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.
—-
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.
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That’s how we’re gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
Hi Tim,
I live in Croatia and I just heard about you and your book (4 hour body) on TV last week so i googled you to find out more. Then I got your book in english (but yesterday I saw it in a bookstore in my language too 🙂 )and decided to try your slow carb diet. I was first very suprised when I read that fruit isn’t allowed, because I’ve been hearing all my life how I should eat enough fruit..but what got me interested is that you already did all the testing so I thought – well, if he isn’t dead by now, i guess I could also try and step out of the box. So I started SCD 2 days ago (Monday, july 9th) and for now I feel pretty good, but I do have a question:
Do I HAVE TO use any supplements? …because I really don’t have a lot of money, I earn very little but I’m happy to have at least that, since there’s a lot of people who are losing their jobs in my country right now… that’s also why I’m concerned if I’ll be able to afford this SCD as I already see that I didn’t buy enough protein for this week and I already spent a lot… when I calculated everything as it should be (enough protein, legumes and vegetables), I would have to spend a little bit more that 1/4 (or maybe even more) of my total monthly income just on food…and I still didn’t buy kettlebell and dumbbells(I have a pair, but they’re not heavy enough)..untill I buy that I filled my old backpack with packs of sugar so I could use it as a kettlebell 🙂 but that can’t be my permanent solution, something’s gonna brake sooner or later 🙂
also…CONGRATULATIONS to everyone here who lost weight and/or bodyfat! 🙂 I hope I’ll be one of you 🙂
btw.I am also trying to get my mom to try SCD with me, since she has elevated sugar level..
…ok, so I just found Tim’s post where he explains supplements thing…my bad.. 🙁 I didn’t see it before.. still, should I be just fine even if I don’t take magnesium and potassium? Does anyone know?
..these last 3-4 days since I’ve began with SCD I’ve been eating spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, green beans, carrots,a little bit of corn, tomato here and there, cabbage, cucumbers, black beans, lentils, cottage cheese (every day but in small doses), eggs, chicken breasts, flaxseed oil, few drops of lemon juice with spinach, coffee (no milk or sugar – of course), garlic and drank lots of water..I also drink 0,5l of cold water first thing in the morning and before bed, take cold showers and do that ice bag thing under my neck before sleep for 30min.. I’m starting with my training next week.
..I usually hate cold and first time I took that cold shower I was like – I’m gonna kill that guy 🙂 but I’m still doing that 🙂 I hope it’s gonna get better with time, cause now I’m sneezing all time 🙂 other than that, I feel just fine – after I eat I’m not hungry for at least 4 hours, and I can’t remember that ever happening before…I was on different kind of diets before and I did wait for 4 hours before next meal, but I would usually get hungry before that…so this SCD is great… also, I’m not one of those who measure every week, I do it after 4 weeks, cause then I can see actual results.. I don’t have a lot of fat that I want to loose, so I know that usually goes slower..few years ago it took me around 6months to lose those last few cm (different kind of diet, not this one)..I’ve been losing 2cm monthly and then last two months it was only 1cm, but it got me where I wanted to be , so I don’t mind waiting actually, as long as it works.. 🙂 I’ve learned to be patient..
..also..I’m not trying to have least bodyfat I can…I just want it down to % that makes me feel good when I look at myself in the mirror.. and I like working out, so I hope Tim’s advices will also help me to do that part better…I’ve been guiltly in the past for overdoing my workout…now that I think of it, that’s probably why my last diet program didn’t work anymore after I’ve lost 15kg..
..wow..I sure talk a lot…sorry everyone..
..and thanks for writing this book, Tim..:) I like your writting…it got me laughing number of times..
Hi Elena,
You don’t need supplements for this diet to work. However, Tim suggests potassium, magnesium and calcium if you’re not absorbing enough. See The Slow-Carb Diet II for more.
Also, focus on the diet first. Kettlebell can come in later.
Best,
Farid
Thanx, Farid 🙂
Tim
First off your a rock star. The 4HWW changed my life. Not that it sucked prior just that it gave me new perspective. It led me to develop a 6Mil company that I work on for less then 4 hours a week. Having so much free time I spent time in the gym with a trainer saw some results in strength gain but couldn’t loose the gut. So i just began the SCD with my wife (2 weeks) she hasn’t really lost any weight (not really over weight, but can lose a couple…honey if you read this…I love u…;) but lets call a spade a spade. Anyway, I too have only lost a few pounds and we are strict about the diet part. We are not dosing with any supplements though could this be the reason why?
We are kettle belling together and doing what you suggest but no dramatic results…Any suggestions?
Eddy,
Are you taking your TI and BF measurements?
Hey Tim,
Last year I gained 22 pounds from being at a caloric surplus and lifting weights to build muscle. In January 2012 I said to myself that I wanted to lose weight and cut up a bit. So I’ve been on the slow carb diet from the book and to date I’ve lost 45 pounds. I’m 23 years old, weighting about 179 now and Im 6’2. But ive maintained a lot of mscle still. I’ve felt great the last few months. But this past I’ve hit a plateau. Barely losing anything prior to cheat day. Its like im maintaining bu I’ve been doing what the diet says,I haven’t changed it a bit. I know you say that the scale is your worst enemy, to just go by measurements. But everyone in the world has that urge to just weight themselves just to actually see the results right in front of you. And due to this, my emotions have gone down also with my lack of motivation, low energy and me being obsessed with hitting that 50 pound lost mark just for a personal preference, even though right now I get a lot of people saying that I’ve lost too much weight and that I look sick. All that stuff hit me most today. All day today I was sticking to protocol. I came home from work, took a nap because I felt exhausted from the day for no reason, and After the nap i broke the rules having a foot long whole wheat chicken breast sub with only avocado and chicken breast in it. Then I had a couple of fruits like half of a banana and a few strawberries. I felt like I needed that. But I also felt like I’ve destroyed the whole week of dieting by not waiting 2 1/2 more days to have it on my cheat day. I think some of my problems is that I’m overtraining also, lack of sleep too. But may I have someone’s feed back on this, what can I do to break the plateau? do I have symptoms of Body dysmorphic disorder? ANY advice would be deeply appreciated. Thank you everyone!
@Josh: If people are saying you look sick, then you need to stop. The sleep bit is from not getting enough calories in to support your body: 172 at 6’2 is pretty thin. Don’t beat yourself to death trying to reach some mythical 50 lb loss, friend. You need to get your body fat checked, see where you’re at. I’m guessing you’re probably sub 8%, don’t kill yourself trying to get lower.
I have lacked the discipline to stick with the SCD for more than 2 weeks at a time. However, I can vouch that the original version (I have NOT read 4HB yet) did work for me, 8-10 pounds each time. I am female, northern European origin, mid-20s.
I didn’t have problems with fatigue, fuzziness, etc the first time I tried it, but I did all of the remaining times. The difference? The first time I took apple cider vinegar every day because it helped a friend’s weightloss. A couple other posters have mentioned ACV, and there may be something to that.
Hey Aimee, how much AVC did you take? I’m pretty interested in that!
The consensus of several health food blogs seemed to be up to 2 tablespoons three times a day, and that a person should start at a much lower amount and work up to it. One commenter recommended mixing it with baking soda so it wouldn’t be as hard on one’s teeth. I would recommend looking it up again; it’s been a while since I did.
Didn’t have much luck with the SCD unfortunately – followed it to the letter, eggs, beans & spinach for breakfast, burrito bowl for lunch, chicken/beans/mixed vegetables for dinner, plus a cheat day, for 3 weeks. Here’s my net results:
6/22/2012 Lbs: 180 TI: 146.15
6/29/2012 Lbs: 176.8 TI: 142.45
7/6/2012 Lbs: 175.2 TI: 143.7
7/13/2012 Lbs: 176.2 TI: 143.85
Only thing I could think of while reviewing the “mistakes” is hydration; so in the last 1.5 weeks I made sure to drink at least 2 liters / day.
So oh well. I’m a little frustrated given the hype and allegedly universal results from those who have followed this diet to the letter. Guess I’m the other 1% :).
Add yourself to my “loser “list.
Given the spectacular results of the “winners”
you would have thought the rest of us would at least have lost a little bit more than you and I have. I cut out dairy, but I am beginning to think that the cheat day is gonna just be some extra fruit. No bakery items, no ice cream, no pasta.
Tim, 🙂
I scanned through the stories above and I wanted to congratulate you.
You’ve done allot of great things for others as well as yourself and you deserve it. Some of these success stories are beyond what I expected your book and yourself to do for others. People are really making some major changes in their lives thanks to you. It has to feel good. You’ve done great Tim. Keep looking forward and take care.
Luke, I would suggest that you add a third meal (2nd lunch) to your schedule and measure your bodyfat percentage as well. Continue for two more weeks and compare the results (esp. because you have added in water recently)
Thanks Farid (Tim’s virtual assistant? :). Might give the diet another go in the future and try 4 meals like you’re suggesting. Maybe try to limit my portions (was a little confused about that aspect of the diet – most of the advice in the book says don’t worry about portions, but there are warnings about avoiding domino foods, managing your appetite with a protein breakfast etc. which imply that portions matter).
I had not heard of this particular diet when I was diagnosed with Diabetes Type II a couple of years ago but I followed something similar – the Low GI diet. This is what is being recommended by the medical profession in Australia and we have a range of foods with a Low Gi seal of approval displayed. I lost all the weight I needed to at a rate of 4-8lbs a week. Slow burning carbs combined with low fat, lots of fresh veg and smaller more regular meals did the trick for me. I am now managing my diabetes without drugs or insulin. If I had known about this when I only had pre-diabetes I could have staved it off altogether.
