The 4-Hour Body / Slow-Carb Diet

monmon028

@umd & @Goalis

Thanks for all your input I really feel that I have a better handle on this now.

Sugar free jello it is!

So for the meals, when Tim says "Have the same few meals over and over again"--- does that literally mean we should have the same recipes? Or just as long as we use one component from proteins, legumes, veggies, etc? I've been trying to come up with all sorts of different recipes just so I'm not eating the same thing everyday. Will it have an effect on weight loss?

umd78

As long as you find a recipe that only includes allowable foods, you will be fine. How the foods react to your body may be a different story. It seems to me to find out what works for you and apply it over and over again.

I forgot to post this earlier but here is a good cookbook i found.

http://robbwolf.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/The-Slow-Carb-Cookbook.pdf

Goalis180

@Goalis180

Diary isn't an allowable food group in this diet. I'm not one to nitpick but it doesn't seem to right to suggest to others seeking advice. It may work for you but I generally feel like one should follow the diet to a T first before adjusting to their own wants.

You know what, I totally forgot that wasn't acceptable. It confused me bc he mentioned it in another section on fermented foods that are good for you. Page 4 of this very thread was talking about yogurt. I didn't even realize that soy sauce probably wouldn't be allowed either. It looks like, back to just salsa.

As far as the yogurt thing, well, as far as I'm concerned I will continue to have it because of the pro-biotic benefits. I've cut all other dairy out, so a bowl per day isn't affecting me. I've still lost weight and continue to do so. However, as you said, I won't make that suggestion to the people who want to be "purists" on this diet.

So, when I said that it wasn't bc i was flaunting my version of it, bc if I do mention things that "I" do, I try to let people know. The yogurt was an oversight.

violynist

So, when I said that it wasn't bc i was flaunting my version of it, bc if I do mention things that "I" do, I try to let people know.

amen. applause for diversity. let's let this board work for everyone, no matter how we eat. freedom of speech, & all that good stuff.

tim mentions cottage cheese, yogurt and buttermilk (fermented stuff), along with citrus throughout the book, recommending them at different times, and then saying to abstain at others. i believe soy sauce (the real stuff) is encouraged because it is fermented. in any case, apparently these areas are open to interpretation. so there you have it. :drinker: if you choose to use them or not is up to you.

the point is, if you are not losing weight, figure out what's holding you back. if you are, then it's working!

monmon028

@Violynist-- I notice that too, I first read the section specific to the SCD and I am now reading through the rest of the book, and it's obvious why a bunch of people question different foods (including myself). Like you said, he mentions dairy etc a lot throughout other sections of the book. But yes I agree with you, " if you are not losing weight, figure out what's holding you back. if you are, then it's working!"

umd78

Just in response to the past posts, I'm not saying anyone should follow the SCD to the exact word. Although, I will argue that the restrictions on your diet are there for a reason. This is a generality, but I can assume most of us didn't eat healthy before we started this diet. By following the rules, many of us have eliminated a lot of processed foods from our bodies. Obviously, this will cause for an overall increase in health, or weight loss. I only bring up restrictions for those who want to try to get the maximum weight loss before adapting to their wants/needs/desires. I would love to have milk with my protein shakes, and I would probably still lose weight. Would it be as much weight? Probably not.

That's all I was saying.

Unless you try the program with all the restrictions, you don't really know what your max weight loss could be.

violynist

Unless you try the program with all the restrictions, you don't really know what your max weight loss could be.

tru 'dat. i guess i am afraid to lose more than 1 lb/week. weird, huh? if it's progressive, i keep up emotionally & my closet can handle the weight loss. but if too fast, i can't change my psyche along with my body.

so, circumference & product updates...

circumference: my favorite jeans are now falling off, hard to keep up! love it.

products:
- hemp protein - vanilla spice: not bad! go for it if you want to avoid whey
- macadamia nut oil - yes, it is great on eggs! yummy.

