The 4-Hour Body / Slow-Carb Diet

Sporty98

I'm struggling a bit like you, Marchenland! I changed my protein setting in my diary to read 30% protein daily. After an hour workout, that means 121 grams of protein! Yikes!

I had my cheat day.....AND it was not a bad cheat! BUT, I was up 3 lbs. afterwards (which is normal) and now, 48+ hours later I'm still up 2 lbs.! SO, I'm resetting my ticker to give myself some incentive to get back on track. I am also going to try a "cheat meal" this week, instead of a whole day. Gotta find what works best here without gaining! (I wouldn't mind so much if the few pounds had come off in 48 hours like the book says it will!)

That all having been said, I do love having the option to cheat once/week! I love that I can look at a treat and say, "Not today! But I can have than on Saturday!" It's a very freeing feeling.....

I have increased my protein consumption today, too. I am not sure that I've been getting enough protein. I am eating more than I was before I started the 4HB diet, but not sure that I'm really eating enough. Today, on the increased protein, I am not at all hungry and have no cravings to snack (like the book says).

Glad it's going well for all of you, too! Have a great day!

lrk93101

Thanks for posting your experiences, guys! I've read the book, and felt like it probably would work, but it's nice that someone else is trying it first (you guys)! Let us know if it continues to show such great results.

marchenland

Sporty, I think that if there's a major flaw in the research, it's that TF is a young man who was already in excellent shape, and I am not sure how many of his 200 subjects were middle-aged women. I suspect we might have some hormonal differences that may create some limit on the diet for us. I see a lot of red flags. For example, he cautions us to not eat soy because of the estrogen. Well, yes, Tim, but some of us have a lot of that in our systems! What do we do about THAT?

So I suspect your 2 lbs could be related to that. Maybe not. Keep us posted.

I'm adding some sugar-free non-creamy Asian salad dressing to my salad today, to see if they can up my calories a little. I've also ordered some macadamia nut oil. (Amazon has some on sale. I wanted a local provider, but the local place that sells it only sells it for cosmetic uises, and it's not certied for human consumption. Meh.)

I'm curious about your 1-hour workout. The book suggests that overdoing the workout is just as bad as not doing it. What are you doing? Have you tried any of the workouts he prescribes?

shirkmac

Anyone have any thoughts on popcorn?

marchenland

Well, corn is an "avoid" food except in small quantities like is salsa, so I assume popcorn would be best avoided as well.

shirkmac

Bummer.....

Thanks!

donhaynesjr

Marchenland, I noticed that you didn't include many legumes in your meals during the day. The two main reasons that TF recommends them as a staple are the fiber and caloric density. He points out several times throughout the book that without the legumes, this diet would not work as intended. I have made them my main, with protein and veggies as sides, more or less.

marchenland

donhanesjr, I had about 16 ounces of legumes that day - half a can of lentils for breakfast and half a can of black beans at lunch! We skipped legumes at dinner b/c my BF had bought beans without looking at the ingredients, and I noticed that there was sugar in them (grrr). My understanding from reading the book is that you want to strive for legumes at most meals, but a meal or 2 without them is not an issue, as long as you are keeping the protein up.

Sporty98

I do workout for an hour a day using Jillian Michaels' DVDs (some are strickly cardio, and some are strength training). This is where I disagree with Ferriss. Exercise is used for more than just weight loss. It is also a great mood enhancer, stress reliever, and pick-me-up. It tones our muscles, burns some fat, and gets the blood flowing. I'm not sure how it could possibly hurt.....Although, I do think that I go over the MED (minimum effective dose), as Ferriss discusses. That is not so much a diet disturbance, as a "waste" (he says). I like to think of the extra time that I spend (over and above the necessary) as a help to myself emotionally and psychologically.

Now, today, after eating just over 1200 calories (which I never meet) and eating 100 grams of protein, my weight is up another 0.2 lbs. How frustrating! Not only did I NOT lose 2 of the pounds from my binge day, but now, my scale's just going the wrong direction! UGH!

So, I am ditching "cheat day" and opting for a "cheat meal." I am not ready to give up just yet. One thing that we haven't discussed is simply how the diet makes us feel. Eating all of this protein really helps me to feel stronger and have more energy, especially during my work out. I feel like I could just push on forever! I never felt that way working out before I focused on proteins. So, as long as it's making me feel stronger, I suppose I should keep trying! I have 10 lbs. that I want to lose. I am in a healthy weight and BMI range, so this is the hardest 10 lbs. to go.

