Fat Loss via Better Science and Simplicity
It is possible to lose 20 lbs. of bodyfat in 30 days by optimizing any of three factors: exercise, diet, or drug/supplement regimen. I’ve seen the elite implementation of all three in working with professional athletes. In this post, we’ll explore what I refer to as the “slow-carb diet”.
In the last six weeks, I have cut from about 180 lbs. to 165 lbs., while adding about 10 lbs. of muscle, which means I’ve lost about 25 lbs. of fat. This is the only diet besides the rather extreme Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) that has produced veins across my abdomen, which is the last place I lose fat (damn you, Scandinavian genetics). Here are the four simple rules I followed…
Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbohydrates
Avoid any carbohydrate that is — or can be — white. The following foods are thus prohibited, except for within 1.5 hours of finishing a resistance-training workout of at least 20 minutes in length: bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you avoid eating anything white, you’ll be safe.
Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again
The most successful dieters, regardless of whether their goal is muscle gain or fat loss, eat the same few meals over and over again. Mix and match, constructing each meal with one from each of the three following groups:
Proteins:
Egg whites with one whole egg for flavor
Chicken breast or thigh
Grass-fed organic beef
Pork
Legumes:
Lentils
Black beans
Pinto beans
Vegetables:
Spinach
Asparagus
Peas
Mixed vegetables
Eat as much as you like of the above food items. Just remember: keep it simple. Pick three or four meals and repeat them. Almost all restaurants can give you a salad or vegetables in place of french fries or potatoes. Surprisingly, I have found Mexican food, swapping out rice for vegetables, to be one of the cuisines most conducive to the “slow carb” diet.
Most people who go on “low” carbohydrate diets complain of low energy and quit, not because such diets can’t work, but because they consume insufficient calories. A 1/2 cup of rice is 300 calories, whereas a 1/2 cup of spinach is 15 calories! Vegetables are not calorically dense, so it is critical that you add legumes for caloric load.
Some athletes eat 6-8x per day to break up caloric load and avoid fat gain. I think this is ridiculously inconvenient. I eat 4x per day:
10am – breakfast
1pm – lunch
5pm – smaller second lunch
7:30-9pm – sports training
10pm – dinner
12am – glass of wine and Discovery Channel before bed
Here are some of my meals that recur again and again:
Scrambled Eggology pourable egg whites with one whole egg, black beans, and microwaved mixed vegetables
Grass-fed organic beef, pinto beans, mixed vegetables, and extra guacamole (Mexican restaurant)
Grass-fed organic beef (from Trader Joe’s), lentils, and mixed vegetables
Rule #3: Don’t drink calories
Drink massive quantities of water and as much unsweetened iced tea, tea, diet sodas, coffee (without white cream), or other no-calorie/low-calorie beverages as you like. Do not drink milk, normal soft drinks, or fruit juice. I’m a wine fanatic and have at least one glass of wine each evening, which I believe actually aids sports recovery and fat-loss. Recent research into resveratrol supports this.
Rule #4: Take one day off per week
I recommend Saturdays as your “Dieters Gone Wild” day. I am allowed to eat whatever I want on Saturdays, and I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. I make myself a little sick and don’t want to look at any of it for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesn’t downregulate from extended caloric restriction. That’s right: eating pure crap can help you lose fat. Welcome to Utopia.
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If you enjoyed this post, check out my latest book, The 4-Hour Body, #1 New York Times and #1 Amazon bestseller. You will learn: the finer details of the Slow Carb Diet (outlined in the above post), how I gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, how to produce 15-minute female orgasms, and more.
You can also get the Expanded and Updated 4-Hour Workweek, which includes more than 50 new case studies of luxury lifestyle design, business building, reducing hours 80%+, and world travel.
Related and Recommended Posts:
Tim Ferriss interviewed by Derek Sivers
Tim Ferriss articles on Huffington Post
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Hey Timothy.. love your books. I have read The 4 Hour Workweek and The 4 Hour Body (well, part of it like, like you recommended). Good advice here, especially about the meals. I’m on a 30 Day Challenge.. jogging/walking 5 miles a day and eating like a champion for weight loss. Going to copy some of your meals.
~PAUL
Tim, I have tried your approach for breakfast & it works fine, I don’t feel hungry & I have lost a few pounds. 🙂
Since a few years I advise people to give them a better life. That have to do with health. Take action otherwise you stay where you are now. Maybe free tips can help you further.
Since 2004 I work as wellness coach and coach people to a healthy weight. That sugars are unhealthy, we knew already for a longtime. Only now we even know better how unhealthy. Sugar helps for an accelerated aging and increases the chances of cancer. If you’ve tried countless fat diets and have not obtained the results you want, try making a lifestyle adjustment instead. If you’ve just lost weight and you want to keep it off, make sure to exercise regularly, eat the right kinds of foods and maintain a balanced diet.
Listen to your body
Your body tells you whether you have eaten healthy or not. Because after eating a healthy meal, you feel energized and good. You feel it not only, it’s also to note on the outside. People who eat healthy often have a beautiful, tight, radiant skin. Shiny hair, bright eyes and are slim.
Care for alternation. Too much sugar, too much salt, too much alcohol etc. is unhealthy. That also applies to eat unilaterally, all days crudités, or just milk products is also not good. Looking for more tips?
