Fat Loss via Better Science and Simplicity
It is possible to lose 20 lbs. of bodyfat in 30 days by optimizing any of three factors: exercise, diet, or drug/supplement regimen. I’ve seen the elite implementation of all three in working with professional athletes. In this post, we’ll explore what I refer to as the “slow-carb diet”.
In the last six weeks, I have cut from about 180 lbs. to 165 lbs., while adding about 10 lbs. of muscle, which means I’ve lost about 25 lbs. of fat. This is the only diet besides the rather extreme Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) that has produced veins across my abdomen, which is the last place I lose fat (damn you, Scandinavian genetics). Here are the four simple rules I followed…
Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbohydrates
Avoid any carbohydrate that is — or can be — white. The following foods are thus prohibited, except for within 1.5 hours of finishing a resistance-training workout of at least 20 minutes in length: bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you avoid eating anything white, you’ll be safe.
Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again
The most successful dieters, regardless of whether their goal is muscle gain or fat loss, eat the same few meals over and over again. Mix and match, constructing each meal with one from each of the three following groups:
Proteins:
Egg whites with one whole egg for flavor
Chicken breast or thigh
Grass-fed organic beef
Pork
Legumes:
Lentils
Black beans
Pinto beans
Vegetables:
Spinach
Asparagus
Peas
Mixed vegetables
Eat as much as you like of the above food items. Just remember: keep it simple. Pick three or four meals and repeat them. Almost all restaurants can give you a salad or vegetables in place of french fries or potatoes. Surprisingly, I have found Mexican food, swapping out rice for vegetables, to be one of the cuisines most conducive to the “slow carb” diet.
Most people who go on “low” carbohydrate diets complain of low energy and quit, not because such diets can’t work, but because they consume insufficient calories. A 1/2 cup of rice is 300 calories, whereas a 1/2 cup of spinach is 15 calories! Vegetables are not calorically dense, so it is critical that you add legumes for caloric load.
Some athletes eat 6-8x per day to break up caloric load and avoid fat gain. I think this is ridiculously inconvenient. I eat 4x per day:
10am – breakfast
1pm – lunch
5pm – smaller second lunch
7:30-9pm – sports training
10pm – dinner
12am – glass of wine and Discovery Channel before bed
Here are some of my meals that recur again and again:
Scrambled Eggology pourable egg whites with one whole egg, black beans, and microwaved mixed vegetables
Grass-fed organic beef, pinto beans, mixed vegetables, and extra guacamole (Mexican restaurant)
Grass-fed organic beef (from Trader Joe’s), lentils, and mixed vegetables
Rule #3: Don’t drink calories
Drink massive quantities of water and as much unsweetened iced tea, tea, diet sodas, coffee (without white cream), or other no-calorie/low-calorie beverages as you like. Do not drink milk, normal soft drinks, or fruit juice. I’m a wine fanatic and have at least one glass of wine each evening, which I believe actually aids sports recovery and fat-loss. Recent research into resveratrol supports this.
Rule #4: Take one day off per week
I recommend Saturdays as your “Dieters Gone Wild” day. I am allowed to eat whatever I want on Saturdays, and I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. I make myself a little sick and don’t want to look at any of it for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesn’t downregulate from extended caloric restriction. That’s right: eating pure crap can help you lose fat. Welcome to Utopia.
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If you enjoyed this post, check out my latest book, The 4-Hour Body, #1 New York Times and #1 Amazon bestseller. You will learn: the finer details of the Slow Carb Diet (outlined in the above post), how I gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, how to produce 15-minute female orgasms, and more.
You can also get the Expanded and Updated 4-Hour Workweek, which includes more than 50 new case studies of luxury lifestyle design, business building, reducing hours 80%+, and world travel.
Related and Recommended Posts:
Tim Ferriss interviewed by Derek Sivers
Tim Ferriss articles on Huffington Post
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
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If 1 cup of cooked white rice is estimated to have 200 calories, then how on earth does a 1/2 of cup of rice have 350 calories? BRO, YOU’RE CLUELESS. SMH
Hi, Richard –
Tim’s approximate calorie count of 300 calories per half cup is for uncooked white rice, and I think you were looking at cooked.
Best,
Team Tim Ferriss
That food looks outstanding. One thing ive learned in my weight loss escapades is that you dont want to lose weight too quickly. Steady and slow weight loss stays off and it allow the bodies skin to adjust to the frame build.
Hi All-
I have been on this diet for about 4 months. I started at 123 pounds and I am down to 108….whooo hooo!! So far the only thing that I am really missing is cheese. A friend of mine is on the diet and told me cheese is aloud. Is this true? I did find a little blurb about cheese being a fermented food but Tim seemed to gravitate to sauerkraut. Can anyone confirm if cheese is ok? I don’t want to mess up what I have already accomplished.
As a side note….I was diagnosed with chronic migraines about 8 years ago. I have not gone more than 2 days without a migraine in that time. Since I have started this diet 4 months ago I have only had 1 migraine. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have my brain back!!!
check out Dr. Carol Foster, http://www.gottaheadache.com, food allowed and disallowed list, just google it… she is the key to me keeping my migraines in check, I unfortunately react to lentils… not everything will trigger you, sounds like you found your solution, congrats!!
Hi there, I have chronic Migraines as well. I have had a headache everyday for the past 11 years and I was wondering if you think this is why the headaches have stopped. I’m on here to lose weight, but if it helps stop the headaches than that would be awesome.
Hi Tim
I’ve got a question for you but I’m gonna start with a few thank yous for how your work has improved my life.
I did the Slow carb diet for 6 weeks and lost 24 pounds in weight which was excellent as I did no exercise apart from 1 mountain walk and one run (and I was honestly eating bigger portions too)
I’ve discovered Yerba Mate tea (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU)
I’ve started having cold showers which has greatly improved my mood and I think has improved my skin which I wasn’t expecting but I’m not 100% on that at the moment but it seems to have. So thank you
My question is what is your opinion of Hemp Protein Powder or just hemp powder and is it slow carb compatible? I’ve been reading about it online and it seems excellent and worth a try
Thank you again Tim
Someone may have already mentioned this, but the key to making breakfast feel “breakfasty” is making omelettes. I ALWAYS have fresh spinach in my omelette. I often chop up green peppers and onions into it, as well. A little cheese can go a long way to improving the flavor, as well. Easy to mix beans up into the omelette, as well .. just makes it a south-western omelette!
It’s true Tim. Besides being high in calories, white carbs are usually tasty and are, therefore, consumed in larger quantities by people. However, they are also digested easily, and so, you start feeling hungry soon after you consume them. They also are the cause behind a sudden increase and then a dip in the sugar levels of the body – playing havoc with the metabolism levels.
Thanks for this article.
Susan
How do you feel about trace mineral supplements? Scripps have found that minerals feed bacteria in the ocean. The water turns green the net day when minerals are sprayed out over the water.
As you said in your book we are 90% bacteria. I have been on you diet for one week and have more energy and am losing the belly fat. wake up after only 6 hours sleep which I have not been able to do for over 15 years. More energy and more alert.
The minerals I have been taking increased my nail and hair growth after two weeks. Better digestion. Please let me know what you think of these chelated minerals. They have over 80 trace elements in a protein chain.
I just started this a couple of days ago and am excited and anxious to see results! I have made the same meal over and over though because it’s so good – one whole egg, four egg whites, a huge handful of frozen spinach, one can black beans (drained and rinsed) and 1/2 cup of chia seeds (1/2 cup measured after they have soaked and turned to gel). I add basil and black pepper and mix it all up, make it like scrambled eggs, have half for breakfast and half for lunch. I just need to get some variety going on though.
Hi Tim big fan of your book! This is regarding the chapter ‘damage control’ pages 101-109. In the Part principle #3 engage in brief muscular contraction it states: do 60-90 seconds of either wall press, air squats, chest pulls just before you eat and 90 minutes after you’ve eaten and that you should aim
For 30-50 reps of the exercises. However when I look at your journal on page 101-103 ive noticed that you have not actually comitted to the above for every time you ateBut ive noticed that instead of exercising you either took a 20 minute ice bath or drank yerba matte and on other occasions you did the muscle contraction. Also I found that you did 2 types of the exercises at maybe 70 reps combined which seems undoable within 60-90 seconds.
