keep myself from falling asleep towards the end.
Correction: “A question about ice baths:”
PLEASE ANSWER! (loyal customer)
I just started the Slow-Carb Diet.
The thing is I like to work out and meditate FIRST thing in the morning.
8 – Wake up, drink half liter of water
8:10 – P90X or Insanity and Meditation
9: 30 – Shower
9:40 – BREAKFAST (Slow-Carb)
etc…
I just bought a Soy Protein 90 Powder.
Should I take it first thing in the morning with water?
and then have the Slow-Carb breakfast?
8 – Wake up, drink half liter of water with Soy Protein 90 Powder
8:10 – P90X or Insanity and Meditation
9: 30 – Shower
etc…
9:40 – BREAKFAST (Slow-Carb)
Im doing the diet with 4 friends! We will post results soon…
Thanks!
Hi Luca,
What you suggested is fine, but I’d recommend using whey isolate if you can instead of soy. Please see the “Meatless Machine” chapters in 4HB for my warnings about soy.
Good luck!
Tim
Lost 1.5kg according to scales and 1.5cm around the waist in my first week – don’t care how much weight I lose or gain, just as long as I have visible abs and good overall definition in the end.
Also just finished my first cheat day which was kicked off with the ‘breakfast of champions’ … pepper steak pie, chocolate croissant and a picnic chocolate bar
In the end I got approx. 4500kcal into me, although it wasn’t as fun as I thought it might be.
Quick question Tim – would you recommend against or for doing a short sprint workout (10 x 10m with full recoveries) and heavy weight session (Lunges, Dips, Lat Pulldowns – 3 sets each) on the cheat day – would it reduce the intended impact of the overfeeding/leptin spike too much (I thought it might be worth taking advantage of the caloric abundance/surplus).
Thanks for the post. I lost weight too. I like the part for the pizza. I love pizza.
Hi Tim,
Got The 4-Hour Body last week and love it! I have both of your books and have gotten a tremendous amount of useful information from each.
I have a question about sweeteners. I enjoy tea and usually add Honey or Sugar. Is this ok with the Slow-Carb diet? If not what can I use? Cinnamon doesn’t mix well with tea!
Thanks,
Rich
Is Chili (homemade or restaurant) bad or good for this diet? It has all the needed ingredients but it seems that tomato sauce could be iffy at restaurants (because of sugar). Any advice would be appreciated
Hi Tim: Okay, I’m in week 2 and I’ve lost about ten pounds. Sounds good, but I need to lose about ten more, so i’m kinda under pressure, since this is the smallest amount of food i have ever eaten in my life. this is my menu for the week: Breakfast: 3 eggs (2 whites, one whole egg), smoothie,bananna, 2 glasses of water
Lunch: Chicken Salad, soup/Roast Beef Sandwich ( on cheat days only), 2 glasses of water
Dinner: Chicken or Turkey Drumstick, 3 glasses of water
I keep hovering between 100 pounds and 113, and i want to become 90 pounds again. If it continues i won’t do cheat days anymore. how i take the weght down and keep it there?
The problem here is that he tells people what to do and how to get results and the people still wants to negotiate wiggle room while the fat jiggles. The mirror doesn’t negotiate. The scale doesn’t negotiate. The diet shouldn’t be negotiable. Somewhere a long the way, food has become “entertainment”.
says the person who is over weight and honest about it.
Quick question for Tim– I’m reading the book, very interesting stuff, but I’m wondering: regarding the post-workout pizza mentioned in this post (but not really elaborated on), are you advocating a post-workout “mini-cheat” meal, or are you eating some bread/carbs for a more specific reason? Is there some ideal post-workout meal that falls outside of the slow-carb recommendations?
I’ve read a big chunk of the comments here and haven’t really seen that addressed.
cheers!
drink up men:
http://www.beerandcarbs.com/info.htm#error2
Guess what? No carbs in Whiskey either, but about half the calories of beer.
Tim,
Just got done with the 4 Hour Body……. Amazing!
1 question about the Slow Carb diet; I normally run in the mornings and my runs usually go longer than an hour. How will this affect the “eat within 1 hour of waking preferably within 1/2 an hour of waking”?
So in summary id like to:
Wake up
Run
Eat Breakfast
Will that skew the results?
Thanks
Anthony – Malaysia
how to loss the weight and fat without any exercise ?
And what kind of vegetable are low calorie ?
Hi, I’m trying to lose 10lbs of fat only… Should I slowly start introducing my regular healthy diet when I reach my goal if it’s before the 30 days?
Thanks!!
Tim, in a previous comment I seen that you recommended taking in 30g of protein for breakfast. Do you recommend getting at least 30g of protein for each meal?
For most males, absolutely.
I purchased the book 12/26/10, and have been slow carbing since 12/27/10. My goal is to lean out before beginning a weight training program. I figured I could shed 15lbs, and things are tracking very well with 6 lost! So, Thanks!
Could someone please share thoughts on maintenance?
After this 30 day period, I’d like to incorporate grains, dairy, and fruits regularly…..
Count me in the “no weight loss” group. I posted my meal plan above – very little fluctuation in the four days since. Actually up 1.5 pounds since the time I started.
