Patrick lost more than 100 pounds on The Slow-Carb Diet.
I find writing very, very difficult.
While on book deadline (right now, for instance), I suffer dramatic ups and downs. In my darkest hours, I re-read reader success stories that have been sent to me. It makes the entire rollercoaster worth it.
This post will detail how readers have lost well over 100 pounds on The Slow-Carb Diet®. It was sparked by an email I received a few weeks ago:
“I just wanted to sincerely thank Tim for taking the time to research and write The 4-Hour Body. My mom, in her late 60’s, lost 45 lbs and got off her high blood pressure meds that she had been on for 20+ years. She did all this in about 3 months. This means that I get to have her around for a long time.”
Anyone can lose hope, and many people do when trying to lose weight. The Slow-Carb Diet (SCD) works almost beyond belief, and it affects much more than appearance. The basic rules are simple:
Rule #1: Avoid “white” starchy carbohydrates (or those that can be white). This means all bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and grains. If you have to ask, don’t eat it.
Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again, especially for breakfast and lunch. You already do this; you’re just picking new default meals.
Rule #3: Don’t drink calories. Exception: 1-2 glasses of dry red wine per night is allowed.
Rule #4: Don’t eat fruit. (Fructose –> glycerol phosphate –> more bodyfat, more or less.) Avocado and tomatoes are excepted.
Rule #5: Take one day off per week and go nuts. I choose and recommend Saturday.
Comprehensive step-by-step details, including Q&As and troubleshooting, can be found in The 4-Hour Body, but the above outline is often enough to lose 20 pounds in a month, drop two clothing sizes, or more.
The SCD works for both women and men. Maria Rider (pictured below) is over 40 years of age and a mother. As she put it to me, she’d always been “the heavy mom.” Now she’s seen differently: “I haven’t seen this weight since my college years! I just wish you’d written the book 20 years ago!”
Last we spoke, she had dropped from 247 pounds to 122 pounds, for a loss thus far of 125 pounds. Her husband has also lost 56 pounds.
The SCD is also effective for going from “normal” to very, very fit, as MP shows:
MP before.
MP after.
The same exact rules apply. No differences whatsoever.
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Next, we’ll meet Ricardo A, in depth. Ricardo first reached out to me via email. It began with…
I cannot put into words the great gift you have given me. “[The Slow-Carb Diet is]…intended to be effective, not fun.” As soon as I read those words, I knew I had to give the slow carb diet a try. 210 days later, I haven’t looked back. The change has been incredible. Not just my weight, but my outlook on life. I have followed your instructions to the letter…”
Below, in Ricardo’s own words, is what happens when you follow SCD to the letter.
Ricardo’s Story
AN INTRODUCTION
People always ask me what moment led me to lose over 150 pounds in 9 months on the Slow Carb Diet (SCD).
I crack a smile when I get asked. Unlike some, who can pinpoint one moment in time which defined the start of their journey, I have three “moments” that immediately come to mind.
The first was months before I started the SCD in August of 2011. It was when I realized that overweight people on TV, told they would die because of their weight, weighed less than I did.
The second moment was the day I got my gym membership card. Instead of it prominently featuring my face, my whole midsection was featured, slumping over the chair.
The third moment, which happened just days before I began the SCD, was when a good friend told me that in order to effectuate positive change in your life, you need strength and guidance. You can acquire strength with discipline and will power, but guidance, well, that’s where Tim comes in.
I recall reading headlines in August that Amazon had just signed its first author for a new publishing arm. Not knowing who Tim Ferriss was, I did some research and found a Gizmodo article. I was at the grocery store that day with my shopping list and began the SCD the very next morning. During my first few days, I was pleasantly surprised to find content and support readily available online, and how much personal feedback Tim would give via his blog. He not only provided you with a plan, but was right there with you when you had any doubts. Tim provided that little push that got me going.
How far I went then was entirely up to me.
LIFE AND STYLE
“It’s a lifestyle, not a diet.”
This is the best answer I can conjure when asked about my success on the SCD. I truly took Tim’s mantra of keeping it simple to heart. Being able to plan all of my meals ahead of time removes not only stress, but also the guilt associated with eating unhealthy foods. My previous “meal plan” consisted of eating junk food three times a day and constant snacking. Not a day would go by without having dessert, consisting of either a pint of rich ice cream or bag of cookies. Looking back, I can easy understand how I got to 410 pounds.
I have been overweight my entire life.
Whenever I managed to lose weight, I’d gain it all back. I had been open to the idea of dieting for some time but found diets too hard to follow. I would start one, and as soon as I cheated or ate incompliant foods, I would give up. This is why I knew the SCD was something I had to try. How could I pass up losing weight while not only being allowed to “cheat”, but being required to do so for an entire day out of the week?
Months after starting the SCD, I ran into an article in the UK’s Daily Mail explaining the science behind postponing eating, which further reinforced the science behind cheat day on the SCD. This, coupled with the outstanding community aspect (via blogs and personal websites), has led to my success and high compliancy rate (over 90% compliant in the past 9 months). I don’t snack, and I only drink unsweetened iced tea and black coffee. I also drink at least a gallon of water a day.
MEAL PLAN ON THE SCD — WHAT HAS WORKED FOR ME
I eat three meals a day.
– Breakfast, which I have no later than an hour after waking up.
– Lunch, which comes at least 4 hours after breakfast.
– Dinner, which is anywhere from 6-8 hours after lunch.
A typical day would look like this:
Breakfast: 8 ounces of egg whites and one whole jumbo organic egg; black beans (canned and unsalted); and steamed cauliflower.
Lunch: ½ pound of vegetarian fed tri-tip steak from trader joes; black beans (canned and unsalted); and steamed cauliflower.
Dinner: frozen chicken thighs (cooked on boiling water until thawed then fried with olive oil); black beans (canned and unsalted); and steamed cauliflower.
When I don’t have time to cook at home, I either get a chicken bowl from Chipotle (no dairy or corn) or order a carne asada (grilled steak) plate at my local burrito shop, which consists of steak, pinto beans, and a salad (no cheese).
Keeping your meals simple makes failure less likely.
CONCLUSION
Based on my experience on the SCD, the only advice I can give you is to stick with it. Your time is now. Don’t make a big fuss about it, and don’t tell it to the mountain. Keep it on the down-low for the first few weeks. This is a personal journey, and success will entirely depend on you. Tim has given you all the tools; now it’s up to you to put them to work. Keep it simple, and if you have to ask, don’t eat it. Save it for your cheat day.
I started the SCD on a Wednesday and did not have my first cheat day until the second Saturday. I invite you to take the “Wednesday Challenge” and do the same. This will give you a head start and allow you to build up will-power.
I still carry the gym membership photo in my wallet every day.
It’s constant motivation to keep at it… to continue on this wonderful, albeit challenging, journey.
I did my part, building the strength through discipline and will power to succeed on the SCD. But without Tim’s guidance, I would not be here telling you my story. Seek strength. Seek guidance.
My name is Ricardo, I am 31-years old, and I’ve lost more than 150 pounds on the SCD. Thank you, Tim.
Afterword from Tim
First of all, thank you, Ricardo. Sincere thanks to all of you who read what I write.
And congratulations to all who’ve made it happen!
Armed with a basic overview of the SCD, Ricardo lost 150 pounds. Similarly, the others above took a basic plan and put it into practice.
Now, I ask a small favor:
1. If you’re trying to lose fat, commit to testing The Slow-Carb Diet for two weeks starting this Wednesday. Read the above, perhaps consider The 4-Hour Body, and just get started. Put it on the calendar and make it happen.
2. If you’ve lost weight on The Slow-Carb Diet, please fill out this form! It’ll take 10 seconds and help me gather valuable data. Thank you in advance.
3. Last, if you know someone who needs (or wants) to lose weight, please tell them about Slow-Carb somehow.
I don’t care at all if they buy the book or not. The Gizmodo article and other blog links can do a great job. I’ve seen the tremendous difference it can make in the lives of entire families, not just individuals. Whether it’s life-or-death or just looking better in jeans, if you know someone who can benefit, please pass it on.
Thank you for reading, everyone, and have a wonderful week.
If you have any Slow-Carb stories (or before-and-after pics), I’d absolutely love to see them in the comments! They would truly make my summer, which is going to be a tough one…
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.
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I’ve lost quite a few pounds (and I was already slender before turning to this amazing diet) with the SCD.
I have not read all of the comments (they are a ton), but one extra benefit which is very, very appealing, is just how cheap the diet is. I reduced my grocery shopping costs by at least 30%.
For adherence to the diet, I do recommend limiting the grocery shopping to SCD-friendly foods. Avoid all temptation at home, and just get your cheat stuff on the very same day you’ll use it. You’ll slowly realize that you’ll have less and less craving for “bad” foods, and won’t need to be snacking all day (provided that you eat enough on your three meals). Some people do food diary’s (taking a photo of each meal you take), which is helpful as well.
Tim!
Hope this article From Kurzweil Ai will help your journey this summer.
http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-measured-man
This scientist is quantifying himself through series of tests and what he is doing will confirm individuals who are self-experimentining its merit. You and others could contribute your work and data and make this project coming to a fruition so that others may benefit from this contribution to a better health and better society.
Only you who can help yourself to achieve a desired body figure. only a self discipline to make this all possible. Disciplining oneself on an exercise, maintaining your healthy diet and fighting your cravings for food are some that can help you through with this.. Think what’s the new you after surpassing all your hardships in doing healthy diets.
Tim
I’ve been a follower of your blog since the 4HWW came into my life as a tremendous punch in the face! For the people who havent read the book, I highly recommend it…. Not because of the “glamour life” you can get, but basically to help you re-think your life and priorities!
Muchas gracias hermano!
—-
The SCD i’ve been doing it for the last 11 weeks now… I was weighing around 228-230 pounds since mid-last-year, and my body was really resenting that crap…. I usually maintained myself in the range of 175-185 lbs, but all of it was lost after marriage!!! lol!!! Never did any real weight-training, nor a sport for the last 10 years, more of a gamer/movie guy…
The first 8 weeks was only SCD, and a few assisted chin-ups/pull-ups every couple of days (i hadnt done a real chin-up in years!), and I went from aprox. 228 to 211, loosing 17 pounds in 2 months… Not a lot by my “old” standards of weight-loss, but WITH A MIRACULOUS CHEAT DAY!!! ***
After week 8, my brother decided to loose his last pounds (around 8), and helped me through to break my habit of not going to the gym… Im currently going 2x a week to the gym, general workout, doing the 3rd series to max weight 3reps… Basically, gaining muscle mass (To help with Metabolic Basal Rate).
