Fat Loss via Better Science and Simplicity
It is possible to lose 20 lbs. of bodyfat in 30 days by optimizing any of three factors: exercise, diet, or drug/supplement regimen. I’ve seen the elite implementation of all three in working with professional athletes. In this post, we’ll explore what I refer to as the “slow-carb diet”.
In the last six weeks, I have cut from about 180 lbs. to 165 lbs., while adding about 10 lbs. of muscle, which means I’ve lost about 25 lbs. of fat. This is the only diet besides the rather extreme Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) that has produced veins across my abdomen, which is the last place I lose fat (damn you, Scandinavian genetics). Here are the four simple rules I followed…
Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbohydrates
Avoid any carbohydrate that is — or can be — white. The following foods are thus prohibited, except for within 1.5 hours of finishing a resistance-training workout of at least 20 minutes in length: bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you avoid eating anything white, you’ll be safe.
Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again
The most successful dieters, regardless of whether their goal is muscle gain or fat loss, eat the same few meals over and over again. Mix and match, constructing each meal with one from each of the three following groups:
Proteins:
Egg whites with one whole egg for flavor
Chicken breast or thigh
Grass-fed organic beef
Pork
Legumes:
Lentils
Black beans
Pinto beans
Vegetables:
Spinach
Asparagus
Peas
Mixed vegetables
Eat as much as you like of the above food items. Just remember: keep it simple. Pick three or four meals and repeat them. Almost all restaurants can give you a salad or vegetables in place of french fries or potatoes. Surprisingly, I have found Mexican food, swapping out rice for vegetables, to be one of the cuisines most conducive to the “slow carb” diet.
Most people who go on “low” carbohydrate diets complain of low energy and quit, not because such diets can’t work, but because they consume insufficient calories. A 1/2 cup of rice is 300 calories, whereas a 1/2 cup of spinach is 15 calories! Vegetables are not calorically dense, so it is critical that you add legumes for caloric load.
Some athletes eat 6-8x per day to break up caloric load and avoid fat gain. I think this is ridiculously inconvenient. I eat 4x per day:
10am – breakfast
1pm – lunch
5pm – smaller second lunch
7:30-9pm – sports training
10pm – dinner
12am – glass of wine and Discovery Channel before bed
Here are some of my meals that recur again and again:
Scrambled Eggology pourable egg whites with one whole egg, black beans, and microwaved mixed vegetables
Grass-fed organic beef, pinto beans, mixed vegetables, and extra guacamole (Mexican restaurant)
Grass-fed organic beef (from Trader Joe’s), lentils, and mixed vegetables
Rule #3: Don’t drink calories
Drink massive quantities of water and as much unsweetened iced tea, tea, diet sodas, coffee (without white cream), or other no-calorie/low-calorie beverages as you like. Do not drink milk, normal soft drinks, or fruit juice. I’m a wine fanatic and have at least one glass of wine each evening, which I believe actually aids sports recovery and fat-loss. Recent research into resveratrol supports this.
Rule #4: Take one day off per week
I recommend Saturdays as your “Dieters Gone Wild” day. I am allowed to eat whatever I want on Saturdays, and I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. I make myself a little sick and don’t want to look at any of it for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesn’t downregulate from extended caloric restriction. That’s right: eating pure crap can help you lose fat. Welcome to Utopia.
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If you enjoyed this post, check out my latest book, The 4-Hour Body, #1 New York Times and #1 Amazon bestseller. You will learn: the finer details of the Slow Carb Diet (outlined in the above post), how I gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, how to produce 15-minute female orgasms, and more.
You can also get the Expanded and Updated 4-Hour Workweek, which includes more than 50 new case studies of luxury lifestyle design, business building, reducing hours 80%+, and world travel.
Related and Recommended Posts:
Tim Ferriss interviewed by Derek Sivers
Tim Ferriss articles on Huffington Post
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That's how we're gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you're rude, we'll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
hey… what about if i do all this things and i keep doing 2 hours in the gym. do you think i can loss more weigh?
What about whole wheat bread and pasta?
Im about 5’8 and 135 lbs. pretty much all muscle but want to get thinner. Hope this works!
I wanted to post my experience with 4HB plan. Almost a year ago, I was closing in on 240lbs. At 6’2″, it didnt seem like a lot but, looking back now…I was a lazy fat ass. Basically, 10 years of slow, methodical complacency in regards to fitness and eating…btw, I’m a 42 year old male. Bottom line…strict adherence to the 4HB diet, and 4/5 days of Cross Fit a week and I hit 200lbs in 7 months. That includes all the extra muscle weight I’ve added from CrossFit.
Six days a week, I cut out all carbs (not just white), no sugars (inlcuding fruit), and stuck to the other five rules religiously, including the Saturday cheat day. I would go to Mexican restaurants and lick the salsa off of a chip and throw away the chip. It only takes a few weeks to feel the changes, which should carry you forward and keep you motivated. I still stick to the basics of the plan, although have added a fewe carbs back to my diet as my workouts increase. I would say I’m on more of a paleo plan now.
Eggs, spinach, some other protein for breakfast
Chipotle for lunch, or similar (no rice obviously)
Protein and vegtable for dinner
I’ll grab some almonds for a snack if needed but, I’m usualy good. My habits have been forever changed. If I had known how easy it would be, I wouldn’t have been so reluctant to make the change sooner. Not that it’s easy to change old habits…and Cross Fit isn’t for the faint at heart. Just get after it people…
I agree with Drew…you can’t just look to this or any other diet plan for real health changes. Exercise is the only real answer. For me though, this was great for getting over the edge and to a point where I could maintain healthy habits.