Hi Tim big fan of your book! This is regarding the chapter ‘damage control’ pages 101-109. In the Part principle #3 engage in brief muscular contraction it states: do 60-90 seconds of either wall press, air squats, chest pulls just a few mins before you eat and 90 minutes after you’ve eaten and that you should aim For 30-50 reps of the exercises.
However when I looked at your journal on page 101-103 ive noticed that you have not actually comitted to the above for every time you ate. ive noticed that instead of exercising you either took a 20 minute ice bath or drank yerba matte and on other occasions you did the muscle contraction exercises.
Also I found that you did 2 types of the exercises at maybe 70 reps combined which seems undoable within 60-90 seconds.. So obviously you spent more time with the exercise.
So what I want to know is… Do you have to commit to the 60-90 secs of muscular contraction a few mins before and 90 mins after or can you substitute with caffeine/yerba matte or a ice bath without committing to both the few mins before and 90 mins after the meal.
Another query. I have been consuming the 30g of protein within 30 mins of waking up. However, it also says you should eat breakfast 1 hour within waking up. What is the best thing to do ? Have the 30g of protein within the 30 mins of waking up, and then the breakfast in the other 30 minutes. All consumed in 1 hour.
I would appreciate some advice pleases It’s no where to be found in the book!!!!!
Hello, I just read an article on URSOLIC ACID and it seems to increase muscle development, lower body fat and even acting as an anti-tumor.
Has anyone tried it? Seems to be in high concentrations in apple peels, so I guess it’s probably safe to take “large” doses.
Thanks,
Diet bar far out weighs exercises when it comes to weight loss. Sure exercise will help but it alone will not do anything. Too often people use exercise as an excuse to eat whatever they want, but it doesn’t work that way. Eat smart if you want to lose weight.
I just started this and am wondering if bacon is alright. What types of pork can I include in this diet?
Thanks
The food (meal) in the pictures looks horrible! No wonder that you are loosing weight – why eat this sad, uninspiring, boring cr*p???
Hi,
I have been doing this for 3 weeks – I have only lost 4 lbs. I was 124 lbs at the start, and after 3 weeks I am 120 lbs. I am eating 3 times a day, sometimes 4 if I have a snack between lunch and dinner. I haven’t been able to exercise at all these past three weeks due to a back injury, and my lifestyle at that time has been pretty sedentary. Because of not being able to exercise, I haven’t been having any carbs at all (since I saw you are having carbs within 1.5 hrs after exercising). I am able to start exercising this week. I have been doing the once a week cheat day – only had a cheat meal the first 2 weeks then went all out the last week with a full cheat day. Does anyone know why I might not be losing any more? I wanted to get down to 115 lbs which is what I used to be a year ago. Thanks.
Hi, I’m on my 15th week of this diet and sometimes I lose more than other weeks. It’s usually down to me not drinking enough water so really try to drink as much as possible. As a guide, I try to drink 3-4 liters per day. Also, are you eating enough calories? Bulk your meals out with legumes, you should still eat plenty of calories. And you really do need to CHEAT on cheat day. I eat carbs and chocolate all day till I can’t eat any more!!!! Trust the diet 🙂
Hope that helps, good luck 🙂
Nic
How does corn factor into this? Is eating corn allowed? I’ve found some great recipes for grilled corn salads but is reluctant to use them since they are usually in the same categories as potato.
Hey Tim
I’m on my 15th week of the slow carb diet and I’ve lost 39lb woop woop!!! So thank you for that 🙂 Just wondered, can I eat olives and avacado’s because, technically, they are a fruit?
Thanks Nic
I started the “slow-carb diet” on 06/06/2011 which has been going great but I do have one question. I’ll be going on vacation 07/05/2011 for 8 days which will consist of a decent amount of alcohol and food (Cancun all inclusive) so I’m assuming this is going to screw things up. Should I just splurge on the trip and restart the diet when I get back or try to stick with it throughout the vacation?
Hello Tim,
I’d like to see some studies that confirm your claims, a lot of the things you say are definitely questionable.
You gained 10lbs of muscle in 6 weeks? This sounds unlikely but assuming you have very good genetics it is just about possible if you’re previously untrained, but i believe you have some training experience.
These are some of the most extreme claims on the internet and it’s not the only post you’ve done like this, your 34lbs of muscle in 4 weeks caught my eye. Your before and after pics didn’t show anything near 30 lbs of muscle accretion.
So..
I challenge you to:
Prove it – failing that, prove that it has been done without the use of anabolic steroids or gene manipulation at some point in history. Also we’re not talking about gaining back lost muscle either. New muscle accretion.
Also youre claiming to gain 10 lbs WITHOUT EXERCISE?
So how about it? 34 lbs in 4 weeks. or even 10 lbs in 6 weeks.
Accept?
Theo Whittington
For a person can achieve weight loss should
change their eating habits.
Avoid or reduce the junk food and replace it with vegetable fiber.
Is difficult at first to change our eating habits, so I advise, change our habits slowly but steadily.
we have to eat much more fiber (25 grams a day) and drink lots more water
We have to sleep 7.5 hours per day minimum
Divide meals at 5.6 or 7 small meals
Sleep is very subjective. some of the greats slept minimal hours at night and enjoyed frequent 20 min naps ie thomas edison, winston chrurchil, etc.
there is a chapter referencing sleep in the 4 hr body book.
Hi There
Do you have to eat the Proteins, Legumes and Vegetables (the three combination) or can you eat like Protein and Legumes or Protein and Vegetables?
Thanks Joe
Hi Again:
Well still reading the comments and have decided to give it a try.I have been on diets most of my life. In Dec of 2005 I got the lap band and did well got down to 267 lbs.from 320 lbs. ( my highest weight was 360 lbs) Then my work schedule change which interrupted my momentum I had. I stopped working out and my diet was no longer. well I regained my weight and got up to 339 Lbs… As of today June 14, 2011 I am at 325 lbs..I have trouble trying to get under 320 lbs. The lost from 339 is primarily due to on and off low carb diet and low cal diets. I still have my clothes that I purchased when I weight 267 lbs…and would like to get back into them. My problem poor meal planning… I just suck at it… Well after reading the list on this slow carb diet it seems easy and manageable.
So I will be ordering the 4-hour body book today and already started the diet first thing this AM..My short term goal is to get under the 320 lbs mark my the end of the month… My overall goal weight is 200 which was back when I was in the Army ( 1979-1982) but will be ok with 220-250 range also.
My age is 48 Yrs old and I also need to improve my workout which is zero.
I will also post updates…
I have heard recently about the use of OAT BRAN in French Dukan´s diet in order to quickly get the lipids from the intestines for them to not be absorbed.
As it is part of the oatmeal, is it banned from the Slow Carb diet even when it is known for its losing weight properties???
I am not quite sure if it gets in the middle of the whole Slow Carb science.
Honestly Tim,
Your advice is not “helping” anybody. You suggest people eat things which are completely nasty. I agree that if you want to lose weight some level of restriction is necessary, however I think you are just taking things too far, and setting people up for a miserable gustatorial life.
really, man… these ideas are just dumb. sorry but it has to be said.
i was wondering about the no fruit rule …. is it ok to have salsa eventhough it is tomatoes??
Hello, I am a 14 year old girl desperately trying to loose weight. I am 160lbs trying to be 120-130. I was wondering if you would recomend this diet for me, or if not what?
Desiree- My cousin’s daughter is 13 years old, and she was able to drop 25 lbs on this diet in less than a few months. While the Slow Carb Diet should be safe for you, be sure to consult your doctor before making any dietary changes.
Best of luck!
Charlie
Woo Hoo, Just been to get weighed and I’ve now lost 42lb (3 stone) YIPEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
This is week 16 on the diet and I think I can be on this for life. I don’t feel like I’m on a diet anymore and if I crave anything I just buy it and wait till Saturday.
Tim, this diet is AMAZING!!!!!!
