(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)”
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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.)
First, I’m a Type 2 diabetic and am completely off meds after 3 weeks on the SCD. My morning blood sugar reading are consistently around 135, which I realize is high in your world, but well within the normal readings on the blood tests. They will drop more as I lose weight. Also, down five pounds, and probably more by Saturday weigh-in. (I’m 58, so this is fine. Two pounds a week is about all I can expect, I think.) So thanks.
Second, I know to avoid maltodextrin and other non-calorie sweeteners that send blood glucose through the roof, but Stevia seems to have no glycemic effect. Is it OK?
Third, when I am losing weight, I get a sort of hollow sensation in the base of my throat, and I’ve heard of others who get this as well. It doesn’t seem to be related to ketosis, as I am testing regularly and seldom change the color of the ketostick. Any idea what’s going on here?
I have a question. Just received my PAGG elements in the mail. THe Green tea link that Tim has on his blog links to 725mg per pill. I know he corrected to 325 (at least). Can I still use 725 per dose? or is that too much? Do I need to get another one with a lower dose of 325mg?
For those who are looking for supplement cleansing products:
The 7 day cleanse I use is called Total Body Rapid Detox. It’s made by Advanced Naturals.
Beware of most, if not all cleanses sold through health food stores. These products often contain psyllium seed husks and/or massive amounts of bentonite clay, which are often inorganic and/or of poor quality. The end result is usually lots constipation and minimal cleansing. The best cleanses are made by Nutraceutical firms and only sold to medical professionals. For the record, I have no affiliation with any of these companies.
Advanced Naturals is a company that makes professional-grade digestive care supplements, including 7-30 day cleanses, and the most potent fish oil you can buy (Super Critial Omega – I take this daily). They only sell to doctors and naturopaths (sucks, I know), but there are a few clinics that sell their products online from time to time.
For cleanses, I would go Advanced Naturals, but there are a few other companies (Pure Encapsulations, Metagenics, BioGenesis, etc.) that make solid products too. This stuff is generally pricier than what you’ll find at whole foods, but its’ definitely worth it. You might have to search through the google results for a minute, but you’ll find clinics that sell this stuff eventually.
The difference is in the ingredients.
Nutraceuticals = pharmaceutical-grade ingredients, high degree of quality control, & better absorption.
Retail store brands = lots of fillers & binding agents, made to the same “food grade” standards as chocolate chip cookies, meaning that there is an assumed degree of deviation from standardized quality, but because it probably won’t kill you, it’s just fine!
Get at me if anyone has questions.
Love the book and the diet- totally entertained and learning a lot. Admire the intensity of the pursuit of bettering oneself. Wish more people had it…life would be way more interesting. Have been called a “book pimp” this week due to telling anyone who will listen.
On another note, about the PAGG, page 120 under warnings.
Clozapine is an antipsychotic (not anti anxiety) medication which causes extremely massive weight gain. The weight gain often doesn’t plateau (can be in order of 75-100+ lbs for some patients). Despite this horrible side effect, it is used due to its excellent results for psychosis.
The label anti anxiety drug is making me wonder if it is not in fact Clozapine. Want to make sure the drug in question is in fact Clozapine, rather than the anti-anxiety medication Clonazepam which is taken by many many more people out there for all sorts of reasons–like candy I might add.
I would like to recommend this book to some patients, but need clarify clonazepam/clozapine, since it would be a naturally good resource for patients with the extreme weight gain induced by the drug. If it is clozapine, then I can look into the mechanism etc. Thanks.
Hi !
Me again lol…
I have another question : I’m out of Mega green tea extract and my retailer is back of order for this product. I wanted to buy from the link Tim gave but I juste read a post about the modification from 725 mg to 325 mg for it. SO I would like to know if I can use the 725 mg (my old bottle was at 425 mg).
I really need this information to order so if somebody can answer me I appreciate 🙂
In three weeks on the SCD I have gone from 226 and 23% to 220 and 20%.
How do I calculate total fat lost?
Mom (my mother not yours:-) only on SCD a few weeks now, although she does not own a scale, is wearing clothes she has not been able to fit into for years.
Its been a big adjustment for her in that she has been baking 50+ loaves of sourdough bread a week for YEARS. (She agreed to stop when she realized nobody on her bread distribution list was fit:-)
She is also diabetic. I am excited to hear about what her next blood panels reveal.
Don’t quit just tweak. SCD seems to work for everybody I’ve introduced to.
Everybody keep the good work.
Etienne
Hi Tim, great book I am really loving it! I had 3 questions about whey and ghee and oils and apologize if somewhere you have addressed it already:
1) Ghee. I know indian cusine. Even with a lot of this fat removed, how much – if at all should we use for cooking. I am thinking, not more than twice a week and 1 tablespsoon max? I don’t plan on even eating butter but if I do really miss it, I would make it in an indian dish and drop the rice like a spinach curry…
2) Whey. How come whey needs to be unflavored, isn’t it more important that it contains no sugar unless artificial? Thought it was a calorie thing. Whey could be useful for me if I am too busy to cook, a whey drink.
3) Could not find macdamian oil for the life of me. Bought hazelnut and Walnut instead, ok substitution?
That’s it 🙂
xox Lisa
At a plateau after 4 weeks. Lost 5.5 pounds and slowly gaining. Frustrated! Following to a T and I only have one cheat day. I’ve stopped my daily wineand keeping it only for the weekends. I’ve now incorporatedlemon water.Help!!
Oh, I left out that I am on my 7th week. To see the scale increase slowly is just a little baffling! The way I have been I should be going down, even if its only.half a pound a week. I will not give up because I enjoy this diet so much. I am tweaking it and will take any advice anyone may have.
Ok, struggling here and looking for support? I love the diet. I’ve been on this for 7 weeks now and for some crazy reason I am gaining weight. I follow the diet to a T and maybe that’s my problem. I have since cut out the wine I would drink almost everyday,a glass or two. I decided to save it for the weekend, maybe it being the culprit of the weight gain. I also just started drinking lemon water. In the first three weeks I lost 5.5 pounds and almost 3% body fat. Since then I yo yo back and forth a pound or two. Diet consists of: 2 eggs first thing in the am, liter of cold water, and hour later sauted veggies and beans in Irish butter, lunch: ground meat(turkey or grass fed beef, veggies, Irish butter and beans, same at 4:00 and same at 8:00. I am usually up to 11;00-12:00. I also workout three days a week with a personal trainer. If someone can give me advise I would so appreciate it. I am determined and will stick with this. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done! The energy is awesome!!
HI !
I dont’t know if I can help you but I would try this :
In the morning : breakfast with 3 white eggs + 1 whole egg, beans, green salad before 30 minutes upon waking up.
why are you waiting 1 hour between eggs and veggies/bean ? it’s like you’re doing 2 breakfast I think ?
Personnally I don’t drink the iced cold water…
at 4:00 the lunch should be smaller than the others…
I use to take green salad lentills and tuna with light seasonning
I drink 3 liters of water per day, no wine…
try this and keep in touch I would like to know if it’s working 🙂
Misryane.
@Sandra D : Sorry my message was lost…
I would try on breakfast : 3 white eggs + 1 whole egg, beans, green salad within 30 minutes upon waking up.
I don’t drink the iced cold water and I see results.
on lunch at 4 :00 it lust be smaller than the other lunchs I usually take green salad, lentills and tuna with light seasonning.
why are you waiting 1h between the eggs and the veggies/bean in the morning ? it’s like you’re doing 2 breakfast no ?
Try the changes and keep in touch I wuold like to know if it’s working 🙂
Misryane.
Misryane,
Thank you for your information. I will definitely decrease my 4:00 and make it more of a snack. The reason I have a window between my eggs and veggies(which i will also fix) i am getting 4 kids off to school, two of which need rides. By the time I get that done I have my quiet time with just me and my beans and veggies. : ) LOL!Oh, and my very cute puppy! Life is good. : )
I was wondering if you can do a BodPod test. This will help you know if you have a good BMI, you might not have that much weight to loose.
One change that seems to restart fat loss is getting rid of the beans at meals after lunch. That worked for me!
Hello Sandra,
Step one. Take the batteries out of your scale. (Your scale is jealous of your real progress and should never be trusted. I would give it away to my least favorite in-law myself. Thats just me I’m sure your in-laws are all very nice:-)
Instead use a tape measure in the simple way Tim recommends.
Step two. Consider cutting back on your work-outs.
Step three (Diet)
My guess is if you increase your protein intake by quite a bit you’ll naturally decrease your intake of caloric-ly dense beans and/or legumes if you happen to eating too many of them. You may-not be eating too many of them and if not fine, just concentrate on getting enough protein first. (Tim recommends minimum of 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking) Certainly other meals would benefit from being built around protein first as well.
My bet is you are not consuming enough protein combined with perhaps too much progress (muscle) or maybe over training in the gym.
Either way the first things to try are easy enough before going to the heavy artillery (ice and PAAG, and my personal favorite lots of fish oil)
I bet you are able to work all this out and bring back the wine after you do to boot.
Best
Etienne
Etienne,
First, I have to say I enjoy reading all your posts and the response you gave to mine made me laugh out loud. Thank you!!I always knew that darn scale did not like me!
My usual serving of beans is about half a cup. I’ll decrease them and replace with more protein. I have been on the PAGG for the entire time and I have only done the ice pack 2 times, mainly because I always forget about doing it. Not uncomfortable at all.
So, scale out the window, cancel my gym appointment today, eat more beef,chicken! Got it!
oh, I do use the Irish butter for every meal. I know Tim said fat does not make you fat. Do you think I need to decrease the usage? I just love the stuff! Makes any meal taste amazing. I use about 1 Tbl a meal. Thank you for your advice and I will keep you posted. Have a great day!!
Hey there Sandra,
I was going to start off by trying to say something funny about butter and the Last Tango in Paris but realized there was really no way to keep it G rated.
Onward…
I am guessing that “fat doesn’t make you fat” is true to the extent that it is because in its natural form it comes packaged with protein, which takes much more energy to digest then other food types.
I say what I say about nutrition and weight loss because of the research I’ve read and tried on myself and the victims who are related to me. Tim on the other has done more reading and actually tested extensively what he has read extensively. This is what makes his such a valuable book. So listen to Tim and enjoy your butter (and maybe even a glass of wine).
(Do be sure sure to stick to Tim’s rule about eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking.
Best,
Etienne
Sandra,
A bit o’ butter = okay as per Tim (While we wait for the moderator to decide if my last reply contained any verboten words, you know like sugar, fruit loops, donuts etc)
Etienne
A few people have reported having trouble with regular bowel movements since beginning the SCD. I’ve come across a few answers this past week that might be helpful.
Suggestion from naturopath:
Take magnesium. Don’t take it in combination with calcium, just take it alone. I don’t know the dosage so just start with what the bottle says.
Dr. Mercola and Ori Hofmekler (Warrior diet):
“You need to be very particular with your meal size and food choices. Contrary to popular opinion, the morning is not the ideal time to eat large meals because during this time your body is in elimination (detox) mode.
When your metabolic system is operating well, you’ll find that you have to go to the bathroom each morning, like clockwork. This is important in order to effectively eliminate toxins and prevent disease. Unfortunately, constipation is an extremely common problem, and part of the reason for this is that your body is not “set” to eliminate properly due to poor diet and improper meal timing.
So, if you’re constipated, or do not automatically eliminate every morning, it’s a giant clue you need to re-examine what and when you eat.”
Mercola then goes on to suggest eating whey protein in the morning. It’s highly digestible and not heavy.
link: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/27/ori-hofmekler-on-timing-of-meals.aspx (which you may have to sign up to read- truly annoying. I am in no way affiliated with Dr. Mercola).
It was an interesting article and usually I find Dr. Mercola to be pretty in-line with what Tim says.
I know there are others that are either vegetarians or just don’t really care for meat type proteins (such as myself) so I thought I’d share something that has been working really well for me for breakfast.
2 scoops whey protein powder (19 grams protein)- FYI: I use Ultralean from Biogenesis and it is sweetened with xylitol…
1-2 cups uncooked spinach
1 slice fresh ginger-peeled
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 avocado
2 tsps powdered egg whites (9 grams protein).
water and ice
Blend in a high speed blender (I use my Vitamix which I love).
The fat from the avocado helps keep me full and burns off slowly rather than dropping my blood sugar like a hot potato. This also allows me to drink my entire breakfast and I don’t have to try and gag down eggs in the morning.
Oh yeah, I also commonly eat a few forkfuls of sauerkraut and 2 Brazil nuts while I’m making the shake….
Hello and thank you for all the comments on the4HB, i have been following the diet for 13 weeks and i love it:)Only thing is that i didn’t measure myself but i can tell that the weight is coming of slowly and my body is getting titer:)
I have few questions on the diet. I would like to know what kind of beans allowed besides black, pinto, lentils? Can i eat collard greens, kale? What about smoked fish?
Oh and i choose Sunday as my cheat day but on Monday i feel blue, low energy, i was wondering if people have same experience?
Thank you! waiting for your response.
Chia seeds have come into question regarding the SCD. So I thought I’d share an abstract with this ever-so-simple titile “Lipid redistribution by ?-linolenic acid-rich chia seed inhibits stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 and induces cardiac and hepatic protection in diet-induced obese rats” was recently published on PubMed.
(link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21429727)
The abstract is short however worth a gander. I’ll try my best to put it into layman’s terms (Which, to be clear, I am one. I had to look up every word so forgive me if I completely screwed it up!).
The study compares rats fed a high carbohydrate, high fat diet, with rats fed the same diet, only after 8 weeks were supplemented with 5% chia seeds.
It goes on to report that the rats that were supplemented with chia seeds showed better insulin resistance, glucose tolerance, reduced abdominal fat, decreased hepatic steatosis (fatty liver), as well as reduced heart and liver inflammation.
The researchers conclude that chia seeds (which contain the alpha essential fatty acid, ?-linolenic acid (ALA), “induce lipid redistribution associated with cardioprotection and hepatoprotection.”
Please note that a-linolenic acid is not the same as what is in the PAGG stack, alpha lipoic acid. For an explanation of the difference go to: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/alpha-lipoic-000285.htm
So Tim, the question remains. Would you recommend chia seeds for the SCD?
BTW, Nutritiondata.com reports that 1 oz of chia seeds contains 137 calories, 9 grams fat, 11 grams fiber, and 4 grams protein. Getchia.com claims that they “contain the highest plant source of Omega-3 on the planet.” http://getchia.com/
Hi Alison,
I don’t discourage their use, but I don’t consume in mass quantities either. All that said, occasional chia seeds are fine for most on SCD. Just make sure you track the numbers and progress, or lack thereof 🙂
Good luck!
Tim
Allison, I’ve added a tsp. here and there to my protein shakes and salads and I think they help w/regularity for me. So far so good. I’ve been on the SCD since Jan 1. I think I started the Chia seeds about a month ago. 48 mom of 3 gone from 18-20% bf to below 12% w/o much sacrifice (meaning I haven’t resorted to the Last Mile yet but I have done a 2-day protein fast and a week or two of limited calories to experiment). I’m a SCD rogue though and go outside the lines…many fingers wag at me but not sure why since I’m experiencing good results :). I say use the SCD as your base then be your own body hacker to see what works for YOUR body!
pdxHollym-
Can you say more about whats worked for you? Do you eat within a half hour of waking? What has your daily diet consisted of?
Thanks!
Hi Alison,
I realize I will be repeating myself here because I thought about everything and wrote it in a word document first, & when I came back I saw that I have already shared many of these things but at least it will be all in one place!
I stay mostly true to the slow carb diet as defined in the 4HB. I have a protein shake (Genuine Health Protein+)within 30 min. of waking, get my family out the door and then have the rest of my breakfast which has lately been lentils (I buy dry) & fresh, raw spinach. I’ve found I do best on lean meat and fish, not as well on red meat, including grass fed. I buy organic when the option is available. I eat a combo of frozen & fresh veggies & find I do better w/mostly fresh & I eat a lot of them. I use only good fats (a lot of flax seed oil & EVOO) and rarely any butter. I use balsamic & flax seed oil to flavor a lot of my food). I vary my legumes meal to meal and am somewhat addicted to my calipers & tape measure and if I feel I am stalling, I reduce or cut the legumes in the later meals. I don’t do well mentally if I cut them from breakfast. I use PAGG & fish oil w/each meal, cinnamon w/ coffee (& p shake) & drink iced Yerba Mate tea as well as lots of water. I use a small amount of unsweetened coconut milk beverage in my p. shake & coffee. I sprinkle chia seeds and hemp seeds on a lot of my food. I use grapefruit extract in my water. I snack on almonds, nut butters, hard boiled eggs, sauerkraut & cut up veggies. Sometime I snack on Flackers (flax seed crackers-no grains/sugar). I also indulge on a 100% cocoa bar probably too much & also make my own w/good cocoa pwdr, coconut oil & stevia drops as my base. I use 5 NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia drops in my coffee every day and my shake mix has stevia too (that’s where I diverge from Tim). I mostly do Fleur’s w/o, walk, & do some posture type exercises. I recently added Teresa Tapp’s 15-min. w/o & her blended alfalfa & fibertox supplements. I dry brush my skin daily, take sea salt baths, use an ice pack at night & a lot of the time, turn my shower to cold the last 3 min. I also drink a glass or two of pinot noir most every night. I mostly overdo my cheat days. I’ve changed things up here and there such as doing a 2-day protein fast and there was a few weeks where I limited my calories because my muscles were growing bigger than I wanted. I mostly stick w/once a week cheat but have had a few weekends where I cheated more. I also use the goLite in the mornings. I think I covered it all. I hope that helps, good luck!
Holly (pdxhollym)
Hi Tim,
Update, SCD/4HB since Jan 1, 2011. 48 yr. old mom of 3 started approx. 18-20% down to below 12% now. I take liberties with “if you must” so I can enjoy life as much as possible. Use clean stevia daily (no maltodexrin). More muscle than I need so currently not focusing on huge amount of protein but what seems appropriate for my little body (size 0). Cut back then eliminated beans for bit, big mistake mentally, not worth lower bf-brains are better than looks-LOL. Still enjoying my wine, snack probably more than you do & have fun w/trying to hack my own body and go outside the box. Amazing support out there-wow! Want to post pics but 48 yr. old mom of 3 in bathing suit at 12%bf is not quite the same as a 28 or 38 yr. old-gotta get that skin in shape too. Thanks!
p.s. There is a kid on 4-hour people that you should check out, his user name is Minnesota-his advice to others blows me away.