Just eat enough that keeps you full for 3-4 hours. You’re not supposed to starve on this diet at all. If you want to count anything, count the amount of protein your’re consuming (at least 30 g per meal)
Hi Tim,
I am a 61 year old male. I started the SCD this past may at 210. Now 180 but been stuck there for a few weeks.
Added 30g of Gold Standard Whey protein (three weeks ago) immediately after waking followed with my daily 3 eggs + egg whites, garlic, onion, spinach and black bean omelet with non-sweetened salsa. I have one or two cups of Green Tea with cinnamon each morning and take Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium supplements each day.
Lunch is usually a bowl of lentil soup and dinner either chicken, turkey, pork or steak with spinach salad which includes black beans and hard boiled eggs.
I do kettlebell swings (4×25 16KG) Mon, Wed & Fri and walk a little over a mile every morning.
My cheat day is Saturday and I usually gain 2-4 pounds which take maybe 4 days to loose.
This past Friday I introduced the pAGG stack. I have seen no change yet but wondered how long before that may kick in and how long should I stay on it. I only bought a month’s worth as it is a bit cost prohibitive.
I feel confident that I am doing things correctly but the weight loss has really slowed to next to nothing and there is still belly fat to loose.
I am about to introduce the BOSU ball exercise you note in the book.
I have also increased my water intake each day.
Can you see where I am doing anything improperly or have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Chris
Chris,
How is your bodyfat percentage changed? Scale is deceptive. Since you are also doing kettlebell swings, you might have added some muscle and lost the same amount of fat. So, the number on the scale hasn’t changed.
Thanks for the response. I just started this diet without taking measurements and just use my scale. I realize that is not real reliable but I thought if I used the same scale, the change would still be evident. To your question, I have no idea.
@Chris C,
Not too late. Get your circumference measurements (arms, waist, hips and legs) right now and later your bodyfat percentage.
Thanks again. Well, I have swapped the black beans out for lentils in the morning omelet and I have ordered calipers. Measurements will start next week.
Regarding the pAGG stack; can you tell me how long one would remain on this and what result should I be seeing if any?
Thanks.
are we eating quinoa on this plan? thanks ev eryone, cindy
No
Tim,
I have trouble eating the beans in the morning? I usually only have a few minutes to scarf down 3 hardboiled eggs and black beans. I end up being extremely bloated. I’ve tried beano and it doesn’t seem to work. Is there anything I can replace beans with?
Luke,
Lentils are preferred to beans for breakfast. Add spinach and eggs and eat within 30 min of waking up and you’ll have a perfect breakfast.
If you have any doubts about this, it really does work period. I have also recently added whole bean green coffee to my regime and that helps too. If you do this, do not use green coffee extracts. They do not work as well.
The only thing that I suggest, is do not eat wheat on your off days. I was doing this and it messed me up. I finally figured out why after reading Dr. Wilson Davis’s regime. wheatbellyblog.com It made a big difference.
Anyway, the slow-carb diet works. 🙂
you got me at “don’t eat fruits”.
It’s my go getter when I feel hungry during the day.
Is there a book on this that maps out a 30-day meal plan?
I was introduced to your page by HIGH SPEED HEALTH owner, Todd Bowen.
It is a fantastic site. Having taught health and physical education and coached for 30 years I have been immersed in health, activities and training for a whole lifetime it seems. You put forth the same ideals that I have always promoted. I especially love the take a day off and go wild part.
Thanks for promoting good health.
Hold fast,
Margaret
Guys, I’m having problems with this diet because I feel without energy! Does anyone have any idea why?
Eat more legumes, drink more water and consume enough potassium, calcium and magnesium-rich foods (or tablets)
Not much effect with the diet – both me and two other people I know lost a little weight (far less than advertised in the book) during our month on the diet, but then easily regained the loss after switching to previous diet (on which we were, and are, stable in weight). At the same time, the diet was incredibly tedious to follow – yes, on a normal diet we recycle the same meals regularly, but with the SCD it seemed like we were literally eating the same food (legumes) with each and every meal. What fat loss there was seemed to be more an effect of not eating (yes, you can eat whatever you want besides the forbidden foods, it’s just that it becomes so tedious it’s actually easier to go a bit hungry than to eat the same things again). When you add the fact that it was an extremely expensive diet, I have to say all of us were rather dissapointed.
I do have a suspicion that the diet might be more effective in the US, where mexican style food is much easier to get and prepare and far more affordable than over here in Poland.
I am not someone who has to lose weight. I normally run at about 160 or so and stand about 5’10”. I am athletic and fit. I have been following most of the SCD guidelines for a while now and am up 10lbs to about 175lbs. I usually have a hard time gaining weight (muscle mass), however with the lack of carbs and higher protein it really seems to help.
Additionally, regardless of your moral position on hunting, I get the majority of my protein via venison. It is about the best source of organic, grass fed, low fat red meat out there. This is a great diet for anyone who hunts.
I don’t follow the SCD letter for letter, but it seems like a great path for anyone who wants to maintain a healthy diet or drop weight.
Hi Tim! Just wanted to pay my respect for the 4-h-b. I’ve never read a book with more useful tips + hints before! I used to be the tall and skinny guy, could eat what I want, did a lot of sports until I stopped about ten years ago due to job and family. The first five years were no problem but then the “all-you-can-eat”-buffets were starting to show. Just my belly grew, the rest stayed nearly the same. One day I had to buy new trousers for office and in the shop my usual 34/36 just didn’t fit anymore. I had started with 30/36 when I was 18 and now I had 36/36 – the first time in my life I was as broad as high! That was the first shock. Then two days later I was sittin’ topless (I’m a man so don’t get excited ;-)) at the breakfast table when my five-year-old said: “Daddy you’ve got a big belly”. Who? Me? That was the moment I knew I had to take action before I finally become the tall and fat one. No time for the gym or sthg like that so I needed a different solution. I began to search for inspiration in the local bookstore and came across the 4-h-b! Liked the idea and bought it. I started with the easy part. A cool-pack a day. Lemon and cinnamon. Then I added the secret squats on the toilet before meals. I reduced carbs step by step. No bread for breakfast, no Pizza. Ate tons of beans and eggs. Reduced carbs even more. Vommiting cat and kettlebell swing. Short and intense workouts. Now my new pants are far too big. I’m back on 33/36 (fitting loose). Belly fat gone. 2 months ago I took it to the next level. No more sweets during the week (goodbye my last eating-sin), just on cheat day. The journey is continuing… Thanks Tim! And I’m really looking forward to your new book!
Tim,
Your article was good and a true success, I congratulate you for that. I am happy that you dealt with the difference of having a proper diet and exercise. Food diet is for body trimming and Exercises is for body firming. Work – outs will have you craving for more food because your muscles need something to burn up. I’m not saying that going to the gym is not good but take it one step at a time. You could start a diet regimen first and firm those muscles after. Before you start any regimen, you should have motivation in doing it. It takes long to see results but the reward is worth it.
Thank you for sharing these successful stories. the before and after photos are really amazing! I have always been a diet fanatic. I tried atkins, southbeach as well as protein diet but they didn’t work for me 🙁
Let me try this SCD plus walking. I hope it’ll work for me. Are there any fruit/vegetable list for me to avoid? How about pasta? thanks!
Stories from successful people are great ways to motivate others. Honestly, I also wanted to be fit and blogs like this keep people’s will burning, to really get the body they want. And the inspiring stories and tips are truly effective to stimulate other people!
is there anything for pure vegitarians,don’t like eggs
I actually have a cousin who is very fat. I would definitely recommend this diet plan to him!. It actually takes time to accomplish this but it is worth the wait!.
Thanks for this!
This is awesome! The photos proved the big difference when they try the Slow-Carb-Diet, it makes me want to try it now. I’ll leave a comment after a week if I see any changes in my body after trying this. Thanks for sharing~
I’m lighter, thinner, healthier, stronger and look better. That’s the easy, obvious part.
The best part of doing SCD for the past year, however, is that it has lowered my anxiety.
I grew up having a very bad relationship with food. Lots of guilt and shame issues. I now get to enjoy the foods that I love without all the guilt and shame that I’d always mistakenly thought was totally normal. I didn’t even know it was possible to just relax and have a beer. At one point I’d even developed a personal mantra: “God has decided that I’m not allowed to enjoy food; accept it.”
Now, I feel a boost of confidence from being disciplined throughout the week and my Sundays have become the envy and entertainment of my friends and family.
Which pAGG stack all-in-one is the best or nearest the amounts Tim specifies in 4HB? There are several on the market and they vary in potency. Also, how long does one stay on the pAGG stack?
Hi Tim,
your books are absolute fantastic material . One question on lowcarb diet : I weight around 450lbs. have diabetes II thyroxin and HGH (,3mg/day) and TST inj prescribed by docs (as my levels are near 0). They are telling me eat more, and eat more carbs to loose my weight.I like the low carb diet more the theirs one Should the added HGH and TST improve/impact the low carb diet and my planned achievments?
Hi Tim, that is so awesome. I live in Czech Republic and had a hard time to find the 4 Hour Body book in local bookstore in English language. So I had to order from Amazon. I can’t believe that some of the things you teach are so simple, yet I never seen anybody doing it.
