(Photo: Felipe Morin)
Holy crap. The 4-Hour Body (4HB) has ended up producing an avalanche of questions.
There are definitely a few gems hidden amongst the rubble, and more than a few typos were unearthed in the process.
This post — mostly how-to with a few bits of entertainment — is purely for tying up loose ends. I hope it helps.
Covered in this post:
The blog moving forward: 4HB content vs. 4HWW content vs. random topics
4HB Bonus Materials – If You Missed It
4HB Tools and Tricks – All Online!
Contest winners
Slow-carb clarifications
4-Hour Body – common questions and Q&As
Audiobook PDF downloads
4HB reader-generated goodies: desktop wallpaper, etc.
Media samples
4HB corrections and typos…
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The blog moving forward: 4HB content vs. 4HWW content vs. random topics
Some readers have expressed interest in more business-related posts, instead of physical-focused posts. Not to worry — there will continue to be both on this blog. In simplest terms, I write about what I’m most interested in (or passionate about) at the time. If you don’t find a post interesting, skip out for a bit and then check back in. I don’t expect anyone to read all of my posts.
4HB Bonus Materials – If You Missed It
The 4-Hour Body bonus materials have been up for a while now. If you missed them, all can be found here. Enjoy!
There are a number of forums and message boards for 4HB, including this blog and the reader-generated 4HBTalk.
For those interested, I’ll be experimenting with a private, paid forum (probably $9.95/month to start, but not sure) for 4HB. I’m going to test it with 100 people first. If you have any interest in being one of the 100 for $9.95/month, please fill out this form. My hope is that this forum can be a central troll-free and spam-free gathering point for people who are willing to test, gather data, and contribute to each other. I don’t want participants who ask others to Google simple questions for them. The price is a simple mechanism to separate out those who are most serious.
Regardless, information wants to be free. There are a ton of free resources and communities online, not to mention a 600-page book, that should be enough for anyone to make exceptional progress.
4HB Tools and Tricks — all online!
Ever wished all of links in the 4-Hour Body “Tools and Tricks” were online? You asked and I heard you — all of the resources links are now online here. Enjoy!
Contest winners!
CONTEST #1
Blog post: Have a Good Eye for Ads? Try the (Lucrative) 4-Hour Body Experiment…
Date: October 13
Winner: Salman Sajid (Congratulations!)
Prize(s): North Face Prophet 65 Trekking Pack (Retail: $319), A round-trip anywhere in the world Star Alliance airlines fly (or $1,000 cash), All 4-Hour Body revenue via ads on my site for two weeks (potentially every post ever written), using your Amazon affiliate code.
Notes: Here is Salman’s winning ad (he also won the smaller banner), based on click-through rate. I’ll be doing a longer analysis in a future blog post. The genius “Eat Like Santa, Look Like Jesus” ads, which I also used to great effect, was designed (visual and copy) by Conway Anderson. Amusingly, he and I randomly met on the Embarcadero sidewalk on the SF waterfront. He gave me his card “just in case” and here we are.
CONTEST #2
Blog post: “The Land Rush: 48 Hours to Claim $4,000,000 in Prizes” + “The 4-Hour Body is NOW OUT – Live Q&A Today, New Trailer, Free Books, and Much More”
Date: December 2010 (sadly, there were some great submissions who posted too late, like David Batchelor)
Winner: Camille. Runner-up: Roger P.
Prize(s): Free trip to the person who promotes The 4-Hour Body best this week. If you are the best promoter, judged by me and a panel of friends, you get to pick one trip of a lifetime… for free. I will almost definitely be in attendance: 8-Day Argentina Snow Adventure in Patagonia, or 10-Day Private Tour of India, including Miss India. Includes roundtrip economy airfare from and back to the U.S. Addendum: I’ll give the runner-up a round-trip anywhere in the world that Continental flies (or StarAlliance). Camille, you can also take this, if you prefer. No expiration date.
Slow-Carb Clarifications
I’m currently getting at least 500-1,000 questions a day via the blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc. about the slow-carb diet. Let me clarify a few things:
Do not eat the following, except for cheat days:
Yams
Sweet potatoes
Quinoa
Dairy (this includes cheese and yogurt of all kinds)
I mention cottage cheese at one point as a last resort. It is low in lactose, which is what you need to avoid. Ghee and cream (for coffee) should contain little or no lactose, hence you can use them. The same goes for effectively lactose-free, unflavored whey protein, etc..
[Note for the PubMed readers: It’s true that whey is partially (or wholly) responsible for the insulinemic response of most dairy, but avoiding lactose seems to be more directly correlated to faster fat-loss in the diet subjects I’ve tracked. Needless to say, avoiding all dairy is the simplest solution.]
SUPPLEMENTS: There is NO need for supplements on the slow-carb diet, besides magnesium, potassium, etc. in “Slow-Carb II.” PAGG is NOT necessary, so if you find it confusing, just omit it.
Post-workout carbs – If your goal is fat loss, and assuming you are not training for endurance competition:
– If you male and not 12% bodyfat or less, no post-workout carbs.
– If you are female and not 20% bodyfat or less, no post-workout carbs.
In the end, the point of 4HB is intelligent and responsible SELF-EXPERIMENTATION. I will not answer all of your questions, precisely because I want you to think for yourselves and figure it out. Hundreds of you have already done so. It’s not that hard.
The following will address 99%+ of confusion:
– If you have to ask, don’t eat it.
– If you haven’t had blood tests done, I don’t want to hear that the diet doesn’t work.
– If you aren’t measuring inches or haven’t measured bodyfat % with an accurate tool (BodPod, etc. and NOT bodyfat scales), I don’t want to hear that the diet doesn’t work.
– If you’re a woman and taking measurements within 10 days prior to menstruation (which I advise against in the book), I don’t want to hear about the lack of progress.
– On the critical 4-6 week window:
For people over 40 and women (especially after two kids), it’s quite common that the most dramatic fat-loss and weight change comes after 4-6 weeks on the diet. I have no explanation for this. Needless to say, if you haven’t done the diet for AT LEAST four weeks, please don’t post a comment about plateauing and panicking. I can’t give you meaningful advice without a ton of other supporting data (blood tests, etc.), and it’s physically impossible for me to respond to each person.
To reiterate: The entire goal of 4HB is to make you a self-sufficient self-experimenter within safe boundaries. Track yourself, follow the rules, and track the changes if you break or bend the rules. Simple as that. That’s what I did to arrive at my conclusions, and that’s what you will do — with a huge head start with the 4HB — to arrive at yours.
Do it for 4 weeks and then troubleshoot if you’re plateauing.
If you post a plea for help anywhere, include at least two FULL days of your meals and snacks so people can actually help you.
Most of those saying they’re “following the diet to the letter” are doing nothing of the sort. Reread “Slow-Carb II” in 4HB.
Last, I’ll repeat the basic approach to the unknown: If you have to ask, don’t eat it.
4-Hour Body – common questions and Q&As
Most of the questions you could possibly ask about 4HB or slow-carb have been answered, whether related to carb-loading for endurance, orgasms, or other. I’ve done a few Q&As over the last few weeks, and I encourage you to check them out — lots of good questions:
4HB Presentation and extended Q&A at Twitter Headquarters [VIDEO]
4HB Presentation and extended Q&A at Twitter Headquarters [AUDIO] (after clicking the link, just wait 45 seconds to download the file for free)
Presentation and Q&A at Google Headquarters (the preso is the same as Twitter, but the Q&A is different and starts at 18:00)
Audiobook PDF downloads
The PDFs that accompany audiobook downloads (which I have nothing to do with) are apparently really hard to find. Please note: on Audible and elsewhere, there should be a small download link on your purchase confirmation for downloading the PDFs.
4HB reader-generated goodies: desktop wallpaper, etc.
Just for the fun of it, here is some desktop wallpaper created by Cole Morgan.
Media Samples
If you’d like to see how you must compress your sound bites for television, here is a brief clip of me from The View. I REALLY want to get Barbara Walters huge on creatine. She’d look amazing with killer forearms:
I will also be on Dr. Oz this Monday (Jan 24), and it should be a much longer segment and worth seeing. Find your local times here. I’ve been on his radio show twice, and we’ve always had a good time digging into the details. He doesn’t hesitate to challenge.
4HB corrections and typos
Through the editing process, which included more than six passes of the manuscript and a team of copyeditors, typos inevitably ended up in 4HB. I’m thankful to you, my readers, for pointing most of them out. Here are those we’ve found so far. These are my notes sent to the publisher, so forgive the odd formatting, and most bolding has been removed:
1) HUPERZINE DOSE TYPO, PG. 280
“As I double-checked pg.280 of your 4-Hour Body book, I see that you indeed recommend 200 milligrams of the extract, however, the reader suggested that … it should, in fact, be 200 MICROgrams.”
TIM: I’m not sure how this happened, but he’s right. It should be “micrograms (mcg)” NOT milligrams. Please change to “micrograms (mcg)”
###
2) IODINE TYPO and add to biotin, PG 524
“Hello,??I noticed two typos on page 524:??* Iodine does not have a USRDA value of 1,500 mcg…it is actually 150 mcg.”
TIM: This is correct. Please change to 150 mcg. I don’t know how this happened, as it was accurate at manuscript stage. Needs to be “150 mcg”
“?* Biotin does not have a USRDA value of 30 mcg…it is actually 300 mcg.”
TIM: He is incorrect here, I believe, but we should still update, as Biotin does not have an USRDA. Put “(no USRDA)” next to biotin like a few others.??
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3) CINNAMON TYPO, PG. 101
“Under DAMAGE CONTROL you state that during your binge you consumed 1 tbsp cinnamon in your coffee. However under THE GLUCOSE SWITCH, when explaining types and quantities of cinnamon you stressed the importance of not exceeding 1.5 teaspoons a day. Which would mean you had consumed double that “safe” amount during your binge. Can you please clarify?”
TIM: “1 tbsp cinnamon” on pg. 101 (under “12:45pm”) is a typo and should be “1 tsp cinnamon”
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4) PG. 26
“That is, if you’re a critical intervention patient, such as a morbidly
obese type 1 diabetic.”
Should be changed to “type 2”:
“That is, if you’re a critical intervention patient, such as a morbidly
obese type 2 diabetic.”
###
5) PG. 116, PAGG
The end result was PAGG.
Policosanol: 20–25 mg
Alpha- lipoic acid: 100–300 mg (I take 300 mg with each meal, but some
people experience acid refl ux symptoms with more than 100 mg)
Green tea fl avanols (decaffeinated with at least 325 mg EGCG):
325 mg
Garlic extract: 200 mg
Daily PAGG intake is timed before meals and bed, which produces a
schedule like this:
Prior to breakfast: AGG
Prior to lunch: AGG
Prior to dinner: AGG
Prior to bed: PAGG
Should be changed to (changes in bold):
The end result was PAGG.
Policosanol: 20–25 mg
Alpha- lipoic acid: 100–300 mg (I take 300 mg with each meal, but some
people experience acid reflux symptoms with even 100 mg)
Green tea flavanols (decaffeinated with at least 325 mg EGCG):
325 mg
Garlic extract: at least 200 mg (I routinely use 650+ mg)
Daily PAGG intake is timed before meals and bed, which produces a
schedule like this:
Prior to breakfast: AGG
Prior to lunch: AGG
Prior to dinner: AGG
Prior to bed: PAG (omit the green tea extract)
6) PG. 120, PAGG PARAGRAPH AND TOOLS AND TRICKS
[SECOND PARAG]
“Until further research concludes otherwise, I suggest using an
aged-garlic extract (AGE) with high allicin potential that includes all constituent parts, including S-Allyl cysteine.”
Should be changed to [changes bolded]:
“Until further research concludes otherwise, I suggest using an
aged-garlic extract (AGE) with high allicin potential that includes all constituent parts, including S-Allyl cysteine. If AGE isn’t available, unaged garlic extract appears to work at slightly higher doses.”
[CHANGES IN TOOLS AND TRICKS]
I currently use the following products. I have no financial interest in any of them:
Vitamin Shoppe— Allicin 6000 Garlic, 650 mg, 100 caplets (www.fourhourbody.com/garlic)
Mega Green Tea Extract (decaffeinated), 725 mg, 100 capsules (www.fourhourbody.com/greentea)
Vitamin Shoppe— Alpha- Lipoic Acid, 300 mg, 60 capsules (www.fourhourbody.com/ala)
Nature’s Life— Policosanol, 60 tablets (www.fourhourbody.com/policosanol)
Should be changed to (please just copy and paste the below):
I used the following products for my testing, but I’ll update links based on availability and reader feedback. I have no financial interest in any of them:
Allicin 6000 Garlic—650 mg, 100 caplets (www.fourhourbody.com/garlic)
Mega Green Tea Extract— 325+ mg EGCG, 100 capsules (www.fourhourbody.com/greentea)
Vitamin Shoppe—Alpha-Lipoic Acid, 100 mg, 60 capsules (www.fourhourbody.com/ala)
Nature’s Life— Policosanol, 60 tablets (www.fourhourbody.com/policosanol)
###
7) CHANGE “Heinrich” to “Henrik” on pg. 256, parag 3
###
8) PG. 15 — “500 scientific citations” needs to be changed to “300 scientific citations”
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That’s how we’re gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
So, I’ve learned this week that getting sick will totally @#$% up the slow-carb diet. Not only will you lose your appetite for everything, especially protein and beans, but you will dehydrate yourself as well as miss your cheat day. I feel like if I even look at a piece of chicken, I’ll have to make bathroom trip #33.