Hello everybody, i’m 43yrs old and 243lbs and going through some marriage problems i’m going to try this diet and will let you know if it works,and if i’ll be on the single list.
Haha right there with ya brother
My husband and I have lost a total of 110 pounds so far on this diet. It works!! We have lost the weight and gained so many unexpected benefits from losing so much. Thanks Tim!!
is there a more ideal time to take the AGG stack .
1 hour before a meal
30 minutes before
just before
during
just after?
if so why?
appreciate any feedback
Andrew
i m 29 years old mother of 2.i m 92 kg ..n i feel sooo bad i want to lose weight in days i m fed up with my heavy body ..plz healp me how can i lose weight
I agree with everything except the cheat meal. Horrible idea. If you’re at your goal weight and you like food, then diet all week with workouts and then go for it pig out and you’ll stay the same by adding 6000 calories to your body. I probably eat 10K calories in one day, after a 2000 calorie week with 3 a day workout, run, crossfit, and weight lifting.
Great stuff, very good. What I found to be one of my biggest problems was sticking to plan. Each plan is different for each person and nobody can say what works for them will work for you because it might not. Again, great stuff.
im 5’7 and 160 i know that isnt healthy but can i lose 30lbs in a month ?
I’d love to try this unfortunately I have an allergy to beans (as in throat closes up) are there any substitutions I could try instead of the legumes?
i am 14 and trying to loose 3 stone i weigh 11 stone and 6lbs im not happy the weight i am at and because of my height being 5ft 11inches i look even bigger any help please ?
Go on the diet!
Go on the diet! 🙂
Natasha
dont get down on ur self its not going to be easy or hard but u can do it!
I am 15 years old and coming up on 190 lbs. I want to be able to drop at least 40 lbs before school starts up again and I am determined to do it. Most of my unwanted weight is in my tummy and thigh area, other than that I just want to look thinner. I am looking at all these posts and this support is amazing! I have some questions though, I was wondering, I usually try to fit in a run every morning now that I don’t have to be in school, so if I do a 20 minute run/ walk every morning will that help with the diet? Also, I was wondering if snap peas are included in the veggies list, I love those and I could eat them all day. Thanks so much to anyone who can help, it means a lot to me.
I am 15 years old and coming up on 190 lbs. I want to get into shape before school starts up again. Most of my unwanted weight is around my stomach and thighs, and looking at all these posts and the amazing support that comes with inspires me more and more to get ride of the crappy way I feel about myself. I have a couple of questions though, I take a walk with my dog every morning (or at least try) for around 20 minutes, does that help at all? Should I do more? And also, do snap peas fit into the veggies catagory? I love those and I could eat them all day long so that would be helpful. Thanks so much to anyone willing to help.
Tim, we tend to be struggling with veggie options for breakfast time as outlined by your gradual carbs diet plan since we all don’t take in eggs/fish/meat. Please do advise choices. My better half started out Copper tea pot Bell education soon after it turned out advised with your e-book, this individual enjoys that. They complains associated with lower vitality every now and then and i also do not know the best way to restructure our dishes. Presently began any selfmade fig+dates+banana+yogurt juice smoothie to replace breakfast cereal and bread toasted each day. Otherwise ghee, dried beans and greens with regard to dishes and plenty of green spinach. There is however even now whole wheat grains flour as well as bread toasted loaf of bread in our diet which I haven’t had the oppertunity in order to get rid of however simply because it’s standard meals and i also don’t know very well what to exchange this with this can still complete the tummy instead of help make us experience hunger all the time. Support!
Studying A number of Hour Work Week at the moment, it’s informative
I would just like to say that this whole article is a load of crap. im sorry no offense to the author, but where are you getting all of your information from? See, i am a teenage girl in the recovery proccess of anorexia and all of the information you are giving out is what i followed months ago, and loo where that led me. To a mental hospital for 25 days under 100 pounds. If you wanna lose weight do it the right way. Dont cut out any of the food groups. every part of the food pyramid is important for your health an survival. eat when your hungry, stop when your full. Its not bad to eat foods you like, all food is good, nothing is bad, just eat it in moderation. Workout 3-4 times a week and do only what your comfortable with, dont over work yourself. ANd lastly, forget about the number on the scale or what sie jeans you where. If you are comfortable,and happy with yourself thats all that matters. good luck to all of you guys and remember do it the right way, you dont wanna end up like me.
He’s getting his information from books whose authors have gotten their information from nutrition research which includes what anatomically and hormonally happens to your body.
All food is not good, in fact the way you cook food can make it horrible for you. Roasting nuts, fried potato chips, these aren’t good. Eat in moderation? You know things like cheeseburgers used to only be available when the the county fair would roll into town for about a week in the summer. Now they’re available as convenient fast food but contain empty calories and a lot of additives that will leave you feeling drained and your liver overworked.
Also, he didn’t say cut out any food groups. Cutting out white, overprocessed refined carbs is not a bad idea. Ever wonder why they have to be enriched? They’ve lost their natural vitamins and minerals. You can get those natural vitamins and minerals if you’re eating whole foods the way they grow out of the ground.
Eating this way will not cause you to become anorexic. Your perception of yourself when you look in the mirror, and your subsequent actions in response to your perception are what leads to becoming anorexic. Your perception is far more prevalent than you think – even blind people who used to have sight often dream in flashes of light and colors. This is not their retinas sensing real light waves – this is the brain sending signals that it is perceiving light.