I hope you will help millions of people all over the world to change their health and lifestyle. Keep up the good work and I am looking forward some new 4 Hour (???) style book.
The 4-Hour Chef is on its way.
Hi Tim
I am a 4HB believer, I have been following the slow carb diet for over a year now and have lost upwards of 85 lbs.. My Harajuku moment occurred a little over a year a go June 7,2011 to be exact during my weekly pickup hockey game at a local rink, making a routine maneuver I lost an edge and went down on my right knee straining the MCL and bruising the inner knee. I have had a weight problem since 8 or 9 years the day of injury I was 5’9″ 285-9 lb 51 year old male and was feeling as heavy as I ever had. My nickname in school was Chubby I was 240lb at graduation even though very active playing multiple sports even basketball.
My physical condition was not motivation enough, high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate and blood sugar, it was the fear of not playing my favorite sport. I hobbled in the door and announced to my wife if I was ever going to play again I would have to lose some weight, she replied she was thinking the same thing. She didn’t quite mean it that way but it really hit home at the time. Later that week she saw you on Dr.Oz talking about your book, she downloaded it on her Kindle and had it read the pertinent parts by the time
I got home that evening. Did I mention she a raving genius, registered nurse and smarter any two people I know, ok she doesn’t rave lot but the genius part is still true. She had been looking for something I could do as far as diet and that she could do with me, at the time she was in physio for an IT band injury and couldn’t do her usual fitness routine.
We stared the diet on Monday June 20,2011 preparing the pantry and following you advice for cheat day or snicker as my grand daughter calls it,
5 days in on Saturday. In three weeks I was down 17 lb. possibly more, scale was unavailable till about a week in. The weight was an estimation based on the average weekly weight loss for the next 60 lbs or so. I am currently between 203 or 204 lbs just off cheat day which is normally the only day I would weigh myself. For the first time in my life I am one the in shape guys inthe dressing room my waist is currently a comfortable 34″ down from a 42″ at start. I am quite the 4hb evangelist. Two of my sons 25 and 27 year started the diet when I was started to wear their clothes or the same size jeans, both appeared to be in top physical condition but now are exeptional with much less gym time than before.
I have followed your eating plan to the letter, my wife created a Visio document a cheat sheet as it were that I used in the beginning and have emailed it to many people. I have no weight goal just to be as healthy as I can.
Tim your book and my wife’s support I believe saved my life or at very least added several more healthy years. I was a walking time bomb for stroke or heart attack. All my vital health measurements are on the healthy side of normal now. Many of my friends and clients are using the 4HB we good results the closer they follow it the better it works. My 86 year old mother is on it with her doctors monitoring and very pleased she has lost 23 lbs since February with virtually no exercise from health and bad knees, she is a type 2 diabetic on heart meds. They have reduced her diabetes meds to less than half and cut her heart meds as well, she has not felt better in years able travel again and enjoy life.
To those who say the diet doesn’t work and your following it to the letter I would say you have never carded a honest golf game either. In the past year I have counciled many people and have if it not working they have missed something. I gain 4-6 lbs on a good cheat day. If I stretched that to 1.5 or 2 I would have lost nothing. One needs to be honest, accountable and invested, no one can do it for you follow all the rules only make small changes and don’t cheat the cheat.
Once again Tim I can’t thank you enough for your book and it’s critical review of the diet and fitness industries as well exposing the misinformation from the food giants. Yes you can eat this way for the rest of your life which will be longer because of it.
Thanks
Rod
PS: I enjoy hockey more than ever and am better at 52 than I was at 42! 🙂
hey rod, is the slow carb diet meant to be followed for the long term?
I have been on Slow carb plan for over a year, feel great am able to play sports and mountain bike again at 53. My wife is an registered nurse who is very aware of nutritional data ( able to read the really big medical books 🙂 , we plan to eat this way for the foreseeable future! There is no reason not to when followed correctly all nutritional needs are met better than almost any other diet even national guides.
Thanks Rod
I have been on the Slow Carb Diet described in your book for 4 weeks now and I have not lost any weight and only 4 total inches. I don’t even know if the inches are accurate because they go up and down every week due to an imperfect system of measuring at different points of my arm/leg/stomach etc… Needless to say I am very frustrated! I have lost a lot of weight counting calories but it has been slow. I was hoping this would jumpstart something and make the work I’m doing be not so annoying/starving/upsetting. I am beginning to think that I am some sort of genetic freak when it comes to weight loss. Please help me Tim. I want this diet to work because it is easier to follow than any other diet I have tried before and I’m not starving all the time.
Shana, you have to relax a little. Just because you aren’t losing scale weight doesn’t mean you aren’t burning fat and packing on muscle. Remember, if you lose inches, you’re succeeding. The goal shouldn’t be a “weight” total, but a “inches/fat percentage” total.
@Shana
You are losing weight. To be more accurate, measure your bodyfat percentage. Here’s why: http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/06/22/attention-scale-addicts-part-2/
One last question for the group, this time about cheat days: Is it important that the cheat day encompass an entire calendar day (i.e. Saturday or Sunday), or can it be any 24-hour period? For example – if I wanted to begin at 6PM on Friday and end at 6PM on Saturday, would that be acceptable?
Thanks in advance for any input. Great to be able to read about others’ experiences!
@Alison,
You’re best off experimenting with it for two-three weeks in a row and compare the results. It may work.
I agree with Farid. My primary goal is not a sprint but a marathon. Some weeks I stray a bit. Some weeks I’ll do it in a 24 hour period and some in just that calendar date. I’ve even taken entire weeks off.
Some weeks I’ll drop 3lbs and some I stay steady. As long as I haven’t gained after a couple of weeks, I know I’m doing OK.
In addition, I recently started Tim’s kettle-bell routine which made a super fast and sudden change in my body and metabolism. The Kettle-bell is magic!!
If you are planning on doing this for a temporary amount of time, I’d advise staying strict. I’m planning on eating this way for the rest of my life so I’m more open to straying every once in a while. Last night I had a snack sized slice of pizza while waiting in line at the movies. 🙂
I believe Tim means a day-a calendar day. Remember, you get what you put into this.
If you are looking to really see a difference in your body, you need to see a difference in your lifestyle/eating habits.
Go for the gold! Don’t settle for silver or bronze!
I would think it goes by sleep cycle.
I’d mark a cheat day by time waking up until time going to bed and then that’s it.
If you are awake for 24 hours go nuts, but if, say, you wake up at 8AM Saturday and go to bed at 10PM and wake up at 6AM on Sunday, I would just go back to normal upon waking on Sunday.
Hi everyone,
I started this SCD 4 weeks ago, and here are my results: they are not big or anything, since I’m a normal size, but there is improvement…this is the first time that I didn’t combine workout and diet..and I still lost 2cm( that would be around 0,7 or 0,8 inches – says my converter 🙂 ) everywhere, 2cm waist, 2cm each arm and each leg and 2cm hips,,its not a visible change yet, but it definitely is a change for the better, since now I can fit into 2 jeans that I coudn’t wear 4 weeks ago, because I had fat pouring out of them on the sides and although it wasn’t drastic and I could cover it with a top it doesn’t look good to me (beacause it still shows) so I didn’t wanna wear them then..and now there’s nothing hanging out and I also managed to button other jeans that I could barely pull over my butt 4 weeks ago..but those are not ready 4 me to wear them out yet..also there is a dress that I couldn’t close and now I can…so, I would say: yeah, I think this thing works…and when I add workout starting next week, I’m guessing I’ll have even better results..
I’ve been doing the 4HB diet for almost 4 weeks now and am reaching out for some inspiration and advice. I’ve only lost about 2 pounds so far, and though I didn’t start with measurements until 3 weeks in (so I won’t know if there has been any change in total inches for another day or so), I am not noticing any change in my shape – ie I don’t look any leaner or more fit. Here is a little about me – I’m 4’11”, weighed 108 3/4 when I started. My “comfort zone” weight is 100-105, and despite exercising every other day (usually 40 mins on the bike at the gym), I’ve stayed at the top of that range for the last year and in recent months have crept above it. So, after a wonderfully indulgent vacation, I decided to give 4HB a try. The one thing I really like about the slow carb diet is eating a big, protein-full breakfast – it really fills me up for several hours in the morning, and as someone who usually eats small, frequent meals or snacks and is hypoglycemic, the protein in the morning is really helping keep my energy up. But I do find myself hungry in the afternoons, and late at night. I just can’t bring myself to eat even more beans and sauteed greens and chicken/turkey sausage (or broccoli, etc.) even though I am making tasty versions of these – made some yummy dal the other day, and some chickpeas with Indian spices, but it just grosses me out to eat them meal after meal and I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up…any advice? Oh and one last question – I know Tim says in his book that one should not eat too many chickpeas or hummus – why not? are chickpeas different than other beans? I ask because I find them more tasty than other beans, and because carrots and hummus is a go-to snack for me on this diet. Thanks all!
Hi Tim, I think it’s a great idea to get more success stories, especially those with pictures. For some reason, I guess due to the variety of diet and exercise information out there and the fact that its always going to be difficult to implement a lifestyle change, its hard to either buy into a new concept or have the drive to actually see it through.