also unrelated, but interesting. don't know what the cause is, but my sex drive is def ramping up! not sure if it's the diet, the l-carnitine, or the wild mexican yam. whatev, i will just go with it! :laugh:

sbracken

Happy Day After St. Patrick's Day!!!!! I indulged greatly yesterday! Started out good with egg whites for breakfast. Then for lunch it was 5 22oz Miller Lites and a Chocolate Cake shot. Then pizza for dinner (2 slices) from the bar we were at. Then I grabbed a banana to ward off the headacahe that was forming at around 8pm. Then came the chocolate chip cookies, pretzels and wine. Feeling good this morning, no hangover at all. Drank about 2L of water last night after getting home after dinner. And right back to being on plan today. Since I was off plan yesterday, I'm not sure if I'll cheat or not this weekend. I think I'll play it by ear and see what's what come Sunday.

msbiz

Hi! This is my first post since I just found this support site for the 4 HB diet. I started the diet on Jan 17, 2011 (my New Year's resoluton!) and it started out great, but has slowly deteriorated for me. I stick to the diet RELIGIOUSLY, eating basically the same things all the time as Tim recommends. On cheat days, I go crazy with CANDY and CHOCOLATE, since that's what I crave. I'm thinking that that is my problem and, like Sporty, I need to have a cheat MEAL instead.
So, here's my progress: lost 9" since Jan. 17 (8 weeks); lost ONLY 2 LBS. in that time! I was so discouraged, I blamed he scale and went out yesterday and BOUGHT A NEW SCALE, only to find that I weigh TWO POUNDS more than when I started! AAAAGGGHHHH!!! To torture myself even more, I took out my summer clothes today and can only fit into maybe 1/2 of the capris! I'm ready to jump off a low wall! Tomorrow is cheat day and I'm scared to death! I know I SUPPOSED to force myself to have it, but I'm afraid to gain even more! I drink about 8 1/2 liter bottles of water a day, 1 glass of red wine, only legumes, veggies and good proteins. I do the workout on page 164 three times a week, using a 10# kettlebell and I walk my dog about 1.5 miles about 5 days a week (not fast since he has to pee on EVERY bush and tree!), but at least I'm moving. I also do a great deal of gardening (strenuous!) about 3 days a week...lots of bending, lifting, hauling, etc. I should be SKINNY! Any suggestions?

violynist

So, here's my progress: lost 9" since Jan. 17 (8 weeks); lost ONLY 2 LBS. in that time!

@msbiz: hi! welcome! sorry to hear you are discouraged!

did you mean 9 inches or 9 lbs lost? can you clarify? if 9 inches, that is pretty amazing! the diet results in body recomposition, so do you think that might be a factor here?

i'm not an expert on the diet, i will let other folks handle that. but i will share my experience - that i do bulk up with repetitive weight reps, almost immediately, so i have to keep those at a minimum...

i use cardio to lose weight. if i walk 2 miles/day at a moderate pace with no interruptions, i will lose weight. have you thought about focusing 100% on your cardio, & separating that time from the dog walks?

msbiz

First, thanks for the warm welcome, Violynist! Yes! that's nine INCHES, although it might actually be more since I only measure ONE thigh and ONE arm so my totals went from 167" to 158" in two months. I did expect more weight loss, though...I mean, TWO POUNDS IN TWO MONTHS! Golly, at this rate, it'll take me YEARS to get to my goal weight AND...I haven't lost even an iota of a pound since the end of February. Also, I don't see THAT big a difference in the way my clothes fit since I'm losing pretty much all over (e.g., 2 " from my hips since the beginning and 3" from my waist...which I love!). I like your idea about walking WITHOUT the dog (at least give him a little mile and then bring him home and do a good deal more on my own). I can walk at least 4 miles by myself at a fairly good clip, so I'll try that starting on Monday. Tomorrow is cheat day and hubby is taking me to the Melting Pot (fondue) so that will be a HUGE treat. French toast for b'fast (w/challah bread...yum!) but I'll go easy on the candy and chocolate this week.
I feel uplifted already, just knowing someone is cheering me on! THANK YOU! Glad YOU are progressing! Keep up the good work!

violynist

I don't see THAT big a difference in the way my clothes fit since I'm losing pretty much all over (e.g., 2 " from my hips since the beginning and 3" from my waist...which I love!).