Furthermore, you are a teenager (with perhaps a previously distorted perception of yourself and and incomplete perspective of your world) criticizing a science writer who based information on scientific research – research that people are conducting all over the world, research that they’ve been working on for years to complete a thesis or earn a doctorate.
The lot of people hear reading this do not intend to weigh less than 100 pounds. They intend to lose bloating, baby weight, stress weight gain, stop feeling sluggish, etc.
amen to that
For what it’s worth, your positive words of encouragement throughout the second half of your reply are helpful and they make a good point. Beauty is often distorted in the culture’s current definition of the word, and consistently perpetuated in most forms of media. It can be rather distressing that our labels of beauty cause people to feel inadequate, incomplete, and like a failure when these people are perfectly fine and beautiful in their own way!
The best way to achieve that calm knowledge of your own beauty is to love yourself so that you are, as you graciously put it, comfortable and happy with yourself.
So thank you for reminding us of that fact. Many of us reading this page can often forget that fact.
I have just made my way to this site and read what you have to say – I wanted to note that this post response was extremely well thought out and well said… Good job, Chan – very respectful
Amen! I became underweight by eating much less and OVER exercising because it was my mindset as an anorexic to lose as much weight as possible (not taking into account loss of muscle and vital organ tissue in the process). Eating healthy and exercising is a way of life! There is a balance. This “diet” emphasizes that!
hey plz give me a program for a simple and good diet…
You’ve already got it here.
One of my relative start dieting in the last month to lose my weight. But his weight increased by 3kgs in last month alone. Please be cautious
ok so I’m starting this plan tomorrow and i seriously hope it works because i am fed up with my weight… at the moment I’m about 185 lbs but i really need to get down to about 130… I’ve tried so many other diets in the past that just haven’t worked so i guess we’ll see how this one goes… here’s hoping *fingers crossed*
Get the book to learn about the other details. You WILL lose fat rapidly if you do it to the letter.
Hi Tim, I wanted to know if it was still possible for me to follow the diet in the way you mentioned if I am sort of insulin resistant and I need to lose 50 lbs…
Hi Tim, I wanted to know if it was still possible for me to follow the diet in the way you mentioned if I am sort of insulin resistant and I need to lose 50 lbs…?
? think the diets to use must be prefered that much protein and minimum of carbonhydrates.So if you dont be eat breat you should be loss helthless weight.
Pfff, I am not going to stop drinking milk. Milk is good for the whole body, caffeine isn’t. Sadly, but true. Milk doesn’t harm the body just as much as caffeine does. But pretty OK tips, though I’d recommend to exercise along with eating healthy food, and so on.
I haven’t red it all BUT, pork shouldn’t be listed as something that you should eat, people might think ”Gosh, bacon, yes!” , bacon is like the worst thing you could eat during a diet.
These tips are great! but I am no exception. I love food. I love greasy fattening sweet delicious food!!! I found rocalabs very helpful to me. I still am able to eat all food I’d love to. Though It only make me eat very little of it. But the thing is, it makes satisfied..
Diet is no fun at all! It’s just depriving me to satisfy myself from what I wanna eat. Thankful, because after a couple of research, I found this very interesting site vimeopro.com/rocalabs/reviews.. I am extremely overweight and now, I have 30 more pounds lo lose and I will be at my weight goal that my doctor agreed on. I have so much more energy now! I totally love being thin.
can we still cheat that much on saturdays even if we have a lot of weight to lose? like 50 lbs. wouldn’t the cheating affect it, when just starting out?
No, Anna. Doing the Cheat Day as instructed in the Damage Control chapter helps with the fat loss, regardless of which stage you are in.
Do you know what is one of the best exercise routines for weight loss?
If you haven’t guessed it, its walking. Among the first on the list of good weight loss exercise should be walking. Do you know that walking may be a man’s best medicine for slowing the aging process.
Walking is so beneficial for our health and in today’s modern world we are getting more and more away from this extremely beneficial exercise routine.
hi there all!
i have tried the rules above and have lost a lot of weight with it (about two stones) i have had alot of difficulty losing the last bit of fat though, around my stomach. no matter what i do it just doesnt seem to go. have found a website called http://www.sweatsuits.co.uk that sell sweat suits for weight loss. would any body like to tell me if they have had any positive or negative experience of a sweat suit for weight loss. also of course any positive or negatives about the service too would be great. I have been burned before by internet companies.
Phil, try the Last Mile diet in the book in addition to cold exposure to shed off that remaining fat.
I wish to thank you, we are going to try this starting 6-18-2012
Good luck Brenda!
I lost 5-8 pounds by dancing every afternoon for 5-7 hours for 5 weeks. I was training for a dance competition, so maybe it might also work for you.
can we eat peanuts, that is a legume
Running is the most effective cardio and the best choice for people looking for something simple that they can work into a fitness routine. You can of course add any other exercise you want into your fitness routine such as swimming, cycling, strength training etc, but try and ensure you have running in there too.
Can you suggest a way to slowly ease out of this diet without gaining back all the weight you lost?
I’ve been on the slow carb diet for a month and I lost 18 lbs. I’m gaining abou 3 lbs. on my cheat day (Saturday), but I lose them by Tuesday evening. The diet really works however it’s hard to stick to it because of the limited number of dishes you can eat.