Couple of questions. I started the diet 1/2/11 which followed a weekend of very heavy drinking – could my slow start be due to my liver taking time to return to normal?
Also wondering if some of the added weight could be due to increased water intake. I was terrible at drinking water pre-diet. Now drinking 2-3x as much per day if not more – would this contribute to the lack of change on the scale.
Also, not to be gross but I notice I am using the restroom for #2 far less often? Anyone else have this issue?
Did notice 1″ off my waist in the first week but not sure if that was just due to the timing of the measurement. If not it could suggest that my body is changing for the better. That being said some weight loss to confirm this would be nice.
Never said it in the first message but I am a 31 yo male. 5’11” currently 200 (started at 198.5) goal is to get to 175-180 depending on overall muscle gain.
Tim,
Quick question for you. I did a little research on swimming in cold water vs neutral water, and the result was that those in the cold water GAINED more weight. This seems to contradict what you write in the book. Can you explain why this would be?
Link below:
http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/swimming.htm
Thanks
Oh, also, wanted to mention that I have now lost 7lbs in the first 10 days and a total of 7″ of fat (from waist, hips, chest, thighs and arms). I can’t believe it!! I LOVE this program 🙂
Oh, forgot to mention. I have lost 7 lbs in the first 10 days! And lost 7″ total body fat (off waist, hips, chest, thighs, arm). I cant believe it! I LOVE this book!! 🙂
Keep it up 🙂
Hi Tim,
I just started this diet today and was wondering: would it be possible (and just as effective) to spread the ‘dieters gone wild day’ in 2 parts: Friday night and Saturday morning + afternoon?
That would really be great for me, as I like to go out (to dinner) on Friday nights and have some carbs ‘the day after’. And then returning to the slow-carb-diet on Saturday night of course.
Looking forward to your thoughts on this!
I have seen fat loss often stop when people split it like this. That said, if you want to test and report back, that’d be great!
Tim, Sorry to be a noob, but was this response also for me? Thanks
Meaning, this comment…
“I have seen fat loss often stop when people split it like this. That said, if you want to test and report back, that’d be great!”
If so, I’m not sure I follow.
Paul, you should remember weight loss and fat loss are two very different things. 1″ off your waist in 9 days sounds great. I’d attempt to find another way to measure your progress than a scale alone. Body Calipers are probably the easiest, or take a few tape measurements of the same few body parts each week.
Important question. Can I eat yams? It isn’t white carbs but i’m sure it’s calorically dense. I’ve been googling around and can’t determine if it’s allowed or not.
I’m 6’1″ 205 and by using the jackson pollock 3pt test i’m at 7.79% body fat. I’ve determined that this can’t be right because although I’m lean i have 0 definition on my abs and i just don’t feel that lean.
by just “eyeballing it” as the book says i’d guess im at 20% and i’m trying to get down to 10%
Another .5lbs down. Thats 4.3 lost in Five days.. Not bad, and still not exercising. And I’m a woman ladies. I have always documented my diet and wieght loss and compared to last year, my weight loss was about the same in the same amount of time when I was just counting calories, BUT.. I was starving all the time and exercising 3 or 4 days a weekl. This is a much better way to diet. We will see what the next week brings. (I plan on exercising, just trying to get used to the diet first.
Headaches…
I’m on day two of the 4HB slow carb diet. So far so good, except that I keep getting headaches in the afternoon and I can’t seem to shake them. My guess is that it might be sugar withdrawals. I ate a tablespoon of organic creamy peanut butter (Whole Foods/365 brand) around 3pm. Within about 15 minutes my headache had dramatically subsided. When I checked the PB bottle I discovered that it contained “organic pure cane sugar”, but sugar nonetheless. I plan to buy a sugar free PB today so that I adhere to the plan, but it made me wonder about sugar (or lack thereof) being the cause of my headaches. BTW, I’m drinking lots of water, so I don’t think that’s it. Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks!
Hi Brian,
Try 10 grams of BCAAs (at any GNC) at each meal and see how you feel.
Best,
Tim
Thanks Tim, I’ll give that a shot and let you know.
How important is the eat-crap-once-a-week rule? Does it make much difference without that?
I could just eat a lot of bread etc. for that right?
I will try this again. Is chili (homemade or restaurant) good or bad for this diet? It seems to have all the necessary ingredients but the tomato sauce could be an issue (because of the sugar?). Any advice would be appreciated
I believe tomatos are allowed. He often reffers to making your own salsa using tomato and corn. I have been eating tomatos every day with my black beans(helps with the taste) and I have made a chicken dish using them. I have lost 5lbs and 1 and a half inches after one week. I to am going to make chili this week with ground turkey and a lot of beans!
Cathy & CR,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I’m also trying to eat smaller portions, and am going to attempt to avoid bread and gluten altogether on my next cheat day. I felt like a trailer on Sunday after having both pizza and sushi on my Saturday cheat day. Perhaps not a bright idea. And I’m not stepping on the scale again until Friday. I’ll report back!
cheers,
Holly
@Holly (and anyone getting impatient):
Be patient…it will sink in…and when it does it’s powerful stuff. Don’t try to modify the method until you give it a shot – ONE MONTH. I agree that the “cheat” day (which really isn’t a cheat at all…to the contrary…it’s a RULE) feels odd at times but it’s like a prescription…do it to the best of your ability or you might as well abort. Tim spent a lot of time and effort experimenting and so have hundreds (thousands?) of others since this blog started – do you really want to start fiddling?