Hi pdxHollym
Can you share a link? I am having trouble to find that kid 🙂
Thanks,
David
Tim,
Great book! Saw it on the shelf just over two weeks ago, bought it, read the Fat Loss section and am down to 218.5 from 228 in 13 days. Brilliant! It’s easy to follow, and I love that eating the quart of ice cream and chocolate croissants is on the diet! I’m beginning to work with the Kettlebell swings and i really enjoy them–great ab and leg impact. My right knee is a little tweaked though–I am a contractor and I tweaked it working–and i want to keep doing some form of balancing exercise while the knee heals. I love TGU’s, too (had never heard of them before your book) but better hold off on them as well. I’d love suggestions… I’ve never had a knee injury before.
I also want to share that you are right –it really doesn’t work to not get enough water. The one day I had headaches and felt lethargic was because I only drank about 1/2 a liter in the am. I increased the water later that afternoon and the headache went away within an hour or so. Thanks again!
Will-
I’m sorry to hear about your knee. “Tweaks” often turn into major issues. Losing weight and doing strengthening exercises will help but I hope you’ve seen, or will see, a Dr. just to be sure.
Have you been trained in the kettlebells or did you pick them up just from the book? I am not a trainer, but have recently been trained by an RKC KB instructor and it makes all the difference. If you can find a good one (dragondoor.com can direct you to an RKC or HKC KB trainer in your area- go with RKC if you can) they may even know of exercises that will help your knee. If you are in the Palo Alto area of CA you can look up Girya online to find Mark Reifkind’s KB gym. I recently went to a training session with Mark and Tracy and when I told Tracy I had lower back issues she said “Go tell Mark, point to exactly where it hurts and he will tell you what you need to do.” He knows his stuff. He may even be willing to suggest something via email.
Good not to do TGU’s and be sure you are anchoring your feet into the floor properly so that you don’t twist your knee if you do decide to swing.
KB are an awesome workout. I can’t say enough good things about them!
Keep up the good work and hope your knee shapes up quickly.
I am a college cross-country and track athlete looking to drop body fat and weight. I am just wondering if the slow-carb diet is a good idea for someone like me who is highly active with exercise (running upwards of 60 miles a week, as well as lifting and cross-training 2-3 times a week). I am starting my summer base-building, so I am going to test it out anyway, just thought I would get an opinion before I screw up my training.
Thank you for the amazing book, it is very insightful and entertaining.
-Michael W. Gurley
Hi Michael
You might be interested then in this book: “The Paleo Diet for Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance”, can be found here on amazon: http://amzn.to/g5oO7n
It is written by Prof. Loren Cordain and Joe Friel. Cordain is an expert in the paleo diet and the guy where also Robb Wolf has lots of his wisdom from (Robb Wolf is the author of the best selling book ‘The Paleo Solution, The Original Human Diet’, a truely truely great read: http://amzn.to/fFJuc9 ). And being an athlete you might be aware of Joe Friel.
From what I understand, Tim’s SCD is not too far away from the paleo approach (Tim, please step in if I am wrong on that) so the above books could be of value for you as well. Definitely the Paleo for Athletes book is worth having in your book collection. I have it myself and I am really inspired. I did follow their suggestions for the last 1-2 days before the race as well as for a ‘home brew’ drink during and after my last marathon. Although I can’t say how much it helped me in general, I now value the book even more.
Hope this can be also of use to you!
Best regards from Greece,
David
I want to second (and third and fourth) David;s recommendation. In fact you should read Rob Wolf’s guest post http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/09/19/paleo-diet-solution/
Including this Note from Tim: Many of you know that I consume some legumes and beans. Normal cooking will reduce anti-nutrients in both, but, when possible, I also soak them overnight beforehand in water with a tablespoon of baking soda. Soaking for 24 hours at room temperature has been shown to remove 66% of the trypsin (protease) inhibitor activity in mung bean, 93% in lentil (this is what I eat most often), 59% in chickpea, and 100% in broad bean. Remember also to distinguish “in vitro” (e.g. red blood cells in a petri dish) vs. “in vivo” (e.g. after normal digestion) studies.]
Thanks for the link Etienne. I don’t know how I missed reading Robb’s post but I’m going to read his book now for sure.
I was surprised to read that Tim soaks lentils. I’m sure I’ve read it before and just figured he didn’t know any better (sorry Tim, all the recipes say no need to soak- now I understand it’s not a bachelor cooking issue ;).
Hi David,
Here is the link you requested…
http://4hourpeople.com/
For type 2 diabetics: You may find that even the 4HD provides too many carbs for you. I did the 4HD for about three weeks, lost a bunch the first week, and then plateaued. I discovered that my blood sugar, which when unmedicated was in the 180 to 220 range, had dropped into the 130s consistently on the 4HD, but I think that is still too high and may interfere with losing weight. I dropped the legumes and went to a full Atkins diet (20 grams of CHO per day) and quickly got down to perfect blood sugar readings– 90 to 110, sometimes even below 90– and am now off the meds completely. The 4HD made a great segue into Atkins, which I am finding is fine for me. I am now in mild ketosis most of the time, around 15-25 mg/dl. As I lose weight and my blood sugar drops, I will gradually add back carbs as my glucose levels begin to fall.
Also, I am finding that wine seems to stall weight loss in its tracks. Red wine has no glycemic or insulinemic response, but delays gastric emptying, which I think is the opposite of what I am trying to do. I miss it terribly and may make that a cheat day goodie.
Tip: try unsweetened almond milk with truvia to taste. You’ll never miss milk again.
Any one care to attack this one?
Tuesday is my 3 month anni for starting the 4HD body diet. I’ve enjoyed it, don’t mind the food/prep, and have loved the results. Unfortunately I’ve hit another stall.
I’m 31 with no kids and my start weight was 134. I wanted to drop a few pounds and flatten my stomach. Inches were/are more important then pounds.
I dropped 10 pounds pretty quickly and have been right around 125 since March 4. I’m happy with 125 and the inches slowly kept coming off. On my March 4 weight in, I was at 30.25 for my waist and 33.5 for my hips. I finished last month at 125 lbs, 29 waist, 31 hips and have been stuck there since. I have normal cheat days–usually go from lunch until bed.
I got rid of eggs and don’t have beans after my dinner meals. So breakfast lunch and dinner are all about the same–lots of fish lately, either salmon, tilapia, or swai otherwise grilled chicken or ground turkey. Black beans 1/2 cup, and a large handful of spinach, broc.
I wake at 6 and eat and drink before 630, second meal at 1130, small meal at 2 if hungry, then larger meal for dinner (8ish) that has just meal and lots of veggies.
I’m a runner and lately have had only two bigger workouts a week–either 10ish miles or a couple hours of a run bike combo. I do abs 3 to 4 times a week. I completed my second geek to freak dumbbell workout yesterday. I haven’t been sore from any of my workouts for awhile.
I could get more sleep and feel like I’m driving a ton of water. Have coffee with cinnamon in the mornings and a glass of wine about every other night. I stay strict to the diet. This weekend I didn’t have a cheat day because of a lunch date on Wednesday. I was assuming this would at least show more results, but nothing.
What do you guys see?
Hello Amy,
Your question(s) are a little ‘tuff because you are being so good. Nothing wrong with that of course.
How many grams of protein a day, or how close to the 1 gram per pound of bodyweight / 125 grams of protein per day rule of thumb are you getting? (7 grams per oz means, measured in meat, you would 3 meat portions of about 6 oz(s) a day)
If you eat protein in these qualities first (until 80% saited) , healthy fats second and veggies third your bean/legume consumption should go down.
Fish oil, Lots of fish oil especially if your protein comes from chicken/turkey, commercially raised on the hoof or your fish isn’t wild caught. 1 gram per 10 pounds of bodyweight would mean 12 or so grams a day, generally 20+ pills, 6-7 after each meal lets say.
Tim’s PAAG stack?
Tim’s recommended ICE therapy?
What is your actual percentage of body-fat? (You maybe just packing on the good pounds a little at a time now that you are getting higher quality nutrition on Tim’s diet)
I bet your really close. Work with it a little and you will almost certainly get there.
Good luck!
Etienne
Etienne: Thank you! I have been aiming for 90-100g of protein a day, so I’ll throw in a shake and see if that does the trick.
I’m eating about a cup of beans a day. When it goes below that, I get moody and tired. Noted though and as I up my protein I will make sure I’m not also upping my beans.
I am taking fish oil but not close to that amount. I need to reread that section in the book. Seems like lots of people have been increasing their fish oil. Since I eat so much fish, so I still need to do this?
No PAAG and have only tired the cold therapy once or twice but it’s an easy add for sure.
Not sure what my body fat % is. Wish I would have had it taken when I started. I will get that done too.
Thank you again!
And more sleep…..check 🙂
and yes poor sleep or not enough of it will sabotage the best laid plans. One on the tips from Tim’s book refers to a sleep book called “Lights Out” either buy the book or tape over every single LED in your bedroom. Tablespoon of almond butter to be sure your not hypoglycemic just before bed.
Best,
Etienne
Hey Amy,
Rules of thumb all but I would aim for just a little more protein and ton up on the veggies. (Eat in order protein first till 80% full and you will land just about where you need to be) A cup of beans per day isn’t much isn’t much, so I am sure you are fine there.
As far as the fish oil goes. If you are eating_nothing but grass feed meats and wild caught fish and/or you can see your own abs then maybe half the fish oil. Otherwise the full dose for say 60 days before you cut back to 1 gram for every 20 pounds of body weight. (In the meantime you won’t believe what all that fish oil will do for your skin, hair, nails and ability to breath under water)
Take another look at Tims sleep tips. Tape over all LEDs in your bedroom and consider a spoonful of almond butter before bed to avoid hypoglycemia.
Best
Etienne
Yet another stall
Tuesday is my 3 month anni for starting the 4HD body diet. I’ve enjoyed it, don’t mind the food/prep, and have loved the results.
Unfortunately I’ve hit another stall.
I’m 31 with no kids and my start weight was 134. I wanted to drop a few pounds and flatten my stomach. Inches were/are more important then pounds. I dropped 10 pounds pretty quickly and have been right around 125 since March 4. I’m happy with 125. The inches slowly kept coming off. On my March 4 weight in, I was at 30.25 for my waist and 33.5 for my hips. I finished last month at 125 lbs, 29 waist, 31 hips and have been stuck there since. I have normal cheat days–usually go from lunch until bed.
I got rid of eggs and don’t have beans after my dinner meals. So breakfast lunch and dinner are all about the same–lots of fish lately, either salmon, tilapia, or swai otherwise chicken or turkey. Black beans 1/2 cup, and a large handful of spinach, broc.
I wake at 6 and eat and drink before 630, second meal at 1130, small meal at 2 if hungry, then larger meal for dinner (8ish) that has just meal and lots of veggies.
I’m a runner and lately have had only two bigger workouts a week–either 10ish miles or a couple hours of a run bike combo. I do abs 3 to 4 times a week.
I completed my second geek to freak dumbbell workout yesterday. I haven’t been sore from any of my workouts for awhile.
I could get more sleep and feel like I’m driving a ton of water. Have coffee with cinnamon in the mornings and a glass of wine about every other night. I stay strict to the diet. This weekend I didn’t have a cheat day because of a lunch date on Wednesday. I was assuming this would at least show more results, but nothing.
What do you guys see?
Amy,
My two ideas for you (and maybe you’ve already gotten over your stall) are these:
1. Don’t workout for a week. I was doing some heavy kettlebells almost every day and one week I got super busy and did nothing but my usual 2 mile walk. Suddenly the weight just fell off. I’ve been more careful to stick with Tim’s MED.
2. Holly (another SCD on here) told me she did a two day protein fast. I did a one day protein fast, and then the second day added a bit of spinach. This did seem to jump start the weight loss again.
If you’ve found anything that works for you I’d be interested to hear what you did.
Also, you can always try Etienne’s Polar Bear method…ice baths. I’m too much of a ninny and hate being cold above all else so I’ll only do the ice packs. But I don’t doubt it works.
Well I quite the diet for about a week and am trying to do things my own way and am sucking. 🙂 Still toying with Paleo but didn’t realize they recommend only one serving of fruit a day.
So I guess my dilemma is I like to work out. I like to go to the gym and belong to a ultra running club that I love and we log a ton of miles. I don’t want to believe that this is hindering my progress. It’s not an unhealthy habit.
Currently I’m lifting, running, and sticking to the SCD except sometimes go for beans and other times go for fruit. I’ve started to log my food on dailyburn and sometimes I think it helps and sometimes I think it’s silly. Is it silly? Is watching calories really a waste of time? I thought maybe my stall on SCD was due to not eating enough calories and I still think that might be the case but I hate worrying about going over the recommended amount. And daily burns claims that if I continue to eat and exercise the way I am I should lose 3-4 lbs a week. Well I’m not and I don’t know why.
Maybe my stall was also to not drinking enough water. This site: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson175.htm states that for my weight I should have 10 glasses a day and I know I’m not close to that.
What is your current weight? Are you still seeing results?
Hi everybody I am 5 ‘8 3/4 inches and currently weigh 227.5 lbs
Most importatly (well in this contex) in have Celiacs disease which is an autoimune disorder that causes my digestive track to become inflamed and the celia (which are hairs that absourb nutrients ) to die, when i eat gluten from wheat rye or barley.
This being said it took 4 years of intense pain ( and years of other problems) to finaly be diagnosed and after i switched to a gluten free diet my abdominal pain stopped but i still had this pain in my upper stomache, that my doctor said were hunger pains and i wasnt eating enough. So I ate almost all day eating so that the pain would subside and if i kept at it then no pain. I however gained alot of weight i was never over 200 before (but not that i was thin before ive been chubby my whole life) Hence the 4hb slow carb diet.
My question after all of that background is that I am eating what i consider alot of protein and those pains have come to visit me again and i feel weak.
Is it that im actually not getting enough to eat? Is anyone else having this problem? I have convince my 5 9’ 265 lb mother to do this with me and she dosent seem to be having the same problem.
Here is what i have eaten today:
6:00 ( yes i wake early) 2eggwhites one whole egg and about a 1/2 cup cooked spinache.
9:00 My stomache was growling so i couldnt wait till 10 I had 4oz cubed chicken 1/2 cup cooked lentels and 1/2 cup brocolli
Once i finished that i was still hungry so i ate another chicken.
I love water i drink it like a fish around 3 liters a day.
Its almost one and my stomach is growling again. I gusse i must be confused about how much to eat, that or something is seriously wrong with me and i need to go back to the doctor. However the first time i told my doctor about my “hunger pains” he made me feel really stupid so i am reluctant to do so.
Thanks everyone.
And Tim I love the book it just makes sense to me– J
Jorqia,
Very few of us are medical doctors so it very hard for me to go out on a limb and suggest what you should be doing. I would however suggest reading a guest post from Robb Wolf, (see link below w/Tim’s comments) a personal trainer who provides nutritional counselling and I believe suffers from the same condition.
I also can’t really say if soaking your lentils overnight as Tim suggests in his note or skipping them and all other legumes as Rob Wolf does would help.
In either event you really need to find a medical doctor, who understands your condition even if anything you read here seems to help. Your condition is very serious and shouldn’t be left in our hands.
Good luck
Etienne
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/09/19/paleo-diet-solution/
Including this Note from Tim: Many of you know that I consume some legumes and beans. Normal cooking will reduce anti-nutrients in both, but, when possible, I also soak them overnight beforehand in water with a tablespoon of baking soda. Soaking for 24 hours at room temperature has been shown to remove 66% of the trypsin (protease) inhibitor activity in mung bean, 93% in lentil (this is what I eat most often), 59% in chickpea, and 100% in broad bean. Remember also to distinguish “in vitro” (e.g. red blood cells in a petri dish) vs. “in vivo” (e.g. after normal digestion) studies.]
Tim,
Started SCD on 4/25 @ 198lbs. My main goal was to just feel better and maybe get to meet my abs. After 3 Weeks I’m at 183 and feel awesome. I have four kids under the age of 5 and for the first time feel like I’m loving the wonderful energy my little rascals have instead of getting exhausted by it.
Thank you for the positive impact you’ve had on me and my family’s life. Never stop doing what your doing- such an awesome way to have ethical expression in your life.
JP
JP!
Congratulations, and thank you so much for this wonderful comment! It absolutely made my day 🙂
Keep up the great work and give my best to the little rascals,
Tim
I’m 54 year old, female, started the diet on Jan 2. My goal was to lose 16 lbs. I’ve been down to my target weight for a week now. It took that long because I travel a lot for my business and had to interrupt the diet twice for 2 and 3 weeks trips in Asia, where I had to eat with locals all the time, no way to stick to protein plus legumes and veggies… But also, as Tim has pointed out, women seem to lose at a slower pace than men. So all you women who are seeing plateaus or losing slower than you expected – keep going!
Because it’s so easy to stick to the diet, and I get such great levels of energy from it, I’ve decided to stick to it for a while longer, just to see how much more I can lose (I feel thin enough, but I’m still about 10 lbs higher than what I was in my 20s).
But I’m also a bit at a loss as to how to stop…. I’m afraid that if I go back to normal eating = at reasonable levels of calories – i.e, not binging 🙂 that I may gain weight back rapidly again? At the moment the best method of stopping/transitioning I can think of is to toggle between a few normal food days and SCD days, and track what happens as a result of the “normal” eating days. But has anyone out there already passed this point and can give me tips?
I have been doing Atkins for 15 years and when I first started, I lost 30lbs easy (a lot for 5’2″), and easily lost my baby weight after all four births (but kept a little after each). Now I seem to be stuck after losing my 30lbs baby weight and putting on 5lbs of it back on (breastfeeding still which in my experience, you don’t lose the last 10lbs until you stop).
