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
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than 900 million downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
interesting…
for me it was Isagenix that worked. After all of the other attempts, I finally managed to crack through with the Isagenix 30 day cleanse and followed it with the Isagenix maintenance programs…
it’s been great and I wouldn’t change it.
thanks
Tracy
Not really a comment onthe article or a question for Tim then – you’re simply promoting Isagenix…. Has Tim looked into these products?
Hi All,
are canned chick peas ok to eat on this diet?
what about graipfruits, is one a day allowed?
Hi Hi,
Tim suggests keeping chick peas to a minimum and going for legumes instead (lentils and beans). and grapefruits are fine on your cheat day and encouraged due to the naringenin content and its impact on caffine plus the citric acid will help to control blood sugar spikes.
Otherwise he suggests NO fruit due to the fructose content so keep them and your chick peas for your cheat day.
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION?!
in tim ferris’s new slow carb recipe books it says you can have acorn squash,raisins, hazelnut milk, and 1/4 cup cheese in the recipes… is this true?! im confused because i thought all we can have is meat, beans and veggies?! Thanks.
Wendy wrote:
“CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION?!
in tim ferris’s new slow carb recipe books it says you can have acorn squash,raisins, hazelnut milk, and 1/4 cup cheese in the recipes… is this true?! im confused because i thought all we can have is meat, beans and veggies?! Thanks.”
It was news to me that Tim finally had the cookbook out. So, I searched the internet. Sure enough, it IS NOT out yet. Tim’s book, called “The 4-hour Chef” is due out in April of 2012. There are other online cookbooks that are using the name “The slow carb cookbook” but you won’t find Tim’s name on them. This “book” even has a similar logo and color scheme as the 4-hour body. They are made by “followers of the diet”, foodies and chefs, but NOT Tim. So, just to be clear, Tim is not recommending cheese, milk, raisins, etc. somebody else is.
If you haven’t done it yet, pay the damn $25 and get a copy of the book “The 4-hour Body” for yourself. Almost every question on this forum is answered in 2 or 3 relatively short chapters in that book. If you are using only this web site as your diet guide then you are selling yourself short.
to everyone, not just Wendy:
So, no fruits, no milk, no cheese, no bread, past or rice and limit the nuts to VERY few. AS for the protein shakes everyone is using, if you are mixing them with milk, then stop drinking them. I don’t use the protein shakes so I don’t know about what all is in them but if they have carbs, powdered milk, sugar, etc. in them then you probably shouldn’t use them.
If you want to have success on this diet then follow Tim’s advice strictly and give it an honest few weeks. If you can’t follow his advice STRICTLY then don’t be surprised when the results aren’t there. At least until you give the plan a few weeks, don’t tweak the diet with milk, yogurt, outmeal, bread, etc. I feel like I’ve read 50 different posts that say, “I follow Tim’s plan to a T, I have eggs, and veggies for breakfast along with yogurt or sometimes cottage cheese and maple syrup and 5 lbs of almonds and whole wheat toast smeared with cream cheese and peanut butter. But so far I haven’t lost any weight.” Well, no sh*t!!! It’s because you aren’t following the diet!!!!
Sorry for venting. But if people actually read the book (and again, the diet is only about 3 chapters in the whole book) most of these questions would be answered.
Hi Luke,
Can I have milk in my cornflakes?
Just kidding!
I have the book, i have struggled at times as this is a very personal journey. Experimentation is the key according to YOUR body. The book is an amazing guide.
I have posted that is have had problems myself but then we have no access to the coaching and support that Tim probably would have received when brining this book together.
It does annoy me when people post on here vary obvious contradictions to the diet and it seems as though they have heard the hype and think without research they can just jump in to it using this blog to get the answers that the book clearly publishes.
Ignorance or arrogance?
For the cost of this book, which is small change considering the price of health, you can consider that you have earned the right and a membership to this wonderful club.
Along with the diet aspect I consider Tims approach to experimentation is very important in all aspects of life because too many people are just happy to bumble along and then blames others for the way they approach life.
PLEASE PEOPLE TAKE THE REINS OF YOUR OWN LIFE AND RESEARCH, EXPLORE, TRY AND EVENTUALLY YOU WILL FIND. IF YOU NEVER FIND THE ANSWERS TO YOUR LIFE’S QUESTIONS THEN YOU HAVE HAD A REALLY INTERESTING JOURNEY ANYWAY.
Now where is my bowl and spoon? Can i sprinkle sugar on these bloody cornflakes?
hey so im 14 and im about 20 pounds over weight, i try eating healthy but i always get too hungry and cheat, how big should my portions be in the day? and what foods in general should i try or not try to stay away from. . . please help me, im getting bullied at school about being over weight and i need help. :I
Hello to all! I have a question, I am 5″2 and weigh in at 186, I have been a bit on the heavier side most of mt life, last year i dropped down to 142lbs from 165, no diet exercise nothing then in 3 months I gained double of what I lost do youhave any advice because I loved the weight I dropped down to… Can this diet work for me?
Hi Latosha,
We are all different and one method does not fit all; howver there are varying results according to how strict you stick to the plan.
Give it a go and post your results!
The last 5 or 10 pounds are driving me crazy. I am doing it all – slow carb, PAGG, resistance training. Dropped from 211 pounds to 194 in 2 months. Gained 2 pounds in last 5 weeks. My waist size dropped from 36 to 34 during the first 2 months. The problem? Big tummy! 41 inch relaxed and 38 inch tightened. I think 10 pounds of fat loss would fix that.
I am inviting suggestions to correct what I am doing:
Exercise – 2 times per week, eight exercises, 1 set to failure, both upper and lower body.
Within 10 minutes of rising eat 8 roasted almonds and 1 tbsp peanut butter.
Drink 2 mugs of coffee, black
45 minutes after rising, 1 teaspoon creatine, 1 scoop whey protein shake 26 g protein and 9 g carb.
Mon and Fri finish workout 1 1/2 hours after drinking the shake.
breakfast 2 eggs, 3 bacon, 35g microwaved frozen spinach (everyday)
Lunch 2 cups spinach, 2 cups lettuce, 1/2 avacado, meat or fish, other interesting salad stuff.
mid-afternoon snack celery stick filled with either cream cheese or peanut butter.
Dinner meat or fish,cauliflour, legume, cabbage.
I am 6′-1″, 70 yr old male. I do not count calories.
Seems interesting, though I don’t believe it’s really possible to lose so much weight in such a short period. My current weight is 85 kilo’s, will try to reach 75 within a month!
I only think it’s possible if you are very tall and very obese :/
Can you combine 2 segments of the book? I need to lose 20 pounds of fat, I also play soccer and would like to increase my aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Should I attack these problems sequentially, i.e. slow carb diet to remodel my body and then do the 5K to 50K section? Is it foolish to try to do these simultaneously? Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Hey guys!
I’m going to start this diet tomorrow, My main concern is my job. I have a landscape business and im constantly burning calories all day mowing lawns.. what can i eat to get energy. i need energy to work..
thanks!
Hi all,
I’ve been doing the diet for about 9 weeks and as of last Saturday lost a total of 14 lbs. however, this week, I’m fluctuating (??) up 2 lbs. it could be hormonal/water retention, but there’s no way to tell for sure of course.