That’s where picture success stories make a big difference. One or 3 pictures that are compelling along with a story is very powerful. However, if you had let’s say 20 or 40 of those, it just makes it harder and harder to ignore. Thoughts enter the mind such as “if those 40 people could do it, surely I could be one of them” etc…
I find the more success stories are presented, especially with pictures, the less power excuses or doubts seem to have. So I would suggest you show more n more please, if only to help overcome the stubborn psychology of the mind of someone who wants success at weight loss but is held back for whatever reason. Thanks
Never under estimate the power of belief. If you think back to a time when you thought you could not achieve something, and you did, how did that make you feel? You believed in yourself. It gave you a feeling of confidence. Apply the belief and confidence to this as well. Believe you can do it and start taking action toward it. Stop settling for excuses. You can achieve this.
If you are looking for inspiration… Here is a story of someone who achieved a 42 pound weight loss in 7 weeks!
http://nicholecarlson.com/andys-story
Good luck and keep believing.
Dear Tim,
I am on day 4 of the SCD and am hoping for some advice if possible as I don’t want to quit the diet. I’m 33 and a good weight at 140 lbs for 5,7″. Although weight loss isn’t my goal improving my backside ( really like the front of me but really dislike the back of me) is. I teach dance for a living, love to work out and have no prob staying away from sugars. despite being super active and going out of my way to improve the wobbly bits on the back of my body, I have pretty much been the same for the last ten yrs. Low carb diets, sessions with the trainer and a million squats and kickbacks have done very very little, so I was pretty stoked when a friend told me about the Kiwi workout. I’m super stoked to see if this will provide results!
My problem is that I have had a bad case of IBS and Acid Reflux for years. Medication has helped the acid reflux but in the past few days since starting the SCD I have had terrible heart burn.
Do you think it’s important that I do the SCD as well as the workout? If so Any suggestions on how to avoid the heart burn? I’m pretty sure it’s the beans and lentils.
Thank you and I love the book!
What are you eating?
Do you drink coffee and.or alcohol? Caffein opens the valve in your intestine which stops acid from entering the esophagus.
Thanks for your reply Matthew! I had to cut back on the amount of beans and protein and that fixed the problem. I was just trying to eat too much for someone with IBS and acid reflux.
TIM>>>> I have not been successful 🙁 Almost done 4 weeks now and all measurements are still exactly the same. I would love some pointers. I have been doing the SCD and the Kiwi’s workout.
After week 2 and no changes I cut out the allowable red wine, upped the water, made sure to get the protein within half hour of waking instead of an hour and added some cardio to the kiwi’s workout. Still absolutely nothing!!!!! I have less than ten pounds that I would like to loose and my biggest goal is improving my posterior. Maybe it’s just not enough of a change for me as I have always worked out and eaten well? My body seams to be very stubborn as I have tried no carbs before and have tweaked my workouts with little results.
After a month I feel like I am wasting my time and really miss cheese.
Hi, Try intermittent fasting, It works in my case.
Mike …how often do you fast? I am a dance teacher and definitely need calories on work days. I did the diet for six weeks and quit now….no results. All of my measurements are exactly the same so why suffer with the beans?
Tim… been over a year since SCD and 45 pounds down (8 pound weight gain at one point, but recommitting got me back down to 204, I’m 6’1″).
I have gotten so much more ass since starting this. I’m hooking up with chicks hotter than I could have imagined at 250. I always thought a good personality and being well-dressed could overcome physical appearance, but I’ll be damned, I was wrong. The final piece to the puzzle was what the slow-carb diet (and a year of Krav Maga) gave me. The best part is…. it was SO RIDICULOUSLY EASY! You’re the man Tim! (FYI: I pre-ordered 4-Hour Chef)
Great article. What an inspiring story… I do agree it is a lifestyle and not a diet. You can not just all of a sudden decide to lose weight and workout, you have to start somewhere and that is to watch what you eat, take it lightly first. That’s what i did before, I started watching what I was eating NO CARBS.. I started eating healthier foods, and when my body got use to it, it was easier for me to workout because of the energy that i get from the food that i eat. Then few months after I really that was when weight was coming off.
Actually it’s more like 70% what you eat and 30% exercising. That’s what I’ve been told by more than one nutritionist and I agree. But of course everyone is different so these numbers wouldn’t be set in stone. It’s only a matter of self-discipline, pay attention and have focus on your goal to lose weight.
I Have just decided today to start the slow carve diet… I am a 15 year old girl. I wanted to change my life. Being 190 lbs in the 10 grade is just where I want to be. I Have also enjoyed running. I can run long distances without stopping And Have wanted to join cross country. But being as big as I am I am not very fast And I don’t want to be made fun of. I Have a very thoughtout plan that I am hoping I stick too! I Have a pear shape body And I know it will be hard to lose. I would like to lose at least 60-70 ins in a year. I am looking forward to it And just need some support. I don’t want to be this size forever. Please support me And I will post some results.
@Anonymous:
Follow the diet to the letter and post your results every 3-4 days on this blog. Take your measurements (total inches and if possible bodyfat percentage) regularly.
All the best,
Farid
Hey Anonymous, The slow carb lifestyle is an amazing way to consistently lose weight (and you can lose weight even without working out).
The fact that you like running means you have a lot going for you as far as being able to get the weight off faster.
Here are a couple of tips to help speed you along…
Do cardio for 20 minutes first thing in the morning(before breakfast) – this will start your metabolism and keep it going throughout the day. If you can’t workout in the morning, ice cold water and a protein filled breakfast will help.
Look into doing some HIIT training (high intensity interval training). This will keep your metabolism going throughout the entire day and will burn more calories after your workout than a regular workout.
Don’t get discouraged if you stay at the same weight a couple of days in a row, just double check you are doing the right things and stay CONSISTENT. You’ll get there. I just worked with a guy who lost 60 pounds in 12 weeks by eating right and doing weight training. It is possible!!
Hi there, wow this forum is full of great advice… it is awesome the results people achieve on this diet. I am a vegan and I dont think I can go with the vegetarian version, I tried to do it with only eggs, but really gross me up and feel like shit eating them, I have to say I am vegan for moral reasons not for weight loss.
Anyways, I was wondering if there is any way to follow this tricking it in a vegan version, I am not overweight, I am 5,6 126 lbs but want to go to the very very fit level and drop the last 10 pounds, I am stock here I cant lose any more weight. I do workout 4-5 times at week, I could be burning around 250-400 calories depending if only do cardio or if I do cardio plus strength training, I eat maybe 1400 to 1600 cal at day, and like I say I am vegan, so it is a lot of veggies, fruits and grains, homemade nut milks and once in awhile I have crazy days of eating chocolates and cakes, pasta or other kind of ‘NASTY” food, all vegan of course. Some suggestions??, I wanna give it a try but the idea of just introducing eggs it is just eww, neither the Yves tofu dogs, too much processed soy. Should I just forget about it?? Thanks in advance
I previously was doing the SCD but went on holiday and well…you know how that goes! When I was on it I lost 7kg and for me that is freaking amazing because I always feel so terrible about myself so I don’t know why I let a stupid holiday take over!
Anyway…
I’ve started again today and I was wondering if anyone knows if I can have a few things which are: rye bread (light or dark), sourdough and barley.
Thanks!!
Does the supplement DHEA work well for fat loss? Thinking about adding it to the PAGG… Also has anyone tried Pycnogenol, its suppose to be the herbal equivalent of adderall (which im curious but too cautious to try), if so what were ur results or reaction to it? Thanks! 🙂
Any chance this diet is too many calories?
Hi everyone, I’m on week 2 of the SCD ( have not had anything other than what Tim listed other than cheat day ) am doing the kiwi’s workout for perfect posterior and there has been no change. All of my measurements are exactly the same :(.
I am a good weight but have just a few pounds of fat that I have wanted to loose for a long time as well as change shape of my backside. I am eating more than normal on the SCD so wondering if this is the problem or the 2 evening glasses of wine that I love.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Hey Tim,
I love your books 4 Hour Body and the 4 Hour Work Week, also the slow carb diet recipes which surprisingly includes Dhansak (lentils & chicken) recipe that originates from us. I’m a lover of lentils and prepare three delicious dishes including Dhansak. I’ve tried fasting and many other ways to shed my extra kilos but nothing worked. I can’t find a reason for it as I eat comparatively less food than the others and I don’t eat whites, just sometimes a li’l. My hemoglobin is low too…9, before it got 7.5.
Does stress make us fat?
Now I’m trying your way out to kick fat and stay in shape. Anyways, lemme know if you want any Indian recipes or Ayurvedic remedies. Can I eat whole wheat tortillas when on slow carb diet? Thanks. 🙂
Tim Ferriss,
Re: Ice baths, Thomas Jefferson, 3 a.m. cholesterol and protein shakes, and questions re temp, humidity and sleep times
Hey Tim, great work with 4HB, Dr. Oz etc.
I have a couple of interesting facts I want to share with you related to some of your ideas in 4HB.
You may already know about all this.
I also have a couple of questions.
1) Regarding your strong advocacy of ice baths, you might be interested to know that Thomas Jefferson had the lifelong habit of soaking his feet in cold water every morning. He attributed his perennial good health to this habit. See these links:
http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/bathing
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/winter2006/health.html
2) The older I get the more really debilitating I find heat and humidity. My optimum temperatures are from about 30 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (though I am reasonably comfortable if properly dressed even down to zero degrees and don’t really get too uncomfortable until the thermometer tips above 80 degrees.
But high 80’s and above starts to literally make me nuts. I feel irritable and lethargic and all I can think about is shade and AC.