Matt
what about raw milk (unpasteurized, unhomogenized, full fat)?…is this allowed?…or is the “no milk” suggestion for the adulterated milk at the stores?
also, how long should i attempt to follow this diet before i see results?
Tim,
Im not sure if you mentioned this before or not and I cannot seem to find a specific number in 4HB, but what is “low carb”? I mean you can’t completely avoid carbohydrates because they will exist in minimal amounts in something or the other. So how many grams of carbs per meal or per day would you say would be in line with this program?
A few years ago I read about the TNT diet by men’s health which is also based on eating low carb and I believe they mentioned a max of 50g of carbs per day. Is it the same for slow carbing (max of 50g of carbs per day)?
Also you mention that we cannot eat fried food with breading, but we can eat food that is fried (but without breading) right? Like if I wanted to fry my eggs in canola oil instead of microwaving them, that shouldn’t be a problem right?
Ahmed
Morning after the 6th day on the diet, down .5lbs, thats a total of 4.8lbs. I’ll take it and I have never felt better on a diet. I will take my measurments on the morning before my cheat day, Saturday. Celebrating the BIG FIVE O!
Tim,
I am having a lot trouble going to the bathroom though. I haven’t went much since starting diet, (probably would have lost more if I went this morning 😉 Any suggestions? Don’t like to get dependent on laxitives.
Theresa,
I know how you feel! I have even been eating a half a can of sauerkraut and drinking a ton of water and coffee and still in extreme pain. I am going to go to the store to get a probotics supplement. Tim talks about it on page 111 and 112 I believe. Hope this helps.
Just an update for me.
I started P90X on 1/1/11. I found this blog 1/4 and started the slow-carb (2/3 on 1/5) I say 2/3, because my wife had bought lean quisine’s that contained meat and she went ovo-lacto on 1/1. So in order to not throw them away, I had some lean quisine pasta for lunch through 1/7.
Kicked in slow-carb for real on 1/8. So far, I am down 7# for the year and almost 2″ in waist.
Cheat days will be Sunday (football – superbowl) for the short term, might go to Sat after the superbowl.
I’m not craving any carbs at all. Don’t know what I will do to cheat, maybe a fat hoagie or pizza. There WILL be beer!!
Oh, the 4HB book arrived yesterday and I am through the first 1.5 chapters. Will be doing the fat-loss/lean, then transition to adding muscle sections.
Very well written, matter-of-fact style of writing that anyone can breeze through!
Thanks Tim!
Hey Tim I’m going to be try this slow carb diet starting today. Witch will hope to be a bit easy for me since I am Mexican and have practically everything on the list. I need more veggies in my life, not that I don’t love them. I just don’t never have them in house. My co-worker told me I could pass off for a vegetarian with all the veggies I eat. The funny thing is about this diet is that it is my diet. I don’t drink soda, I don’t eat sweets much at all. I have cut way down on flower tortillas and will be *excluding *flower tort., *bread, (love) *rice from my diet. I would say breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, I love eggs, *hashbrowns, BACON, chorizo. What do you think of pork chorizo, maybe make my own?
What do you think of this meal?
Pinto beans that were boiled with a bacon for flavor
eggs
scramble eggs and add pinto beans and smash (w/out) bacon
Thanks Time let me know!! ;D
Actually having a simiar issue to Theresa. I plan to just try and add higher fiber veggies in my meals.
You would think all the fiber in the beans would be enough! Maybe more water?? I’m going float away 😉
Theresa…the beans have tons of fiber, but it’s usually soluble fiber which does tend to bind.
You want to eat more INsoluble fiber like certain beans (although not Pinto or Black), leafy greens (Spinach is my fave), and bran.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/25753-insoluble-fiber-foods-list/
Add lots of those and you’ll be back in action pretty soon…but it does take a little time. Munch on some bran muffins on your cheat day as well…
Wow, you, Timothy, have created a monster. Just look at this post.
Do you have any idea how hard it is to go slow carb for an Italian (one of those born and raised in Italy). It’s practically impossible.
But I am trying, as whenever I have lost weight it’s always been both fat and muscle, and whenever I’ve been in shape I’ve always also gained fat. I obviously can’t find a sweet spot. It’s not in my genes nor in my tradition nor in my lifestyle.
There is one interesting thing about your diet, at least as expressed here and in your book. You never really talk about keeping the weight/inches off when the goal weight/inches have been achieved. In the 4 Hour body you splendidly illustrate all these experiments and hacks, but, is your diet just one of those – experiment and hack?
The thought of eating like this forever makes me want to be fat. Like really badly. Strong and fat, sexy and fat, cool and fat, satisfied and fat. drinking wine, eating croissants, being a foodie, livin the life fat. fat fat fat.
So for everyone else that is not as OCD as you, or not as excited as you to put this much work into being in shape, is there an exit strategy? what happens after the 30 days. back to my oh-so-nice and pudgy mediterranean diet?
Thanks for the very interesting books.
G.
Thanks Matt, I checked out the website. I thought fiber was fiber! I will definately try some of those food suggestions.