Is it 4700 milligrams of potassium or micrograms. the clerk at GNC thought it was too high and the pills they had are only 100 milligrams each, I’d hate to really mess up my electrolyte balance here by taking too much so if anyone can set me straight that’d be great!
…I found the answer earlier in this post – 470mg not 4700mg…
I’m trying to create a few cheat notes for myself but so far I’m enjoying the eating system a lot! Who knew i enjoyed black beans so much 😉 I read the book through quickly but now I think i need to go through the applicable chapters slowly to get the details sorted out in my head – if anyone has made their own notes etc I’d love to see them. This blog is a great resource – a lot of info to take in at first. I travel about 50% of the time for work and the lack of humidity is a huge challenge flying and sleeping in hotels – as is the crazy sleep cycle. I am trying the Phillips light and finally used the sleep cycle app on my iphone….it looks like the drunk graph every single night so far – I hit REM but don’t stay there – maybe that’s why I’ve never been a morning person!! Imagine to wake up feeling good – I can’t wait to figure it out. I may try a little melatonin before bed but if anyone has a similar experience with not staying in deep sleep and can give me some tips that’d be great too. I’m pretty sure I’m a 28 hour person as well but I work in the airline industry so I have zero control and my schedule actually causes massive shifts in my rhythm so I closer look at the polyphasic and using naps is going to be interesting.
Have you tried any brain entrainment software? I have used Neuro Programmer and it helps with meditation but I know there are routines for alpha, beta, REM, etc. to help get you to a deeper sleep stage via brain entrainment. You can put it on multiple formats (CD, MP3,etc) and set it to music…similar to subliminal but much more effective…Neuro Programmer 2 is what I have but Neuro Programmer 3 is out now and i think it’s around $60 from their site. Shop around…good luck! I hope it helps…
Love the book! Been doing the SCD for about a week. First few days were great, but now I feel at a loss for things to eat (then I get hungry which makes it worse). Does anyone have any suggestions for appropriate slow carb snacks, or other quick “go to” foods?
Thanks!
By the way, regarding all the comments about sweeteners, Sweet Leaf Stevia Plus contains Inulin Fiber (FOS) which Tim mentions in the book being a good thing…
Tastes great in hot tea, especially with a little cinnamon too. No need for milk.
@ Leslie-
What Page Does he talk about Stevia sweet Leaf being Ok? This is the best news I’ve heard all day!
Sasha,
Tim mentions Inulin (FOS) on page 112. Stevia Sweet Leaf Plus has Inulin Fiber and has no fructose, Nutrasweet, sugar, or artificial sweeteners of any kind.
Have you read “The Truth About Beauty” by Kat James? Great book, and much of the info in there complements what Tim writes about as well, just with a different focus. Stevia is Kat’s go to “smart” sweetener.
Hope this helps,
Leslie
Thanks!!
Hi Tim,
Been on slow carb for 14 days and been lifting weights.
My strength has increased, i feel that i look better, others tell me they see a huge difference, my close fit better. Only problem is my body fat percentege
Has remained at 23% since i began.
Have you encountered this contradiction before?
Thanks,
Josh
Josh,
how did you measure your bf?
All the best
Peter
Hi Tim,
I believe rock climbing to be a complicated sport with many different moves using a different set of muscles compared to say running or skating. We need an abundance of strength with our forearms, lats, core, legs and even individual fingers to execute some moves.
With that said would doing the 3x a week workout (bench press, deadlift, core) in the Superhuman chapter translate to big gains in our specific sport of rock climbing? Or could I tweak and change the exercises for more climbing specific muscles like Pull-ups and Fingerboard training but still using the same rule of 10 reps and 15 secs?
And when practicing the sport 6x a week (I’m guessing this would mean climbing routes and practicing moves) I would have to stop early so I could climb the following day?
My normal climbing day is about 3-4 hours with mostly climbing then some climbing specific exercises (pullups core fingerboard etc) 3x per week.
Great work on the book by the way! Finally got my signed copy after almost two months but it’s all good. (I’m from the Philippines 🙂 Well worth the wait. Now getting more copies for my friends especially since summer’s around the corner. Hehe. Thanks in advance!
Chris
Hey TIm,
Thanks for the 4HB. Loving it even though it is as thick as an encyclopedia and filled with scientific terms that I have to read twice sometimes hehe. Anyway, I thought you and maybe some of your fans that are slow carbers would appreciate a you tube video I did awhile back on how to make beans. This is for people who don’t want to eat the canned stuff, like me!
ps… I LOVE beans! oh, and I am currently training for a physique competition this year in the bikini division and am incorporating the cold therapy.
Thanks for beind rad…and feel free to share the link of you like it 🙂
Hi Tim,
Is it okay if I get a small work out every morning before breakfast?
like a 20-30min work out?
Thanks!
Alanna,
this is a new article about fasted cardio for fatloss http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_ultimate_cardio_solution_disclosed
On page 164 Tim talks about Fleur doing her kettlebell workouts befor breakfast.
All the best
Peter
Thank you so much Peter! Awesome! =D
Ok, I have a question about celery root. I know there is the “no white” rule but celery root shows up on the low carb/low glycemic charts. Does anyone know if it is ok on scd or will this be one of those foods that screw up the results?
Suzie,
celery root is fine, just like other white foods like asparagus, radish, mushrooms, onions, cauliflower, leek, fennel and garlic.
All the best
Peter
Tim, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from you, it’s to be skeptical of information until you’ve done your own verification of it. One such area of commonly accepted wisdom that has my skeptical eye concerns the so-called “starvation mode” dieter’s are warned about activating when caloric intake is too low.
Is this backed by any accessible scientific data? I’ve been looking for studies to verify this as fact and as of yet found none. I have, however, found some who say it is a myth (such as Brad Pilon of ‘Eat Stop Eat’ fame).
I’m counting on your OCD-like qualities to kick in here and provide us with
some much needed insight! 😉
I finally came across a study that relates to this issue. It deals with meal frequency and energy balance. It can be found here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
The study was done in 1997 and the interesting bit (at least to me) says:
Finally, with the exception of a single study, there is no evidence that weight loss on hypoenergetic regimens is altered by meal frequency. We conclude that any effects of meal pattern on the regulation of body weight are likely to be mediated through effects on the food intake side of the energy balance equation.
So this whole ‘eat six meals a day to keep your metabolism high and stay in fat burning mode’ stuff seems to be conjecture. It would also seem that the practice of eating one big meal a day while skipping (gasp!) breakfast (which by this study’s implications appears not to be the most important meal of the day but simply another meal) and/or lunch, would not result in a “true” metabolism drop, nor trigger “starvation mode”. In fact, in a different study it seems that only long term deprivation could trigger such a condition.
Sounds to me like we may be buying into someone’s pre-conceived ideas
and/or misconceptions on this topic. Still researching…
hey tim. im from the bay area. i go to sf a lot. im actually from the east bay. do u have any restaurants that you recommend in the area that are moreso accomodating to the slow carb deal? p.s. can i get a shout out man? you are the man! haha
Tim, I think I have a legitimate question.
I remember you mentioning in several cases including 4HWW that you go to bed at 2.30am. Yet in the ‘Occam’s Feeding’ section of 4HB, you say you have your last meal at 8.30pm.
I have a similar schedule so I was wondering if best muscle gain results come from eating high protein meals every four hours awake, wouldn’t it be best to have another meal or high protein snack between 8.30pm and 2am? That is, on top of the protein shake before bed.
Hey Tim,
I know I posted this before and I think someone else did but I was wondering if Xylitol would be an acceptable sweetener on the Slow Carb diet? Also, I bought a huge container of golden organic flax seed. Is flax seed OK for slow carb? Last night I took ground flax seed and rolled some chicken thighs in it then put a really thin layer of olive oil in a baking pan, cut up some fresh garlic and scallions on top then seasoned it all with various spices…came out really well. Just wondering if this combo sounds good too…so many questions but so far feeling great and lost 2 lbs in 3 days! Thanks!
Hormel chilli with beans, 3 times a day for all my meals. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Here are the stats for it:
Serving Size: 247g
Servings per Container: 2
Calories: 260
Total Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Sodium: 900mg
Total Carbs: 33g
Fiber: 7g
Sugars: 5g
Protein: 16g
I think the 5g of sugar per serving probably disqualifies it but I could be wrong…not to mention you’re exceeding what you should be taking in for sodium in one day in one meal. Also, Hormel Chili is junk…how about saving that for your cheat day?
You need more protein. At least 20 grams a meal 30 would be great. Also the sodium is pretty high. Hypertension may not be an issue for you, but it could cause you to retain water.
Just because the nutritional info on the can makes it sort “ok” does not mean it is a healthy option. As a general rule to make sure you are putting healthy, natural foods in your body you should be doing most of your grocery shopping on the outer sections of the grocery store, meats, produce, eggs. The only other rows you should go down is the spice row and the row where the dried beans and lentils are located. If you really enjoy chili that much you should consider making you own using dried or canned plain beans and fresh ground meat with spices
HI!
I’m 29, i’m 5’1” and weigh 115 lbs. My body fat percentage is 32%, which is pretty high, though i don’t look overweight.
I’ve been following the diet for 10 days now, and I haven’t lost any wieght, and only 1/2 an inch on my hips. I see other people are having this problem.
1. I’m a bit confused on the “domino foods” and “in case of emergency” foods, such as peanut/almond butter and cottage cheese. I may eat 1 teaspoon of peanut butter for a snack once or twice a week and have a half cup of cottage cheese for a snack if i’m hungry, but again only once or twice a week. Also, I will have a tablespoon of hummus on my salad. Is this allowed, as long as I am strict in moderation.
2. Also I am eating bacon a few times a week, maybe 2 or 3 times, and only 1 or 2 pieces. I am eating out a lot, mostly mexican food, (fajitas with no rice and extra beans with guac.) I know when i eat out the food is cooked in oil or with butter, and at home when i cook i am using a little butter or oil (1-2 tablespoons at most). Is it possible i’m eating too much fat? I’m not going crazy with the fat, but I am eating beef every day and cooking with a little oil and butter at every meal.
3. Can too much beans stop fat loss? I’m having at least half a cup of refried, or black or lentils at every meal.
4. I’m drinking or cooking with 2 glasses of red wine every night
5. I took a proper cheat day.
6. I have had a third of a packet of splenda 2x’s a week in iced tea, since Tim said one 16 oz diet drink a day is ok, and this is probably less.
No dairy. No grains. No sugar. No corn.
Here’s a list of meals:
Day 1
Breakfast
2 eggs with additional egg whites with sautee’d peppers and onions with half a cup of refried black beans
Lunch:
hamburger patty with fried egg on top and 1 strip of bacon with salad with oil and vinegar
2nd smaller lunch:
grilled lamb (6oz) with 2 tablespoons of hummus and salad with no dressing
Dinner:
Grilled carne asada chicken with 1 cup black refried beans, roast zuccini and onions and salad with oil and vinegar dressing
2 glasses red wine
Day 2
Breakfast
3 organic eggs with sauteed spinach and onions with 1/2 cup lentils
Lunch
Mixed veggie salad with 1/4 cup avacado, canned tuna and 1 tablespoon of hummus in oil and vinegar
Snack:
1 teaspoon of organic no sugar added peanut butter and 1/2 cup cottage cheese
Dinner
1 cup canned lentil soup
chicken breast with sauteed mushrooms and onions in red wine reduction sauce (just red wine and chicken broth and salt for sauce, 2 tablespoons of butter for mushroom and onions, but for 2 people)
roasted butternut squash with olive oil and salt
red wine
I am not eating hummus everyday, just a coincidence here.
Maybe I’m doing everything ok, and it’s just gonna take some time, but should i cut out all domino foods, or do i just need to measure it and eat it in moderation? Help!
Rebeka, Hang in there, changes for me were minuscule on the scale in the first 2 weeks but during week 3-5, the changes have been escalating and the fat is melting off. I was a bit frustrated around 10 days as well. At that time I began paying attention to sodium intake, ensuring I was drinking enough water, and I also shifted my first meal from 1 hour after waking to 30 minutes. The other thing I added was the cold therapy, cold showers and ice packs at the back of my neck in the evenings (I actually think this knocks me out at night, as I get extremely drowsy then!). At week 5, none of my pants fit anymore, including “skinny” pants that I had buried in my closet from years ago. The changes I am getting from this diet are those that I have not had luck with before-my waistline and cellulite! I hope this helps, just hang in there. It looks like you are doing the right things, but others may have comments about some tweaks you can make. Good luck!
Holly, your posts are very inspirational. I’m getting ready to start the SCD and your posts have helped me VERY much. Keep sharing!
Hi Amy,
I’m so glad that sharing my SCD experience has helped at least one person! Thanks for letting me know and best of luck to you with your journey-I’m so glad Tim’s blog allows for fellow 4HB/SCD folks to share, connect, & help one another. Thanks, Tim!
Holly
I watch Dr. Oz and this is where I found out about 4HB. He advised that while two glass were recommended for men for a heart healthy men women should not exceed 1 glass (5oz.) per day as it translates more readily to sugar in our systems and with the fruit juice restriction, I would think that this qualifies as having the same effect. If you cut back on your wine you might find you get better results.
Dear Mr, Ferris,
I am enjoying your book but was disturbed by an error on page 370, which I assume is a typo but hopefully will be corrected in later editions of which I’m sure there will be many.
You describe a marathoner saying, “Brian estimated her truer finish time at 3:30 or 7:28.8 per mile pace.”
Said pace would have put her closer to 3:15.