@msBiz: sounds like you will have fun today! enjoy!

if you read back over the experience of people on this board, you will notice some drop drastically, but most of us have seemed to lose 1 lb or 1/2 lb/week. it does seem a bit depressing when you look at it that way, but i see baby steps as great, particularly as i have either not been able to lose weight (i sit and write all day long) or if i do, i have to starve myself and then exercise like a mad woman.

tim recommends for people to share their exact diets for a day. if you'd like input from some other folks, feel free to let us know what you have eaten for a day or 2, as it gives a sense of how you are applying the meal plan.

thanks for the good words. i sure needed that! i'm back up1/2 lb, but still getting smaller...my big happy news is that i can see my hip-bones again! i'm sure loving this way of living.

msbiz

vioynist....CONGRATS! ON SEEING HIP BONES! QUITE AN ACHIEVEMENT! Keep up the good work and enjoy Cheat Day!

well, I'm starting at PAGE 1! Got a new scale yesterday and I was 7.7 lbs. HEAVIER on it than on my old scale this morning! YIKES! I guess I've just been fooling myself about my (old) scale since I was always 5# or more heavier on the doctor's scale. Well, at least it'll be realistic. TODAY IS CHEAT DAY! I started with a light b'fast of a handful of white chicken, 1/2 c. of black beans and all the leftover fresh asparagus, about a cup or more. I re-read the Art of Binging section in the book and will be sure to do the squats before and after meals and drink LOTS of water and also drink some caffeine, if I can find it in the house (I purged all caffeine year ago). Hey! I'll go to Starbucks and get a cupaJoe...caffeine on steroids!!! A chocolate croissant is calling to me and so is that challah bread for French Toast. BTW, I measured and I lost 1/2" off my waist this week...tttthast's all folks! I'll take it....Turning a page and looking FORWARD....Have a great weekend...will check back with you on Monday.

monmon028

@msbiz I am assuming a lot of the weight gain is attributed to more muscle? 9" is a great accomplishment, and in my opinion a great reason to press forward with this plan!


Well I am officially done with my first week!!! And I am HAPPY to report an 8lbs weight loss since Monday! I was also terrified because of the fluctuating weights from different scales. So I decided to stick to one and just go off that. I purchased a scale from wal-mart, its digital with a user memory, but boy is it inconsistent. In the end, all I know if I feel great and I am so proud of myself for sticking through it. Like I said in earlier blogs, I was always the person who ate more side dishes than the actual dishes.

Today is my cheat day!!! No cravings for fried anything! My first indulgence was in a delicious sweet mango, and a giant orange. Who am I?! I remember thinking on when I started this that I would be scarfing down a big ol burger the moment I woke up on cheat day. I'll be hitting up the salad bar today and a family dinner later this evening. Oh and I'll probably be reunited with some vodka later tonight too.

Like Tim said in the his book, I'm starting with a goal to lose 20lbs first. But ideally, I want to shed over 50lbs. So far, the weight I lost included very little exercise. In fact, I only worked out once and that was during a basketball game. Next week, I plan on slowing starting a cardio regiment, then on week three getting into the weights. I am also intrigued with the thermal therapy Tim mentioned, so I've only been drinking ICE water. Someday, maybe after a glass of wine, I'll try the ice tub.

Happy cheat day to you all (for whom it applies)...otherwise Great job everyone!

bluebird321

Weigh-In today was 210.6 lbs. That's about 2.6 lbs since last week -- I like the steady progress on this diet.

Day #28 213.2 lbs
Day #21 215.6 lbs
Day #14 218.4 lbs
Day #7 221.4 lbs
Day #1 227.8 lbs

msbiz

@monmon...I am sooooo JEALOUS! EIGHT lbs. in a week!!! I'd kill for that! GREAT GOIN'. BTW, are you a MAN? Guys lose more weight faster than women 'cause of all that muscle. My husband hardly diets and can lose 5 lbs. just like that! If you're a guy, I won't feel so bad. And...not too many cravings on cheat day? Amazing!
I started w/regular b'fast and then had a choc. croissant. For brunch, I made French toast/w challah bread and berries and bacon. We worked on our pond today....what a job! Lots of exercise here! Mid p.m., I had a couple of peanut clusters and a glass of red wine...go figure! Tonight, we eat at the Melting Pot. We got a BIG gift certificate for Christmas and we're FINALLY getting around to usng it. I'm bringing carb blockers, though, in case they have a lot of bread and such. Already sad cheat day is almost over...it's not as "excitin" after a few weeks...not like the first or second one, so enjoy the "thrill" of it now.

msbiz

@monmon....with regard to scales...I also got a diital scale at Walmart and it's inconsistencies drove me crazy! I bought it back and got a REALLY nice glass digital scale at Costco for about a DOLLAR more and I love it! I do weigh more on it than my old scale, but I always suspected it was "off" at least 5 #. Anyway, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm starting from scratch on the weight thing and will move forward.