To answer some questions though…I cut out all carbs, even the whole wheat variety. Too much pasta of any kind is not a good habit. I included a little cheese…maybe a little on a salad here and there. I don’t drink coffee, so didn’t have to worry about milk there. I include some dairy now, just not for the first six months.
Carbs and sugar are the key…you have to be careful in those areas. Be honest with yourself and I’m telling you…your life will change in a few months. You’ll kick the bad habits and be a new person.
This isn’t a safe practice AT ALL and it won’t last. The body can’t adjust to losing weight so quickly and maintain that lost weight. Also, there is no health benefit to dropping calories and increasing protein intake with NO knowledge of your basal metabolism or any of your nutritional needs… just dropping calories doesn’t work. Studies have actually now started to show that such practices increase heart disease, blood pressure, and even cancer. Exercise is the best way and the healthiest way to lose weight and live a long, healthy life.
Hi
I was wondering if dairy is okay?? milk? cheese and yogurt?
I suffer from Kidney stones, so I have to avoid foods high in oxelates, I was successful in losing fat doing this slow carb diet but it resulted in a stone. any suggestions to do this and stay with low oxelates?
Hi I’m georgia I have my prom in 5 months and I’m hoping to lose 2 stone by then please could you give me any tips. I have done a lot of dieting before due to being bullied for 7 years and I have lost all my confidence in myself and my body. I am 16 and 13 stone and I wished I could lose a bit of weight so I can feel myself again please help me I really need this help 🙁
One thing I found worked for me is go to bed at 9 on weekdays and wake up as late as I can and on weekends go to bed at 10 and wake up as late ad you want more sleep the better
Update to my Weight Watchers trek. Started January 1 at 210 lbs. Currently weighing in at 197 lbs. So in 24 days I am down 13 lbs. Starting to do pushup routine 3-4 times a week as well as ab workout 3 times a week.
At this rate I should be in the 185 range by early March and hopefully low 180’s by spring. Who knows maybe even the 175-180 range by summer.
Feel great and I can still eat most foods that I like. Anyone interested in getting their metabolism back and enjoying the foods they eat should seriously look into Weight Watchers.
Best of luck with your weight loss.
I have been following this slow carb diet for almost 2 weeks now. I must say that I havent been following the regimen perfectly either, mostly because I didnt realize milk has carbs (duh! I know…) as well as I have been substituting fruits for sweets since I crave sweets a lot. what I didnt realize is that fruit has carbs too…but they are not white carbs so does that still make them ok? Since I found out about my carb fruit choices, I have cut it down significantly to mostly apples and strawberries. I must say that I have lost about 6 pounds already, and I havent followed it perfectly. So this thing really does work. Im sure if I followed it perfectly my loss would be greater!
I LOVE YOU and I Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I was 205.4 lbs on Nov 10th and I used to wear jeans/pants which were 38inches to 40 inches depending on the make and fit.
Today I got on the scale and I was 168.2 lbs and finally I buy jeans/trousers which are 31/32 inches.
Yes I did loose a little muscle mass and still have to get rid of my belly a little but god dammit I feel so damn different and all of this without any exercise. Now I just want to lost another 8 lbs and then finally hit the gym cause I no longer feel lethargic and work and gain muscle.
Thank you once again. You made a difference and I will forever be grateful to you 🙂
Warm Regards,
Dave
Dave!
A huge congratulations to you, and thank you for the very kind comment. That’s a major accomplishment and you should very proud.
You’ll love the gym at your current weight, as your energy will go up, your muscle tone will go up, and you can put the finishing polish on a physique that you’ve totally reclaimed. I highly suggest reading the kettlebell chapter in The 4-Hour Body. Focus on resistance training!
All the best to you and yours,
Tim
Thank you !
I will surely read that and pass on the word.
You Sir, Keep up the good work and God Bless.
If I may add – it’s well worth it to add Whey Protein Shake during breakfast with eggs.
My husband showed me this diet and I was so skeptical at first. The first 2 days were pure hell for me seeing as how around 85% of my diet prior was made up of everything you’re not supposed to eat! Thankfully after the first 2 days my body seemed to adapt. We’ve now been doing this for about a week and in just a weeks time I’ve lost 10lbs!!! I’m shocked at how well this works and LOVE the fact that we get a cheat day! I haven’t been doing it very long but I’d say so far so good! I’m extremely happy with the results so far!
are you serious? did you lose all 10lb in ONE WEEK? I would like to start this diet and I need to lose 20lb by june but I am skeptical cz I am afraid not to lose that much after this diet and working out then I will be disapointed but after I read what you wrote you kind of encouraged me to do so
Hi all! Just finished week two on this diet. Easy to stick to, but a couple small issues…
1. I’ve only lost one pound each week. That’s good but I’m 5’2″ and started out at 156.8 lbs so I really think I should be losing more, faster.
2. BUT I can see visible fat loss on my body (Not actually a problem!) Could it be that I’m not eating enough? I’ve only been having 2 meals a day because of my school schedule, and I have a hunch I haven’t been drinking enough water…or is losing weight on this diet a little slower for women? But I don’t think that should be a problem because I’m only 22.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
hi , im 17 years old and i weight 173 lbs . i want to lose as much as i can by the 13 th of feb . pls help .