Has his happened to anyone…where you’ve had a week that you fluctuated up and then the following week still showed a loss?
I’m just disappointed because I’ve lost steadily until this week…and it makes me worry I shouldn’t have the cheat day tomorrow. (should I still have it as normal?)
Thanks!!
JaneyLL
Yes, i’ve fluctuatuted during my menstration period. The book says that this is normal and to be expected.
I have lost 9 kg in 3 months with Slow Carb Diet, and in process to hit 16 in 6 months. It would even be faster if I did not drink at all during the days except the free day (not that I drink a lot but still it is breaking the rules).
I even have a graph of the daily weight results, but cant paste it here..Can provide to anyone if anybody wants..
And forgot to say a big Thank You to Tim Ferris. I quit smoking (smoking 2 packs a day that is) 2 years ago, and gained immediately 16 kg which I was not able to lose even a gram using the older methods I used (like eating less etc.). Using Tim’s suggestions I was able to change this the day after I started using the diet. Do recommend it to everybody.
And Thank you Tim Ferris!!
Congrats, Ozzy!
Week 2 update:
well well well, what do you know? This week was intense. I followed the diet religiously. I didn’t cheat a single time, I ate four meals per day and even drank my glass of wine 3x a week. The scale was not very nice this morning. I only lost 1.5lbs and well, as I said before I started at 31.7% body fat and this morning it was at 34.3%. I was surprised. I relocated the scale to another area of our home and my weight changed. I again relocated the scale and my weight changed again (only by a few ounces). The body fat % didn’t change a single time. I drank 1 liter of water at 8am. It took that 1liter about 2 hours to leave my system. I wasn’t able to “pee it out” before I checked my body fat because I had to leave the house to a breakfast date. (binging is important today). I don’t know if my body fat results have anything to do with the fact that I didn’t pee? Anyway I’ve been at war with that scale for a while so I went to exchange it for a “better” one. I’m a bit upset that I only lost 1.5lbs. I was really hoping for another 3. I’m assuming I perhaps didn’t eat enough at each meal and that’s probably why I’m not dropping enough weight. This week I will focus on larger bean portions. My “meat” portions have been very consistent; 4oz per serving which mostly equal to 20g of protein. Hopefully next week I will have better results. Over all I’m pretty happy that I’m very close to the 140s… very very close. I’m not stopping until I reach 130lb. 🙂 Good luck everyone!
p.s. Binging Saturday rocks!!!
Well turns out I didn’t end up fluctuating up two lbs on Saturday morning, I lost… But only 4oz. At least it’s something I guess?
This diet works! Thank you Mr. Ferris!
I’m 29 years old, 5 foot 7 inches, I started off on this diet at 140 pounds and by the third week I dropped to 129!
Typically, my meals consist of the following:
Breakfast (I eat 30mins-1 hour of waking up): scrambled eggs with egg whites, sometimes mix in a whole egg in , salsa, turkey bacon, coffee, two TBSP max of table cream (not milk! read his book – he explains)
Lunch: it varies but I always have a piece of lean meat, veggies, black beans and salsa. I got into the habit of warming up my beans in the microwave or stove and mashing them like mashed potatoes. Tricks your mind and it tastes good too! (This is also mentioned in his book!)
Dinner: lean meat again, veggies, beans, salsa
My various snacks: 1-2 glasses of dry red wine, diet coke, beef jerky, sunflower seeds.
Saturdays are my ‘eat-whatever-the-heel-you-want-cheat-days” and every Saturday I’ve gone out of my way and ate everything I’ve been craving that week. Whatever I craved during the week, I wrote it down on a little piece of paper and made sure to eat it come Sat. Since the start of my diet, my Saturdays foods consist of pizza, chicken wings, chips, chocolate, ice cream, donuts, fries, cheese, garlic butter bread, candy, nutella, burgers, pasta, just to name a few..
Like I said, I’ve lost over 10 LBS and now I’m on week 4.
Exercise? Well not sure you consider this a work out, but I walk to work and back everyday. The walk is about 20-25 minutes brisk walking one way. I also go for a long walk during my lunch hour after eating (30mins – 45 minutes depending on the day). This is just brisk walking – not jogging. I’m still in my work clothes and don’t break a sweat kind of walk. I’ve been to the gym ONCE since I started this diet.
The best part of this diet is that YES you can eat whatever you want but only on Saturdays. What other diet allows you to do such crazy thing?
Don’t forget to eat your beans with every meal!!! That is the most important thing! They fill you up (like a regular starchy carb does) and for me personally the beans decreased my cravings more so than before I was on the diet. Also, the book says to stay away from chic peas. I personally prefer lentils and black beans because they make me less gassy than the other kinds.
I must say this looks quite good~! I will give it a try than at once return here and give the results. hehehe cya soon.
Help! Is there a fourhourworkweek meal plan for vegetarians? No fish, no eggs, no meat. Thank you in advance.
Im not sure about a meal plan but there is a small section in the book that talks about vegetarians on this diet.
Week 3 update:
this week I only dropped 1 pound. I must confess that I began to “cheat” since Wednesday. It was impossible to say not to all the delicious thanksgiving food that I only get to enjoy once a year. Today I binge again and tomorrow will get back on track. No problem. 🙂
Youtube has a video of a doctor giving a breakdown on the science behind Tim’s slow carb diet:
Title: Doctor examines the Slow Carb Diet for Weight Loss
A bit long, however.
Hi Brad,
This is a terrible video and he sounds like he is just regurgitating he info from the book.
I would expect a medical man to put up a scientific argument for and against Tims strategies.
Right on with less bread and rice. I would eat those things around my workout and they would be brown rice and wheat bread to give me then before and after energy. I also eat fruits to handle any sugar cravings that may occur.
terrible you don’t follow what you read!
Hi I was wondering if I can do the diet for 60 days and expect to see double the loss. I am hoping to lose 40 pounds in 60 days with this. Please get back to me. Thank you so much
The advice is sound. I’ve ordered your book; I’ll try it out and keep you updated. I’m trying to go from 25% body fat to 20%. My road blocks have been mostly mental — I find there is always somethig more fun that gets in the way of my goals (e.g. pumpkin pie)… So my q’s are as follows: 1) Do you have any advice on the mental aspect — a mantra or some method of instant gratification? 2) Because I’m female and not starting in the shape you likely did, would you advise more realistic aspirations than 4 hrs etc.? And 3) Can I incorporate weight training into this plan (what calorie/etc. intake should I aim for?). Thank u! Big fan
I actually implement this myself. Great Post. I agree one hundred percent.You really did a great job.To share your information with us.
Umm.. is Oatmeal considered a ‘White’ carbohydrate?
Yes.
Stick to eggs for breakfast with beans/lentils and a source of veg.
Greetings Tim,
Impressive and very informative blog. Looking forward to purchase the new book very soon. You mentioned canned foods being fine, but perhaps you were not aware of the effects of BPA, a chemical found in many canned foods.
This article from: [URL removed]
A new survey by a food watchdog group in the UK has shown that trace amounts of an estrogen-mimicking compound known as bisphenol A (BPA) can be found in many canned foods.