The Melting Pot was a great cheat, albeit not so crazy...I mean teeny bits of meat and such. The dessert part was great and I focused on dipping the fruit in the chocolate instead of a lot of cake. It was delish and filling. Today? Salad all day and TONS of water and I bought a rotisserie chix at Costco and will feast on that tonight. Now...to plan NEXT WEEK'S cheat day

walkers345

I switched my cheat day to Sunday this week. I am really glad it's over. It was fun, but I was full the last half of the day, it was not a good feeling at all, and I ended up going to bed early at 8 pm. I haven't been so full on a cheat day yet. I didn't eat more than my usual cheat days, so I don't know what was going on. Probably, my body sending me a signal to STOP! I did drink lots of water in an effort to aid digestion, and I'm up 4 lbs today, yikes! Oh well, I'm glad to get back to normal.

Pre-cheat day I had lost another .75", no weight loss, but I am feeling firmer in my arms and legs, so I will take it.
Total inches lost since Jan 10, Is 5".

monmon028

@msbiz I am a female and I totally plan on sending that liar scale back to walmart! I'll take your advice and head to costco.

It's Monday and two days since my cheat day! I was afraid I would fall deeply in love with the cheat day and forget to get back on track. But I hopped back on and so far so good.

I was afraid to weigh myself but I knew I had to. And of course, the lying scale said I love EVEN more weight over the weekend? Definitely sending that scale back. lol But I do appreciate it's attempt to make me feel better about myself.

As for the food I ate during cheat day... the fullness I feel after loading up on carbs and the fullness I feel when I back on the diet is like night and day. I almost felt disgusted after eating french toast.

monmon028

@msbiz also I could be losing weight faster because I have more weight to lose =P

I started at 235lbs (This was on a regular WORKING scale)
I am apparently 223 as of this morning but seeing as how my scale is inaccurate, I am assuming I am about 5lbs heavier than what it says.

I'll let you know the accurate figures once I get this new scale.

msbiz

@monmon...glad to hear from you and happy you're switching scales! I am THRILLED to report that, although I gained 3.7 lbs. the day after cheat day, that today (Monday) I am DOWN 3 of those pounds! Usually, it takes me a few days to lose it and then THAT'S THAT...I don't lose any more during the week. I have HOPE for this week, though, since I've already lost close to all of it. I have NEW RESOLVE and today I made a big pot of lentils and a big pile of crispy cauliflower from those recipes in 4 Hour Body Cookbook (on line)...both FANTASTIC (and I don't usually like lentils or cauliflower!). If you need the recipes, let me know and I'll post them. I am now MEASURING and calculating my food...usually 1/2 cup of veggies and legumes and whatever of the protein (2 eggs and 1/4 c. of egg whites for b'fast and 1/2 c. of tuna for lunch). I'm keeping a calorie count...just for a day or two...so I have some idea of what I putting in. So far today, 673 calories. I have two meals to go and will have 8 oz. rotisserie chicken (no skin) with 1/2 c. green beans and 1/2 c. pinto beans. That will bring me to 1126 calories for the day. I'll munch on some of that yummy cauliflower if I get hungry tonight and that should round me out to 1200 calories, my GOAL. No exercise today as it was WINDY out, but I did do about an hour's worth of tough gardening early this a.m., if that counts for anything. I'll be dying to see if I lose anything tomorrow. I'll keep you posted. BTW, I'm not skinny either. Today, I was 177.1 and at 5'3", that's chubby. I was 108 the day I got married! YIKES! Realistically, though, I'm shooting for 140 -150. Let me know how the new scale works out. GOOD GOIN' on coming back strong from cheat day! Funny, how the foods we love (read: CARBS!) now seem like "forbidden fruit"! I can't wait to have PASTA this cheat day...I'm Italian and haven't had it ONCE in the eight cheat days so far...too busy eating CHOCOLATE, I guess! ha! ha!

