The 4-Hour Body / Slow-Carb Diet

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  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    marchenland: have you been tracking cals as well? If so, what sort of numbers lately? I would add in some steady state fasted cardio in the am. I would be ditching the situps and cat pukes (as I think there are a heap better core exercises like planks, T-pushups etc) How many KB swings do you do and at that weight? I would be adding a full body resistance workout at least twice a week and just do your KB's at the end of that as a metabolic finisher. FOcus on squats, deadlifts, press and rows. Assistance can be things like chin ups, pullups, dips.

    Personally, I think the way the book is written that you can just follow the SCD and do SFA exercise and miraculously lose a heap of weight is a bit optimistic (unless you are obese and have a terrible diet already). For the relatively fit people, you really should be incorporating some strength training and cardio to achieve the body recomposition they are after.
  • devuchka
    devuchka Posts: 19
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    so as to the topic of refried beans.

    i just decided to add more of those, to see what happens. i already am doing a mostly vegetarian diet, as i grew up that way & lately have gotten a little "enh..." about meat. i love fish though!

    i will report that i noticed, they are incredibly filling! so any of you wondering what to eat when you are still hungry, this will shut it down fast. i am currently eating old el paso, with green chilies.

    i figured refried beans are probably the last resort & if i hit a plateau, i expect i might want to eat quite a bit of these just to get going again. so i decided to see if i like them - and...si! mi gusto. :love:

    oh - and marchanland, i forgot to tell you what cardio i do. it's pretty easy. i have a $99 denise austin step machine that i got years ago, and a mini-trampoline. i mix those up doing 30-45 / day while watching TV at night. they roll away or fold up to store. add girlie kettlebells, a day of walking at the gym, & a weight day at the gym & that completes my current exercise menu. well, that & dragging myself back & forth to work everyday in boston weather...
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
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    "It is also important here to notice that Ferriss isn't saying "NO DAIRY PRODUCTS" PERIOD! He says on page 91, "....but I would avoid most milk products. Cottage cheese is an exception." He uses two key words here: "most" and "an."

    "Most" dairy products should be avoided. If he meant all dairy, he would have said "all milk products." Clearly, he does not mean that all milk products are off limits. The use of the article "an" implies that there are more exceptions than he is listing. Cottage cheese is simply "an" exception, not the only exception.
    Edited by Sporty98 on Sat 01/08/11 09:15 AM "


    Spoken like a lawyer!
  • marchenland
    marchenland Posts: 16 Member
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    marchenland: have you been tracking cals as well? If so, what sort of numbers lately?

    Not recently. I tracked them for the first 4 weeks or so, and I'm eating about the same now. They were coming in anywhere from 1100 to 1400. My base is supposed to be ~1620. I was really concerned about not gettin at least 1200, so I added avocado a few days a week to boost it over 1200.
    I would add in some steady state fasted cardio in the am. I would be ditching the situps and cat pukes (as I think there are a heap better core exercises like planks, T-pushups etc)

    Well, i was trying to follow the book to a T. I don't really have much time to be doing more exercises; I picked this because it is something I can work into my very busy lifestyle.
    How many KB swings do you do and at that weight?
    I do 50 resp, and I have 25lbs on my pipe bar, which I assume weights 3-5lbs, so I am assuming ~28-30lbs.
    I would be adding a full body resistance workout at least twice a week and just do your KB's at the end of that as a metabolic finisher. FOcus on squats, deadlifts, press and rows. Assistance can be things like chin ups, pullups, dips.

    Again, I'm not doing that stuff; not only do I not have the time, but as I noted before, when I was ~35, I went to a gym 3-5 times a week, for over an hour each visit, for months, doing about 45 minutes of cardio plus a full weight regimen, alternating between upper and lower body. In the months I went, I did bulk up quite a bit. I also lost not one ounce AND ended up with a rip-roaring case of depression drugs. I cried daily (not something I did even as a teenager) and became suicidal - not because I wasn't losing weight, mind. I can only assume that something in all of that messed up my brain chemistry. I won't go back to that.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    Well I suppose you're options are to stick it out and see if weight loss improves, go back to the old way you were eating (if you wish) or change up the exercise you are doing. That choice is really up to you.