Has anyone else had trouble after cheat day? Or weight gain on this diet?

mcferg

I do workout for an hour a day using Jillian Michaels' DVDs (some are strickly cardio, and some are strength training). This is where I disagree with Ferriss. Exercise is used for more than just weight loss. It is also a great mood enhancer, stress reliever, and pick-me-up. It tones our muscles, burns some fat, and gets the blood flowing. I'm not sure how it could possibly hurt.....Although, I do think that I go over the MED (minimum effective dose), as Ferriss discusses. That is not so much a diet disturbance, as a "waste" (he says). I like to think of the extra time that I spend (over and above the necessary) as a help to myself emotionally and psychologically.

Now, today, after eating just over 1200 calories (which I never meet) and eating 100 grams of protein, my weight is up another 0.2 lbs. How frustrating! Not only did I NOT lose 2 of the pounds from my binge day, but now, my scale's just going the wrong direction! UGH!

So, I am ditching "cheat day" and opting for a "cheat meal." I am not ready to give up just yet. One thing that we haven't discussed is simply how the diet makes us feel. Eating all of this protein really helps me to feel stronger and have more energy, especially during my work out. I feel like I could just push on forever! I never felt that way working out before I focused on proteins. So, as long as it's making me feel stronger, I suppose I should keep trying! I have 10 lbs. that I want to lose. I am in a healthy weight and BMI range, so this is the hardest 10 lbs. to go.

Has anyone else had trouble after cheat day? Or weight gain on this diet?

Sporty,

I too do not follow his exercise plan. For one thing - I don't have a gym membership or the equipment for the protocol he prescribes. Another reason is that I'm an avid runner. It's just something I love to do, and am not willing to give up. Typically, I have run 6-7 days per week for a total of around 35-40 miles. This year, though, since I am dedicated to building some strength, I've cut my running back to 4 days per week (about 20 miles) and 3 days per week I do the "sculpt" portion of the Power 90 series. My reasons for doing these workouts are many - some of which are similar to yours. I guess, though, maybe I should consider this "recreation" as perhaps Ferris would, as I'm doing it as much for enjoyment as for results. The strength training certainly doesn't feel like recreating, but whatever. I frankly don't care whether any of that stuff aids in my weight loss - I have other reasons for doing it, as you said.

As for trouble after cheat day, I think I'm in a similar boat. My cheat day is Sunday - on Sunday morning, I weighed in at 189 lbs. On Monday morning, I weighed in at about 194.5 lbs. On Tuesday morning (after a day of being back on the program), my weight was up again - to about 195 lbs. Today, though, it was down to 191. So - after 2 full days back on the program, I'm still up 2 lbs. However, Ferris talks about a Saturday cheat day and not worrying about the scale until Wednesday. Since my cheat day is Sunday, I'm going to reserve judgment on the full-blown cheat day until at least tomorrow. I'm having a hard time believing I'll even be back to 189 by then, but who knows? In the end, though, I won't make the final decision on cheat day until Sunday morning. If my weight is below 189, then I'll probably cut loose. If not, I may do a partial cheat day, as you're describing.

I'm not really fooling myself into thinking I'm going to be losing 5 lbs per week. With 14 lbs to lose, and as much as I like this way of eating (particularly if I continue to allow myself a full cheat day), I'd be fine losing a half a pound to a pound per week. In fact, I think if I manage to stick to this for 28 weeks (which is what a 0.5 lb per week rate of loss would require), it might just become how I do things going forward.

I'll report back here tomorrow - which is the day Ferris says my cheat day bloat should have completely subsided, and again on Sunday regarding the week's results.

madijo41

bump

cheerbabe080790

I haven't really read all the posts. but its my third day on the diet and i've lost 2 lbs and thts with adding dairy the first day. Its kind of amazing b/c before i was binging on pizza and pure crap and never feeling satisfied. Now i sit down to a slow carb meal and im completely satisfied! On the first day I didn't have enough legumes for caloric load, and i got a headache as a result but i've adjusted that and now i'm doing great, I do wonder about some things though...does anyone know if you can eat hummus? i love it with carrots and on salad, but im not sure. I didnt recall seeing it in the book.. Also, for the women, do you follow the exercise plan?

alla24

Hi,

It sounds very similar to the Diet Solution programme that's out there too. Same kind of principles etc. Has anyone tried it?

donhaynesjr

Odd. I usually come in at around 1,200 calories each day, and that's with some pretty good portions. I've noticed if I have a diet soda or something with my lunch that I get the munchies later in the day. I've read that artificial sweeteners can cause hunger in many people.

My meals usually consist of the following, and I've lost 11 lbs so far doing it:

Breakfast - 3 hardboiled egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon, 1 cup lentils.

Lunch - Grilled steak (on the trusty Foreman Grill), 1 cup lentils, Asian stir fry mix.

Dinner - Grilled chicken breast and steamed broccoli, carrots, and sprouts covered with 1 Tbsp Asian Wing Sauce.