Also anything above 60% humidity starts to bug me and I much prefer 50% or lower.
Have you looked into ambient temp and humidity related to overall health and well-being?
Do you have any recommendations for mitigating the negative effects of heat and humidity through nutrition or other practices?
Where are some optimum places to live for avoiding excess heat and humidity? I know AZ and NV etc. are great for low humidity – but the HEAT. I’m thinking maybe CO, WY, MT, ID. Any ideas?
I have found that staying well on the cool side at all times – working, playing or relaxing, with ice foot baths, cool showers, swimming, fresh cool breezes, fans, AC etc. makes me feel awesome, energized and focused. The opposite – heat, humidity, stuffy air etc. all make me feel like crap.
3) In 4HB, pp. 116-117, you mention cholesterol production peaks between 12 and 4 a.m.
I recall reading somewhere (can’t recall exactly where but it was in a relatively recent physical fitness training book about weight lifting etc.) that a leading trainer of professional and Olympic athletes (again – can’t recall the name, sorry) has his athletes rise every morning at 3 a.m. to drink a high-protein energy shake – and then go back to sleep.
Lot’s of the conventional wisdom tells people to avoid eating later in the evening to avoid fat production and weight gain, but there is also the school of thought that recommends getting steady nutrition, particularly protein, roughly every 4 hours around the clock.
Where do you stand on this?
4) You go into a lot of detail about polyphasic sleep etc
But do you have an optimum recommended duration for regular sleep (7, 8 or 9 hours?) including best time to go to sleep and get up?
I personally LOVE rising as early as possible – as early as 3 a.m. – but find it very difficult to get to bed early enough and sleep well enough to do this.
I also love staying up late – I often tend to feel useless and foggy mid-afternoon beginning anywhere from 1 to 3 p.m. and lasting until anywhere from 5 to 7 p.m. (I am not totally wasted during this whole period but am much less than optimum – I often take a power nap of 20 minutes or a longer 90 minute nap – which helps).
But then I get an evening energy surge anywhere between 8 and 11 p.m. and often feel inclined to stay up until 1 or 2 a.m.
Ideally I would sleep from maybe 12 noon to 8 p.m. and stay up all night, but this is not practical and doing all-nighters has never worked for me even if I get ample sleep in a 24 hour period – getting over the 3-5 a.m. hump is tough and you never feel totally right during the day.
Is there any good way to have my cake (stay up late) and eat it too (get up early) that isn’t too radical?
Keep up the really great work, Tim.
Best regards,
Reid
I have some questions regarding food to eat or not to eat:
In the 4hbody, it is said that Tim’s mother prefers cottage cheese. However, that is a dairy product. Is this ok to eat?
How about other kinds of cheese, such as cheddar, greek feta cheese or ordinary spread cheese?
How about mayo? That mostly consist of egg and oil, right? So it should be ok?
Finally: root vegetable, such as beetroot, carrots or parsnips, which are really good to cook in the oven. Someone told me carrots is really bad for people with diabetes because of the sugar.
Tanks in advance!
Well, I’ve done 4 weeks of slow-carb. First three days, I had eggs with beans and some bacon in the morning – I truly had to force it down, I gagged, I wanted to eat it… I love bacon, but the fact I had it for breakfast really changed something and I just couldn’t eat without constantly struggling to swallow and keep it down in my stomach.
Tim warned about this in his book, but contrary to his reassurance, it didn’t get better. In fact, seemed to get worse. So I switched to a whey protein shake (and since they don’t sell unflavored ones here, it wasn’t exactly up to Tim’s standards).
After 4 weeks of terrible feelings everytime I ate and very, very slow results compared to the pain (3 lbs in 4 weeks), I read some forum posts and discovered people were generally saying that it takes far more than just 4 weeks for it to work on women.
Although the SCD worked MIRACLES on my thyroid hormone levels (they went from elevated to perfectly normal after 1 week of SCD), all of the other pleasant effects – more energy, effective weight loss and stuff – didn’t come.
I SO want SCD to work for me, sadly, I just can’t follow it to the letter. Even when I just apply general guidelines, I struggle and lose no weight whatsoever. I of course also measured BF% with bioimpedance (no other means of measurement available where I live), but the difference was within the bounds of a error in bioimpedance measurement. (Actually gained some BF at one measuring.)
Is there anything I could do for this to work for me? I don’t have problems with eggs or bacon, they’re just revolting to me in the morning. In addition, I can’t get anything fancy around here: no almond butter, no sugar-free peanut butter, cashew nut butter, real quality salsa or guacamole…
Is there anything I can do? I feel like such a helpless case reading all those success stories. Starting to think there’s something wrong with me. :/
I have had the same troubles not losing any weight. I want scd to work because I hate counting calories and feeling like I’m starving. So this morming I’m reading your post as I’m drinking unflavored whey protein shake that I have drank almost everyday since the first week. Which was the only week I lost weight btw. I am remembering some info I read about whey protein and I’m thinking that that is the common factor. There are also other earlier posts that talk of staling and it not working and many of them say they use whey protein so, i am going to try to go without the shake and just eat 3 egges in the morning and see what happens. You want to try as well. Also I’ve heard that pea protein is better for weight loss than whey. But I invested in 10 lbs of whey so I’m gonna try eggs first. Good luck to you and I absolutely feel your pain. 2 months on SCD and 2 lbs gained. Following to the letter except for whey. Update to follow.
Hi Tim
i am a strict vegetarian which means no eggs fish meat or chicken. do you have any suggestions……..want to lose weight, kind of desperate.
Stop being a vegetarian.
You may want to look into the Meatless Machine chapters in The 4-Hour Body.
Tim, did write a section in his book called the “Meatless Machine”. It describes how a vegetarian used Rice Protein powders in place of the meat/eggs.
It is actually very easy to lose weight on this diet as a vegetarian. I am a vegan and I am now 130 pounds after being a bit overweight my entire adult life. You might lose weight more slowly if you eat a lot of soy or fruit or some carbs that are forbidden. Here is my advice: cut sugar and dairy. Have beans or lentils with every meal. Eat right when you get up in the morning. Weigh yourself, measure yourself. One cheat day per week. Drink at least 40 ounces of water every day.
These things worked for me!
Tim I lost 27 lbs in 6 months. I went from 207 to 180 and I was in good shape before but now I am in fantastic shape. The kettle bell work outs are great and I am working with an 80lb at the moment. Other bennys My allergies went away. Probably allergic to wheat. My ADD went away as well. Got that hot bod that I had back in my 30’s too.
I race MX and Enduros at 54 and I am the best shape of my life. Maybe I can race Baja now.
Thanks
You Rule
That’s excellent Steve.
Hi All:
I’m currently searching about this diet, a co-worker told me about and already bought the book. I’m just concerned or maybe didnt understand; do I have to take the PAGG??? Can I do the diet without taking those supplements?
Thank You!!
Will inform my accomplishment when finally start the diet.
Clarai
@Clarai:
PAGG is not required for this diet to work but it can help accelerate the fat loss.
I’m a bit confused after reviewing the chapters in the book and this article where meat is a part of the diet and after reading about the raw/foods juicing from those folks. They (“Juice Daddy” Kordich, etc.) indicate that the human body cannot tolerate meats and that the meat stays in your gut for a long time, causing sickness, as opposed to a plant based diet.
So eating pounds of grass fed beef and other meat proteins daily as you do, and with your experimentation, what does the science say about this, the human body not being able to tolerate meat? Is it a tradeoff between longevity and performance? What is it about meat that supposedly triggers cancer and other health issues? I’m having a hard time thinking about giving up red meat!
Thanks for clearing this up if you have run across this issue or have already posted about this and I missed it.
Most of the research suggesting that people who don’t eat meat are healthier have one big thing in common: the people who don’t eat meat eat more plants than the people who do, duh. So many micronutrients that we need come from fruits and vegetables and vegetarians are way more likely to get them than non-vegetarians. Also, meat does run a slower path through the digestive tract than vegetables; any time foreign material sits around our bodies for too long problems — including cancer — show up.
If you compare a person who eats a variety of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to a person who eats refined grains and meats all the time, of course that first person will be healthier. But if you compare that first person to someone who eats less grains (but still low glycemic and high fiber ones when they do), a variety of vegetables, and meats — with those fibrous foods and plenty of water when meats are eaten — who is healthier? I haven’t seen good research since it would be hard to control all the factors, but I’d guess they’d be the same or the omnivore would have an advantage. Most research just has to go by looking up disease rates and surveying how those people eat. I’d bet that consumption of vegetables as a negative indicator of disease is as much or more indicative than consumption of meat as a positive one.
If anyone has studies I’m missing in one direction or the other, I would love a link posted so I can educate myself.
I just started the 4 hour body a week ago, and when I eat the eggs (or anything else) within 30 minutes to an hour of waking, I feel sick. I found “slow carb Slim Fast” at the grocery store, 20g of protein, 2 net carbs, 180 calories, but it has sucralose in it. I am able to drink that as I’m getting ready for work (6:30am) without feeling sick, and then I eat eggs at around 10:30. Is the fake sugar going to ruin me? Thanks.
Hi Tim,
I’ve followed calories count before and eat anything I want (I just limit to eat dessert only for breakfast) and exercise 1-2 hours/week and I’ve lost about 20 kg and it’s stay, but after sometime I do think I need some improvement, I’m in good shape now but some part of my body fat is a little bit more stubborn.