I just want to know if I can eat olives or not. :)))))))
Nic
Hello Tim,
I don’t know how to thank you.
1. After reading 4HB I lose 9 kg -> 19,8 lbs. I resigned from sugar, start eating proteins on my breakfast, photos of food and beans 🙂
My goal is 20 kg, then I post my photos before/after.
2. Now I starting my own business and have a plan to end with 9×5 work to the end of the year and go for mini-retirement to Tuscany for 3 months.
3. I started my new project http://149things.com where we do amazing things with my friends: Shower under a waterfall, 30 pull-ups, marathon, etc.
4. Starting learning Italian language – using yor method. I just oredered Italian version of 4HWW 🙂
Did I mention that have a wife and lovely 1,5 year old child 🙂
Great diet. My only concern is that I will die of sheer boredom. So far lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks.
hi i’m going to try this diet. I’m on my own diet now I started last tuesday and lost nearly 8 pounds by not eating fried foods, baked is good, eating lots of veggies and fruit and I exercise everyday. I’m going to try this out and see how it goes. good luck to everyone out there.
I have had so much fun being creative with meals, and still exploring, love it!
1. beef and bean chili with chopped veges, canned tomatoes,and mexican spices
2. omelets with meat and veges inside, beans on the side.
3. 3 bean salad with multiple beans, vinegar/oil/spices/non sugar sweetener.(side dish)
4. 3 bean salad with tuna added makes a great salad topper.(most salad dressings have high fructose corn syrup)
5. meat loaf with ground beef or turkey, finely chopped veges, eggs, tomatoes, onion soup mix, and spices.
6.cream of mushroom soup: sauteed onions and mushrooms, add a can of pureed white beans, butter and spices. Also makes a great sauce over chicken or omelet.
7. Large pot of soup with meat, steamed cabbage, beans, canned tomatoes, chopped bell peppers and zucchini, spices.
I have been doing this for just over a week now..have lost about five pounds…and for the most part I have been making scrambled eggs with black beans, spinach and chia seeds all mixed in for both breakfast and lunch. Afternoons I will usually have some cucumbers or something…and then when I get home from work at 6:30 then I am at the gym by 7pm.. generally I run 30-50 miles per week but since I have started this way of eating, I have to say that I have absolutely no energy for running and peter out just a couple of miles into my run. What am I missing here? Where I normally run 8-12 miles in one whop…here I am doing three and sitting on the gym floor dripping sweat like I’m melting! Help!
Genevieve,
Are you drinking plenty of water? I have noticed that while on this diet I am in the bathroom frequently. If you are slightly dehydrated you will have less energy. And sweating means you are losing more fluid.
Hello Kathleen – I think you’re right actually – I don’t drink enough that’s for sure! The amount of sweat that I have been experiencing though is an “ungodly amount”.. running off of me. I am 5’9″ and 146 pounds.. so it’s not like I have a lot to lose. I also think that I am hypoglycemic…so any suggestions there with the food?
Genevieve – What you describe is very normal. Your body has to adapt. Dr. Michael Eades wrote a nice bit about this very recently: http://goo.gl/P5C0y
Thanks for that Daniel. Much appreciated! Well I ate low carb for years..but after I started running a lot more in recent years I found that I had to add more carbs. I wasn’t just running 3 miles a few times a week..I”m talking two hours straight. I figured that the chia seeds I have been adding to my food would help me.
Genevieve – I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination but I have recent personal experience with this. Just a few weeks ago I did two days of strenuous mountainbiking, including some tough climbs, and much to my surprise I was totally fine without eating any carbs. All I ate was a large bacon & scrambled eggs breakfast beforehand and chunks of aged Dutch (lactose free) cheese during the day. This would have been unthinkable only a few months ago where I would get shaky during even short bouts of exercise if I hadn’t consumed a few carbs beforehand.
Having said that I would not be surprised if some carbs could be useful if you are trying to achieve optimum athletic results (as opposed to exercising ‘for fun’). I have not read ‘The Paleo Diet for Athletes’ yet but the summaries seem to suggest just that. Would love to hear more opinions on this!
For completeness sake I have to add that I am not following the Slow Carb Diet right now but doing something that’s much more like the Atkins induction phase (closer to No Carbs than Slow Carbs).
How can one who has a disorder that includes an allergy to beans and is limited to eating rice, fruits, veggies and low fat white meat such as chicken, to modify your diet appropriately without starving?
Anyone noticed getting very dry skin 2-3 weeks into the diet? If so how do i reduce or prevent this?
Tim,
While this is very similar to the Body-for-Life method for diet…I love how you take it one step further with lentil supplementation for brown rice and/or wheat bread.
I am going to give this a whole-hearted chance and will report back.
Thanks for this and especially for the 4-hour workweek…fantastic.
Anyone want to start this week????
Hi StaceyGirl, I just started this week, today is my 6th day, my email is ggingold@gmail.com. So far I’m feeling much more energized and alert.
I was wondering if Arctic Zero would be ok to eat on this diet? I have been following everything exactly adding probiotics daily and have been losing a pound or more a day so I don’t want to do anything to slow my progress.
just wondering: has anyone finished this diet? and if so does it work?
There is no end and apparently you can eat this way for ever if you wished.
If you need more of something for sport for instance then add it to you diet. Dont forget there are cultures out there who have never eaten bread, cakes, sweets, etc.
Breaking this western habit is the real issue and the rest YOU can play with to accomodate your needs.
Hell if you have a 2 week vacation and stuff yourself of all the crap in the world then you know you can relax and settle back into this way. Infact you will probably find as those who have already pointed out that the binge cheat day is really a stuggle after a while. Can you imagine doing that for 2 weeks?#
Have confidence in what you do and as long as you are tracking something then you can see what your eating habits are actually doing within a 48 to 72 period.
This, for me, is day 1 of dieting and weight loss. I am 5 ft and 140lbs. Nasty combo. Mostly all of my weight is in my belly. My goal is 25 pound ASAP. I am tired of looking at myself and I have tried over and over again to go back to my old body and lose the weight. At one point I was only 115lbs. And with my dramatic hour glass shape I was looking really good! After reading this I have become a little more hopeful again (especially knowing that I dot have to give up my favorite foods and that i can have a day to jump into a bacon cheese burger with fries and a shake!) thank you very much for sharing this information with us. Most sites and establishments would make you pay just to get this kind of info. Thank you very much!
@Marise – Yes, I have tried this diet, and yes, it works!! I started the diet January 1st this year (2011) and went from a size 14 to a size 4. I have also lost a total of 40 inches over my body. The key things that I think worked for me were no fruit or carbs except on binge days, eating the cinnamon before a binge, and kettlebell workouts . I also followed the diet to the “T”; even doing the painful ice baths and cold showers. I am still losing now, even though I have diverted from the diet a bit. Hope this helps!!
Started the diet in January, five months ago. Dropped from 102kgs (225lb) to 88kgs (194lb), 1kg above my fight weight at half my current age of 53. I follow it now very comfortably and have put a lot of people onto it with great success. Not one person hasn’t been able to drop weight. Everyone comments on how good I look and training is great too.
Friends have a laugh when I line for a Saturday afternoon binge of half a family size ice cream container of vanilla ice cream and a whole block of dark chocolate. Saturday mornings are a training session at the beach followed by coffees, cakes, croissants, fruit, anything can get in my mouth. The binge day comes around so fast it’s fun. No sense of missing out of anything at all, although sometimes it’s tricky to find food when I am traveling, the supermarkets are closed and all I have is a certain range of restaurants.
It works.
Hi Tim,
loved the post, i started a blog on things to eat to lose weight, and i heard you say you shouldnt drink milk?
is it because it slows down digestion?
if you stay away from dairy products Where are you meant to get calcium from, as it’s important for health bones?
p.s. love your youtube video on the boiled egg, I made a huge mess on the first attempt lol
Hey there,
I learned about this from a friend of mine that tried it. I have been on this “diet” (I hate calling it a diet because it’s really just smart eating and I’m eating more now than I did before). Anywho…I am 5’8″ tall and athletic…I run approx. 3-4 times per week. I started on the program 10 days ago with a weight of 135 pounds (yikes….was NOT liking the reflection in the mirror while sporting a two piece). As of today, I have lost 11 pounds and 8 inches. I FEEL AMAZING! I must admit, prior to starting the program I was what one would call a sugar addict…I get cravings for sure but now I write them down and save them ’till saturday! So far so good! 🙂 Thanks!