Also, not to quibble, but to have lost 30 seconds a mile, said marathoner would have had to stop running for at least 13 minutes, if not longer, as she should have been able to pick up her pace for the last leg after stopping for so long and would have made up some time. This seems like a very long stop in the middle of a race, when you consider that there are usually stewards and first aid people within shouting distance. A sentence or two to explain what sort of help the other runner in the story needed might help to clear things up.
Love the book
Robbie
Ok, I was enjoying the book so far.. I got it as an Audiobook.. Understand it, taking notes on what I need to do in the Diet. But now you’re saying a lot of these AGG stuff. I literally have no idea what this is suppose to be. Can anyone tell me in simple what this AGG stuff is and when I should have it. So I can make a simple note with the other notes in evernote. Thank you, hope someone can help because I get the feeling this is important in the Diet? I don’t know.
AGG and PAGG are acronyms for different supplements:
P= Policosanol
A= Alpha Lipoic Acid
G= Green Tea Flavanols
G= Garlic extract
Tim explains usage and dosage on page 116 (4HB)
Hey Tim and anyone that can help!
I just started slow-carbing, not to loose weight, but to challenge myself (goal of getting down to a certain body fat percentage- currently at 13%) and eating healthier (instead of all those white carbs). Anyways, I can’t seem to eat enough calories in day, my stomach just wont hold this much food. I’m used to eating about 6 times a day with rather small meals. Here has been my diet for the past 2 days:
DAY 1
Breakfast: 3 hard boiled eggs (I really dislike egg yolk so I had 1 whole hard boiled egg and 2 egg whites only) and a serving of fat-free cottage cheese
Lunch: As much chicken breast as I could eat with home-made tortilla soup (without the tortilla part). Approximately half a chicken breast. And a serving and a half of black beans.
Dinner: A steak plate from Daphnes greek cafe. Included: 2 steak skewers, a vegetable skewer, steamed veggies, and a side salad no cheese and minimal dressing.
Snacks: Slow carb says snacking shouldn’t be necessary, however, I got hungry in between meals. One large celery stick with nutmeric (probably half a serving). And pistachios.
Day 2:
Breakfast: 4 eggs (one whole, 3 eggs whites) with sauteed mushrooms and spinach, and fat-free cottage cheese.
Lunch: 1 serving of black beans and 3 servings of tuna-in water (out of can).
Dinner: Rib-eye steak, approx 10 oz and steamed vegetables (broccoli, green beans, onion, mushrooms).
How many calories should I be consuming a day (106 lbs 13% BF)? I think (I could definitely be wrong) I’m averaging about 400 per meal. Is there anything I can do to increase calorie intake or is the only option just eating until I’m uncomfortable every meal?
Tim, incredible sense of humor, you make me laugh every day. Loved 4HWW. Thank you for being so straight forward and helpful. Haven’t finished 4HB yet, but there’s already a ton of great things in there! Thanks!
Correction on day two dinner: it was actually 5 oz of steak.
Tiffany, Cool, my numbers are about the same as yours & I have the same problem. I am on my 5th week. This is what I am doing and it works for me, I have a 30g protein shake immediately upon waking, then another breakfast about an hour or two later. I can’t eat huge meals either so I have been either having a snack of one of these choices between lunch and dinner: a 1/4 cup of whole milk cottage cheese w/blueberry balsamic vinegar drizzed on it or a pack of “Just a Handful of Raw Almonds” from Trader Joes, or Soynut (or Almond) butter on celery. This has not hurt my progress. I haven’t looked ahead on how to maintain once I get to a certain bodyfat% though. My last measurement was 14.79 but I know it’s gone down. I’m not sure what happens when we near essential bodyfat but I haven’t read those chapter yet to see if that is addressed. Since you are low already, you will have to address that soon…hopefully someone (Tim?) will chime in to help us here.
Hi, thanks for the recommendation. I’ll go get some protein today. I am lactose, have not been eating dairy of any kind, and I noticed that Tim mentioned some not-so great things about soy. Does your shake just include powder and water? If not, what’s your mix-in? And I bought some raw almonds yesterday! Also, about maintaining, I think if you find something that works for you then stick with it. The slow carb is more of a lifestyle change (eating healthier) than just a quick diet, although it works when trying to loose body fat. Consistency is key with little or no variation. I know that doesn’t completely answer your question, but as Tim always says be your own experiment. Maybe when you get down to goal BF % status you can add (or subtract) foods from your diet and keep all else the same but closely monitor body fat %. If it starts to increase, refine diet again and try something new. Wish I could be more help, but good luck to you and thank you for the suggestions!
Female, 5’8″, 163 lbs, BF: 34%, GOAL BF: 20%
I own the book and I AM OBSESSED! i love it!
Q: On day 3 – But I find it hard to eat all my meals each day because i’m so full from the filling eggs, beans and veggies. is there a MINIMUM amount of beans & veggies I should be reaching for regardless? (I’m trying to get at least 20-30 g Protein each meal).
Right now my meals look like this:
BFAST- 3 eggs, 1/2 c. lentils, 60 g. spinach
LUNCH&DINNER – large chicken breast or beef, 1/2 c. beans, 80 g. spinach.
I’m using PAGG. No exercise.
Thanks for all your awesome-ness,
Meegan
two questions.
1. can one do the slow carb diet without animal products? i read the chapter on the slow carb diet. and it says what u can eat. so, if i eat what is listed minus animal proteins. and get my protein from legumes will it be succesful?
also, i saw the foods that are allowed on the slowcarb diet. and i read that on does not have to be concerned with counting calories. however, later in the book. i saw that it said that almonds, and chick peas are domino foods and high in calories, and should be limited or avoided. so i don’t get it. am i supposed to be concerned with calorie intake or not?
and if so, what is the caloric intake i should strive for?
one more question…
as for fruit. u said there are a few exceptions of fruit which are ok besides tomatoes and avocados. i love fruit. and if there is any fruit which is ok i would like to know about it. do tell…
peppers, zuchini, and cucumbers are technically fruit. are they ok?
thanks,
gil.
In the book it says to take Kerry Gold butter with a good cod liver oil as an alternative to the supplement you mention. How do you suggest taking the butter?
I am having just great results right from the start. The problem I have is having to eat so much it seems like I am always eating (not really a problem). My son is 12 he does nit seem to be doing as well. He has not hit puberty does that have any bearing? Can you comment?
I should add we are 3 weeks in.
I just HAVE to post the results of my body fat analysis somewhere or I will burst! I am 39 years old, two children and weight loss has been slow so far (1lb/week) but not difficult since I am only hungry when it’s mealtime.
My trainer took the measurements and went off to analyse them while I warmed up. She came over all excited and told me the changes were significant – I think I really made her day! I had lost 5lbs and ALL of that was fat – no muscle at all. A total loss of 2.4% bodyfat. I am SO excited that this is finally shifting for me AND I have lost 2lbs more in the 2 days since then! She has given me 90 days to reach my goal but I think I will be asking for a reassessment long before then!
Either things are speeding up because I’m past the 4 week stage (see Tim’s note for women above) AND/OR it is because I am getting better and better at sticking 100% to the plan. This week I have eaten more lentils as my pulse and no chickpeas or navy beans.
Best of all? Now I have to wear a belt to hold up a pair of jeans that were tight a couple of weeks ago!
The Ice Age section of the book was very interesting. Have you done any studies with extreme heat? Do you believe in Bikram Yoga for weight loss/health benefits?
Thanks!
can anyone here answer this. not necessarily tim.two questions.
1. can one do the slow carb diet without animal products? i read the chapter on the slow carb diet. and it says what u can eat. so, if i eat what is listed minus animal proteins. and get my protein from legumes will it be succesful?
also, i saw the foods that are allowed on the slowcarb diet. and i read that on does not have to be concerned with counting calories. however, later in the book. i saw that it said that almonds, and chick peas are domino foods and high in calories, and should be limited or avoided. so i don’t get it. am i supposed to be concerned with calorie intake or not?
and if so, what is the caloric intake i should strive for?
one more question…
as for fruit. u said there are a few exceptions of fruit which are ok besides tomatoes and avocados. i love fruit. and if there is any fruit which is ok i would like to know about it. do tell…
peppers, zuchini, and cucumbers are technically fruit. are they ok?
thanks,
gilman
Just wanted to say thanks Tim. I’ve been following the diet and some other sections in the book for 6 weeks. I’m wasting less time in the gym and already back to the body fat I kill myself to get to every summer – with hardly any effort and on my way to levels I haven’t seen since college.
More importantly though, I got my wife on the diet almost 4 weeks ago. She saw me push through Christmas and New Years on the diet with no hiccups and noticed the increase in energy. She has PCOS which makes weight gain very easy and weight loss very difficult. As well as a whole host of other crappy symptoms. She was very nervous about starting because, she has NEVER lost weight doing anything else – personal trainer, nutritionist, 4 week boot camp with a diet plan, weight watchers… She has never lost more than 1lb from any “diet.”At the 3 week marker, she was down 18 pounds and feels great! She eats a ton and while she still has to fight some cravings to get to the cheat days, she sticks to it all week. It’s all diet – she hasn’t worked out or taken any supplements (kettle bells coming soon). This has encouraged her more than I can tell you.
So, for all those nay sayers out there – it does work. On men and women – even after 2 kids! You just have to stick with it and follow the diet exactly. For example I was eating almond butter with wheat germ (didn’t notice the wheat germ until I read the label a week later) stalled me for over a week. Dropped it and dropped 3 pounds in 2 days. Everything counts. If your not sure whether you can eat it – dont! If your you think your eating or drinking enough, your probably not.
Thanks again and for everyone else – stick with it!
Thanks so very much for the comment, Josh! Please give a hug to the wife for me, and keep up the great work!
As you noted, the details do matter.
All the best,
Tim
Wow! Congrats to Josh and his wife. My diet is also working really well, I’m very happy. About the wheat germ, though. I was thinking about taking wheat germ oil in the mornings, which is supposed to be a very good antioxidant and it is also prescribed for sperm health. I checked the nutritional info label and it says it has zero carbs. I thought it would be fine to add. Do you think I shouldn’t? Thanks.
Thanks for posting this! I am just starting week 2 and am a bit sluggish from the over-carb I did on my cheat day, LOL! I love to read this blog because I ALWAYS get re-motivated and encouraged! BTW, down 3 lbs net in the first week… My husband and daughter are a few weeks ahead of me and have lost 15/13 lbs respectively.
Josh, I found your comment truly inspiring and uplifting. For some people, this way of life results in a better aesthetic look, but for other people it can be truly life-changing, and this is really where the magic is.
All the best to you and your wife, and I genuinely wish everyone else all the very best with achieving their goals – it can be the most powerful thing to experience!
Luke
On page 99 of your book, you say, “you must absolutely make a concerted effort to eat larger portions than your former high-carb self.”
“Larger portions” of what?
Do you mean I must eat larger portions of legumes at my next meal or do you mean eat larger portions of protein and vegetables at the meal I skip legumes?
Larger portion of FOOD.
= eat more at each meal than what you used to.
I am on my second week of SCD…I am in Australia and hemp products(protein powder,hulled hemp hearts,etc,are not legal):..Have you any ideas on a good protein powder i can incorporate in my morning brekkie?..I am excited about any ideas you may have…Thank you!
Karen – obviously not Tim here – but I think I can help anyway. What he was referring to was if you decide to omit the beans/legumes at meals. You have to eat larger portions of protein + veggies to make up for the filling effect and added protein beans offer.
Hope that helps!
Brian
Looking for protein powder recommendations please. Most seem to either contain sucralose or milk products. Any advice? Good taste would be a bonus too. 🙂
Fitness Labs 100% Whey Protein unflavored and unsweetened. This brand also has a variety of flavors if you’re looking for chocolate or vanilla, and strawberry. My brother drops a couple espresso shots in this (unflavored/unsweetened) every morning to add some flavor.You can find it here: http://www.nutritionexpress.com/images/products/94/94-8252-X500.gif
or at a nutrition store. But here is a picture at least for reference. It contains 25 grams of protein and 130 calories. It has less than 1.4 grams of lactose and no artificial sweeteners, flavor, etc.
Hope this helps!
Boy, there are a ton of protein powders out there and consumer reports tested a handful and detected a bunch of heavy metals in most.
So I sent my MetRX Plus from Trader Joe’s to a lab. Full of arsenic(0.126ppm) and lead(0.120)
Then I sent my Online Nutrition Gold Casein protein. Full of Mercury (.136 ppm). The FDA considers 1ppm of mercury enough to remove fish from a store.
So I went with CR lowest detect Whey:
Solgar Vanilla Bean, which is virtually non-detect. Right now I’ve switched to non-fat cottage cheese for my casein at night, but hoping to find a mercury free casein. Tim isn’t as complete as he makes it seem from his 600 page book. It costs around $30 a metal to get protein powder tested at a lab. Well worth it if you are drinking a lot and in for the long haul.
I know they use some sort of Mercury to extract Casein protein.
You don’t hear much about this because most muscle building websites derive a ton of income from protein powder sales.
I found one yesterday (if you are in San Francisco) on Market street in at Active Nutrition in the Castro (near the Peets).
I asked for a no sugar/sweetener whey protein powder. I let him know I was doing the 4HB and needed a protein powder for the mornings I didn’t have time for a real breakfast. This is what I recommended (and what we had this morning). It pretty much tastes like nothing – maybe like a tablespoon of skim milk in a glass of water. He said that he puts vanilla in his.
The brand is IsoNatural. It is 28 grams per service, 1gram carb. It is made in Canada. I paid $29.95 for 2lbs (30 servings).
I am not associated with IsoNatural or Active Nutrition.
Best health!