One reason that it works is its simplicity.
Hey everyone I’m 15 and 284 pounds it sucks being heavy please give tips
Do the diet to the letter for four weeks and take your measurements (weight, bodyfat, total inches, etc.) regularly.
Has anyone had success with Tim’s supplement regimine? I have taken the PAGG combination as prescribed by Tim and even combined it with CQ before each meal. Haven’t seen results. Anyone had similar experience?
Yes. Are you taking your measurements esp. your bodyfat percentage accurately?
Hi Farid, do you believe the cheat day is necessary? Will I still lose as well if I keep up the diet consistently for 30 days without a cheat day?
@Tara,
Unlikely. What’s holding you back from the cheat day?
I’m young to go on a diet, but I’m 20 lbs overweight. My prom and my mom’s wedding is next year, and sadly, when I wear skirts and dresses make my thighs rub and it really hurts after a while… I really hope this works 🙂 Thanks for the tips 🙂 It sounds really easy to do and I’m kinda looking forward to doing it… 😀
Did you end up getting into it?
This seems very reasonable. Getting back in shape is seeming a lot less drastic. Thanks!
When I was 9 months pregnant I weighed 257 ( I know it’s terrible) I ate anything in my way. having the baby I went down to 240 then slowly made my way down to 220. In January I weighed 221 when I started this diet. in 3 months I don’t kid you I went down to 180 Where I am now. I stoped the diet and have managed to keep it off for the most part. I am starting this diet again this week and am hoping to lose a bit more within the next month.
My advice;
Drink lots of water,
Follow the diet as strict as possible
and most important, Take 2500mg of B12-I swear by it!!!
I started following this plan last year around May and it instantly started working for me. I dropped about 40 disgusting lbs by August and even people I had never met before mentioned that it looked like I had recently lost weight. I even had a lab technician ask me if I had lap band surgery. I think this was a result of the way the weight appeared to be coming off. It was all in my face. I had started to plateau or so I thought.
The SCD didn’t seem to be working anymore.
I was at work in a very old building and it was a new job so honestly, I had cheated a little until I tried to get back in a routine. They provided us with bottled water at the new place because we were all temps and they gave us treats like sodas and donuts and many other things I politely refused. One day they quit buying us water. I was thirsty and had not brought any. So I decided to fill up my water bottle with the faucet in the old kitchen. This was a Friday afternoon in September.
By early Saturday morning I noticed there was definitely something going on inside my stomach. I will spare the “explosive” details but since that day I have had ultrasounds, hundreds of blood draws, stool samples, paracintesis (in an ER visit), upper endoscopy, thousands of dollars of prescription drugs including antibiotics, diuretics, and beta blockers. My weight has fluctuated from 360 lbs at my highest to 291 my lowest. (My last recorded weight on SCD was 299)
I had edema in my legs and feet before I started SCD and was on a beta blocker also. Now after all the dust is settled and have a steady job with health insurance they have finalized a diagnosis that I don’t necessarily agree with but can’t deny. Child class B cirrhosis. When I first heard this I couldn’t believe it at all. Sure I had binge drank before. Stayed up all night partying on occasion. Maybe even fell out of a barstool before. I was a novice home brewer and because of SCD now enjoyed red wine. I have friends and family who binge drink on a daily basis. And a few of my friends are just as fat, if not fatter than me. Some of them have even dabbled any many other liver damaging activities that I have never even gave second thought.
I should get to the tent poles of this post. I want to go back on SCD. I liked it a lot. The beans were not fun but neither is being a fat ass. I now have a very low tolerance for vegetables, mainly cruciferous and eggs. I am only allowed to have 2000mg of sodium a day. I tried some unsweetened whey protein powder. The problem is my stomach, I eat too big a dose of protein or the vegetables or eggs I either have terrible sulfur tasting burps or I’m doubled over with stomach cramps. Sometimes both. It seems I just don’t digest things like I am supposed to. (Gross alert) some foods go out in the same exact form that they go in. I seem to be able to handle foods like any meats. (No flavoring). Most fruits and grains.
How can I get back on the SCD? I can’t seem to find beans without sodium.
Any suggestions? Different diagnosis? (I would like to have a glass of wine on occasion). Also, sausage was a big part of my cheat days. Now with no sodium allowed, I am not sure if a cheat day even works for me anymore.
Please help. I have a feeling that if I lost some more weight that some of these health problems may disappear.
Are there any restrictions on how to prepare the meals? Are tomatoes okay?
I lost weight fast due to Dr. Oz telling the world about Raspberry Ketones. My results led me to create the Raspberry Ketone Diet Program. People get discouraged often with their weight loss efforts because the weight may not roll off quick enough for them. The exert alot of energy and then they think the end is not going to come for them so they give up. In my approach, I used the ketones to DRAMATICALLY speed up my weight loss, so I never ha da change to get discouraged because I saw constant results. I ate a certain way, within a certain calorie range, I took the ketones at certain times a day and I did other things that I share with the users of my program.