Hey!
This diet looks really promising! I’m 5’8 1/2 and I want to lose 25 pounds perferably in the tummy area..If I did this, could I lose that much body fat in 1 month and a half? And what do you suggest for workouts, and how many days should I work out? I’m dying to lose this fat, and look great, cause my self-esteem is dropping by the hour!!!
Today marks Day 86 of the Diet. I am at the same weight and measurements as Day 1. Initially I lost 6 lbs (185 to 179) that has now returned. I have been on high protein eating for several years, and perhaps the only thing that distinguishes this eating pattern is that I am drinking lots of water daily.
I have returned to the gym and spin at least twice a week, toss a kettlebell twice a week and walk/hike frequently.
As for following the diet, I am 99% spot on! I binged weekly for 5 weeks and then shifted to every four days in an effort to get past what I feel is my plateau. No change, other than I am bloated two days a week instead of one following the binge day.
I know I’ve added muscle, it simply isn’t showing up in the stats. And I am fully aware the scale is woefully inaccurate, but my goal is to lighten up and lose my brown belly fat.
Go figure? Any comments or suggestions are welcome.
@ Ron Albert ~ I would suggest with first having your thyroid checked. Ask the doctor if it’s possible that you might have hypothyroidism. There are meds you can get on to replace that hormone that is lost. If that hormone is out of whack then all your other hormones will be out of whack to try and compensate for that. (LOL – I originally replied to the wrong post with this.. sorry)
Have you tried HerbalLife diet? What’s your opinion about that? (Rest assured; I’m not a distributor!)
I spent 2 months on herbalife and the only thing i lost was money.
I lost more i one week with Tims slow carb diet. I have more energy, sleep a couple of hours less each night and my sex life has gone through the roof.
what are some good exercises??
I’m 26, an ex-college athlete, and sidelined recently by knee issues. Despite previously working out regularly (weights and cardio) I could not seem to lose a damn pound. I did Curves religously for a month and gained weight. Not ideal. I didn’t even weigh myself for the first 2 weeks of following The Four Hour Body guidelines; I was not optimistic. But when I did- WOW! At one week I was down 5 pounds, and at 6 weeks down 17! Holy crap! And I definitely took full advantage of the binge days, eating donuts, frosting, and anything else I never normally eat but secretly love. And I didn’t work out due to my knee’s lack of cooperation! This is great!
@ Sarah ~ I would suggest with having your thyroid checked. Ask the doctor if it’s possible that you might have hypothyroidism. There are meds you can get on to replace that hormone that is lost. If that hormone is out of whack then all your other hormones will be out of whack to try and compensate for that.
Oh Dang it. I meant for that to be to Ron Alpert – I am a moron for replying to the wrong one – lol
Make sure you get some blood works done to confirm the any issues related to thyroid function.
It is not necessary to have pharmaceutical drugs to change this. There are alternative therapies that may help i.e. EFT and hypnotherapy spring to mind and I am sure that the might of Google will help you find more evidence to avoid pharmaceuticals. I believe the treatment for the thyroid involves radiation?!?!?!
I’m sure some one can correct me if I am wrong.
G-
Just had a full panel blood test done and all is within range, thanks for the suggestion.
Ron
“…I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. ”
Interesting that you take a day to eat all you want – in excess. I find that if I do this I tend to gain weight that takes me a week to get back off. Of course, this lead to a never ending cycle of the same pounds lost and gained. I do like the thought about not drinking your calories and will have to cut back on the coffee’s loaded with calories to see if that makes a difference.
What is your progress?
I am really strict with the diet all week (egg whites, beans, protein, veggies) sometime I have peanut butter and cottage cheese for snacks. Today is the beginning of my 3rd week and my weight has stayed the same.
I just hope that the fat is turning into muscle. I feel great and have lots of energy for the gym.
Tim,
What do you think is going on? I’m not over working out, I purposely backed off.
I’ve been looking at the plan from TSFL. Similar concept to Tim’s (6 meals a day, protein and some carbs, big on big on ligumes) but it’s ready to go. I’m really busy and don’t take time to cook or prep food. Living Social has a deal right now in east-bay walnut creek. My friend lost 40lbs in a couple months and has kept it off but I was wondering if others here had experience or recommendations on TSFL?
Hi Tim,
How do you feel about the Gluten free bread that is made out of almonds (I believe it’s almonds) It still has some form of flour in it..
I’ve been following this diet now for 27 days and I have lost 19 pounds. I started out at 206 and now weigh 187. I’m 5’8″ and am 22 years old, my goal weight is 170.
For the first two weeks I followed Tim’s diet plan to the tee, however, it slowly morphed into something more manageable but still with the guideline of: high protein, slow carb, low glycemic, good fats.
I have charted my progress using excel every morning. Some tips I want to put out there I have found to be the key in my plan:
– Buy lots of chicken, eggs, fresh baby leaf spinach and beans.. you’ll need em!
– Eat small meals, more often with protein in each meal. Eat high amounts of protein within 30 minutes of waking (I achieve this by making an egg omelette with 2 egg whites and a whole egg with chunks of chicken, with some salsa, beans and spinach on the side)
– Take a multivitamin, fish-oil and niacin
– Salads with salsa as a dressing are perfect, try different varieties of salsa like red chunky and salsa verde (make sure the salsa doesn’t contain high sugar)
– To increase protein intake I also introduce 100% whey protein into my diet in the form of smoothies
– On my cheat day, instead of going crazy with unhealthy options (sweets, fast food, sugars), I chose to spike my caloric and carbohydrate load with healthy alternatives. I found myself doubling my calorie intake, while spiking my carb levels (research “carb cycling”).to keep my metabolism up to date.
I’m still on the plan and plan to be till August… will update then as well =)
I am only on day 2. Nothing to report but I am not feeling sick leading up to meals and I am going to the bathroom a lot more lol
Day 1
Breakfast – eggwhites with 1 egg added for flavour, guac and salsa on the side, asparagus and spinach and lentils
Lunch 1 – piece of steak, grilled mixed veggies, lentils
Lunch 2 – piece of steak, spinach and asparagus, lentils
Dinner – was not that hungry so I had a huge salad with a wad of guac on the side
Lots of water, some with a bit of lemon in it.
Today is pretty much the same thing. I honestly think that if I stick to it (the food) I won’t really be bored with it. It’s all healthy and easy to go down.
Today for breakfast I had chicken breast with a tiny bit of cheese on it, guac and salsa with asparagus and lentils
Lunch was pork with grilled mixed veggies asparagus and lentils
Dinner is probably steak with a giant salad and lentils
I wonder how long I will last ??? I do miss treats but that is Saturday 🙂
Staceygirl
I have probably been too excessive on the cheat day.
I start with a protein shake with 40g of protein and then maybe an hour later i go for a bacon sandwich, donuts, another sandwich for lunch, more donuts, chocolate, chips, and a take away to finish.
I do air squats before each meal, drink 1oz espresso’s after eating, drink gallons of water in between with a squeeze of fresh lemon and where possible chomp on a banana or an apple.
I will ususally go up in weight by 5lbs but i’m guessing that is just the weight of food i’m carrying in my stomach.
I did this saturady just gone and i started at 191lbs, weighed 197lbs sunday morning. This morning I was 191lbs again with the rest of the week to go.
I usually go for 3 or 4 free range egg omlette with cinamon and mixed veg (which my 4yr old eats too because i told her it was an egg cake), but to save time i have just started having a protein shake (USN Pure Protein IGF).
Turkey, beans and mixed veg for lunch, and again for dinner or maybe a steak with lentils (with added lemon juice or vinegar and virgin olive oil), the veg is always topped with kerrygold butter.
Just started to add about 50g of sauerkraut to this too and about 50g of mixed nuts as a snack.
