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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Hi i am 22yrs old, i am 100kg weight. I want to reduce my weight in to 60 – 65kg before Jan 2014.
please i beg u help me.
Follow the diet like a religion.
K
I want to lose weight fast how can I do that
Follow the diet. Stop asking the wrong questions.
ME AND MY HUSBAND ARE LOOKING FOR IDEALS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Hi guys im 16 years old with a baby im really stressed out of my weight im 230 i hate the fact everybody calls me fat and i always wear yoga pants since im size 20 on jeans and i just cant belive how i gained so much weight please help me on what to eat in the morning afternon and at night
Hi Cynthia,
Find what is comfortable and you like that works in the slow carb diet.
I started a 6 weeks ago and have lost 14lbs with a couple weeks where I plateaued due to eating too many almonds. Your weight lost should be more dramatic since I didn’t have much weight to lose to begin with.
If you can stay discipline enough it’ll really do wonders. I got some of my coworkers to do the diet as well and since they started they’ve been dropping weight as well.
Breakfast: I eat an egg white omelet with spinach and ham.
Lunch: Brazilian Feijoada (from Tim’s 4-hour chef) I normally cook half the amount in the book and it covers me for a the weekdays. All I have to do is microwave and I’m done.
2nd Lunch: Varies. I was doing almonds, but since I had no self control I stopped and will do a salad instead or something.
Dinner: I have spaghetti squash with marinara that doesn’t have sugar with chicken breast, lean ground beef, and some pork sausage.
Anyways, though this may not seem as “healthy” in the conventional sense since I have relatively “fattier” meats in my diet it’s definitely worked.
The most difficult thing for me was people deliberately eating bread, pizza, and cake in front of me during my non-cheat days. If you can remove temptation for the first few weeks long enough to see the weight loss (it should happen sooner) it’ll motivate you enough to keep you discipline to more easily say no to that side of french fries or whatever it is that is your weakness.
Good Luck!
edit to the previous post: *though I have relatively “fattier” meats in my diet.
i like this website it is use ful to me 🙂
This method is so simple, it is frankly brilliant. Just cutting out the white carbs, by itself will produce results. But I really like the idea of just a few meals – this takes the guesswork out and makes it much easier to follow – thanks again Tim for diving down in to just the basics and making another seemingly confusing topic fantastically simple!
These are great tips to losing weight. They work great. If anyone wants to lose weight this is a way to go. You need to stay healthy and fit also while you are on any type of weight loss program.
Tried it ( from your book) did not work. I followed it religiously and kept gaining the little I have lost on the Chat Day. No progress for 4 weeks! Getting rid of the cheat day will get the result but then it makes this diet as “effective” as any other!
I’d correct that statement into *Did not work for you. If you have time could you describe the meals you were having and how much of it you were having. I didn’t have to follow it religiously to lose weight, which leads me to be pretty skeptical of your experience. Especially considering other people I got to do the diet lost weight as well. Not to say everyone’s body is the same, but if anything it’d be food for thought.
will definately try this
Hi.
I am 16 years old and weigh 116 pounds. now this may seem normal but my real problem is my height. I am only 5 feet long and this short height has ruined my figure completely. I look like a short fat woman. also, my belly and butts have gotten way too heavy. I am really worried because my height hasn’t grown for 3 years!! I believe that losing weight will help me so please someone suggest a simple diet plan because I really want to lose weight in 1 month!! and increase my height at least 2 inches!! 🙁
I am 5’10 and weigh 158.. now 10 years ago even before kids I was 263 and lost it before I had kids. I weighed 175 when I was married. Looked healthy . However I have been in this mode to get skinnier and akinnier. I lift and do cardio about 1 1/2 hours a day for nearly 9 years now.. I change it up frequently.. I struggle with loose skin and cellulite on my.legs. it aeema like the morei work out the more cellulite i get.
I was doing intermentent fasting and quit because calorie count told me I was doing it wrong..
My diet is this
12:00- apple and peanut butter and crackers
Snack- fruit water, nuts
Dinner – meat and veggies feom whatever I ate that night..