Avoiding “white” can get anyone to the desired weight or muscle gain. But that also includes avoiding anything that spells SODA. My mom lost 5 pounds per 2 weeks after she decided to cut back on rice, pasta and cereal. But when she decided to eat again,she gained the weight she easily lost. When she tried to avoid soda totally, her weight maintained and she never gained more than the weight she desired. I agree with eating the same meals over and over again, though. Some people actually eat the same types of dish in a week, but only on separate days. But those meals must not have any white carbs and soda in them. Binging during “dieter’s gone wild” is not practical, though, because some people regain craving and end up rationalizing on eating food with more calories after that “free” day of the week.
These are great tips, and I will definitely be using them! I found it interesting (and it was definitely something that I was unaware of) that it is actually beneficial to have a “eat whatever you want day” to HELP you lose weight. Whenever I diet, I try to strictly stick to it thinking that any “cheat” days are counterproductive, so it’s good to know that it’s better to have a cheat day once/week.
To everyone here saying “im stuck at x amount of pound lost I dont lose weight anymore” Listen food is about 45% of weight loss, once your body is used to the new food you give him it will stabilize at some point you wont lose or gain weight anymore because your body is used to his new portion etc. NOW LISTEN….. to get further……….. believe it or not…. YOU HAVE TO MOVE! It is IMPOSSIBLE to lose weight by doing nothing, I am sorry there’s no such thing possible. Cardio exercise is the key, run walk do whatever you want but burn some fat, because here is whats happening : imagine you are a car, You were full fuel however you were giving more to your car, without spending it….. with the “Died” what you do is only not giving your car fuel when hes full anymore….. but if u want your car to have nothing left… you will have to get on the road with it right? the body is the same, if you give fuel / food to your body and you don’t move to burn it…… nothing will change… you have to burn all the calorie from your daily food + extra calories for a significant weight loss. Passed that point the ratio calories burnt vs calories from food will be +/- sorry if my english is bad doing my best to help all the ppl that say “Im stuck on x weight loss” hope it helped you.
I’d like to add to my last comment that diet on long term are REALLY bad… died should last for 1month with a right amount of exercise the reason is… Diet let say for 3months….. fine you lost 30 pounds……. that sounds good right?…. well im sorry but you will have to keep this diet by forcing yourself to eat what you eat for the rest of your life….. why? because the day you will decide to eat 1week of food that your not supposed to…… you will get A WEIGHT GAIN realllly fast…… this is why 1 month of diet + exercise well b alanced makes you lose weight and after the month keep on the exercise and eat “what you want” (by what you want I mean you eat good stuff still however… if you want a chocolate bar it wont be that bad if its only once in the month or so) by doing this 2weeks your metabolism wont slow down to the point where any other food will make you gain weight really fast…… again sorry for the english……….. let me wrap up this real quick > 1 month of diet + exercise after the month keep up with the exercise and eat good food for 2 weeks but you can cheat a bit in these 2 weeks!
You’re a sweetie 🙂 Thanks heaps
Has anyone of you here knew about rocalabs? Diet just don’t work for, I need something like a pill, supplement or whatever you can call to help me lose weight fast and importantly, change my bad eating habits. I binge a lot! can someone help? I need to lose. I am preparing for my sister’s wedding on august 🙁
Hey charlee, I was going over Tom’s blog and comments here. You’re asking about rocalabs. My sister’s bestfriend is taking it.. She’s on her 5th month of pregnancy. She said she was afraid of difficulty in laboring because she was getting huge so decided to take it because her doctor agreed and was safe for her.
Hi Friend’s,
I new so plz help me how to i lose my fat / weigh…
I am 23 year old and my weigh is 64 kg. so tell me how to i reduce my weigh mainly my Tummy / Bum & Thai…
I am waiting for your’s reply..
I’m having a hard time following these things. I’m afraid I can’t loose weight anymore. Before I’m down to 54kg. Since I started working, I’m now on 60kg.. Frustrating..=(
i weigh about 186.8 im goign to start this on monday if u would like to give me some tips that would be great i want to loose about 25lb before September. so please give me some tips thank you!!!
You can find all the tips and tricks in the book itself. http://bit.ly/QXgxze
Lost 8lbs in 7 days 🙂 I think I am going to do this every other week though.
Why not just do it for 4 weeks straight?
Because I like carbs 😉 I am only making one meal a day have carbs. But I am ok with that because I go to the gym daily, treadmill at home and walk my dogs twice a day. While doing it for 4 weeks in a row would make me drop the pounds really fast I do not want to get burnt out and give up. I have about 40-50 more lbs to go.
Hi Tim
Great blog. I don’t see much fat in these meals and we all know it’s sugar / Fructose and not fat that makes you fat. Saturated fat is a critical component of good health.
You can get your fat from organic bacon, beef, chicken legs, egg yolks, etc. A little olive oil is also fine for salad dressing. Nuts are also allowed as snacks (but be carefule not to eat too much)
Read more in the book.
Had open heart surgery last year to replace a valve. Docs told me I can exercise, but not to let my hear rate go above 110 bpm, as this will make my valve last longer. Is it possible to lose weight/fat without raising your heart rate above the 110 mark?
It is shocking to realize, and I do believe that the products that are labeled low fat are laden with corn syrup and other things that we can’t even pronounce. The food manufacturers have gone too far in trying to sell us cheap almost inedible foods in order to make a buck. We have to take charge of what we consume in order to live long, healthy, happy lives.
i certainly need this diet, i had a baby in Dec 2010 and i gained so much after about 3months of giving birth, i had to buy a whole new wardrobe 🙁 i should try this, starting tomorrow definitely
I am a 16 year old female, wanting to loose some weight. i am 140 pounds and i want to loose my belly, and thigh fat. I have been swimming and trying to watch what i eat. What should I do to help me? I have been trying to loose weight for over 2 months, and i only have only lost about 5 pounds. I wanted to try this, but i am diabetic, and lactose intolerant, so any ideas on how to loose weight?