BPA is a chemical component of resins used to coat some cans. The group tested 62 samples from canned goods sold in UK supermarkets and found that low levels of BPA could be found in 40.
BPA was detected at up to 0.07 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) in 37 samples and at 0.35 to 0.42 mg/kg in three further cans.
The supposed “safe” limit for BPA is 3 mg/kg, according to the Food Standards Agency.
What constitutes a safe level of BPA consumption is controversial. Some scientists have found that BPA produces effects in animals at very low doses.
Research in animals has shown that BPA enlarges the size of the prostate gland in mice, advances the onset of puberty in females and reduces fertility in rats.
It is not known why BPA migrates into certain foods and not others, though it seems that the risk of seepage is higher when BPA is used as a linking agent between the can and the food rather than just in the lining of the can.
Canned foods are convenient IF you have nothing/nowhere else to prepare your food.
Fresh is always best. Lentils from a can are disgusting anyway as they add something to keep the lentils firm so they dont turn into a mush.
Hi Tim,
I love this diet plan seeing as I am Hispanic and legumes are a big part of our cuisine anyway 🙂 I was wondering if you could clarify on the “no white carbs”, does this mean I can’t eat carbs that are white but I can eat their “wheat/brown” option, such as brown rice or wheat bread? Or are we elimination carbs all together?
Hi Anthony,
Forget rice and bread.
Your carbohydrates come from your veg and also from you beans/lentils so we are not eliminating carbs just changing where it comes from according to how your body processes them.
Bread and gluten are getting very bad press from lots of sources with regards to heath and the damaging effects. Best forget bread forever!
Hi Anthony, forget. ALL bread, tortillas, sopes, tostadas, tortilla chips, (anything with the word chip in it 🙂 ) No cereal, no milk, no oatmeal, no rice. Keep it clean. Veggies + beans or lentils + choice of meat. 4x a day every 3-4 hours. You will see results. The first week was the hardest for me, but after you step on the scale and see the results you will not regret it. If you like beans, try adding a couple chipotle peppers when you cook them and it will give it the “latin” flavor you crave. (I’m also latina, so believe me, I know what it’s like to miss tortillas and bread). GOod luck.
could u help me !!!! im 14, i weigh 240bls…. i need to lose at least 100 !!!! Helpp im close to diabeties
Hi Tiana,
Please follow the diet and take your doctor’s direction. The slow-carb approach works.
Good luck!
Tim
What portion sizes should i have of each group? I have issues with eating too much…
Imagine a 8-10″ dinner plate divided into 3rds.
These food choices will fill you up and keep you full for longer. Also if you are still hungry either snack on one of the food choices or eat another full meal.
Eating this way for a month should help you to balance out your eating then you can modify to suit your personal needs.
Hello. I am 140 pounds (70 kg) 23 year boy. I decided to try this diet. Could you tell me how much total carbs should I eat to lose weight ? What about proteins ? Couldn’t find this stats on the internet ?
Eat lots of what Tim suggests at the very start of these comments so you never stray until cheat day!
Sounds like your weight is about right anyway!
Hi all…I have tried this diet, I have tried Weight Watchers and I have tried The Dukan diet. They all work. It just depends on your lifestyle & what you are prepared to do to loose weight.They all average out to the same weight loss. To be honest I found WW the best in as much as I could eat ‘normally’, go to dinner and eat in moderation, without the scales jumping up by 5 lbs just cause I ate out or went to friends for dinner. The other two are good for more dramatic weight loss, but as soon as you eat sugar the weight goes on again. Everything in moderation and some exercise is best.
Really good tips on how to lose 20 lbs fast. The only thing I would add would be a simple exercise routine.
Anyone that places the emphasis on food, understands what it truly takes to lose weight fast.
Hi, I just wanted to know if fish was okay? It’s not included in Tim’s list of proteins.
Thanks ahead of time for the response 🙂
ps. one week into the diet, already seeing results.
Hi Tim and All….
I am 43 yr old, 5’6″ female.
I have been on every single damn diet imaginable. I bet I have a Guinness record for the most diet/health books available. A Frankenstein-ess of diets. The last was Norditropin (hgh) injections. I went from 290 to 180 (body fat 37.5) in about 9 months. I maintained it for a year then experienced something very traumatic. I had to quit hgh because of the expense.
I am back up to 225 and well over 40% body fat I a sure of it. I have gained PURE fat back. I know without question I am estrogen dominant. I am starting your slow carb program this week along with running, body weight exercises & kettle bells.
My question is: At my age, with this much body fat…it is really possible to strip that much fat off and lean out to around 20%? (Am prepared for plastic surgery for the excess skin, vein, etc)
Need a project for your next book?
I’m 15 year old girl that weighs almost 20 lbs over 200 lbs. i wanted to try this diet, but i’ve tried diets before and none of them have helped me. i exercised every day for a month once and that didn’t work either. recently i started having half a grapefruit for breakfast. i don’t know what to do. i want to lose weight really fast without having to exercise, (it’s really cold outside and i don’t feel like walking :P) so what can i do? please help me ):
Wow, those were some pretty good tips. I had trouble loosing some weight myself. Desperately I tried many online programs, and most are really just total BS. However, once in a while you come across one that doesn’t totally s**k. This one I tried myself. Lost almost 15 pounds. Like anything it takes a little bit of work, but it’s definitely doable and you don’t really have to sacrifice much: http://tinyurl.com/burnfat00
Good luck with everyone’s weight loss goals!
Thanks for the article.
Thank you for writing a great article on how to lose 20 lbs of fat in 30 days without doing any exercise. I write a bit about weight loss myself. I like that you mentioned not only not to eat white carbohydrates by told people what these carbohydrates are that they should avoid. I also like the meal examples you gave for what we should be eating and that you should eat legumes in place of the carbohydrates to give you more calories, and to stay away from high calorie drinks. Love the examples of low calorie drinks you can have. Finally, I like that you say wine helps with weight loss, and that you should pick one day a week when you can eat anything you want including junk food and how this helps with weight loss. People need to know they can still eat junk once in a while, but however I don’t think it’s good to eat to much junk one day a week. I also believe you should be able to eat carbohydrates that are whole grain. Thanks again for a great article.
Hi April,
In the name of thorough research read his book, the 4hr body.
What Tim suggests in the book is that these experiments have helped him understand what works for his body and he is offering people a way of following what he does; however a major factor (that people seem to overlook repeatedly) is that the book also refers to self experimentation and finding what suits the individual based on Tims findings.
The research and findings of what food and food types do to you are amazing especially when he is hooked up to the blood sugar monitor and consumes something like 4000-6000 calories a day. What your orange juice intake it will kill ya!!!
We are not really designed to eat grains and there is a load of info out there to support this! They will kill ya too!
Tim rocks!
is it ok if i eat bacon?
Always a pleasure Tim! I read the Four Hour Body. Although I strongly disagree with gorging on unhealthy food, the Geek to Freak protocol is amazing. Keep up the research!
Hi Todd,
This part is merely a reset for your thyroid hormones to help prevent you going into the starvation mode and retaining body fat.
What he suggests works for him and has been proven throughout his self experimentation. You don’t have to do it, but there seems to be a significant amount of research offered by Tim to suggest why it does and that it does work.