I Drink coffee as well
What am I doing wrong
This did not tell me how to find a simple diet plan for an 11 year old
I found this to be very helpful. 🙂 After scrolling through some comments I’ve seen many people say it’s unhealthy to lose a certain amount of weight per week. I’m 15 years old and have tried numerous diets with great results, and even without a diet, I manage to lose up to 10 lbs in one week. (Getting to like 144-147) In a matter of 2 days however, I weigh myself again, and I’ve gained 5lbs having had no change in consumption and I gain an inch or more in size of my stomach. Even in one day, i can wake up at 145 lbs one morning, but after eating both breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I weight myself at night and i’m at 148 lbs and notably a different size than what i was in the morning. I need some advice on how to lose weight and how to maintain that weight. Foods, exercises, anything is fine. Thanks! 🙂
Hey! I am 14 years old and a grade 10 student I weigh 146lb and stand at about 5′ 6.5” , my course this semester is gym – math – lunch – const – civics. And basically I work out every morning with a 5-6min run at the beginning, but for breakfast I always have a protein shake every morning that is normally homemade. and during math I would have an iced tea with my granola bar since I would be so hungry, then lunch I eat half my sandwich and healthy snakes I pack all the time. And every Tue. I go out from 6:30 – 8:00 for volleyball and soon we are planning to go join a gym and do that every 4 days right after school and early weekday mornings… Is there anything I can fix? I dont seem to be loosing weight for some reason and I cant stand it. Please help.
Drop the granola bar and the sandwich from your diet. I first started looking at high carb effects when for my lunch I would eat bread until full. I gained lots of stomach fat and my performance decreased.
Obviously there’s a balance and moderation has something to do with it. But it would be more effective to remove the bread.
I personally have found that 5 eggs for breakfast is the best fuel for the body. They will keep you full till dinner. Also, if you boil the eggs, you can take them in a Tupperware container and have them for lunch as well. (with some vegetables)
Very informative.
How about nuts. I have been eating and drinking Almonds and Almond milk. is this bad for this diet?
In his book, Tim recommends to take it easy on the nuts as the carbohydrates can add up. But always experiment. Follow the diet. Lose some weight. After a few months, make a few tweaks to the diet and see what happens. (add nuts)
I really need some advice. Im 12 years old and i will turn 13 in 40 days. I weigh 133 pounds and i would really like to lose at least 15 pounds before my birthday. Please tell me what plan i should follow. How much should i run per day? What workouts should i d? and What should i eat? Please help. Thank you.
Did you even read the article? I suggest you scroll up the page and read the rules. Tim Ferriss is not here to help you with your problems. He is here to help you help yourself.
you need to make a diet plan and stick to it no matter what. Your breakfast should be a fruity one. Apple, watermelon and all citrus fruits are the preferred ones but you can have anything of your choice, just not bananas. Pair it up with a green tea or lemon juice with honey and you are good to go.
@James Webb: I want to congratulate this Feriss character on getting others to do his bidding for free 🙂 The best PR is groupie PR…cant beat that :)….James, learn to think for your self and do not side with people whose only goal is to build a following to sell their stuff and fund a cool lifestyle for themselves. I maybe wrong with the diet and could be that the fault is really with me, but the fervor I detect in your message is just plain wrong (and very nice for the dude owning this blog). Learn to think for your self and don’t follow anyone. I know this is likely to fall on deaf years but I had to say. Over and out (wont be responding to further groupie messages)!
P.S. Ignore the above if you are getting paid for your messages 🙂
This post is more than helpful. Please update me on any more tips or post in the future
I am crippled from a motorcycle accident 20 years ago. I can’t exercise but I need to lose weight. I am 40 lbs overweight. My hunger pangs are uncontrollable. How can I possibly lose weight without exercise??? I’m desperate.
Robert —
You can definitely lose weight on this diet without exercise. I’ve been on this diet twice (never should have stopped the first time) and lost at least 60 pounds both times with minimal exercise. I try to take one walk a week to help my weight loss, but that doesn’t always happen. But I still keep losing weight. This diet should work well for you.
I went from 250lb to 195 with this diet. First it’s a mental game. We have to know why we are over eating. The reason we smoke drink and over eat is because we are not talking to our self enough. This problem is called oral fixation. What is oral fixation, O F is keep putting something in our mouths so we don’t have to deal with our problems. All of us had some problems preteens years and teen years plus our adult year these problems keep adding on like a spouse fighting with us or a loved one cheating on us and of course money problems. So all those problems keep adding on and our bodies need to talk to us. To shut our brains and body we keep putting stuff in our mouth to forget about our problems.
The best way to deal with our mental problems is to talk to our self. The best way to talk to our self is to go in front of a mirror and really say the stuff that we our a shamed of. To make our self cry to really talk to our self and to look our self and ask ourself for help. For the first day for this to work I recommend a quite room with no one to bother us. First day 1 to 3 hours. Than to repeat this 15 mins a day. And trust me this works because we brain wash ourself.
Now that the mental part is done let’s get on with the diet. First thing in the morning make a smoothing in the morning with crest or frozen fruit make u change it up from time to time so u don’t get bored and try new thing in a smoothy. Than at lunch do another smoothy than go work out when ever u can. Workout should be cardio or weightlifting with the most important thing ur pulse or hearth rate be above 140 for more than 20 mins to start for the first couple of weeks than increase one min every week after than. For dinner it’s hard not to eat after 7pm because of going to date or a family party or getting drunk at the club. So for dinner just try not to eat carbs and eat salads and kabobs. Kabob Is any meat over fire. I promise u feel great with this diet and u can do it for two months easy if not two years easy.