    I do believe the way the book is written that it makes it sound like a miracle weight loss strategy which depending on current weight/fitness level may or may not be the case.
  • devuchka
    devuchka Posts: 19
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    Well I suppose you're options are to stick it out and see if weight loss improves, go back to the old way you were eating (if you wish) or change up the exercise you are doing. That choice is really up to you.

    there is another option - eat less. period. my stomach always shrinks when i do this, and then i am happy eating less. for the SCD i am doing the plan as if it were a diet, and i am eating only enough not to be hungry. when i get hungry, i just eat another meal of beans or egg salad sandwiches, whatever. when i reach ideal weight, i will stuff myself on probably the same kind of food. but i am treating this as if it were another plan, not the SCD. the benefit about this plan is that it enables you to not be hungry. you can be fully satisfied. case in point - try eating 2 cups of refried beans and see if you can get it down. and anything else besides. i can't even get down 2 cups. this menu is great in that what you eat less of actually causes you to lose weight WHILE feeling full.

    let's keep in mind that tim ferriss likely maintains a high metabolism, probably doesn't sit all day long at a job, and has been keeping his body like a machine for years. all these things will cause his food intake to be appropriate for him, while potentially being way too much for a 5'7 girl like me. i gained 5 lbs in less than 8 weeks after taking this job, simply because i was sitting writing, instead of jumping up & down (as a secretary) every five minutes making people photocopies, mailing stuff, etc. your daily grind does impact weight.

    i have found every time i have lost weight the elements are the same: eat only so you are not hungry, and keep up the cardio at a very relaxing pace. so that it is enjoyable, not a strenuous "work-out." then add 1 work-out of weight per week (and targeted areas only, i.e. quads, hamstrings, bis, tris, abductor, adductor). any core weight exercises put on weight & bulkage.
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79
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    Hey!!! Haven't popped in for awhile, so I thought I'd drop by for a quick Hi!

    I was off plan all weekend, gained 2.5 lbs come monday morning, and today I'm back down to post cheat weight plus another 0.2lbs!!!! Granted this whole cold I've had has kept my appetite down and I'm drinking water like a fish, but I was still shocked to step on the scale to see it read lower today than it did on Saturday!

    HItting the grocery store tonight to restock the food in the house. We had to resort to pizza last night since there was no food in the house to cook. It wasn't very good, so I managed to choke down only one slice.....so I still ended up below my daily cal target, so I think that's why it didn't kill me on the scale this morning.
  • eponai
    eponai Posts: 38 Member
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    when i get hungry, i just eat another meal of beans or egg salad sandwiches, whatever.

    i'm confused. how are you eating sandwiches if there is no bread allowed on this plan?
  • devuchka
    devuchka Posts: 19
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    when i get hungry, i just eat another meal of beans or egg salad sandwiches, whatever.

    i'm confused. how are you eating sandwiches if there is no bread allowed on this plan?

    i am doing a modified plan...tim references that most people in his book (that were on his blog or whatever) do that. if i don't see at least 1lb/week lost, i will get more strict. but i'm not too concerned...i already lost 20 lbs before in 2004 eating a lot of egg salad sandwiches, so the proof is in the - sandwiches, lol.

    i also get sick if i don't eat fruit. his rationale against fruit doesn't take into account that countries like russia store fruit in the cellars all winter long. & they can it. i ate fruit in the winter there, without refrigerators. so i am supplementing with some fresh fruit so my C levels don't fall.
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
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    i'm confused. how are you eating sandwiches if there is no bread allowed on this plan?
    i am doing a modified plan...

    I dunno. I'm not saying that your diet is bad or anything (clearly it's not - it's working), but egg salad sandwiches? Maybe it's not this way, but the way you mention them makes it sound like it's a staple of your diet...something to the effect of, "I just grab another egg sandwich", or something similar... I would say that if you're eating bread on a regular basis, and, thus, violating one of the 5 main rules of the slow carb diet on a regular basis...you're not on the slow carb diet.

    Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that you should change, and I'm not saying what you're doing is wrong. I'm just saying...you could eat pretty much anything and say you're on a "modified version" of the diet. I eat pizza everyday, but I'm on the slow carb diet...etc...etc...

    Just' sayin'...
  • marchenland
    marchenland Posts: 16 Member
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    Well I suppose you're options are to stick it out and see if weight loss improves, go back to the old way you were eating (if you wish) or change up the exercise you are doing. That choice is really up to you.

    I was pretty happy on my previous vegetarian diet, and after I started tracking calories, I was losing weight at about the same rate as I am now, but without feeling like I was denying myself things I enjoy. I agreed to do 4HB b/c my BF wanted to do it, and I'm supporting him.

    At any rate, I'm not going to go back to a gym workout and the things that came with it for anything. I can't come up with any notion of a world where planning, repeatedly, to kill myself (or spending years on really nasty anti-depressants which only make me gain weight, along with other side effects) seems like a good way of life. If that's my other option, you *might* understand why I would choose something else.
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
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    I was pretty happy on my previous vegetarian diet, and after I started tracking calories, I was losing weight at about the same rate as I am now, but without feeling like I was denying myself things I enjoy. I agreed to do 4HB b/c my BF wanted to do it, and I'm supporting him.