As for the whey protein, I use one that probably is not the best choice (it does contain milk/soy products). However, if you are looking for something to add to your ‘smoothie’ I use Almond Milk – vanilla flavor. It tastes better than soy.
Hello Tim,
Please help! I don’t understand what I must be doing wrong. I’m 25, and I’m the mother of a 1y/o. I gained a significant amount of weight during the pregnancy, lost most of it after my daughter was born, but I can’t seem to get rid of the last 20lbs. I started the diet on 1/23. I started my period on the 29th, and I know that my measurements within 10days of starting must be considered inaccurate, so I didn’t freak out too much about the scale at first. But here I am (last day of my period was yesterday) and the scale still says 158.8lbs. I haven’t lost any weight at all! Here is what a typical day looks like:
0900 – Wake up
0915 – 500mL ice water – AGG, multi-vitamin, BCAA, folic acid, vitamin C, b12, and NoDoz (200mg caffeine)
0945 – Breakfast: 3 egg omelet (18g protein), with ½ c. black beans (7.5g protein), ¼ c. diced ham (5g protein), 1tbsp minced garlic, mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, and spinach (maybe ¼ cup). I season with garlic salt and 2tbsp salsa (only 1g of sugar). I typically also eat 2 slices of turkey bacon (4g protein) with my omelet. (Total of 34.5g protein)
1215 – 500mL ice water and AGG
1230 – Salad: (shredded cabbage + 1/4c. raw spinach leaves), ¼ c. diced ham (5g protein), mushrooms, and topped with 2tbsp olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing (only 1g sugar). I occasionally add ½ c. chopped avocado to the salad. I also eat ½ c. black beans (7.5g protein) sautéed with a thin slice of organic butter and ½ tbsp. minced garlic. With lunch, I typically eat left-overs from the dinner I cooked the day before, and then however many hard-boiled eggs I need to get at least 20g protein total.
1400 – 20-30 minutes of cardio kick boxing, 3 days a week
1730 – 500mL ice water and AGG
1745 – Dinner is usually my most variable meal, since I am also cooking for my husband. I usually eat 8-10oz grilled ribeye, 4-6oz baked lemon pepper tilapia, ground turkey w/habanero rotel, or ½ lb. grilled hamburger patty. I’ll cook ½ c. black beans sautéed with ½ tbsp. minced garlic. I also eat 1 c. green beans or asparagus with dinner. Typically 20-40g of protein total.
2100 – Cold shower (10-15 minutes)
2120 – Ice packs on back of the neck and upper trap area (30 minutes)
2230 – 100mL ice water and PAGG
2245 – Go to bed
My daughter has been sick for the last week, and has been waking up and needing to be feed at least once during the night (hence the NoDoz in the morning). Getting her back to sleep can take anywhere from 20minutes to an hour. Could this be stalling my weight-loss? Waking up in the middle of the night, but not eating upon waking?
My schedule greatly depends on my daughter’s naps and other general care needs, but I do my best to eat breakfast within an hour of waking (as you said in the SC chapters), and keeping meals no more than 4-5hours apart. If the baby is particularly needy in the morning, and I am unable fix my breakfast within an hour of waking, I’ll eat 3-4 hard-boiled eggs within that first hour, and then eat my beans and spinach as soon as she gives me the time to. I keep hard-boiled eggs handy, and I use them as a buffer if the rest of my meal doesn’t consist of enough protein. I’m not a big vegetable person, so I honestly don’t eat very many of them. However, I do make a concerted effort to eat high protein and legumes with every meal. Later in the evening, if I have a snack-attack (doesn’t happen very often) I’ll eat either 5 raw almonds, or tbsp. of organic chunky peanut butter, and that usually helps a great deal. I google everything before I eat it, and if it is listed as a fruit or with high fructose levels in it (such as starchy foods like corn and sweet potatoes) I don’t eat it. I don’t eat anything dairy, including cottage cheese and yogurt. I stay away from anything sweet, even if it is on the allowed list. I read a study in a Muscle and Fitness magazine about how just the taste of something sweet, regardless of whether it is real sugar, fake sweeteners, or fruit sugar, cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin production. And since sweets are my weakness, I just avoid them all together.
My husband says I need to just suck it up and keep doing what I’m doing for another week or two before I start worrying. But I can’t help but feel like I must be doing something wrong. Everyone else has posted about losing weight during their first week, and yet I haven’t lost a single pound and my measurements haven’t changed at all. I apologize for the novel I’ve written, lol. Any advice you might have would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Sarah
Hello Sarah,
I had somewhat the same experience for the first two weeks. What I noticed, as I was tweaking my diet was my intake of ham. Ham was one of the primary meats I was using in my diet at that time. Once I took the ham OUT of the mix and used other sources of protein I started losing weight.
Now I use beef (grass feed when I can afford it) and chicken from a friend who raises them organically. I also use organic “if I can” packaged turkey but I always make sure to read the label to make sure that it fits the bill. Experiment for yourself, track, and see what happens.
Rick
I am 1 month into my new lifestyle and I thought it might be helpful to put out my results to this point and ask for some help.
First of all, as Tim mentions repeatedly, the scale should not be the only measuring tool. I am a 48 year old male, 6’3″ and I started at 205lbs. My weight lose began immediately and has been very consistant. I lose 1 lb per day and gain 1 to 2 lbs on my cheat day. I had a 3 day span about mid month when I hit a plateau, but after looking at my food log, I realized that while I use sprouted almonds as a snack and limit them to 5 at a time, during that time I was still eating 30 a day. I cut back to 10 a day and the weight lose started back up.
I started on Jan 3, so today is 1 month later and I have lost 20 lbs, which is great. However, in the beginning I could not find a DexaScan that wasn’t through a clinic and wouldn’t have cost about $350. Since my weight lose began so quickly, I quickly tracked down a BodPod in my area and paid my $39 on Jan 12 and got myself measured. I came in at 198.2 lbs and body fat of 23.3%. I just went back today, which is only 23 days later (remember I did the first measurement one week into the program) and my weight is now 186.8 lbs, with a body fat count of 21.4%.
What is interesting about the numbers is that the composition results indicate that of my newly lost 11.4 lbs, I lost 6.2 lbs of fat and 5.2 lbs of lean mass.
It was not my intention to lose any lean mass and I am concerned about it and want to correct things, so it does not continue.
I haven’t exercised since high school and I didn’t during this last month either; I want to address my lean mass lose by adjusting my diet.
Here is my daily food intake.
I drink a 20 oz bottle of cold Noah’s spring water (100 mg of magnesium with almost no calcium). Immediately upon waking up.
Breakfast is scrambled eggs mixed with spinach, 3 cage free eggs and 1/4 lb of frozen chopped spinach from Trader Joes. Within 60 minutes of waking.
Lunch is either a bowl of chili or big plate of Wild Arugula from Trader Joes and I cut up about 1/4 of a chicken from Whole Foods to mix in with Trader Joes Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Mid afternoon snack is usually 5 sprouted almonds.
DInner will be something like a chicken curry dish, from Robb Wolf’s book The Paleo Solution. We have been experimenting with different dishes. Or if my wife made chili for lunch, we will also have it again for dinner.
Evening snack is usually 5 sprouted almonds again.
I take 2000 IU of Vitamin D at breakfast and again before bed and I also take 2 butter cod liver pills at breakfast and before bed.
And I cheat like hell on Saturdays.
How can I best increase my protein intake and eliminate my lean mass lose?
Shelly – I like Stronger Faster Healthier whey protein. Comes from Grass-Fed Cows and practically lactose free. It does have a very minute amount of stevia (natural flavor), but to date it’s the only whey that has assimilated into my stomach without any issues. Please also check out their omega3 oil highest ratio of DHA/EPA I’ve ever seen too.
Hey Tim (and fellow 4HBers),
I’ve been following the Tony Robbins Living Health program before the SC diet. Some minor changes were eliminating fruit, etc.
However, there’s one big thing I’m confused about.
One of the principles in Living Health is that coffee is a pretty poisonous substance and that the acid effect it has on the organism creates a acid-alkalin imbalance, which triggers the “fight or flight” mode and therefore causes you to tend to store more fat.
You, on the other hand, seem to advocate coffee for digestion speeding processes, and working out on an empty stomach, for example.
Do you have some more insights on this coffee matter? Just so I’m clear on this point.
I have exact same question. Was following the Tony Robbins Acid /Alk as well… I am somewhat coffee confused… 2-3 med/lg cups every morning with unsweetened Almond Milk… too much coffee???
hello there,
I bought the 4HB on my honeymoon. I devoured it and planned to start recomposing my body once i got home. I have always been slim and fit, but unless i restrict and train hard im not very toned in the thigh and butt area. Im not a fan of restricting and i don’t have time to train long hours. I got home from the honeymoon only to discover I am PREGNANT (fourth baby, we already have three). I get very nauseous and very tired at least for the first four or five months. due to feeling nauseous I overeat and put on lots of weight. I dont really mind but its an effort afterwards and i feel really unhealthy during the pregnancy. Have you considered a healthy option of the 4HB for pregnant women? my abs and core strength is shot also. i would like to keep up my strength and stay as lean as is safe and healthy. would be happy to add to your research is this is an area that interests you.
Jenny- I’m Tim’s assistant (not a doctor, so please consult yours before implementing anything you read online). The slow carb diet in the book has helped thousands, including many pregnant women, feel healthier and more energetic. Removing gluten (bread, wheat, etc.) and reducing soy intake can alleviate feelings of nausea, as well.
Again, I’m not a doctor, so please do not interpret this comment as professional medical advice. I’m only offering up a few bits that I’ve observed over the last two years of working with Tim.
Best of luck,
Charlie
Thanks Charlie,
I started this morning. Everything about it looks perfect for nausea and fatigue. I think the best thing about it is the rules to follow so I can not just have a pie or chocolate cake when feeling nauseous. Hopefully by the time the nausea kicks in ill be feeling the benefits and it will be easy to follow. I will let you know how I progress!
Jenny
Australia
Jenny, Congrats on your pregnancy, I hope it goes smoothly for you. Sucking on ginger and drinking ginger tea helped me when I was nauseous. I thought I would share my experience regarding keeping fit while pregnant, I learned to racewalk during my 2nd pregnancy (real racewalking (UST&F style), which takes about 4 weeks and a trainer or perhaps dvds to learn the form correctly). I had always been a runner and was pleasantly surprised how racewalking shaped my body so much better. It worked my thighs, hips, butt, core, and arms in a way running never did (also, you don’t need to do it “race” like, it’s the technique that does the shaping). After I had my babies and continued to racewalk, my stomach flattened right up without doing ab work. When I had my 3rd child (c-section), the GYN was commenting during the surgery that she had never seen such great abs on a pregnant person in all her years delivering. Just my 2 cents. It may look a little funny but you won’t care once you start noticing the results. You could do it on a treadmill too…hills (incline on treadmill) give even better results. I fell off the wagon with racewalking after losing a partner to go with in the dark hours of the morning (won’t go alone in the dark). I’ve picked it back up again and am happily seeing the benefits once again! It’s more motivating/fun if you can get a friend to learn and walk with you. All the best to you with a healthy pregnancy!
thanks pdxholly,
That sounds like a great alternative. Ill give it a go!
Jenny
Jenny, I am an RN studying to be a midwife. Pregnant Women sure never use a restrictive diet. Carbs are extremely important for fetal development. Cutting out sweets is fine, but whole grain breads, cereals, and pasta should not be avoided. Please, talk to your maternal care provider before continuing with this diet.
Since 30th January 2011, I have lost 4.8kg in 5 days. I have been tracking my diet and weight with photos.
“Thanks. The only variable here is the whey protein intake. I was weight training the same frequency/intensity. The 2 blood tests were done couple weeks apart.
My wife had the same elevated liver enzymes using the same protein… and back to normal after stopping using it… Protein was good quality (as good as protein can be..) http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Natural-Chocolate/dp/B000GIQT06/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296018462&sr=8-1”
****************
CR rated ON Gold Standard 100% Whey Extreme Milk Chocolate:
Arsenic: 2.5 ug/3servings
Cadmium: 1.7 ug/3servings
Lead: 1.0 ug/3servings
96g of powder in 3 servings
72g of protein in 3 servings
Not sure what you mean by “good quality”. I guess good guality metals not just your old junk yard tin.
Am I crazy or is this heavy metals an issue and/or the elephant in the room?
#epicfail to Barnes and Noble. I pre-ordered way back, they sent me an email note to say they shipped it on 14 December (to Australia) and I have never received the book. Australia Post can’t track it, they believe it has never entered their system.
4 emails to Barnes and Noble customer service (the last one asking for a refund) have gone unanswered. I tweeted them and that has been ignored too.
I bought the book at the local bookstore yesterday, and will be getting stuck into it this weekend. Can’t wait to start changing my body.
Anybody know a better way to contact them to try to get my refund? I called the customer service line from work and had to give up after 20 mins on hold.
I’m so sorry to hear this! I’m one of Tim’s assistants and I hate to say it, but you’re not the only one. B&N didn’t deliver on countless orders that were supposed to be fulfilled. They really dropped the ball during this launch.
If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know! Just reply to this comment and I’ll follow up.
And a note to everyone else: Stick with Amazon!
– Charlie
Thanks Charlie, any help you can give would be appreciated. I could email you my order number perhaps? Or is there a B&N email that actually gets to a human that I could use?
On a brighter note, I’ve spent the weekend devouriing the book ($30 AUD, the same as the total I paid to B&N) and have just returned from the supermarket with the necessary food so I can start tomorrow (Monday morning in Oz).