Your article was very informative.The only question is,will people be willing to spend more money on organic foods?Furthermore,people won’t eat foods if they don’t like the taste. [Moderator: Link removed]
Hi, my doctor said i was in the watch zone for my weight. Because i am so shirt and done growing and im over weight because of how small i am. Im about 4’9″ and weigh 130. I really need help to lose about 15 pounds of fat or weight from my waist. Please help:/
Hi, Eva. If you follow the diet as listed above, you will be guaranteed to lose weight. Follow it religiously. Good luck!
Hey!
I’m a 15 year old girl who used to be 172 pounds and worked it down until 158 on my regular diet. However, I’d really like to lose 20 pounds in the next month without starving myself or making it hard to concentrate at school, so this looks like a good idea. I’m hoping to start this slow-carb diet tomorrow, and would be super-grateful for a few tips and pointers. I work out (jog) every day of the week for half an hour and have a boxing class 2x a week. I was wondering if I could eat this stuff on my “diet days” and still have the diet work perfectly:
– fruit (can I eat any type of fruit, or maybe apples or bananas?)
– oats
– corn ( the mixed veggie. bag we buy include corn)
-tuna
-other veggies like celery, carrots and peppers
From the looks of the comments this post is really old, but if you could help my that would be awesome.
Thank you so much!
Hi, NHA! Congrats on the weight loss. If you have never tried a slow carb, or low carb, diet before, this will definitely help you lose weight quickly and effectively.
I recommend that you focus 100% on your diet for weight loss, and use exercise for toning and fitness. So, if your main goal is to lose weight, put all of your effort there — meaning no fruit at all, because this will slow your weight loss due to the fructose. If you absolutely must have fruit, aim for a half apple only and no more in a day. Corn is not the best, but if you absolutely must, take it in small quantities. I’d say the amount of corn in a mixed bag of veggies is not so terrible.
Don’t eat oats. Really. It’ll slow your weight loss. This is not a conventional diet, and no matter how much you think oats may be healthy for you (and they very well may be), it doesn’t mean they’re good for weight loss. Tuna is perfect! Eat it packed in water (as you probably know) simply because commercial oils contain too many polyunsaturated fats.
As for other veggies, eat what you’d like as long as it’s not starchy (potatoes or jicama). Simply watch your portion if they are higher-carbohydrate vegetables, like onions or red peppers.
As a side note, you don’t have to jog everyday for a half hour, unless you really like to. If anything, walking is really good for weight loss. Don’t kill yourself trying to lose weight the hard way — it’s actually most efficient to just focus on food, making sure you have no bad carbs, and always going to sleep a little hungry. Chew a lot of gum if you get too hungry at night. You will be guaranteed to lose weight.
Oh my goodness- thank you SO much!!! 🙂
hi everyone
am an asian girl 5 3” feets and 68kg weight. im suffering from lack of thyroxine too. i want to reduce my weight to 60 kgs in 2 months.. plz give me some weight tips. by the way our main food is rice. its difficult to avid that
Hi, Sisi! Follow the diet that is listed in the article exactly as it is written. I understand how difficult it might be, as your main food is rice — my culture is the same, but I haven’t eaten rice in 8 years now. It’s simply a matter of asking yourself how much you want to reach your goals. You can always substitute rice for vegetables. It isn’t too hard when you get used to it. Now I crave vegetables like crazy! Good luck!
thank u very much… i’ll try my best. for an asian girl 68kg means too much.i’m really worrying
Very interesting article for more people to learn the new thinking about food. Food we all love to eat but now with a new twist.
Couscous? Is this considered a white carb?
Hey guys!!!
Just a quick question, but on the “Dieter’s Gone Wild” day, are we allowed to eat carbs from cookies, pizza’s, sandwiches, chips, etc…., or are we just allowed to eat flour/wheat-free things like chocolate, candy, ice cream….?
N.H.A. — you are allowed to eat anything you want. My cheat day typically includes almost everything you mentioned ;-). I’ve lost 62 pounds in 63 days and my cheat days are pretty decadent.
i liked it…
Are there any specific portions sizes?
hey man in the article it says have as much of these foods as you want.
Is it ok to have a whey protein shake with almond milk?
I started sunday, and have lost 6 pounds so far, and I drink a protein shake before I go to bed every night i mix mine with water though, but I also work out extremely hard
I started using this diet sunday and have lost 6 pounds so far, It’s working! I have to lose 35 pounds total for a fight I have coming in january.