Kind of freaking out, I’ve been on the diet for 2 weeks now and the first week I lost 11 lbs! then cheat day struck and I followed the rules and went crazy, however I noticed that I gained back 5 lbs from the cheat day and even though I jumped right back on the wagon the next day and followed the rules to a “t” it still took until the day before the next cheat day to get back to where I started… is this normal? I feel like I am taking one step forward and two steps back!
Hello!
I am hoping to get some words of encouragement from some of the long time slow carbers. I started my slow carb diet on 1-2-2010 and by the following Saturday I had lost 6.5 lbs, yay!! We had our cheat day on Saturday, I really didn’t go too crazy, and did everything according to the book w/the exception of the suppliments because we did not have them yet.
It is now Wednesday night and I am still 1.5 lbs heavier than my pre-splurg day weigh-in. I would have thought I would have returned to my pre-splurg (does that sound naughty to anyone else? 🙂 ) weight by now and have lost a few more pounds. Has anyone else experienced this?
I have followed the diet to the “letter of the law” with 1 exception. I do have 1/2 an individual creamer and 1.5 packets of artifical blue sweetener all of my non-cheat days. me + no coffee = big trouble.
Just finished my fourth week on this diet, and went from 205 to 200. Body fat percentage and measurements indicate greater fat loss was not obscured by muscle gain; body fat currently about 20%.
FOOD: Followed the diet precisely, consuming only eggs and eggs whites, chicken, pork, steak, the recommended beans, spinach, vegetables, and the occasional bit of broccoli or mushroom. Consumed at least 30 grams of protein per meal, often more (especially for dinner). Breakfast had within one hour of waking, with one exception, and usually within 30 minutes. Avoided fruit. Rarely had almonds, never more than 10.
CHEAT DAY: Ate eggs and beans for breakfast on cheat day, and then had larger amounts whatever I wanted. Did regular bouts of air squats and wall presses before and 90 minutes after unhealthy foods. Took an extra policosanol in the morning. Favorite cheat day meal: pizza.
DRINK: Drank lots of water (at least a gallon), more on cheat day. Had diet soda on most days (12 oz), and glass of merlot less often. No milk, normal soft drinks, or fruit juice (except on cheat day, when I had grapefruit juice before second meal). Had a rum and diet coke at bar third Wednesday; my biggest deviation from diet. Had coffee regularly. When cream added, never more than tablespoon or two (measured).
GLUCOSE: Had cinnamon with coffee, limited amounts of lemon juice with every meal.
SUPPLEMENTS: Took potassium, magnesium, and calcium at recommended doses. Also took PAGG at recommended doses, which produced extremely bad insomnia starting second week. Missed three days of PAGG due to delayed Amazon.com delivery in third week, then resumed. Took one day off every week.
EXERCISE: went for a walk every day, and followed Occam’s Protocol after the first week. Moderate cardio on Tuesdays.
COLD: took cold showers five days a week, did ice pack six days a week, regularly went without jacket or sweater on walks. Did not start drinking ice water until second week, regularly consumed thereafter. Did not try ice baths; found showers unpleasant enough.
So: did I do something wrong? I am feeling underwhelmed by the results, and am honestly at a loss to see what I might have done differently/incorrectly.
excuse this if its been stated before but ive gone through the comment pages and havent seen it.
i regularly eat such foods as miso soup, tofu and seaweed. i dont really know where these foods fit in relation to the diet. I really want to do this diet and if these are part of the acceptable foods ill be golden. i can see though that these foods could go either way. Seaweed, is it a veggie? i know by culinary standards its basically a veg but its technically an algae. will it give me the same results as eating mixed veggies? Miso, its seaweed, soybean paste and fish stock but theres a lot of salt… Tofu… its soybean curd but soymilk isnt allowed because of the processing… does this also mean the same for tofu then?
if anyone can help id appreciate it. thank you!
So we can still have an unlimited about lentils even though they have a higher calorie count? Will that have an impact on the results?
I’m curious what post-workout meals would be (besides pizza, I’m a girl and I can’t eat like that). Also, I thought white carbs/ wheat were not allowed except on cheat days but there is a picture of a pizza as a post-workout meal? Was this a cheat day as well? Did you eat the whole thing?
Sorry, too many questions.
I’m also curious about red wine. I see drinking wine is often discouraged during weight loss (the by-product, acetate, is burned for fuel before body fat is burned). I have a stubborn body fat of 27%. I’m trying to get it down to 20% (no sense in getting leaner and then needing breast implants, right?) Will this really work for a woman’s metabolism or is this for guys?
Thanks in advance!
Absolutely loving the new book but have one quick question that I couldn’t see asked. Canned foods are fine, but does that include canned spinach in water? I know that spinach is unique in the level of nutrients lost in storage, so I wonder if it is worthwhile eating it in this form. Thanks to anyone that has an answer! x
Absolutely loving the new book but have one quick question that I couldn’t see asked. Canned foods are fine, but does that include canned spinach in water? I know that spinach is unique in the level of nutrients lost in storage, so I wonder if it is worthwhile eating it in this form. Thanks to anyone that has an answer! ox
anyone on here diagnosed with gout doing this diet?