Hi,
Can someone let me know if dairy is ok? I love milk, cheese and yogurt. Thanks…also.. please email me the answer because I can seem to find the response in so many pages of comments… thanks!! btw.. this exercise sounds awesome. I can’t wait to start it. I would like to lose some weight before going to the gym… (so I don’t feel so self conscious) ~I know… pathetic of me and I shouldn’t care,but yea… Would someone like to try this diet with me?? We could keep journals of what we eat and see what works best??
With much hope,
Teresa
Reread rule #3. No milk, cheese, etc. no dairy.
Get the book, much more detail in there. You won’t regret it.
Hey. I’m 13 and 120, and like 5.1. I feel like that is to much wait for me. I want to be atleast 110, or maybe even 100. I hope I can do it. My parents probably cant get all that kind of food, but I know I can get heath stuff. Wish me luck!
Hello Tim,
In your fantastic book T4HB you mention that scientists use white flour to create diabetes in mice. Would you be so kind to share how one can find out more info about that? What would be your number 1 info source for that statement?
Thanks and regards from Greece,
David
Some google’ing brought me to this abstract, but may I assume there’s something out there that explains it in words for regular mortals??
http://www.cell.com/abstract/S0092-8674%2805%2901171-2
That is incorrect, one half cup of rice is 100 calories, not 300.
One half cup of nuts is 400 calories, rice is nowhere near as heavy as nuts.
This is a diet only for those who DONT workout?
IF, I do workout, would it mean I have to eat a little more?
or does this diet not work then if i don’t eat exactly whats on the plan..?
Is this too little food if i do weight and cardio training 3-4 days a week?
in my point of views, You should do regular exercise and avoid Junk food.after some time, you feel very healthy.for more information click on stayfitnutrition.
Thanks
I just want anyone who comes across this to know… IT WORKS! I will be on the diet two weeks tomorrow and I’m down 16lsb! Thank YOU Tim!!! I haven’t even started exercising!
Well I know this diet works as I have done it for a month. I am not sure how much I lost the last time because I did not have a scale but I looked slimmer and felt great. I just started the diet … again……… as I gained back 10lbs cuyz I was a hog gone wild. Thim time I have a scale and it is now Friday and sorry to have started my binge eating but I did not lose much weight this firt week even though I was a good girl and did not cheat all week long even in the face of many temptations. Started at 127.6 and at present 126.8 lbs now. Still motivated but not to sure what I am doing wrong this time. It can only guess that I ate a lot more nuts this week and over salted the beans.
hello i want to ask you that my weight is 85 kg and i want to loose it and wants to get fit and , want a body like beach boy , a model i want to finish my tummy wants smart and slim for that i have join gym also but i want to know what diet should i take for it please do help me
Hi, just a question.
it is still possible to lose more body fat if you’re already under acceptable weight right?
and when you say avoid white stuff, can i actually eat sweet potatoes? cause the beans you stated isnt really available to me. any possible substitutes?
cause meat and veggie alone makes me hungry real fast D:
Hi Delphine,
Weight is a misnomer; body fat is a good marker, a health check and blood tests will confirm whether you are healthy or are suffering malnutrition.
Go for fibre rich leafy greens and a regular fibre supplement will help to keep you fuller for longer and maybe add some nuts to your diet if beans are a problem for you to ensure you are getting a sufficient amount of daily calories. The energy, essential fats and minerals will help but monitor you portion sizes carefully because these are very high in calories.
Tim has suggested that you are able to eat extra portions through the day if you don’t feel satisfied so perhaps go for 5-6 meals per day rather than 3-4.
I have 2-3 meals a day and incorporate intermittent fasting as part of my plan and it seems to boost your fat loss but be sure to keep up your protein intake (through protein shakes) on the fast day to ensure you maintain muscle mass or your body may look to muscles as a viable energy source, especially if you are nearing single figure body fat %.
and dont forget you can eat whatever you fancy on your cheat day!
This is a very important hormone reset mechanism!
I am 5.5 and weight 184lb…. I do walk and run for an hour everyday and I lost 3lb and I am on diet just cut from fried food and bread rice and things like that…..was googling to see any diet out there that will help me reach 160lb by 1st week of June and I found this blog…I read a little but I want to post it here so I can commit myself on doing this….I really need help so bad cz I am traveling over seas in June and I need to look good and lose at least 20lb…..my major problem is my HIPS. I am a pear shape and I am small in the top but heavy in the bottom…..when I lose weight I lose a lot in the top where I am smaller but very very few in the bottom….will this diet help me lose weight in my hips….I just hate them….I will start this diet today and hopefully by June I will be 20lb lighter…..also as I mentioned above I do walk and run an hour a day I hope this will help too……
I work as a paramedic who usually only has time for cooking on days off. What are your suggestions for eating on the go? This diet sounds appealing.
Hi my names alex,
I just wanted to say that im 15 years old and im at 245 pounds. yea it sucks but you know what, i started working out a couple of months ago and ive been going to the gym about 5 times a week and doing 45 – 60 mins of body building and about 30 mins of cardio. and my weight hasnt really changed. but even though the scale dosent show it i can see it. and it makes me feel great. ive been gaining alot of muscel and loosing some fat so when i look at the scale its pretty discouraging. so i would just like to say it dosent really matter how much weight you lose, what matters is how you feel about yourself and see yourself. i hoped this helped and will motivate those who are discouraged. and ps i havent been doing a diet, what can i say im 15, a kid needs to eat. lol
I read this whole article (awesome info) and then at the bottom read that this is by the author of the 4 hour body! I own that book it’s strongly recommended by my fiancées doctor! Great book!
what about beer im in college and love drinking booze can i sneak that in there a couple nights a week?