Just email me your receipt and I’ll get things taken care of. charlie AT fourhourbody dot com.
Thanks!
Tim/Charlie(or anyone else that can help)
Woke up a couple hours early this morning had breakfast right away(unflavored protein,1egg,eggwhites,lentils,broccoli) now i find myself a little hungry and dont think i can make it to lunch. I want to have another shake and a tablespoon of almond butter, is this an acceptable snack and is it ok to add the snack to my day because of the extra waking hours in the day?
Thanks
Robbie- Remember: eat until you’re full at each meal, and you will feel fewer pangs of hunger throughout the day. You don’t think you can make it to lunch because you’re still in the same mindset of your old eating habits. There are no set times for when you can have lunch on the slow carb. If you’re hungry, eat! And eat until you’re full. If you stick to the diet’s rules, you will lose fat and eventually wean yourself away from snacking between meals.
Re-read the “Slow Carb Diet II” chapter if it’s still unclear what you can and can’t have.
Best of luck!
– Charlie
Hi!, I’ve been following the Slow-Carb diet for 2 weeks with 4Kg (8.7pounds) loss weight already, really happy about it.
1st week 3kg
2nd week 1kg
I have two questions (hope this is the right place)
Nutrasweet-Aspartame it’s OK? …. and AVOID Splenda-sucralose?
What about eating peanuts (roasted, salted)?
Thanks!
Sergio,
His comment on all things “sweetner” is that they effect you insulin levels the same and can induce weight gain. Use sparingly if at all.
He talks about peanuts as domino foods. They are “good” for you, but still tons of calories and often when you eat one handful, you end up eating the whole jar. So, they seem to be binge day foods.
I am hereby publicly apologizing to Tim – I didn’t think that measuring was important and so I didn’t the first two weeks. I was one of those that said, I am following this and not seeing any results. I cleaned up my act, because Tim was right, my to the T wasn’t so much to the T (isn’t completely now, but closer and what I can live with) I have lost 1.8 lbs’ in a month – BUT I have lost 9.5 inches in two weeks. I am a 47 year old mother of a 12 year old and am perimenopausal – My loss isn’t showing up in pounds – it’s better, it is showing up in inches. I almost quit. But thanks to being called out on my BS and joining Daily Burn and most importantly, Tim, I measured. I know one of these days I am going to look at the scale and that number will be significantly lower. I can wait for that as long as my inches keep dropping Holy Cow!! 9.5 inches in 2 weeks….. Thanks doesn’t seem adequate.
Congratulations, Stacy!
Charlie/Tim
I just wanted to drop quickly a huuuge thank you for sending me T4HB after there was some big delay with receiving what B&N had sent. I received them the other day and I am hugely impressed by your client service! I’ll make sure to spread the word about T4HB.
Best regards from Greece,
David
Thanks, Stacy! Keep up the great work. Measurement is so critical — great to see you’re on the right track.
All the best,
Tim
Hey Tim!
Wondering about a probably not so common side effect/ bonus to the 4-Hour Body WOE and if there are any others out there.
I am a nursing mom and I have noticed a marked increase in my milk supply. I am sure YOU didn’t measure this nor would you think about the possibility, because you’re a dude and all 🙂
Any other moms out there have this happen? Have any contacted you?
Me and my baby thank you!
Sharon
My supply has definitely increased also, though I don’t pump so I haven’t measured it. My assumption is that in my case anyways, I am drinking water a lot more regularly throughout the day. My skin is significantly less dry also for the same reason.
In a comment somewhere else, Tim pointed out that nursing mother’s might want to be concerned about the fat loss releasing toxins into your milk supply or something along those lines. Just thought I’d point that out.
Interesting. Can you point me in the direction of that comment?
I don’t pump either so I can’t talk amounts but is has for sure increased.
I also think it’s the amount of protein we’re consuming as well as the water. Whatever it is I love it because I have a pretty low supply to start with.
Thanks for letting me know it’s not just me 🙂
The comment is closer to the beginning of this list, it is directed at a Laura I think.
I’ve linked to you Dr Oz segments. Great stuff I plan to try.
OH! and you did great on The View, despite Babs sour attitude. She seemed negative, yeh?
(To anybody else?) You probably won her over in the end.
Do you think gluten is bad in general, or mainly for fertility issues?
Love the knee joint tip. THANK GOD for you!
ok. Now, on to cold packs. gulp. (I’m not sure I can give up warm showers just yet).
I am: measuring, charting, weighing, made charts and flow charts, color coded, excel charts, index carded, calendared and day planned– all based on the 4HB. I just bought some colored highlighters and had to laugh at myself. Is anyone else suffering from 4HB OCD?
Totally how I do things too.
Robby,
I’d love to talk to you about this. What’s stopping me from getting started is the initial measuring step.
I’ve successfully dieted and trained for 20 years but never measured anything but body weight. This time i want to do it right.
I could use your or someone’s help.
Dave
Robby,
Yeah, I’ve set up a spreadsheet in Google Docs too. For the first few weeks I was experimenting with the right sort of foods to get everything I need for lunch into one container that I could eat pretty quickly (I’m a truck driver, so I don’t get much in the way of breaks).
Keeping track of everything not only helped me track my progress, but also helped me establish a nice little shopping list for each week’s groceries, which has been saving me a ton of time and money at Safeway.
I even have a separate note file for foods I want to eat on my cheat day, which looks like a catalog of 47 years of nutritional sins: “OB Beer, six-pack. Sriracha Peas. Bag of bagels. Half-dozen Peanut Butter Snickers.”
And I can track everything from my iPhone.
So, yeah, I think OCD is probably your friend in this case. From reading the book, it sounds like TF is all about hard data, anyway.
Hi StochasticJack ,
Could you post a link to a sample spread sheet? I would love to track that way and while my brain is happy to fill out spread sheets I suck at setting them up in a meaningful way!
Thanks!
Hi Tim,
I got an email in December in reference to the bonus goods for buying 3 copies of 4HB. Apparently, I only got half of what I was supposed to (Cissus, 2 sample packets of stuff I can’t remember right now). There was ice packs and something else that was supposed to have been sent, but had been delayed due to weather conditions. What’s the status on that? It’s been about 2 months now!
Thanks!
Star
Hi Charlie!!
Since you seem to be actively answering questions, I have three for ya that I cannot seem to get a strait answer from anyone.
1)Can I have two types of protein at a meal or do I have to stick with one type of protein per meal? That same questions for legumes and vegies? Example: Is it ok to add an egg or two to my morning beef portion? Can I mix black and pinto beans? Can I have a couple types of veggies per meal?
2) Just ordered PAGG. I am averaging four meals per day. Do I take it before each meal and before bed?
3)Can I have stevia? Or how often am I allowed the vanilla extract in my coffee??
If you can answer these, I will love you forever!! PS, tell Tim I am really excited to pay for a monthly forum so I can have my questions answered by professionals 🙂
Hi Sasha,
1) Yes, of course! Mix and match all you want, as long as you conform to the rules in the Slow Carb chapters.
2) Follow the instructions in the PAGG chapter, they lay out exactly when to take them.
3) Stick with cinnamon for your coffee. Even a small pinch will help reduce the glycemic index of your meals, and actually help you feel full faster (due to its effect on slowing the rate of food exiting your stomach).
Best of luck!
– Charlie
Thank you!!
Can I use Silk brand creamer in my coffee in the morning? No lactose in it…
Hi Charlie,
Quick question. I want to dump all the morning requirements for weightloss into a big ice cold jug.
Is it ok to have coffee, cinnamon, and 30g of protein (in whey form) all in a 500ml Ice cold jug?
Thx!
-Danny
Haha sure, if that suits you. But just to be clear: it isn’t the coffee that triggers fat loss. It’s the consumption of 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking that does the trick. Cinnamon in the coffee is good for a host of reasons (slows gastric emptying, increases insulin sensitivity, reduces glycemic index, etc.), but I would just be focused on getting tons of protein shortly after you’ve woken up.
I have been working on a spreadsheet to break down all the information in the book and put it into a daily/workout/binge day schedule. I was thinking others might benefit, and maybe comment and improve on it. Not sure if it’s cool to post a link however.
Thanks for the book Tim! My wife and I love it and have got a friend or two into it too.
yes please, I would really use something like that.
Hey Please post that link!
Thank you!
It’s fairly rudimentary, but has been a helpful visual for me. Feel free to comment.
http://www.box.net/shared/vpk6pogggq
I would benefit from the spreadsheet, as well. Please let me know the link
A few quick questions on the slow carb diet. I’ve been at it for about 4 weeks now and it seems to be working nicely. I’ve lost nearly 75 pounds in the past 10 months, the last 14 or so of which have come courtesy of slow carb and PAGG. I’m now beginning to have muscle definition show up in places where I’ve never had it before, even back in my teenage/athletic days when I was training 5-6 hours/day 6 days/week! So I have no doubt that it’s worth it… but I’ve got a few questions/concerns:
1. Part of the *weight* loss on this diet is water weight. What happens if after I have achieved my body “recomposition” goals I decide to try transitioning back to a more balanced diet which includes “non-slow” carbs in reasonable portions? I’m thinking things like whole wheat pasta, wheat bread, etc. during the week with the occasional sweet treat. Will I gain back several pounds of water weight? If so, will that show up in my midsection? Am I better off making slow carb a long-term lifestyle?
2. The lack of dairy is killing me. I find that I miss cheese and yogurt even more than I miss carbs and they’re two of the first things I get after when I have my binge days. I miss cheese the most when I have Mexican/Tex-Mex dishes like fajitas, taco lettuce wraps, etc. and would love to be able to throw a little on my 1whole+2white omelettes in the mornings. I was at the grocery store the other day and looked at soy cheese (“cheeze”) and read the ingredients. It has almost zero carbs at all, no lactose, which I understand is a part of why dairy is proscribed and in fact only contains one milk product, the protein casein, and only in a relatively small quantity. As long as I don’t overconsume (I’m talking a tablespoon or so of grated cheddar-flavored soy cheese with the whole meal) will I have problems, or is soy cheese slow carb-friendly?
3. Onions… white, but not starchy… are they verboten? Fajitas are good with just bell peppers and tomatoes, but much better with the onions included. So far I’ve included onions in a few meals without any ill effects, but I’m wondering whether cutting them out will make any dramatic difference in my results.
4. Not a question, more of a point to others on this diet. Dehydration is a real concern here. Unless I go out of my way to drink 96 ounces or more of water per day I wake up during the night with dry mouth so bad I can barely swallow and I was dehydrated enough last week to have Premature Ventricular Complexes (PVCs), a type of irregular heartbeat that sent me to the doctor in a panic. Mixing in salts is important too, any time I’m doing any kind of heavy training (I ran a half marathon last weekend) I drink water to the point that I feel like I’m swimming in my own skin and put Nuun in with almost all I drink to make sure I get enough sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Hydration really is critically important with this diet!
Hey Tim, I love your book and have a quick question.
In reference to the art of binging you stated, “… our goal is simple: to have as much of the crap ingested either go into muscle tissue or out of the body unabsorbed.” and your first principle was to “Minimize the release of insulin, a storage hormone.”
But earlier in the book you stressed the importance of dramatically spiking caloric intake to increase fat loss by ensuring that the metabolic rate and thyroid functions remain high.
If during our Cheat Day (the day we are trying to cause a caloric spike), we also try to reduce our calories absorbed into our system, wouldn’t this be counterproductive?
vegan alternatives?
does one have to eat animal proteins to succeed in this diet?
if one uses beans as there source of protein. will it work?
Hey Tim!
i am just starting the SCD and am psyched! Just a quick question on dining out: say I was going to a restaurant tonight, could I order the filet mignon? or is that too fatty of a meat? when you dine out, what do you order to keep in track with the diet? also do you just eat until you feel full, or do you restrict yourself sometimes?
-mags
ULTRAMARATHON
Hi Tim
Since it’s not possible yet to leave comments on the ‘ultra’ section, I am posting this here.
I read the chapter on running and am interested in trying that out, in order to prepare myself for my marathons and mountain runs (I am just teh Average Joe but I simply love to run those kind of races). I suppose I will have a ton of questions later on, but the most urgent one for the time being is:
How do I deal with the fearful feeling I am having concerning the all out work outs? Not sure what exactly it is but it feels so much easier to go prepare yourself for a 10-15k long jog than a 10x200m all out exercise…
Probably I am just being a sissy but would appreciate your thoughts on that.
Thanks and best regards from Greece,
David
P.S.: By the way, when will you start sharing your experiences from the ultra preparation so we can follow that online? Since you couldn’t do that challenge before the book was published 🙂
I guess I found the answer myself.
As many things in life, also this one is, in the end, a ‘no brainer’ and also here the good ol’ Nike slogan applies, just in a little adjusted way:
Put your running gear on, get your a$$ out of the house and just freaking do it 🙂
Did it, working just fine, although I know what you mean when you wrote you had to hold your knees to prevent from vomiting 🙂 Haven’t been exactly there yet but this sprinting stuff is hard core… 😉
Long-time reader, first time questioner here… 😉
CRAP!!
Like a dumb cow, I just happily bought some protein bars “Designed by Tim Ferriss” off of youbars.com… only to then realize that the bars have dates & honey in them – which you obviously wouldn’t have included if you’d actually designed em, right? Please tell me I didn’t just get internet-scammed… again :/
Also, I saw you write that your next project might be a screenplay – TOTALLY the idea I’ve been wanting to pitch to you for a while (I call you the Digital DaVinci & I find you an incredibly fascinating and likeable character).