Amazing tips
Hi Tim Everyone,
I am 21 yrs old and have been dealing with weight from a young age. I’m 5’00 ft and 170 lbs. I will be going on vacation late December and have been very concerned about the way I will be looking in a bathing suit! so I was wondering if someone could help me out with a plan. Regarding eating wise and exercise wise. Thank you!
Pls am from nigeria,what should I eat in other to loss weight and stomach.
I love this article I wanted to let you know I did this and used Skinny Lyfe Tea and lost an average of 5lbs a week. My total was 17 lbs in one month and I felt great since I had almost given up on the old diet and exercise only method. The Tea has Moringa in it and I think that helped to jumpstart my metabolism. Thank you for always looking out for us.
This whole artIcle is rediculous. Avoid white carbs? Carbohydrates are either complex or simple, and the only major difference is the amount of time it takes for each to digest in the body. Don’t drink your calories? Well first of all, the only reason people lose body fat is having a macronutrient balanced diet and a caloric deficit. Along with excercise, this causes the body to use adipose stores (fat tissue) as energy when the body is at rest. It has nothing to do with not eating fats (which by the way are NOT the same as fat tissue) or not eating carbs or not eating protein, all these things are essential to the body, and starving yourself of any can cause muscle breakdown, hormonal imbalances, and lack of energy, among other things. It really upsets me when people come onto these idiotic posts looking for answers and get fed bullcrap pseudo science, that they then tell to all their friends. Theres my rant.
Sincerely, a personal trainer/ certified nutritionist.
I was curious if you drink any specific type of wine that is good for you or if you can drink any kind of wine you like ??
Thank you for the useful tips and tricks on how to get rid of body fat that you mentioned above. I think that losing fat is among the most comment issues that a lot of people concern about. I think these tips are very simple to follow and do not harm the body.
Hi I’m 23 and weight 242 pounds. I just survived cancer and my weight bounces up and down. I’ve started the gym but im still putting on weight. I need to loose 80 to 100 pounds to be healthy but before new years i would like to loose at least 20 to 20 pounds. is it possible? what should i eat and how should i exercise. I swim and have gym membership, swim and like to skip and walk, Any advice would be helpful.
Hi Tim and every body
1-I was wondering if it is ok to have fat free feta cheese in my salad ??? I love cheese and can’t live without that 🙂
2- i am a big fan off coffee and it has to be withe coffee ! Can I use fat free and sugar free mate !???
Please some one let me know as I am really interested to start this diet .
Thanks
Hi, Summer. If you really must eat the cheese, keep it, but it doesn’t have to be fat-free — just eat it in moderation (not so much).
Coffee is fine, but fat free/sugar free coffeemate has carbs and chemicals. I would go for straight half and half (small amounts) and one packet of Splenda if you need to. Good luck!
:-):-)
I have always been told that eating the same things over and over again will slow down your weight loss. Is that true? It also becomes boring. I went on a group trip once and all they served was chicken for lunch and dinner for a month. Once I got home I didn’t eat chicken again for a while. I did get over it but wouldn’t want to do it again.
I agree that everyone should take one day off a week in order to splurge. You need to treat yourself or you feel deprived and then cravings get worse.
I’ve gotten my roommate to eat vegetables. Now she asks where are the vegetables if I don’t have them in a meal!
I have your book and have been on your diet for the past 3 weeks….hell, I’ve gained weight…
I repeat the same three meals every day and am loving it but it’s not working.
3 coffee with cream
3 egg whites
1c spinach and/or broccoli/ broccolirabe
1c kidney, black or lintel
lunch/dinner
1c black, kidney, or lintel
75-150g of chicken, turkey or beef
1c or more (cooked) broccoli, broccolirabe, Kale salad/steamed
1 coffee with cream after lunch
1 chi tea with cream after dinner
800ml * 5 bottles or more of water
work out 3 to 4 times a week
I soak all my beans so not to have to much salt and use olive oil in all my food.
I know I’m eating enough because, I’m always full. That’s why I love eating this way. Should I get ride of the cream in my coffee and tea? Eat more, eat less, too much legumes, not enough (I don’t think I can eat any more)?
Hey, Sandra. That’s pretty frustrating! Before I advise anything, may I ask if you’re already at maintenance weight? How much weight are you looking to lose — quite a bit, or a few pounds? If you are closer to your goal weight, it will be harder than simply eating slow-digesting carbs.
Here are my suggestions nonetheless, without knowing your situation”
1. Try adding more fat. It doesn’t seem like you’re getting a lot of fat, and this causes carbs to be absorbed more quickly by the body.
Have an egg yolk with your breakfast, like Tim suggests, and cook your vegetables in butter.
2. Cut down your legumes to 1/2c per meal. They are pretty starchy and can inhibit weight loss.
3. Your chai tea is without sugar, correct? Just checking. If so, keep your coffee and tea with cream, no problem, as long as it is only one tablespoon per serving, no more.