I sometimes substitute scrambled for boiled eggs in the mornings, and switch the dishes around a bit or use Tilapia in place of a protein, but this is my usual diet and it has done great so far. I don't get hungry in between much, and if I do then I keep cups of sugar-free Jello in my fridge. My calories were mostly consumed through drinking, so I gave up soda save for a can of diet every now and then, and started drinking Crystal Light and straight water.

donhaynesjr

Hummus is allowed, but it's a domino food according to Ferriss. Eat it in moderation and not all the time.

Sporty98

My "cheat day" bloat should have been gone by today....but, I was up a bit today! I am down 1 lb. since my 3 lbs. increase after cheat day..., so I'm up 2.2 lbs. since last Saturday morning's weigh in.

It's frustrating....but I'm thinking that with only 10 lbs. to lose, maybe a cheat meal or a few extra snacks one day might be enough for me.

Any thoughts?

cheerbabe080790

Im scared for my first cheat day> i dont want to gain a ton of weight and be totally shocked and then stop the diet lol. I have considered trying just a cheat meal, or perhaps two. But im not sure, In the book hes saying he eats ice cream and pizza and all tht crazy stuff

Sporty98

I hear ya, Cheerbabe! My cheat day was awesome (not horrible food wise) until I stepped on the scale the morning! That was last Saturday (today is Thursday). I gained 3 lbs. from the cheat, and today, I'm only down a total of 1.2 lbs.! Ferriss recommends giving yourself a few days for the bloat to subside, and that day for me was yesterday!

Now, I am going to stick with a cheat meal. I will eat one "normal" meal, (although this diet now seems quite normal to me and not that difficult to maintain), and the other two meals that day will be 4HB/Slow Carb meals.

Hope everyone is doing well! Keep us all posted!

donhaynesjr

That's what I did last week. I ate a slow-carb breakfast, then followed the rules in "Damage Control" for lunch to dinner. I didn't eat after 8 pm (I go to bed at 11) and things worked out great. I didn't go way overboard like he does in the book, but eating the things you used to in moderation shouldn't be too big a deal, scale-wise.

mcferg

My cheat day was Sunday. Frankly, I don't even recall what I ate, but it was way too much. I know I finished the evening with 2 slices of ice cream cake and some pretzel rods. I was uncomfortable when I went to bed. I was up 6 lbs on Monday morning. However, today is Thursday. According to Ferris, if you cheat on Saturday, you shouldn't worry about the scale until Wednesday, so by that reasoning, today is my day, and guess what - I'm down 1/2 lb from my pre-cheat day weight (meaning, the 6 lbs I gained in water that day are gone plus another half pound).

Given the up-and-down nature of this diet caused by the cheat day, the only thing I REALLY care about is my Sunday morning weight. However, I'm encouraged that my weight is down this week with 3 days to go. I have hopes of losing a full pound by then, and I'd be thrilled if I could maintain a 1 lb per week weight loss.

I do think I'm going to try to follow some of the damage control stuff this Sunday, and stop eating well before bedtime, but I'm not going to worry too much about regulating my cheat day so long as I'm having decent results. Frankly, for me, the ability to do pretty much whatever I want on that day, guilt free, is one of the keys to this diet for me. I can very easily stay true to the program and just think about what I might want to eat that day throughout the week. I'd rather exercise more during the week to compensate for the extra calories than worry too much about what I'm eating that day. The cheat day, for me, is not just beneficial because it allows me to eat things that aren't on the diet - it's also good, because it allows me to not think about things at all - just do what I feel like.

jmclaren1

marchenland - Avacados or guacamole would help with calories without adding protein.

Sporty98

My cheat day was Sunday. Frankly, I don't even recall what I ate, but it was way too much. I know I finished the evening with 2 slices of ice cream cake and some pretzel rods. I was uncomfortable when I went to bed. I was up 6 lbs on Monday morning. However, today is Thursday. According to Ferris, if you cheat on Saturday, you shouldn't worry about the scale until Wednesday, so by that reasoning, today is my day, and guess what - I'm down 1/2 lb from my pre-cheat day weight (meaning, the 6 lbs I gained in water that day are gone plus another half pound).

WOW! Congratulations! I am still not down my weight from "cheat day"! VERY frustrating! But, I'm really too stubborn to just give up! So, I'm getting tougher! I bought a HRM today to better track my exercise calories (even though Ferriss says I don't need to work out so much!)

cutmd

I am going to start this diet because i was trying low carb and found myself unable to hit my calories and weak after my strength training and cardio. Hopefully the beans will help. I'm also glad to chuck dairy because I noticed it really bloats me. i had a dinner of steak, veggies, and black beans that was very satisfying.

sporty, maybe you have a food intolerance to something you ate. i have one to gluten, which leads to weight gain, acne, fatigue digestive issues, etc, and the bloat takes weeks to go away once I'm exposed. if you have a similar issue, it will take a long time to recover. If i were you, i'd watch whether certain foods make you gain - there is no reason you should gain on 1200 or so calories

marchenland

Does anyone have any ideas for what to eat when you go out to eat? TF says "Mexican is great; just don't get the rice or tortillas," but I had a friend in town this week and we went to a Mexican restaurant and I felt flummoxed. I ended up getting a chicken verde mole. The beans were amazing - AFTER I scraped off the cheese (I wanted to cry over that). But I'm not really convinced I made the best choice.