Anyway, I’d love to help you develop your script! Don’t worry, I’m legit – I just graduated from USC’s MFA in Film & TV Production program, and I’ve given notes and helped developed scripts at a number of big companies in the industry. Would love to collaborate on a project like yours – a project that I’m passionate about. Let’s rock it! 🙂
-Hasna
Where can I, and others like me, go to find out more and discuss the Sex and Orgasm chapters?
Love this book and the first one, Tim. Totally inspirational and a blast to read!
I’m 46 and have been on the slow carb diet for 2.5 weeks now. I am down 7.5 pounds and finding it (mostly) easy and fun.
I am interested to hear if anyone has had the following experience regarding cheat days: Although I am jonesing for carbs etc for days before my cheat day, I’m finding that once it arrives one “cheat meal” is all I feel like eating! I am getting full really fast and don’t feel like cheating (or even eating) any more after even one “off diet” meal.
I’m starting to think that I would get better bang for my cheating buck if I did 2-3 cheat meals per week, but just one per day (maybe Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday). But I’m not sure if that would screw up the diet. I am planning to try an experiment with this approach but want to wait ’till I’ve been doing the diet for at least 4 weeks to get a proper baseline.
If anyone has tried this I’d be grateful if you’d be willing to share your experiences.
Thanks in advance.
Jon Levitt
@johnlevitt
Ive been on the diet for a month now and know for sure that eating any kind of bread or potato as mini cheat meals through the week instead of beans as a carb has slowed down the diet considerably, though, not completely. I’ve been tracking any deviation from the diet i’ve made (like having flour tortillas, bread, or sugary stuff like chocolate) and can see on a daily basis how these foods are effecting me.
If i were you, i’d try out your idea, measure and track your results, and figure out for yourself if having a cheat meal here and there is a good idea. You may find your results better or worse than mine. I know I have to be careful with whatever I eat and how i exercise, as i am almost positive i have the gene that tim mentions in 4hb that allows me to gain weight/muscle mass really easy. Keeping myself from bloating up is what i’ve had to struggle with, and it may or may not be the same with you.
The idea that all “carb sources are the same” has been revolutionary when it comes to my diet, as many nutrition classes say the opposite, and its been pretty obvious with my observations that my body handles a cup of beans very differently than it handles a cup of potatoes or a cup of bread. Interspersing cheat meals through the week may not be a good idea until you’re ready to switch towards a “maintenance mode” where you’re trying to keep your weight static.
make that “not all carb sources are metabolized the same”
@lawrence
Thanks Lawrence! I plan to do exactly that after I finish 6 weeks so I have a good basis for comparison. I’ll report back on how it worked/didn’t work.
Jon
@Maggie
Hey, when I go to a restaurant I order a salad with grilled chicken and only balsamic vinegar for the dressing. It tastes great especially if you put a little basil and whatever seasoning on it.
But it is even a greater thrill to watch everyone around you at the table kinda go “gulp” because they order the fish and fries. hahaha
Hi,
I’ve lost 10 pounds on the slow carb diet and with the kettlebells since New years which is great. I’m a female and went from 139 to 129 and I’ve lost inches. My main goal was a flat belly. Of course I lost weight everywhere but I still have rolls on the belly. Anyone have advice on how to continue the diet but focus more on that area maybe with specific exercises? I am already doing Tim’s 6 minute abs 3 times a week.
Thanks!
Hey Sam ! Its really hard to hit a specific muscle group for fat burning, your body burns fat in a specific way and its different for everyone. If you are like me, the last place you loose fat is on the stomach. The way that works is to keep loosing fat until it hits your abdominals enough 🙂 Something that worked for me, was that i tried experimenting with abdominal exercises and cardio right after the ab exercises. The fat i had released from the exercises got burned of on the treadmill. Or so it is in theory. Hope this was a good answer and try it out ! 🙂
Jason
Hey Tim,
Love it. Totally addicted to 4HB, to you, and to Ramit. 🙂
Doing 100% diet, 0% drugs, and 0% exercise for the first two weeks and I’m down 10 lbs. Lean mass is going down faster than I like so next week will be adding whey protein and kettlebells. A week or two of that and then I’ll add in some PAGG. Tracking as much as I can.
I love the scientific method!
Just bought Syntha-6 for my protein shakes, please tell me these are allowed?
Hey folks,
Getting amazing results on this program, thought I’d share some findings that I learnt from my sticking points:
1. Not enough water. upped the water intake and amazing things happened. This is the one “hard” thing to do, simply because it involves DOING something. The brilliance of the rest of the program is it’s more about NOT doing stuff, which lowers the effort required massively! (totally suits my personality)
2. Not enough vegetables. In my mind, beans are vegetables so because they come in a tin and you’re already using them, I was eating far too much daal or beans with each meal, and not enough vegetables.
3. I couldn’t do cinnamon in my coffee, but I do like to cook some indian style foods so it goes well in there. But the best way to get some cinnamon in the diet – AND solve the problem of untasty protein shakes is to put 1tsp cinnamon in your protein shake!
So the results? I started about 5th Jan, and in the first 3 weeks only lost about 2kg (4.5lb). Still, was SUPER happy with that and did the above adjustments (I do protein shake now for breakfast, because it’s simpler, easier, cleaner and most of all consistent). I also added in PAGG and 30mins cold pack on the shoulders each evening. In the last week I have dropped another 2kg!
And finally as for the cheat day – apart from enjoying some beers I’ve failed amusingly at cheating. I live in a country where they dont speak my native language. And I really love burger king and I wanted to have a DOUBLE whopper cheese meal for my cheat lunch. The first time I ordered they understood whopper cheese meal, not double. So much for trying to get extra calories! The following saturday I tried again and got a double cheeseburger meal! Not the larger double whopper! If that’s not the world telling you to eat less crap, I dont know what is! haha.
A few years ago I lost a lot of weight (about 16kg) by training “body for life” style 5 or 6 days a week. I had a spreadsheet and ticked off everything I had planned and never missed a day. That was a lot of hard work over the 2 months it took and I got really obsessed about it. After I lost the weight it took around 2 years to slowly put 10kg back on… This time it’s going to be so different, with such a better understanding of how things work in the body. With the whole MED concept now getting results is easy! Eating “healthy” bread and then doing obscene amounts of exercise to get results now seems just as ridiculous as beating your head on the wall.
Hey Tim,
Any reports of night sweats (sleep hyperhidrosis) on the 4-Hour Body?
Otherwise going great since I started a week and a half ago)
Thank you
I’ll have to re-read the book again, but I’m not sure on one point can a workout day and the cheet day coinside?
I have a parkour class on Saturdays and friends love to get together on Saturdays as well. I’m easing myself into the diet, but have sucseffuly lost 7lbs so far
Also is it ok to move the cheet day? Eg. Your regular cheet day is Saturday but there is a big family dinner on a Friday. Will moving the cheet day afect the diet much?
Hi Kim,
It would be interesting to hear what other people think on that topic too. I personally don’t worry about cheat days and workout days coinciding, and I’ve also shifted my cheat days (a day either side) due to functions. I haven’t noticed any slowing down in weight loss, but I think it’s down to seeing how this works for you. When I bring a day forward, I’m more conscientious about having a slow carb breakfast and “damage control” pg 100
The book notes that you can choose any day during the week to have as your cheat day…it doesn’t matter what day as long as it’s consistent
If anyone needs answers or just motivation to get the next level, join the facebook diccussion group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_103604729716668&ap=1 , everyone is very helpful and mindful of others…
Thanks
Van
I work night shift (7p-7a) 3-4 days a week. How do I manage my food? Eat at night on nights I work and days when I’m off and up during the day? Or what do you suggest. I’m sure there are many people out there in the same boat.
Thanks!!
Below there’ll be lots of yapping. And so that you can see if any of this will be applicable to you I’ll start with my short term goal which is to lose an inch in my waist and so far in 5 weeks I’ve lost .375 inches. So I’m *almost* 40% of the way there. I’m 40 yrs. 6’1″ and 198 lbs.
The last time I tried to get my waist in this kind of shape (reasonably flat) I was on no schedule, paying very little attention to what I was eating and working out like CRAZY. At least 30 min to an hour a day. 5 days a week. It took about 8 months. This time I bet it’ll be more like 3. I’m working out a total of an hour a week and paying *very* close attention to what I’m eating. But I’m also starting from a point of a raised resting metabolism because of the accumulated muscle mass.
I love the forum that’s been generated here for people to share. I’ve been doing the minimalist’s approach to mass in the book, along with the SC diet and PAGG. Every so often I’m checking in here.
I can’t the do the beans… the gas is just incredibly bad. I’ve tried beano. I’ve tried different kinds. Made lentils, bought canned lentils. Switched to garbanzos. Rinsed organic canned beans out in a colander. I’ve loosely kept track in my head as far as how bloated and gassy I feel on whatever kind of bean I’ve consumed for a couple days.
I won’t soak them overnight because it’s too much hassle. I might *possibly* consider a few spoonfuls on days when I taking in a few more calories but they’re pretty much out for now. You gotta pay attention to how you feel and I don’t feel good when I consume a considerable amount of carbs via beans. Period. My girlfriend made a face the other day when she walked in the house and she’s been more than forgiving when it comes to me and gas.
Tim says in the last video with Kevin that if you’ll eat enough carbs via veggies (which is alot more than most people are used to) you won’t have to do the beans. And he says that he made beans sound *requisite* in the book because most people would abandon the diet altogether from hunger.
I’m fine with chicken breast, spinach & broccoli for lunch (2-3 teaspoons of olive oil & a liberal amount of balsamic vin). 1st thing in the morning is a protein shake and 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of steel cut oats w/cinnamon, salt, & a teaspoon of coconut oil and usually either another salad or protein shake for dinner. I don’t eat after 6 or 7 and go to bed around 11 or 12. This has made a big difference for me in the last few days.
While Dr. Oz gave a pretty good endorsement of Tim’s book he also said on Oprah that steel cut oats was one of the most healthy things you could put in your body. So do your due diligence and see what works for you.
Compared to Tim, his guest posters and other people that weigh in here I’ve only done what could amount to a cursory perusal of diets involving grains. I have great bowel movements with oats (steel or rolled) and I don’t with beans.
I don’t ever like feeling sleepy or like I have to recover after a meal so my portions are considerably smaller and sometimes I’ll eat half a salad and go back to work and finish the rest later.
And I’ve started to experiment with taking in more calories pre and post workout and scaling back on days that involve burning fewer calories as well as breaking my cheat day into 2 separate cheat meals thru out the week. Which I try not to do on consecutive evenings. And I don’t go crazy I just eat whatever I’ve been jonesing for but I don’t stuff myself.
It felt like too much pressure to make the rounds on Saturdays (cheat day) to get cannolis and doughnuts etc. Sometimes I didn’t *feel* like cheating on saturdays but knew if I didn’t do it *that* day that I wouldn’t allow myself the opportunity later.
Sometimes I’ll do a workout on a cheat meal day and use the boost in metabolism to burn up the extra calories.
Much of your results are going to depend on how overweight you are. If you’re 50-75 lbs of bodyfat outside of a healthy weight for you age and height then 10-20 lbs is more than likely going to *fly* off you in 4 weeks time with the slow carb diet.
If you’re 10-15 lbs of bodyfat away from seeing your six pack and/or having a flat stomach then you’re going to have to pull out all the stops.
If you’re on medications check with your doctor as to whether these could prohibit or slow down your progress.
stell cut oats are definitely not allowed as far as I can see
Love the program . The only thing is that I have never been a breakfast eater and I find it hard to eat eggs and lentils and veggies every day for breakfast.
I now have an unsweetened whey protein shake (20g of protein) that I mix in 8 oz of coffee in the morning and eat dal and veggies too. Dal is also hard for me in the am. Does anyone have recipes for sweet dal (with stevia)? How much veggies should I have per meal (in cups)?
Thanks for the help.
Katherine, here’s what I do for breakfast because I don’t think I could do lentils in the AM
I put chopped spinach in the bottom of a small (5″) frying pan. I put one whole egg and another egg white on top of that. After I flip it, I put a generous dollup (a cup or so) of homemade refried beans on top. Put the lid on the frying pan to heat through the beans (2-3 minutes). When done, I add 1/2 an avocado and enough salsa to cover the entire thing. I’ve also added turkey sausage to the whole mess.
It’s so delicious.
For the beans, here’s the recipe:
3 cans of red kidney beans
1.5 cups of stock
1 whole onion
1 clove of garlic
salt to taste
1/2 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp of chili powder
1/2 tsp of coriander
Saute the chopped onion till soft, add beans and spices. Those amounts were estimates, season to your own tastes. Add the stock (again, I guessed on the amount of stock, the beans shouldn’t be swimming in stock but they should have .5″ or so of liquid on the bottom of the saucepan). Simmer for 20 minutes. Use a hand blender or food processor to blend it to a nice consistency. Taste for salt or other seasoning.
It freezes well. This recipe makes two weeks of beans for me, using them every day for breakfast and 2-4 times during the week in meals.
Hey Tim,
I’m using the Slow-Carb Diet, and I think I’ve really gotten the hang of it after a few weeks, but I’m combining it with a pretty rigorous lifting/aerobic/yoga program that’s 6 days a week.
I’m having trouble gaining lean muscle. Creatine use causes my skin to breakout, so I don’t want to use that. I actually want to gain weight, but I want it to be muscle gains….thoughts on how to accomplish this on the Slow-Carb Diet? Thanks.
Jared
Might help some people starting out, especially those of sweet tooth and carb lovers…
It might take a while to adjust to this diet but I’ve had an epiphany about my body as a machine and what it really needs rather than my mind dictating what I fancy and then indulging that craving. I’ve found the most interesting days are the cheat days, being aware of how my body is now reacting to the sugars and carbs.