    I don't blame you. Doing ANY program is much easier when you're partnered up with someone else doing the same program. Makes preparing meals more worthwhile, makes you feel like you're accountable to more than just yourself, etc. These online communities are great and all, but it's not like having someone you actually know doing it along with you.
    At any rate, I'm not going to go back to a gym workout and the things that came with it for anything. I can't come up with any notion of a world where planning, repeatedly, to kill myself (or spending years on really nasty anti-depressants which only make me gain weight, along with other side effects) seems like a good way of life. If that's my other option, you *might* understand why I would choose something else.

    I don't blame you. What type of workout were you doing at the gym? I wonder if there are other ways you could get more exercise without triggering that same response. Then again, maybe you're plateauing, and you'll get past it. The 2 weeks prior to this week, I lost a total of 0.5 lbs, and, so far, this week - I still am carrying 1.5 lbs of Sunday's cheat day weight. So, I definitely feel like I'm plateauing, despite increasing my exercise over the last 10 days. The thing about this diet, for meat least, is that I'm so content eating it, the plateau is much less bothersome. I really don't care that much. I AM going to monitor my cheat day intake this week, though, and make sure it stays under 3000 calories, but other than that, I'm personally just going to ride it out.
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79
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    @mcferg, I agree. If you're on the SCD, then be on the SCD.

    Sure, life happens and stuff, but, devuchka, to say you're on a "modified" version seems off to me. When I slip up and eat something that I know isn't part of the plan, I say I went off plan....not that I'm doing a modified version. The main idea of this plan is to not eat the "white" carbs. Your egg salad sandwiches sound like they break more than just one rule too. What else are you putting into the egg salad? Where are the legumes and veggies? And if you really want egg salad, then why not do it as a lettuce wrap? Why does it have to be a sandwich? You mention that you lost 20lbs in 2004 eating alot of egg salad sandwiches. But what was the rest of your diet like? Were you living on egg salad and not much else? Doesn't sound like a healthy balanced diet to me. And isn't that the end goal.....health? And for how long could you possibly survive on egg salad sandwiches? No wonder you're back dieting again, that's not sustainable. Sounds like you're eating fruit as well.....which is another rule broken. So we're up to at least 2 now. Exactly what are you doing that's SC? What does storing fruit in cellars or canning it have to do with the reason for not eating it on this diet? Why don't you take a Vit C supplement and save the fruit for your free day?

    @marchenland, I hope you're able to stick with it. Supporting your BF is great, but you need to be doing this for you. Could you find a happy medium between your old vegetarian diet and the SCD so you don't feel denied of the things you enjoy?
  • devuchka
    devuchka Posts: 19
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    i'm confused. how are you eating sandwiches if there is no bread allowed on this plan?
    i am doing a modified plan...

    I dunno. I'm not saying that your diet is bad or anything (clearly it's not - it's working), but egg salad sandwiches? Maybe it's not this way, but the way you mention them makes it sound like it's a staple of your diet...something to the effect of, "I just grab another egg sandwich", or something similar... I would say that if you're eating bread on a regular basis, and, thus, violating one of the 5 main rules of the slow carb diet on a regular basis...you're not on the slow carb diet.

    well, extremity in anything leads to early abandonment. i don't plan to abandon this plan anytime soon, so i will modify it to keep myself on it.

    as i pointed out, i lost 20 lbs before i ever knew about the SCD and i was eating egg salad sandwiches almost every day for lunch.

    so am i on the SCD? absolutely. am i gonna be fanatical about it? not on your life.
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
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    well, extremity in anything leads to early abandonment. i don't plan to abandon this plan anytime soon, so i will modify it to keep myself on it.

    plus, i am not complaining about plateauing, so for me, there is no need to worry. people are on this board doing the SCD to the letter & not losing weight, and i am, so ... there it is! :)

    Like I said - I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong...I'm saying you're not on the SCD. You're eating egg salad sandwiches and counting calories. There's not necessarily anything wrong with that. My only point was that if you take a diet like this that has like 5 main rules and throw one of them out the window, I think it's a stretch to say your on the it. It seems to me like you're on a calorie-restricted diet that employees some of the components of SCD. Again - you're losing weight, you're exercising and, assuming you're not eating ONLY egg salad sandwiches, I'm sure you're improving your health and fitness.
  • devuchka
    devuchka Posts: 19
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    well, extremity in anything leads to early abandonment. i don't plan to abandon this plan anytime soon, so i will modify it to keep myself on it.