Just found your book yesterday, and going to try it, coz I have did rule 2 & 3 and little bit of number 5 for almost two years and think that’s totally true…coz during my calories count I tend to eat exactly the same meal over and over again. After reading your book I realize…that I do eat a lot of carbs & fruits! maybe that’s exactly the “improvement” I need
Will update about the result. Excited! Thank you for writing the book!!!
Tim –
I’m sure you have thousands of testimonials at this point, so this is just a note of thanks. I read the 4HB a couple of months ago and have been on a slightly modified version of the slow-carb diet since June (well, mostly – work travel and conferences are tough). My only significant modification is some non-fat Greek yogurt and whole fruit in the morning along with breakfast (eggs or chicken, beans, spinach), but gave up fruit juice completely.
I didn’t have any real concerns about my weight since I was only 5 or 6 pounds above my target, but my cholesterol and triglycerides have been a little too high for years. Despite exercise and diet improvements, I hadn’t really made a dent. My exercise program didn’t change significantly in the past year, but I just completed my annual physical and here are the results:
– Weight from 156 –> 151
– Cholesterol 213 –> 180
– HDL 46 –> 56
– LDL 127 –> 105
– Cholesterol:HDL 4.6 –> 3.2
– Triglycerides 199 –> 97 (Wow!)
And all of that was right after a cheat day that involved too much Mexican food! My wife is also on the slow carb diet and has lost about 10 pounds. My neighbor asked what we were doing to look so healthy and she subsequently stole my print copy of 4HB and lost 8 pounds in a month (had to order another copy for myself).
My wife and I both feel like we have more consistent energy throughout the day, too. Now that I’ve stabilized my diet and lipid measurements, I can focus on some of the other aspects in 4HB – endurance, strength, injury repair. So just a huge thank you! Slow carb works, and not just if you need to lose weight.
David F.
San Jose, CA
Hi Tim
So I’ve been doing the diet for a while now, Ive already lost 6 kilos, and I would love to lose 6 kilos more. But I have a few questions, now I dont know if im doing it entirely correctly, I was wondering if qith the diet we are allowed to drink powder milk, you said no milk at all but since this isn’t real i dont know if I should drink it, I ask this because my morning coffee of everyday is already prepared in powder is a Nestle product.
Thank you !!
Stephanie B. Mexico City
@stefanie,
For your coffee, replace the powder milk with whole-fat cream.
Cheers,
Farid
Cucumbers are a NO? I’m so sad. I love eating at least half a cucumber most days. I was surprised because they are mostly water 🙁 What’s the reasoning behind no cuc?
I’ve lost 85 pounds on the 4HBand never stopped eating cucs, who’s your info source it’s not Tim’s book.
Straight to the point – I want to know
a) how to stop menstrual cravings
b) what my body is needing/lacking that produces the cravings, that I can give it (supplements/good food choices) to stop them
Thanks 🙂
great to hear such great reviews on the diet. i am 5.8″ and weigh 240 lbs….somebody struggling with weight loss since i gained consciousness. the unlucky ones. but gluttony is to be blamed perhaps. i have been successful in shedding upto 60 lbs after my daughter’s birth following atkins. i never looked so good. but things never remained the same after that. i have ended up gaining it all in three years and now once again trying really hard to lose it all. my questions are:
1. should i just follow the basic guidelines because the book may not be available in my country?
2. can i take red kidney beans since black are not available in my town, and how much?
3. how much should i exercise every day; i am talking about cardio because seriously i cant fit in weight training in my schedule?
4. how much calories in total i can safely consume each day to lose weight (i have tons to lose).
please help me out. i will be obliged.
I’m starting the slow carb diet today – yay!
I am not really overweight and I am pretty active (cycling, running, yoga), but I would love to lose 3-4 kg.
Being italian, the main struggle will be removing pasta from my diet.. but I’m determined! 🙂
Just a quick question, could someone offer some vegetarian meals idea?
I will be planning my meals around the following ingredients:
Beans and legumes
Eggs
Vegetables
Cottage cheese (occasionally, is this ok?)
Is there anything else that I can add to replace the meat? would fish be ok?
And how many eggs can I have on a daily basis without affecting my cholesterol levels?
Thank you for your help, I look forward to sharing my results soon!
I have a question about post-workout. I train in boxing a couple times a week, which is high-intensity interval training & often involves resistance training as well.
Tim has a picture of a chicken+vegetable pizza that he eats after workouts. This kind of food is permitted after workouts on regular days??
No, cheat days only. You may have a bit of high glycemic food after WEIGHT LIFTING ONLY because the additional insulin spike will direct the sugars to refill your glycogen stores, and any calories floating in your blood stream there as well. But only a bit, not a damn pizza.
I know it sounds nuts but a fellow lifter recommends downing a single Pixy Stik after lifting as it is just a bit of dextrose, which is the closest lab made sugar to human glycogen.
How much of an avacado can I eat per day? should I buy 3 avacadoes and eat a half a day? Also, what does mixed veggies imply?
PS Tim, you’re attractive.
There are no easy ways to trimming one’s weight but there are a lot of great tips to achieving the ‘wonderland body’.
An inspiring article about SCD! This will definitely help people on how to invest having a healthy lifestyle. 🙂
Hi Tim,
I find SCD can be really helpful especially to those with the same situation with you. But I think those who have medical conditions should heed their doctor’s approval first. When I go through the comments, there are a lot of foods that should be really avoided and perhaps not everyone is applicable on this diet especially those who are diabetic.
This article will give drive who really wants to lose weight. Live a healthy lifestyle!
Tim,
I am a 42 woman and have went through menopause. I also am a post cancer patient with large and small intestial issues. I have found it very difficult to lose weight with diet and exercise. Is there any tips you can give me to help? I am trying SCD as of OCT 1st and will let you know my results! Please advise.
I stumbled on your book doing research after doing my own version of SCD. I don’t do the cheat day, but I do small cheats during the week. The occasional frozen yogurt, the occasional 4-6 oz of pom juice (because of the antioxidants), the very occasional margarita (1-2/month), I don’t dodge the occasional crouton in salads. I eat brown rice (brown rice cakes and Chipotle) and small amounts of potatoes. I’m ok with small amounts of dairy (the frozen yogurt and a touch of sour cream and cheese on a Chipotle burrito bowl), Sweet Tomatoes had this killer Mexican roasted potato salad, but that’s off the menu now, so the potatoes will be going too.
In 6 weeks, I’ve gone from 262 to 248. I attribute most of the weight loss from dropping 99% or so of wheat intake-bread, pizza, pasta. My own personal theory is while wheat can be evil, it’s how it’s processed in the USA which makes it really evil. I will go to Europe and literally eat anything I want and still lose 5 pounds or so. At least on a personal level, there’s obviously something biochemically going on with wheat and my metabolism.
The other weird thing is I had no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever, I don’t miss white carbs, but maybe the frozen yogurt is a release for that. I think I’m going to stay with my diet until I plateau, but if I’m right about my theory, I really expect to lose at least another 10-15 pounds until that happens. I’m in my early 50s, so finding at least one key to why I’ve been so fat and unable to lose weight is a pleasant surprise at my age.
Finally, I’m not working out right now, but will be again in the next couple of weeks or so.
I totally agree with Vince on Europe thing. Whenever I go to Russia, I loose 10 pounds almost right away without eating or drinking any less then in the U.S..
Hi Tim.
I hve followed your slow carb diet religously and it work. I had stopped cpl of month ago and hve put on weight again. Nevertheless…
My question is : I want to work on my jawline : so do you know any doublechin exercises or any other suggestion?
2 nd question : Whenever i started working out I had pretty good result BUT as a woman I always lost my bust size and got flat.
What can I do to keep my bust size and dont look like a surf board? 🙁
Cheers
Nash
I got your book 6 mnth ago and ever since been trying to follow SCD program but it’s been really tough keeping cause I’m a photo journalist I’m always on the move so. can’t be fussy about food i mean it’s either put it my mouth or starve all day long till i reach home. if i do that I end up having anything possible there is in the freezer. Any suggestion
@Sid:
1) Cook food in bulk and in advance.
2) A fistful of nuts or a few strips of dried cooked bacon can get you going for hours. Just don’t overdo them.
Hey Tim,
I just found your website and I’m so excited!
I love the simplicity and the process you use, I told my wife about a year ago that I was going on a “Dog Food,” diet she laughed until I explained that our Healthy fit dogs use food as source of life and not a source of joy, so I wanted to start doing the same…I never followed through but now after reading the success stories I am inspired.
I am a 3 time stage 4 kidney cancer survivor and was given a 6% chance of beating the disease so instead of getting all healthy and wheat grassy I went the other way and said to hell with it if I’m dying I’m going out fat an happy.
My outlook has since changed after I tipped the scales at 308LBS (I’m 6′ tall) it’s time to take action, I’m considered cancer free now after loosing a kidney and lower lobe sections of both lungs I need a kick in the arse and this is it.
I am starting your program tomorrow and will keep you posted on my progress…
That sounds great. Keep us posted Jon.
Great post! Hope you do great. My family members have lost between 15 & 30 pounds in 3 months. Finding good recipes is hard at first, but gets easier. Once you get used to it, it seems ridiculously easy & everybody is happier being lighter.
These eating rules really work! When I first tried to eat this way, it was a little difficult to get my body used to it. After that, my results were phenomenal. It’s also easy to know what you should eat and what you should not. My cheating becomes less and less, I usually only cheat for birthday cake or other events with my family and friends. Since then, every time I think to change my diet, I gain weight and regret it. I think I won’t be getting any bright ideas to change from this any more!