If you are struggling in the first weeks and you’re following all the rules, I believe it’s sometimes the emotional relationship to food which takes a little longer to change (for me, recognising sugar highs and realising that feeling bloated after a meal is a different feeling than being full up).
Stick with it, stay focussed, it’s worth it as you’ll end up feeling like a million dollars and losing weight.
Tim,
It would be very interesting to get a group of people trying the continuous glucose monitoring system you used. I assume in the US you need a doctor’s involvement to purchase such a system, and that it would not be covered by insurance if not medically necessary.
I’m surprised that more people have not asked about CGM, which is a fascinating self-monitoring study. I read that portion of the book several times over.
@Jared
Make sure you are not doing excesive cardio during your workouts. I found out this is what I was doing. I bought a heart rate monitor and some books by Covert Bailey and came to the realization that my exercise was eating muscle mass and not making it. Go figure. There is anabolic and catabolic. One burns fat calories, one burns muscle.
Funny how now I am doing 1/3 the time in the gym with 10 times the results. After several hydrostatic bf dunkings and months of false starts (doubled everything, but it kept the heart rate up) I find that my workoust are 30-40 minutes and no more and I only do 2 days of aerobics if any. Using musclehack.com’s workout logs and advice I gained 10lbs of muscle mass first 6 weeks. I haven’t been back to dunk again yet, but I’m sure I’m gaining even more. Hope this helps. I want to implement some of 4 hour into my current program.
@Jared
My biggest changes where:
rep to failure (8-12)
rest 4 minutes between major muscle sets, 2 between small
eat enough protein
so Slow Carb should work really good
only difference from my diet is I eat a ton of saturated fat (not sure for how long I am going to do this)
Hello;
I’m hoping Tim (or anyone else) has some advise regarding runners and the slow carb diet. I’m wondering if the slow carb diet is suitable for long distance runners, and / or if modification is required.
My husband and I started the diet on Tuesday. On Thursday I tried going for a 16K run but totally ran out of energy by 4K and only ended up going just over 6K, with a lot of walk breaks. My legs felt like lead and I was exhausted. The next day I went for a 5K run on the treadmill and had the same results. Since starting the diet for breakfast I’ve been having 2 whole organic eggs fried (in a bit of butter) topped with organic re-fried black beans and two slices of fresh tomato. Very yummy, and filling! Prior to the diet, before going for a run, I would have a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and a mug of Earl Grey tea with a teaspoon of sugar.
I decided to try the 16K run again today, which was our first cheat day. We started the day with some stir-fry steak and re-fried black beans with a slice of fresh tomato. A hour and a half later we had a glass of grapefruit juice, coffee (mine with International Delight Vanilla Toffee flavored cream) and eggs benedict (one english muffin with two fried eggs and ham, smothered in very buttery hollandaise sauce). An hour and a half later I had a large banana and a couple squares of milk chocolate and went for my 16K run. I ran quite a bit slower than usual but I was at least able to complete the run and didn’t crash. At about 11K I had 3 sports beans, and was talking small gulps of water throughout. I actually felt pretty good after the run.
On page 399 in the Ultraendurance 2 chapter of “The 4-Hour Body” under the questions ‘What type of diet do you follow while in training?” the advise is given to follow the paleo diet which omits beans. Currently I’m only training for a half marathon, which is coming up in 3 weeks. So for someone like myself who is training for a half (or full) marathon would you suggest going to the paleo diet or just eating a lot more beans on the slow carb diet to prevent crashing and burning?
Thanks! 🙂
@Terri
I second that question 🙂
In the meantim, while hoping that we’ll get some good answers, here’s a thought that I am having:
I bought ‘The Paleo Solution’ by Robb Wolf (http://amzn.to/idWG7A), very good read. There he also refers to the book ‘The Paleo Diet for Athletes’ (http://amzn.to/euH1vq). I haven’t read through it yet but it does, as the title says, address the sensitive nutrition aspect for athlestes/runners. Also, it addresses different kinds of needs of your body for different distances. You might want to check that out. I do believe it’s a very good book.
In case the links lead to the German version of Amazon, simply look the book/s up on the dot-com version of amazon.
Regards from Greece and happy running 🙂
David
Thanks for the references David!
I wanted to let you know that I am also a long distance runner. I actually found out about this book from a review I read on a friends blog (nomeatathlete) I was particularily interested because as an ultrarunner I am really trying to teach my body to use fat for fuel as opposed to carbs…For the first two and half weeks on this diet, I would go through some serious blood sugar highs and lows and I would feel almost freaked out/starved right before a meal, or starting a run. Even short runs I would feel totally bonked within the first 5 minutes. However, it was the craziest thing, about a week ago (2-3 weeks into the diet) ALL of that resolved itself. I now have a VERY stable blood sugar level, and when I run I dont need a pre-run snack, or any additional carbs besides beans. I dont know what happened exactly but I feel like something in my body just simple “switched” and I no longer am just running off carbohydrates all the time. Regardless of weather I lose alot of weight on this diet (I really dont have much to lose – 5-10lbs max) I am totally committing to it just purely based on how I feel with stable energy levels both running and throughout the day. I am going out for a 20miler this weekend, it will be interesting to see how it fairs, but I feel very confident that the diet actually works great for distance runners. Check out this link also, there are quite a few ultra runners out there who are dedicated to the low carb diet as a means to have the bodily tap into natural fuel sources:
http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/marathonlongrun.htm
Wow, your experience with your blood sugar levels is very interesting; I’ll be watching to see if mine stabilize as well! Maybe the body just needs to adapt to the new way of eating?
Thanks for the link!
A Quick question with regards the PAGG stack.
Does Green Tea extract raise SHBG levels? I am trying to reduce estrogen.
Is it Ok to use?
Hey,
So far the diet is great but i’ve been eating canned maple beans. Their brown beans with maple syrup in them. Is maple syrup ok?
Also, is there a list of approved foods or foods not allowed somewhere?
Thanks 🙂
Laura
Noooo! Anything with sugar (maple, agave, blah blah) is VERBOTEN. Don’t undo all your good discipline with them beans! (This is annoying, because sugar finds its way into lots of otherwise excellent options, especially dressings and mixed veggies, like from Trader Joe’s.) Read your labels and ingredients assiduously.
Likle you I love the baked bean style of seasoning, but it is all sugar! I have found some that are pretty good by Bush’s Baked Beans, that are their chili beans. They have a pretty good flavor with very low amounts of sugar, I think 2g per serving, which are coming from the light tomato sauce they are in.
Hey Tim, thanks for the great advice and research results in the book. I started following your plan on 1 Feb and have so far lost 5.4lbs over 6 days. On my first binge day today but I’m looking forward to going back tomorrow as I’m finding it really enjoyable.
I have been tracking my weight for a couple of years now and I love collecting other data and looking for patterns/correlations. A few months back, my wife has suggested that I should get a blood glucose monitor because I like to track things.
I love how you seen obsessed with tracking all sorts of data about your body so that you can try and do something about the things you want to change. Too many people moan about the things they don’t like about themselves but seldom are prepared to try something new on themselves or collect the data and work it out themselves.
I also laughed a few times when reading through, you’ve got a good sense of humour and it’s great how honest you are with the reader.
Many thanks
Joel
ON ULTRA-ENDURANCE: TIM’S 12 WEEK PLAN
Tim (or anybody)
As nice as your 12 week plan is, it’s quote customized to your own situation and needs since Brian asked you for some key facts upfront.
What should the Average Joe do then in order to come up with such a program?? I will try to follow your own program because I guess that the running work outs will work for everyone, no matter the fitness level. On the upper body I guess you’re way ahead of me, but regarding leg muscles I guess I am in good shape, considering that I have been participating in street and mountain marathons since last year. But would you say that also the other (Crossfit) exercises can be applied 1:1 and ‘simply tweak’ wherever necessary??
Would be great to have you/somebody’s opinion on that, because there are some races coming up this year 🙂
Regards from Greece,
David
@John A Davis
Hey John, thanks for the tip.
However, my program (P90Xer) does include a ton of cardio work. And I find because I partake in a lot of athletics (basketball, soccer, etc.) and I want to train for a Warrior Dash or Tough Mudder, the cardio is necessary (plus I like it).
I’m going to try to up my whey protein shakes to 3 a day. I tried creatine for a bit but it makes my skin break out so I’m hesitant to start up on it again. Any ideas on how to change my diet to fix this?
@Jared
Just do your cardio stuff on different days than your weight lifting stuff. Don’t expect Creatine to change anything. It’s just icing on the cake excuse the pun. If you don’t want to give up your current exercise program, and you love your sports, then you can’t have your cake and eat it too excuse the pun. But hey, I would much rather be out hiking or skiing than in a smelly gym trying to get huge. . .for what?
Hey Tim, I love ketchup and eat it on my eggs, chicken, veggies,… everything. I took a look at the back label to see if there were any anti-slow-carb-diet ingredients. It had a fair amount of sugar, so being the simple minded fellow I am, I purchased the reduced sugar ketchup. Two bottles later I realized in had sucralose… son of a…. any suggestions on ketchup replacements?
Trey,
Do you like salsa or sriracha? Hotter, but way better.
we make our own ketchup. just following an online recipe but omiting the sugar; which is likw 3/4 of a cup.tastes great. simply omiting the sugar or sweetener opens up many recipes.
heinz makes a reduced sugar (1 g/TBSP) ketchup. sucralose is an ingredient so I think you can use it in very small quantities (but not if you indulge in a drink with splenda during the day)
Hey Tim,
Quick question. Can you eat ground turkey on this slow carb diet?
I have a question I hope somebody may be able to answer. I am reading through the “Ice Age” chapter and am wondering if an old fashioned sauna can be incorporated. If you do a proper sauna ritual, you sit in the sauna (150-180f with lots of steam) until sweat drips from your finger tips, then you go into cold water (50f or lower lake, cold shower, roll in the snow) for 5-10 min, then return to the sauna and start all over again. Ideally, you would repeat this 3 times.
Would this help or diminish the “Ice Age” effects?
Thanks to Tim and all involved!
I am a 60 year old woman, starting at 147 lb. and by Binge day had lost 5 lb. & 1 in. at the waist, gaining 2 lb. back on Binge day. I stuck with the boring meals.
But have I SHOT MYSELF IN THE FOOT in the mornings? I often awaken 1 – 1½ before my planned “get out of bed time” and after a bathroom run I go back to bed to sleep or drowze & listen to the radio (hoping to doze off) until my alarm goes off — THEN I start my ½ – 1 hour count-down to get in my morning meal.
Does my body register the 1st wake-up time & am I fooling myself when I go back to bed. Must I just give it up for a while, bite the bullet, & start eating???
More specifically, on my previous post … I wonder whether individual reactions *in terms of losing weight more or less well while eating specific foods* has to do with food sensitivities.
Hello there, thought I would also share my experience and I hope I will not tick off anyone. My husband and I have been on the diet for the fourth week now. Unfortunately, we have not seen the expected results. I admit our measurements are limited to weight (for both) and a few measurements for him only. however, when you lose volume, you feel in your jeans, believe me!
We have followed the plan seriously (with PAGG). The only thing is, at first, we still ate cheese (the first week). Then we stopped. We use protein powder and protein no sugar bars (power crunch or thinkthin).
We are not huge eaters but we try our best.
We are not overweight (on the opposite my husband is trying to muscle up with Occam’s protocol).
My question: if you don’t necessarily need (at least as far as medical institutions are concerned) to lose weight, is the diet supposed to still work?
I have gained a little and my husband too. We are pretty slim people so I wonder if our bodies are not adjusting and actually making us gain weight through the diet?
🙁 Any suggestions?
Hi Ellie, If you don’t have much BF to lose then maybe you should try the last mile plan instead?
Thanks CT. Tim’s book is a buffet. I have not read the last mile plan yet. I will now!
I’m curious about this myself. I’ve been enjoying the overall effects of the SCD and doing freak to geek (and not that long yet, so giving it time). But, I really don’t have that much fat to lose. I just want to get that little bit of belly fat gone. I’ll probably do this for the next few weeks and then maybe go the next step.
Hello all, Week 3 into SCD..following diet..I have had my cheat day each week..Feeling very good and eating very healthy..But the gut is not budging):..I am trying to take it easy on the salt..I am drinking about 4 liters of water a day average..I am 52 and it is not like 15 years ago when i could get fat off..I reckon i have really slowed down..Inches are the same from my measurements..I am doing bushwalks,some pushups,basic stuff..I seem to be in idle mode..But i do love the diet and will stick with the life change…Thank you Tim!..Cheers!..D
Sorry about double post..Perhaps my portions are too big(brekie,lunch,din?)I deffs feel very full so no worries there. I heard somewhere on here when you get to be my age one has to pull out all the stops..The gut is my biggest nemeses ..But i shall sally forth on with Tim’s plan..And i do value what y’all say as well..Thanx!..D
I would guess that as ECTOMORPHS you even more then the rest of us must measure, track etc. since the changes in body composition are likely to be subtle to the eye. You are very likely gaining a bit of muscle (which is great)
Personally as an MESOMORPH (w/ an ENDOMORPH warped around me) the fat losses are easy enough to see.
You both maybe experiencing the best possible results ( a little less fat and a little more muscle) and not quite see it yet.
Measure, Document. Measure (and so on:-)
Good luck!