Of course, the shedding pounds effect of the SCD has gone to HELL! hahaha! But its ok, this past 3 weeks i’ve lost only 4.4 pounds, but seen strenght gains rangeing from 40-120%!!! So I’ll be tweaking “mass” months, and “fat-loss” months every now and then…
***CHEAT DAY
I really dont know if any of you guys go really nuts on your Cheat Day??? My wife and friends that im crazy, and well… sometimes I am, but i’ve found that this type of life-style helps a lot people with addictive and obsessive tendencies (such as myself)…
Crazy as in:
8am – 3 whole eggs, beans, juice and coke zero
11am – Double Whataburger with fries
12pm – A bag of mrs bairds doughnuts
2pm – Big Firehouse Sub/Subway, with chips and soda or 4 pieces of Fried chicken with corn, mashed potatoes and soda.
6pm – beer with chips
8 pm – beer and whatever is at hand
9 pm – 4 Slices of pizza/any high carb food, with a pitcher of beer
10pm – Any dessert that is available…
11pm – If not feeling stuffed by now, more beer as final dessert…
And yes, i’ve felt sick the two times i’ve done that…. But its pretty well worth it cause I dont even think of beer/bread/pasta or whatever else i ate that day for a whoooole while! lol!!!
What are your CHEAT DAYS like people?
Just posted to you on fb as well, but I’m on day #5 of slow carb and loving each day’s energy more and more. I’m somewhat happy with my weight, but I’m looking to “trim the fat” in certain areas before it gets out of control.
I’m reading through everything above — especially some of the meal variations — and I like that others have had more success being flexible with breakfast (especially). So far, I’m finding it easier to follow this plan for the other 2 meals of the day.
So, cheers, here’s a photo of this mornings breakfast: http://goo.gl/VRW8o
…and if I haven’t said it already, a good friend gave me T4HB…and it has become like a bible to me. Thanks, Tim!
I’m wondering if any of you have done the ice bathing suggested in 4HB? I haven’t because Norway has been really chilly so far this summer and I want to feel warm more than I want to freeze 🙂
Hi Tim, me and my husband Olle are using 4HB. He lost 30 kg and I 25 kg. You can se my transformatin on this videoclip.
We are writing a book about bodyhacking on the 4HB and it will be on the swedish market in august 2012.
Here is some interesting pics http://blogg.fyratimmarskroppen.se/?p=1273
Thanks a lot for the inspiration!!!!!
Jenny and Olle
Tim, I recommend the NEAPOLOTIN for a tasty way to get your 30 g protein in the first 30 minutes of the day:
1 Scoop Chocolate Supreme Optimum Nutrition 100% Casein Protein
1 TSP Strawberry Quick
8 OZ water
Dash of Cinnamon (adds delicious breakfasty taste + fat loss properties)
1 Cap Vanilla (Mexican vanilla is the best)
Tip: Use a Mason Jar to mix your shake. Put the water in first – casein is thick and gooey and tends to stick to the bottom when added first. add the remaining ingredients, put the cap on and shake vigorously and immediately.
After drinking the shake add 8 OZ more water shake and drink – this literally no mess to clean afterward + you get a bit extra hydration.
Caveat: The quick ads 30 empty calories. If your a stickler save the quick for cheat day.
Enjoy !
I could have sworn Patrick’s after photo was Billy Bob Thornton 🙂
What tremendous transformation by Patrick and the others!
Tim, what’s the recommendation of having 30g of protein within 30 minutes based on? Is it primarily recommended for adherence? For strict fatloss, I’ve seen recommendations to NOT consume any breakfast but perhaps have some MCT oil to remain in ketogensis and to take advantage of the morning cortisol for fat burning.
Hi Tim,
I’m really proud of all of these great people who managed to change their bodies and their lives by strictly adhering to the SCD. I understand their zeal, I’ve already lost 60lbs . . . in 18 months. I know, not nearly the amazingly fast results so many others have enjoyed, but that is my point.
There are a lot of people having success and it makes them want to do an even better job of following your guidelines because it is really (and for many of us, Finally) working. I am happy for them and don’t want to diminish their fervor. I just want to make sure that if anyone is reading this and doesn’t see themselves as that motivated and psyches themselves out, they might benefit from a slacker experience.
Make no mistake, the weeks I followed more suggestions from the book, 4HB, I saw better results, I felt better, it was all-around positive. For some reason I do better with a lot of things at a slower pace and I have fallen into that groove. It still works! Seriously, I’m not as fastidious with everything, plenty of things slip through that shouldn’t, late nights with any of my 5 children under 7 years old will kill the next day’s exercise, but I keep consistently getting healthier and dropping weight, getting stronger, sometimes nearly imperceptibly, but it is happening, every week. I have done nothing else besides a casual reading of 4HB and then a very close reading with a few notes and started making little changes, honestly, really little. There were some things I wasn’t willing to do, right before I got the book, we bought a new espresso machine so my wife and I could stop giving our local coffee shop $4 every time we wanted a fancy coffee. I like mine with milk and chocolate. I know it is bad, I know I could reach my goals quicker without it, but we indulge. I could probably be down an additional 15 lbs by now if I had cut out the fat coffee habit. The point is, the science is solid and works all the time and there is probably an element of not realizing the habits I have picked up over the last 18 months and the way they continue to serve me, but I don’t feel like I’m doing much, but I’m ready to buy some new work clothes soon.
As you can probably tell from my attitude about the whole thing, I’m not experiencing any diet stress or anything like that so it is almost like I’m not doing anything, yet losing weight and getting better in every way – for “free”.
Don’t underestimate the power of sharing the ideas either. I have ordered a couple of additional copies of the book for interested friends and it is like magic, they read it and even if they don’t decide to “go for it”, they tend to start doing the small things that make sense (M.E.D.) and see some benefit. Selfishly, it is a pretty nice, big impressive hard cover book for $15, so it is gratifying to give as a gift.
Finally, I wanted to mention, Tim, I recently read a book called “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength” also available on amazon.com. The authors review several studies on willpower and self control and what it means to us in our everyday lives and I was stunned at how many of the ideas from your book are supported by their ideas and years of studies. Of particular interest was postponing something. Participants were much more likely to have success at avoiding a sweet treat or some other temptation if they could put off their enjoyment until later rather than deciding they could never have the object in question. “I will have the cookie after dinner (or on Saturday) ” instead of “I can never eat that cookie, ever”.
I have another 60 or so lbs to go, so I hope to join that “100 club” before too long, when that is, I’m not sure, but at this point I’m really excited knowing it will definitely happen.
Thanks,
John P.
Hi Tim,
Congratulations, wishing you great success in all projects.
I’ve been on this diet for 3 weeks now. I monitor my progress using Bio-Electrical Impedance scan every week. I have a free day every Saturday and I’m very strict on avoiding fruits / any starchy carbs.
– First week I lost 9 pounds, with 2.2 pounds of fat and rest was water and muscle.
– Then NO change in the next two weeks. I’m wondering if I’m doing something wrong.
– I’m also getting constipation, I think I need more vegetables in my diet.
My typical diet is as follows:
Breakfast:
3 egg whites + 1 full egg
Lunch:
1 can of fava beans
Grilled Chicken Thigh
Dinner:
1 can of fava beans
Grilled Chicken Thigh
I’m not really exercising, my lifestyle is basically 9-7 desk work.
I think my main problem is lack of fiber vegetables. What do you think?
Thanks!
Great post! I love it when people transform their lives.
In September 2010, I weighed 260lbs and by June 2011, I weighed 230lbs. 95% of the weight was lost between Apr – June. The next six months I only lost 10lbs. This was very frustrating because I was working out very hard and not seeing results. Between Jan – Mar 2012 I didn’t drop a pound. It came down to finding a way out or giving up. I decided to give SCD a shot and started it in Apr. Lost 10lbs in a month!
Just to experiment, I stopped using the SCD and my progress stopped immediately. This really works! I have been back on it for about 1.5 weeks. Already down 3lbs!
Thanks Tim!
Tim, thanks for this post! I have taken all of the slow carb diet and have helped 3 different people lose around 40 pounds apiece by looking over their food (made them list out what they eat for a 3 day period) and telling them what exactly they can change to be on the slow carb LIFESTYLE.
Now, I am working with a client who has not only lost 45 pounds in 7 weeks on your SCD but has also done the following within that same 7 weeks:
– Lost 45 pounds (with a torn ACL), quit smoking, AND drinking
– Stopped eating fast food, microwave meals, and processed food (followed SCD)
– Started exercising twice daily (Swimming in the morning and weight training in the evening)
– Started cooking every meal and eating every two hours
– Reduced his jean size by 5 inches
– Reduced neck size by 1 inch
– Reduced chest size by 3 inches
– Got a sun-tan
– Started wearing contact lenses
– Replaced his clothes (they were too big to stay on!)
– Learned to paddle board and kayak
– Started attending church and rediscovered his faith
A lot of people struggle with just the eating part of just the workout part, but this guy has managed to lose weight and quit smoking with a torn ACL in only 7 weeks! (His story, with before and after photos: http://nicholecarlson.com/andys-story)
Also, because this guy has such an inspiring story and because of your 4HWW, I am making this into a product because I know people need answers and guidance to their health/fitness issues and I hope the challenges I’ve been able to help this guy with, I can help others with as well.
Thank you for all of the guidance you’ve given me since I read your book 6 years ago. You have changed my life and I hope to pay it forward in other’s lives!
PS We met at SXSW after your panel. I was the girl who quit her job, sold her car an hour later and was on a one-way ticket to Spain the next day.
Keep living big! Nichole
When I first went to Bangladesh to start my new business and ate the food there, i lost about 7kg in 2 days, thats 10% of my body wieght, still struggle now to put it back on.
Mr. Ferriss,
The SCD sounds really wonderful as per weight loss goes. But how exactly does it figure into a healthy lifestyle? Simple carbs are not inherently bad, they are essential fuel for your body. Try doing any moderate to high level workout and you’re body is bound to give up owing to the lack of energy. And, as the traditional Italian diet has shown, having simple carbs can be the foundation of a healthy diet (case in point, traditional pasta-based Italian diet). However, I do agree that simple carbs need to be taken in proportion to the activity level of your lifestyle, and for most people it is wise to keep its intake in check. I am just wondering if it is really wise to restrict all simple carb consumption to one day. Surely that is not enough provide the body with the energy it needs throughout the week, especially given that this diet restricts fruits as well.