Perhaps you can post a suitable alternative?????
And it is a psychological tool to give you a rest from being an angel!
HI
reading some comments and they sound great but im still unconvinced about the diet plan?
1.the food that Tim has listed to eat can we have diffrent like butter beans and other beans or do we have to just stick to those beans he has listed?? and is this the same with vegtables can we have diffrent veggies??
also is this for a short term weight loss or long term i mean after i reach my goal and start eating normal healthy foods will i just gain the wieght again??
really appricate it if someone can email me let me know 🙂
Hi Fiona,
Buy the book and it will answer most of your questions.
Tim also has a new book either out now or coming very soon (when will it be available in the UK Tim?) The 4hr chef which will include (I believe) recipes to work with his 4hr body diet.
If you want to lose weight that’s great but if eating the way you eat has made you put on weight then why would you want to go back?
Oh and really what we (westerners eat) is not really normal (even the so called healthy stuff), is it?
Tim has spent lots of time finding what works for his body and then has presented it to us for us to have a go ourselves.
Hi,
I wanted to know if quionoa, tuna, lentil soup are ok?
Lentil soup yes if you make it yourself with lots of fresh ingredients, herbs, spices, etc.
Tuna you have to be mindful with due to high mercury content. Other fish are good again as long as it is fresh and unprepared in anyway (until you do the preparing) just check the warnings against fish using sites i.e. http://www.livestrong.com/
Tim mentions Quinoa although i cannot remember the exact sentiments they were along the lines of don’t bother. However if you eat a vegetarian diet quinoa is a very good source or protein (either complete or very near complete) as is chia seeds.
HI all!
I started week five but I would like to share my week 4 results:
My weight did not change at all. I’m still @ 149lbs. I read most of the book and I can come up with a couple of obvious explanations.
1. It was period week. I guess you are not supposed to get great results because of your period.
2. I ate 3x a day each day as opposed to 4. That makes a huge difference as I know for a fact I was not eating enough (was hungry every night).
I might not have lost weight but I did lose another inch off my waist and hips. The scale shows the same number but my clothes fit waaay better. All the tight clothes and skinny jeans I put in storage this last May fit nice and comfortable again.
This week I will focus on making sure I eat 4x a day and see how that changes my results. It was very interesting to notice how different my body feels on binge Saturdays. I felt lazy, tired and even depressed. I’m glad I’m back to eating healthy today.
If anyone who is familiar with this diet is reading or even Tim, I am considering going back to a vegetarian diet. It has been very easy to lose the weight eating chicken and fish. (I haven’t had pork or beef). I really need to get back to vegetarian mode, but I’m afraid that incorporating whole grains again, such as quinoa, or brown rice, couscous and other carb rich whole grains will affect my weight loss. I’m also terrified to eat any soy products like tofu because of GMOs. Can I get some help on this? Should I start counting calories once I switch to vegetarian? Tim, I hope you can answer this one. 🙂
Thank you and see you next week!
I am a pescitarian, so I do not eat meats like you have listed. can i eat fish that is not breaded for my source of protein?
Yes, he says in the book, 4HB you can eat unbreaded fish.
this helped me lose 30 lbs
Hi
Thanks a lot Tim
But I think there are to much beans
You need to experiment with food see what yu like not Tim
So try
Im gonna start this tomorrow
Scared but hope fully it works
Want to loose a stone
Could you reccomened what wold be easy for at school
I really want to know
Thanks
Tim
How many pounds are in one stone
Thanks
14 and 16 oz in a lb (here in the uk anyway)!
Everyone if you want to know how to know how much calories you are losing and gaining download an app on apple and android phones it is called my fitness pal it’s great
It has helped me a lot
You can also access it online
So it’s perfect
Yay
thanks 🙂
Your Mileage May Vary. This is a review from a real person, who did not get the amazing results promised by the author, but did get better results.
I stuck with this diet for around three months so far, I say around because there was a week off for Thanksgiving (I was moving, sheesh). This morning, the scale read 20 lbs lighter than it did at the beginning. I am now having my Saturday ‘cheating’, and have eaten quite a bit already, with a ‘if you finish it, it’s free’ eating challenge planned for dinner–I have ‘won’ before and am trying to get the restaurant to ban me. Simply put, I went on this diet, because it is the only diet that would allow me to continue to horrify buffet owners.
This diet works, plain and simple. I make no effort to do any kind of portion control, I eat three slow-carb meals per day (as many veggies, as much meat, and a can of beans), and if I get hungry, I snack on eggs. On saturdays, I take ‘binging’ seriously, and eat truly monstrous amounts of food; I have had a bulemic girl tell me that I was eating a lot.
The pattern appears to be about eight to nine pounds of gain on my binge day, with nine to ten pounds of loss through the week. I have never measured body fat, and I did start exercising, so I might be putting on some muscle mass to offset the fat loss. When I find myself having an ‘oops’ moment with carbs during the week (eating the risotto at a fancy restaurant with work), I try to find time during the next half hour to do burpees as fast as I can until I feel myself start to break a sweat. This has happened a small number of times, and has not appreciably impacted my results (most weeks it does not, and the same gain on the binge day, loss during the week numbers apply).
This diet is working, the weight is staying off, and I do not feel deprived. During thanksgiving week, when I said to hell with this and did not control my eating at all, my saturday-to-saturday weight remained stable, and loss afterwards was not affected.
I suppose it could be argued that in the first month, I threw off 20 lbs of fat and gained 16 lbs of muscle, but I doubt it. I am a little past the three months mark and have dropped 20lbs, with another 10-15 to go before I am comfortable and can switch off the diet.
Hey, Peeps!
I started round three 2 weeks ago and am down another 7 lbs.! Yay! (by the way, if you want to figure out the stones:pounds ratio, Google it! Tim gave you all the info you need in this blog–the other research is up to you!)
Here are some good pointers for staying on track for each work week and to save time, which helped me immensely. It is now a new lifestyle–and talk about the grocery savings!
Every Sunday:
Open and store 4 different cans of your fave beans (mine are pinto, black, white, and chili/pinquitos) into 4 Tupperware containers and keep in fridge. Or mix ’em for flavor.
Cook/prepare 4 different favorite meats (mine are carne beef, chicken, turkey, pastrami, and ham or sausage. Seafood/fish is great, too!), slice ’em how you would eat them (or buy from the deli), and keep in 4 containers and keep in fridge. Or mix ’em for flavor.
Cook/prep 4 – 6 different “Tim” veggies (mine are broccoli, green beans, cabbage, squash, zucchini, Brussel sprouts, and spinach) and also keep these in separate containers. Or mix any for flavor.
Each night:
Pack 1/4 – 1/2 c. of each of the meats/beans/veggies into one Tupperware dish. Sprinkle them with whatever spices (there are 100s of packet flavors at the store, from Mexican to Italian; or just some salt, pepper, or Lawry’s! NO BUTTER). This is your lunch at work. If you don’t have a microwave at work, nuke it/cook it at home, and store in a Thermos.