    plus, i am not complaining about plateauing, so for me, there is no need to worry. people are on this board doing the SCD to the letter & not losing weight, and i am, so ... there it is! :)

    Like I said - I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong...I'm saying you're not on the SCD.

    actually, you are. i came on this board for support, not for criticism. how i do the SCD is my business only. if you haven't read the part in the book about people on the modified plan, i suggest you might want to go back & read it.

    ok, i am happy to leave this board. if there is a tendency to be fanatical & critical, i don't really need to associate with this type of group. note i'm one of the only people not complaining about plateauing, so again, there we have it.

    and sbracken, i'm really surprised you are turning on me. as one of my "friends" on here, you have access to my diet plan, which you didn't read before you jumped all over me also.

    that's ok, ya'll can continue, i will find another place to find support since it seems like the general trend is to attack someone who is succeeding when one is frustrated with their own progress.

    lately, i never said anything, that i recall about calorie counting.

    good luck everyone!
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79
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    "Turning on you"?!?!? "one of your firends"?!?! What are we 12?????? No, I didn't go look at your diary. I didn't feel it was necessary. I was just simply pointing out that you've taken 2 of the 5 rules of the SCD and dismissed them. Yet still consider yourself to be on the SCD plan. To me that just doesn't fit. We're all on this thread because we're on the SCD plan. And if we need suggestions for craving or meal alternatives or snacks, we expect them to be true to the SCD plan. Not "grab an egg salad sandwich" which is very clearly not on plan.

    For the record.....I'm not frustrated with my progress on this plan at all. Plateaus are common in the weight loss world. The few here that are struggling with it are talking about it because they either want to vent about it, or ask for suggestions on ways to break it. But all the while still sticking to the SCD plan.
  • devuchka
    devuchka Posts: 19
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    a final word...just to give new readers encouragement. after just 3 weeks on the MSCD (Modified SCD), this morning i finally fit into my second "goal" outfit, a green wool jacket that i just adore & haven't been able to wear in more than a year. i could button all the buttons & it looked sexy & fit well, not tightly.

    this means that the SCD works wonders, because i could never have done that on any other diet in just 3 weeks. why? i only have lost 4-5 lbs. the rest of the loss has been in girth, which is all i care about really.

    so in addition to my "scales skirt," which was my first goal, this makes two goals met!

    i'm moving on to my favorite gray suit & my yummy sexy red dress next, that i couldn't even fit over my hips a few weeks ago.

    for those of you who want to read the 4-Hour Body Blog which is hosted by the author, it's actually located in the 4-Hour WorkWeek URL, which is here...

    http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/

    tim's blog/commentary area is a "safe" environment. :wink: aka this warning, "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."

    bon voyage & have a great time eating everyone! :drinker: (well, don't eat everyone, just some people. ok, don't eat anyone. it's not part of the SCD. or the MSCD either.)

    :laugh:
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79
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    ok....well....back to the subject......



    With my "Dieter's Gone Wild" day coming up tomorrow I decided to reread the Damage Control chapter, along with a few other areas of the book as a refresher.

    And I thought I'd write up a quick summary of Damage Control for ref. for those of us DGWing it one day this weekend.

    1) Minimize the release of insulin
    - Ensure 1st meal isn't a binge meal, 30g protein and fiber
    - Consume small qty of fruit sugar (grapefruit juice to etend effect of caffeine) before 2nd meal
    - Use supplements that increase insulin sensitivity - AGG
    - consume citric juices though-out the day

    2) Increase the speed of gastric emptying
    -caffeine and yerba mate tea
    -100-200mg at most "crap-laden" meals
    - Athletic Greens will also help

    3) Engage in brief muscular contraction throughout day
    -air squats/wall preses/chest pulls - 280 secs
    performed 60-90 secs before each meal and 90 mins after


    Good luck and enjoy your "Dieter's Gone Wild" day!!! I know I will.
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
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    Devuchka,

    You're right. I despise you. I lay awake at night seething over the thought of you eating egg-salad sandwiches and continuing to lose weight at a rapid pace, while I continue to eat legumes, veggies and protein yet plateau. It's just not fair! What's really weird is that the thought of eating egg salad used to turn my stomach. In fact, the one attempt in the last 10 years I made to eat it literally made me vomit...yet, now...because of your recent weight loss, I crave it. I dream about it. Last night, even though I can't eat it, I filled my bathtub with it, just so I could surround myself with its mayonnaise-y goodness. Curse you, Devuchka! Curse you for having diet success!

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