Hi Tim, I lost a lot of weight right after your book came out last year and I follow the diet strictly. One year later I gained the weight back, and a little more. I am now going back to the Slow Carb Diet because I believe it is the most practical and effective diet I have been on. I like the fact that you use the psychology model of BJ Fogg in terms of making it easier to accomplish the behavior. Back when I used to be on the diet, I would have Friday as my cheat day and I would eat copious amounts of M&M from the vending machine at work. I become known as the M&M guy, and people would be surprised at how I would eat so much sugar in one day and still be skinny. Anyways, I stopped the diet after a few months but I kept the M&M habit going and now I have to get back on the diet because my pants are not fitting anymore :-). I wanted to bring out a question though: Do you think that the binge behavior one day a week may be detrimental to long-term weight management? I am asking you because the fact that I felt so free to eat without guilt one day, I believe may have continue after I stopped the diet. Just a thought and I would like to hear comments from others that may have taken the “bingeing” a little too far. Thanks
Ramiro
Hi Tim!
Just wanted to say thanks for writing the four hour body! I’ve lost 13 pounds over the last 6 weeks and my boyfriend lost 29 pounds with no effort at all on SCD. I’ve only recently started doing the kettlebell swing, which I love.
Actually it’s pretty amazing, cause I wasn’t able to lose anymore weight with my previous weight loss methods. I used a method of counting calories, eating as little as possible and I got all my protein from soy products. I read the book Skinny Bitch, so all I ate for breakfast was fruit and I stopped eating meat and fish and any other animal products. Next to that I was working out for 1,5 hours each day, primarily cardio. Altogether this lifestyle caused me to be very angry and cranky all the time. And I had no energy at all. When I decided to stop working out each day I started gaining a lot of weight back on rapidly.
I didn’t even mean to read another diet book (and I’ve read a lot of them!), but I had read the four hour workweek (great book btw, thanks for writing that one as well!) and as I was searching to see if you had written any other books. This is when I came across the four hour body. When I read the book so many things I had experienced in my own body started to make sense! So I became eager to give this lifestyle a go. When I told my boyfriend the principles of SCD he immediately said “Ok, I’m in, let’s start today!”. Which was a huge surprise to me, because he used to be more of a “I’ll start next monday” (and repeat that sentence for a year) person… What we both love about this lifestyle is that it is so simple! And the cheat day makes it really easy to stick with it.
My boyfriend was overweight and still has some pounds to go before he reaches his own weight goal. He will start doing the kettlebell swings too, to tone his body. I’m not overweight and I wasn’t really overweight to begin with, but I’m going to stick to this lifestyle to also tone my body more. I really love seeing the before and after picks of MP! This has really given me the mental boost I needed this week to carry on. Cause, just like her, I want to get really fit and get the most out of my body.
Oh and something I forgot to mention earlier is when we started this diet, after a few days I felt so unbelievable energetic and cheerfull!!! I really couldn’t believe it! This was when I realized how I had fucked up my own body and mind with my ridiculous eating habbits and workout regimes over the past years. And now six weeks later, I still feel like I can concur the world!
Thank you so much Tim! For the first time in years I’ve got enough energy to start up my muse! This lifestyle hasn’t just worked wonders for us physically, it has also helped me to think clear. I now have the right mindset to succeed with my plans.
I look forward to reading your next book, I know you can do it!
Thanks,
Leandra (from the Netherlands)
I didn’t think it was possible to gain weight as a vegan since I had lost 25lbs over the course of 4 months by going vegan and kept if off for over a year, but since I’ve been on a road trip since March (and eaten french fries for too many meals) I’ve gained a lot of my weight back. I have been doing a vegan version of the 4 hour body diet for just 2 weeks and I feel great! I drink a vegan protein shake (Vanilla SunWarrior), Chia Seeds, and Green Vibrance for breakfast. I have beans or tofu, vegetables, & nuts for lunch and dinner. And I and eat tons of fruit, bread, and rice on my free days! Knowing that I can eat my favorite foods on the free day makes it so much easier to eat the same boring meals all week. I haven’t weighed myself, but I definitely notice that my stomach is flatter, my clothes are looser and I feel highly motivated to keep on going! The red wine allowance is a life saver! I am excited to see my results after a few months. If I can do this on the road, as a vegan, I think anybody can! Thanks for creating such an easy, effective plan!
Thank you! I was curious as to how to make this diet vegan. Do you mix your protein powder with water or nut milk?
Can you drink milk on the 4 hour Body program I haven’t gotten the book yet getting all info from websites… but thought it was prohibited
Awesome to see so many people making a real change in their quality of life. Eating healthy and decreasing fat not only makes you feel better mentally and physically, it is also gives you a whole new level of confidence, and from reading the stories the confidence is overflowing! Congrats to all the success stories.
I didn’t have a lot of weight to lose, but never seemed to be able to lose it. I tried the SCD and lost enough to meet my main goal.
Gotta say, though, that I’m having trouble staying away from some of my favorite foods. I’ve always loved a bowl of cereal in the morning…the cold milk and crunchy squares don’t have a compliment in the SCD. And its blueberry season….come on. blueberries!
I’m just impressed that you wrote this long blog post when you’re on book deadline. The last thing I’d want to be doing is yet more writing.
Hi Tim,
Great article. It really astounds me reading the testimonies. SCD really works if you put strength through discipline and power to succeed just like what Ricardo said. To maintain a healthy lifestyle really takes discipline to master it. It does not happen overtime but you have to motivate yourself to do it without excuses. A person must make a choice and make a difference of his/her daily living. There maybe sacrifices like giving up your favorite food but it’s worth it.
You’re amazing Tim, and such an inspiration. There is so much negativity and despair in the world, but with your continued commitment to positivity and dedication to health, you continue to be a Jedi for change in the direction the world needs to go. Never stop writing, and keep being awesome!!
Hey Tim those are some amazing results. I did the slow carb diet and saw quick results, but stopped because my wife was pregnant and didnt like that i was shedding weight as she was gaining. Anyways i lost 18 pounds the first four weeks and have pretty much maintained that by having a high protein breakfast and lunch. I am going to get both me and the wife on the diet here though very soon. Thanks for the books they are awesome, can’t wait for the four hour chef!
Hey Tim
How important is it to repeat meals, do i really have to? What will probably be the resulT.
p.s– If anyone other then Tim can respond please do.
I’m not positive, but I think Tim has said the reasoning is that when you eat the same thing every day you tend to eat less. Can anyone verify this?
Because it keeps you on track. Many people fail at diets b/c they don’t know how/what to eat. Tim believes eating the same things makes it easy. You can add variety as long as its inside the protocol.
Hi
Great stories and very inspiring.
Nowadays, people are very conscious in their bodies, finding ways to get skinny. Many diet pills and other food supplements are now in the marketing trying to help those obese people get their ideal weight. But this article is very amazing losing 100 pounds just slow-card diet without artificial food intake. This will really help to the people want to achieve a good body statistics. But we have you have to remind yourself to do it religiously because this requires discipline. Because if you don’t have discipline then everything will be useless. You must set a goal for yourself so that at the end of the day you can reward yourself for doing a great job.
Discipline. Goal Setting. Then, you will love yourself.
Diet is something that I am not used to. I eat what I like and as much as I like. Though I gained weight sometimes but I immediately manage to lose it. I never even go to a gym and exercise. Let’s just say that I’m one of those few gifted ones.
The only advice that I can give is never to skip breakfast because you would tend to eat more if you do. I still believe in the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and tried to live up to it till now. So far, I never have any problems with weight.
Hi Tim,
Thank you so much for producing such a masterpiece!
I was competing in Judo professionally before an injury forced me out for 10 months. As a result, I put on about 20kg, lost about 10kg by just monitoring how much I weighed everyday, and when I tried to go back into Judo, I got injured again, which required a surgery… you can probably guess what that did to my weight. This went on for a while, until November 2010. I remembered reading your post about SCD, and decided to give it ago. I then bought the book and have been following this lifestyle since and lost those 20kg. I’ve bought some free weights and a couple of KB and follow Occam’s Protocol or G2F regime.
As most protocols in the book are meant for body recomposition (except maybe the superhuman), what would you recommend for maintaining the results I’ve achieved so far? After a while, I get stuck on G2F and Occam’s.
Thanks again for putting all of these priceless gems into a funny and easy to read and implement book (loved the story about Dave Palumbo, can’t tell it without laughing!).
Cheers,
Miki.
I have always been an athlete (played basketball and baseball in college) and have continued to run and play sports, even as my weight slowly grew from 225 lbs to 336 lbs. When my sister gave me the 4 hr body for Christmas 2010 the light clicked and I started the diet a few weeks in January 2011. I have always been a runner and I set a goal of going from 330s lbs to 3:30s in a marathon, with the intention of doing it in the Boston Marathon in 2012. After dropping 90 lbs in 2011 and running quite a few half marathons (including one in 1:40:00), I was ready to train for Boston and was ready when Marathon Monday rolled around in April. The only problem it was 90 degrees out. I still got through it, though not in the time I was hoping for (4:37). After giving my legs a week to recover, I decided to give it another go in the Providence Marathon 3 weeks later, since I had put the training in. I finished it in 3:39:14, so I was able to accomplish my goal of 330s to 3:30s in a marathon. All of this would not have been possible without the slow carb diet. Thanks Tim!
Tim
I’ve heard/read where it takes 2 weeks for the body to adjust to a ketogenic state (burning fat for fuel) and for the metabolism to stay ketogenic, one has to commit to a low carb diet. Does the Saturday dieters gone wild disrupt this process?
I’ve enjoyed the SCD for several months and have taken off the last 10 pounds easily (eluded me for years). I open up my carb window before a strenuous 1 plus hour bike/run and for 30 minutes after. I wish I could say I have uber energy most of the time…but I’m certainly keeping an eye on my variables (2 kids still disrupting my sleep).
Does one have to delve into the spartan low carb lifestyle with both feet to take the SCD to the next level….which I interpret as a ketogenic metabolism?
thanks, enjoy your work!
Hi all!
So I am about to start the SCD, I saw some pictures of myself at a barbecue last weekend and that was that. Time to lose some weight.
One question I have though – in reading up on the diet I see you can drink all of the diet soda you want, and I drink Diet Mountain Dew. But I also see you can’t drink fruit juice, and I just noticed the second ingredient in Diet Mt. Dew is concentrated orange juice. Should I stop drinking it for the diet? I’m going to cut it back anyways, but stopping would be hard because I like it so much. Thanks!
Bob
I know that rebounding was used as a method to lose weight for contestants on the Biggest Loser. And I know of countless rebound users who have lost a lot of weight through safely rebounding.
Funny how a doctor recommends nearly just the opposite! http://www.drmcdougall.com/video/starch_solution.html
Great post and congrats to everyone who’s making progress!