Each morning:
Throw one egg or 3 tablespoons of egg whites/or other meat/protein into a coffee mug (this helps you with portion) with 1/4 cup of beans and 1/4 cup of greens into a coffee mug, Cook/nuke it for 1-1.5 minutes. This is your breakfast. Have 1-2 cup(s) of coffee or tea at work (I cheat with a bit of non-fat creamer for flavor, but that’s okay. NO SUGAR OR REAL MILK/CREAM).
Each night:
Choose 1/4 – 1/2 c. of each of the beans, meat, veggies. Have a glass of wine or a sifter of brandy or whiskey with it or for “dessert”, if you prefer some alcohol in the evening.
–For all of the above, you can “cheat” to add flavor with the following: tiny portion of nuts or nut slices, a sprinkle of feta cheese, a slice of avocado, or a splash of olive oil, or lemon/lime juice. Or all of the above.
Snacks: Nuts (handful), carrots/broccoli/cauliflower/celery sticks, a can of V8, hard-boiled eggs, can of tuna, pickles. As much as you want between meals. Except nuts… they are loaded with cals and fat, so go easy. You will need to prep snacks like you do lunch. I keep them at work in a big Tupperware container, and haul it to work on Mondays.
Do not eat ANYTHING white (except on cheat day)
Do not drink anything that has calories except tea or coffee (Tim says diet soda is okay, but soda is BAD BAD BAD FOR YOU, period).
Drink a shit ton of water every day. It is okay to spike it with lemon or those new “drops” that add flavor.
Walk at least 2000 – 10,000 steps every day (get a counter), by changing small elements of your lifestyle: walk/bike to work/park blocks from work/get off public transpo blocks from work, for example.
Cheat your ass off on Saturdays OR Sundays. I have found that cheat day actually makes me sick if I overdo it, so I keep it to a minimum: pizza? Crackers n’ cheese? More alcohol than usual? I don’t like sweets… I like SALT, so chips/fried chicken!
Last: This is not a “diet”; this is now your life. And if you want to lose weight, you will do it. And get so good at it, you can order the right stuff at a restaurant, and get your friends on your train to a new, healthy life. And those that don’t understand? Who CARES. You will be healthy, happy, and be able to buy new clothes that you love (heart!).
Oh, and I do P90X (only my fave DVDs) 3-4 days a week, and a 30-minute kettle ball routine 2x/week (and I can give the routine for free if you email me: valedictoriantypo AT hotmail dot com).
Good luck everyone! And thanks for the support in this site! You all rock! And remember: NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THE AIR YOU BREATHE WHEN YOU WALK LIGHTER AND HEALTHIER, WITH EACH PASSING DAY!
Fun Chick
Dear who ever reads this comeent/post,
My name is Becky Miller and im 15 years old im 174.6lb. and i started looking up diets and stuff because im overweight and diebties runs high in my family and i dont wanna get it. also id like to shed a few lbs for wrestling and softball. so id like to now if this diet really works because i have the hardest time losing weight and i was told if you boost you metabolism that you can have more energy and for wrestling thats just what i need so 1. i need to if this diet can really help. ive read most of the coments but i cant be sure.
2. i dont want to tell my parents because theyd go crazy and i really wanna do this because i wanna become thinner with out them cing it.
and ive started working out more with the wrestling boys and i drink like 12 water bottles a dayand the like the aquaphina size. and i use to weigh 181lb. but i wanna now does this one work??
Hi Becky,
Get hold of the book and you and your folks can read and understand the concepts Tim is championing as it is not just food based.
You really need your folks support and at your age you are right to start taking the reins of your food intake because unfortunately the previous generation has left us more than confused about how we are supposed to fuel our bodies and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
I simply want to tell you that I’m very new to weblog and definitely savored you’re web-site. Probably I?m planning to bookmark your website . You amazingly come with really good posts. Bless you for sharing your website page.
I have recently heard from many reputable health sources that beans are not good for you for a variety of reasons, is this true and what can you add that will justify consuming beans daily.
Post the reasons and your sources!
I think it is you Garth who needs to justify on this occasion.
Going vegan is a great way to lose weight fast. I went vegan for 7 days and lost a few pounds. Plenty fruits and veggies have fiber that is needed to help stay full to help with losing weight
I agree that you may have lost weight short term (probably due to excessive evacuation).
What is your long term plan? Can you eat like this and maintain a descent body fat count and lean muscle ratio?
Vegan’s still have to satisfy ALL the macro-nutrients to be healthy so I would be interested in your protein and fat source.
Etienne,
I wanted to let you know I fell off my plateau after about 5 months. Since then my body fat dropped from 30.1% to 14.7%, wow! Now I am no longer hung up on the ‘weight factor’ since getting lean was my original goal. Indeed, I lost over 13 lbs but the fat loss is spectacular.
This month, I’ve chosen to loosen up on the rigor of the 4HB with the intention of jumping back in 100% on January 2, 2012. My goal will be to reach 10% body fat.
Happy Holidays!
i am 24 and i weigh a little over 200 lbs. i cannot exercise without alot of pain. i have the symptoms of fibromayalgia and no insurance. everytime i try to exercise, the next day, my spine and nerves and muscles hurt…which is discouraging…so i eat. i tried shakeology….it started working, but i could never stay on it because i would be somewhere else or just get frustrated and go off of the diet. i can’t stand without lots of pain from a sustained injury and i have to work a sit down job. what can i do. i use to work out so much….i use to train and dance and perform and now i feel like this disabling pain and comfort-eating is stealing my quality of life. any suggestions?
oh…and i believe that losing weight would give me a chance at healing..and dancing again…..the inflammation gets trapped in access fat and the weight on my injured ankles crushes them and affects my spine which effects my nerves, lungs, heart, etc…so i feel i need to lose weight to save my life.
I’VE LOST 30 lbs .started 1/25/11 .I’ve been on 2 cholesterol meds for 10 yrs. after 2 mo. stopped all meds THANKS TIM.Body fat started at 23 now 16% . 51 yrs old 5′ 8″. 207 down to 175 . Can you have ham on this diet?
I have one busy schedule so i have no time to eat. At the end of the day like around 8:00 pm to 10:00pm i go boxing and do cardio.. What should i eat? Im 5’7 and i weight 170.My goal is to lose 30 pounds …what can i do?
You MUST read Failure & I’s posts. You have to plan. Instead of watching television, pre-make your meals for the week. It’s easy as sin!
Yessy,
You will die then.
Change your lifestyle cause you are doing it to you and no one can help unless you do something.
This is a great plan without a doubt. I have had a lot of problems trying to keep up with a program like this long term. The cheat days make it bearable, definitely. Of course i started out pretty huge. Last year I was 354 pounds at last weigh in I am down to 239.
Something that has become a huge problem for me is my family. I keep hearing that my weight is fine now. When will I stop losing weight. Even the girl I was dating started saying it. 6 1 240 pounds is not fine for me anyway. My goal is … I’ll know it when I get there.
hi guys i weigh 134 pounds and i want to lose some weight. i want to know from someone who has tryed this before if it really works ?
What?
Read all of the posts!
Im 14, and I need to loose wieght…fast. Im very unhealthy and im afraid im going to get sick. I do play sports, and we have gym at school, and I participate. But eating healthy in my household is hard. Anything you can help with would be great! Thankyou.
if your parents are killing you with the food they give you its probably time to get help from the welfare services.