The diet works. For those asking for more tips, and questions about can I eat this or that, I hope you will refer to the book! It’s a reasonable price to pay for a quite astonishing work…
The diet worked for me. I find it difficult to follow for more than two weeks max at a time, but I’ve noticed (as Time states in the book) that the effect can last after the you have gone back to less healthy eating. I certainly found that. In my first attempt (11 days, 1 binge day) I lost 7 lbs. Pretty good odds. Second time I’ve lost another 6 lbs, after about 1 1/2 weeks.
I do find it difficult in some ways. I have more mental clarity, don’t need as much sleep, have more energy; but I found myself becoming depressed, felt hollow and empty inside–I know this is because carbohydrates have a calming effect on the mood, and without them–it’s like going through drug withdrawal!
So over all, with thanks to Tim, I have gone from about 184 to166–with slight changes of a pound or two up or down. However, this has been over the course of almost 1 year, so I do consider this long-term weight-loss success. I did my first diet in April of 2011, weighing well over 180, and today I weigh 167 (at 5’10, very muscular).
I’m suiting up for another go to lose the last 5-8 lbs, which for me will mean no more belly roll to speak of, and small amount of remaining fat on arms and thighs will go.
I found that THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR SUCCESS ON THIS DIET is to have your meals either prepared in advanced or VERY easily preparable–this is not a diet where you can just grab a quick snack, so this time round I will be making large batches of my diet main-stays a few times a week, so I always have a meal ready to heat up!
Up until this point I have always believed it’s not what you eat, it’s how much–I am grateful that I could suspend disbelief long enough to learn from this remarkable person! Thank you, Tim!
I’m stoked to try this diet, I’ve been feeling like a fatty so we’ll see how this goes!
Also, everyone please, PLEASE BE AWARE of the aspartame in diet soda’s they are sooo bad for you!!
Let’s be sexy and super healthy inside and out!!
Best of luck dieting!! And thanks sooo much for the blog!!
Hi, I’m 38 years old and in the last year I have
Gained some extra pounds.
I have NEVER been on a diet before!
I have to say I am truly enjoying the
slow carb method.
All these years without breakfast
I feel great. 3 weeks in and I have
Made a major mistake! I have followed
The food guidelines to a T, but I
Continued to drink about six glasses of wine
a day. After all my hard work, I gained a pound:(
Monday I will continue, no wine and let you
Know if this works!cross your fingers:)
Thank you so much for this. I can’t wait to start this diet! It seems natural and not at all forced. Diets never really work on me but, I have a feeling this one will.
Hello everyone,I have been searching for weeks for a HEALTHY diet. I finally came across this site. I have read each and every one of the comments and feel like I’m home with friends! The support shared here is exactly what Ive been looking for.
I’m 54 years old,have PAD and really want to live another 54 years !I believe I can using these principals! My question is: On the list of suggested foods above, is there a restriction to the amounts you eat per meal, or do you eat until your satisfied?(naturally, trying not to stuff oneself) Thanks for any help you can give and all “pointers” will be greatly appreciated!
You can eat until satisfied. If you have a similar experience to mine, you will find that you don’t overeat automatically. I generally only eat three meals a day but many people, including Tim, eat four or five. This plan is more about what you don’t eat. The things he says you can eat can generally be eaten at will, excluding gluttony, of course.
I am just starting 4HB and am still confused about my morning meals. I workout first thing every day. Which foods should I eat before and after my workouts? Unfortunately, I am allergic to eggs so that is not an option. I welcome all suggestions!
Stck to the protein, veg and beans. If you can’t eat eggs just eat leftovers from last night’s dinner. Breakfast doesn’t have to be “traditional” breakfast foods. Eat some chicken, beef, fish, turkey sausage, etc.
Ok he said keep it simple and you guys ask a million confusing questions and combinations lol
Anyway my QUESTION is:
Can meat or chicken be substituted for : SALMON< FRESH TUNA< WHITE FISH any seafood only? fresh 😀
I don’t know why you couldn’t swap out the meats for fish. It’s protein, it’s fairly lean, good fats, and it’s NOT carbs.
You are right about keeping it simple. Some of the questions on here kill me.
Good luck, just follow the plan, keep it simple and it will work.
An easy way to find out how many calories you need to consume is to count the calories you are consuming now if you have maintained your set weight for a while then reduce from there. It’s amazing once you track to see how MANY calories you’re actually taking in. I am 5’2 and have weighed 156 for a year and was consuming at least 2800 calories a day!! Wow! I have cut down to 1800 and the lbs. are melting away! I am not starving either!
I’ve done this kind of diet for a month and a half and lost 6 lbs. only!! I have some kind of problem!
Hi Tim. Just wanted to say thank you for posting your truly amazing diet routine. Can’t say enough other than ” the proof is in the pudding”. I read your very well outlined method and have gone from 230lbs, to 200 since I began on the 1st of Jan/12. It’s amazing to see the results and best thing was it was soo easy. I followed your steps never verying a single thing. 190 here I come!!!!
Thanks again
Gary
While I agreed with most of the nutrition advice in the post, I strongly believe that a good workout plan is a big part of weight loss. I tried the diet no workout thing to lose weight and it never worked because your Base Metabolic Rate slows down without activity thus causing you to burn less calories so even though your intake is reduced the deficit gap gets smaller. Exercise keeps your BMR high so it keeps the deficit gap consistent.Exercise and diet go hand in hand really, you cant do one and not the other.
If you only read the brief description of the diet on this web site then I can see why you would say that. However, if you check out the book, you will see that the diet is ALL ABOUT changing your metabolism. The protein etc., kick up your resting metabolism while carbs knock it down, hence avoiding carbs.