A friend actually gave me your book as a present recently and i’m finally cracking it open and I’m definitely going to take the same journey others have taken before me in following this diet on the road to better health and wellness.
Wondering if cheese and butter are “no-no’s” ? Doesn’t mention that. I don’t drink milk, in fact I hate it but I love cheese and Im assuming cheese/butter/coconut milk/etc. is fat so it would not be a part of the diet?
I see you have renamed it the “Slow Carb Diet.” I tell people that it’s the “4-Hour Body Diet” but I fondly call it “The Fracking Diet” (the good kind of fracking). It’s one that really works, because I have lost 29.4 lbs and 29 total inches in 53 weeks. I am doing it slowly, I know, but because I am of a certain age, it is the only thing that has worked for me. I intend to stay on it forever because it’s fracking good!
Wow seeing the photos of those who lost a lot of weight is inspiring i’ve tried everything and it seems nothing works for me… Should I try this?
One aspect of the diet mentioned here that would be very tough for me to endure is no fruit whatsoever. I eat fruit everyday, not a lot of it, but I do consume it daily. I restrict my intake to berries and only as part of a larger meal. Strawberries have been referred to as a “superfood” because of how powerful they are at assisting the body in fighting disease. The same can be said for blueberries (in small amounts).
Hi
I’d been overweight for a while, and I started on the diet in mid-January 2011 with my weight 85 kg (187 lb) and waist 38.5″. I broke with it for a week when I was playing a hockey tourney in the first week of March 2011 and came back from the tourney with an injured knee and needing physio. By then I was 82 kg (180 lb) with waist 36.5″. I did no running or fitness work until October 2011, but by the second week of June 2011 I had already reached my initial target weight of 75 kg (165 lb) with a waist of 34″. I hadn’t been that weight since shortly after I first retired from playing top-grade hockey as a 24 year old (I’m now 40). All that was without any running or going to the gym. I then wavered around that weight give or take a bit until January this year when I decided to get properly fit for hockey using kettle-bells (I’d always had fitness issues because I hate running for fitness, plus I needed to get my knee back up to full strength). I ended up doing a lot of steps on the way to uni and am now around 72.5 – 73 kg (160 lb) with waist 32.5″ and am running 7 km a game without subbing off (that’s an average of 1 km a minute – I’ve been using a Garmin heartrate monitor with GPS) – the fittest I have ever been. (Comparison for weight: when I was 18 and playing two games of hockey a weekend (school + club) and very cut down I was 68 kg (six-pack territory) – but even then I didn’t have the aerobic fitness I have now because of exercise-induced asthma – I put the fix down to more fat and reduced carbs, but who knows).
Interesting points:
1. measuring inches is highly recommended (TI change of -20.5″) as they tend to show before weight – interestingly, my hip measurement moved first, well before my waist, which stopped me feeling that I wasn’t making progress.
2. I settled on eating only two meals a day – breakfast and late lunch/early dinner – and this worked for me. Meals are steak (scotch fillet, I think the US term is ribeye?) with peas/beans (I know, steak for breakfast, terrible (and expensive)).
3. I found that by binging on one/two bad foods on Saturdays I lost my taste for those foods. This means I’ve now run out of bad foods for binge days and just do an extra meal or two (sometimes adding sausages) on my binge days.
4. I have one cheat: I have milk and a teaspoon of sugar in my cups of tea (which I have about ten a day of) – which may explain why I can go two meals a day without getting hungry.
5. I’ve found a change in taste towards fat – I’ve switched from low-fat milk to full-cream when I can find it and try to get the fattiest steaks I can (being New Zealand they are grass-fed – I’d prefer lamb chops but they’re outrageously expensive).
6. I lent the book to a friend in February and haven’t seen it since 😉
7. I recommend Pavel Tsatsouline’s book Super Joints – its done wonders not just for my knee but also my posture in general, getting rid of my lifelong slouch is quite an achievement.
Many thanks for all the info and encouragement.
Wow! I have never tried SCD but I want to give it a try 🙂
Whenever I hear new lose weight methods this is what I usually say to myself. I also hear most people saying “I’m giving it a try.” but end up giving up on the first day or worse, not trying anything at all.
I liked it when you said, “put it on the calendar and make it happen”. It is always better to write and get serious with the plans that we have in mind so that we will be more motivated to really accomplish them.
This inspired me to pick up my pen, get moving and make things happen again. Thanks! 🙂
Some excellent examples of how people can make dramatic changes and I like how you simplified the diet to four simple rules– photos really show the improvements.
The FourHourBody (Zen habits, BJ Fogg etc) is great for challenging perceptions about the body and habits. Too often people think the body and their habits are fixed and therefore do nothing about it.
The same can be said of ‘drinking’, where many people who drink too much seemed to be face with the option of either to continue or to stop. But the ‘stop’ option is really for alcoholics (day drinkers?). Many heavy drinkers don’t see themselves as ‘alcoholics’ and are not keen on stopping. Though they’re probably be more open to moderating. Unfortunately at the moment the ‘best’ route to moderation is still being discovered. I hope to make this clearer for people, like you have made changing the body and managing time clearer for People
http://themoderatedrinker.blogspot.nl/2011/10/how-to-be-moderate-drinker.html
Thanks for moving the goalposts and helping people become more proactive about their health.
Research is backing up SCD:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=when-dieting-not-all-calo
Hi Tim / Hola Tim,
(Spanish) He comprado tu libro y me he quedado decepcionado en algun aspecto, pesa mucho, demasiado para pegarle a una foca, pobre foca.
Soy Español del sureste (Murcia) y aqui tenemos los mejores vegetales del mundo. No tengo manera de comprar y comer casi ninguno de los ingredientes que mencionas.
Por favor, devuelveme el dinero y toma tu libro (es broma), o dame alguna alternativa con alimentos Españoles.
Bueno, quien come aqui judias, frijoles y coliflor.
Por favor mas alternativas mediterraneas.
Gracias – Fran
(English) I bought your book and I was disappointed in some aspect, too heavy, too much to hit a seal, poor seal.
I’m Spanish Southeast (Murcia) and here we have the best vegetables in the world. I have no way to buy and eat almost none of the ingredients you mention.
Please, give me back the money and takes your book (just kidding), or give me some Spanish food alternative.
Well, who here eats beans, beans and cauliflower.
Please Mediterranean more choices.
Thanks – Fran
Hello Tim, I am half way through the 4HB and a question came up, since I could not find the answer on the book yet ( it might me there ) but I just reed the 4 recommended chapter for weight lost and could not find it.
So I decided to send you a question here that might be a question of other also, and I hope you can find the time to shine some light on my problem.
Tim, my problem is that I do work out before breakfast, and normally I consume a glass of malto, two L-carnitine pills and a caffeine pill, and than hit the treadmill for 30 min. Only after one hour maybe two is that I get back home to have my breakfast, and I can totally have eggs and beans for breakfast, no problem there, but I just don’y know what to eat before going to the gim at 8 o’clock in the morning that will not be heavy on my stomach and can still keep me on the diet, since I just hate working out on a full stomach.
Tim, you are helping me get out of a 20 years hole with the book, and hope you can help me out with this questions and maybe help some more people.
Take care and thank you one more time.
Dear Tim,
Thank-you so much for helping me change my life! I have passed on your diet to my mom, brother, and plenty of my friends. Nothing but positive results from all. I finally have a body I love, more than anything I am finally listening to my body.
Apart from losing weight the spin-off benefits have been remarkable. I breathe better, sleep better, my skin cleared(!), and given greater energy during the day I focus better during lectures.
Tim,
Another great post…BTW, how does it really feel to know that you have changed so many lives for the better? Must feel outstanding every day.
Best,
NCA
Family started Monday. 5 adults: mom & dad & 3 daughters. 4 younger daughters not so much. Biggest challenge so far: getting a useful menu since we all love/hate different items. No universal likes. Big questions: are hot dogs ok? Smoked sausage? Peanut butter? Yogurt? Beef jerky? Is there a definitive list of slow-carb foods? Is there a handy list of sauce recipes? Is there a longer list of legumes than in the book? Thanks, all!
Hi Lewis,
Sounds great that the entire family is slow-carbing. If you look through the 4-hour body category of the blog, you can find more inspiration.
But try to just keep it simple and measure. The tracking will make the boring fascinating.
All the best,
Farid
We’re measuring. But could use more recipes for sauces. Is there a good place to find them? Also, Trying to find the right foods at the grocery store. What about hot dogs, smoked sausage, peanut butter & beef jerky? We are reading ingredients and avoiding anything with Sugar grams > 0, or with Sugar or Corn Syrup listed in ingredients. Is there a longer list of good SCD foods?
type what you want in and it tells if it is SCD:
http://www.eslowcarbdiet.com
Thanks for the link. It helps but is flawed. It isn’t thorough & has errors. It says ‘Sweet Potatoes’ are not allowed, but the 4 Hour Body book includes a recipe for sweet potatoes. Not good. & Hebrew National hot dogs & sausages only include ingredients that are authorized, but they are not addressed by the link. I am thinking the best solution is to read the ingredients lists & exclude all sugar & corn syrup.
So far I’ve bought 6 copies of the 4HB – they keep disappearing/get given away.
I started February of last year, but didn’t get seriously into the program until May. By August I lost 23% bodyfat and had enough difference in weight distribution to make walking down the street a much different experience.
My first main goal which was to have a shot glass ass was achieved in July – Tequila since you asked 🙂
Now 1 year or so later I’ve maintained but gone back up to my more comfortable percentage of 34% – I like being a bit more on the curvy side. I’ve decided though to be badass and go glacier climbing in Zermatt this fall so I’m going back to 4HB full time to get down to 24% by October so I don’t end up needing to be carried down the alps by a St. Bernard.
Thanks for the awesome body Tim!
M
Hi Tim, I first heard about you on the Adam Carolla podcast. It took me until Mid January 2012 to buy the 4HB book. From January 27th to today, I have lost just over 20 pounds and my girlfriend has lost over 30. As you suggested we documented everything (food, measurements, pictures, etc). We were able to de-construct our diet and rebuild it with the 4HB. Our lives have changed (and others who I recommended 4HB too).
Thank you!
Congrats!
I’m interested in finding out how you got other people on board with 4HB. Were they curious themselves or you convinced them?
They were curious and the visible results spoke for themselves! I was also able to back up the story with plenty of facts I knew from the book.
For others it didn’t matter, they need to figure it out for themselves.