Hi Tim,
Been doing this for 4 days now. I’m not a big guy, don’t have a ton of body fat to lose and workout quite a bit, mostly running/rock climbing but just want to trim down a bit, chisel up etc.
I think I’m seeing results but I have a couple of questions/comments:
1. Running is hard on this diet. I usually run anywhere between 3-5 miles a day, easy but found my heart pounding and legs burning after 2 miles. Cardio work was very difficult.
2. I had some Thai food with my girlfriend last night, and it had some pineapple in it. Is that going to sabotage my efforts?
Thanks Tim or Tim’s Assistant.
Tim-
I bought your book on the Kindle 10 days ago and I started the diet 8 days ago. I am losing an average of .7 pounds a day. With the possible mix of proteins and vegetables available, I haven’t missed my “white” foods at all. I have been enjoying my glass of red wine a bit more, however. I love where this is going! I’m starting the supplements next week!
Hi All,
I have been following the program and having eggs, beans, and spinach for breakfast. (My first week.) My issue is time… Is there a protein shake that meets the criteria of The Four Hour Body? I would really like to have something that I could have on the go for those mornings I hit the snooze button too many times!
Best wishes to all in these endeavors!
Marilyn
Hi Tim, I’m working through the Slow Carb diet now. I’m curious about Quinoa. Could I eat this freely with the diet, or is it best restricted to post workout? And I really dislike egg whites without the yolks… is it problematic for me to just eat 2-3 whole eggs for breakfast?
Also, regarding your chapter on consuming Brasil nuts to boost testosterone: I’m interested in doing this, but I am allergic to Brasil nuts. Any alternatives?
Thanks!
Thanks for your thoughts Matt, I’m still not so sure. There is no proof in the pudding for me. I’ve now been following this diet for exactly 1 month with NO real weight loss. As I said the scale yo-yos between 150 and 145 depending on the time of day and what I ate, and I have refrained from constant weighing. Just stepped on it today for the first time in a week after following the protocol religiously + PAGG + kettlebell exercise regime x 3/week + swimming. No progress on the scale except, if my measurements are correct, I have lost 1 1/2″ off my thighs since I started the program one month ago.
I am beginning to think it is nearly impossible to lose weight at 40. Yet other people have done it. ?! I have been more disciplined on this diet than ever before so can’t say it’s cheating. Just don’t know. Maybe I will get my thyroid checked for hypothyroidism, though I am not lethargic and have plenty of energy.
Holly
That should have read ‘lose weight AFTER 40’!
Things have slowed for me, but I expected that. Eight full days and wieght loss is the same (4.8 lost). I’m hanging in there thou gh and have purchased a kettlebell so starting that routine Monday. Posting final wieght and measurments tomorrow before cheat day. I will stop weighing myself daily also, maybe every 2 to 3 days.
Holly,
Probably the only way you will find out whats stalling your weight loss is by tracking what your eating there’s a great website that does all that for you.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/
It’s not the easiest site to get around but it’s free. You put in the food you eat and they figure the protien, sugar, carbs, etc. You will have to sign up I believe.. It even tracks your weight and measurements. I had eaten ham one night, (not thinking), and put it in food journal, 2100 grams of salt! Thats on top of what I had already eaten for the day. The next morning I weighed in 2 pounds heavier, it took me two days to take it off. I won’t eat that again!
Good Luck!
@Holly
I’m actually stuck at a plateau as well…and it’s frustrating particularly in light of the fact that I lost about 26 pounds the last time I tried this diet. It’s been a month for me and I’ve lost 7 pounds.
However, I know that the diet works (even without the PAGG and Kettle Bell routine) and I can feel my body changing subtly…areas are tighter than they were before…pants are looser…things like that. I wish I had measured before!
They way I look at it, this way of eating (and the exercise and supplements are an additional plus) is good. It feels good…sounds good…tastes good…and I’m never hungry. SO…what’s the rush?! How long did it take your body to slowly pack the extra pounds on? In my case, I went from being a nationally ranked rugby player during high school through age 26 or so with an optimal playing weight of 225 pounds to my current weight of 275 over the course of 14 years…3.5 pounds a year. Not too hard to let that slip! My point is that your body may not give it all up in one month, but who cares? There’s a guy on here named “ShrinkingLeon” and he’s lost something like 85 pounds. He didn’t quit at 20 pounds lost…just kept on going. That’s what I intend to do…how about you? Maybe you are working too hard and feel resentful about the lack of progress on the scale? If that’s true I would suggest that you not work so hard…drop the Kettle Bells and even the PAGG until you get a better feel for the diet and start losing some pounds. When they do come off I have found that they tend to stay off with this diet…that’s the good news!
M
@Matt, @Holly, et al
I hear you. Except it makes no sense that a person gives up all whites (no carbs except beans), follows 4HB religiously, restricting calories and loses only 4 lbs in 3 weeks. I agree it took a while to put on… but this rate of weight loss is demoralizing considering the kind of monastic eating plan I am on 6 days of the week…. and even my cheat days aren’t spectacular by any means (with this slow to non-existent weight loss I am fearful of a “real” cheat day. Definitely no bear claws for me!!). I am holding on and finishing my week 4, but 20 lbs of fat in 30 days in not in my cards… at this point I would have been thrilled with 10 lbs! But I can’t see that happening unless at week 4 my body suddenly releases 5 lbs in that week!