I’m averaging about 180grms of protein a day, except fot the cheat day. Energy level is great, sex life is really great and i only seem to need 6 hrs a night sleep now.
Keep the faith because i have lost 9lb in 17 days, incuding 2 cheat days and a 500 gram chocolate duck last wednesday just because i can. All without exercise i might add.
My goal is 180lbs so thats roughly 20lbs and i will re-evaluate my goals.
Hi Tim,
Im a college student on a budget and dont have time to prepare time consuming meals. What are some simple things i can eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that dont take forever to make or cost a lot? And what are some good snack options?
Thanks 🙂
Hello all,
I have been doing this 4 hour slow carb diet for 2 weeks now. I have lost 10lbs!!! I am reading some of the posts on here but my eyes are starting to cross and I have only made it through page 1. I have started adding workouts here in week 3 as stomach was looking flabby from lost weight. I saw a post but did not see an anwer about postwork out foods. I have read the book but dont recall it from there either. Can you eat whatever you want after a workout and how long does the workout need to be to get this little treat in your day?
I will agree this diet is not for the weak willed. I have found that I have will power I did not think I had. Like Tim I eat out at least one meal per day due to work scheduling. I have found Mexican to be the easiest (thank goodness I love Mexican food) for eating out.
Any help with the question would be great.
Thanks,
Patty
Patty, if you go back to the top of this page where Tim begins writing, you’ll find your answer. He says the workout needs to be at least 20 minutes and then lists “permitted foods” for after-workout-only. Sorry to be nosey, but just say your post and stumbled upon the answer immediately afterward so wanted to pass it along.
I wanted to post a review. It is very hard for me to lose weight. I am around 45 lbs over what I want to be and in my mid 40s. I try daily, but nothing really seems to work. I did this diet faithfully for 2.5 weeks and lost 8 lbs. My stomach was noticbly flatter. My clothes were lose. I say that I did the diet, “faithfully” because this is the first diet that satisfied me enough that I didn’t want to cheat. It is easy, healthy and keeps you full. My energy was through the roof. I then went out of town and went on an eating binge and couldn’t get back on track. Now I am revisiting this site again to begin tomorrow. If you haven’t tried it, you really should!
Tim, thanks for your awesome diet. I started it in October 2010. A week later I had a heart attack, which of course motivated me to keep going! I lost 26kg over six months and it was easy. I didn’t even do any exercise. I’m a middle-aged dad but I feel ten years younger. I owe you bro.
Dear Tim and Readers,
I have a question about the timing of eating breakfast and then exercising.
I’ve been eating slow-carb going on 5 months now and I’ve very much enjoyed it. Recently in the last week or two feel I’m starting to hit a plateau.
Every morning w/in 15-20 min of waking up I eat 3 eggs, a chicken sausage, and a 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, water and sometimes coffee, which is about 30-35g of protein.
Then, about 20-30 mins after I eat breakfast I choose to cycle 6 miles to work that takes b/t 30-40 min. This bike ride is not so easy going and can get my HR up to 150 beats per min at points and I for sure break a sweat. I don’t count this ride as “exercise” (i do KBs 3 days a week as my exercise) but I’ve read and that eating that much protein before a “work out” can reduce the body’s ability to burn fat. Is this true? Has anyone else noticed this or had a similar routine and noticed a reduction in fat loss? Thanks so much for help in advance.
Hey Cole,
I am at by no means an expert, but I always make sure to work out before I eat and not after. Many trainers recommend to do exercise, whether it’s strength or cardio as soon as you wake up, because it starts the metabolism running, getting that heart rate up to 150 like you so that your body is ready to digest all of the protein you’re about to consume. What I do for the “eat protein within the first 30 minutes of waking” is to eat a small bowl of red mashed lentils with cinnamon (tastes like oatmeal) and this gives my stomach a light bit of protein before my workout. But trust me when I say that I feel like puking everywhere when I workout directly after I eat a whole meal. The lentils is like just to get my body going, then the exercise is to get it to another level, then the real breakfast is to help with the rest of my day. It might sound time consuming, it’s not at all. I make my lentils at the beginning of the week, and just put each helping in the microwave for a minute before eating. If lentils aren’t your thing you could try 1 hard boiled egg, or just experiment and see what happens, but not too much, it will hurt and it won’t do much for weight loss if you eat before you exercise.
The book says its important to eat breakfast within 30 min of waking up. I go to the gym when i get up – should i eat breakfast first?
My wife had our first child New Year’s Eve. At that time, I weighed 238, and my son’s birth weight was 8lbs. My goal (and inspiration) was to maintain the same combined weight through my son’s first bday, ie. as he grew and gained weight, I would lose weight using 4HB. At 4 months, he was 19lbs (+11) and I was 223 (-15.) Still on pace. Six month check-up/weigh-in is today. Wish me luck!
My boy is putting the pressure on, he’s in the 98th percentile for height and weight!
I’ve been dieting since Monday and I feel amazing. I think I already am beginning to lose weight. I’m already pretty lean but I wanted to try this diet to get super ripped, seems to be working. Is it okay to drink protein shakes a few times a day on the diet? I do some intense workouts and i feel like i need more to eat throughout the day.
I bought the book for my husband, he needs to slim down a little to be fit for the Army. Now my mom is interested in the slow carb diet, but doesn’t think it will be effective since she has hit menopause. Does it work for women who are post menopause?
Yep! My 53-year old mom lost 25 lbs on the diet.
I thought I had tried every diet plan, but I have never heard of this one. Since I have been dieting, and failing, for 45 of my 57 years, I had recently decided to give up and just be fat. Maybe I will make this plan my last ditch effort to be healthy, slim and happy. But this is the last time. I have wasted too many years trying to be thin and beautiful. It’s just not meant to be.
Don’t give up, Sandy! You can eat as much as you want on the Slow-Carb Diet, as long as you stick to the right foods during the week. Then go crazy on your cheat day 🙂
Just remember: Eat 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking, and drink tons of water. Best of luck!
I have just started to four hour body fat loss diet and I am actually enjoying it. I don’t usually eat beans, so it is an interesting change.
I am a pretty muscular 24 year old, and have made whey protein an important piece of my pre and post-workout routine for quite a while now. I am wondering if I can or should continue to take whey protein before and after workouts while on this diet. I usually workout mid-morning, if that makes a difference.
Thanks!
this is by far the dumbest diet I ever saw. Normal working people cannot eat at those times of the day. I don’t drink so wine is out and women need the calcium in milk.
The majority of the 4,200 comments preceding this one seem to disagree.
You don’t have to eat at those times! He says that’s when HE eats his breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper whatever. I’m guessing Tim has scheduled times for meals (some people do, SHOCKING!!!). Also where the hell does he say don’t take calcium? In the book he gives you a list of slow carb foods that have calcium in them and magnesium and potassium. And he admits to being a wine fanatic (showings its proven research in fat loss) and saying its ok for the diet so its ok for people who like a drink to have one or two glasses, he doesn’t ram in down your throat that you have to do it. I’ve done this diet for about 9 weeks and I’ve not found these problems (lost 30 pounds by the way).
Also it’s hard for working people to eat like this? I work 40 hours a week at a restaurant SURROUNDED by unhealthy foods I could snack on all day (and eating like that in the past is the reason I have to diet now) but I’ve stuck at it by cooking my own food in the morning before work (takes about 10 mins) and bringing it in and heating it in a microwave. Also most offices or building sites etc I’ve ever seen have microwaves you can bring your food into and heat up.
So in saying all that I’d love you to response to my criticisms. Thank you
Well Niall – I just want to say that I LOVED your response!
Wow. Defensive much Charlie and Niall? Jane, I really do see where you’re coming from. I too have irregular meal times, so I was a little skeptical of this diet. However, I’ve been on it for a few days and I’m really seeing and feeling some results. I’ve lost 2 inches off my waist and 5lbs in the last four days.
Besides that, it’s really convenient to cook your meals (I do snap frozen veggies & beans which can all be microwaved in less than 5 minutes, plus pre cooked lean chicken or beef). This is amazing for a busy lifestyle, seriously. Calcium can come from supplements or a wide range of vegetables too – not just milk or dairy. Personally, I still drink a little bit of milk in my cups of tea and it suits me fine. I really recommend you try it before digging at it.