Hi I’m 21 years old 5’3 and I weigh 150lbs. I went from a size 2 to an 11 in approx 8 months or so. I slowly started to gain weight and I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t like the way I look in anything and feel huge all the time no matter what. I’m seriously going to do this diet for the next month or so. I was wanting some encouragement because not only am I trying to do this diet but I recently just got out of a serious relationship, so I’m also trying to get my mind and focus off of that, so this actually might be a good way of doing that. I do have a question though if I add exercise to this how much would that help? Also, what is a ‘healthy’ amount of weight to lose in one week? I just want to be careful so I don’t lose too much all at once.
Thanks 🙂
It varies. Some people lose 3-4 lbs and some lose more in the first week. There’s no “healthy” limit. The diet is just fine.
Exercise is not required for this diet to work as fat loss is 80-90% just the diet and cold exposure. But search for Kettlebell Swings on this blog if you’re looking for serious fat burning.
As always, consult your doctor first and MEASURE.
hey! i am 17 years old and 140 lbs i am in despearte need to lose weight please help me!
im younger than you and im that weight i need help too any one..??
okay.. I want to do this but i think its not going to work … I’m a very young age but i’m determine to get fit .i don’t want to end up with diabetes so i’m trying hard will this really work ???
Sure.
See this:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2012/06/24/how-to-lose-100-pounds/
I AM 24 YRS OLD I WEIGH 212 PONDS 5’2 AND I HAVE DIEABITIS IS THIS DIET OK FOR ME?
TYPE 2 TO BE EXACT
Dia manesha,
yes the diet works. have tried it since a month, have already lost 30 pounds. another 10 pounds and shall be at my perfect weight. wonder abt sustaining it tho!
SORRY BUT SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME KNW I JUST WANT TO BE HEALTHY AGAIN
First consult your doctor, second, get into ACTION like these people: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2012/06/24/how-to-lose-100-pounds/
Thanks a lot for this great article
Hey Tim, I was reading your book and it said I can use Srichacha “Thai chili paste” for this diet so I went to the store and bought “Srichacha hot chili sause” because I couldn’t find one that was Srichacha and said “Thai chili paste”. Is it the same thing?
Would love to try this diet but I reallly do not like beans and they don’t like me. What else can I substitute that can be eaten every day?
I want to start this diet but there are so many questions I have! Like can you eat whole grain pasta, or can you eat butter, mayo? What can you really eat? Is this one of those diets that starve you?
Fantastic, good tips and information. Continue to provide useful information. Since 2004 I work as wellness coach and coach people to a healthy weight.
PS.
Maybe FREE tips help you to get the right results.
Important to know:
– Wholesome food is fresh food
– Clean your body
– Care for alternation
Since 2004 I work as wellness coach and coach people to a healthy weight
Maybe FREE tips help you to get the right results
Care for alternation. Too much sugar, too much salt, too much alcohol etc. is unhealthy. That also applies to eat unilaterally, all days crudités, or just milk products is also not good.
PS.
Maybe free tips can help you further.
TIM I HAVE READ UP ALOTE ON HOW A LOW CARB DIET CAN HURT YOU? IS THIS TRUE? OR IS THERE A WAY TO PREVENT YOURSELF FROM HURTING YOURSELF
So far, this is my first week on this diet. I am starting to hate beans LOL I mix them and mash them up in whatever meat I am eating and have been wrapping it all up in romaine lettuce. It’s actually pretty good 🙂 Tomorrow is my re-feed day (what the trainer calls it) or binge day. I am feeling somewhat guilty about what I have planned out for it though. A normal breakfast of eggs and mushed up beans wrapped in lettuce, then sometime I plan to have a snickers bar (it’s been months and months since I have anything NOT GOOD for me) and probably a bologna sandwich or 3 for lunch pizza for dinner and oreos and milk before bed 🙂 That’s the plan anyway I have lost 4 lbs this week!!!!
Losing weight is not a natural process
For man is slimming an unnatural process. It is therefore important that we the notion of not balanced diet – that goes against the health concepts that we know – explain. Man is not programmed to slimming and has no physiological process, with the aim to burn fat. Fat is stored by our body as a protection against bad times. To lose weight we need to give our body a signal that there is a “famine” reigns and that it must switch to his reserves. Our body will spontaneously not burn fat.
PS.
Maybe FREE tips help you to get the right results.
Hi everyone,
You Are What You Eat
“You are what you eat.” Well most people are eating crap, so it’s not surprising when they look like, well… crap. Diet is 70% of losing body fat and it seems everyone has an opinion. A new diet guru seems to pop up every week. Then another will pop up saying the opposite.
The typical diet cycle goes like this, people go on a diet, lose some weight, then eventually stop dieting and their weight goes back up, often higher than it was before they decided to go on a diet. The best advice I can give you is to make your own diet, something sensible that you can stick with 90% of the time.
PS.
Maybe FREE tips help you to get the right results.