Thank you so much for this, I am sure this would work, I am starting today.
I just don’t understand what’s wrong with egg-yolkes. Egg-whites would be bad, since they are white : ) and they are not whole foods.
Sugar is off limits, so how do you feel about honey? I think you don’t have much of a problem with artificial sweetners, would you endorse things like maple syrup, stevia, whole sugar-cane or cane syrup?
I also am uysing a all-natural energizer from Whole Foods while I wean myself off from coffee. It is liquid calories but I feel so tired and I blame my espressos and my alcohool for it. You mentioned you have wine, how about hard liquor? I am waiting for your book (the 4-hour work week should be here soon) and I am sure I will have fun with it.
“I just don’t understand what’s wrong with egg-yolkes. Egg-whites would be bad, since they are white : ) and they are not whole foods.”
Who said egg yolks are bad? The only reason he doesn’t eat whole eggs is the cholesterol in the yolks. Are you serious about egg yolks being bad because they are white? I hope you are kidding. Think about it for a minute, what do rice, bread, sugar, etc/ (all the “white” stuff) have in common? Answer – they are CARBS! Do you think egg whites are carbs or protein? Answer – they are protein, hence they are mentioned as ok to eat along with meats, etc.
Please tell me how cane syrup, maple syrup, honey and whole sugar cane aren’t sugar? Just to clear things up, these are all “bad” carbs.
You ordered the 4-hour work week, which has nothing to do with this diet yet you DIDN’T
Sorry, I accidentally hit ‘submit’ before I was ready.
Anyway, you ordered his book on business/life but didn’t get the 4-hour body? I don’t get that. This web site is a SMALL portion of what the 4 hour body book is about. The 4-hour body diet is explained thoroughly in the book (it’s only a few chapters of the book). In the book, you will find your answers regarding artificial sweetners (the answer is to limit them, in the book he says to limit sugar free sodas, for example, to 20-24 ounces per day as even artificial sweetners can have an effect on your metabolism).
I think that if you are interested in this diet then you bought the wrong book by Tim. The 4-hour work week IS an interesting book but you won’t find any diet help there.
I am excited to start this diet. I will let you know my progress. my goal is 40lbs. =)
Hey everyone…
Dont know when the last time everyone checked in on this was…
I wanted to see what everyone thought and if this was really worth doing…
I am 23 years old and I have always struggled with my weight…the last few years I have yo-yo’d from 190 -215…
I wanna get to be at a solid 175 to 185, I have always been really strict when it comes to my workout routines, usually a jump start in the morning for about 30 to 45min…Then 2 hours in the evening…
Does anyone have any suggestions or helpful hints?
Hi guys I’ve been on the diet for a week but I’m still not really used to it because I’m having a hard time incorporating beans into an Asian diet. Right now I’m eating too little calories. Anyways I was doing some research and came across this product which is supposed to help “you to lose weight, lower body fat and improve your mood while on a low calorie diet”. It’s called cylodyn http://www.truderma.com/cylodyn-liquid-hormone-free-hcg/ anyone here ever heard of it or tried it before? I look forward to hear you opinions on the matter. Thanks 🙂
When you talk about post workout carbs what exactly are you doing? Can you please explain? Thank you.
Hi all, I just started this diet a few days ago but have been sticking to it. Lots of beans and meat and veggies and eggs. No rice, bread, fruit etc.
I have gained 3 lbs and am scared to continue as I really don’t want to put more weight on. I am 195 lbs and want to lose about 40 lbs. Let me know if anyone else has gained in the first few days on this program.
Thanks
Jen
Feeling better, i was down 3.5 lbs at the beginning of my first cheat day. I am interested to see how fast the cheat day weight comes off.
“I can definitely vouch for this diet, and if you want to take things a step further, cut out the carb sources, and eat 1 gram of protein for every pound of LEAN MUSCLE MASS.
Do this in 14 day cycles. (or even as less as 7 days).
I lost 14 pounds in 14 days in this way, while strength training and doing 10 minutes of cardio three times per week.
I gained only lost fat.
Then, I cycled back to eating moderately.”
yeah that’s right I think this is best ways to let you body fitness.
Hello All,
I have been on this diet for about 3 weeks. I am 5’7 with a BF of about 27%. After the first two weeks I lost ~7 pounds (but cheated a few days on my third week). Overall, I went from 132 to averaging 126-127 (when I was not cheating, I got down to 125) just by cutting out the sweets/carbs. This diet WORKS if you follow it. “Subbing this” and “adding that” will not work. If you want to seriously diet, suck it up and grind the nasty foods down to a drinkable shot 😉 To help others, here is my average day:
Breakfast: 2 egg whites/1 whole egg omelet with onion, green pepper, celery and turkey
Snack: handful of unsalted peanuts
Lunch: spinach salad with either black bean or chick peas (no dressing)
Snack: diet coke
Dinner: grilled chicken or pork with black beans and vegetables (mostly broccoli or cauliflower)
Question for those who are also weightlifting… Is it okay to add an 8 oz. protein shake (myoplex or syntha-6) with water to my daily regime? Or will too much protein cause an inverse effect? I don’t want to pack on the pounds after I’ve worked so hard to lose them. Also, is it better to have the shake before or after the gym? Thanks!
-Danielle
Basically a high protein diet. Okay in the short term if you can stay on it I guess.
The more balance and variety we have in our meals, no matter what you’re aiming to obtain is “always” going to be the better choice simply because you’re getting more nutrients.