Hopefully cutting your carbs and adding more fat will make a difference.
Hey man thanks for this great article.. Some great insight and really good nutrition suggestions.
Basically my story is this.. I was always on the thinner side.. Full of energy and getting TONS of cardio everyday with a great fast metabolism…
As I got older and indulged in alot of drinking and smoking (weed) and not being as active (lack of cardio and general excercise), I started to pack on some fat.
Then the thing that really affected me was having a desk job at a insurance company. I would sit on my arse for full shifts everyday.. with only 2 breaks including my lunch break.
As I was kind of dealing with alot of issues I would jus start smoking weed and getting the munchies and binge eating.. Especially late at night just eating meal after snack after meal after snack and it was just a mess.
I got into bodybuilding and was doing great for a while.. fell off, got back on… I’m still into bodybuilding now too
But I noticed now that I’m alot more muscular, I still have alot of belly fat and love handles and a bit of fat around my chest (very little) but alot of fat around my belly and love handles.. Really annoying because it takes away from the V taper shape us bodybuilders want to achieve.
I got solid arms, real big and strong.. chest pretty decent but the fat is just so discouraging and I realize I don’t get enough cardio (barely any) so now I’m definitely going to start implementing your tips and suggestions coupled with tons of cardio and hopefully I can shed off all this fat and slim down to a 10% bodyfat
Thanks again
Hi everyone,
I seriously need help with losing weight. I see a lot of people getting surgery and not busting their butts and do it correctly. I am about 100 pounds over weight and want to really change my life. I have two children, and work most days 9am-6pm. Once I get home I am so tired and just eat then go to bed. (This is a problem, I know). I see the lists of items that you can eat my question to you is what do you do for flavoring? I love egg whites, chicken and steamed veggies. Do you use spray butter or Pam? Also, what can you season the chicken with? I use Ms.Dash sometimes. A lot of people I see cook and package thier meals for the week.
How many times a day would you recommend me to eat? Do you recommend some steamed veggies over others? I really want to get started as I am 34 and going on the path I am on will not end up well.
I would appreciate any and all advice. Thank you so much!
Hi, Shelly! My name is Gloria. I’ve been on the slow carb diet for quite a while, and I’ve lost 100 pounds myself, no surgery necessary! I know you can do this, even though work/kids/life seems to be against you.
1. It’s not so terrible if you go to sleep directly after eating. So long as you are making the right nutrition choices, this is the most important factor in weight loss.
2. For flavoring, try a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice on your chicken (2:2:1 ratio). It’s Middle Eastern and delicious! Another alternative is cumin, turmeric, and coriander (1:1:1) — that’s more indian style, also delicious.
3. I cook my eggs in butter. Not spray or pam, but actual butter. Use it sparingly and remember that fat is not your enemy in moderate amounts. It actually helps weight loss.
4. I like to eat twice a day, but everybody’s different, especially if you have long work hours. Eat meals when you are hungry and when it is most convenient — as long as they are well balanced (meat, veggie, bean), and you are eating a sensible amount (no more than 8-10 oz meat, cup of vegetables, 1/2c beans), it doesn’t matter if it is 2 or 3 times a day. Use your natural hunger as a gauge.
5. All vegetables are wonderful for weight loss (except potatoes). Eat them abundantly!
I hope that helps! I’m not a nutritionist by any means, but personal experience has taught me many things. Good luck!
this will help
I am going to give your way a real try! I am also going to order your book, I have to admit I am more than a little skeptical…but we shall see! Wishh me luck:)
I think cutting out sugar completely will lose you weight without any exercise
or dieting, of course when you mix in 3-4 exercise days per/week and a low carb diet the results can be amazing. I lost 3% bodyfat just using this method alone no supplements
Hi, I am 25 years old and 220lbs and trying to get down to 170lbs but im not sure what the best way to do this would be. Such as what food may benefit me the most. I dont drink sodas and limit my sweets but cant seem to lose any weight. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Hi Tim. I enjoyed your blog about fat loss and am looking to lose 20 lbs. Right now I am well over 95 kilos and need to trim down to 80 in order to use the running machines at the gym here.
My issue is diet: I am vegetarian and usually consume a lot of tofu, noodles and rice. What do you suggest as a substitute for meat? I also wanted to ask if brown rice is ok for the diet plan.
Regardless, it is nice to see you sharing this information with people.
I need help, I need to loose weight before prom which is in June and I want to start now. I never stick to diet plans because I am the type of person who doesn’t care about someones opinion. But I want to loose weight in about 4 weeks maximum, not a lot but probably 5 lb. I want to be able to go to a party and wear a dress which I feel confident in. I need help as I never stick to my diet plans and hardly ever to my exercise plans. If you can email me a response that would be amazing. Thank you
[Moderator: Email address removed]
Thank you Tim for all the great nutritional tips. I personally follow a very strict diet and have for years. But one area I’m puzzled on is, you said to avoid milk.