I stumbled across your blog when doing Oprah’s 7 day vegan challenge (which I gained 3 lbs on!) I did it low carb or eco-Atkins. It was fun, but I’m not a vegan girl. My brother also turned me on to the 4HB. I bought the book and I am in! I have some adjustments to do (can you say CHEAT DAY?!!) I haven’t had carbs in so long… looking forward to this. Still a little fuzzy on whether you need a certain amount of carbs or calories, or if I can still kind of do Atkins with a cheat day to mix it up? I usually have a whey shake for breakfast (no sugar) 25g protein, or a flaxseed “muffin in a minute” on off days, or eggs. Lunch is meat/veggie, or today I had boiled eggs and tuna with a little mayo and mustard. I don’t normally eat beans (too many carbs on Atkins), but may introduce them if I have to. I eat black soybeans- highest in protein and lowest in carbs. I’m looking forward to mixing it up and hopefully a beach bod soon (and the other chapters in the book).
I am actually writing my FIRST blog about random things I am passionate about, starting with my experience on the vegan challenge, but will likely mention 4HB soon!
Just reading the book. Appears to be some good advice so far, but I have some questions.
First about me: 41 year old Male, 5’9″, 304 lbs goal for now would be 220 lbs.
My question:
Having to lose so much, if I read the book right, I would start on the SCD and basically do the Kettlebell swings is that correct?
If not, what part did I miss and what should I reread?
You don’t have to do kettlebell swings but some type of exercise would be helpful for you. In fact, you’ll lose weight without any exercise but the kettlebells are a good workout. Good luck
Is chocolate allowed on the SCD (non-cheat days)? I don’t believe it violates any of the rules (no white carbs, don’t drink calories, no fruit, etc.) But still, it seems too good to be true.
cheers,
Eric
Hey Eric;
It better be. (Tim please don’t correct me if I’m wrong!:-)
I’d stick to good quality, small portions of 70%+ dark chocolate.
That and lightly roasted middle eastern coffee and you will live forever. (I’ll let you know how well it works anyway)
Etienne
Does anyone know whether sugar alcohol is out? I eat the Think Thin protein bars (20g of protein).
Hi, enjoying 4HB for 3 weeks but not seeing much PHYSICAL change so I am looking for the tweeks. Could be just wanting 10-12lb loss and having a hard time getting the body to kick in? I know it takes a few weeks to get the mojo of it down. So I am a patient yogi. I know most of my pitfalls. 20 year diet veteran 230lb-137lb-current 153lb. No cheese, fine… no cheese! Working on no nuts but that’s killing me. but….
How about sprouted lentils, peas and other beans?
Homemade mayo?
And what about other beans..cannellini, small white, butter beans and chick peas (not hummified)?
Thanks for any help out there.
Tim thanks for being the experiment.
-L
Hi Lauren,
I’d be happy to type just a little bit if you wouldn’t mind answering just one question. Other more boring ones will follow. (Are you weight training, have been measuring yourself, have you calculated your body fat %, what are eating, what are your portion sizes, what if any supplements are you taking etc etc)
Now for my question.
Are you now, or have you ever been…a v-e-g-e-t-a-r-i-a-n?
Properly tuned/followed carefully SCD works very well for nearly everybody.
I bet it will for you too.
Good luck.
Etienne
Lauren
and I almost forgot an another boring question; Have you had your blood-work done?
Best,
Etienne
Hey Etienne,
I just want you to know that your post got me to read Robb Wolf’s post and now I’m reading his book. I can’t put it down! Seriously good stuff. Robb’s writing style reminds me a lot of Tim’s. Have you read it? If so, any thoughts?
Hey Alison,
I’ve read Rob Wolf’s book, listened to about 40 of his 60 something podcasts. I have read and/or reviewed most of Dr. Loren Cordain’s work. I have reviewed the Alternative Hypothesis of Obesity (see the presentation here:
http://videomedia2.swedish.org/mediasite/SilverlightPlayer/Default.aspx?peid=cd8c7aa15bc94a0486f4ee9b66ef8f8f
I agree with Robb and Tim. Robb is more of a purest. Tim is is more interested in what works (the 4% that gives you 96% of the results)
Therefore Tim’s SCD for instance is allot easier for most people to follow and that is important.
Rob would say that beans and legumes are bad for you. Tim might say, “Wait a minute their only a little bad for you, and if you soak lentils for instance 96% of what Rob would worry about is taken care of. In the meantime beans/legumes offer the density needed to make the diet work easily (and cheaply) and “What is the point if people give up and fail?”
It is Rob the former research chemist vs Tim the engineer.
I am research specialist and the purest approach works for me aesthetically so I follow the no compromise form closer (identical actually) to what Rob would suggest myself.
Having said all that I don’t mine saying Tim’s is a much better book. A how and why manual that really does focus on what matters in terms of weight loss, working out and that other chapter too I suppose.
Finally I would say that most everybody should choose Tim’s approach just because it so much more likely to succeed for them.
You asked:-)
Best,
Etienne Taylor
Tim,
I just want to pay you a compliment.
I blog about all of this health and wellness stuff and so I’m always reviewing all of the new diet books. I was reviewing the Dukan Diet (not one I’d recommend) and The 17 Day Diet (nope, not this one either) and it’s really interesting to see how often similar threads lead to completely different conclusions. And, it’s sad/disappointing to see how many of these books are just utter and complete cow patties.
At this point there is no other “diet” book I’d recommend more highly than The 4HB. The reasons are b/c the slow carb diet makes sense (it’s actually healthy- what a concept!), is totally and completely doable, and b/c everyone is different and experimenting and seeing what really works for you as an individual is what you’re truly encouraging.
Now I’m reading Robb Wolf’s book and I will soon have a question for you about beans! (I’ve got to re-read part of your book to see if you answer my question and I’ve just forgotten.) He is seriously messing with my former vegetarian, Naturopath loving head!
Anyway, just wanted to say “thanks” and give your ego a little boost for the day!
Etienne,
Thanks for the great answer! Should we start our own nerd club? Tim and Charlie are likely to kick us off at this point. 😉
So a couple of questions.
Do you eat legumes? Specifically soaked lentils?
Do you eat fruit?
I know you’ve said you don’t imbibe in cheat days so does that mean that you do zero grains? Zero dairy?
I started Tim’s SCD for a couple of reasons, b/c of blood sugar drops and digestive issues. I’ve completely eliminated the blood sugar drops (except when I drink caffeine- I find that unless I specifically eat lentils my blood sugar drops me like a hot potato) and the digestive issues seem to be linked to egg yolks. I seem to do fine with grains, but when I eat something like oatmeal for breakfast I go back to blood sugar tanks (thus I eat SCD breakfasts). However if I eat toast (whole grain of course) with eggs I’m fine.This leaves me wondering if cutting out grains entirely is really necessary for me (not from a weight loss perspective mind you)? I do have arthritis/inflammation and degeneration of the mandibular joint so I’m wondering if that could have anything to do with grains???
I think you completely hit the nail on the head when you said that “It is Rob the former research chemist vs Tim the engineer.” I’m still reading Robb’s book. I keep falling asleep though. I always think that says something about a book (even though it clearly says I need more sleep). Tim’s book is much more consumable and everyday person friendly. Robb’s is a bit intense and he says “folks” way too much (now I’m just being nit-picky). I completely agree that Tim’s is a book that leaves people with a higher likelihood for success. I’m now re-reading Tim’s concurrently with Robb’s.
I’m not sure where you’re located but it looks like Robb is giving a seminar in Vancouver, B.C. Have you been to one of his seminars? His site says nothing about the contents of what he might be speaking on so I’m wary to sign up as it’s a long drive (from outside of Seattle).
BTW, I checked out your site. I want to be part of a study for arthritis and serious degeneration of the mandibular joint so if one comes along like that let me know!
Hey there Alison,
I hope Tim/Charlie don’t kick us off either:-) This blog as this is my sanity break away from people fighting cancer and engineers fighting each other.
Personally I eat no beans/ legumes at all. (Although I really like lentils). I love fruit and used to consume 5-10 pieces a day but now only eat a couple handfuls of berries and the odd bit of melon each week.
Zero grains of course. Yes cutting out grains is necessary if you believe, as I do that they are bad for you. I accept that I may wrong but there is a growing body of evidence that I am not.
I don’t think there is any question if you have a condition that involves degenerative swelling you ought to cut out all grains, and all dairy before you go looking for a clinical trial to pile new drugs on top of a diet that isn’t already as close to clean (perfect) as you can make it. (Base of the pyramid first and foremost)
I never seen Rob (or Tim) live. I figure Rob already owes me big time for sitting through 40 or so of his dorky (dreary) podcasts.
I am in (sunny) Oakland California and I will definitely let know about any arthritis trials that look interesting.
Whatever my actual diet has evolved to it is Tim’s wonderful book that got me there.
Best,
Etienne
Etienne,
LOL, yes after listening to Robb’s podcast I think I’ll skip the live show. I can’t believe you made it through 40!
I should have realized that “clinical trial” means drugs. I always have big dreams of being involved in a trial which includes alternative medicine/methods and should have been specific- no drugs. The rheumatologist wants to put me on Methaltrexate. I’m not interested and have managed very well using alternative methods.
The link you sent me to Gary Taubes has been riveting. I haven’t gotten through the whole hour and 48 minutes but I will because I have to know what he concludes. I’m at the comparison of cows right now where he is exploring if some people are genetically predisposed to being overweight.
I also thank Tim for getting me to this place of questioning, experimenting, and some concrete answers that make sense. I speak to hundreds, and write for thousands, of people every month and it’s really important to me that I don’t perpetuate misinformation. Many of these people are mothers and if we can get them on the right track then every generation thereafter will benefit.
Okay, back to Gary Taubes! Thanks Etienne!
Hey Alison,
We do have about 1000 trials listed for dietary supplements, only 4 for arthritis within that group http://clinicaltrialselect.org/faceted_search.php#!intervention=Dietary Supplement&keywords= arthritis
two more under vitamins + arthritis
http://clinicaltrialselect.org/faceted_search.php#!drug_category=Micronutrients&drug=Vitamins&keywords=arthritis
I didn’t check any of the trial results but you may find something interesting even if don’t want to enroll.
Best,
Etienne
Thanks Etienne, I’ll check it out!
HI Etienne, thanks for the reply. I have an MS in Holistic Nutrition just because I love the science of it, so boring…nope not at all.
I am not a vegetarian and I don’t remember if I ever was, maybe for 6 months, 15 years ago. I eat chicken breast and white fish and salmon too, but mostly canned tuna in water bc I can afford it.
Supplementation:
Trader Joes High Pot. Multi mineral and vitamin complex-sustained release
1000mg of Vit C w rose hips (former smoker)
Flax seed oil supplement
Vitamin B “50” taken seperately from above includes:
Thiamine,Ribof.,Niacin,B6 50mg each
Folic-400mcg
B12-50mcg
Biotin-50mcg
P-acid-50mg
calcium carbonate 90mg
From what I can gleen from the pictures approx. 25% body fat
I walk on an 10-15% incline for 30-60min 5x week. 3 days I really work hard at it. I have been exercising for years with one day/week off but still a walk. It keeps the weight maintained but as I aged fails to remove anymore.
Free weights and machines 3-5x per week depending on how my body feels.
I am strong from yoga and shapely but I have a ring around my middle that won’t quit.
Only test result I have from last month : TSH 2.238
on a really tight budget so that’s kinda out right now.
I am following the SCD for 3 weeks and working out the kinks like portion control and narrowing down to the same meals with one “cheat day”
Lunch and dinner: 1 chicken breast Chicken or ground turkey breast, 1 can red beans or black beans or small white beans with green pepper, onion, salt/pepper, cayenne pepper and lots of cumin. 3 meals from that.
breakfast: 2 eggs and 2 egg whites with 2 cups spinach
8 almonds 3x week
8oz red wine 3x per week
Lunch or dinner: 5 oz of tuna, 1 tbsp mayo, 2 cups of lettuce, 2 tbsp oil/vinegar (mostly vinegar)
Gonna try lentils this week and start to use the kitchen scale again just to make sure of portion control.
I feel like I should weigh 100lbs!
Thanks again, I’m sure this is all keeping you very busy so I appreciate any feedback you can give me.
Hey Lauren,
It sounds you are going to do just great.
Starting with just breakfast you say “breakfast: 2 eggs and 2 egg whites with 2 cups spinach” you are a little short on protein.
You then say Lunch or dinner: 5 oz of tuna, 1 tbsp mayo, 2 cups of lettuce, 2 tbsp oil/vinegar (mostly vinegar) It sounds like you are short on protein here too. (You may not be eating enough. Start with protein portion eat until you are 80% full, check your healthy fats, eat your veggies and you’ll land on more or less the right spot)
I would watch the canned tuna intake, (salt = bad and turning yourself into a human thermometer can’t be good :- ) and I would up the protein to as close to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight of very lean protein as you can (it is allot of protein falling short is just fine) use coconut oil (healthy MCTs) for your hi temp cooking and because you are unable to eat grass fed beef or wild caught fish add high dose fish oil (1 gram, per 10 lbs of body weight/for 60 days or until you can see your abs 1 gram for every 20lbs after) This is very expensive when using pharma grade fish oil. There is a brand that doesn’t have quite the idea 50/50 or better DHA/EPA balance and isn’t quite as potent_But is waay cheaper, only about $18. +/-. with shipping on Amazon (Natures Answer Liquid Omega 3 Deep Sea Fish Oil Epa/dha).
Good luck feel free to ask us follow up questions and be sure to share your progress.
Best,
Etienne
Hey Tim, thought you may be interested in this piece following up on mobile phone sperm count danger! Seems to gathering strength through more evidence… http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-studies-reveal-evidence-that-cell-phone-radiation-damages-dna-brain-and-sperm
Cheers
James
Thanks, James! I’ll share this on Twitter and FB now.
I have read the 4HB and am about to embark on the fat loss. There is one dietary rule that causes me a small problem. I am hooked on one cup of coffee in the morning every day. I get a headache if I don’t have it. It is a large cappuccino (the size of a Starbuck’s Grande Cappucino) that I make myself with milk. Is this going to be a problem for me? I have never tried lactose free milk. Is this what I should be using or am I OK with deviating on this one item? This is the one thing that I would really love to retain in my diet. I would appreciate your comments.
Ken
Ken,
The short answer is yes, you are going to have to modify the milk portion of your Cappuccino. Re-read page 82 under “No Dairy? Really?” Basically skim milk has the same insulin response as white bread. You’ll notice later Tim says no more than “2 Tablespoons of CREAM in your coffee.” The fat helps to slow down the insulemic response and cream contains less carbs than milk (that’s why it’s allowed on Atkins).
So here are a few options:
Switch to an Americano. These are my favorite as you need a lot less cream than milk but still get a strong coffee flavor with a creamy consistency. Basically if you had a 16 oz cup you’d put in 3-4 shots of espresso, add warm water and then 2 Tbs. half and half.
Switch to coconut or almond milk (unsweetened).
Or, if you want to get off the coffee altogether you can buy something called Teecinno. It’s actually a tea but you brew it and it’s really strong and coffee-ish. If you add a Tbs or two to your coffee beans and up that every couple of days, your body will slowly come off the caffeine rather than a nasty cold turkey response (headaches).
One mistake I was making was I’d get a huge cup of coffee, add the cream, and then sip it for 2-3 hours. This seemed to give my body just enough fat so that it didn’t feel the need to shed any of it’s own!
The SCD is awesome and so many people have had wonderful responses to it. I hope you do too!
Hi Alison, Thanks for getting back to me and providing me with all the information. I wasn’t aware of a number of the products that you mentioned. I managed to read through most of the previous posts regarding dairy products and it seems according to Tim that it is the lactose in the milk that is the issue. I have lactose free milk available to me. What do you think about using this?
Regards, Ken
Slow carb works if you work it but it does require some adaptation and you need to be more planned when it comes to eating out, business lunches, barbecues, weddings & events.
It does allow you to be very creative, cook some pretty cool dishes and prepare som every simple yet tasty meals like the one I wrote about here:
HOW TO PREPARE A BRILLIANT DINNER FOR TWO IN LESS THAN AN HOUR INCLUDING SHOPPING?
http://singleliving.posterous.com/how-to-prepare-a-brilliant-dinner-for-two-in
Thanks for all the advice, Tim!
Hey, Tim!
Really enjoying the book. Thanks for abusing yourself in the name of science.
In “Sex Machine, Part I” you say you can use the Kerry Gold butter and cod liver oil pills in place of the Blue Ice blend. I’m assuming you take two 1000mg capsules of the cod liver oil, but exactly how much of the butter do you eat?
Several people have posted this question but I haven’t seen an answer. Help.
Thanks again!
7 weeks in – great results! GREAT book. I’ve been following just as the book outlines. For the first time this morning I made a shake that included black beans, spinach, 1 carb/no artificial sweetener whey powder, 1 carb almond milk (normally I eat eggs, lentils and spinach). Is there any problem with that since we shouldn’t “drink our calories?”
Sihur,
It will probably work for you but there is value in chewing your food which starts a cascade of digestive juices flowing.
Good luck.
Best,
Etienne
Sihur-
I’d love to know how you react to “drinking” your breakfast versus whatever you’ve been having success eating for breakfast until recently. I’ve tried tons of different things in my morning shakes but never black beans. Was it ok?
Personally, I can get away with drinking my breakfast as long as there are no sweeteners. My problem is that I have yet to find an unsweetened powder that meets all of my criteria (pure whey protein concentrate (not isolate so sayeth Dr. Mercola), smells and tastes sweet, and is completely water soluble without any soy lecithin). Let me know if you like the brand you use. I have liked Ultra lean by Biogenesis but they sweeten with xylitol and it upsets my stomach so I’m back on the search…
BTW, I stayed fuller longer when I added powdered egg whites (if you can stomach it raw eggs are better and cheaper). However, Dr. Mercola says if you’re trying to build muscle you shouldn’t add the egg as it lengthens the amino acid chain. Dr. Mercola is the most knowledgeable expert I’ve found on the subject of whey. This is because he sells his own protein powders. I haven’t tried them yet because they are pricey and the reviews on Amazon were not great. However, if you want to learn all there is to know about whey protein sign up for his newletters (I think you have to in order to search his site). http://www.drmercola.com/
Dr Mercola has some good ideas, but to fill the whole bill he creates a whole bunch of drama.
I’ve watched him switch brand recommendations based on his profit margins (no surprise in the nutrient world).
If you want to read up on good protein information, go to http://www.proteinfactory.com and get on their forum. The president is on there all the time arguing, admitting he might be wrong, and explaining how protein powder is made. He spent a ton of energy to import from europe whey derived from milk versus whey derived from cheese. I’m no whiz with words, sorry, but he is pretty credible, even if he is making a profit.