In example, if you’re going to eat a fruit, be sure to not only eat apples, but mix it up with banana’s, berries and etc.
If you’re going to take carbohydrates, don’t just eat wheat bread every day. Mix it up with some fruits and rice as well.
If you’re going to have proteins, don’t just eat egg whites all day and every day, but try adding a variety of meats and fish as well.
You get the point. =)
Don’t forget to click on my name to learn more on how to eat and diet properly.
hi guys, im 25 and 85KGs, 171cm tall, had 2 kids, and my body is looking alittle worse for the wear,, ive got alot of belly fat to lose, im almost following this diet down to the letter, eating alot of tuna and chicken and lots of salad and no dairy, only eat 3 small meals per day,, also i work out 5 mornings a week for an hr, cross trainer, bike and row… but dont seem to be losing much, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?
also i cant work out how to count calories, as in “How many” are in each foods???
and i dont know how many per day i should be intaking!!!
would really love to get down to 70KGs if possible 🙂
any info and help would be great thanks!!!!
I just found this site, and I’ll be starting tomorrow, need to loose 30 lbs! Can I use soy milk, almod milk, hazelnut milk? I need coffee twice a day and I don’t like to drink it black
Everything wrote was very logical. But, consider this, suppose you typed a catchier title? I mean, I don’t want to tell you how to run your website, however suppose you added a post title that makes people want more? I mean How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise is kinda boring. You ought to look at Yahoo’s front page and note how they create post titles to grab viewers to open the links. You might try adding a video or a picture or two to grab readers interested about what you’ve got to say. In my opinion, it would make your posts a little bit more interesting.
Hi guys, I need some help. I started this method on Feb.6. The 1st week really work, I got from 140 to 135lb when I weighted myself on the Feb.13. I thought 4 weeks or 30 days, I would lose 5lb each week, 20lb total. But since that very first week I lost 5lb, I’ve been staying 135lb for these two weeks without dropping or rising. I want a regular weight for my height, which is 120lb…… But now I seem no where close to my goal =(. Help or advice ?
Hey… I was 100 pounds last year… in 2011… I’m 24 years old (will turn 25 this July) and now I am 120 pounds! pls help me go back to my old weight or even less… I am having a hard time dieting… I am also a Vegan. What do you suggest?
My name is Mariah.
I am 19 going on 20.
I weight 239 lbs.
I know that sounds like a lot but it’s not as much as I was.
At the beginning of my senior year of high school I weighed 332 lbs.
I am in my second semester of my freshman year of college.
I don’t know how I lost as much as I did but whatever it was seemed to have stopped working.
At least, stopped working as fast.
I was a size 22 pant when I got to college. Right now I’m a size 18, about to be size 16.
I want to loose weight for my boyfriend.
He loves me the way I am, but I want to do it for him anyway.
I love him and I feel like he would be happy if I lost some more weight, though he won’t admit it.
I really hope this plan works.
I will be sad if it doesn’t.
hi my name is ganea an i tryed ever diet an they dident work it seen like i was gaining it all back aging can somebody help me
Are nuts ok? like cashews, peanuts, almonds, walnuts?
I’m 14 and I weight 116 lbs, I want to lose about 15-20 lbs but I’m currently going to school and so I’m eating lunch there, and we usually have something like potatoes and sauce, rice and fish stick, and soup plus desert, all the things I’m not supposed to eat. I was wondering, should I do this diet with those meals or should I wait for Summer and do it then?
Am I really not supposed to eat fruit? It thought it was healthy…
This diet is such a scam. I started 5 days ago on 131 lb and today I’m 136 lb!!!! What the helll???
Monica – there is literally no way you can gain weight on this diet unless your are adding in your own mix of foods. Stop complaining and go to the gym.
I’m 13 years old and I weigh 146lbs I have recently began with this Water Diet where I drink water when I’m not thirst to ‘flush it’ I have lost 4lbs, and I’m planning to add some daily training and a more strict appetite, I usually have eggs with salt and pepper. And 2 glasses of water. I’ll take it together and go strict, I’ll stop with this diet if I get no good results soon and go over to super-low-carbo diet with super strict training that’ll make me heavy dry. Ofc I’ll let myself loose at Saturdays, I think I’ll do fine if I continue my current doings tho. I just don’t want others to notice I’m on a diet.
hi, i was just wondering that can i still observe this diet, even though i have an underactive thyroid gland (since you mentioned ‘thyroid function…’)?
Hi my name is Sarah I am 134 lbs and I’m 5’9 I want to go down to 115-110 I’ve been working out watching what I eat but I didnt eat anything fattening before I the only thing that I think would make me fat so I’m completely taking it out of my diet I love carrots and only snack on that and bananas and apples I do a 15 minuet work out but I have a lot of fat in my belly and thighs I want to lose them any thing extra I should do to lose weight also I want to do it so that when I got to a modeling casting call I can get picked so anything I’m doing wrong let me know 🙂
Hello
Great article! I will try your advice, I am overweight and I want to be healthy. I am keeping my craving under control using peppermint and grapefruit essential oils, and I was looking for a diet that might suit me. Thank you for sharing, and good luck to everybody who is trying to be healthy!