I probably sound like a bit of an infomercial host, but really actually try it.
Not really defensive. Just saying that to call it “the dumbest diet ever” because of meal times seems to indicate that Jane either misread or skimmed the post. The diet still works if you eat three times per day.
@Jane I am a normal working person and I have committed myself to preparing these meals which are so much healthier than what I was eating before. It’s a lifestyle change. Sure, there are times I don’t feel like eating or maybe I am not “starving” at lunch time but I modify things here and there and make it work. This morning I was late for work by 5 minutes but I am happy to say that I have a healthy breakfast in tupperware ready to go here and a delicious lunch as well. I don’t think that this diet is crazy at all…. it just takes getting used to preparing healthy food options and sticking to it.
Ya Niall hit the nail right on the head!
🙂
Ok, so i’m trying to lose 20 lbs by august 8th 2011. That’s the day i leave for 10 days in hawaii. For the last 5 days i’ve been jogging/power walking just over a mile and doing 15-20 minutes of pilates right after. I’ve cut back my caloric intake to 500-1000 calories a day (i never do eat a lot anyway and i get full easily). I’ve lost 5 lbs.
I’m 21, 5’3.25″, and weigh 199.4 (mostly butt and boobs but my tummy is chubby too, though i have an hourglass figure). Do you think if i tried this diet, it could work? the doctor says i need to lose 45lbs, but i only want to lose 30 all together because i love being kinda chubby. But my goal right now is 20lbs by Hawaii(Aug.8th 2011)
OK~ So I think that eating 30g of protein within 30 min of waking must be key. I have been doing this diet for 3.5 weeks and other than the fact that I feel great and have a lot of energy, I have no weight loss.
The only thing I can think of is that I may not be getting enough protein in the morning, because I am right on with everything else.
I don’t have a lot to loose, I’m 5’4″ 128-130lbs and would like to be @ 115-120lbs.
Also, I see questions about eating before working out so you don’t miss the 30 min window. How crucial is this?
I am a female, 45, 5’5″, starting weight: 199.5 pounds. I have been on this diet for 1 month now. I have lost 10 pounds. I work 3rd shift, around 40-45 hours a week, mild to moderate activity while standing all night. I eat three times a day: Within 30 minutes of waking up..Jay Robb protein drink (110 calories). Lunch 8-9 in evening and dinner at 2 in morning.
I take one can of beans (beans water and salt) and a 12 ounce frozen bag of spinach and split it in two for lunch and dinner. Add 1 tbsp of butter (cream, salt) to whole bag of spinach. Use lots of hot sauce (0 calories), garlic powder, and salt and pepper. For the protein source I use eggs and fish. At least 2 quarts of water a day. ON cheat day I doubt if many can out eat me. Absolutely no exercise whatsoever except at work.
I am extremely satisfied on this diet. Only one that I have ever been able to stay on.
i just bought the Jay Robb Whey Protein, i’ve lost 1 lbs in 1 day, drank it this morning, went for my usual jog and pilates, i’ve been sitting on my butt all day at work and munching on pine nuts (high caloric count, though they do have a lot of protein and a natural appetite suppressant), but i’ve been pretty much immobile sine my 6am work out…but i’ve lost 1 lb…i think its the drink. also, theres a fat burner recipe on the side of the tub of mix, too….i’m gonna try it, it sounds yummy.
but the only way i’m able to stand getting anywhere near 30g of protein when i wake up and not barf my guts everywhere after my workout from too much on my stomach, is a protein shake….now if i can just lose 1lb a day, i’ll be down past my goal by the time i leave for hawaii!
i hope your diet is going well!
Forgot to add:
Have not been doing PAGG
Cheat day:
Last four Thursday’s (my cheat day) I have been eating about 1200-1500 calories (mostly cheesecake, candy bars, cake, and chop suey) between 12 midnight till 6-8 in morning….then I sleep. Get up around 4-5 in evening and will eat out at a restaurant and later have an ice cream blizzard at DQ. I do no air squats or grapefruit, nothing.
I notice that I am craving less sugar on my cheat days.
other 6 days:
I have never cheated on this diet, not even a little. No sugar.
Here’s my blood-work after one month {don’t know what it was before I started}: Total cholesterol: 160, Triglycerides: 47, HDL: 62, VLDL: 9, TSH: 4.770 uIU/mL, T3 Uptake: 36%. Serum Creatinine is 1.04mg/dL…this has never been this high before. I will post blood test again in a year (maybe 6 months)…its an insurance kind of thing.
I am planning on doing this diet for a year or until I hit 135. I plan on eating like this for the rest of my life. Will add fruit and yogurt and some other good food. Before I started this diet I had to have sugar at every meal. I mostly ate fast food and vending machine food for a very long time. Rarely cooked a meal. Was in a continuous head fog. Second week was hard. Have to drink a lot of water or you feel like you are dying up. I am only losing 1 pound a week now. That’s 52 pounds a year!! Not having bowel movements as often as I did before I started the diet and I constantly have to go pee. An oily film appears when I pee, never seen that before. Overall I am extremely happy because I lose weight very slowly and my body adapts to lower calories quickly. I can fast for a month and lose only 15 pounds (did that last year on vacation). I am never hungry on this diet, no more fog, and I crave nothing all week. Also feeling more aggressive…thinking about exercise. No longer have that nagging feeling that I have to have some sugar. Thanks Tim for your research and your book. Before I was really depressed almost all the time, now I have hope that I will reach my goal (with very little effort) within a year. Thanks.
Starting tomorrow morning…. WISH ME LUCK!!!
How do you know when to stop the diet? Can you go back to eating white foods after you are at your desired weight?
This article is terribly misleadin, and simply incorrect. I didnt make it past the sentence where the author states he put on 10 pounds of lean muscle mass in 6 weeks. I didnt make it any further simply because i know that to be genetically, nutritionally, and biologically impossble without the heavy use of some seriously strong steriods combined with a “full time” body building lifestyle.which means “exercise”. But as the author states no excersize is required. Thats absurd and physically impossible.
if you’ll notice HIS schedule that HE listed…he DOES work out. He does not state that everyone who does this will put on 10lbs of lean muscle. He does not state that, because he says to lose 20lbs of fat on this diet, you do not have to workout. So he KNOWS people aren’t going to put on that kind muscle with this diet, because he KNOWS people aren’t going to be working out. He just states HIS results. When you are are a male 19-70, to maintain a healthy weight you should eat 56g of protein, according to the FDA and other leading experts, and too LOSE weight you must consume about twice that every day. So with him consuming as much protein as he is, as well as him working out (again, this is HIS schedule and his own modification to the diet) it is very possible for a man of his age and stature to put on 10lbs of lean muscle in 6weeks.
so before you go spouting off about it being misleading, READ FURTHER and get all of the facts.
Hi,
this is my food intake for today and even though im eating lots my calorific intake is low. today it works out about 1000.
usn vanilla protein shake for brekky,
lunch
120g of sardines
240g cannellini beans
100g baby spinach
1 boiled egg
dinner
same as lunch
supper boiled egg
Usually i get 100g of mixed raw nuts or a couple of table spoons of whole earth pure peanut butter.
Is it necesssary to eat say 2000cal a day if so what can i eat to bump this up whilst continuing with fat loss?
i started this diet last week but there is no change in my weight.i have a glass of soymilk with a cup of raspberries and blue berries.is this the real culprit and also i have lots of cherries when i get hungry.should i stop drinking soy and eat fruits ? please help!!!!!!!! And also please suggest me my post work out meal .i real feel hungry after 1 hour of cardio workout
Deepu – what diet are you doing? I did not see anything about drinking milk and eating fruit. I don’t eat any of that right now.
You need to be eating veggies meat and beans. Just eat that and you should not be hungry. I used to feel sick every day at work and now I cant even feel hungry until 2pm after eating breakfast at 7am.
You need to go with the food Tim listed.