Trying to stay strong, trying to stay positive.
Hey Cathy… maybe re-read Tim’s comments about the necessity of an all out cheat day for re-setting leptin levels and keeping your thyroid humming. As women, our reaction to these slow downs is to eat less and/or work harder when that’s not what our body needs.
Give it a shot this saturday – eat your heart out and don’t weight yourself for 4 days (to minimize impulses to jump off of buildings because your muscles will be full of nice happy glycogen and water molecules and that causes bumps on the scale). Then see what happens.
Hey Matt,
I think you’re right, one just has to throw the ‘rapid fat loss’ idea out the window. That may work for some people, but it’s indeed true, most of us didn’t get to our current weight overnight so much point in thinking it’s going to disappear overnight too.
I agree: it feels good to eat this way for the most part, I like cutting out carbs and most gluten, keeping sugars in check, and I believe it’s quite healthy. I suppose it’s also like watching water boil. I just need keep doing what I’m doing and shift my focus for awhile.
So thanks for your thoughts. And good luck on breaking through your plateau too! I’ll keep checking back.
cheers,
Holly
Hey Matt,
I think you may be right. ‘Rapid fat loss’ might work for some, but definitely not others. I agree, we didn’t get this way overnight so not much point in thinking it’s realistically going to disappear overnight either. It’s like watching water boil. I just need to keep doing what I’m doing and shift my focus for a while.
So thanks for your thoughts. And good luck with breaking through your plateau! I will keep checking back.
cheers,
Holly
Hi;
Been doing this for 3 weeks with no loss at all . First week I used some whey protein instead of meat . second week i went with meat . this week i cut back on portions of beans a little and ate a little more broccoli instead of the veggies I was eating . I was eating a mixture of broccoli, cauliflower , leaks , brussel sprouts and a few mushrooms mixed in with some cans of soup that are mostly tomatoes and beans .
i am now eating just black beans and pinto beans with broccoli and cauliflower and a protein shake sometime in the day and meat .
After binge day i gained no weight at all . Ate lots of stuff . Maybe things will change after this binge day .
3 questions:
1. Lost 5 lbs in week 1, lost 1.5 in week 2, lost 1.5 in week 3. I’m 5’2 and 120 lbs currently, want to lose 10 more lbs. Why has the weight loss slowed when I’ve followed this diet down to the last letter?
2. Is teriyaki sauce okay? I’m not sure about this one…I’m pretty sure it has sugar or cornstarch or something in it.
3. How do we wean ourselves off the diet and maintain weight once we’ve lost it?
So, i see that this forum is lacking in the common knowledge of science and bodybuilding (besides maybe tim) if you want to lose 1lb of fat or muscle (not water) you must burn an excess of 3500 calories.. meaning that if you are 100lbs and your maintanence is 15cals per lb you could theoretically eat slightly less than that and slowly recomp… you will lose fat slow carbing slightly below maintence, however if you eat 9 cals per lb it will take you 6 days to lose 1 lb…600 cal deficit x 6 days= 3600 cal deficit= loss of 1lb.. can i guarantee that it will be a lb of fat not muscle… no…. there is no way to ensure that other than to lift heavy and keep breaking down your muscles..
Don’t watch the scale, the more important # is % body fat and power/weight ratio if you wan to live long…
I am currently on ckd, and am logging everything, i will be running a gluten free dairy free slow carb on my bulk when i am done… also taking ec stack…
Lost 7lbs in 10 days mostly water… if i can link my log let me know
The last 10lbs are always the hardest it seems. I know Tim has a section in his book on it. You don’t get off this diet. It’s more of a lifestyle change. It’s suggested you do it forever.
Hmmm after doing this for 3 weeks, it certainly has become a lifestyle change. Even though literally all of the dishes from my heritage have rice and bread, I’ve just been replacing those with steamed broccoli, green beans, brussels sprouts, and/or legumes (with seasoning to spice it up). I don’t feel deprived at all and I’m eating way more veggies than ever before.
I’ll probably stick to it more or less after losing the last 10 (now 9!) lbs, but maybe become just a tiny bit more lax? Like limit myself to 1 serving of fruit (the only thing I miss), or have a cup of yogurt if I really want it? Don’t know if this is the right approach.
Hi, Tim, just finished Four Hour Body and find it full of great resources. One question: have menopausal women lost weight following the slow-carb diet?
Hi Tim,
I have a question about sweeteners. I enjoy tea and usually add Honey or Sugar. Is this ok with the Slow-Carb diet? If not what can I use? Cinnamon doesn’t mix well with tea!
Thanks,
Rich
Hi Tim,
I’m surprised that “cheat day” weight is taking so long to lose.
After 1st week on slow carbs I had gone from 200lbs to 193.4
(I’m a well built 5’9″ and ideally want to be at 165)
After cheat day I went back up to 196.4, which was less weight gain than I had expected for a dieters gone wild day.
However, it’s Saturday morning….6 days on from my 1st cheat day and I still haven’t managed to get back to the weight I was a week ago.
Since the last week has failed to remove the weight I put on, I’m almost afraid to have a cheat day today!