But between you and me? I’ve been sending everything I buy to a lab to test for the 4 heavy metals: Cadmium, Arsenic, Lead, and Mercury.
Hate to say it, but Solgar Vanilla Bean is the least contaminated. I didn’t test it, Consumer Reports did, which triggered my research into brands that weren’t tested by them. So. . . depending on how long and how much protein powder you drink, and your attitude towards mercury in fish and the EPA health limits, one must exercise more scrutiny in their diet choices. Of course, red table wine has more arsenic than any other food.
Wow, John and I always think I do my research! Having everything sent to a lab to be tested for contaminants must prove to be both interesting and disheartening. Thanks very much for the info. I’ll check out the link as well as the Solgar vanilla bean.
May I ask what prompted you to have your food tested?
Wow2 John!
I am impressed.
Without expressing an opinion as to if whey protein concentrate or whey protein isolate is best (I have an opinion it just may not be well founded)
I do think I know the difference though. Please correct me if I’m wrong. I am posting this_before checking out the protein factory link you posted. Will check back and post an update if I’ve this too far off.
“Protein concentrates. Protein concentrates are created by pushing the protein source (milk, whey, etc.) through a very small filter that allows water, minerals, and other organic materials to pass though. The proteins, which are too big to pass through the filter, are collected, resulting in protein powder. When this process is used to make whey protein concentrate, it yields a protein powder that is 70-80% protein and up to 5% lactose. People with lactose intolerance will have trouble consuming large amounts of whey protein concentrate.
Protein isolates. This is the next step up in purification; the protein is purified again using more filtration or a technique called ion-exchange or cross-flow microfiltration. Protein isolates have very low levels of carbohydrates and fat and are almost exclusively pure protein. People with lactose intolerance usually don’t have trouble with whey protein isolates. “
I’m not sure what to make of the heavy metals in protein powder. I’m no expert, however I do work for an organization that watches over the quantities of these contaminants in drinking water. I sure wish I could figure out the lab reports, haha. ppb and all that and what is considered toxic.
I didn’t start this idea. Consumer Reports did. For the average Joe out there a metal costs about $30 to test. So is it in your best interest to spend $120 to test something that you drink a lot of? (if you do that is). I have a friend at a lab, so I could afford to test.
This metal stuff is the invisible elephant in the room. All the forums are moderated/run by people that get a cut from selling nutrients. I really don’t want to sqauwk too loudly. I always get the same response from them: “so?”.
I am switching my nightime protein over to cottage cheese, and in hot pursuit of sodium free non-fat version. (casein protein is the slowest digesting protein, which is what you want while sleeping
There is one slower digesting protein, “Monster V” from The Protein Factory, and it’s made from. . . .may I have a drum roll please. . . .cow’s blood. gag, urp. What clued me to what it came from was the ingredients print out. “Bovine Serum Albumin”. Oh god, I’m a lab rat. I bought 4 pounds of it. It’s not so much the bad taste and brown color, it’s the trace of foam that rises to the top if you make it and put it by the bathroom sink to drink . . . .
So I did major blood tests recently. Chlorestrol is normal blood pressure is 114/60, triglicerides are 25 (not eating fruit). And . .the metals test came up with nothing. So, not sure how important this metal thing is. Sure seems like people are freaking out about Mercury. Oh, yeah, and people are dieing everywhere and we can’t figure out why (except for obesity).
Someone should start an institute to measure contaminants in protein powders. And to test the affect of temperature and moisture on all our vitamins.
Ken,
I am pretty sure that lactose-free milk actually has more sugar in it than regular milk. I’m not sure if this is because it’s added or if it’s naturally occurring. Either way I’d steer clear of it. Between the amount of carbs and sugar, I’d say it would still have a similar effect on your blood sugar.
I also have to say that in general dairy just isn’t a great choice unless you are trying to gain weight/muscle. Remember, it is produced to grow baby cows, not humans. 🙂
Tim, please correct me if I am mistaken and lactose-free is indeed okay….
Hey Amy,
>Well I quite the diet for about a week and am trying to do things my own way >and am sucking. 🙂 Still toying with Paleo but didn’t realize they recommend >only one serving of fruit a day.
>So I guess my dilemma is I like to work out. I like to go to the gym and belong >to a ultra running club that I love and we log a ton of miles. I don’t want to >believe that this is hindering my progress. It’s not an unhealthy habit.
+
>Currently I’m lifting, running, and sticking to the SCD except sometimes go for >beans and other times go for fruit.
First of all I am guessing that your fruit consumption is your downfall. To understand more view this video The bitter truth (from a researcher at UCSF on fructose and obesity) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
Second of all I think the Paleo Diet is just great but if you are an ultra marathoner it will be very hard to make it work for you. Tim’s SCD, followed correctly, WITH NO FRUIT is a much better bet.
If you really want to eat fruit then look into a is a modified Paleo diet , Paleo for Athletes, and CYCLE your fruit consumption with your workout regimen. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY FOR YOU TO CONSUME MUCH FRUIT AND STILL MEET YOUR GOALS (in my humble opinion)
Check out the Clift notes here: http://www.trainingbible.com/pdf/Paleo_for_Athletes_Cliff_Notes.pdf
>What is your current weight? Are you still seeing results?
<221 +/- down from 278ish in December. Yes. I feel great, I look much better I need new clothes but I keep losing weight. I follow the diet guidelines I believe in VERY closely (basically a ketogneic diet featuring healthy fats, LOTS of fish oil)
I moved to California from New York City in 1974 and had been eating 5-10 pieces of fruit a day until this December when Tim saved me. Tim might have REALLY saved me (Thank you Tim!) My blood pressure is way down, and I now have the resting heart rate of an (50 year old) athlete.
I would say for better or worse you are a REAL athlete and you need to bring the same disciplined approach to your diet that you do to your sport.
I am sorry but fruit consumption is really bad for you and will certainly destroy any diet that has weight loss as its principle goal.
Please post again soon and let us know what you have decided to do and how you are doing now that you have.
SCD REALLY works for almost everybody when it is followed strictly.
Good luck!
Etienne
Alison,
The shake I make is (unbelievably) incredible with black beans. I can’t take credit for it – I found it googling 4HB shakes. Mine is tweaked for simplicity: Black beans (5 spoonfuls), a big handful of spinach, Show Me the Whey chocolate powder (1 1/2 scoops), Silk unsweetened almond milk, ice and coffee. My husband, who is not doing SCD even enjoys it. I put Athletic Greens in his to get it in him. I take my Athletic Greens while making shake.
Re: Show Me the Whey is sweetened with Stevia. Rather short ingredient list- let me know if you’d like me to type it in.
Question for the experts: I have been making high protein, blackbean, spinach shakes for about a week now. Twice I have experienced hive type raised rashes and redness on my hands, wrists, knees and miscelaneous spots of my extremeties that lasts maybe an hour just after drinking a morning shake. Any ideas? My husband jokingly said “it’s all that protein hitting your bloodstream” but I am curious. I’m too unbothered by it (and love the shakes and convenience too much) to discontinue.
Additionally, I’m in my 8th week; great experience with SCD, following precisely until I started the shakes. A new recipe my husband made for our family (2 little boys) today was meatballs with high quality grassfed ground beef, eggs, lentils, Montreal and Crazy Jane’s seasonings. They were great and the boys loved them. We also had green beans (kid favorite) and no sugar, organic tomato sauce (high omega3, high fiber pasta) for rest of family. My children are lean, healthy, super active little boys but the meal is perfect for all. We like finding combos that work for the whole family. Next time we are adding spinach to the meatballs to see how it comes out. That will make for an easy leftover SCD meal.
Cheers! Love the SCD lifestyle!
Hello Sihur,
I don’t really know and I am not an expert but looking at your list of ingredients in your shake the only thing I’ve heard of myself (and I understand its rare) is an allergy to spinach. Now Athletic Greens, a truly great product has so many components it would be hard to isolate.
Maybe knock off the Athletic Greens for just a little while for diagnostic purposes. Then start by removing a single ingredient from your shake at a time to try and isolate the problem.
“Causes Salicylates are one source of allergic reaction in spinach. According to the Cleveland Clinic, those with a spinach allergy have antibodies that fight against salicylates. Salicylates protect the vegetable against fungus and bacteria that can potentially lead to rotting. The All Allergy website explains that a protein in spinach called kDa can cause an allergic reaction as well.
Reactions
The symptoms of an allergic reaction depend on how severe your spinach allergy is. According to the Cleveland Clinic, common symptoms may include abdominal pain, itching accompanied by a skin rash, hives, nasal congestion, body swelling, skin color changes and headache. If you have a more serious spinach allergy, your symptoms may be similar to those associated with asthma. Examples include wheezing, chest pain and breathing difficulties. Drugs.com reports that if you have a pre-existing spinach allergy, you can develop gout from eating spinach.
Considerations
According to Drugs.com, babies under the age of 4 months should not consume spinach because it can block calcium absorption. If you have a salicylate sensitivity linked to spinach allergies, you should avoid other foods and products that contain salicylates. The Cleveland Clinic reports that salicylates are also present in apples, grapes, strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, nuts, spices, condiments, herbs, tea, coffee, beer and wine. Aspirin, cosmetics and toiletries may also contain traces of salicylates.
Precautions
The Cleveland Clinic reports that a severe allergy to spinach can result in a sudden drop in blood pressure, organ system failure and unconsciousness. Such reactions are life-threatening and require immediate emergency medical attention. If you suspect you have a spinach allergy, see your doctor for allergy tests and blood work. However, All Allergy points out that some patients exhibit reactions from spinach extracts, but not the raw spinach plant itself. Your best defense is to avoid spinach and spinach extracts altogether.”
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/128076-spinach-allergies/#ixzz1Nrn4E3vj
Sihur-
Are you sure there’s no soy in Show me the Whey? If there is I would be suspicious. Also, the stevia that is used in almost everything is highly processed and Tim recommends staying away from it on the SCD. I recommend staying away from it period unless you get it from a highly reputable source and it’s still green (Navita’s Naturals is the only one I’ve found so far).
I agree with Etienne though, I’d try it without spinach and see if that’s it (unless there is soy in the ingredient label).
I personally think that my flavored whey protein shakes (sweetened with xylitol)have kept me from losing weight quickly. When I found an unflavored brand ( which I don’t recommend) I started to lose weight immediately.
I’ve since switched to a breakfast I think I love even more. 2 egg whites and 1egg, smoked salmon (or ham- no nitrates or nitrites), 1/4 avocado, spinach and macadamia nut oil drizzled on at the end. I also eat 2 brazil nuts while it’s cooking). If I have green onions, mushrooms and peppers around I’ll throw those in as well.
Hope the weird rash stuff goes away. It doesn’t sound serious but something to pay attention to for sure. Be sure to keep us posted…
In the meantime I’m going to try the black beans and coffee in my leftover flavored whey protein shake. Sounds interesting for sure!!
The ingredients of Show Me the Whey: Ion-exchanged, microfiltered non-rBGH whey protein isolate (milk), non-rBGH whey concentrate isolate (milk), Dutch cocoa. Less than 2% of the following: Natural chocolate flavor, carrageenan, free form L-glutamine (vegetarian), stevia, natural vanilla flavor, xanthan gum, arabic gum and maltodextrin.
I scoop has 18g of protein, 1g carb, <1g sugar.
I appreciate input – I am loving the shakes but don't want to be heading off track. I can tolerate the incidental rashes because they go away quickly. I will try the breakfast you recommended though – sounds great.
Amy,
I completely agree. Working out is generally not unhealthy (unless done improperly and to obsession). If you enjoy what you do and that feels right for you and your body then keep it up. I was suggesting that as an option to experiment with.
I do believe that you are likely not getting enough protein and fat as Etienne said. I don’t count calories as not all calories are the same. A 250 calorie snickers bar is not the same as a 250 calorie steak. They simply cannot be relevantly compared.
When I started the SCD in Feb. I was 5’2″ and weighed 116. Not bad. My body fat percentage was around 20-22% and I was in pretty good shape. My problem was that my blood sugar kept dropping on me. I considered myself to eat very healthfully (whole grains, made my own bread, ground my own flour, didn’t eat much sugar) but I just could not get my blood sugar to stabilize for any length of time. Plus sugar cravings were getting worse by the day.
I am now 113. Not a significant weight loss if you look at the scale. However, I also started swinging kettle bells and my BF % is now around 15% with a barely visible 6 pack lying under the last stink in’ pound of fat!!! I am so much stronger and my blood sugar drops have completely stopped (unless I drink a lot of caffeinated coffee).
My problem is that I love the experiment and b/c I am in the health and wellness industry I read all the latest diet books. THus, I often find it hard to stick with the SCD b/c I want to try other things so I can write about them. I do believe the SCD to be one of the best out there right now.
However, because you are such an athlete you might look into the Paleo diet for athletes (I think Etienne mentioned this one as well). The Dolce diet may also be of interest to you. I haven’t read his book yet but Mike Dolce works with top athletes such as UFC’s Rampage Jackson, Thiago Alves, George St. Pierre, to refine their bodies to be the machines they need to be in order to fight their best fight. I was watching Rampage fight last night and was so impressed with his body at weigh in that I looked up who was feeding him. Cutting weight is a science and Dolce is called in (or so he claims) often the day before weigh-in to get these guys to safely get down to the weight they have to be in order to fight. Anyway, like I said, I haven’t read it yet so I can’t comment on the actual method he uses, but the bodies he’s created for world class athletes says something!
Thank you and Etienne too! I have a festival for the next couple weeks then heading home to help my parents in a transition. I’m going to try to restart SCD hardcore again once I’m home. I think as long as my mom allows me to cook all my own food, I’ll be ok. 🙂 Will keep you posted! Thank you for your advice!
Hey Amy,
Don’t forget your lemon juice and Cinnamon every day while you’re visiting Mom. (and sneak a little/lot extra protein when you can)
Best
Etienne
I’m wondering if anyone has an opinion on the Blood Type Diet? I was browsing through it at the book store and was reading up on the proteins suggested for my blood type. I’ve heard other people swear by it but wonder if it’s just hot air or if there’s some real science behind it?
Alison
A’damo has never published even ONE article in a peer reviewed journal.
Personally I haven’t dug too deep because I find him irritating but I’d be very supposed if it wasn’t a complete crock.
Etienne and Alison,
If you get booted off this forum I for one would petition to get you back as I find your posts both helpful and entertaining. Thanks for committing to this blog as your insights are helping those of us who are just trying our best.
I have re-started fish oil and cut down on carrots and sweetcorn.
Kettlebells next – I need to locate a trainer and then find suitably sized kettlebells for me and my hubby.
I have decided though, that there are some things on this diet that don’t work for me. I’m struggling with spinach in the morning and beans/ lentils at any time. I have decided to stop both of them. I note that Etienne has stated a few times that beans are not required in our diet, so I will have them occasionally but otherwise they shall not contaminate my food! I am happy to have spinach cooked in with sauces in the evening (not flour-based sauces of course!)
I will eat fruit. Not lots, but it is something that I really miss. I have lost weight at the same rate just cutting down carbs before and keeping the fruit.
I will however, take a lot from the SCD. I will limit my carbs to Saturdays only, I will continue to take cold showers (time permitting as I have 2 small children), I will continue to have 30g of protein within 30 mins of waking and 30g of protein with every meal. I will keep eating lots of green veg and salads. I will continue with the cinnamon and fish oil. I will only have goat’s milk and occasional cheese on Saturdays too.
I will eat more on cheat days than normal days, but I will not go overboard like I did on the SCD. My husband and I did treat cheat day as a challenge to eat as much as possible and we both feel that was not particularly advantageous.
I lost just under 1lb a week over 8 weeks of the SCD. I have lost 2 inches off my waist and 2 inches off my hips which is wonderful. However, I have had better results just cutting out the junk from my diet in the past (and kept the weight off).
Best of all, the 4lbs gained over 10 days at my in-laws over Easter disappeared in 6 days back on the diet.
I will continue to recieve e-mails when this blog is updated as I find the information here fascinating and educational.
I have learned loads and I am sure I will continue to do so. Thank you to all who contribute to this blog, it makes a positive difference in the world of mis-information.
I’ll let you know if my approach works for me or if I have had to give up the fruit again (the only real change). My aim is to lose a further 14 – 20 lbs which will get my tummy and hips slim again so I can be a good role-model to my two daughters and teach them how to maintain their figures when they are older.
Keep the faith everyone!
Jo
Hey Jo- (Where are you going with that bowl of cherries in your hand. 🙂
> I will eat fruit. Not lots,
If you must consume fruit (Tim warns against it for good reason. See the bitter truth on youtube for all the gory details from a researcher at UCSF on fructose and obesity) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM )
Try to stick to berries and melons (lower glycemic index) fruits and only very occasionally.
Thanks for the kind word.
Best,
Etienne
It’s funny we’re all discussing fruit and how it really affects your body. I’m still trying to get people off of juice! One of the top searches for my site is “sugariest juices” (their words not mine) so I wrote an article on which ones contain the most sugar. An all natural, no sweetener added topped the list with 52 grams of sugar per 8 oz (that’s way more than most sodas btw)! It was cherry and did indeed only list “concentrated cherry juice” and “water” as it’s ingredients. Still, that’s syrup, not a beverage in my opinion.
Since learning that fruit is a “treat” not just a sweeter vegetable I think I appreciate fruit a lot more. I savor a strawberry and enjoy its sweetness instead of just popping it in my mouth and moving on. I won’t be giving up eating the raspberries off of my bushes this summer, but I will appreciate them even more!
Sorry for so many post at once. My computer had a nasty virus and I’ve been going through withdrawals!!
Thanks Joanna! I think having some personal boundaries to follow makes the SCD what it needs to be- a life long change in eating habits. Diets fail. Only fully embracing and changing the way we eat will have true meaningful impact.
Like you said, it’s important to be a good role model for our children. Not only will you benefit from being that role model but they, in turn, will be taught how to eat and hopefully won’t have to go through a total overhaul when they’re you’re age.
You’re doing awesome! Keep us posted on how it goes.