StaceyGirl-Thanks for coming to rescue me .well,my diet is same as tim mentioned .
break fast-2 egg whites ,pinto beans,mixed veggies
lunch-kidney beans,mixed veggies,2 cups of cherries(that s a lot but i love cherries)
2 hours after lunch i run on thread mill or work on elliptical for 1 hour
after workout i eat-
20 almounds,a handful of peanuts-snack
2 nd snack-vanilla soymilk with raspberries and blueberries
dinner-a piece os salmon,veggies
now,is there any way to modify my plan to get results faster?
I’ve been on this plan for almost 3 weeks now. I pretty much went cold turkey on a lot of crap I was eating. No junk food, pop or fast food. At first it was really hard to cook everything even though I made a plan on what to make. It was just a little bit hard to get used to preparing, cooking and also the packing up part and taking it to work. Everyone at my work has seen me in the kitchen late afternoon making my healthy meals. I can honestly say that after eating a breakfast at 7am I am not hungry until about 1 or 2pm. I have no worked out yet so I am starting to think about what kind of workout program I am going to put myself on. I hate working out. I do a lot of walking because I have a dog and I try to do 3 walks a day with him. The other thing that was really difficult was family events (bbqs and parties) and going out on the weekend for lunch or dinner. I don’t try to binge like crazy because I feel like I am binging should I decide to go out for dinner and not eat my planned meals. I am going on a trip for a few days so we will see how that goes. I am already starting to worry but I know that I will be hiking a lot so hopefully that will compensate. Hope everyone is doing well!
Deepu,
In your respnse to staceygirl, you wrote; “well,my diet is same as tim mentioned”. And then you go on to list a bunch of stuff NOT as Tim mentioned. Where does Tim advise using fruit so heavily? Where does Tim advise eating so many nuts?
I’m constantly amazed at the number of posters that say, “I’,m following Tim’s diet and here is what I eat……” and they list includes a bunch of crap that Tim says to avoid.
I get the feeling that most people have found Tim’s diet via the web site and have NOT read the Four Hour Body book. I think that’s a mistake. If that is the case then people are doing themselves a disservice. The book goes into greater detail and if people actually read it and followed Tim’s advice, the number of questions on this forum would be cut in half.
Iam- Love your honest comments .when i started tracking all the food i noticed a thing …I AM NOT FOLLOWING THE DIET AND INSTEAD I AM PIGGING OUT…….DAILY .thanks a lot .u made me realised my mistakes, from today on i will stick to the diet and try to get the book and get some more useful answers.
one more thing that i felt happy about this program is eating lots of veggies .Before i use to fill up with lots of white carbs and fruits and always wondered why am i still overweight even though i am eating healthy?now i know what mistake i did !!!
i also thank all others who took time in responding to my question and made me think .it made a lot of difference
Deepu: It sounds like you need more protein because you are working out more. Lots of water. And I personally would lay off all of the fruit and milk for awhile. I am not a professional and I am not in a position to give good advice.
If anymore else wants to chime in please do 🙂
I wasn’t being defensive just factual. Having read Tims book a few times and having done the diet for a while I know the material very well so I just gave her the facts and an opportunity to respond (which she hasn’t). The only thing I was defending was the facts. And facts as they say are stubborn things
Any advice? I follow the diet exactly and I am ALWAYS hungry. I tend to have 5-6 meals a day instead of just 4. I have a meat, vegetable, & bean meal for breakfast, lunch, & dinner plus I have a protein shake as a second lunch whether its a workout out day or not. I eat a lot, I think. Why am I so hungry?
Perhaps you could increase the quantity at meal time. If you are adhereing to the diet strictly you shouldn’t be feeling hungry.
Off topic here but I just wanted to note a side benefit of the diet. I used to eat out almost everyday for lunch and I would usually skip breakfast too. Since I have I followed the diet, I have been taking my meals to work with me and I have saved a bunch of money by doing so.
Several people mentioned the incovenience of the diet. My solution was to prepare breakfast and lunch the night before and store them in tupperware. I could easily make breakfast in the morning but I value sleep so I sleep as late as possible and then just reheat my meal in the morning, grab my pre-made lunch and head to work.
It IS a lifestyle adjustment but it really isn’t that hard. I lost about 18 lbs and I have been holding steady. I am at a comfortable weight. I cheat a little bit here and there now that I lost the weight I wanted to but if I ever feel that I have gained a few unwanted lbs then I just stick to the diet again for a few days and I’m right back to were I want to be.
My walk around weight is 165. There is a brazilian jiu jitsu tournament coming to town in September and I think I will drop down to 155 to compete. I’m confident that if I start sticking to the diet religiuosly about 3 weeks from competition day I will easily drop the weight I want to.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you are getting your guidance strictly from the “short version” of the diet that is on the internet, then you are missing out. Do yourself a favor and spend $15 or whatever the book costs and get ALL the details. Plus there is way more than just the diet info.
And, NO, I don’t make anything from the sale of the book.
i absolutely hate beens, and lentils! what could i replace them with?
Not sure about a replacement for beans and lentils. I would suggest that you start with some black beans. You can search the internet or look on the back of the cans of beans for some recipes. Cans of Goya brand black means have a recipe for black beans and rice on the back (skip the rice, obviously). I encourage you to try that recipe, it’s well spiced and it’s got other vegies in it, it’s much better than eating plain beans.
Maybe that will ease you into liking beans and you can expirement from there on your own.
good luck.
im eating burgers or chicken sandwiches using lettuce as a bun with just tomatoe onion mayo and mustard. i eat 2 of these 3 times a day plus diet drinks or water. am i doing it right???
That sounds pretty good. I will try that. Two things though, are you eating beans? They will add protein and help you feel full so you don’t get hungry in between meals. And, make sure you check the mayo ingredients, if it has added sugar you should pobably skip it. I noticed that several brands of jarred mayo have added suger and some don’t.
I wondered about mayo too. In it’s most pure form it’s just eggs, oil and vinegar. All of which are ok for the diet (as far as I can tell), the only thing I wondered about was the quantity of oil. Maybe it’s a bit over the top…not sure. But I do like the “sandwich” idea.
As for the diet soda, Tim mentions in the book that you should limit it to about 20-24 oz per day (can’t remember whch), I believe the reasoning was that even though it’s an artificial sweetener, in enough quantity, it tricks your metabolism into reacting to it as if it was real sugar. And a LOT of this diet is about control/manipulating your metabolism.
Make you own mayo at home, then you will know for sure what is in it.
This may have been answered somewhere in the 8 huge pages of blog, but I just can’t be bothered to read that much…If I workout from 8:30-10:00am, in stead of in the evening, does that mean I get to eat carbs after my morning workout? What if my workout times vary and it is in the morning sometimes and in the evening sometimes? How is that going to affect the diet, and when is it best to workout/have carbs? Thank you.
That’s a good question, Amy.
In the book, I think Tim limits the carbs to his binge day, exclusively. On this web site, he has a picture of the pizza and calls it his post work out carbs or something like that. This gives the impression that it’s ok to eat pizza or other carbs post work out. The book seems to contradict this notion, however. So, having compared the book to the web site, I THINK the carbs are to be limited to only the binge day (and even then there is a proper procedure for eating the carbs and limiting their overall effect).
I would like someone else to chime in on this too. Someone that has read the book. I would like to know if my interpretation is correct or not.
I don’t work out in the gym much but I train BJJ 3-4 days per week. I often discuss work out related stuff with some of the other people that do more gym work than I do and they all talk about the importance of protein in muscle recovery and muscle building. I am not sure if the carbs (as in bread, rice , potatoe or pasta type carbs) are NECESSARY as a post workout nutrition (whereas protein does seem to be necessary).
Just as a point of interest, the book lists the five main RULES of the diet as:
1. Avoid “white” carbs.
2. eat the same meals over and over
3. Don’t drink your calories
4. Don’t eat fruit (except on binge day)
5. Take one day off per week
*****edit, I just checked the book:
Rule 1: avoid “white carbs” – regarding this point, here is a quote from the book: “The following foods are prohibited, except for within 30 minutes of finishing a “resistance-training” workout like thosed described in the “From Geek to Freak” or “Occam’s Protocol” chapters: all bread, rice (including brown), cereal, potatoes, pasta, tortillas, and fried food with breading.”