In a case like this should I only have a cheat “meal” instead of day? Or should I not go so wild on DGW day?
Appreciate any comments you might have.
David
Just had my first milk / sugar / white carbs in a week since starting… I feel sick! Can’t wait to get back to chicken breast and legumes..
Dear Tim and fellow dieters,
first of all, thanks for writing 4HB, it’s fabulous! 🙂
I am confused about what kinds of protein powder are okay. Since eating dairy is prohibited on this diet, is that also true for protein powders made of milk protein? If so, why is it okay to use whey protein powder (see your recommendation to Luca on this page)? Whey is also a dairy product!
The reason I’m asking is that I’ve been on the 4HB diet for two weeks but have lost only 1 kg. I’m using protein powder (combination of milk, egg, soy, whey protein and something else – I forgot:) ) that contains tiny amounts of sugar and sweetener. I want to find out if it’s the milk/whey protein that’s preventing me from losing weight, or that bit of sugar and sweetener.
Experiences and advice would be greatly appreciated !:)
Thanks,
Julia
slow carb weight loss
DEC 16 2010- 235 lb
JAN 15 2011- 218 lb
SIZE 40 PANTS TO SIZE 38
1. didn’t exercise as I wanted to see the “control” first and how much exercise will accelerate loss
2. followed the slow card plan but my portions were very generous as I didnt want the excuse of hunger as out for failure
3. feel really guilty about binge day but definitely see a spike in weight and drop again afterwards by weighing in day as promised in 4HB
4. regret not taking measurements
5. feel more muscle tone in arms and legs
6. wouldn’t say I have more energy but definitely more focus and desire to be productive
Congrats!
Hi Andrew!
Congrats on your loss! It’s great to see your success on here to motivate others to finally lose the weight.
Since this has worked for you, I was curious to know how your binge days went compared to your regular days. Did you go crazy and eat only desserts, or splurge on carbs? How much more, quantity-wise and caloric, did you eat on binge days in comparison??
Hope to hear from you soon!!
Good morning all! Well, today was officially weigh day.
5.7lbs lost in 9 days
1.75 inches lost
YIPPEE
Better yet it’s cheat day! I will not be weighing myself until at least Wednesday, (1/19/11). I am curious how long it will take me to lose the excess from today, (cheat day).
Okay, big day today, party for my 50th birthday! Damn, where does the time go. I have a feeling Sunday will not be a good day.. HA!
P.S. My last comment didn’t seem to make it through mediation?? I’m thinking because I put a website in it?? It is a free website so didn’t think it was a problem.. sorry guys 😉
Could you please give me a list of vegetables that I should eat because I find it easier if someone tells me rather then me picking some out. Thank you very much!!!
Sincerely,
Kayla
Like the book and the concepts. Can you give us a cheat sheet with the top 20-25 things we can do for maximum results? You know, the highest impact, most bang for your buck tips? I read in an interview recently you gave a top 4, and I was a little surprised that the cinnamon in coffee and ALA made that list. Thanks.
I’d be interested to know how much success this diet has had with people that are fit and reasonably lean (for men 12-15% BF).
Once you get past the mental barriers, it isn’t that hard for the obese to lose fat rapidly as long as they stick to some basic principles that influence them to under-eat (this diet does it via foods with high satiety i.e. those rich in protein, beans/lentils and health fat sources) but as your physique gets leaner, the going gets harder, due to built in survival mechanisms (our bodies are stuck in the stone-age and want to carry a reasonable amount of fat for ‘tough times’)
I’ve been on the diet for the past 2 weeks averaging 1700 calories, 195g of protein, 55g carbs, 85g of fat per day (I calculated my maintenance caloric intake at 2600 FWIW) and have adhered to the guidelines throughout. I have also done full body heavy weight training 3x per week and cardio 2x per week as per my usual schedule.
I started at 176.5lb and 13.5% bodyfat and as of today my scale weight is down 1lb, but my waist size is exactly the same (33″) and my appearance from photos isn’t noticeably any different (abs don’t appear any more visible, arms no more defined).
My 2nd cheat day is tomorrow and if I don’t see any results by the end of this coming week I think I’m going to call it quits and try something else (I’m thinking a carb cycling diet might yield better results for someone in my position).
I’ll link a full review with pics included when I end the diet.
Tim,
Santa brought this book to us for Christmas and my hubby and I were happy to start this adventure together.
I am wondering…does working shiftwork ever seem to cause this process to be slower or ineffective? I have been sticking to your plan religiously for two weeks now. I work two days followed immediately by two nights with four days off. I eat the same things but at different times of the day (or night). I seem to stop losing on my nightshifts and plateau or gain half a lb or so. I’m just wondering if this is to be expected? Is there anything I can do to help? It’s frustrating that I KNOW I’m not doing anything incorrectly and yet the losses have been minimal. Thanks for listening and Congrats on all your successes.
Here’s a perfect slow carb easy recipe that will last you all week for Taco Soup:
1 large onion, chopped
1 can black beans
Here’s a perfect slow carb recipe that will last all week for TACO SOUP:
1 large onion, chopped
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can whole kernel corn
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can original Rotel
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix
2 cups water
3 different color bell peppers, chopped
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
Put everything in pot, cook till veggies are soft, easy and YUM!!!