I don’t drink soda or fruit juice but have a beer everyday, and drink 3 to 4 litres of water a day. But tell me why I should not drink milk. Thank you Sir.
Mark in Canada
Hi, Mark in Canada. Milk has lactose, which is a form of sugar. One cup of milk has 12g of sugar, which translates to carbs. These carbs are absorbed quickly because milk is a liquid, thus raising your blood sugar and hindering weight loss.
Again, this is for people who need to lose weight, not otherwise healthy individuals who simply want to maintain. Otherwise, milk is not a terrible choice.
I’m 24 and I weigh around 215lbs. And I want to loose as much weight as possible before the end of January or the very beginning of February as I have a very important thing in NYC and want to look as good as possible. I’m going to try this diet. Are there anhy suggestions for me to get the best results possible? Any help would be fantastic! Anyone can email me at sarahmforever AT gmail DOT com
Please i’m living in west Africa can you just give me some examples of food that i can use here?
Hi, Yassir. What do you normally eat in West Africa? What types of meat, vegetables, starches? Give an example of what you normally eat, then we can work with what you have to give a slow carb menu.
What about brown rice or rice that comes with mexican food??
No rice at all because rice is not a slow carb — it is a fast carb, absorbed quickly by the body, causing a spike in glucose, thus making it harder to lose the stored fat.
Veggies, beans, meat. Good luck!
Ok, i weigh 264 lbs. I have been slow carb dieting for 2 weeks and do 1 hour of cardio everyday, plus a half hour of swimming and have lost 2 pounds. Please help, why is this not working for me?
Hi, McKenna. Congratulations on the 2 pound weight loss, and good job for your hard work! I understand why you are frustrated — the weight normally comes off a little quicker than that.
Will you post an example of your day’s worth of food? I’d like to see exactly what you’ve been eating — every little bit, because everything counts. Maybe then we can determine what is causing your weight loss to be so slow.
Do yyou have any video of that? I’d care to find out
more details.
You really need to put portion sizes in your book. I was on your diet and ate only the things you suggested, I loved it as I was never hungry but I gained weight. I was always unsure as to “HOW MUCH” of anything I had to eat…what a waste of time! I’m so disappointed. I did it for three weeks and worked out three to four days a week….I gained two pounds! Understand, I did not eat anything but the things you suggested!
He tells you to eat as much as you like. And when you binge, you have to REALLY go for it. Like some sort of food challenge.
wow that’s great i will must try these food.
Hi my name is Zarah and I am 13 yrs old and I think I weigh 9/10stones and I really need help to lose weight but I don’t know where to start please help me
“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” – Michael Pollan
This is all the diet advice you’ll ever need.
My name is Mary Barton I am 13 years old, and I am worried about my weight. I stepped on the scale last night and It said I was 164, I lost 12 pounds over the summer and so I went down to 158 but I still was not happy with my weight… And so I searched easy ways to loose weight fast and I don’t know which one is better than the other!?I need help.
Hey, I’m Vivi I’m 12yr and I weigh 191 pounds and I’m not really happy with that and I hope that this works because I don’t even remember being skinny.
Hi,
Love the diet, lost 11 kg ( 24 pounds). 2 problems:
1) Repetition- Some days I can’t look at an egg or a piece of cauliflower etc. To make something a life style not a diet, you have to be ble to keep at it. I find I need variety.
2) Meat meat meat- I grew up a vegetarian, and while I eat meat, chicken and fish now, can only eat them like 2 x a week max. So far have substituted tofu and tempeh for meat.
Has anyone else found these problems and solved them?
Thanks alot for your help!
FINALY!!! A diet that is simple and you can still eat like fat kid once a week! Awesome!
I am 16 and I am actually vegetarian so when it comes to eating eggs, chicken, or meat in general, I cant. Does anyone have any ideas how I can keep this low carb and diet plan without having all those foods in their diet? Also if I dont get the chance to excercise then what other ways can I still maintain a good diet and loose weight?
Thanks,
Nitasha
Hi Nitasha,
Had the same problem though I eat eggs.
I substituted tofu and tempeh for meat, fried usinf a spray of oil in a nonstick pan. Also you can fill up on beans and lentils.
For a rice substitute try using ” cauliflower rice” as per this link. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2480378/Get-shape-Christmas-Cauliflower-rice.html.
You can also try a very low carbohydrate and calorie noodle called ” Shirataki noodles”. They re usually available in oriental food stores or from amazon. They don’t have much taste but are ok with tomato or curry sauce.
Tim says you do not have to exercise. The 15 year old son of my friend and I did this diet together- he lost 8 kg (18 pounds) in. 1 month and – he refused to exercise! I lost 11 kg but it took me 2 months.