Note that the chapters on “From Geek to Freak” and “Occom’s Protocal” are all about BIG gains in muscle and strength. They aren’t just your average “stay healthy and fit” type workouts. BIG gains as defined by “gaining 34 pounds in 28 days”. As you can see, this changes the goal from losing weight to gaining big time muscle weight.
Having said that, I opperate under the assumption that becasue I’m not doing the geek to freak or Occam’s protocal type workouts, then I should continue to skip the carbs until binge day.
If anyone has a more thorough understanding, I would welcome any correcctions.
I’m 27 and weight 280lbs can I try CKD and loose fat? and can i do it without exercise?
Your diet is basically low carb and high proteins so i wont be in ketosis, so will my body use glucose as fuel and convert amino acids to do that?
Im confused, should i go with CKD or Slow carb. What according to you will result in max fat loss?
Tyler,
CKD is not as friendly a diet as Slow Carb. Yes, this is a low carb/moderate fat/high protein diet. It is possible to induce a state of ketosis using this diet, but it’s not necessary for weight loss. If you aim to limit carb intake to 100 grams or less a day, you will see results. If you want to maximize weight loss, reduce that number to 50 grams or less. In limiting carb intake while increasing dietary fat, your body will gradually shift from using glucose to fat as its chief energy source. Hope this helps.
Hey Tim,
I dont know how much i could thank you personally, I have always been on that uneasy line between ‘normal’ and ‘overweight’ on the BMI chart, but with just cutting back on sweets i dropped a bit, down into the normal region. However, though i dont appear fat now, i do have a lot of fat on my body, or at least *did* before this diet.
-I dropped from 67k to 62k in the first week, and after my first cheat day went up to 63.8k
-On the second week i dropped from roughly 64k to 59.5k and with that cheat day went up to 61.2k
-I am now on my third week, third day, and weighing 59k
One of my favorite breakfast meals, i came up with was an egg white omelet
I use about 4 egg whites, some chicken shreds, mixed, fresh, cubed vegetables and a little salt to make it,
I did all of this while hitting the gym twice a day for an hour of high intensity training all with the exception of my cheat day on Sunday when the gym was closed [:
Im 5 foot 9 inches, 14 years old on my third week of this diet, and ive lost 8k (17.6lbs) weighing now 59k [: thanks again Tim, ill repost when im done with my fourth week
Thanks so much for the kind comment, Fabi! Congrats and keep us posted!
Best,
Tim
Hi Amy,
Tim says the following for post workout eating:-
Post-workout carbs – If your goal is fat loss, and assuming you are not training for endurance competition:
– If you male and not 12% bodyfat or less, no post-workout carbs.
– If you are female and not 20% bodyfat or less, no post-workout carbs.
Hope this helps.
PS – If you can’t be bothered to search the sight for its many useful insights I wonder what effort you can afford to follow the nature of the slow carb diet. What you put in you get out (or lose in body fat anyway).
It says no dairy products but also says cottage cheese is allowed. Can we have any other cheeses.
Vegies – can we have corn, avocado or sweet potatoes
Fish – does it include seafood/shellfish
To maximize weight loss, I would avoid all dairy, including cottage cheese. Simply save it for your cheat day if you have to have it. Absolutely no corn! Avocado, yes. I would limit sweet potatoes and other starchy tubers to post work-out meals. For fish, I recommend following Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Pocket Guide to decide which type of fish to eat: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx.
Can I have grapefruit juice before my meals.
This is very interesting, i will try it out and see how it goes as i really like the idea of being able to eat what ever i like one day per week 🙂
little of rice…and a lot of vegetables….
though I have had this website in my favorites for a while…and I did do a variation of the high protein low carbs eating plan… and went from 225 to 195 in about the 30 day window… i never followed your plan… i am following it now…but I must admit the first week i still had a beer each night…but at end of week had lost 4 lbs… really grubbed hard on Sunday (cheat day) but all foods that are acceptable…meat,veggies,beans… my eating habits are very different… I have 1 hb egg in morning with dd coffee…. then a small bag of nuts at 10 am… then go for 2+mile walk at lunch and have piece of fruit(banana or peach) after walk…. get home at 4 and eat meat/beans/veggie and then again at 7… been drinking more water but still have that beer after work…. at same time dont get hungry or can tolerate when i do…feel like its good to be hungry… anyway I am at 220 right now and just starting second week… I will be more strict this week I got some amino acid packets that I will supplement as well starting this week… will update with any progress or lack there of…. girlfriend is on it too… but she eats fruit as well and yogurt in addition to the recommended meals… know that is not allowed but she is really getting skinny…
I used to go the gym religiously but had a new baby girl so thats my excuse for fallin off… but I still do lift weights to keep my muscles in shape just more randomly…but the walk thing i do every day 6 days a week so I am hoping that makes up for the cheating… a trainer told me that when you are doing these things that alcohol messes with the insulin production or somethin and it basiclly messes you up..(you dont lose). but I actually really like pinto beans, lentils and balck beans… i make turkey chill with black beans, pinto beans, and 1 can diced tomatoes and turkey… very delicious…could eat whole pan
I’ve been on this diet for a little over 3 weeks (first day was Monday June 27th) and am down 13 lbs–so 4.3 lbs per week. I haven’t exercised once, and haven’t added in the PAGG or cold treatment. I figured I’d add those as or if I start to plateau in coming months. One things for sure, I LOVE those cheat days on Saturday.
My wife and I own a dessert cafe, so diets don’t come easy for me, since I’m surrounded by cupcakes, cake, and pastries every day. But one thing has kept me a lot more strict about this diet than any other diet I have attempted–which I thought I’d share: My friend and I started the same day, and we promised one another that if we ever cheat, we HAVE to take a picture of the food we eat and text it to the other for immediate humiliation and ridicule. That alone has kept me pretty strict. I hate the idea of having to take a picture of a cupcake, and text it to my friend.
So the bottom line, in 3 weeks, I’ve only cheated once (a glass of milk to drink with my almond butter at night)–and I’m down 13 lbs.
23 more lbs to go, in order to achieve my goal of 36 lbs to lose before I turn 36!
I’ve been thinking about my weight a lot lately and I really need to lose 3Kgs. I can’t guarantee sticking to the “do not drink calories” rule, but for now I will definitely try my best to change my eating habits and choice of foods. I’ve been experiencing weight fluctuations for about 2-3 years now and it’s really starting to get to me.
What is the word on quinoa in regards to this diet?
There was a good article in the NY Times about a study that showed what foods cause people to loose weight
Still Counting Calories? Your Weight-Loss Plan May Be Outdated
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/19brody.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1
—
Dennis Law
Brooklyn South Community Emergency Response Team
Logistics Section
hello tim
I absolutely NEVER post on anything other than facebook or youtube. I hate these diet plans most people come up with. Most are soooo uninspiring. Not this one. thank you very much. I dont have any success to report as I have never tried any diet.
My ideal weight is 200. I am currently at 260. I feel so freaking disgusted with myself. Just 4 years ago i was in shape bound for the army. I had an operation that put me on my butt for about 6 weeks in which time my wife purposely fattened me up so i could not go. to make a long story short, I just got fatter.
I am really going to try this but I have a few questions. Im addicted to feel good, taste good foods and I have not much support. What do you suggest for motivation other than the obvious “personal health” factor? if I am not engulfed with support I will probably loose interest. I know thats sad but its the truth.
Second. I have four children ages 10, 7, 4, and 3. Is there any advice on getting them interested in eating healty too? heart trouble runs in my family and i want my kids to be healthy. im 31 and im not getting any younger. HELP!
first of all, shame on your wife. She should feel horrible for doing such a dirty thing and keeping you from serving your country and protecting your family.
You should tell her this and tell you you feel she needs to support you in this diet and you would greatly appreciate it if she would help you and try to get the whole family in shape.
dont just work on you and your personal health, work on the health of your whole family, both physically and emotionally. Do it together. Do it to protect your family, same as you would be doing in the army.
Also, thank you for wanting to serve in the army, and if you ever do go, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.