I am vegetarian so I don’t use the meat, and add a protein drink and voila.
Hi I’m having difficulty with recipes (even with the slow carb cookbook) because I’m not a great chef. Could somebody be so kind as to give me 4 meals for a day. I eat two eggs every morning for breakfast as well so breakfast is fine but if . you want to add to it fineMy main problem with the diet it my awkward hours at work.
I need one full simple meal that I can put into a lunch box that I can eat in work. I would also need some snacks (also because of awkward hours because I start work at 4pm somedays and get my break at 4.05pm and finish work at 1am so id need we snacks in between to stop me gorging the junk food in the restaurant at night)
Thank you so much for helping me
P.S. I’d eat anything I’m not picky.
Tim, or anyone else,
for those who can handle the ice baths, what’s the MED when on slow carb for fat loss? Everyday, every other day…?
Hey.. Maybe someone can answer this question for me. Obviously we can eat black beans on the slow carb diet.. so it would stand to reason that we could eat Bob’s Red Mill Black Bean Flour on the slow carb diet, since it’s just stone ground black beans. Then I could mix that with some water, salt and a little shortening and make black bean flour tortillas. Then i could put my meat and eggs in them for some breakfast tacos. But, there is such thing as white flour, which then makes black bean flour off limits. What does everyone think?
how are tomatoes to be used? do they qualify as a fruit and should thus be avoided or are they ok to eat in any quantity?
Started Slow Carb diet following directions in 4-Hour Body. After one week? Absolutely no change.
Am I missing something? Eating every four hours, no white carbs, mostly eggs, chicken, veggies and beans. Had my cheat day on Saturday. Hoping for a change in week 2. Suggestions?
Comments not making it through moderation?? Anybody know why? Or are they just slow?
Strange, that one came up right away??
This comment is actually dated for the 15th
Good morning all! Well, today was officially weigh day.
5.7lbs lost in 9 days
1.75 inches lost
YIPPEE
Better yet it’s cheat day! I will not be weighing myself until at least Wednesday, (1/19/11). I am curious how long it will take me to lose the excess from today, (cheat day).
Okay, big day today, party for my 50th birthday! Damn, where does the time go. I have a feeling Sunday will not be a good day.. HA!
P.S. My last comment didn’t seem to make it through mediation?? I’m thinking because I put a website in it?? It is a free website so didn’t think it was a problem.. sorry guys 😉
Feeling a bit like Paul H here. Have been slow-carbing for two weeks, and while I did lose a little weight at first (a bit over a pound) I’m now gaining weight. It took me 5 days to get my weight back down from my first cheat day. On my second I had gained a pound prior to the cheat day even starting (too much wine the night before?) and ignoring the weight I gained from cheat day, I went up an additional 1/2 a pound after my first post cheat day back on the diet.
I don’t eat a ton of meat, so have been doing two whole organic eggs in some form as my protein source for most meals. I will eat meat probably 2 or 3 meals during the 6 non-cheat days. Frozen veggies, and black or pinto beans. One mug green tea in the mornings, one bourbon and water maybe 3 nights a week. I’m feeling fine, no headaches or anything that would make me think I’m not getting enough calories, but no weight loss.
Admittedly I don’t have a ton of weight to lose. I’m 6’2″ and 173lbs at present. But my Bodpod % bodyfat is too high at close to 25%, and that’s what I’m trying to effect. Since I’m not really working out I don’t think the weight is going up from adding muscle. And to get that % fat down I would think I would have to be losing weight. Total inches haven’t changed either, but I’m tracking them too.
Ideas?
I’m sure this has probably been addressed ad-nauseum, but I’m confused as to whether or not plain, fat-free yogurt is allowed. I know the rule is no dairy, outside of cottage cheese, but in the “Go Fermented” it mentions how effective yogurt can be as a vehicle for good bacteria.
Anyone know the answer?
It depends on your goal. If fat loss is the prime goal, avoid yoghurt completely.
So, I’m about 105-106 pounds, and I’ve been counting calories (currently 1,300) for 4 years. I also do the cheat day on Saturday. I recently started lifting heavier weights, but I think the caloric restriction is stopping me from putting on muscle. I won’t stop counting cals though, because I’m terrified of getting fat. Will this diet help me, or will I gain fat?
Hey Tim.
I’m playing ice hockey, so I have planty of trainings . What would you recomend to lower my fat and hier my muscles… Sory for my bad Eanglish but I try my best ! Hope you answer . Thanks!
I know this may be a dumb question, but can we eat corn? Or do all the vegetables have to be green (except cauliflower)? Also, can we substitute Morning Star Farms products for our protein/meat choice?
Thank you
Ana
Okay, I am a female that was a bit frustrated with my slow moving scale. But I’m starting week 3 and even with a very satisfying cheat day Saturday, got on the scale today and am down almost 8 lbs!! Was so excited. I had very slow weight loss then it just fell off. I would like to lose 10 more, and am sticking to it. I also do Spin classes and went out today to Target and bought a Kettlebell, so will start that. I try to get cold with minimal effort, taking a brief walk with my dog in our winter weather, I just let myself feel cold and don’t bundle up as much as I have always done in the past. Nothing painful. So stick with it if you’re doubtful, stay true to the program, it works!!