I keep seeing people posting that they are skipping splurge days and losing tons of weight. I just have to chime in and say that Tim Ferris created the concept of a splurge day for a REASON. If you don’t splurge, you may lose more in the short term but in the long run you will hit a plateau, and when you go off the diet you will gain the fat back easier and quicker. Your body needs glucose (sugar) in some form. Without it, it goes into starvation mode and grabs onto every fat cell in your body and refuses to let it go. By giving yourself one day a week to ingest glucose in some form, you are telling your body that “Don’t panic. We are not in a famine. You’ll get glucose on a regular basis.” As a result, your metabolism will stay even and when you go off the diet and eat normally, your body will be used to the fact that it never ran out of glucose and will not crazily store up fat in preparation for the next famine. You don’t have to go bonkers come splurge day – you will get the same effect by eating a whole grain sandwich with mayo, or greek yogurt with honey and berries, or pasta primavera with whole grain noodles. So if you don’t want to feel like a beached whale at the end of splurge day, that’s understandable. For that day, just eat some healthy carbs, whole grains, dairy, fruits. Your body will recognize the glucose in its various forms and be content to continue losing the fat. TF has said this in one form or another several times over the years, but people keep skipping splurge days, thinking they’re being virtuous. Trust me, speaking from experience – you’ll regret it in the long run. Once your body thinks it’s heading to famine, next time you try to diet it will panic and make it even harder to lose the 2nd time around. And it makes it harder to keep it off, even eating healthy stuff, because your body will grab that glucose from anything it can and convert and hold onto the fat. All that struggle can be avoided by following Tim Ferris’ advice and having 1 day a week as a “splurge”.
If anybody has tried this tell me if it works or not. Thanks you
Hey there!
I am 23 years old, I am currently needing to lose 10-15 pounds to reach my goal so I can sign my papers to becomes a United States Marine. The problem is, it’s proving very difficult to be healthy every day. As it stands, I am working out twice a day for 4-5 days a week. I’ll have a mixed berry smoothie Which generally contains the following…
half of a banana (sometimes, if my wife makes the smoothie’s she add’s banana)
couple strawberry’s (fresh OR frozen, depends what we have in stalk)
handful of raspberry’s (always fresh)
couple of sliced peaches (frozen)
and a 1/4 cup of “simply orange” OJ
Lately i have decided to add “hydroxyCut” right after the smoothie, and very soon after I’ll do a 2 mile run at 7.5-8.0 MPH. After this i’ll do some simple weight lifting (always free weights, never isolation). I’ll do incline/decline pushups combined with 20 LB dumbbells (rows), various Tricep workouts, Planking, various types of crunches. and light weight high-rep curls for tone. I’ll also add in Rows at 80-90 LBS 12-15 times and generally end with a wall sit while curling 20lb dumbbells. Right after my workout i’ll consume 1 scoop of 100% Whey protein (23grams). and i’ll do this twice a day.
I do my best to stay away from red meat unless it’s Bison, my meat mostly contains turkey/chicken. I don’t anything but water, and maybe a cup of green tea once or twice a week. I do my best to add veggie’s to my lunch/dinner. I have also recently found out that you want to avoid ALL bread, yes, even the whole wheat breads! as when broken down turn in to sugar!. Also, thanks to a lot of posts I have decided to add lentils and black beans to my meals even though i’m not a bean fan.
So, i know i’m not really following the diet, but it definitely helps inspire me to increase my variety of food so i don’t get bored of the “chicken/brown rice/salad” type of diet i have been doing for 3-4 months. I’m not quite sure what i am asking here. Since i’m not really “following” your diet, but do you (tim, or perhaps anyone else?) have any suggestions for me? i am open to anything, seeing as i have went from 1 extreme to another in the last 5 months to get these last 10-15 pounds off.
Or we could try to stick to vegetables, fruits, lower-fat meat, and everything else suggested. The rendition could be exercising more on days when a person gets to enjoy eating whatever they wish.
im fat… 🙁 im a teenager and i keep trying to stick with diets. like dont each any deserts for a month and dont drink anything but water and its really hard. but i never really thought of trying these things. i am definitely gonna do this. i promise. im really committing to lose weight. i will also run a lot more. i used to do it once a day for 30 minutes but school has been in my way.
I will try this out. Hope it works!
I’m going to give this eating regimen a try, but I wanted to be clear about one thing, so I’m hoping someone can answer this for me….
Am I allowed to eat brown rice?
I have always thought of brown rice as being okay to eat for a cleaner eating lifestyle but I don’t want to eat brown rice with this regimen and end up not accomplishing anything.
Thanks!
do u have to eat EVERYTHING on the list? I don’t eat pork or grass fed beef. IF i eat everything else, will i still get results?
Hi guys I’m going to try this diet but do you think I’m over weight im 123lbs at the age of 12
I’m glad that you mentioned resistance training in one of your last comments. I still think this is a very underrated part of a workout regiment. At least, it is not as widely known as it should be.
Tim,
In the pics of your meal, how are you eating pizza (white flour) on your non-cheat day?
-G
That’s a lot of fat in a short amount of time. A more healthy amount to lose is between 1-2lbs per week not what everyone want to hear I know. If you are overweight and have just started exercising and eating a more healthy balanced diet then you are more likely to see a bigger loss per week. As long as you are burning off more calories than you consume you will lose the weight.
On the dieters gone wild day I could eat anything I want? Even the things you said are prohibited?
i can loose weight by following this diet plan without exercise? seriously??
Thank you very much for the info! I am 40 and trying to lose weight after almost 3 years of inactivity. My hardest challenge is to actually commit to regularly exercise and eat the right food.
Hi this diet seems like a good one to follow… however im vegetarian will this plan work for me if i replaced the meat with Tofu or Quorn?