There is plenty of information out there to support a reasonably healthy diet so there is no excuse in this day and age to be ignorant.
Speak to a school counsellor and see what help is out there and tell mommy and daddy enough is enough.
ok im going to actually start this diet this week and just one problem….can i substitute any of these foods with something more appealing? i am 19 years old, 5’2 in height and weight just over 140 pounds. i do not have thick bones. i would like to know if i can substitute the beans with anything else, along with the lentils and asparagus. i am looking to lose the 30 pounds that i have gained in the last two years! ?: if i lose the weight that i had gained by going on this diet..then stop the diet…will i gain the weight back? i dont want to gain any weight back and i dont want to lose any more than 30 pounds! what do you guys suggest?
because i want to maintain that weight of 110 lb’s.
Vivian:
Then this is not the lifestyle for you; you must love green vegetables and high fiber beans, and you’re asking for substitutions for over 75% of the menu. I would try the South Beach diet; they have more foods you may be used to. But if you want to lose the weight, you should try learning to like these foods. Good luck!
What food do you want Vivian?
Donuts and pastries don’t come in the ‘real’ food bracket they tend to be classed as people killers (that’s why you can give in to temptation just once a week).
Veg, meat/fish and a source of beans or legumes. You can make thousands of dishes from any decent mix of these. Use your imagination.
Get your brain working for you because according to your post it is definitely working against you. On your cheat day you can switch brain off again.
I am 14 years old, I do 3 hours of karate, 5 hours of rugby and 2 hours of cycling too. In the new year I’m going to start going to the gym, I’m 6 foot but I’m 13 1/2 stone, mostly fat, I have no idea go I got so big! Can someone please give me some tips on how to lose weight. I’m trying dieting but my mum usually cooks do I’m kinda screwed there
Any help would be appriciated
keep your weight because at your height you sound just right (for now but pushing up to about 15-16 stone for max. impact in rugby in the next few years).
Increase muscle mass (check out some of the programs Tim has on his site or try here: http://www.t-nation.com/ ) and lose body fat by cutting out soda and sweets!
According to your exercise schedule you may want to push your cal intake up to about 3000 + calories because you may not be eating enough.
Go for 6 meals a day and get a part time job to help your parents pay for your food bill!!!!
i am on this diet for 2 weeks on first week i lost 4 ponds but again gained 4 pounds . ( i do 1 hour aerobics daily and take small quantity of carbohydrates ) is it i am gaining muscles ?
I’m thinking about doing this diet for the next 12 weeks to lose about 10% body fat. But my question is what can I drink to mix my protein powder in? I know no milk, or soy milk, I’m guessing rice milk would be a no. Any ideas? I hate drinking Muscle Milk in water.
Thanks for the help.
How can you be motivated to lose 10% BF if you cant get over taking protein shake with water?
Callum – I punched your stats into a BMI calculator (Not really used for under 18 or over 65). You are weight wise only 6 pounds over the 25 BMI mark.
Now I know that body compesition can be high fat even if you are a normal weight but at 14 you appear to be exercising great. The only suggestion I can give is to cut out junk and soda, don’t drink your calories. Get who ever cooks on your side or take up cooking. Learn to love the beans, like chilli and curries. There is so many great receipes.
Good Luck and hang in there
Happy Christmas and have a great 2012
BMI is bull.
Arnold whatshisnegger would have been classed as morbidly obese in his prime.
Stick to body fat measurements and in Tim’s book you will find a varied selection (as I’m sure you have read) or google body fat measurements or calculator.
Stick to any measurements except BMI!
This is not all accurate. I am a registered dietitian and also have my masters in holistic health. Eating the same meals over again or sticking to similar foods will not provide your body with the accurate nutrition it needs to stay healthy. although those are good foods, they are not the best.
Have you had a book published with your findings Liz?
If so what’s the link because I would love to hear your story just as Tim has published his.
Veg, meat (or other protein source) and legumes 3 times a day. You can chop and change your veg each meal, legumes or beans and maybe an egg or 6 in the morning,fish for lunch and a steak for dinner washed down with plenty of water and maybe a glass or two of low sugar alcohol in the form of red wine.
What are you talking about? Registered dietician maybe educated though? Doesn’t seem like it according to your silly response.
Buy the book and read!
Nice information…im very interesting in doing this diet but i have question. What about fruit and fat? are you take some supplements. I need to loss 15 pounds. thanks for the help.
Hi guys, I’m starting this diet tomorrow and I have a doubt, can I take soy lecithin while on this diet? is it good?, is it bad?, doesn’t make any difference? Thank you
And, another question, I have to lose 22 pounds, so, is there any time restrictions to follow this diet? Can I eat like this forever?! Or is there any maintenance plan after losing weight?
Thank you
Great article. I have to agree with all your suggestions especially those about drinking your calories. Drink lots of water instead to keep you fit.
I turn 50 in March and my daughter was a champion gymnast that got injured and has lost her way. Together we are going to implement your plan and soar! Devon is one of the strongest kids I have ever seen but was sidelined in her latter teen years with reconstructive ankle surgery. She has coached but still can’t see her way through the fog. I KNOW with her strength she is destined to regain her way, she just needs a little push…I so hope this is just what is meant for us both! 🙂
I am sticking to this diet; however I began counting my calories and my daily total came out to 1,000. Is that too low? I use Saturday as my free day, but 6 days of 1,000 calories worries me.
Eat about 1600 cals a day min.
i’m seventeen and i weigh 120 pounds and i’d like to lose 10 before i graduate it’s january right now do i have enough time to make this happen or? should i just not even try
Well you may get knocked over by a bus tomorrow?
Start by starting and see where it goes. If you lose 8lbs great if you lose 18lbs even better. If you put on weigh then you are too skinny to begin with and need help!
I’ll immediately take hold of your rss feed as I can not to find your email subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me recognise in order that I may just subscribe. Thanks.
I am very interested in trying this out. I just really need to lose about 15 to 20 pds the most. I have two toddler and I do need all the energy I can get and yet lose the weight in a great way. ? Should I lay off on Rule # 4 for the first week. Also I need help putting a schedule together with when should I eat what, Any advice?
I am a 23 year old mother @ 130 LBS which is actually quite large for me. Im only 4’10 in height so my weight is not carried well. I like what i have been reading about this diet. it seems simple enough. My worries are that of cheese and milk. I LOVE THOSE BOTH. If I were to not eat cheese except my splurge days but remain drinking milk during my meals at 1% grade will it really be that harmful to my weight lose? Im desperate. I have to drop at least 20 lbs by March.
PLEASE someone help!
ALSO, can I drink a special K protein drink in the mornings to get all my nutrients?
Hi Ash,
Eating as suggested by Tim means you do not need to eat milk or cheese (but you can on your cheat day if you wish).
Dairy contains lactose which is a form of sugar and we don’t want to be eating sugar’s from a direct source if we can help it (just plain old water). Yes eating veg and beans will give us types of sugar to be converted into glucose but in these forms the digestive rate is a lot slower and the glucose release into the blood is slower allowing for a better insulin response, blah, blah, blah (its all in the book).