I lost at least 10 pounds on the scd in 2 weeks, but my scale was messed up so it showed I was losing weight not that much weight and putting it back on (it said i was orginally 261, and last time a checked on that scale (which was today) i was 257, now I know I am a little less than 240 pounds, and really starting to see changes, thanks tim!
(PS: I am currently 16, so i really shouldn’t be this overweight.)
Great!
Why not share your experience with wguru who has commented down below (July 2nd)?
Cheers
Hey guys,
I was wondering about adding some honey for slow carb diet. Is it ok to add a 1/2 of table spoon to coffe instead of sugar or sweeters?
No. Besides, if you have to ask, don’t eat it.
My results with the slow carb diet were a lot less impressive than those reported in the article.But I wasn’t that overwight to start with and I did lose 14lbs that I hadn’t been able to shift by other means. I now have the same waist size I did 20 years ago and I have kept the weight off.You can see my experiences here:
http://successfulsoftware.net/2011/10/30/losing-weight-with-a-minimum-of-willpower/
my experience with SCD has been somewhat positive. There was some weight loss. Binging on the once a week became a bit difficult though. (discomfort) Also noticed a significant amount of muscle loss. Need to supplement weight training to compensate.
Very sound plan. Always works for me.
However some of us are sugar addicts and just liek an alcoholic would not have gin on Sundays or drug addict have their fix of heroin on a Saturday we cannot do days off. You come off your addictive substance (sugar) and you have to keep it off to remove your desire for it so for those in that position I do not suggest priming the pump of your addiction with a “day off” shooting sugar as it were, once a week. Those in that category may also want to avoid alcohol which I do not really like anyway. I am yeast intolerant (and it si full of sugar so not a great product for sugar addicts to have ever really)..
Also plenty of us have problems with dairy products (and avoid legumes too).
Otherwise sounds great. I had my DNA tracked back 25,000 years by oxford ancestors – my ancestor was in the caucasus mountains probably eating mostly leaves, fruits, veg and when she could get it fish and meat. An article in yesterday’s Sunday Times (2 m years ago, early ancestors) found from dental plaque DNA that we ate “bark, leaves, sedges, grasses, fruit, palm, parts of trees, shrubs and herbs”.
Hi, what about starches after strength workouts? Is this for bulking only or also a good idea for the fat loss focus? I workout 3 times a week with a full body program with compound movements.
So starches after workout + cheat day or only on cheat day?
It’s OK to have white carbs within 30 min after a resistance training workout.
exciting to see so many success stories.
My son (15 years old) and myself are unable to do
this. We feel hungry all the time, in spite of
eating a good amount.
breakfast:
2 eggs scrambled with veggies,
1 cup of tea with 2 tbsp of cream
lunch:
pork cutlets (2)
steamed veggies (cauliflower, carrots)
1/2 bowl of boiled lentils
unsweetened iced tea
had a cup of tea with cream in the evening.
By dinner time my Son was feeling hungry and tired.
I was hungry all day. We finally broke the SCD with
a deli sandwich and a glass of milk.
my questions for the group:
Is it okay for a 15 year old to do the SCD?
He is 5’3″ and weighs 150 lbs. He needs to lose
20-25 lbs and lose fat around the belly area.
I am 5’7″ and weigh 158 lbs.I would like to lose 10
lbs and some belly fat.
what needs to be done to feel normal and not feel
hungry and tired during SCD days?
any inputs appreciated. Thanks All.
wguru,
You need to be eating every 2-3 hours, which means you should be having at least 6 meals a day. Also, cream is not a great thing to be having(on a side note). You should not be hungry and you should not be dieting. Those thing mean you are doing something wrong, you just need to evaluate what.
Here’s an example of what I suggest(use in any order),
1. (meal one) 2 eggs, 1/2 black beans(for carbs/energy) and salsa
2. (second meal of the day 2-3 hours later) 1/2 cup pf black beans, 1 cup of chicken, salsa
3. (again 2-3 hours later) medium sized sweet potato(no butter)- you can microwave this or chop it up and eat it like potato chips(also makes a good snack to keep with you if you are out and about in case you get hungry), also you can have a can of tuna or a cup of chicken with this
4. can of green beans, 1/2 black beans, and a can of tuna(don’t put mayo in the tuna- it works fine with mustard and sweet pickles-don’t knock it before you try it)
5. salad with spinach, chicken, and black beans (no creamy dressing!) and clear dressing
6. protein shake
-obviously these are examples and should be changed to your dietary needs and what you are doing for the day.
-always carry a snack with you when you are out(I take raw, chopped sweet potatoes in my purse)
-listen to your body. If you are hungry make a good food choice
-don’t go over 3 hours because then you will be hungry or run out of energy
Hope this helps ya. Let me know if you have more questions.
Eat four meals and increase your portion sizes. You aren’t eating enough legumes either.
You shouldn’t feel hungry on this diet at all.
wguru – So you tried it for half a day and gave up? That’s not much time to see how it plays out. But anyway here are my two cents worth (i’m no expert by any means)
1)for starters EAT MORE!!
Breakfast was just two eggs and some veggies. double it and add some beans.
-Eat until you are full, this isn’t a diet that you are supposed to be hungry on! make a bunch and take it with you for your day so if you are hungry then you can eat the right stuff. Keep it in balance every meal. I was into the Zone diet a while back and it makes a lot of sense to have every meal be a balance of Protein/Good Carbs/and fat. Meat portion should be the size of your palm and veggies the size of your full hand when on your plate.
I find that when I am doing this SCD well, I am full for longer than a fast food or ‘regular’ meal. I also have less cravings for sweets and junk food. But that may take some time to kick in. Your body will be in withdrawal mode after giving up your normal meals.
I don’t see any reason someone of any age can’t be on the SCD it isn’t really a diet, it is a healthy life eating plan. It would be like asking a nutritionist if it was ok to not feed your kid cake for breakfast. Because as far as your body is concerned toast, or Pancakes, or most cereals are the same as cake.
My take on this SCD is to incorporate a few other thoughts into it, so I combine SCD, The Zone (keeping each meal in balance), and the Paleo diet (by eating as healthy as possible on the SCD) so that means that the protein choice isn’t low quality ground beef, it is Grass feed beef or Free run chicken/eggs. and the veggies are organic.
Of course, that is the “GOAL” and the ultimate place I want to be, I still eat canned beans and don’t get to the market to get the good meat very often. So do what you can and do the best you can.
If you find that the SCD isn’t for you (hey nothing works for everyone!)Take a look at the Paleo diet as well, SCD is about losing weight in a healthy way. Where as Paleo is more about health. Since neither of you have much weight to loose it might be what you need.
here is a good resource for it: http://www.marksdailyapple.com
I agree. You are not eating enough. I’m an average woman who doesn’t need to loose more than another 5 pounds. I have not worked out for the last year because chasing a newborn was enough work. But he isn’t that much work anymore, so I’ve rearranged things to start at a great gym with daycare next week.
I have 3 small kids (8, 5, 1). They all eat Slow Carb. I do add fruit and some brown/wild rice to their meals. All of them are very fit and lean. They don’t drink dairy milk, but nut milks. Rarely do they ask for snacks, but they have access to all types of fruit and cheese/yogurt during the day.
This is what I ate today….
B
2-3 eggs
1 cup beans
several broccoli flowers
4 pieces of bacon
coffee w/ 1 tea cream
L
2-3 pork ribs
spinach salad with beans, 1/2 avocado (total salad about 1/2 of a plate full)
Snack I rarely eat:
2 pieces of jerky
small hand full of almonds
D
2-3 pieces of fried chicken
1 cup beans
steamed broccoli / cauliflower mix
Yes, this is a LOT of food. I’m never hungry. I eat till I’m satisfied. If I don’t finish a plate I just put it in the refrig. If I get hungry again I pull it out and finish whats on it.
I also drink unsweetened ice tea. I found an herbal flavor I like… Roiboos/Vanilla
Hey Tim, I have a quick question. I’m trying to get down to about 8-10% (I’m at 15% according to pictures and everything I’ve tried so far, but I havent tried DEXA/calipers)
My question is, I’m at about 235, and my LBM is 200 lbs. I want to get down without burning off a ton of muscle, and was wondering if you have any portion suggestions?
I am doing 1/4 cup of lentils, 5 eggs, spinach, then either 8 oz flounder or 8 ozchicken with lentils and spinach, with a 40 gram protein shake right before work, and Universal Torrent http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/univ/torr.html (and maybe a scoop of karboload https://www.truenutrition.com/p-1168-karboload-40-servings.aspx) . I’m thinking I should double up in the lentils, or am I overthinking this? I haven’t felt hungry, but I was trying to figure out my calories and I think it was something like 1680-2000 calories which is not nearly enough.
Hoping to reproduce the 20 lbs lost, which would put me right where I want (I think) in a month. The book is awesome, I’ve been doing the icing on my neck and things of that sort, and you already helped me put about 50-65 lbs on my bench because I didnt know about the power position!
I have used this website to check some of the foods I have been consuming for the SCD http://www.eslowcarbdiet.com Very useful. I have been eating Baked Beans on the diet and found that they are not SCD friendly…..
I have started this diet twice since this article was published and just failed a second time (ate a chocolate biscuit). I am finding it incredibly hard, WHY? I am 10kgs over weight so I do have a bit to lose, keep telling myself if I follow this diet for one month I will be my desired weight.
I am unfortunately craving sugar, I know how bad it is but after two days I basically fall in a heap (I must be an absolute sugar addict!). I really want to follow this diet and was thinking of eating some low fat jelly for the first week, once I can see some weight loss I will feel more motivated. Presently I am feeling I can’t actually lose the weight.
As people have said above I am enjoying hearing the amazing results so many are achieving. Good luck to all in my situation, I am having vegetable stir fry for dinner with beef!
Hello All,
So, has this diet jacked up anyone’s blood PH levels? For the past two years my diet has essentially consisted of:
Eggs
Chicken
Legumes
Vegetables
The only alkalizing foods out of those was the vegetables. Until recently, I knew absolutely nothing about blood PH levels, and I realized it is VERY important to remain on the alkaline side, as oppossed to the acidic side. If you stop eating fruits (which is required in the SCD), it is incredibily hard to maintain a PH level that favors alkaline. If your blood PH level is acidic, it can
“lead to a variety of negative health effects. A body that tends toward acidity heightens the risk for infections from bacteria, yeast, parasites, and viruses. All of these “critters” seek out and thrive in an acid environment. Not only are you more susceptible to infections such as colds and the flu, degenerative diseases like cancer, arthritis, heart disease and osteoporosis are promoted if your pH is consistently acid. If disease is to be prevented or successfully managed, an acid pH must be overcome.”