Etienne,
I need a refresher. I was going over old posts the other day (my computer had a virus and I was waiting and browsing on my iPad- took forever to get through all the old posts but there was some good info I’d missed!) and saw you posted something about drinking lemon juice and cinnamon before every meal. Then you mentioned it again yesterday/today. So I’m wondering if you’d bring me up to speed? Just straight lemon juice and a tsp of cinnamon? I’m guessing it must keep insulin levels steady??
Also, thanks for your opinion on A’damo. I didn’t think to look for peer reviews…I think I’ll skip him.
Hey Alison,
We wife is Lebanese (of French extraction) so plenty of fresh lemon juice is part of the deal no matter what I might say (parsley too 🙂
Based on Tim;s recommendation (pages 144-145) after each meal I add 1/3 of his recommended daily 1 1/2 teaspoons of Saigon Cinnamon (Tim tested all 3 varieties naturally) per day to the juice of 1 fresh lemon as a chaser after 2-3 tablespoons of pharmaceutical grade fish oil.
(I was being kind about A’damo. Quack Quack)
Best
Etienne
Hi All – I’m two weeks in. Just wanted to say it’s great to be on a plan where I don’t feel hungry while losing lbs. and inches.
Would be interested in hearing more from anyone about lacto-ovo vegetarian strategies and foods.
I saw the mention of Yves veggie hotdogs. Am I correct when looking at other meat substitutes to look for the ones with high protein, low fat, and low or zero carbs/zero sugars ?
Please feel free to comment.
Tim, I think you already know I’m a pretty big fan of the 4HB. I’ve bought copies for 3 family members and am now giving one away to my readers (healthnutnation.com)!
Hi everyone– was wondering if you could help me with a few questions i had:
1. I’ve seen people talk about it here and there over the past few months but how many capsules of fish oil should i take a day? They are 1000mg each. I remember Etienne or someone saying something like 12 or 15 a day but i just don’t remember. Please let me know! I’m pretty much just taking 5 or 6 in the AM and 5 or 6 before dinner.
2. Has anyone been successful with the PAGG supplements? I’m about a week and a half away from finishing my second month and anticipating results after i take off that full week. Did any of you see significant results after being taking them for 2 months and then doing the 1 week off?
3. What’s the deal with Athletic Greens? I see different varieties at stores like GNC and whole foods but am wondering if they’ll serve the same purpose and the brand advertised? Just trying to save some money…
4. Can anyone suggest a SCD recipe for a decent tasting protein shake?? preferably for the times when i’m either running out the door in the morning or after work when i need a pick me up before my workout/rock climbing. If it tastes like crap i won’t drink it but i’m worried that with all of this emphasis on unflavored whey protein i might be out of luck :-/
Thanks for your help! Have been following the SCD since February and although i havent seen much weight loss on the scale, my body has certainly transformed. Good luck to everyone following as well! Bikini season is here!!!
Trader Joes has these cans of protein. Chocolate or Vanilla, 21 or 35 grams of protein. Easiest thing for on the go people. Took 10 of them to LA with me made things very convenient.
If you have protein powder that doesn’t taste that great, make the shake really small, gulp it, then chase it with plain water.
Take your medicine and quit whining! And go do you homework!
I’ve actually seen those protein shake cans at trader joes but they’re not SCD friendly. Trust me… i do my homework.
I agree with John. I like the TJ’s Whey protein powder, at 17grams. I use a blender and add 1 cup of coffee, 1 cup ice, and 2 scoops of Whey (cream optional).
I also, like using a Probiotic and digestive enzyme combination to combat constipation. Other than that I am not big on the supplements.
I am 7 weeks into this plan with a 17 pound total loss. I am loosing about 2 ponds a week. Each week I am tweaking the plan as necessary or rereading material and finally implementing the information. This week I finally started eating the 30 grams of protein at breakfast (my body really needed the extra calories) and I think it is a good long term goal.
The BodPod assessment has been an important part of keeping me on track. Having real data to look back at is amazing. It was hard to get an appointment so I took the test 1 week after starting.
Start: 04-21-11
Percent Body Fat : 48%
Fat weight: 118.6
Lean Body Weight: 128.7
Total Body Weight: 247.36
2nd Test: 05-31-11
Percent Body Fat: 44.5%
Fat Weight: 105.4
Lean Body Weight; 131.7
Total Body Weight: 237.03
I increased my lean weight by 3 pounds and decreased my fat by 13.2 pounds. I find that to be incredible. this information bring up some serious questions about BMI and why more people don’t have access to better measuring tools. Does anyone know of a study that has tested BMI with other assessment tools, to see if it’s use even makes sense?
TJ cans probably have sucralose (splenda). Maybe not SCD, but probably the least of your worries if you are so picky about taste. . . .
I eat splenda by the buckets. Sorry. SCD still works.
Yeah, I just read the label, there is a lot to learn. This is my first week using it, I will need to find another brand.
Allegra,
Here’s a link to the shake/smoothie I drink:
http://healthnutnation.com/2011/02/09/the-4-hour-body-breakfast-shake/
There are lots of options/combinations but my favorite is spinach, avocado, small slice ginger root (fresh), cinnamon, whey protein concentrate (I use Ultralean), water and ice. BTW, my 6 yr. old even likes it and she’s very picky.
John, I’m surprised you’re recommending the TJ protein shakes???? Did you get my response email about whey? I haven’t heard back from you and wondered if my email went into your spam folder…
Hi Allegra,
I found a good Wey powder online, no flavor, lactose etc (sorry, don’t have name available right now). I mix it with strong coffee and cinnamon. If you like coffee, this will work.
Over 40 lbs lost now on SCD with crazy cheat days, since Late January.
Best,
Patrick
That sounds perfect, Patrick. Thank you!! I LOVE coffee so this should be good. Thanks again! – Allegra
Allegra,
I don’t promise that this is the very best quality whey out there, but it is the right kind, Protein-Isolate, and it is very cheap (works out to .02 cents per gram of protein, about $7.50 per lb. when ordered in 10lbs bags and shipped every 1-6 months on an auto-ship plan) http://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Protein-Isolate-10-Pound/dp/B000MAK59O
Fish oil I have spoken about quite a bit in this thread. The rule of thumb I follow is 1 gram for every 10lbs of bodyweight (that is 1 gram of total DHA/EPA per 10 lbs bodyweight. Might be as much as a tablespoon after each meal or 10-15-20 pills. The liquid is more practical for most people)
Athletic Greens I cannot afford but it would the only brand I would trust. Just me.
Best and best tasting protein drink recipe for me (maybe came from Alison) half a tray of ice cubes blended first. Then add 1/4-1/3 can+ coconut milk, 1.5 teaspoons Cinnamon + 1/3 cup Protein-Isolate + splash of leftover coffee + whatever sweetener you believe in.
There you go. Following SCD you’ll be as skinny as you want to be.
Best,
Etienne
Thank you, everyone! You’ve truly helped me out. What i’ve learned from SCD is that it is VERY important to read the ingredients (such a shift for me because i was always so used to looking at calories & fat), which is why i poo-pooed the trader Joes shakes because they include ingredients that Tim Ferriss suggests not consuming. I’m not oh-so picky about the flavor of anything… but the fact of the matter is if i don’t enjoy the food i’m eating or drinks im drinking, how long is it really going to last? So thank you all for the recipes — i’m going to test them out throughout the week.
Etienne– that last thing you said “following SCD you’ll be as skinny as you want to be” is going on the white board on my fridge to keep me motivated!!! Time for me to find a bod pod…
Back to they Whey protein concentrate vs. Whey protein isolate. I know some of you don’t really like Dr. Mercola but I have to say that I think he explains the difference between whey protein concentrate and isolate very well. http://proteinpowder.mercola.com/Pro-Optimal-Whey-Protein.html (starts talking about the difference at about 5:40 in the first video) Those of you with a stronger background in science than me may disagree (and I would love to know why-please share).
As far as sweeteners in whey protein:
First off, I agree with Tim that it seems ridiculous that we always have to have things sweetened. A high quality whey protein concentrate should be naturally sweet. Unfortunately, most are heavily processed and often rancid, so they have to add sweetener to make it edible.
When I make my own ricotta, the by-product is whey. Mind you, it’s not concentrate, just whey. It’s not particularly good, but it’s drinkable and definitely not rancid.
Second, I have a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea that an alternative sweetener such as stevia or even xylitol (but especially poison such as aspartame and sucralose) is better than say, half a banana. If I put half a banana in an unflavored whey protein shake it gives it just enough flavor, texture and sweetness to make it enjoyable. If I put half a banana in a stevia sweetened shake it’s too sweet. So why wouldn’t a “whole food” such as a banana be a better choice than something that is highly processed? I understand that the body processes different foods in different ways (xylitol doesn’t affect insulin while a banana does) but somehow, still when I ask myself xylitol/stevia versus a banana, which seems like a healthier, less processed choice? It’s banana every time.
So, I’m wondering where my thinking is flawed? What am I missing? Who do you all look to for answers which aren’t being swayed by somebody trying to sell something?
Alison,
I’ve been following your posts for some time now and have greatly enjoyed your contributions.
But this last one, while starting out reasonable, suddenly ended like a bad case of artificial sweetener aftertaste.
Not all of us can grow our own bananas. Oh! you don’t either? Then how “sells” them to you.
Just because someone “sells” something doesn’t automatically taint its quality or the sellers motives. You don’t think that way about Tim’s book or even his philosophy, do you?
Maybe I just read it wrong but since you were discussing alternative whey products someone is “selling”, why the sudden disposition against sweetener alternatives (albeit the healthier choices, not the known poisons)?
So, if you are arguing against stevia or xylitol for health reasons based on science or experimentation then I’m all for hearing that discussion. But to dismiss them because they are not “fresh from the peel” and because someone is “selling” them then I’m out. Remember, your whey concentrate/isolate are not straight from the utter either, and someone sold them too.
Otherwise… I do enjoy your exchanges and posts and when I have enough experience I may weigh in on a few more discussion.
Thanks.
Hey Dave,
Thanks for your response. I do have to say that I think you misunderstood me. I re-read my post and couldn’t quite figure out why you felt that I had a problem with being sold whey, bananas, or alternative sweeteners. Anyway, I probably could have been more clear.
Instead of trying to untangle, I’ll just let you read my current post which focuses on the sweetener issue and leaves out the whey protein concentrate vs. whey protein isolate musings altogether. I hope you’ll join the conversation!
Etienne and Tim,
I don’t know if you receive the University of CA, Berkeley Wellness Newsletter but the front page this month was “Forbidden Fruit? What you should know before you toss your fruit bowl.” Both Gary Taubes and Tim Ferriss (Tim, you were referred to as a “lifestyle guru.” =)) were sited in the first paragraph.
“Eat more fruits and vegetable- who could argue with that simple advice?” Well, amazingly enough, the fruit part is being questioned, mostly by advocates of low-carb diets such as science writer……”
The article sited various studies and in the end concluded that “Whole fruits are a much better choice than juice….” Which is true. Keep in mind they are speaking to an audience (most Americans) that might just choose a bag of chips over an apple if they hear that fruits are bad, so they have to be careful exactly how they report on the topic. Interesting and fun to see both Gary and Tim mentioned.
Alison,
The Wellness Newsletter doesn’t say anything other then a little bad is better then the alternative. No its not. Fundamentally fructose is bad. The “nutritional value agrument doesn’t hold water either. Fruit isn’t as nutritionally dense as a vegetable.(Lemons might be the notable exception) Sure melons and berries are better if you must.
Some fruit sometimes is alright, but just a little heroin (Slimming _ calms you right down) is probably alright too.
Read the research Gary Taub quotes and tell me how to refute it. I ca’t wait to go back. I miss peaches and cherries.
No one is going to die from using Splenda or non-blessed versions of Stevia. Same goes for drinking TJ protein in a can. You will damage yourself more just walking around outside in any city in the US.
fake sweeteners won’t kill you. being overweight will.
Tim says to use his book to springboard off of and to test stuff on yourself.
I can’t wait until I’m at a healthy bf. Oh wait, I am at a healthy bf (13%).
I looked at Dr. Mercola protein powder. I had to go drink some protein, I got so worn out by the miles of merchant blather.
And. . .not anywhere did he mention anything about heavy metals in his stuff. As in: “we don’t have any heavy metals in our stuff”.
god I wish I had more time and money to test this stuff.
Oh, by the way. . .
I LOVE Tim Ferriss stuff.
I’ve been reading his blog long before his book came out.
Still can’t twirl the pen like he shows us in a blog.
Tim Ferriss is a self-actualized individual that has created a paradigm shift.
It was all there, Tim just stopped our eyeballs from bouncing all around in our head.
Quark! Walk walk walk Quack Quack walk …
Maybe “Dr.” Mercola is correct about protein, isolate v concentrate, I do my own research.
In the meantime he doesn’t believe in vaccination(?!) claims on his website to have been the editor of a publication called HIV Monograph, published by Abbott Laboratories, however, he is not listed on the actual publication, he is featured prominently on Quackwatch… The FDA and BBB don’t seem that fond of him. Hmmmm…
http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/mercola.html
BBB reliability report for Mercola Health Resources LLC. Better Business Bureau, May 26, 2011.
Walker SJ. Warning letter to Joseph Mercola, D.O., Feb 16, 2005.
MacIntire SJ. Warning letter to Joseph Mercola, D.O., September 21, 2006.
Silverman S. Warning letter to Dr. Joseph Mercola, March 22, 2011.
Tsouderos T. FDA warns doctor: Stop touting camera as disease sceening tool. Chicago Tribune, April 26, 2011.
The comment moderator hasn’t spit out my post yet. Google “Dr. Mercola” + quack
LOL, Okay, okay. I am officially unsubscribing from Dr. Mercola. Thanks Etienne for the Quack link (I always appreciate the links you send me).
I am reading Gary Taubes book. I’m not far, however the link to his video has me on the path of being convinced. Maybe we should include heroin on cheat days? (totally joking).
Okay, so I think I confused things a bit with my last post. It was really two separate topics. Whey and sweeteners. So let me just stick to the sweetener portion in this post and then I’ll do the whey in another (b/c apparently I have nothing better to do than think about whey and sweetener all day long. 🙂
My point/question with the banana vs. aspartame (I’ll choose that one instead of stevia which I do NOT believe is in the same category but I completely agree with Tim that stevia is not as all natural/safe as the claims will tell you) is that aspartame has been linked with such diseases as cancer by many sources (and sorry, I do believe it to be a posion if consumed on a regular basis). I understand that fruit may also be linked to obesity, diabetes and all of the disease that go with those issues. However, I just cannot honestly say that I believe a banana or a cherry or a peach to be in the same category as a highly processed sweetener that is chemically derived in a lab.
Let’s take it one step further, to xylitol (which I personally believe to be one of the best/safest alternative sweeteners- although I’m sure I could be talked out of that one with one of Etiennes resources!). Xylitol is still more processed than a banana. However, should I feel the need for a laxative, xylitol would be at the top of my list. Banana would not have the same effect.
My question:
So, when I make my morning whey protein shake and I have to choose between unsweetened whey (which requires half a banana if I want to help lessen the spinach flavor from the 2 cups spinach I add) or a whey concentrate that has some sort of sweetener (aspartame, sucralose, xylitol, stevia) why would the latter be a better choice?
Please understand that I can (and do) read all sorts of experts on this topic, but I think this is a great forum with really smart people that have a lot of different perspectives and come with different backgrounds and I truly want to hear those perspectives. Thanks for keeping me on my toes!
Hiya Alison,
I’d say that there are bad foods but more fundamentally there are bad molecules. You might be rightly suspicious of the work of synthetic chemists who create molecules the body has no idea what to do with but on the other there are plenty of really nasty molecules in nature. Granted nature packages them in lower concentrations with other more healthful ones but modern food production makes it possible for my mother a diabetic to sit down and polish off 2 pounds of cherries (in season) in a sitting.
There is no zealot like the recently converted (thanks Tim). I used to consumer 5+ pieces a fruit a day for the 25+ years since moving to California.
I maybe not be seeing entirely clearly but I would nominate fructose as a bad molecule to be avoided as often as you can.
I do miss fruit but I feel so much better I think I be able to keep going with very little of it.
Best,
Etienne
hi guys !
I have trouble going on the ‘hourpeople forum since 3 weeks now (can’t longging in and can’t creat new account), the 4HBpeople (moderators) don’t answer to my supplications (lol)…if you are on this forum can you help me please talking to the moderator for me ?
I REALLY need the support of this forum 🙁
thanks everybody et take care !
Misyrane,
Have you been able to get back on 4 hour people yet? If not let me know and I’ll see what I can do. I was “accepted” by a moderator a month or so ago but don’t check it often.
Alison
Alison : I still CAN’T log an the forum and nobody answer my e-mails so I’m stuck ! If you could do something for me I really appreciate thanks ! 🙂
Misyrane,
Here is the contact info I found:
sos@4hourpeople.com
Have you tried answering a question with a different username and getting accepted as someone new?
I searched for your username and nothing came up and I am unsure of how to invite or approve someone (I think I may not be able to). But if you know of a way just tell me and I’ll try it again.
Hope it works!
Alison
Hi folks! I’ve just had an amazing experience and want to share it with other 4HB experimenters. This seems the most appropriate spot on this blog and I will try 4HBTalk as well.
I tried Slow Carb for two and a half weeks and there was zero movement on either weight or measurements. None at all. I figured even if I was not doing perfectly that since I was working on both diet and supplementation (not exercise yet), I should have seen at least some small movement.
That was a pretty downer moment. What about the “5 pounds per week unless you’re doing something wrong”? I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what I was doing wrong.
I was weighing myself occasionally, out of morose habit, still seeing the same 230 pounds on the beam scale I use, every time. Until today. This morning, I saw 227! The last time I had weighed myself was on the 14th. In two days and a bit, I had dropped three pounds. I know this is mostly water, since I have been noticeably moving more fluids out of my body, but it means the diet is actually having an effect the way it should.
What had changed? On the 14th, I had stopped drinking alcohol. I had been a moderate and increasingly heavy drinker for many years. My latest physical is coming up on Monday and it makes me think of how I am treating myself. I finally accepted that excessive alcohol consumption was no longer fun and was making me feel bad and it made no sense to continue. So I stopped.
It has been more difficult psychologically than physically and I really felt as if I was going to give in, after only a couple of days. Then I got on the scale. There is no way I can go back to alcohol now. Even if I allow myself a couple of glasses of wine on a free day, I’m going to be wondering if I will set back my re-composition progress and may not be able to enjoy them. We will see.