Out of interest how old is your child and did you/are you breast feeding because the hormone response according to these aspects could help you to control your weight.
Protein drinks are ok any time of the day as long as the carbohydrate content is low (sugar) and i doubt you would get all your nutrients from one shake even if it is fully loaded with supplements. Eating your veg, beans/legumes and a protein source (meat, fish or shake) will hit your macro and micro – nutrients to some degree and they will probably be better absorbed from natural food sources according to the synergie and bioavailability of the whole food and not just a pharmaceutical supplement.
Its mother natures way apparently.
I will begin this tomorrow. I look terrible being fat, it takes away from my looks. I can’t wait to see results. I’ll be back for an update.
I am a 44 year old woman and am currently at my highest weight (150lbs) without being pregnant! I realized about 3 years ago that it was getting harder and harder to lose the weight even though I was working out 4x a week at the gym for 45 minutes to an hour, very frustrating!! I’ve tried mixing up my exercise by mountain biking and my husband and I have a tandem bike that we ride twice a week (20-30 miles per ride) but no weight loss; just great cardio conditioning. I even broke down and joined a well known weight loss center where food is pre-packaged: lost 8 lbs. but quickly got bored and it’s expensive.
I want to lose 20lbs and starting Tim’s food regimen tomorrow! Tired of being the dumpy soccer mom, I want to be the fit and healthy mom with the great body!
Send all your encouragement and positive thoughts my way!!!
Hey Tim,
I love this post, I mean I have read the book anyway.
I think what has worked for me was not eating white carbs.
This way of eating works on many ways for my body so thaks a lot.
Cheers,
so just making sure since i do hear that beans may turn into sugar….
is it ok if i eat black beans and pinto beans??
Hi Josh,
Most foods turn into or have elements that turn in to glucose (the predominant fuel source of the body).
Glucose is the smallest chain of sugar.
The diet is based on veg, legumes (lentils or beans) and meat (inc. fish or direct protein source).
Have you read the very start of Tim’s thread?
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.
Sometimes you posters crack me up!
wayne thanks broskii
Hi there. I am just curious….I am 41 and have always been fit. After the births of 3 kids, I always worked hard to lose the weight and get back in shape. However, i have had a very hard time losing weight since I had my 4th child. It has been three years and the only thing that has helped me has been the hcg stuff…which I don’t really like doing. I only did out of desperation. Everything else and all other workout programs have yielded no results. Until I can go have some bloodwork done and see if there is a thyroid or hormone issue, I have been looking for something to try. This looks very doable…almost too good to be true. My question is, have you had any other women who have had similar issues have success on this? Can I work out? I really want to get back into my strength training routine. I just am looking for some help til I can get tested. Thanks for your time!
About how much fat should you eat each day to lose weight on this diet? An approximate percent of daily calories measure would be best.
I noticed I am not really losing weight though I’m following the diet rather strictly. I think it may be due to very low fat consumption during the week. I have been eating lean meats, veggies and beans only. I read adding fat actually signals to your body that it is ok to get rid of fat. Is this accurate?
I need help on wat i can eat instead of Lentils, Black beans, Pinto beans, Spinach, Asparagus, Peas, Mixed vegetables as I only eat potatoes and carrots. I could probably eat peas but only a few thou. I love tuna so could u eat that instead of the beans??? I just need some ideas!!!
well you can’t eat potatoes. my advice would be suck it up and learn to eat what you don’t like. would you rather eat food you don’t like and get thinner or vice versa?
Hi Jcmitchell21,
I agree with your sentiments.
Put the energy in to what you can be doing and not what you can’t be doing and the whole change procedure will be sooooooo much easier!
Help! I need to know what kind of fat/oil/butter is appropriate for dressing salads and veggies.
Will someone give some add’l ideas?
Thanks!
D
Thank you, Tim for this diet. I randomly came across your book at my local library while browsing for yoga books. The cover looked cool and I was really into the sleeping schedules from the “Becoming Superhuman” chapter. I decided to read the whole book and came across Slow Carb and now have put my dad on the diet and he has lost so much weight. He used to take pills for his high blood pressure, but now he doesn’t need them because he has lost so much weight. I myself have lost 16 lbs. I was only slightly overweight to begin with, but now I am looking and feeling much better and have combined this diet with the P90X workout regimen (day 45 today) and can feel myself getting much stronger and leaner. I go so overboard on the cheat days it’s not even funny. (chocolate chip pancakes, everything bagels, french fries and mayonnaise, growlers of beer, ice cream sundaes, whiskey, pizza). So crazy. A diet that works. Now just gotta market my muse 😉 Thanks again.
im 23 and want two loose the weight
Hi TIm!
Im on day 5 of your diet plan….I have lost 6lbs! I must say this whole no tortillias and no bread is killing me!!! Do you have any suggestions for something to replace them with? The hardest part of my day I would have to say is breakfast. Also is soup ok to have? The only thing that I consume that you said not to, is a cup a milk if I wanna eat special K cereal to satisfy the crunch I need. I figure its better then craking and eating chips or something else. Will this interfere with my diet that bad? Love all your advise btw!!! 🙂
I think it’s great to promote real foods as part of a healthy diet, as well as allowing yourself to indulge (pizza, a glass of wine) every once in a while, but it should be noted that microwaving your vegetables destroys almost 90% of their nutrients. Most people don’t realize that microwaving any food completely alters the chemical structure of it (yuck!) I also thought it should be mentioned in here that all your proteins don’t need to come from red meat or poultry, fish is an excellent source of protein, low on fat, and better for the environment (as long as you are buying responsibly, and not farmed, dyed, etc)
Great article, overall there’s really good suggestions in here : )
Hi! I just wanted to congratulate you on this diet. I’m British so I’m going to talk in stone (14 lbs). I’ve been doing this for about two months, in a fairly strict way. I avoid carbs almost completely. I eat tuna or chicken with beans and cheese or some variation of that for almost every meal. I’ve also taken to huge meat heavy spaghetti bolognese dishes with only 5/6 strands of pasta and a big dollop of meat on top. The one I really struggle with is breakfast – I love cereal so much so I make sure that I don’t have any carbs for the rest of the day. I practically never work out so I don’t eat any of the evening pizza suggested. In fact, I deny myself carbs of any kind after mid-day. I’ve lost about 1.5 stone so far (20lbs or so) in two months. I’ve been a pretty successful dieter in the past – I yo-yo because I love food but this is the only time I’ve ever seen FAT go. The rest of the time, I’ve lost weight but maintained a saggy body, even a thin saggy body. I had a 33 inch waist (5’10” height) before and I was still saggy. Not on this one though. I’m back down to a 33 inch waist at 12 stone and I still have a little way to go. The BIG huge, enormous difference is that I actually look toned even though I never exercise. I can see my abs and I’m sure that soon the little fatty layer on top will be gone too. Genius. And this is even better than a calorie diet because any time I need a snack, I cook an egg. Great. I do miss fruit a surprising amount but I make sure I stock up on cheat day (and generally get a takeaway like a pizza or fish and chips and STILL manage to LOSE weight!). I love it!!!