I used to eat fruit all the time and have started to again, and I honestly feel 10X better than I did before- just with the addition of fruit and Apple Cider Vinegar. For literally the past year or so (and I have been on the SCD for two years), I have been plagued by a sore throat, ulcers, and tiredness (all common when your body is acidic). Since the addition of fruit and Apple Cider Vinegar – no sore throat or ulcers, and “less” tiredness ha.
Can anyone shed some light on this? Am I missing something? I would MUCH rather eat fruit to have a balanced PH and avoid the health risks, than not eat it simply to avoid the frutose.
I havn’t been able to lose any weight yet on the slow carb diet. I’m stuck at 180. All the extra weight is in the stomach area.
what am I doing wrong? its been about a month.
I bike almost every day, sometimes more than once and I bike very hard and sometimes very fast.
I’m doing cat vomits and squats, and shopping for a bosu ball to do miatatic crunches (one of my kung fu masters say a CHAIR is fine, but I like the look of the half ball thing much better for those).
my diet is delicious, I’m totally happy with it. and eating out is easy if you just eliminate a few items, so if I get dragged to a restaurant I can hang.
breakfast: 2 or 3 organic eggs. 1/3 a can of refried beans. zuchini with onions fried in raw organic coconut oil.
lunch: organic lettuce,onion,cucumber,kale,purslane,half an avocado, a few cherry tomatoes. balsamic and olive oil dressing. sometimes a FEW truly raw almonds (ie: NOT trader joes) which are soaked in water for a few hours first. (maybe 10 of them tops)
dinner:
EITHER::
a half pound of hamburger fried with bell peppers and onions and refried beans with amazing green or red salsa
OR
a pound of WILD salmon baked with onions and broccoli in coconut oil
and some kelp “noodles” on top. (with rosemary from the garden)
for snacks I sometimes eat a tablespoon of CHIA SEED GEL, but not very often really. (that expands to about a cup almost)
binge day I do the same breakfast and lunch really and I eat 2 pints of dark chocolate Coconut bliss, which is agave and so very high in fructose. I have a hard time even wanting to binge honesty.
I’m HAPPY with my normal meals, I don’t have anything I want to binge on besides that ice cream. I also might get a hamburger on binge day (with a bun)
I’m not sure what I”m doing wrong…I’m going to step up the exercise with miatatic crunches every day very soon, my extra weight is ALL in my stomach. It’s not HUGE, but It’s there still.
also doing oxypowder and colasan and water enemas sometimes.
drinking lots of super healthy green teas. Yerba matte for sure.
stuck at 180,
what am I doing wrong here?
too much protein maybe?
could that small amount of coconut oil be the problem?
I kinda doubt it, I’m eating a few tablespoons a day of coconut oil at the most.
if I step up the exercise a tiny bit more that might do it
just the miatatic crunches, that alone could be huge I suspect…
anyway, you rock Tim.
also, what instruments do you play?
just curious, I know you play
Hi MMM,
Thanks for the comment. Some suggestions real fast:
– Eat more protein at lunch
– Cut down on the exercise. Diet is for fat lass and exercise is for muscle (generally), so you lose your weight with food choices. Too much exercise will increase chronic cortisol levels and is often reflected in stubborn abdominal fat.
– Ensure proper sleep and drink more water
– Eat regular ice cream on cheat day instead of something sweetened with agave.
For instruments, I’ve only ever made progress with Irish flute and 5-piece drum kit 🙂
Hope that helps!
Tim
supplemental:
my lunch salad also includes about a cup of green and orange lentils.
my dinner fajitas also includes a half avocado
(hamburger is grass fed beef)
HI.Tim.
I’m now 6th week trying to loose weight going after your cues.
-I dropped all White (our main national food and its quite hard for me)
-dropped fruits (easy)
-I’m eating 4 meals a day (instead of 2)
-Skipped deep fried
-Dropped milk products
-I drink 2 times the water i did
-Eat Pagg in proper stacks (we don’t have it here so I take like 8 pills every time, my GF is looking at me and puts a finger to her forehead..)
-do cheat days hardcore, fries, pizza, vodka, beer, ice cream, chips..(it’s my weakest point because my cheat day is in most cases 1.5 day Saturady/sunday cannot help it really as I have a social drinking life)
-I changed my gym plan form 3 times to 2 times a week and do a mix of resistance training form the gain mass chapter and the lose weight moves (6 min abbs, kettlebell swing)
-I also take the Cod liver oil
-I eat lots of eggs, chicken, fish, veggies and not much more tbh.
-I have noticed some changes in my posture but I can predict they are just an effect of doing more exercise.
I have started to go down first 3 weeks like 3kg and then I went straight up.
I have my wedding soon I was sure 2 months would be ideal to drop 10 kg…but now I have only 1 month left and some frustration on my back.
Now the numbers:
6 weeks
Weight: form 101,7 kg to 99,3
Waist: 108 to 108…
Hips: form 114 to 115….
Biceps sum: 68 to 68,5
I’m redding the loose weight chapter again and again to see where did I go wrong and I can’t find it.
BTW: I have 2 more questions
Can I eat corn and corn flower products?
What about cheese?
I haven’t been eating them because I don’t know if I can.
Your books ware a great read, I enjoyed it a lot, but now I would like to have some effects:)
Regards
M.
I have been on the SCD for over a year now and I’ve lost about 70 lbs. I have experimented with adding some amounts of corn and I don’t see a difference in weight loss throughout the week. I’m of course talking about whole corn and corn flour. I don’t suggest to go nuts seeing that corn does have a lot of natural sugar.
The best thing to do is experiment and constantly watch your weight. This is the best indicator if a particular food is hindering your progress.
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the great post! The real weight loss example from MP is astonishing! I have a few questions-
1. Would it be better if dinner is before 9pm, and 3 hours before sleep? This is as our metabolism tend to slow down significantly at night
2. Also, would it better to have gluten-free chicken thighs instead of frozen ones for dinner?
1. yes.
2. yes.
Holy c**p! This is a damn long comment thread 🙂
Going over all those great stories, infos, questions, etc. I might have missed the particular probs I keep having with SCD, so maybe someone can help me out and/or point me into the right direction.
I have been on SCD for quite a while now, but am still stuck with a good amount of body-fat hiding my abs and other muscles I have built up.
Hence a few questions:
– Before working out at the gym (about 2 times a week, mainly weight training, rarely some cardio) is it ok to throw in some carbs to have energy for the workout? Like a banana or some nuts and berries.
– How bad are dairy products/milk really? I like putting some goat cheese into my salad for example…
– Since I haven´t seen pourable egg-whites in Germany, I just use whole eggs for breakfast. Is that a problem?
– What sort of beans are ok? Since it´s hard to get black beans or pinto beans in Germany. At least ready-to-use/canned ones.
Are baked beans or kidney beans ok?
– And of course my biggest prob: How counterproductive is alcohol?
Since I have to admin, I quite like my chilled after work beer…. 😉
How bad would it be to limit the intake of alcohol to the weekend?
Would that help or does it still kill the desirable metabolic effects of the SCD?
I ´m just so unsure on how to balance the sports/workout part with the SCD rules…
Any help and ideas are welcome!!
Cheers!
This is an excellent article. The advice not to drink your calories is one that I’ve been applying recently with excellent results. I find it harder to limit my food intake but far easier to give up favoured beverages.
Our results after 365 Days of the Slow Carb Diet. I wish I could post my patients results here as well.
Tim, your book has changed the lives of at least 30 of my patients. It has hands down been the best, easiest to adopt and fastest to implement diet I have every used.
It is a perfect model for many of our diabetic patients as well, even with the cheat day. I have seen several triple digit weight loss stories using your diet in my community health center.
Thank you!!!
Here is a post of our most recent results:
http://www.4hourlife.com/2012/05/25/365-days-of-the-four-hour-body-results-and-tracking/
Take Care,
Stephen
4 Days in and my bloat has gone!
Energy up and some notes on my changes that some might like to know:
1. Switched Cappuccino to Long Macchiato with a dash of cold milk – plain coffee is just too foul and I’ll test to see if 20mL of milk is really that bad
2. No potatoes, bread or pasta for dinner – it’s pretty easy to have just meat and veg. I had a nice porterhouse tonight with beans and broccoli – great!
3. Pizza is my absolute favourite – that will be cheat day now…
4. Lots of water if I get hungry – then I’m full and too busy peeing
5. Not stopping after 1 stuff up – I ate a gluten free cookie thinking that would be ok but it’s not – no biggie, move on
6. Most sandwich shops will do a plate of salad with some cold meat instead of a sandwich – tabbouleh with ham and chicken is my fav
7. I’m at work so no need/temptation of snacks – It’s also that all the protein stumps your appetite
8. Boiled eggs have been great for breakfast – 2 of those with some salt and pepper are superb and really keep you going
9. Cinnamon and Vanilla extract in my coffee has been a great help too
If someone has come across a great list of other ideas I’d love to know.
Power to the Slow Carb!
Wow truly inspirational stories. I am 6 months in and feel the hardest part is over, my cravings have mostly vanished. The main tricky part is timing and preparing meals as I am on the road a fair bit during the day. The mirror is the best source of inspiration now!
Keep on Keeping On folks
http:the4hourbodyblog.com
I think you need another high intensity learning experience to clear your mind and make you feel Awesome; ever thought of obtaining a skydiving certificate / learn how to wingsuit fly? 🙂
Hi Tim,
I found a copy of the 4 hour body and am going through it as we speak.
I’ve drawn a line in the sand and made it my singular objective to lose weight, get fit, feel healthy and live longer.
I’ve started on the slow carb diet, or as close to it as I can in my current situation. I’m also trying to get my family to eat healthier (tough when your parents are very stuck in their ways).
Looking forward to the 4 hour chef, It’s on my Christmas list. I do wish it could have come sooner since I’m currently stuck and looking for good recipes which I can eat on the SCD.
Anyway, bottom line is that I’m eating healthier, starting to work out, enforcing some positive habits in my life and I’ve got you to thank for a big part of that. I even started a website (www.davidvanzyl.com) to keep me accountable.
Thanks again and keep on rocking it.
Sincerely,
Dave
Hello, I just started Scd and have lost 4.5lbs in four days! Thanks Tim. I’m a recovering sugar addict and I’ve had a hard time with the removal of sugar from my diet. I’ve found that carrot juice successfully alleviates my cravings. This feels too good to be true! Is this a cheat or is carrot juice fine for slow carb dieters. thanks
This would be cheating, as carrot juice is just the sugar in carrots concentrated in a liquid. The trick for sugar cravings is to do a hardcore sugar detox. You’ve got to get past the sugar addiction before you can hope to be real successful with any kind of lifestyle and nutritional change.