I am hoping that my progress will continue. I am considering starting a blog or something to track it. It would be marvelous if some of the others struggling with alcohol abuse could find becoming lean and healthy in a clear, structured and measurable way an incentive to push through the difficulties of getting free.
P.S.: I realize that Tim “allows” a bit of red wine on the diet and this is not meant to criticize that in any way. This is simply a report on how my physiology has responded to removing the routine ingestion of large amounts of alcohol.
P.P.S: Oh yeah… I am fifty years old, male, 5’10”, ~30% B.F.
P.P.P.S.: I respectfully request that future editions of the 4HB include an explicit reference to “the critical 4 – 6 week window”, since I cannot find it anywhere in my edition. Much of the readership of the book will be in that 40+ zone and that information could help many folks persevere and achieve their goal.
Hey William,
Fantastic. >stopped drinking alcohol
I’m a tea-toodler these days but I used to be a heavy drinker.
I think you point out something important. Drinking any more then just a little bit, and even then not too late at night will affect your sleep and certainly messes with your digestion. (I’m too tired this evening to look up any actual facts but both were my experience:-)
So I do think you are on to something worth pointing out.
Keep up the good work and refer back to the 4HB often. It is a treasure. Good luck.
Best
Etienne
Hey Etienne! Thanks for your support and helpful thoughts.
I agree with you about EtOH messing with digestion and sleep. When I would go too bed without much in my system, I would wake up ravenous. If I imbibed significant a significant amount close to bedtime, I would wake up with little appetite (and feeling polluted as well).
Seeing my weight finally shift with a direct correlation to alcohol consumption is powerfully motivating.
Best,
William
William,
I’m so glad that you’re seeing results, but even more that you’ve stopped the excessive alcohol consumption!
I just want to say that your body (liver in particular) may be in detox mode and that you may not experience weight loss at super speed until your body has detoxed a bit more. You may also notice that you don’t feel well, or that your skin breaks out, or even that your sweat smells different/worse. All detox and completely normal.
A couple of things you can do to help your liver along:
-Drink Yarrow root tea. You’ll likely have to get the actual loose tea which you can order online or find in bulk at a tea shop or health food store. Be careful to start with a small amount (like one teaspoon of loose leaf in one cup a day and then two cups after a couple of days) or it can make you detox too quickly and feel nasty.
-Drink lemon water
-Take a supplement called “lipotropic complex” by Integrative Therapeutics, Inc. It would be preferable to talk with a Naturopath before taking this if you are on any meds. If you don’t have a Naturopath, then ask your Dr. If you have Pharmaca in your area go there and ask the Naturopath or Herbalist on staff for either this particular supplement or another liver support (it doesn’t cost anything).
Keep it up and be patient. It took me at least 6 weeks to really change my diet. I thought I’d changed it but little things matter. For instance, I was sipping coffee with cream all day. Mind you, it wasn’t a lot of cream but because I strung it out for hours my body never felt the need to let go of any fat. Just an example, but play around with it, look at it as an experiment and you’ll keep seeing results! Once you lose the weight you’ll be addicted to looking and feeling better instead of food and beverages. Keep us posted on your progress!
Alison
Hi Alison and thanks for your support. I kinda expected the process you outlined and have been surprised by what is actually happening. I am feeling awake rather than poorly, puzzling skin irritations are clearing up and an odd body odor is slowly resolving. Maybe my hard-working liver just needed to be cut a bit of slack so it could do routine maintenance! I do feel a bit cranky in the early evening, since my usual amusement is restricted now.
Thanks for the reminder about yarrow. I used to use it as a diaphoretic and always sweated like crazy. Tastes nice too! To me, anyway.
Check on the lemon water, too.
I have S-adenosyl-L-methionine that I have started taking. It has a good reputation in Europe for liver healing and may be synergistic with ALA.
I will look into the “lipotropic complex”.
To help with motivation, I constructed a simple Excel worksheet for entering weekly measurements. I want to see the deltas for weight, waist and hips stay negative and, hopefully, large. If the other measurements increase, that’s nice too, but not too important at this stage.
Thanks again.
William
Alison,
It occurred to me to mention that I am really more concerned about what is going to be coming out of my fat cells as I empty them. Several years ago I dropped a fair bit of weight and was surprised by occasionally detecting the powerful odor of industrial solvents (MEK and others) that I had not been exposed to for years. Kinda scary.
Alison :
my username is not misryane on this site it’s : m ami.ane…I’m already a member it’s not the problem…I was an active member and suddenly i was not able to log in anymore, I sent several e-mails to the mail address you gave (sos…) but never get an answer, I tried to make a new profile with another e-mail address but the same problems occurs, I’m not able to post with my e-mail. My boyfriend tried to contact the moderators at the same e-mail address but never get an answer too…Maybe you coul post a thread to ask if some moderator could do something for me ? It’s the only thing I think about…after that I really don’t know what to do…:(
Misyrane,
The four hour people site seems to be having some problems. Sometimes I can get on and sometimes I can’t. Maybe it’s time to get into another group. Have you tried the four hour body talk group? I can’t remember the URL but Bing that and it should take you to the right place. Sorry not to be able to be of more help.:(
Hi Tim and all TFHB warriors!
I have been on the ‘regime’ for a week now…. and I feel like Crap!.. any thoughts on how to combat lethargy and generally feeling pretty low?
Think I’m sticking to everything religiously… husband lost 7lbs and a few inches but I haven’t shifted anything. I know for women over 40 (I’m 43) that the change doesn’t happen for 4-6 weeks so I’m sticking with it… but hubby might not stick with me if I don’t cheer up a bit… any help much appreciated!!!
Hi Mandy!
Hard to say. Tell us exactly what your eating, including portion sizes. Get your body-fat % calculated, or at least take the measurements Tim recommends. Ditto for blood-work if you can swing it.
All these things will help establish what your baseline is if tweaks are required. In the meantime increase your protein a bunch, fewer beans (can’t tell you how much because no baseline)
Drink_way more water.
Let us know if you can do any of these things and then we’ll pull out the heavy artillery.
Keep it up whatever you do because SCD works for most everybody. The extra water should help you feel better at least.
Good luck.
Best,
Etienne
thanks for the help Etienne!
Just in case you are interested.. general day, food wise, goes like this. Whey protein shake (with water) as soon as I get up. An hour or so later: 3 egg omelette with spinach, half can re-fried beans (low sodium) and turkey bacon (3 rashers). Lunch: Chicken breast (about a fist sized amount), half can black beans with some salsa (no sugar) and veggies or salad. Dinner: Chix/salmon or pork with lentils and veggies or salad. I reckon I drink about 2 litres of water and about 2-4 cups of herbal tea a day.
I have a scale that measures water,fat, muscle mass etc. I know it might not be totally accurate but I reckon as a relative measure of loss it’s not bad. Fat is at 28%.
I had my cheat day yesterday…. I didn’t hold back!! and perversely I lost nearly a pound!!!??????
Any further thoughts much appreciated… thanks for thoughts so far..
take care
Mandy
lots and lots and LOTS and lots…
lots and lots and LOTS and lots… of water
I throw a big glass of cold water down my neck every time I pass through the kitchen. Then I have a few cups of herbal tea while I wind down for bed. I am easily drinking three times as much water as I used to, probably more. It really does seem to help.
” Whey protein shake (with water) as soon as I get up. An hour or so later: 3 egg omelette with spinach, half can re-fried beans (low sodium) and turkey bacon (3 rashers).”
That is 2 meals, within one hour of each other. IMHO
If you are following the book, first one 30grams of protein, that is a big dose and can be considered a meal. And then bang, one hour later your eating 3 eggs, bacon, etc. Which is a bigger meal than I eat even 3 hours after my wakeup shake.
“Fist sized” amount of chicken for lunch. I just looked at my fist and I’m figuring that is 6+ounces. I usually am eating 2-3 ounces a meal with a half cup of beans. This gives me 20 grams of protein.
As far as energy goes, you might be going through cold turkey on all the other stuff you’ve given up. If you have. In my opinion, you are still eating too much.
Hi John – thanks for your thoughts.. I guess I might have been taking Tim’s thoughts on ‘most people’s problem is they are not eating enough..’ a little too far perhaps?… I have to say I’d be happy to eat less as I’ve been feeling rather full!!!
mandy
Hi Mandy,
The bad news is (not really bad news) you have a pretty good SCD going now. Digestion might just need time to adjust.
It does take maybe 4 weeks to kick in for some people. The most important thing is start feeling better so you stick with it. For many people its the beans that they are not used to, or the lack of enough water.
Still you can choose to tweak things a bit before you get through 4 weeks. I recommend trying to eat cleanly as possible until you feel better.
Namely buy eggs whites in a carton and try and make your self a little omelet w/ a cup of egg whites (6*4 = 24 grams protein) with a little onion, mushroom, spinach etc (pre-chopped in little baggies before hand) at the same time you drink your protein shake (skip the beans and the bacon) + 1 Tablespoon pharmaceutical grade fish oil + lemon juice chaser (easy doesn’t taste bad at all)
Lunch: Protein portion, eat until you’re 70-80% full then veggies AND /or salad till full. + 1 Tablespoon pharmaceutical grade fish oil + lemon juice chaser (easy doesn’t taste bad at all)
Dinner: Protein portion, eat until you’re 70-80% full then veggies AND /or salad till full. + 1 Tablespoon pharmaceutical grade fish oil + lemon juice chaser (easy doesn’t taste bad at all).
Have the breakfast above on your cheat day.
notes:
If this starts to work for you can add back the beans, slowly. Alternatively you can try and keep the beans in your plan but be sure you soak them in water w/ baking soda over night. Cut back on chicken (poor omega 3/6 ratio) More protein. Change your cheat day into a cheat meal. High dose fish oil is magic on many levels. (It makes up for the fact you may not be eating purely grassed meats and wild caught fish. You really should if and when you can)
By all means keep it up and you will do great.
Best,
Etienne
thanks SO much Etienne, much appreciate the tips on what I could/should be eating… very helpful.. Think I may have taken Tim’s whole ‘bean thing’ a little too seriously….
thanks again!!!
mandy
Training for a 10 mile race the Tim Ferriss way?
Anyone on here have an idea what the MED (Minimum Effective Dose) would be for getting ready for a 10 mile / 16.1 km run in three months? The goals in the running chapter of The 4 Hour Body are quite a bit more extreme so I am not sure how to apply those principles to my training.
Hello,
Thank you so much for helping tips:)
Now i wanted to tell my story and see if i am doing something wrong.
I have been following 4HD for four month now, i did loose some body fat but my weight loss is not that great as other people on here.
here is my eating schedule:
Breakfast two organic eggs w cooked spinach, grape seed oil, 1/2 cup of black beans, two tbsp of salsa and sriracha sauce, water, coffee w cinnamon.
Lunch: 4-6oz of publix rotisserie chicken, veggies, two tbsp of guac.,1/2 black b.,salsa, water or tea.
2nd lunch: caned tuna w veges, water or tea.
Dinner: 5 oz of rotisserie chix or caned wiled salmon fillet 7oz or tuna steak w veges, salsa, water.
on a cheat day i start my day with breakfast as Tim recommended and then indulge:) on occasion i switch cheat days from Saturday to Sunday and back, is that OK? I drink wine twice a week on weekends.
i do exercise 5 times a week two days i lift free weights and three days intense cardio.
I would like to know where or what i am doing wrong because i would like to see more rapid fat loss. I do take cool showers.
One more thing, i want to try Insanity work out i heard good things about it, so my question is should i change my eating plan? and how much exercise do we need to do to make a fat loss more rapid.
Thank you so much and im patiently waiting for your suggestions and comments.
Rima- Upon a quick glance, it looks like you’re (1) exercising too much and (2) not eating enough. Try cutting the number of days you work out in half, and dramatically increase the quantity of food you’re eating (double it). That should help!
Charlie
Allison,
It’s ok thanks ! I can log in back since yesterday 🙂
I’m confused about the cheese. In 2007, in your original How to 20 Lbs post, you said this:
7. Cheese (ideally low-fat), nuts, and occassional fried food (ideally without a ton of breading) are fine on this diet. Notice that all are protein-rich and low GI.
Are you rescinding this statement?
Misyrane,
Yeah, I’m glad you could finally get back on. They must have been having technical difficulties.
Last night I made Thai Chicken and Vegetable Soup for dinner. It made a good breakfast too.
It’s both slow carb and Paleo friendly http://healthnutnation.com/2011/06/20/thai-chicken-and-vegetable-soup/
Also, you can check out my recipe for Poor Man’s Lobster which is one of my favorite ways to prepare halibut and is SC friendly.
http://healthnutnation.com/2011/06/10/poor-mans-lobster/
I wanted to share that I bought a bag called “Sprouted Bean Trio” from Costco recently that is organic and contains lentils, adzuki and mung beans that have been sprouted and then re-dried. They are fast, easy and really good. I cook up a batch and have a few Tbs on my salad. They are also lower in salt and not sitting in a BPA lined can.
Tell me if any of those beans aren’t SC friendly…
Alison,
The Sprouted Bean Trio is a great find at Costco! I’ve been using the sprouted mung beans by the same company and really like them-they seem much more like a grain than a bean to me so it’s a nice change. If folks aren’t Costco members, the brand is truRoots, you can look up where to buy on their website. I encourage those of you that are not fans of beans to give them a try, they are barely noticeable in most of the dishes I use them in.
Thanks for the recipes, Alison!
Holly
?3.5 months on the SCD/The Last Mile diet… I started out at 179 lbs and ended at 155.90. I cut 30.4 lbs of fat weight, and gained 7.30 lbs of lean weight, for a total re-comp of 37.7 lbs. I trimmed my waist from 38 down to 31, and I went from 25.2% to 9.5% body fat. All results were measured monthly using Baseline fitness’s Bod Pod. I love this diet 🙂
Nice numbers! I love the BodPod.
Holly Toledo.
I can’t wait to start the last mile program myself. Those are fantastic results Michael (Krause)!
Best,
Etienne
I have a question. I have read the book and what if one is 43% body fat and wants to both lose fat and increase muscle mass? Is it better to lower the fat percentage first then worry about increasing mass or can it be done simultaneously?
Hey Michael
From where you are starting (as I was in December) as far as your diet goes worry most about losing the fat for your hearts sake. East lots of lean protein, supplement with high dose fish oil.
Losing weight has much much more to do with diet then exercise anyway. As long as you are feeding yourself adequately, as you will be on SCD you can still put on muscle with a good weight lifting program. (free weights of course)
So diet for weight loss and work out for muscle gains.
You’ll do great.
Best,
Etienne
Hi Tim!
Hubby and I love the book and are going well on the diet. I have lost 20lbs since the end of April, and he has lost a lot too (can’t keep up with his numbers, darn you men!). I also do Zumba classes.
Just had an appt with my doctor and she told me to “stick to the diet, do not deviate!” I was adding some fruit here and there.
Quick question…can cinnamon be cooked and have the same effects? I found a recipe for a meat rub and have also seen it mentioned as a spice for squash.
I ‘ve not seen my question, and the search engine does not come up with it, so here it goes: There are several “lactose-free” milk products, what I mean is “milk” like Mootopia. They sell at the grocery store. It’s not sweetened. So I was wondering about how that affects insulin levels. Thanks.
Thanks for the book Tim! I’ve lived with the Zeo for months and really appreciate it. The exercises to combat desk fatigue are helping too.
I’d love to get lots of tests done. I live in California. Which insurance companies are best (yet cheapest) for covering the body fat, blood, and various scans/tests you recommend? Anyone have suggestions?
Leo
I have two questions that I have been unable to find addressed in your material.
1. Plant-based diets
You haven’t mentioned much about following the slow carb diet while being a vegetarian and I was hoping that would be covered in the FAQ. I’ve read the chapters on plant-based diets in your book and looked around your blog for more information about it but haven’t found much.
Personally, I’ve also been experimenting with the slow carb diet and other things from the book for over a month now and have not noticed significant fat loss. I don’t think it’s ineffective, I just feel that I haven’t found the proper balance of things while being a vegetarian. I am continuing to tweak things in the hope of finding a balance that works for me.
It’s been hard to find high enough protein meals, so I have been eating two 20g protein bars with 0g sugar (thinkThin bars) a day, one as part of breakfast and the other as a small meal in the afternoon.
Is there a more efficient way to make the diet effective while maintaining a plant based diet? Or would I be better served by integrating some meat into my diet while trying to reach my fat-loss goal?
2. when you are not overweight
The other thing I am curious about is if it may take longer for me to see results because I do not have a lot of weight to lose? Several times in your book you talk about how this diet is most effective for people looking to lose a lot of weight. I have only about 10 pounds of fat I am looking to lose and am a young 5”2 woman.
I’d love input on getting high protein vegetarian food (particularly while on the run every day at work and chasing after kids on the weekend). I’ve settled on having Vega Thrive for breakfast every day, which is a vegan protein / food replacement. It’s a fabulous start to the day (NB, I have no financial interest). Fast to make (just stir in a glass of water), high protein and high quality. Any other great products out there that I can use to replace meals?
Tim,
How has your success with SCD been? Also, any thoughts on peanut and almond butter? I am wondering if perhaps I am eating too much of them both. I’ve been going through about a jar of peanut butter a week, and almost half a jar of almond butter. I feel like I’m eating a lot of them both, but I’m using them as extra protein for meals where I might not have gotten enough protein otherwise.
-AK
@ASK
Did I miss understand your vegetarian questions?
Because starting on page 520 there are 2 chapters:
“The Meatless Machine I”
“The Meatless Machine II”
Sure is a lot of good stuff.
hi Tim!
ever thought of doing something about hair loss?
prasen
Hello ASK,
> Also, any thoughts on peanut and almond butter? I am wondering if perhaps I >am eating too much of them both. I’ve been going through about a jar of >peanut butter a week, and almost half a jar of almond butter.
Dear Gawd nut-butters are a terrible source of protein as they get most of their calories from fat. Read the label. Do the math.
Cut it out and get with the program this is nothing close to anything Tim has suggested.
If you are a vegetarian this is going to be hard. If you are strict and won’t consume egg or whey then doubly so. If you are not consuming allot of protein now then you are correct in that you need to increase your intake I could suggest some less then optimal protein powder but I’ll leave it to other vegetarians to advise you further.