We asked the doctor if this diet was ok for a 15 year old- she said yes, except she wanted him to add 125 g of yoghurt per day for the calcium. He did this and still lost the weight.
This was 6 months ago and we have both kept our weight off. Hurray! You don’t know the joy of being able to buy clothes at every store….
So it is possible! It is better with support- does anyone else in your house want to loose weight also? Maybe you can do it together!
Good luck, amd go for it!
PS. the curry sauce must be thickened with tomatoes, you can’t use flour or potatoes.
Hello,
I am a 27 yrs old male. Height 5 ft 10 inch. Weight around 200 lbs. Please let me know how may I lose about 40 lbs. I am happy to lose it slow but wouldn’t like any other exercise except walking.
Thanks.
Did you even read the above blog?
I like d advises given above. I hope it will be beneficial for me.I will try. thanks.
Is Special K a good cereal to eat since it has no sugar?Is whole grain stuff a good thing to eat?
No.
never drink wine .it is very bad things .it causes fails nervous coordination and liver damage. it changes moral behaviour of drunked person
Actually I like that post because if you want to loss you weight very quickly your first step should be control your daily eating routine and also pick good recipes for diet control.
Here is a list that Amazon has compiled of the best weight loss pills based on customer reviews: http://amzn.to/1iEDsxa – it’s really hard to trust commercials or articles anymore.
If i drink soda water to weight loose. Is it gud for me??
Much help I need; Single mon with 2 girls, I am 5’3″ at 385 lbs 37 yo, work 40 hours behind a desk, I can’t exercise. I need to loose 200 lbs…….any suggestions that WILL work.
Robert
I don’t know if I can bear to eat those kinds of food.
But if someone really needs to be slim, I think those foods would be great.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi all,
I started the diet, well probably a mix of two “diets”, and got great results after 3 weeks. I started with 191.8 lbs and I am now 176.2 lbs (in the evening) – i do think in the morning I will be around 174lbs. So I lost 17.8lbs or 8kg!
If anyone would like to get some more detailed info, let me know 🙂
Tim Ferris has a lot of good stuff available – thanks!
Hi Oliver!
Please do share, i would be very interested to hear exactly what you did to achieve such quick success! I lost 40 pounds 4years ago on a low carb diet with cheat day, but sadly have since regained it (plus extra), so am looking for a quick-start but also sustainable, non yo-yo method…
Thanks!
Walter
hi Walter
I think it is all about habits and to change them to a certain degree. I now started to pay more attention to the “detail” of food. I love meat, but I realized that there are huge differences in the composition (example amount of fat) of meat. in the past I just ate whatever looked delicious – now I changed to higher quality. This comes at a higher price, although chicken is a good alternative as well.
I think I buy food now more aware of the different ingredients. The only thing that I think is challenging is going out for a meal. I do have a job that involves a lot of traveling and business meetings… Haven’t really found a solution there yet.
Also alcohol is a probably quite an issue – I basically started to stop drink from the 27th of December – from then I only had 2 pints of beer and some wine. Huge reduction in alcohol consumption – now I started to order water in bar etc. – at the beginning it was difficult but now I get used to it and due t the weight loss I also can drink sometimes alcohol – so everything with moderation.
Overall, I think it is important to be really aware what you eat/drink, but it is important to still have fun in life – otherwise it gets too challenging and danger of falling back to old habits is huge
gr8! oliver can you post some more detailed info
I just had a question , since chili is made up of beans, vegs and lean beef. Can I just eat that 3 times a day
Ok I shall try ur method. .starting today..I’m 5’9 210 I want to drop to 180 to 190 and back to 200 but solid wise…i have a busted left knee and capped out shoulder from extreme sports back in the hay day and now I’m sick of looking in the mirror and asking what the hell happened when and why did I let myself get this way ugh..
Hi I’m 15 I’m 5:9 tall and Im 275 I’m not like so fat cuz I’m tall but I need to lose a lest 20 to 30 plez if someone can help me cuz I somethings I don’t understand it all.
I’m trying this out, as I’m flying out to see lots of friends/family that i haven’t seen in a long time and I want to look good. Hopefully it works! I’ll post again to let everyone know if I had success.
Tips u gave are very helpful. thks. I m 30 and my weight is 72 .pls give a diet plan which reduced my weightis o 62 in 2 months..I have joined gym recently. plz help thanks…….farha
I am starting today Jan 27th. I really need to loose 20 pounds in a month.
so far BF: 3 eggs with onion, little salt, pepper, tiny olive oil ..made scrambled egg..(i should have used only one egg yolk)… pinto beans. 1 cup of green peas so far…water 500ml ….