msbiz

@walkrs345...funny how you say back on the diet is "normal" ha! ha! Sorry you felt so full, but maybe that's a good thing. I find I'm not gorging myself anymore like I did the first two cheat days. This week (my 8th) was pretty mild by comparison and I felt good about it and myself. I think that's Tim "hidden plan"....you'll lose the 4 lbs. fast if you're true to your moniker (walker!)

circadianswing

To all myfitnesspal folks on this diet with me...

I'll repost what I saw on another site regarding Tim's new cookbook... I took the plunge and ordered the larger cookbook, since I don't think I'm changing my diet anytime soon. I also figure Tim's "seal of approval" is on them since he took the time to collect these from his various submissions.

Tim just announced his new SCD cookbooks. Vol 1 with 50 recipes is $31, vol 2 with all vol 1 plus 30 more recipes is $56.

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2011/03/19/the-slow-carb-diet-cookbook/

Yes, all proceeds go to charity, but those had better be some good recipes at that price point...

If anyone buys a copy, please let us know what you think.

msbiz

o.k., I have to tell you that the reason I gain so much weight is that I'm a COOKBOOK AUTHOR! I have published TWO cookbooks and both retail on Amazon for around $19 (free shipping if you spend $25) and both have ALL NEW recipes and both have over 200 recipes. So, I'm not thrilled about spending $50+ for 80 recipes...sorry! Charity or no, Tim has to do better than this. Thanks, circadionswing, though, for the info.

monmon028

@msbiz What a downer! I got the new scale, just a normal non digital scale and I guess those 8lbs I THOUGHT I lost was actually 5 lbs =[ . Then after cheat day, I gained about 2lbs. Darn scales. Oh well, time to press on. I'm going to start relying on measurements.

Tim does mention that calorie counting is not the best method, because there are so many other factors left out...but still I think that is an excellent idea to keep tabs on what goes into your body. I am eating 4 meals, and the proportions are all big.I wonder if that is effecting the speed of my weight loss. I assumed it wouldn't since Tim mentions to eat until you are full.

I'm going to try to incorporate exercise into my plan starting today. I just dont feel like I'm getting any stronger. I feel I can create more weight loss with more cardio.

Let me know how the calorie counting goes, I'll let you know how the exercising goes.

monmon028

PS- I used to be ok with beans...and now I despise them! Does anyone have any good recipes that incorporate beans discretely?

I do however love Edamame. So maybe I'll stick to those.

Is there anything else I can eat to make up for my hatred for beans????

MollyWisk

Today is my first day and I am so excited. I waited until today because my husband is traveling for work today, tomorrow and Thursday and I thought 3 days just planning my food would get me going!

Today I have had cottage cheese, carrots, and almonds. I have made canellini beans with garlic and onion, and green beans with butter and dill to measure into serving size containers. I am also boiling eggs for hard boiled eggs for morning and on salads.

Tonight I have some more grocery shopping to do. I also plan to hit the gym!!

I really have enjoyed reading all your stories! Thanks for sharing!

circadianswing

Hi Mollywisk

obviously, this diet is up to interpretation, you can do you whatever you want, but I've been on this diet for a while, and from postings and what I've read, it seems the following are the consensus.

almonds = domino food... you should avoid
cottage cheese = only eat it if you can no longer avoid dairy, otherwise avoid
carrots = starchy veggie, not part of the diet
butter = avoid, dairy, and not part of the diet.

MollyWisk

Wow - thanks! I will adjust!!!

mcferg

carrots = starchy veggie, not part of the diet
butter = avoid, dairy, and not part of the diet.

Circadianswing - not so sure about carrots. Ferris explicitly recommends eating carrots as a snack if you feel like you need a snack. Of course, he qualifies this by saying you shouldn't need to eat snacks if you're eating 4 meals balanced as he recommends.

Also, as far as butter goes, I think ghee (clarified butter) is said to be ok, due to the fact that it doesn't contain lactose. I may be a little sketchy on the details there.