If you are not a vegetarian then post a couple days worth of your meal plans and I will suggest what should help get you back on track. The SCD works very well for nearly everybody who is able to follow it.
Good luck and best wishes.
Etienne
Sorry ASK,
I didn’t see your previous post. Are you willing to include fish or at least fish oil? Will you eat eggs/whites? (Yes it is a good idea to include meat in your diet, but I don’t want to push anything on you)
I do worry about someone trying to live on bars or meal replacements though. Let us know exactly what your meals look like and what your limits are as far as animal based protein consumption goes.
Best
Etienne
Hi Etienne,
I eat eggs and am willing to eat fish, but have not been doing so more than a few times a week and don’t think I can do it every day. I’ve been monitoring my protein intake at meals, in particular eating a lot of canned vegetarian chili and using the aforementioned nut-butters to supplement that if I don’t get 20 grams of protein per meal.
I have not considered fish oil at this point and don’t know much about it. For eggs, I usually eat about 3 a day, and am hesitant to eat more of them, but that might just be due to stigma about eating a lot of eggs as being bad for you. I’d rather not include any meat in my diet, but could be persuaded to do so if the benefits are really that substantial
Here’s my normal meal schedule:
breakfast– 2 eggs, salsa, spinach and a 20g protein thinkThin bar (I don’t like to eat a lot of eggs at a time, it makes me feel really full, so 2 or 3 is probably all i could handle at once)
lunch– 1 egg, 1 can of amy’s medium black bean chili, carrots
post workout/stretching snack– one thinkThin bar, maybe a couple more carrots
dinner– this one varies the most, often includes lentils or other beans, sometimes salmon or tuna about 3 times a week, some vegetable, and pumpkin seeds on occasion
note about the snack/exercise amount: I teach summer camp at a gymnastics gym, and after camp do some form of stretching or full workout each day after camp (2 days a week its just stretching with no intense exercise). I do also bike uphill home from work most days as well.
thanks for the help!
AK
Hello ASK,
Well if you practice the kind of vegetarianism that allows you to eat eggs and fish you are going to be allot better off, both from the point of view of diet success and the vibrant good health we all should strive for.
Although I respect vegetarians greatly for being willing to take an ethical stand I do think as a nutritional strategy it is misguided.
Having said all that it is hardly my place to tell other people what to eat. Given your flexibility I would definitely buy egg whites by the carton and keep a dozen Omega 3 fresh eggs around to boot.
As you have already surmised you need a nutritional strategy to get enough protein. Eating bars as supplemental protein instead of the protein found in real food that comes packaged by mother nature with healthy fats is not nutritionally sound. I guess I understand bars post workout, although a good whey protein shake would be better.
I would say supplementing your breakfast meal with a whey protein shake is certainly acceptable, but as Tim admonishes “Don’t drink your meals”
Eat wild caught fish every day if you can. Otherwise you will be eating an awful lot of eggs and drinking more protein powder based shakes then you ought to.
If you want to meet your protein requirements without counting grams or portions sizes consume your meals in the order of 1. protein 2. healthy fats 3. vegetables
1. Aim for a DAILY intake of 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight or more.
2. Ensure you are getting some healthy, quality fat. This where the fish oil comes in.Aim for a MINIMUM of 1gram of DHA/EPA per 10lbs body-weight + cook in coconut oil)
3. Veggies THIRD. Just close out the meal and keep eating until you are no longer hungry.
Note Try and cook/fry with a healthy fat. (Coconut oil is the best choice, grass fed butter or a combination of the two is great for flavor. I use 3 parts coconut oil, 1 part grass fed gee for all my frying)
You sound like you are already pretty fit and since you are flexible I don’t think you’ll have any trouble getting things tuned correctly. Eat more fish, more egg whites for breakfast, throw hard boiled eggs in your salads and consume healthy fats and you will do just great.
Good luck
Best
Etienne
Thanks Etienne!
Based on your recommendations, I’m thinking I will add in some chicken to my diet as well. Otherwise it will be too hard for me to get fish often enough. Does the fish oil not apply if I am eating meat? I will also take all your suggestions into account.
Just out of curiosity, what makes whey protein shakes better than protein bars? I find shakes pretty hard to stomach unless they are mixed with lots of fruit and yogurt.
Fish oil is required to balance the high omega 3 content of most protein sources. If you eat nothing but wild caught fish for protein you can halve the amount but that is not realistic for most people. When you can see your own abs when seated you can halve the fish oil.
I worry about the bars because of the low quality of the protein they contain is pretty rancid.
On the SCD you do need to stay away from all dairy and fruit. For a very nice protein drink recipe (Thanks Alison) You can use almond milk + 25/or so grams of whey protein powder + 1/8-1/4 can of coconut milk(very gentle on the stomach) + 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon + a tablespoon of fish oil + low glycemic sweetener + ice .
I’d make my own bars you don’t have to go that far just cut down as much as you can and supplement with your own whey powder whenever possible.
I use a whey protein powder from the proteinfactory.com that goes from the cow to the bag in only 48 hours. (UPS takes a bit longer:-) http://proteinfactory.com/shop/product.php?productid=1002&cat=1&page=1
(It tastes fresh and doesn’t need much sweetener.)
Mostly don’t be afraid of larger protein portions. Eat those first until your 70% full and move on to fish oil and veggies from there. If you eat this way you’ll generally land on about 1 gram of protein per lb of body-weight without having to think about it much.
Let us know how you’re doing.
Good luck.
Etienne
Maltitol – The Problems With Maltitol
lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/maltitol.htm
In particular, maltitol syrup has a glycemic index of 52, which approaches that of table sugar at 60.
Tim or Charlie,
Nancy posted a good question that I haven’t seen answered yet. On page 117, Tim says regarding PAGG:
“This dosing schedule is followed six days a week. Take one day off each week and one week off every two months. This week off is critical.”
Nancy asks: Does it matter which day is the day off from PAGG/AGG? I am assuming it is not supposed to be the cheat day since Tim reports taking them on his cheat day.
She is referring to page 104, where Tim says regarding cheat day:
“If I’m going whole hog, I will have another PAGG dose upon waking”
I have been taking AGG/PAGG every day for 6 weeks because I didn’t read carefully enough and have taken no days off. Luckily, there has been no negative impact and have lost 12 pounds with limited exercise.
To summarize, the questions are:
(1) Does it matter which day to skip P/AGG? Is Cheat Day the recommended day?
(2) I am coming close to 2 months and am wondering why he says taking a week off P/AGG is “critical”? I have not seen this more fully discussed in the book or blog.
Thanks!
Hi HJC,
To your questions:
(1) Does it matter which day to skip P/AGG? Is Cheat Day the recommended day?
TIM: Make it a day other than cheat day, perhaps the day before.
(2) I am coming close to 2 months and am wondering why he says taking a week off P/AGG is “critical”? I have not seen this more fully discussed in the book or blog.
TIM: I recommend ‘cycling’ (going off periodically) all supplements. Minimizing the likelihood of side-effects.
Hope that helps,
Tim
I am a big believer of this low carb (no white starch, sugar, or dairy) thing. I noticed I feel better and even “lighter” on my feet. However, after the first two weeks of losing 8 pounds, I hit a plateau. And the measurements were also the same: 1 inch off the belly, but no more. It has been four weeks and that’s that. I know you’re going say I am one of those who didn’t follow the diet, didn’t read it, or did it strict enough. That’s not true. I have had 0% of the white starch, sugar, frutose, dairy, with exception of cottlege chesse. I east lots and lots of beans too. Also I consume about 150 grams of protein as a supplement to the meals. And am religious with the ice baths, ice packs and of the the cheat day. The stack as well. I write everything down everyday and weigh in and measure once a week. And every week, I examine my diet and exercise to find out what I can tweak to start losing fat and weight. Like oil consumption or foods that I’ve over looked that might be what is stopping me, but so far I have yet to find it. It has been very frustrating. I am a vegetarian, ( dairy but no eggs). Still at 290 with 50 inch waist. Any suggestions?
> I east lots and lots of beans too
Don’t eat “lots and lots” of beans. Add high dose fish oil (50-60 grams, maybe 4 Tablespoons per day in your case.) Protein intake maybe fine but it may still be a bit low.
Give us your actual menu with portion sizes and we can do better. Fewer beans for sure. You could try cutting them out altogether for a while or at least cut them waaay back.
Good luck.
Best,
Etienne
Here’s my daily routine:
am: Gold Standard 100% Whey – 2 scoops (upon 30 min upon waking)
with AGG
Can’t eat big meal before swimming, but if no swimming, I eat chopped spinich, can of lentils, with spices and 2 tbls of Macdemia nut oil, microwaved 3 min.
lunch: Gold Standard 100% Whey – 2 scoops with AGG
salad (lettuce, bell pepper, onion, 1/2 avocado, cilantro, cucumber, mushrooms, tomatoes, then sprinkle garlic powder, salt, oregano, 2 squeezed limes, and 3 tbl spoons of cold pressed olive oil)
Dinner: Gold Standard 100% Whey – 2 scoops
Chopped spinich or broccoli or asparagus, bell pepper, mushrooms, serrano chile chopped and a can of beans, 2 tbls of macdemia nut oil and microwave for 3 min. (vary beans each day) with AGG
I drink a gallon of water each day and ice pack my back at night then deep tissue massage the area afterwards to prevent headache the next day
Thn PAG plus 1000 mg of CaMG tabs before going to bed
I also take Super Cissus 1600 mg 4 x day.
Exercise: Swim (I’m a big TI swimmer) 1 mile three times a week.
I am 51 years old.
Thanks
Here’s my routine:
am: Gold Standard 100% Whey – 2 scoops
with AGG
Can’t eat big meal before swimming, but if no swimming, I eat chopped spinich, can of lentils, with spices and 2 tbls of Macdemia nut oil, microwaved 3 min.
lunch: Gold Standard 100% Whey – 2 scoops with AGG
salad (lettuce, bell pepper, onion, 1/2 avocado, cilantro, cucumber, mushrooms, tomatoes, then sprinkle garlic powder, salt, oregano, 2 squeezed limes, and 3 tbl spoons of cold pressed olive oil)
Dinner: Gold Standard 100% Whey – 2 scoops
Chopped spinich or broccoli or asparagus, bell pepper, mushrooms, serrano chile chopped and a can of beans, 2 tbls of macdemia nut oil and microwave for 3 min. (vary beans each day) with AGG
I drink a gallon of water each day and ice pack my back at night then deep tissue massage the area afterwards to prevent headache the next day
Thn PAG before going to bed plus 1000 mg CaMg tabs
I also take Super Cissus 1600 mg 4 x day.
Exercise: Swim (I’m a big TI swimmer) 1 mile three times a week.
I am 51 years old.
Thanks
Hey Joe,
Well the good news is maybe you’re not really eating THAT many beans/lentils ( 8 oz cans? 16 oz cans might be a bit much:-)
8oz. can of beans
237 calories
13.8 grams protein
8oz can of lentils
230 calories
18 grams protein
So I’d say that your protein intake is low. The fact that you can’t chew your protein makes me wonder if you should really be drinking it all in the form of whey.
Nevertheless (This is adopted from Chris @ Athletic Greens. Speacial thanks to his excellent work)
1. Aim for a DAILY intake of 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight or more.
2. After you get your real food protein down, ensure you are getting some healthy, quality fat. This where the fish oil comes in. 50 grams works out to about 25-35 grams combined DHA/EPA. (aim for a MINIMUM of 1gram of DHA/EPA per 10lbs body-weight + cook in coconut oil)
[note: You can also chomp away on almonds, macadamias, Brazil nuts or walnuts, but these can potentially increase your Omega 6 load (macadamias, brazil nuts and macadamias the best of the nuts but remember that ratio) so get the fish oil in first and see how you feel, and limit total daily nut intake to half a handful per day, max. ]
3. Veges THIRD. Yes, third. Just close out the meal and keep chomping until you are no longer hungry.
Lastly you maybe doing better then you realize. Have your body-fat % checked every so often, get your blood work done. Keep in mind that you’ve just started. It is a little tuff not eating meat or eggs and keeping your protein up granted but there ought to be a way to do it.
I’m 50 years old and lost 50-60 pounds in about 5-6 months, eating lots of meat but that doesn’t mean this can’t work for you.
As John point out “starting on page 520 there are 2 chapters:
“The Meatless Machine I”
“The Meatless Machine II”
Sure is a lot of good stuff.”
Good luck!
Etienne
Thanks Etienne
It turns out, I am, or have been eating about 85 grams shy of the rule of gm.s protein to body weight, so just that alone is a big imbalance that I can easily remedy.
And then the amount of oil, (or fat) consumed from nuts I thought should be limited, but maybe it’s only for peanut butter. So I wll certainly experiment with this as balance eating more protein as oposed to drinking it.
Now, I am not going to count my chickens yet, but just in two days, since I started eating almond butter, increasing the protein 50 grams, I lost 2 pounds. So we’ll see how it goes next week.
Also, I have already started taking fish oil tabs with every meal.
thanks again, joe
Fantastic. Keep up the great work and let us all know how you are doing as you go.
Best
Etienne
Dear Vegetarians,
The SCD can work for you. Tim addresses it in the book and even says that one guy pretty much survived off of Yves hot dogs. Here’s the deal though. That’s NOT healthy. It’s not healthy to survive off of bars, whey protein shakes, or soy hot dogs.
It sounds like some of the vegetarians out there are also not eating tofu along with not eating meat. Which, I realize, pretty much leaves a vegetarian with nuts, seeds, beans, and whey protein powder as protein choices. Unfortunately, this doesn’t lead to a balanced and sustainable diet.
Before I go any further I want you vegetarians to know that I feel your meat pain. I hate meat. Steak? Blech! Pork? Gross!, Chicken? White meat only thank you very much (with all veins and fat removed!). That being said, I have found ways to prepare these meats so that they are tolerable (even good) and I feel so much better when I consume them. Honestly though, I mostly eat fish and a few eggs everyday. When I eat beef, it’s grass fed. When I eat pork, it’s been raised humanely without being injected with a bunch of hormones. Same with chicken. The eggs come from my own chickens and the fish I eat is wild and caught using sustainable practices (BTW, I have a great resource if you want albacore tuna that is the lowest in mercury you can get and excellent). Expensive? yes, but cheaper than supplements and Dr. bills for sure!
If you haven’t already it’s important to figure out why you’ve chosen not to eat meat. Is it because of the way it tastes? The way you feel? The way it’s raised? Or because it has to be killed in order for you to eat it? If you know exactly where your issue lies you may likely be able to remedy the issue and consume meat (such as if it’s the way the animal is raised and butchered you may be able to find meat from a local farmer that meets your criteria).
Back to what you can eat on the SCD as a vegetarian:
Egg white powder is a very filling supplement to whey protein powder. There are a few egg white protein powders out there that you can supplement for the whey. If you can stomach it and have safe eggs you can always put raw egg whites in your shake. It’s actually a very healthy way to consume eggs (assuming you don’t get e coli or salmonella of course.)
Tofu. If you buy organic (soy is one of the most highly sprayed of our crops- so organic is important on this one) and chose soy that has been fermented (such as tempeh and tofu- NOT soy milk) then you are better off than if you’re drinking whey protein shakes 3 times a day.
Eggs: You may not have seen Tim’s “housecleaning and clarifications” where he states that it turns out that eating just egg whites isn’t so great after all and it’s better to keep some of the yolks in there. Since I can barely stand egg yolks (yes, I am ultra picky) I eat 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg when I eat eggs.
My standard breakfast which will work for vegetarians that are willing to eat eggs and fish is:
2 egg whites, 1 whole egg scrambled. Add 2 oz smoked salmon and
1/4 avocado (chunked) to eggs. Drizzle with mac. nut oil. I often add spinach in at the end. It’s a heavy breakfast and I can’t take it every morning but I feel full a long time when I eat this and my blood sugar stays nice and stable. You can also add beans to this mixture but I often just load up on the protein and fat and save the beans for lunch (in my salad). Find out what works for you though.
In closing, please remember that no matter what “diet” you go on it is only sustainable when it becomes a lifestyle. Sucking down whey protein shakes isn’t likely going to become a lifestyle change. Maybe drinking one for breakfast will become a habit. But 3 a day is likely going to get old fast. The weight will come off but it won’t stay off unless you change your eating habits in such a way that you still enjoy your meals. And, don’t expect that to happen overnight, or even after a month. It’s taken me a good 6 months to really make major changes. Be patient with yourself. The SCD works!
Regarding the ice packs:
I thought I read a research paper that said that blood pressure meds. negated the effects of ice/cold for fat activation. Has anyone else seen this study or know if it is true? If so, is there an alternative?
thanks
Hi Etienne,
Thanks for all the support you’ve been offering. I posted a while ago that this just isn’t working for me, and it still isn’t.
It works an absolute treat for my g/f, but not for me. I lost about 20lbs in about 3 weeks, and then nothing for the last three months or so (I’m now 240lbs).
As a last-ditch attempt, I thought I’d post again, to see if there was something you could spot, and otherwise I’ll go back to the only thing that’s worked for me in the past = absolute ridiculous hardcore training (which I struggle with due to a back injury and and knee injury).
So :
Cook with coconoil, and never olive oil
Drink plenty of evian water ( 3 – 5 ltrs a day )
Only organic vegies and meat (costing a fortune), and if beef, only grass fed -0 but mostly chicken thigh.
Olive oil on salads
Have coconut milk most days (thai green curry – all home made with fresh organic ingredients)
No milk, white carbs, or any of the forbidden foods at all, except on cheat days.
Breakfast within 1 hour, but almost always within 30 mins of waking. Usually an omolette (2 – 3 eggs, onion, ham) and about half a cup of beans – harricot, homemade with tinned tomato, onions, butter, and a few herbs.
Sometimes replacing the omelette with three organic pork sausages – as it seems to help my digestion / erm… regularity! 🙂
Lunch, most common = thai green curry = 8 chicken thighs, half can of coconut milk (organic), organic fressh ingredients like ginger, fresh squeezed lemon juice, chillies, corriander, etc.
Evening meal, most common = fried (in coconoil) chick salad with avocado, tomato, rocket, onion, and olive oil.
I have quite a little more salt / seasoning than most people.