Hi fellow dieters-
Can we eat frozen yoghurt after resistance training? Kinda like how he eats carbs within 1.5 hrs – do you think/know if the same is applied for frozen yoghurt/diary?
I live in San Antonio, and would LOVE to find someone who would cook for me using your diet strategy.
How can I locate someone who would do this, any idea? And barring that – what would you suggest I provide to someone in order that they follow your strategy in preparing my meals for me?
Thanks so much!
Deborah
dose white bean consider as white carbs??
and i am following this diet plan, it works and makes u healthier.
i am 125 pounds now and i didnt use this diet but one thing i did that changed my weight in 2 weeks i stoped drinking pop was the main thing and i was 145 pounds alsostarted eating salads and havent eatin any mcdonalds in a month but pop is a problem!
Hi,
I’m female, 18 years old from the UK…I used this diet to kick-start my weight loss, as I have been inactive pretty much my entire life, I felt I needed to lose some weight before I started going to the gym (purely because I felt so self-conscious about my size). I did this diet for a few weeks, and lost a stone straight away – this gave me a boost in confidence, and I began daily walks alongside the diet.
A few months down the line, I am now a regular at my local gym, and so far I’ve lost 4.5 stone…I’ll admit I do not stick rigidly to the diet anymore, but I still use the basic principals of it, such as avoiding white carbs for most of the week. I feel fantastic, everyone keeps telling me how good I look. Thank you!
Thanks to Tim i lost the 20 pounds not in 30 days but in total of exactly 42 days, nearly without the ordinary starvation struggle you experience in ordinary diets, and without any exercise at all.
It feels great and I’m longing for the next 20 pounds.
Thanks Tim.
On the dieters gone wild day…I know I could EAT anything I want but can I DRINK anything I want?
I weigh 210 and I an 47 years old . I have tried every diet. I have ostaritithris down y back bad my hip, I have a seizure disorder and I am tired all the time I need help what do I do?m
Hi there just thought Id post my sample meal plan that i follow during the week (weekend a little less strict). Along with an active cardio and weight routine it has really shredded me up. Here it is and hopefully it can help someone out. Note: might have to adjust amounts to tweak calorie intake depending on your size (I’m about 192 pounds).
Breakfast
1/3 cup oats 120
1/8 cup steel cut oats 75
1/3 cup all bran buds 80
¼ cup wild blueberries 20
1 small scoop vanilla whey protein powder 40
3 egg whites 105
1 ½ cup green tea
Total = 440
Snack
1 ½ cups skim milk 135
2 medium scoops chocolate whey protein powder 113
2 tbls low fat peanut butter 160
Half small scoop ground flax 80
Total = 488
Snack (Pre workout)
1 Snack sized can tuna 130
20 baby carrots 40
2 tbls low fat salad dressing 50
1 protein cookie 180
1 ½ cup green tea
Total = 400
Dinner (post workout)
1 cup mashed sweet potato (with skin) 180
Chicken breast or salmon fillet 240
2 cups spinach 40
2 tbls low fat dressing 50
½ cup Greek yogurt 80
1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds 30
1 teaspoon sunflower seeds 30
Total = 650
Snack
1 ½ cups skim milk
2 medium scoops chocolate whey protein powder
2 tbls low fat peanut butter
Half small scoop ground flax
Total = 488
Grand Total = 440 + 488 + 400 + 650 + 488 = 2466
You’ve got potatoes and oats in there, which isn’t on the slow carb diet unless on your cheat day. Fellow readers, ignore this post.
i have some Q i know how stiupt they will sound bt i need to ask it!!is there a diff. btw dark red beans and black beans and there is green lentils and yellow ones which one is more recomended???pls answer…..
and hve u guys been haveing like 3 to 4 diffrent meals a day and each contained all three groups above…..thank u sooooo much!!!
hello every one…
you guys think watermelons is alright from now and then..and how abt red kidney beans insted of black bean think that is ok!???!! pls answe!!!thx:) 😀
and thx tim hopfuly this is gonna work…
If we cant eat cereal, what should we eat for breakfast?
Your questions (except fish) are foods that come in a box or package. You want fresh or frozen. And “bars” are packed full of crap: sugar, fat, and salt. They are processed.
No “white” food (no dairy, cottage cheese; you could cheat with a shake of dry parm cheese or a pinch of feta or goat for flavor), and no bread, pasta. None. Or fruit (it has “natural” sugar that messes with your insulin and glucose levels when doing this diet).
Rice is a carb, brown or white. However, fish is a good sub 2-3 times a week for the other meats. Just don’t fry it.
I hope that this helps!
Meat, beans, and greens. Every meal. If you think beef is “weird”, have a small omelet with your beans, and a side of greens (beans, asparagus).
Tim,
While reading this article I thought it might have some relationship to why your day of eating everything is so crucial to the 4 hour body. Since you are such a data hound, I thought you would find it an interesting caveat.
Check it out.
http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/fatty-diet-may-cause-new-brain-cells-to-spout
Best,
Kirsten
Hi Beans,
We eat either eggs or steak with re-fried beans and spinach for breakfast on this diet.
I’d suggest getting the book to understand the details further. Tim suggests a lot of alternatives for things you cut out.
Good luck,
Sakura
definitely starting tomorrow, will be more than happy to update anyone who cares weekly,lol thanks fourhourweek:))march 28th next update April 4th weight:163.02lbs height:5ft8 goal:154lbs
oh and another thing, im allergic to egg in its raw form so what would be a good sub for breakfast, or shuold i just stick to the other stuff e.g-beans, veg, and meats? i dont have to have a sub, was just wondering if there was any?
thank you