Etienne
Ellie,
you’re not losing any weight because you’re not following the plan… you’re pretty much doing anything you want. Protein bars are a no-no, same goes for cheese. All you should be eating is lean meat, legumes (beans and lentils), and vegetables (but no potatoes and limited amounts of avocados & tomatoes), black coffee,& water all day long. If you’re not trying to lose weight, then why did you choose to follow this plan? if you’re trying to tone up, you should be focusing more on exercise, anyway. Don’t mean to be harsh, just telling you the truth.
Anyone with IBS try slow carb yet? Any success?
Hi Tim,
I’m on the Slow Carb Diet and, I was wondering if whey protein was ok? Isn’t it derrived from dairy based sources? any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks
Tim,
I seem to have plataued on the SCB. I was dropping weight pretty quick and then flat. I am redoubling efforts and tweaking the system and ordered PAGG and CQ to start next week.
My main question is that I have stopped doing the 10-20 sec of ice cold after morning hot shower. Could this be my main problem?
I have restarted to betatest this factor. I also added more beans and sourkraut.
Try eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up. This could be 3 eggs, a chicken breast, and 2 tablespoons of almond butter. Or it could be as simple as drinking 30g of whey protein (minus all the sweeteners and nasty ingredients).
Best of luck!
– Charlie
Tim,
Speaking of research here is a link: http://clinicaltrialselect.org/faceted_search.php? to all 995 open and recruiting clinical trials for “Dietary Supplements” in all US federal clinical trial registries.
1.Follow the link
2. Select “Dietary Supplements” from the pull down menu “Select an Intervention”
3. Search results should = 995 clinical trials.
Thank you for all you’ve done for my families health already.
i just want to reconfirm, organic cottage cheese is ok, right? (like your mom, Tim 😉 i use nancy’s and it also has live cultures. I also often have a veggie (spinach, celery, kale, chard, ginger, parsley) smoothie with almond milk (unsweetened) and hemp protein in the am. within an hour i have some beans. finding it hard to do all at once. but i have to say i’m not losing much. i’ve only been on a week but pretty status quo. i’ve eaten a pretty healthy protein heavy diet for years but notice the extra padding around my waist as i’m heading twds 43 in march. help! thanks a lot. really enjoying your book. and the comments of the community.
@Becky
The hot warm is great for relaxing the muscles and getting the lactic acid out. I do that myself. But I doubt it will speed up your metabolism.
@Barb
I have same question.
I also notice that except for my WW program, none of these new ones consider age.
GH drops off quickly after 20 years of age.
@Everyone
Pretty sure there is no “golden pill”. You gotta be patient, and do your hack squats, no?
So, after reading and re-reading – and listening to all of the overviews at Twitter and Google; if I omit the beans and ensure I get appropriate calories thru extra protein/fat, I will be in Dietary Induced Ketosis. No big deal for me – I get that. My question is that if I follow everything else to a T in the book, and I am bingeing one day per week, that means I move in and out of D.I.K. often. Is that a concern on this diet – will it impact my ability to lose following your plan? Did you see that in some of your testers, and was there any positive/negative impact?
I am now on day 14 and I love this diet. Slow Carb = Results.
I do not have the money for expensive scanning devices, so I am using a tape measure, my new BFF.
Today I measured myself again, I lost 7 and ¾ inches in 13 days. That is a tremendous loss, and that does not even consider the water loss from my binge day.
The weight loss, on my cheapo scale, is not consistent, but the inches lost are very consistent.
The first week, I did lose pounds and 2 ½ inches , but pounds tend to bounce around, depending upon the number of days since last binge day.
Total weight loss is at least 4. Weight is easier to monitor the day prior to my binge day.
But it is a difficult diet. Our homes, business and social outlets are filled with easy to eat carb foods. One of my relatives brought home some heavily discounted apple turnovers today because they were such a great buy. One day AFTER my binge day! I was not too happy. So the world at large is full of SCD booby traps! The stable blood sugar and energy levels help to keep me sane and away from cheating.
Anyone have any experience with Carb Solutions Creamy Vanilla protein shake? 21 g. protein, 1 g. sugars, total carbs 4 g., dietary fiber 2 g. The protein blend contains milk protein concentrate.
OK for the SCD?
Thanks
Just thought I’d share some “light at the end of the tunnel” hope with all those who believe they are hopelessly addicted to artificial sweetners. I was hooked on the taste of Splenda until I started the slow-carb diet 3 weeks ago, and went close to 100% cold turkey on the fake sweet stuff. Terrible cravings (BCAAs made no noticeable difference but maybe I haven’t been taking them long enough), but I am 40, female and only have 5-7 kilos to lose, so there is no wriggle room for any ‘minor’ lapses!
Yesterday, I had a moment of mid-afternoon weakness and indulged in some ‘sugarfree’ stevia-sweetened chocolate. Three weeks ago that would have just taken the edge of the sweet craving, barely! Ten minutes later, I was absolutely sickened and gagging at the taste, and I can’t bear the thought of ‘indulging’ in artificial sweetners to deal with sugar cravings again. I’ve just started taking PAGG, so not sure if this has got something to do with it.
Not sure if this helps anyone, but I was so surprised by the rapid turnaround I thought the experience might give some hope to those struggling to kick the fake sweetner habit.
J
Jennifer, snap! I just posted a few days ago regarding sugar cravings, I didn’t go down the sweetener route but “had” to have a diet coke when I really felt I needed a sweet fix, and I was putting vanilla in my coffee. It’s taken me a few weeks, but my last Dieters Gone Wild day, the sugar intake just made me feel a bit nauseous and uncomfortable. I think I’m over it, I no longer have the emotional addiction.
My next hurdle is to lay off my 1 piece of 85% cocoa chocolate when it’s that time of the month, this month I’ll try taking a magnesium supplement a day or 2 before and see if I my cravings stop. I’m actually enjoying being self disciplined about my food and my good health and the fact I’m looking much hotter 😉
I’m 40 and have the same amount of weight to lose as you. Good luck with those last few Kgs 🙂 Can you post again about how you get on with the PAGG? I’m going for it if I stall but so far I’m losing around 1.8kgs a week so I’m happy with my progress.
I love the book Tim!!..On my second week(:..I am having abit of a hard time consuming so many eggs(brekkie) so i am looking into other sources..I am pouring gobbs of red bird pepper(hot)on most all my meals.I hope this is ok..And if anyone out there knows?..Can i take Super greens&reds everyday as well?..Thank you so much!…D
My above comment was concerning SCD..I must say i feel pretty bloaty after being on this diet my second week in.Raw garlic,red pepper,these two ingredients i love very much(in most all foods i eat)..I am 52,and 215 and i want to lose about 20 so i am excited about this..Thank you Tim for inspiration!..And to all of you as well!..D
HELP! QUESTIONS ON PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION!
I hope someone can help me sort through this. I am an avid CrossFitter and even without being on 4HB Slow Carb, I’ve always supplemented my protein intake with powdered whey throughout the day and cassein right before bed. Now, with 4HB, it’s even more critical. But my concern is the sweetener used in the major brands. While the carb count is virtually nill, the presence of a sweetener (unsure if it’s Splenda) concerns me.
Any thoughts or feedback is appreciated!
Hey Robert ! Artificial sweeternes is good to avoid if you can. Besides giving you problems with you weight loss it can also have health side effects such as colon cancer. (extreme use) The most common ones used with protein powder is aspartame and acesulfame potassium. You can avoid these by buying natural protein powders without artificial sweeteners. I can recommend BSN and some of the dynamatize products.
Check out UltraLean by Biogenesis. I have a link via an article I wrote on the 4HB Smoothie. http://healthnutnation.com/2011/02/09/the-4-hour-body-breakfast-shake/
I started the slow carb diet Jan 3 and by end of January had lost 20 lbs, so I feel I am doing it correctly.
Feb 1st I added Kettlebell swings along with two legged glute and flying dog three times a week.
Nothing else has changed with diet.
I have stabilized at my present weight but I need to lose around another 50 lbs.
Did adding the exercises start producing muscle thereby stabilizing my weight?
Please help
Larry
Hey Larry !
I hope its okay with my comment, but yeah it is highly possible that your body has started producing muscles. Muscles are as a fact heavier than fat, so the weight scale can give some confusion if you workout while on your diet. I would suggest that you start measuring your bodyfat. Thats a pretty good way to measure the fat you have on your body an it doesn’t measure muscle percentage 🙂 Hope that was enough answer.
Just a quick correction, Jason.
Fat and muscle weigh the same. A pound is a pound, is a pound. However, what I’m thinking you were meaning is that a pound of muscle is denser than a pound of fat.
Haha sorry for that. But yeah a pound is a pound.
ON ULTRA ENDURANCE: Potential race for TIm? “Running with the Gods” on 06/26/11
Tim
Got a nice suggestion for a potential first ‘show off’ when it comes to your endurance qualities:
‘Running with the Gods’ at The Olympus Marathon in Greece. A nice 49km (30,5 miles). It covers over 2800m (9200 feet) of total elevation gain in about 21 km. Nice one! Problem is: usually you need to be able to show some points you earned from other such races in order to participate. But I am sure you’d find a way to participate 🙂 Of course, I’d leverage as well all my connections. Would make a great video then on the 4HB-Ultra section that’s yet to come and waiting to be filled with info.
The max number of participants is 600, so far about 570 have applied (which doesn’t mean they’ll be accepted). The time until then is still enough to follow your 12-16 weeks of preparation.
For more info, see here: http://www.olympus-marathon.com/index.php?newlang=english
Thought this could interest you. Why not Greece? 🙂
Regards from Greece and happy running,
David
In regards to those who sweet cravings, I personally have a plan where I’m trying to gain weight and lower my body fat percentage. I’m 23, 6’2″, 158 lbs, and probably around 11-12% body fat.
I have a sweet tooth, but i consume protein shakes and they act as a sort of dessert. A few ice cubes, chocolate whey protein (you can get a No-Carb whey protein called IsoPure, or other very low carb options), almond milk, and maybe a few almonds in there as well. It helps with hunger and sugar cravings because it is a bit sweet.
This might be helpful for a few. So far I’m still stuck at 158 after 3-4 weeks on the diet and heavy workouts.
Tim- Your book is fascinating, I have it on Kindle and in hardback!
You left us with a cliff hanger in the Running Faster and Farther chapter, under Ultra and I have not found any updates. Can you give us something of an interim update? We all want to be able to achieve more with less.
Thanks!
Hi,
I hope to get some help here. A. I teach 8 group exercise classes a week, all of which are very tough.. TRX, Bootcamp and Turbo Kick. B. I am a recovering food addict. C. I don’t know when I am full.
Q.Should I weigh and Measure my food, if so what should the measurements be given my level of activity.. 2 days a week I teach 2 classes, rest of the time I teach only one. There is one day I only walk.
Q2. Should I add in the suggested exercises.. ?
One more thing I am 42 2 kids and have been off of flour and sugar for 5 years, weighing and measuring my food.
I switched to this food plan because , despite my clean food plan, over the last 2 years my weight has been climbing to a grand finale of 18 lbs. My only assumption is that the oatmeal and greek yougurt I was eating every day, while healthy, are not the best choice for me.. HELP.
You could try dropping the yoghurt and oatmeal (mass gainer!!!)
for a couple of weeks and see what happens.
If you eat slow carb or paleo, no need WHATSOEVER to weigh food.
Not knowing when you are full can be a result of one’s adrenals being out of whack. You might want to consider seeing a Naturopath to have your Neurotransmitter’s tested. It can make all difference with your body letting go of fat and maintaining a normal weight (for your body type).
Hi
Enjoyed both books and have a question about the 4HB.
My wife is on Thyroid medication needs to lose a lot of weight (about 40 kgs) and you mention this several times in the book. Does anyone have any guidelines about how to integrate the slow carb diet with a thyroid problem and whether the thyroid problem can be rectified by a huge weight loss?
Thanks
Nic
I have hypothyroid too and my doctor says that my meds have me right where he wants me. I asked about eating cruciferous veggies (broccoli, etc) and he said “no problem, just keep the iodine balanced”. I need to loose 20-25 lbs. and lost 5lb. and 1 inch in week one, added 2 lbs. on Saturday Binge day and am slow getting back to that weight though it is Wednesday and 1½-2 lbs. down (not sure due to crummy scales). But I feel great — just stuffed at each meal. DON’T tweek the meals “just a little” — accept boredom.
Nic, forgot to mention that my endocrinologist said the PAGG looked fine but that they will interfere with absorption of my meds so, since I already take thyroid meds ½ hour before eating breakfast it won’t be a problem (only if you need to take meds mid-day and then the AGG needs to be ½ hour after thyroid meds so they are absorbed). You just have to figure out how to juggle the timing to get breakfast within that ½ – 1 hour window.
I haven’t heard of anything which will “cure” the hypothyroid, although 35 years ago I had hyperthyroid and was cured with an old-fashioned medical method, ionophoresis (no longer readily used) and iodine. I was symptom-free until menopause tipped the scale the other way. SIGH
My Dr. recommended no food for 2 hours following my thyroid medication in the morning…she could have been wrong. I changed Drs. because we had a few arguments over whether altering diet and exercise were better for treating my high LDL cholesteral than the statins she put me on which didn’t give me muscle pain but caused restless leg syndrome that didn’t allow me to sleep. She said that wasn’t one of the symptoms noted in the study so it couldn’t possibly have that effect…I tried statins twice and it had the same effect both times while abstaining made the symptoms disappear within days of discontinuing the drug.
Thanks, I will check with my new doctor, who is younger but probably wiser. Currently, I have been getting up at 5:00am to take my thyroid medication and going back to sleep so I can do this diet. (yeah! more sleep)