–
I tried cinamon and fresh organic lemon juice before each meal. I also tried AGG, although never had the guts to go for the full PAGG for some reason.
Nothing seemed to make any difference. I just put on a pound or two some weeks, and lose a pound or two others. Never dropping below 239lbs.
My measurements also go up and down around the same, so I’m not losing size.
–
I’m 38, and do very little excercise being mostly desk-based.
My g/f is 25, and does a little more activity than me, but now much, and the pounds and inches fall off here like crazy on this diet, with nowhere near the same level of dedication compared to me.
–
Any advice would be great.
Sorry, forgot to say, my g/f is slim anyway, but dropped a dress size easily on the diet.
Hi
The above post was a reply to my own message where I stated the diet isn’t working for me and asking for advice. Any reason why that hasn’t been allowed through moderation but the positive one-liner about my g/f has gone through?
hey Simon,
I have a response to a question that I posted still awaiting moderation even though subsequent posts made it through….
Hey Simon,
I would cut out the ham and pork sausage and stick with lean meats.(Grass fed if you can afford it. A lot of chicken is not ideal because of the naturally high Omega 3s. )
I think that the quantity of food might be too high in general. 8 chicken thins is an awful lot for lunch (1080 calories right there). At 500 calories a can (250 in the 1/2 can added to your lunch) maybe cut the coconut milk down to 1/8-1/4 a can as well. Calculate 240 grams or so protein a day but maybe more liquid egg whites less fatty meat. You could slide in a whey protein shake to keep your protein up while getting the calories down a bit (This is optional)
Just for diagnostic purposes since SCD is working for your girl friend try calculating her daily caloric intake, calculate her caloric intake per pound of body weight. Then do the same for yourself against your current diet.
Ensure you are getting some healthy, quality fat. This where the fish oil comes in. Aim for a MINIMUM of 1gram of DHA/EPA per 10lbs body-weight maybe 4 tablespoons a day liquid fish oil)
Lastly get your body-fat % calculated as a baseline. You maybe retaining water. Try cutting your salt to zero (you’ll get some but aim for very very little even none)
Let us know if this is feasible for you. The good news is that SCD nearly always works once you figure out how to follow it in a way that works for you.
Hang in there.
Best
Etienne
I dont know if my comment went through,but I think I forgot to mention I eat 2 oz. beans at breakfast,and I’m a 28 yr. old female.
thank you!
I’ve been following instructions since Jan.,and I’ve hot a plateau.I dont need to be a supermodel,but I want to lose a few more total inches. I dont weigh myself,just measure and do Bodpod testing every 12 wks. or so. I excercise 4 days a week,with days of kettlebell.
here is my daily menu(except for Sat.):
Breakfast:
2 eggs
3 egg whites
2 oz. beans
5 oz. veg.
1 tsp. oil
snack:
2 oz. cottage cheese
3 oz. veg.
lunch:
4 oz. chicken
10 oz. veg.
1 tbsp. oil
snack:
2 oz. cottage cheese
2 oz. veg.
dinner:
4 oz. beef
10 oz. veg.
1 tbsp. oil
Any suggestions or reminders would be great,thank you!
Hey Becky,
Your protein consumption might be close to ideal but do make sure your getting at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body-weight. I would certainly add high dose pharmaceutical grade fish oil (use the liquid) = 1 gram of combined DHA/EHA per 10lbs of body-weight (might be about 3 table spoons per day).
Tim PAGG stack will give a small but steady bit of improvement.
I am very surprised that your bod-pod testing doesn’t show you putting on muscle weight working out as much as you do. If your not putting on muscle it is possible you are over-training. Would you be willing to take 10 days off exercise and then cut the kettle ball workouts down to 1-2 days a week for a little while?
Sleep? Poor sleep can definitely sabotage progress. Over-training is my best guess. Let me know if you think I’m off base or give doing less a try and let us know how you do.
Good luck.
Best
Etienne
Hi Becky,
I feel your pain! I’m at the right size and low bf but still have dimples that weren’t there until I got closer to 50-arg! Maybe you aren’t getting enough healthy fats (including fish oil-you didn’t mention it). Also, some people don’t progress well with cottage cheese so I would replace that with nut butter w/your veggie snack, a hard boiled egg, or maybe a handful of nuts. If you aren’t doing ice packs and cold showers, I’d add those too. The PAGG stack might give you the boost you need as well, you didn’t mention that. Some people say they do much better if they don’t consume dairy on their cheat days. If you drink wine, make sure your glasses are no more than (2) 5 oz. servings. Another thought is to try some of the fasting tricks Tim mentions later in the book or perhaps the last mile for a while. Some people have also found that they begin to lose again if they change up their typical meal plan or add more legumes after a period of not having them. You want to make sure you are not over exercising and get at least 2 kettlebell workouts a week. Just this week I decided to trade coffee for green tea and give up my nightly glass or two of wine to see if those dimples go away. There is no way I could have done that in the beginning but now that I have done everything I could possibly think of, this is my last resort. I’ve incorporated a few exercises by Teresa Tapp, you can find them on youtube and on her website without buying anything. I think you can safely add them without over exercising. I like the sculpting they do along with the kettlebell swing. Good luck! I hope you get some more good advice.
Hi Becky,
In addition to the great advice you have been given by others on this blog already, another method of getting past a plateau is to give your body a rest from exercise for a few days and to increase your caloric load by about 10%. I suppose it is similar to cheat day but rather than cheating, increase protein and fats by 10% for a few of your non-cheat days while not exercising. It sounds like your body may be storing fat thinking that it is starving so giving yourself a caloric boost (of slow carb foods) for a few days might trick your body into thinking it’s safe to burn rather than store your fat. I’m speaking from experience as my body tends to hold on tight to fat if it thinks I’m not going to feed it enough. I guess this is just a twist or tweak of Tim’s cheat day. Good luck and please share what you end up doing and your results.
Because of age, metabolism, and other stuff each person can be very different than Tim’s “average”.
So . . . if it is not working for you, cut down on quantities. That simple. Tim has opened our eyes, but we have to use them to actually see the results and alter amounts. I would avoid getting too creative and nit picky about the fringe stuff. Cut down on the major bulk stuff, or rebalance it maybe.
Forget the promised golden pill. There is no golden pill. You are going to have to concentrate and grow up.
I really don’t think this comment is helpful. It is vague and contradicting to the principles Tim laid out. “Quanities” ? LIke counting calories? Or protein? “Golden Pill” ? What are you talking about? And grow up? What is that supposed to mean?
And what authority do you have to say these things? If you want to help someone, then say something specific that pertains to that individual and it should be more of a tweek to what they have already started.
Thank you Joe! John seemed to give me a similar low blow answer a little while back that didnt address any of my questions and the questions that he DID answer didnt have anything to do with following Tim’s plan at all. I asked about a protein shake and he suggested one that clearly had lactose in it…. ANYWAY….
Let me tell you from experience that cutting down your quantities will only hurt you. I did this for about 3 weeks hoping that i might drop some pounds and i didnt… i put on weight and my inches increased. So, Joe, i can’t seem to find your original comment on here but i’d love to help you out (without being a d- bag) in any way that i can. I’ve been doing the 4HB since February and have done some experimentation in the process. In the meantime — Etienne Taylor has been a great help with a lot of questions that myself and many others have had — so if Tim and/or Charlie arent able to respond to your post, i would certainly trust Etienne. Alison has also been great.
Hope this helps! and don’t let anyone bring you down!!!! 🙂
I stand by what I said. Authority is that I am between 10 and 12% bodyfat. This is because of Tim’s good stuff, and also counting weight watcher points when I see a stall. Everyone is different.
The Golden Pill psycology is that SCD is a solution without having to really concentrate. Well, how’s that working out for you? You doing the squats and and pushups before and 1.5-3 hours after every big meal? You jumping into a bathtub of ice water once a day? You really measuring those 2 cups of wine your drinking? You causing yourself to poop more often? That’s what I thought. And I’m only talking to the one’s that are not seeing results.
Save your nanny nannies. I’m just coming from a slightly different angle for the sake of the those who aren’t seeing results. Everyone is different.
Dude, using your bodyfat % is no measure of your authority, But, if you lost a lot of body fat over a period of six months, say, that’s impressive and you could be helpful if you could shed detailed information on how you did it here. Look, people are on this forum for help, if you have no info, except scolding us, like telling someone to “concentrate,” or “grow up,” then it’s best you don’t comment. You could elaborate on how you experimented with quatities, (of protein or other foods), Avoid using the word “stuff,” also. “Stuff” is clearly a vague term that only gives people the impression you know nothing about what you are talking about. Thanks
I love both books. I am allergic to beans with particularly bad reactions to lentils. Is there a substitute? I am also allergic to chicken and eggs. Thanks.
Becky-
What do your cheat days look like?
Hmmm- My last lengthy comment to vegetarians was written days ago. Seems like comments are taking awhile to get approved???
Simon-
A couple of thoughts on why you may not be losing weight.
1. You may want to try cutting out some of the fat from your diet. Canned coconut milk could be replaced with lite coconut milk and chicken thighs could be replaced with chicken breast.
I know that when I was drinking coffee with cream for hours on end throughout the day that fat drip signaled my body that I had enough fat coming in and didn’t need to drop anything that was stored. It wasn’t a lot of cream but it was too much for me. So you might want to play around with that.
2. Try a protein fast for a day or two. This means only eating protein for a day. I could only stand it for one day (most recommend two days) but I did find that it jump started fat loss.
3. It looks like you may be consuming both your water and your coconut milk out of plastic. The can is likely lined with bisphenol A (commonly known as BPA) and unless the Evian water is in a glass bottle, then it could be causing you problems.
Plastics generally contain pthalates. Pthalates are a known endocrine disruptor.Plastics leach toxins such as BPA and pthalates when they are (A) exposed to light. (B) exposed to heat. (C) exposed to fat. You’ve got a check mark by all 3.There are studies that have shown a direct correlation between pthalate exposure and belly fat in men. So, if there’s a way you can get your water in a glass bottle, or filter it through the tap that would be an interesting experiment.
Coconut milk is different when it’s packaged in a “drinkable” carton that when it’s in the canned form. However, you may be able to find a brand that doesn’t use BPA lined cans.
I know it sounds kind of out there but plastic exposure is major and it does impact people in major ways (I say this from experience). For a more thorough explanation you can go to: http://healthnutnation.com/2011/02/01/plastics-going-beyond-the-water-bottle/
4. You may want to have your neurotransmitters checked. These are very important chemical messengers that are necessary for everything from telling your heart to beat to regulating essential bodily functions such as sleep, fear and energy. If your neurotransmitters are out of whack then your body will have a harder time letting go of fat (for various reasons. Maybe you’re not sleeping well or enough and thus your body is not shedding pounds or is causing you to feel less sated after you eat which in turn causes you to eat more).
It’s not always easy finding a Dr. or Naturopath that knows about neurotransmitter testing but go to http://www.neurorelief.com and maybe they can direct you to someone near you.
I’m so glad that you’ve chosen to pursue losing weight and finding a healthier you via the SCD. I really think that doing something so simple as not drinking bottled water might make a huge difference. If you want to know of a supplement to take to help your body deal with the plastic exposure email me privately and I’ll give you the name and company of the supplement that I use (I don’t sell- it’s just what my naturopath recommended to me during my plastic exposure issue). In the meantime keep a food journal, change up your meals a bit, and keep experimenting. The right combination will come along for you!
Alison,
Thanks so much for so many interesting avenues to test. I’ll email you privately also.
Etienne,
Thank you also. I will methodically test all your suggestions, and report back.
Thanks guys.
Could someone refresh my memory on how much fish oil I should consume? I have just moved to Sydney from the US and the meat here is grass fed and I only by wild caught fish.
Also any recommendation on fish oil brands here in Australia?
Katherine,
I gram of total DHA/EHA (NOT total total fish oil, check the label, use liquid) per 10lbs of body weight per day (Could be 3-4 tablespoons but do the math to be sure)
Best,
Etienne
Since Tim’s premise is all about self-experimentation, I was playing around with some things when my progress seemed to stall. I’m 59 at 6’2″ and have been on the SCD since early April of this year (2011). I’ve dropped from 300# to 253 with BF falling from 40% to 17%. Am I happy… you betcha!
But in June I seemed to hit a plateau. I know I was getting stronger, but my measurements did not change at all. I seemed stuck at 257# and 24% BF.
I checked my diet carefully and found I was not getting enough protein even though I could not put another morsel of food or drop of shake down my throat without puking.
So I remembered reading about a fasting plan that had you take branch chain amino acids (BCAA) as the only thing other than water. Hmmmm… they termed BCAA as super concentrated protein (maybe yes, maybe no, I’m no scientist).
So in the spirit of experimentation I started adding BCAA to my nightly Fish Oil, and later as a post-workout supplement.
Wow, at least for me, that broke the plateau and I really dropped the BF to my current level in just the last three weeks.
My only other observation has been that kettlebells can be addictive. I’m not sure because there are so many different opinions regarding frequency (daily, every other day, twice a week, etc.) but I love working the swings and getups as a circuit routine every day. I intersperse skipping rope between the KBs and I’m now using a 35 pounder, but wondering if that would be considered “overtraining”?
By the way, I really appreciate everyone’s contributions to this forum, and Tim for bring us together. My whole life I have never seen my abs. They’re still not ready for any photo shoots but I have contours that I had given up hope of ever seeing.
Dave
Dave,
First of all outstanding results. Congratulations.
Did you just say that you went from 24% BF to 17 in just three weeks of BCAA supplementation?!! (pinch)
As far as the protein goes. I have a sure fire way I got from Chris @ athletic greens.
First eat protein until you are 70-80% full, THEN switch to your fish oil and finally finish off with as many veggies as you want.
If eat in this order I bet you’ll have no trouble getting enough protein down.
Anyway I can’t wait to hear your confirmation on the BCAAs.
Thanks for the inspiring post.
Etienne
Etienne,
Yes, the numbers and dates are correct. I couldn’t hardly believe it at first when I hit 20% and then last week 17% (I had to break the rule and watched the scale everyday for the rest of the week and sure enough it only fluctuated between 19 and 17%).
I use a TANITA scale so it might not be exact, but it was very close to the caliper method I used in April when I started so I have just kept using it for convenience. Even if it’s not exact the trend is what I was most interested in.
Also, I have gone from a tight size 48 pants to a comfortable 40, and my belly is gone… Not ripped, but flat and beginning to show some definition behind the now loose skin.
However, I’m not the empirical scientist that Tim is. For one thing I’m way too impatient (i.e. make one change, wait three weeks, measure and repeat).
So, that said, I unfortunately cannot say with certainty whether it was the BCAA alone, or moving from a 25 lb to a 35 lb Kettlebell, or an increase in KB circuit frequency. Most likely a combination of the three, but also it may be something entirely unrelated like a hormone shift. Hell, I’m a nearly retired aviation consultant not a doctor.
Not having a readily available KB trainer in my area, I absorbed Pavel Tsatsouline’s books and DVDs on Russian Kettle Bell training. This included his “Power to the People” book on strength training (emphasis on heavy deadlifts).
It was these that convinced me to up my KB weight and frequency, but I do not work out to failure. I do swings in the a.m. and get ups or presses in the late afternoon, with rope skipping and planks during each session. I have bum knees which reduce the amount of hill sprints or squats I can do, but I walk my dogs and swim (hard laps) at least 20 minutes every day.
When I travel, which is frequent, I try to simulate the KB with whatever is available. I’m considering a suspension trainer like TRS or Lifeline because too many of the hotels I wind up in do not have adequate fitness rooms.
I’m very strict on the SCD except for adding protein shakes (first 30 minutes and last meal 2-4 hours before bedtime). We (my wife and I) soak dried beans and lentils, and shop for grass fed and cage free meats and eggs.
When traveling I will fast rather than eat junk food, except when I travel on “cheat days” which I try to arrange where possible. That makes traveling fun again…
So, hope that doesn’t burst your bubble. Maybe you could suggest a way to isolate and confirm what actually caused my sudden drop. I’d be willing to try experimenting. My goal was 12 – 15% by the end of August so as long as I stay on track I’ll try any suggestions.
Oh, and I was taking 6 1,800 mg BCAA capsules after workouts and before bed. So that would average 32.4 grams per day for my 204 # LBM.
Dave
Dave,
I’ll definitely add a similar dose of BCAA to see what happens (I’ve re-injured my lower back, again anyway)
Thanks for the tip. I’ll order BCAAs from vitacost right now:-)
Best,
Etienne
Dave,
I’ve already ordered a few lbs of BCAAs in powder form but I was wondering if you could run through the math again to calculate how many total grams of BCAAs you consume a day? Your 32.4 grams seems higher then your reported “6 1,800 mg BCAA capsules after workouts and before bed.” [should be 12×1800 = 21.6 grams, not 32.4 grams?] Let me know if I’ve missed something.
BTW everything you are doing working out with free weight, the SCD and now adding extra protein will either directly or indirectly cause an increase in your body’s testosterone production. This feeds a virtuous cycle leading to the sort of body re-composition you are enjoying now. You do need to watch over-training but I’d say keep doing what you’re doing being sure you’re getting enough sleep. Every 3 months take a week off from all anaerobic exercise and supplementation. Start up again at slightly lower weights and you should keep making progress.
Great stuff. I am really impressed and amazed at your progress.
Best
Etienne
thank you all for the postive feedback!
My BodPod has shown muscle increase,and the Doc. there(who’s familiar with 4-hr. Body) suggested I add cottage cheese since I’m female and we need the calcium in dairy that supplements alone can’t provide. I was on the fence abou that.Also,the grams of protein that were recommended for me at the BodPod app. were lower than 1 gram per lb.,so maybe I am getting too little.I recently cut back too because I got nervous.
My cheat days start in the morning til bed,I’ve done that since the beginning,but I’m willing to take a look at that also as suggested in the book. Should I up my protein first and see if that helps,or cut down Saturdays AND up my protein?
I am consuming macademia nut oil and flax oil,but I could incorporate fish oil also.
Thank you!
Hey Becky,
Personally I think if you up your protein first then you’ll be in position to know what tweaks are responsible for your desired result.
You may want to adjust your cheat day consumption as you were saying even if the protein does the trick, but I tend to try one change at a time to keep a handle on how things are working.
Best,
Etienne