Hi iv just started on the SCD i was just wondering if i chose 2 breakfasts, lunches and dinners can you alternate them every day or do you have to stick to the same meal every day?
Also can you have gravy or sauces on any of your vegetables? I hope someone can answer these questions for me as it will be a great help.
Thanks Luke
You can alternate or keep them the same, it won’t make a difference.
You can use sauces, you just need to be aware of what is in them. Gravy, by its very nature is fat thickened by starch. You want to take it easy on most saturated fats on any diet, because the calories are so high, but on SCD the bigger concern is that gravy will contain flour or cornstarch, or both, which are completely and strictly forbidden on the diet.
As for sauces, you’re just going to need to read the label. Sweet and sour sauce, bbq sauce, ketchup, etc are all going to have a ton of sugar, obviously, but so many commercial sauces also have corn syrup, so look out. You also cannot have any dairy so ranch or any cream sauces are entirely out of the picture. Many sauces will also contain starches so, for example, you shouldn’t have soy sauce because it contains wheat, but tarmari should be fine in moderate quantities.
Don’t forget that food manufacturers like to use tricks in how the FDA requires labels to be written wherein they make their serving sizes small enough that they can write “0” instead of a decimal for nutrition counts. If in doubt, skip it and make your own sauces from ingredients you are positive you can have.
My girlfriend and I are on our second week of SCD, following all the rules, and haven’t lost an ounce. I know the reason why is because of the diet we were on before but I don’t know how to reprogram my body to respond to SCD without just eating garbage and having like a whole cheat week and probably gaining weight back.
The previous diet was part of a research study by a large, well known supplement company whose name I would rather not mention. The diet itself is limited to 21 days, and involves a calorie deficit of about 500 less than we usually ate, and was very low in fat and carbohydrates [my macros came out to calories from about 65% protein, 20% fats, and 15% carbs each day (of which only 2-5 grams were ever sugar and found in vegetables only)]. We also had to eat every 2.5 hours — we took a multivitamin and CLA. Following the 21 day extreme period, the diet has a guide to switch to a more traditional clean eating schedule of 12-14kCal/lb body weight, 40% protein, 30% fats, 30% carbs, with all proteins lean, all carbs complex, and all fats “good”
She lost 11 pounds and I lost 9 (of bodyfat, as measured by DEXA and bioimpedence — we also naturally lost a few pounds of additional water). We figured that we could just transition into SCD, instead of the recommended maintenance diet, and continue to lose a bit more until we hit our goal weight. She is overweight at 33% bodyfat, I’m fit at 20%. But neither of us has changed our bodyweight at all, following the SCD to the letter.
Help from Tim or anyone else?
I should clarify that we are both 30 year old women. In case my name “Shawn” and having a girlfriend made anyone think I was a man and found my claim of being fit at 20% confusing, heh.
1st week down, I started last Monday, weighed in at 306.7lbs…
First breakfast Pan fired organic chicken breast, fried in a little coconut oil with black beans and organic peas!
Wow what a departure from my typical (when I did eat breakfast, which I rarely did!) breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, homefries two pieces of white bread toasted slathered in butter and one piece of white bread slathered in butter for dunking in the eggs. It felt a little weird when the missus put the chicken beans and peas in front of me, and once my brain figured that it was OK to eat this in the morning, it was pretty dang good.
I’ve been religious in my eating, and haven’t had a blowout day yet, but this morning I weighed in at 293.4lbs.
I haven’t once felt hungry, I haven’t once felt like I was missing out, and I haven’t once felt like I was on a diet. I think for the first time in years I have found a new lifestyle eating plan.
I’ll post my progress again next week…
Thanks,
Jon
Hi Tim, im a 30 yr old flight attendant with Saudi Arabian Airlines. i have been flying since last 6 yrs and i’ve gained 12kgs. My erratic schedule doesn’t allow me to have a decent routine and on my off days i feel lazy to work out as i want to relax. I’ve started the Slow Carb Diet 2 weeks ago. Although my metabolism has increased but my weight is still the same and it becomes difficult for me to do the diet while flying as airline food is not nutritional as well as loaded with calories (1 of the reasons why i put on so much weight) and then i end up binging. Another thing is that i have been eating alot of salt since childhood. I have been given a warning by my management to lose weight in 3 mths or else i might end up losing my job. Can you plz suggest me how can i stick to my diet while flying and also lose weight faster considering that i have a time limit.
Galina Bowen, stock up on the canned beans, veggies, and protein if your airline allows it. And the kettle exercise and the frequency of the work out would surprise you with how doable it is even for the lazy or tired ones. It’s all in the 4HB book.
I like the way you’ve provided information about yourself on this blog. By the way, I like yoga too. It really helps when it comes to maintaining good health.
What’s the difference between a couple glasses red wine and a couple shots of whiskey? How much of an impact will a few drinks have (providing I don’t mix with Coke or anything containing sugar/calories)?
I’ve been scouring the internet for this, hoping that I can keep my vodka sodas, and haven’t found a great answer, except a uniform insistence that zero alcohol leads to better weight loss than any alcohol, both from persons posting on the internet and a few friends who are slow carbers.
A lot of people posit that Tim is a wine guy and red wines are low in sugar, so thats why, and theorize that vodka shouldn’t be too bad, but that red wine has a ton of well researched beneficial effects, so perhaps its a trade off.
Either way, your body metabolizes alcohol into acetone which your body will always burn before burning any glycogen. Meaning that alcohol burns before your blood sugar, which puts the metabolism of body fat even further down the line. Alcohol also slows your heart and general glucose consumption by your brain and body. And damages your organs, so your body may have to do some recovery there before it worries about metabolizing away your fat stores.
Recent studies (I don’t have it with me right now, but I think it was from only a few months ago) have confirmed that reservatol — the magic ingredient that makes red wine healthy — improves blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity, prevents inflammation, and increases HDL, all of which are fundamentals of SCD as well.
Previously I had attempted elimination of white carbs (rice, noodles, bread) and increasing protein intake. It worked fine up to a plateau. Then slowly the old food habits return, some are due to lack of self-control, some from going out, family food time. Now reading your article, I will attempt again with the reward system that you wrote (7th day), total calorie drink reduction, and see the results. Will write again.
hi i weigh about 300 lbs for about 15 years- tried it but never lost any weight instead kept gaining it. i like to follow your diet plan do i need to buy your book or just follow without it. if i do i have to take something to keep acid down or just follow the diet.
thanks.
syd.
isn’t MP (the third and fourth set of photos of that woman) known to have faked her abb pictures? She’s over at a popular 4HB community site… weird Tim would show her pictures here.
Hi Jaicidi, can you please provide the url of the site you’re talking about? If you can’t, I would suggest you to stop spreading lies.
You can see my bodybuilding profile (mpjoubert). All my progress is there. No faking whatsoever.
Marie-Pier
Hi guys,
I know that if in doubt, don’t eat it, but I am curious. I bought the right protein powder for the morning. But I wonder if I can use my old one if it has milk protein in it. I know it is best to stay away from milk products on SCD and I agree with that. I bought the protein powder made out of soy protein with no whey nor milk protein. Is that right that it is better not use the one made of milk for best results?
The other question is is it ok to have 25 g of protein in the morning instead of 30 since it is easier to measure and I’m a petite female?
And, are 2g of sugar okay on a strict SCD? For example when I bought smoked salmon, it had 16g of protein but 2 g of sugar. There are plenty of other snacks that don’t have the carbs. But I’m wondering.
I know those are not major questions, but I’d like to know if non-adherence in those small details influences the results in any way.
Thank you
I’ve personally lost over 40 pounds on slow carb, and can’t recommend it enough. I’ve noticed alot of people with questions as to what they can and can’t eat on this diet (despite how simple it seems on the surface) and wanted to share with others on the diet a great tool that’s helped me in sticking to slow carb foods. Check out: http://eslowcarbdiet.com. Tim- Thanks for all the great info, and looking forward to reading 4 Hour Chef!
Hello Tim!
Really enjoy Slow Carb Diet, even though my friends and family thinks I am crazy to eat eggs and beans on breakfast. Haha (Here in Brazil we just snack on breakfast).
I have just a question about one thing: I really enjoy going to the gym and practice a lots of sports on a regular basis, but I am experimenting lots of CRAMPS and dizziness over my workouts.
What would you recomend? Eat some source of carb before? Take bananas?
Greetings from Brasil!
Fábio
hye fabio, i experienced same situation you facing. that is cramps and dizziness which leads me to a walk to a specialist centre. of all the fuss and scares it turn out to be my body is still soldiering on less fat diet or energy needed for my body to keep going is not enough from oral intake. conclusion: LBP or low blood presure and as advised by the dr. i may need to place a bit honey if not sugar in my daily diet for a norm but for those who really wants to shred those evil that has make a handsome civilization around our love handle, he actually highly recommend dates as its proven to supply enough sugar for the day and far less calories.i took 3 for lunch and a cuppa for lunch, guess what its all gone…good luck mate
Hi guys,
Here is a tip, if you add a some of this mustard to your meals:
maille a l’ancienne mustard (old style)
The flatulence problem will be greatly diminished, and if you still have gas, it wont smell bad.
Not the most elegant topic ever, but it certainly is a valuable discovery through self experimentation.