I am starting this today. Do we have to eat the beans? I am not a big fan of beans at all. Thanks!
i went to loss my wieght but still i’m not start this process my wieght is 90 then what is easiest process to loss that wieght
try this if you are stuck
http://hypothermics.com/2012/06/no-guts-no-glory-part-2/
i’m fifteen, and i’m 125. i’m definately trying to get down to about 105 before school starts, sooo, i really hope this works. C:
i think your pretty small…..
You Are What You Eat
“You are what you eat.” Well most people are eating crap, so it’s not surprising when they look like, well… crap. Diet is 70% of losing body fat and it seems everyone has an opinion. A new diet guru seems to pop up every week. Then another will pop up saying the opposite.
The typical diet cycle goes like this, people go on a diet, lose some weight, then eventually stop dieting and their weight goes back up, often higher than it was before they decided to go on a diet. The best advice I can give you is to make your own diet, something sensible that you can stick with 90% of the time.
Follow these guidelines and you will set yourself up for success
i have a heathy body but on there are a problum that is my thy is some faty so i want to slim this than pls help me in this matter
Hello everyone,
My name is Bita and i am currently 230 pounds, i am trying to lose weight and am getting tired of starving myself. i need to follow a diet plan but its so hard to find a good one, as i see every diet plan is different, i want to try and run an hour a day but it seem that it do sent work as i thought. please if anyone can help me and give me some advice that would be great.
What more advice do you need than what’s in this post?
Hey Guys, im 13 and weigh 160 i just started this diet yesterday and i was wondering if eating the following for my meals is good enough:
1st meal: egg whites with salsa, and fruit.
2nd meal: some sort of bean or peas with salsa mixed in.
3rd meal (snack): carrot of apple.
4th meal: chicken breast with veggies.
I also dring 4 bottles of water.
I saw this food on another site. Will it work just the same?
Hi, I was wondering if broccoli and couliflower are ok veggies or just to stick to the ones mentioned above? what about other veggies, and no fruit at all?
Thank you!
Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, asparagus, etc are just fine.
No fruits. Fructose is very efficient at being stored as fat.
Yes they are okay, just no butter or grease on them!
Put down the low fat cottage cheese and 2 friggin liters of milk. Eat wheat no english muffins and burgers with buns. Burn at least 200 calories a day. Do crunches and planks. Eat your vitamins. And learn to love yourself. Fruit and veggies are your friends!
Been following the program faithfully since June of 2011. I’ve lost 40 lbs and 7 inches off my waist. I’ve leveled off the last three months and pretty much maintain my current weight of 143 lbs. I’ve tried low fat diets and Atkins but nothing works like this program and it is so easy. Tim Ferris is the man. I’m in better shape now at 62 then when I finished Army boot camp back in 69. I have no problem eating this way the rest of my life.
Hi Tim and everybody. I like and agree with most of what Tim suggests here, but feel there are a few things that undermine it, and it would be better to revise it slightly.
One is to eliminate the microwave, and cook by steaming or other means. Microwaving actually alters the way the foods work in your body, and your body doesn’t recognize microwaved foods as nutrients. They build up fatty chains in your body.
Second, please avoid the artificial sweeteners. They are addictive and bad for the body, and cause people to crave sweets. If you want something sweet without calories, that is actually healthy, the best choice I know if is organic stevia, which you can get in most health food stores. Stevia is a sweet, signature plant that grows in South America, and the leaves can be dried, and have a remarkable positive effect on blood sugar. If your blood sugar is too low, the stevia will raise it, and if it’s too high, it will lower it. It also helps eliminate the bacteria in your mouth that causes tooth decay. It-s 300-400 times sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way. There are different varieties of the plant, so if you don’t like the taste of one, or find it leaves a bitter aftertaste, try another.
A word of caution regarding stevia: Read labels carefully if you get it in a supermarket, (or even at a health food store), as now non-healthy fructose producers are getting on the stevia band wagon. They are calling stuff Svetia, and Stevia, and Pure Via, and things that look good on the bag, but actually have mostly fructose and only a little stevia. Fructose (aside from that in not-too high sugar whole fruit) is one of the biggest causes of weight gain, obesity, and is wreaking havoc on entire populations.
And even fruit needs to be limited, especially the sweet ones. Organic is highly preferable to non-organic, as the non-organic is allowed to contain all kinds of additives and poisons, including addictive obesegenes, that aren’t allowed in organic, and they can be genetically modified, too, which means that unless you know where it comes from, you grew it yourself, or it’s been grown in a neighbor’s garden, or grows wild in a pristine environment, you don’t know what you’re getting, and chances are, there’s additional stuff in it that is harmful to your system and the lean, healthy body you seek.
I am looking forward to trying this system outlined by Tim, thank you.
I lost 40 lbs in 7 weeks, and then a few weeks later, another 10, and got to my ideal weight, using the hCG diet protocol, but when I traveled to Yucatan and Belize for a year, I put 20 back on, having had less control over what I ate. I know I can shed them again with the hCG protocol, and I love the fact that this program also eliminates addictions, (e.g. to sugar), but I am intersted in learning and helping others to do what will be healthy for them, and help them keep off the extra fat. Most of the people I was able to help, didn’t quite finish the job of getting the bodies they wanted, even though some shed over 100 lbs of excess fat around the waist.