Hi,
What about this drink, I heard he is useful and effective for weight loss
– The drink, “Jillian Michaels” famous for weight loss:
The drink, “Jillian Michael” drinks of the most effective in the field of Dieting in America and Europe, has been applied to more than one million people and has proven effective in ridding the body of excess water, which reflects heavily on the weight.
Bring mixture to prepare the following:
– 60 ounces of pure distilled water.
– One teaspoon of sugar.
– One teaspoon of cranberry juice.
– The roots of dandelion tea bag (found in spice shops).
– Malgueta lemon juice.
Add the above ingredients together and my heart, and the amount of drink 60 ounces a day for 7 days and you’ll notice the difference form of the body change for the better.
Hi there,
I was wondering if anyone has done the slow carb diet and reached their goal weight and then returned to eating the way they did before starting? Just wondering what the reaction of the body is if you become less strict after reaching your goal.
Or do you need to keep following this religiously for the foreseeable future?
Cheers =)
Sakura,
What’s the point of returning to a bad way of eating?
To find out the reaction of your body then become less strict and see what happens, although what do you mean less strict? This is one of the easiest eating plans ever. Every week you get to go wild and eat everything you want.
Follow this religiously if you want to keep your slim/trim self or just go back to eating a poor diet and getting fat and dangerously close to death once again.
I am not a religious person but I do believe there is a choice in life we all have to make without a religious deity holding our hands or we will meet the maker quicker than we perhaps wanted too.
Oh and on your worries about weight forget weighing. Body fat measurements are far more revealing about the state of your relationship with food. Weight is a westernised worry and I would rather be 250lbs and 10%bf than 150lbs and 20%bf.
So I am 24 and 280 lbs I have tried everything to lose the weight I eat healthy and walk 3 miles everyday to get my daughter from school(up hill and down hill). I am going to start this diet today and see where I am in a week (: Will get back to everyone and let them know (: I am crossing my fingers it works for me because where I am at right now is DEFIANTLY not god for my health and it worries me ):
I’m gaining wait quickly.. i want to reduce my weight. i take breakfast in morng. 2 chapti and vegetable. and 2 coffee in a day and then i take dinner.in my dinner meal i take 4 chapti,vegetables, milk some time fruit.
plz suggest what should i take in my meals
I agree with your Rule 1: thou break it all the time, my sister jokes that I am the only person that she has seen that would eat a bread sandwhich. Ok I eat to much bread.
I disagree with Rule2: even thou I eat the same meals, varity is good.
I am vegetarian so the proteins I need to replace with soy alternatives.
I actually balloned to 100kg last christmas, I lost 7kg by just stopping eating out all the time and ate at home a lot more.
Rule 3: agree with 100%, and probably need to follow it a lot more
Rule 4: one my mum used to do and one we follow as a family with having Icecream.
Hi Wayne,
I wasn’t referring to eating badly. Not following this diet to a T doesn’t necessarily equal having a poor diet.
I mean what if after a little while (and having achieved your ideal weight/total inches/body fat percentage) you wanted to include a little fruit in your weekly diet and possibly the occasional slice of ezekiel toast in the morning?
I agree that this is an easy diet to stick to but being a person who thoroughly enjoys cooking and constantly exploring new foods, I think that one day a week of binging isn’t going to always be satisfactory.
Thanks for your feedback, I’m taking from the couple of things I’ve seen that this is something you should continue indefinitely. =)
Hi Sakura,
Great to hear from you.
One thing that people miss most is that Tim has done/is doing a personal experiment and this diet plan is born from his findings.
You can eat whatever you want but the trick is to keep a record of how your choices affect you.
Eat fruit and you sprouted bread and record how it makes changes in your body. If you stay slim and trim then great you have found that these foods do not negatively impact your plan. If they do cause problems then stop doing it.
Tims diet i would consider a base line. Eat this way for at least 2-3 months and see what happens to your body. When you have settled into the diet then start adjusting it to suit YOU!!!!
Take care and keep posting your updates.
I for one stopped eating meat on the 2nd January 2012 (I had my last lamb roast on New Year’s Day).
I am cycling protein shakes (at least 2x daily @ 90gramms whey protein total daily intake) every other day along with intermittent fasting usually for 24 hrs Sunday night to Monday night. I feel trimmer and slimmer and my body fat count has dropped to about 15% from 19-20%. I have included quinoa and chia seeds in my new plan.
That said i haven’t done any heavy weight training since before the winter holidays so i will see what happens when i get back in the gym.
Hi Wayne,
Thanks for that! Planning to stick with the diet through till April (then travelling to Japan and Bali for two weeks and I’ll take a little break) and was thinking ahead for when I’m back =)
On day 5 of my first week and I’ve seen 2kgs drop. Will be measuring up total inches Saturday morning before my first cheat day.
The best way to lose weight quickly is cut calories about 500 daily. You can get a measurement of your body BMR to determine the correct number according to body factors, but it comes down to cutting calories.
There are natural supplements that you can add to help increase the weight loss. Here is one all natural supplement that is getting some good reviews.
http://shrinkingtheplanet.com/weighless/?p=6935
Good luck losing weight is definitely challenging.
God there’s a lot of comments here.
Just some results.
Almost 5 years ago now I was about 30lbs overweight. I got on the paleodiet (which is a lot like this one) and managed to take all that weight off. I wasn’t working out…so I ended up being hilariously skinny, but…it works.
I’m on something more like the slow carb diet now, I like that it’s easier to adhere to and you get some nice caloric density from the legumes. My only problem there is with the oft mentioned lectins that are found in legumes. You mentioned in one of your posts that soaking them reduced the lectins in legumes and that was an awesome tip.
It brought legumes into my life, so thanks for that one.
can i add a protein shake? or should i not?
@Mina – If you’re breastfeeding, you shouldn’t be restricting your caloric intake that much. You need fats in order to make richer breast milk and the nutrients need to pass onto your child through your milk. Usually when you’re breastfeeding, you need AT LEAST 1800-2k calories a day, especially if that’s your exclusive method of feeding your child. Breastfeeding by itself should help you lose weight. I also believe the reason you are not losing weight is because once your body is not receiving the amount of calories it needs, it slows down your metabolism (aka starvation mode). I would put the “diet” on hold until you cease breastfeeding. You would be surprised what just breastfeeding will do to help you lose weight if you’re getting the proper amount of calories in a day.
Everyone is different. Something that may work for one person may not necessarily work for another.
I have tried Atkins diet and successfully lost 30 lbs in a couple months to drop to almost 200 lbs. I went back to snacking and eating unhealthy and put on 15 lbs in a couple years.
Next I went with Weight Watchers (old style point system). Started at 213 on Nov 1, 2011 and by Christmas I was down to 183. Unfortunately I strayed from watching my portions (combination of some trips down south, trade shows and stress) and I started climbing back up to 210 by Christmas 2011.
I started back on it on January 1 sitting at 210 lbs and this AM I was 200.4. I am including pushups and sit up routines in there and am aiming to be at 185 by March 1. This time I plan on sticking to it and reaching my ultimate goal of 180lbs by Christmas.
Find what works for you and stick with it. A little exercise doesn’t hurt either – afterall our bodies are designed to move not sit.
Best of luck to everyone on reaching their goals.