The slow carb diet IS helping me loose weight!! =)
Hi guys,
it´d be great if anyone has some ideas/help regarding my earlier post:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2012/07/12/how-to-lose-100-pounds/#comment-128645
#tl;dr
How bad is alcohol messing up the SCD?
Would drinking on weekends be ok? Or will even that kill all positive effects?
Thanks for any help!
cheers!
Catch-22,
I’m a drinker. I stick to Vodka Soda and Vodka Diet Tonic if soda is unavailable. And Tequilla shots. I’m sure I could loose more weight faster if I did not drink but it hasn’t been detrimental to my weight loss either since I’m active.
hye tim, just wondering as is may seems a bit confusing for me on your basic rules, please..as referred to your basic rules:
so is it good or bad to have same set of meals all the time as i have picking up such for the past few weeks?
is it ok to munch snack on ground nuts or bombay mix as i cant leave without it?
other than tomatoes and avocado is cucumber and lettuce ok?
by the way lets shred rather shed mate
Repeating meals is recommended.
Ground nuts are ok in moderation according to Tim’s book… what is in bombay mix?
Cucumber and lettuce are fine.
thanks aaron..btw bombay is similar to nuts etc. just a mixture of different nuts and a bit more spicy than normal mix..thx
Can I ask how long it took to the girl at the second pic?..
Hi, if you are speaking of me or the other girl? If you are referring to me, It took me 15 months and 2 weeks to get down from 247 lbs to 114.8 lbs.(My goal is 115 lbs) I am CURRENTLY still doing slow carbing to get that last bit of body fat off (about 2.9% away, was 1.9% at one time, but lately my body fat has went up.) As of 11/3/12, I weighed in at 111.8 lbs! Yeah, boggles the mind. So, yes slow carbing DOES work….just work it in the best way for YOUR body. 🙂
Sorry about my English 🙂 …
Anyway, yes I meant you. I have to say that You’re gorgeous
My weight was 150 before I came to USA.
Then i gained to 163 and Now it’s 157.
( I lost 6 pound the past 2 weeks doing slow carbs)
My goal is 120.
Are you doing any sport with the diet?
And can I ask how old are you? :))
Hi guys! I feel really stupid asking this but my husband and I have gone through and read the Occam Protocol chapter as well as the first few chapters. We’re both trying to lose weight and get more toned. We’ve seen other exercises in other chapters. It’s not super clear what workout(s) we should be doing to achieve our goals. Are we supposed to simply do the Occam Protocol A or B with the flying dog, myotatic crunch, cat vomit, and the bridge exercise? Also, should be do this before or after breakfast? Thanks in advance.
Hey Tim,
Got some great feedback that I will add to my experiments with the 4HB…been quite a ride. Some new discoveries along the way, too!
Anyway, seems no matter how much I try, none of the book links are opening up from me from 4HB ie, http://www.fourhourbody.com/tgu In fact, I have no been able to open a single one of those links- the links take me to the fourhourbody website, which seems functionally working, but it says ‘page cannot be found’. Am I doing something wrong??
Thanks for adding to the tools to act on the inspiration I keep getting.
Bobby (Australia)
Hi Bobby,
Thank you for the comment. I just moved some hosting, so that might explain the link issue. I”ll get on it!
Best,
Tim
Hi all,
Been on SCD for one week. Amazing results. Lost 2kgs (~5lbs) in just a week. Best of all, without excercise.
Went to Applebee’s on the first day of cheat day (saturday) after one week of SCD. Ordered full set of ribs, some appetizers and deserts. It was awesome and delicious.
The next day, weighed myself. Went back up by 2kgs, but lost them back the day after.
Can’t wait for the second cheat day and see how much weight I loose!
It’s awesome!
Ok here is my first post and I. I have a lot of weight to go but am off to a good start. I’m a “big guy” and am hoping to lose around 60-80 pounds. I tried the “start on Wednesday” challenge that someone posted above and lost just at 10lbs by the next Saturday before my first cheat day. I didn’t weigh myself after my cheat day and decided not to until my next cheat day…so the fluctuations don’t mess with my mind.
I’ve been following the diet pretty closely with a couple exceptions. I am not a wine drinker though so I subbed rum or whiskey with diet when I wanted to have a drink. I’ve tried to keep that to a minimum so it doesn’t wreck my progress. I keep seeing questions on here about alcohol and I get that it probably doesn’t help, but if anyone has some facts on if it counteracts this plan that would be helpful. I also had a HUGE bowl of spaghetti squash and a turkey meatballs the night before my weigh-in, before my cheat day…I thought the squash was allowed because it was a vegetable, but it looks like from some reading that it is more like a potato and not allowed…if someone could confirm this that would be great (because it was delicious and if it is allowed it will become a staple for me on this plan).
I like this blog a lot and am looking forward to being part of it.
Hello-
I’ve looked at this website for years and have bought the book, but haven just never been motivated enough to begin. But this morning, I weighed myself was 350.2 pounds…have to start the diet.
Sounds like me…I had bought the book, read it, started the diet, did it for 2 weeks, had some success…then lost motivation. Finally the scale hit a number I was not impressed with, 310 and that was the nudge I needed to get back on the program and focus. I’m on my 3rd week now…already down 14 lbs.
Good luck! Stick with it! I think when you are big guys like us we are going to see results right away even if we don’t get it exactly right. That helps with the motivation!!
Hi Tim,
First–thanks for your research and the book. It’s nothing short of amazing.
I have a question I’m hoping you can help me with. I follow the slow carb diet for breakfast and dinner every day and take Saturdays off, but for my weekday lunch I have a protein shake made with 16 oz. of water, a scoop of Jay Robb egg protein powder, and a teaspoon of PB2 (that powdered peanut butter stuff). It’s habit and it’s easier for me. Am I sabotaging my efforts with this M-F lunch or does that sound okay to you?
Thanks again,
Don
Tim,
I previously lost 65 lbs, but 30 has crept back on over the past four years. I can’t strictly adhere to the slow carb diet as I’m a cook at a fine dining restaurant (Michelin, James Beard level) and I have to taste 200-300 plates a night, many containing carbs, fruits, etc. I’m eating a slow carb breakfast and trying to adhere at dinner as well. Should I modify the routine to account for consistent cheating? Should I modify the recommended supplement program?
Thanks!
Graham
Hi Tim
I am loving the SCD! Wanting to know when I am cycling on long road rides of 2hrs or more what I can eat to keep me fuelled but not full of sugar and carbs – ie normally gels or fruit – but I dont want to ruin the diets effects.
Scott
Australia
I am a vegetarian. Any thoughts on how to make the SCD work for me? I eat a lot of rice, pasta, and fruit and clearly that’s a big part of what not to eat on the diet.
See my comment below on being vegan on the Slow carb diet, it sure worked for me!
I just started the SCD less than three weeks ago. I was skeptical at first, thinking my cheat day would erase my gains (really, my loses) over the course of a week. Also, I was worried that cheat days would make resuming the regime more difficult.
The morning before I started my second cheat day, I weighed in: I was down seven pounds total and several inches in just two weeks.
Here was my last cheat day’s list of foods: hardboiled egg, Reese’s Fastbreak candy bar, waffle piled with whipped cream, strawberries and syrup, French fries, ice cream chocolate chip cookie sandwich, cream soda, potato chips with French onion dip, deep fried filo dough appetizers, gummy bears, six deep fried potato pancakes with apple sauce and sour cream, beef brisket, breaded zucchini, cupcake and sparkling cider.
My cheat day was on a Sunday, Tuesday morning I weighed myself and was down another pound! Un”frickin”believable!
Two and a half weeks in and I’m down almost ten pounds, and that’s without going to the gym. Now, I have the energy to go to the gym and I’m excited to accelerate my results.
I’m not going to lie, this eating regime takes discipline but to experience such great results is so worth it! The motivation comes quickly. The cheat days curb cravings for a few days afterward and by the time my cravings ramp up again, I get another cheat day. It used to be so hard to “diet” because I’m a foodie and I would have to deprive myself of what I loved to get results. Now, I only have to “delay” my cravings. That I can do! I also notice that my food bill is cheaper, I wake up easier and I have more energy.
I’m truly amazed at the results thus far. When I read your book, it sounded too good to be true. I read reviews online and while there were professionals that were negative and skeptical about 4-Hour Body, none of them had actually conducted tests themselves. I couldn’t find any reviews from people who followed your plan and didn’t get results. I’m not an expert so maybe it’s not for everybody–but it’s sure working for me!
I also appreciate that you’re not claiming that your plan is “original”. I told my friend at work about what I was doing and he told me that’s the same eating regime he used when he was a body builder. You’ve just so expertly synthesized all this great information out there, which adds credibility to what you’re saying.
Tim, thanks a million!
I did this diet a few months ago. I have No idea why I stopped. I lost 5# in a week. I really want to start again. I keep coming back to Tim’s articles and I think Maybe it’s a sign Lol…I’ll definitely keep everyone updated. I’ve been reading everyone comments and it’s such an inspiration . I used yo weigh 150#. That was a nice weight for me. I’m now at 208 in 4 years and one children…he was massive Lol. I would lo be to be at 130#. I don’t really have much support at home, I work in an er and there are always so many snacks and temptation. I’m hoping I can come back and read more inspiring stories. I’ll take my “before ” pic tomorrow….eeeek. Lol. Thank you all!!
Anybody who thinks that a diet without fruit is healthy has serious mental issues.