Finally, someone with some common sense and good advice. Congratulations on your past success. 40 lbs in 7 weeks alsmost seems to good to be true. Unless you were morbidly obese to begin with and your 40 lbs was only a small fraction of your overall weight, I don’t see how it can be done without exercise. Did you have an exercise routine to go along with your weight loss?
Hi to the author and anyone else who can answer. I have a hard time eating salads/vegetables without some kind of dressing. It is just too dry. I generally go for olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Is that not allowed? I noticed in one of Tim’s pictures he showed a meal that included guacamole, which is avacado. Avacado is a good fat. Isn’t Olive Oil basically the same thing when it comes to this diet?
What about salsa on egg whites? Is salsa not allowed? I also find egg whites to be very dry without something on them. Don’t laugh but I have been known to spray a little fat-free I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter on a little bowl of egg whites and it can make all the difference in the world, especially if I am trying to cut down on/eliminate all added salt (i.e. salt from the salt shaker).
Any thoughts on Olive Oil, Vinegar, Salsa, and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter as condiments to keep things less dry? Or will these completely negate the whole purpose of the diet?
Thank you kind folks!
(I am going to start Tim’s diet this week. Went to Trader Joes last night and stocked up on a lot of things. Was planning on starting today but I didn’t plan well enough before leaving work and so of course my breakfast wound up being a turkey bacon egg muffin from Starbucks : (
Certain carbs affect you in different ways. What Tim is talking about are simple carbs (like sugar, corn syrup, refined flour, pasta, white rice, etc.). They have no nutrictional value and spike your insulin levels leading to production of cortisol (fat storage). The foods you mention (olive oil, salsa, vinegar) are fine in moderation. Read the lables. If they don’t contain added sugars your good to go as long as you don’t abuse them. Here’s a tip when eating salad. Instead of puring on the dressing, try dipping your fork in it first and then spearing your salad. You’ll get just enough flavor in each bite. Also add red pepper flakes to your food. They add flavor without sugars or salt. Good luck.
I am twelve and weigh 154 lbs, are you sure this will help me loose weight
As long as you keep the portions reasonable (not massive) and you are getting regular exercise, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work for you.
Very cool article. Your diet plan is quite similar to my own. However, in place of wine, I’m a bit of a beer connoisseur. Try as I might, I can’t find any claims that beer will help my weight loss. Can someone tell me I’m wrong? PLEASE?
😉
I thought that pizza crust is actually full of white carbs. Am I wrong?
I just wrote a follow-up post asking the same question. Tim’s logic is full of contradictions and he hasn’t bothered to answer anyone’s concerns. Don’t put a lot of faith in what he says if he can’t back it up. Ever heard the expression “too good to be true?”
You know there are a lot of ways to lose weight but lately i have been taking supplements and just watch what i eat. I have been using proactol and nuratrim and they have been working great for me.
Did You Know Yoga and Stretching can help you lose weight? Studies show that yoga lowers levels of stress hormones and increases insulin sensitivity–a signal to your body to burn food as fuel rather than store it as fat. Add Yoga to this plan and not only supplement weight loss but firm and tone your body too. See http://www.yoga-weight-loss.net for more tips and videos to get you started with Yoga for weight loss.
I am starting my diet today, and am real excited. However I don’t want to give up milk in the morning since it helps fill me up so I switched to organic lite, it has 70 calories and only 8 grams of carbs per cup. Also Peanut butter the other thing I dread giving up, because it goes so good with celery. I have found powdered peanut butter. 2Tbs has only 45 calories and 5 grams of carbs. I won’t eat it everyday however I probably will for a snack once in a while. Other than that I am good to go bought a new scale and all the food for the next 2 weeks. Any other suggestions would be wonderful.
Hey People! I hope you guys could help me out!! I don’t have a scale at home cuz it broke & I can’t buy one… I’m 12 years old and I weigh 69 Kilos I wish if any of you could give me a diet that is good for me..
hi
I’m 28 yrs old and i weigh 183 pounds. I’m on strict deiting from last 2 months and i lost 25 pounds. but now no matter wht I do I’M stuck to 183 pounds. Im getting married in this oct. please me to reach my goal to lose 50 pounds by oct. I dont eat white ( breads ,rice etc) i drink around 10-12 water bottles in a day. i just eat 25oz chicken in three portions , 2serving of fruit each day.
Any suggestion ??????
Are you doing any exercise? Your body has adjusted to your diet and now you are in a plateau. You won’t break out of that unless you add a combination of intense cardio with weight lifting 3-4 days per week. Diet alone will prohibit you from reaching your goal.
i lost my weight just by controlling sweet and bread just pray i dont gain weight again
Hi Tim,
You state here that it is bad to have cream in your coffee
But @ the January episode of The View (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR3-NZ4epdQ) you said it was good to use cream in your coffee?
Or am I missing something?
Keep up the good work!
Edgar Neo
Lijfhacking.nl – The Dutch Bodyhacking community
I agree. This post is full of contradictions. In addition to cream, Tim says no refined sugars, white bread, rice, etc., but he shows a picture of a pizza eaten as a post-workout meal. Pizza crust is about the worst thing for you in the planet?
1-2 tbsp of Whole-fat (100%) cream in your coffee is fine.
The post-workout pizza is only allowed within 30 minutes following a resistance training workout.