High fat snacks (like guacamole) can blunt the hormonal effects of sugar withdrawal.
Hey Tim,
I have been following you for several years now ever since my professor had us read the 4 Hour Workweek in one of my business classes. Needless to say, I loved everything I have read and continue to follow your Blog/FB.
I had a quick question, what are your thoughts on almonds while dieting? I have read mixed reviews from several different sources, some say they are terrible, some say they are great. What is your opinion? Is eating 4-5 handfuls of almonds a day going to hamper weight loss?
I’m no Tim Ferriss, but If I may venture and answer…
I think it depends on the person. As long as you’re keeping your blood sugar levels sufficiently low, and getting enough Omega-3’s, almonds shouldn’t hurt you.
The problems people will say are that almonds are high in calories (but calories matter very little if you’re not eating sugar or refined carbs) and that they are high in Omega-6’s. The latter is a valid argument for overall health, but not terribly important when it comes to fat loss for most people.
Bottom line: try it. If it works for you, it works for you. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.
Hi all,
I’ve been on the Slow-Carb/Primal/Paleo diets for almost two years and lost 37 lbs. during the first year. I really enjoyed the journey, so I thought I’d relay some suggestions to people new to the diet.
How to make beans interesting:
1. Mix cooked black beans with guacamole and pico de gallo (rather than regular, watery salsa) – the creamy coolness of the guac and the crunchy spiciness of the pico go together perfectly and the spiciness of the pico completely overpowers the blandness of the beans. Have a tall glass of cold water with the meal to rinse the spiciness of the jalapeno in the pico from your palate. I also like to mix in slices of chicken apple sausage to make an interestingly textured – but tasty – mess. ?
2. Make lentil “burgers”: grind about 1 lb. of cooked lentils in a food processor, mix in two whole raw eggs, and then season the mixture as if it were hamburger meat; some seasoning suggestions: chopped onion, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, lemon pepper, cumin, mustard seed, allspice, balsamic vinegar, chili powder, fennel seed, caraway seed – all added together. Then form the mixture into patties and cook in olive or macadamia oil. The patties have a texture and flavor reminiscent of egg foo young – delicious!
I also condensed the main points of the “Subtracting Fat” chapters in “4HB” onto two largish, index cards, which I carry around folded in my wallet as reminders, especially when I eat out. Here’s the content, so you can copy, paste, and print it out to make your own note cards:
Front of first card:
6-Day-a-Week Slow-Carb Diet Protocol:
Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbs (or anything that can be white) – except for cauliflower.
Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again – e.g., egg whites w/ 1-2 whole eggs for flavor, chicken, tuna, turkey, salmon, lentils, black beans, spinach, mixed vegetables, cottage cheese (as a last resort).
Rule #3: Don’t drink calories.
Rule #4: Don’t eat fruit.
Rule #5: Take one day off per week and go nuts.
Back of first card:
Additional dieting advice:
– Take fish oil w/ meals at scheduled times [from Barry Sears’s Zone Diet, but still good advice nonetheless].
– Add these to meals to increase good intestinal bacteria: Japanese natto, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, fermented fish, unsweetened plain yogurt, kombucha tea; add cinnamon to coffee (no more than 1.5 tspn).
– Aim for 30 min. per meal and 20 chews per mouthful.
– Drink 1 cup of water w/ every snack and 2 w/ every meal.
– Use PAGG and AGG w/ meals.
– P = 20-25 mg; A = 100-300 mg; G (green tea extract) = 325 mg; G (garlic extract) = 200 mg
(- Make sure you’re consuming enough B-complex vitamins while using this.)
– Prior to breakfast: AGG
– Prior to lunch: AGG
– Prior to dinner: AGG
– Prior to bed: PAGG
– Eat 30 g of protein w/in 30 min. of waking.
– Place an ice pack on back of neck or upper trapezius area for 20-30 min. in evening, when insulin sensitivity is lowest.
– Consume at least 500 ml of ice water on an empty stomach upon waking. Eat a slow-carb breakfast 20-30 min. later.
– Take 5-10 min. cold showers before breakfast and/or before bed.
– 1-2 min.: hot water over entire body
– shampoo out of range of water
– rinse head and face in pure cold
– 1-3 min.: maintain water focused on lower neck and upper back; lather
– turn around and rinse normally :/
Front of second card:
Binge Day Protocol:
– Weigh yourself before your first cheat day and ignore short-term fluctuations.
– Don’t eat a binge meal as the first meal of the day; make it high in protein (at least 30 g).
– Consume a small quantity of fructose in grapefruit juice and caffeinated coffee just before the 2nd meal (the 1st binge meal).
– Use AGG and PAGG to increase insulin sensitivity (see back of first card).
– Consume citric juices: lime juice in water, lemon juice on food, or citrus kombucha.
– Consume 100-200 mlg of caffeine, 16 oz. of cooled yerba mate, or “Athletic Greens” at the most crap-laden meals.
– Do 60-90 secs. of exercise a few min. before eating and again about 90 min. afterward:
– air squats
– wall presses
– chest pulls w/ elastic band
Good luck to all you slow-carbers out there!
~Cheryl
Holy shit, Cheryl! YOU are awesome…thanks!
Thanks!
Can Someone help me out please!!??
I’m new to the SCD and I work out early in the morning and I hate working out on a full stomach. So I do take a glass of isolate whey protein before the gym to keep up with the “eat 30 min. after waking” rule.
Is this OK?
Should I work out on empty stomach and just eat my proteins after the gym?
Help Please!!
Thank you !!!!
Some may argue, but working out on an empty stomach is fine. If I workout early, its before I eat. Personally, I think the benefit of the “eat 30 mins upon waking” rule is more psychologically beneficial than physiologically useful.
Ultimately, as you start changing your life, you need to begin to learn your body and really listen to it. If you need to workout early and you need to do it on an empty stomach, go for it!
Hey Tim, I have another question.
Is it usual to drop a ton of weight in the first week? I’ve already lost almost 13 pounds. I know most of it is water weight, but still, want to make sure I’m not screwing up something.
That’s normal Sean – I dropped 14 lbs. first week. A lot of it IS water weight, but that’s just as good. Dropping the water weight means your body is changing in the right way. Keep it up!
Thank you for the diet info, Tim.
I am a Type II Diabetic. This diet includes protein in every meal, something I need.
I just bought the food items I need to start my first week. The total was $25 less than my usual food bill. This will save me $100 month – even more motivation to stay on the diet.
Thanks again,
Colin Kingston
Get going on this and you won’t be a type II diabetic for long! Diabetes, and just about all the “western diseases” are completely curable with nutrition and exercise.
Good Luck!
Thank you for the encouragement, Graham. I’ve made some minor adjustments and am doing well.
The hardest part for me is giving up fruit. However, knowing I can eat all I want on my cheat day really helps me stay on track.
Any ideas of what I could do with lentils to make them more interesting? I am SO not a cook, and bought a case of organic canned lentils — and there they sit. I need something easy or I know I won’t do it.
Also, I’m interested in hooking up with people over 60 who are doing SCD. Not meaning to exclude ANYBODY, but at this age, it’s more crucial than EVER to get in shape AND we need to be more careful exercising.
Also — any suggestions on “first” kettelbell weight for a women? Do I dare stand around a sports department swinging them willy-nilly until I find the one that feels best? I’ll be the short chubby woman… Bring your camera…
Meredith
Meredith,
I’m 58. Will that do? I’ve been doing Tim Ferriss’ diet since late May. So far I’ve lost 14 pounds. You are SO RIGHT about women our age and exercise (not to mention the hormones!) and being careful. I ran out and bought a 20 pounder. Then I went to Home Depot and got the component and weights for either a 10 or 15 pound T bell. I am just now beginning to do the kettle bells.
I use dried lentils, so I put them in a pot in the morning to soak (about 3-4c for me and my husband – lasts 3 meals each). Then, an hour before I want to eat them, I drain them. Add vegetable stock, red wine, then chunky vegetables: a red pepper chopped into 8, a green pepper chopped into eight, a couple of carrots, an onion chopped into 6, tin of tomatoes, paprika, bay leaves, a head of garlic (whole, not chopped), olives (if you want) and just let it bubble away. If it looks too dry, either add more vegie stock or wine. Or water. Towards the end add a couple of handfuls of spinach. That’s what we do anyway. Goes nice with some oven baked salmon. Hope it follows the SCD ok – we love it.
Hi Tim,
I have two reasons for writing. First to say thank you for the wonderful book. I read it and started the SCD about a year and a half ago and it has changed my life. I started out at 310 pounds and within 10 months I lost 115 pounds. I now have more energy than I ever did and my knee (5 surgeries) and back problems that have plagued me my whole life are all but gone. I started running for the first time in my life and have really enjoyed it, so much so, that I have decided to train for a triathlon. In doing some research into what to do and not to do, I have developed some concerns over the suggested diet for triathletes, which brings me to my second question. Most resources I’ve consulted suggest I should have a diet consisting of a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein. Now this goes against everything I have done so religiously on your program over that last year and a half, so I am turning to you for some advice as to what I should do. I know I need carbs to keep me going, but I’m not sure how to approach it. I can’t stomach the pasta anymore, and rice doesn’t do well with me either (2 of the main things they suggest you should eat). Any advice or diet suggestions on your part would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
Cool, thanks Graham. It’s now up to almost 18 pounds since Monday.
Now I have to figure out how to get my energy levels back up, I’ve been doing backloading, and I never had any problem going 0 carbs, but now with the lentils and things I just feel like I am either dying or dragging my ass.
I went to do my sprints today and simply couldn’t, it was embarrassing. I got one time, then the others I just had no energy.
WOW!
That was some amazing photos and stories there!
Inspiring post and comments.
I’m a big fan of the 4hww and 4hb. The past 12 months I have been doing a lot of testing and tweaking of my learnings from the books. Tomorrow I am starting a 60-day challenge to see how much I can improve my body, my productivity, my learning and general well-being.
Not only has the books and this blog given me the tools to improve my life, it has also given me a desire to be an inspiration to others. It has basically turned me into a guinea-pig!!! Looking forward to see where I will be in 60 days.
It is very important article. Heavy weight is so harmful for our health. But we need control this naturally. So It is very helpful for all.
The results of this type of diet program are remarkable. Although, I believe the biggest problem people have with this type of program is actually sticking to it. I think there has to be a genuine change of attitude towards yourself before you have the willpower to stick it out.