Currently iam 174.6 pounds
Hi Tim,
I’m a vegetarian and may need another source of protein besides eggs, esp since dairy seems out of the question under the ‘white’ rule. I know tofu is white, but is this also a no-no?
thanks,
adithi
Today Jan 28th: I am 172.2. I am 2 pounds lighter than yesterday
hi everyone I NEED HELP! im 21 250lbs and ive tried every diet possible and failed miserably i believe its because i get overwhelmed on the rules. i would love tips or some meal plans. im planning on going to flordia in a couple months and would love to finally feel comfortable in a bathing suit on the beach. please help :/
Day 3: Jan 29th: so far lost 4 pounds…my water intake is very good….the only thing i am cheating is having sugar subtitute in coffee plus some milk powder…..
now for this do you have any recipies
Day 1: Jan 27: 174.6 pounds
Day 4: Jan 30th: 169.6 pounds
Today cheat a bit….went out for lunch , ate few bread…some chocloate pudding brownie….
Hi . Alovira can reduse weight? If yes then how many days have it.?
What are the snacks? can you eat fruit and nuts?
I’m 28 and I’m 5″10 and weighed in at 193.6. Combining dieting along with the Insanity workout…. I’ve lost 8 1/2 pounds in 10 days. It truly works but you must follow this to a tee. Good luck everyone. Keith.
i was wondering if on this diet can you still go to the gym or will that hinder the weight loss?
I know this was posted 7 years ago. I need to lose a lot of weight. I’m 40 years old and @ 228lbs. If I was to incorporate some exercise with the above meal plan, would I lose more weight. I want to get down to 130ish by August. Is it possible?
Hi, just saw this and thought I would respond. When you are eating a very low carb diet, your body goes into ketosis, which means (from my understanding) your body is also using your body fat for food. So you may only be consuming 500 calories a day via food you put in your mouth, but because your body is also eating your body fat, it’s like your consuming 800 calories a day. However, when you work out, your body works off the carbs you consumed that day before it will start working off your body fat. So, if your eating a low calorie diet, you might pass out if you work out, because you didn’t consume enough carbs and calories to burn when you work out. Hope this was at least a little helpful.
I know this was posted 7 years ago. I need to lose a lot of weight. I’m 40 years young, 5ft and @ 228lbs. If I was to incorporate some exercise with the above meal plan, would I lose more weight. I want to get down to 130ish by August. Is it possible?
I have to say this is the best article i’ve read in a long time! I did the Ideal Protein diet and literally everything you said aligns with that diet. The day before the diet, my diet coach had me carbo-overload, too, for that same reason. But I’ve been wanting to get back on the band wagon after falling off, so I’m going to follow this instead of the expensive Ideal Protein diet! Thanks!
Wow. How idiotic. Wine doesn’t aid in fat loss. The sulfites in it are horrible for your system, along with having unnecessary sugar and calories. But, there’s nothing wrong with having a glass at night – just don’t act like it helps. Along with diet soda – soda of any kind is horrible for you. It dehydrates you, and the artificial sweeteners make your body crave sugar more. Regardless, lower calories do are what help lose weight/fat. Just, how you get those calories depends on how full you are, and how much you truly end up eating. People can’t live on 10 twinkies a day – you wouldn’t feel ok/full.. You touched on this, though. A multi-vitamin, along with non-calorie dense foods, and a protein supplement will all help for a fat loss diet. I skip meals if I want to trim down. A protein shake and a multi-vitamin, along with 1 other meal a day, and I can get to my desired weight easily. It’s more mental than anything. 3500 calories burned is 1lb of weight lost, and 3500 calories eaten is 1lb of weight gained. So 1000 calorie deficit a day is 2lb a week. Just calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), add in all activities you do all day, including work, working out, etc., and go from there on how many calories to consume a day.
This was an interesting read. I think stress also has a huge impact on weight gain. Here’s some great tips to lose weight I’d like to share with you.
Get enough rest.
When you are well rested, your body would be able to do its work in repairing damage tissues, and such. However, if you do the opposite, then it can make you gain more weight. This is because lack of rest can slow down your metabolism. Aside from that, it can also boost your appetite to some extent, when your body is trying to compensate for the lack of sleep.
Eat slower.
When you eat fast, the tendency is that, you would be able to consume more foods than you really need. Thus, it is best to eat at a slower rate. When you do this, you would actually feel that you are already full, when you have not been able to consume a whole plate of food yet. This is because, it usually takes a certain period of time, for your stomach to send a signal to your brain that it already has enough food in it.
This is one of the more spot on articles I’ve read. I eat a lot of the same food, i.e. chicken a couple of times a week. You can dress it up all kinds of different ways. I’m a fan of consuming at least a gallon of water a day. It helps curb your appetite and has other healthy benefits. It’s hard at first to get portions right, but once you do it’s pretty easy to keep your diet in check.