I’ve never been very large, but I highly advocate fitness and emphasis on health as part of people’s lives. It’s also very easy to be a thin and slender person who’s out of shape, has no stamina or endurance, etc…
Thank you for this great article! As I can see from the above comments, it’s already helped a lot of people!
Tim,
I am and eighteen year old soon to be college freshman. I have followed your SCD before with great success, but after living on my own for the first time and traveling often I have been unable to keep up with the demands of the diet. I want to start over again, but am afraid that being on a student budget not to mention the meal plan will make it too difficult. How do you stick to the diet either while traveling or contending with cereal, pizza parties, and sandwiches in college especially without a kitchen? Thanks for any help you can give me.
july8 2012… started with atkins… read about ketogenic cycling… found tim ferriss….aaaaah.. am home. tim, your work is deeply appreciated and i feel the generosity of your spirit in everything you write.
started journal today and am photographing all food intake – that’s a stroke of genius for accountability and consciousness. photo’d self in all my 247 pound glory – my 5’4″ frame really only needs 130 or so pounds so 110# to come off in 20# increments.
downloaded the book 4 hour body. brilliant. set up my chair and umbrella at the beach yesterday and mapped out the plan. now am working the plan. life is good. tim farriss shared his work and commitment and i get to benefit. i hope i can give back in spirit and results. sincere thanks CindyB
Hi Tim! Thank you for sharing these stories. I would really like to read more about MP and exactly what she did, how she followed the diet, anything special she did, and how she exercised. She looks amazing and her before photo looks a lot like mine! I just started a few weeks ago and am seeing great results, however I have a hard time getting focused again after a cheat day. I force myself to eat crap on Saturdays even if I don’t particularly want to, but then by Sunday I have major carb cravings and have a hard time snapping out of that. I’m thinking of doing away with the cheat day and only bingeing after every ten pounds lost, but open to suggestions. I’d like to lose about 30-40 lbs and definitely have some toning to do.
Hi Tim,
I moved to New-York a month ago. I’ve regularly been trying to get on this best diet imo. I get crazy about pastry here so staying consistent 6 days in a row takes time for me. This Sunday went well, so I’ll see, maybe this week will be my week one.
Anyhow! I wanted to say that two days before you posted this, I went to this corner store two blocks away from where tons of big stores are. I bought a huge can of black beans and a bag of lentils. The shelves looked NORMAL.
After you posted this, I again went to this tiny corner store on Tuesday, there were NO lentils and one or two cans of black beans left. The shelves where this two items were were empty. The rest of the produce was fully stocked. I thought wow. Cool! That means when I say “not today, I’m on the lowcarb”, I’ll be understood. This is popular.
Hey Tim,
I am a big fan, but I’ll get straight to the 3 questions I have:
*I’ve looked everywhere on your website for posts and comments regarding my questions, but can’t find the answers.
1. Why are you not following CKD? As far as I’ve read and researched up to this point, I understand that a ketogenic diet would be even more effective at inducing fat loss, because both, ketogenic diet and SCD work by decreasing insulin (I know there are other factors involved, but insulin is primary).
So again, my question- why not CKD?
2. Reason why I am concerned about this question, is because I am more comfortable with a ketogenic diet (with no dairy or fruits) than eating beans or legumes. BUT, I am concerned that if I keep binging weekly and then entering ketosis, I would constantly be in a state of “induction into ketosis” which isn’t a particularly joyful state. That is why I contemplated that maybe you follow SCD because you never truly restrict carbs and your brain still relies on glucose, as opposed to ketone bodies when one is on ketosis, so binge day or not, there are no shifts in the energy the brain uses. So here is my question: Would my body get used to the weekly binges and ketosis, and I will feel fine? Or am I going to constantly feel fatigued, etc?
3. Reading about CKD, I feel it’s too structured. My CKD is 6 days a week ketogenic diet (no dairy & no fruits, & protein is 100 grams) and one day binge day with the implementation of ALL of the techniques you provide for “minimizing the damage”. Is this effective?
I have my own thoughts about the questions I pose, but would love to get your perspective.
In any case (a frase I started using after watching your interviews and speeches so much-so you can get an idea of how much of a fan I am) I am going to test my diet to find out the answers to my questions, if you don’t get around to answering my comment.
@Rus, CKD people tend to do 2 (or more) weeks of fully keto diet before starting to introduce binges, and even then it’s not a day, it’s a meal. How much do you weigh? You should probably eat your LBM in protein.
Sean,
As far as I know, CKD people “carb up” for a day and a half, not just a meal. Where did you hear that its only a meal?
However, the difference is that the day and a half on CKD is very structured in terms of what to eat- no freedom, which is what I don’t like.
I’ve read a couple of books on ketosis, and the reason why I eat 100g (no matter ones weight) of protein is because past that threshold protein starts overstimulating insulin and therefore takes me out of ketosis.
Wow! Great to see such amazing results. For the most part, most people are over doing it on carbs be it sweets, grains, fruits and vegetables. Since most white skinned people are “protien types” when it comes to their metabolic type (which means eating right for your genetic and ethnic background), most will do well on a “low or slow carb diet.” But not everyone!
Our needs for foods can change from day to day, or meal to meal. This all depends on what types of stress our bodies are under. This can be physical, mental, thermal, emotional and even spiritual.
In short, there is one ideal diet/meal for anyone and there will never be. Thats why ALL diet books are a waste of money and shelf space. We just need to get in touch with our bodies (which can take a long time for some people if they have poor health and/or issues with food).
Joe
Ah, I didn’t know that. I’m basing this off of bodybuilder friends telling me about it, so I’m having to go off what they do.
OK, I am impressed with people’s results. Question: does the SCD make you “fuzzy-headed”? The brain works off of simple carbs, & I’ve tried other diets where I reduced my sugar intake drastically, & as a result, ended up with my brain “not quite there”, & not functioning right. Upon eating some sugar in one form or another, within 15 minutes to 1/2 hour, I felt better & the fog cleared away. Anyone else experience this?
Personal experience: I do get fuzzy-headed when I’m not drinking enough water.
I was tearful reading the story of Ricardo and seeing the images of those you posted on your June 24th blog…because I’ve struggled with weight since I was in my early 20’s. I’m 5′ 3/4″ and recently gained quite a bit after entering an online graduate program (too much sedentary work) and then having surgery in December, 2011. I was nearing 170 lbs on my short body. My arms, stomach, and thighs looked suddenly huge.
My friend, who has done some really crazy stuff with dieting in the past, talked me into getting your book. I was sold immediately by your great writing and solid eating and exercise plans. We set up our own wikispaces site to track our progress and encourage each other, and have faithfully updated it every single day.
I’m happy to report that I’ve gone from 167 to 152.2 lbs, and have lost 13 inches total – I’m on day #50 and have followed your advice to the letter of the law with ice water, sauerkraut, food, and my “Ferriss exercise routine”, etc., but it’s the change in my musculature that has me amazed. LOVE the kettlebell swing and other posterior chain exercises; also love the beans, veggies, and chicken – they’re like my best friends now! I have no digestive issues whatsoever where before I had frequent heartburn and other problems. I love the Saturday cheat day routine when my friend and I have a food fest, but like others, find myself longing for my beans and chicken even as I scarf down a delicious pastry. When others ask how long I’ll do this, it’s a no-brainer for me to respond – “forever!” This way of life fits me like a hand to glove, like it was made just for me. By the way, I just turned 49, and am nearing being in the best shape of my life – even after doing sprint triathlons a few years ago, and a few 75 mile bike races. I’ve never been stronger, healthier, or nearly as energetic. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU Tim! I’m a Ferriss disciple, and even call my copy of the 4HB “the bible.” Truly, I feel as though I have my life back and am excited to continue with my great progress – and to wearing a size 8…possibly a 6, and that’s coming soon! I have set my sights on your superhuman chapters and achieving even further athletic goals. Yeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaa!
Hi,
I am a 22 year old female and my goal is to become really fit and keep on living that way! Today marks the end of the second time I go through 1 week of slow carbing. The first time I got discouraged after not losing weight and quit. This time though, I decided to give it a 30 day trial. Yesterday I had my first cheat day and followed the book with the PAGG, exercises, yerba mate, etc. I haven’t stepped on the scale yet because I want to wait 48 hours as Tim mentions in the book. I have to admit I am nervous. I don’t have very much weight to lose (maybe about 15-20 pounds to get really fit), but I have been dieting on and off for a long time and I hope this time I will be able to lose the excess weight and just stay with this new mode of life afterwards.
I just hope this works because I really don’t know what I have been doing wrong otherwise. Could any one give me a list of what vegetables to avoid specifically because other than that, I don’t know what I could be doing wrong.
Thank you all!
Hey guys, It is nice to see this kind of article for those who want to reduce carbs in their body and also for those people are health conscious. This article can help millions of people when they read it, I know that there some people that worrying about there health physically. Now it is the time to read and start to loose pounds for a healthy lifestyle. Come on, who would like to have different kinds of diseases when they reached their old age? It is the time for people to change their lifestyle to become healthy and fit. Kuddos to the writer and thumbs up for this article.
I was so amazed with those “before and after” pictures you posted. Its unbelievable! That is very nice of you to share and inspire people like me to start thinking about getting healthy. After giving birth, I’ve been wanting to lose weight but never got the chance to start it because my being a mother, doesn’t give me any spare time to do even a 30minute workout. So, having to know about this SCB is really perfect! thank you for this and I look forward to getting healthier for my angel…
I have actually been trying to lose weight in years. Ha. I’ve lost some when I was away from home where every morning would go out for a run and almost every other Sunday would join a 5K race. But when I moved back, I have gained back all the lost weight because of course, everyone likes home cooked meals right? Recently, I have decided to get back on running so that I could lose some weight. But I guess you also have to have that balanced diet. I was sort of sad reading Rule #1 of the SCD because I eat it everyday. If you live in the Philippines, everyone eats rice at least three times a day. Seeing these people lose so much makes me strive more on my goal. I think…no, I will go ahead and try to do this. The results that people have on here makes it very exciting for me!
Wow, this is some post – comments are still going strong!
I commented upthread about experiencing migraines and lightheadedness the first time I tried the SCD. Spurred on by the helpful comments on this post, I decided to go back and read the book again – and decided that maybe my problem was 1) not eating enough, and 2) not supplementing. So, I decided to try again. This time, I’m eating ungodly quantities of beans, and also taking a magnesium/calcium/zinc supplement and using salt substitute on everything.
My first day was last Sunday, and no headaches yet. Also – I started at a little over 244 pounds, and am down to around 238 as of this morning. Mostly water weight, probably, but encouraging nonetheless. Here’s hoping for continued progress.
Make sure you are well-hydrated too.