So, has anyone come up with general things, expecially in ethnic cuisines, that work on the diet? (I'd prefer not chain stores ideas, but general dishes -- "beef fajitas" rather than "Mexichuck's Fabita Bowl" -- so people can apply them even if they don't have a Mexichuck, you know?) Also, any code words that may help, like "remember to ask them to hold the cheese".

I love Thai. Ferriss says Thai is great but don't eat curry as it's hard on your stomach without the rice. This makes me wonder what he's eating, because most of the thai lunch places I've been to have severly limited "lunch" menus with nothing BUT curries and Pad Thai which has noodles in it, so I know he doesn't mean that. So, does anyone have any clues what he means? And thai food doesn't really involve beans, so... what do you do about that?

ALSO, does anyone have any recipes to cheer up beans? I am fine with them, but my BF is getting tired of beans, and we're only on week one.

mcferg

WOW! Congratulations! I am still not down my weight from "cheat day"! VERY frustrating! But, I'm really too stubborn to just give up! So, I'm getting tougher! I bought a HRM today to better track my exercise calories (even though Ferriss says I don't need to work out so much!)

I'm with you on the exercise thing. I've built up too much endurance, and I enjoy it too much to let it go. I spent my whole life hating exercise, and I found it a chore to do until about 3 years ago - after the birth of my 3rd son, I found that I needed a few moments of solitude here and there, and that's when I developed a love for running. I never stopped, and I don't want to stop now, for fear of falling back into my own, slothful habits. I don't really care if helps me lose weight or not anymore - I love doing it, and I'd no sooner quit running due to it's lack of effect on weight loss than would I quit playing the guitar. And I think that's Ferris' point - you should consider any exercise above the minimum effective dose recreation. So, if you're doing more, and you enjoy it - awesome.

So, has anyone come up with general things, expecially in ethnic cuisines, that work on the diet? (I'd prefer not chain stores ideas, but general dishes -- "beef fajitas" rather than "Mexichuck's Fabita Bowl" -- so people can apply them even if they don't have a Mexichuck, you know?) Also, any code words that may help, like "remember to ask them to hold the cheese".

I've found that the biggest issue with eating out at non-Mexican restaurants is that legumes are not readily available at a lot of them. Of course, you can get lentils if you go for Indian food, but a lot of Indian food is loaded with fat in the way of ghee (clarified butter) and cream. However, I've found a pretty satisfying Indian meal consisting of a salad, tandoori chicken and either Moong Daal Soup, or some other lentil-based side. As far as other Asian food goes, many varieties of Asian restaurants serve soy beans - so, if you combine those with a dish consisting primarily of meat and vegetables, you should be good to go.

ALSO, does anyone have any recipes to cheer up beans?

One of my favorite ways to get my beans and veggies together is as follows:

Slice a bunch of Brussels sprouts in half, and put them in a single layer in a pan. Drizzle them with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper (I use a fair bit of both). Then, roast them in a 400 degree oven until they're done. I wanna say about 20 minutes, but basically when some of the looser, outer leaves are just starting to show signs of brownness. You can cook longer if you prefer them softer. Then you take those, and mix them white beans, drained and rinsed. You can use whatever ratio you like - I think I use about 1 lb Brussels sprouts per can of beans. The dish seems simple and bland, but the flavors really go together well. You can eat this hot, room temp or cold. I think it's best when it's first made - just above room temp (hot sprouts + room temp beans). I make a big container full and just spoon out with whatever meal I'm eating.

I am going to start this diet because i was trying low carb and found myself unable to hit my calories and weak after my strength training and cardio. Hopefully the beans will help.

That's one of the reasons I chose this as well, and I think the beans do help...some. The thing is that a serving of beans only has ~20g of carbs, 8 of which are dietary fiber. That's not really all that much considering that 1 slice of the wheat bread in my fridge has 18g. Still - it's better than no carbs. I've tried working out while doing low-carb, and it was torture. Also, what I do is I do my longest/most strenuous workouts on my cheat day and the day after. On the cheat day, I do one about an hour after my first indulgence, and I try to make it the type of thing that would fuel a good workout. After the cheat day - first thing in the morning. My workouts the day after my cheat day are always my best (my glycogen stores are fully replenished?), and the ones on my cheat day are better then the others. I do SOMETHING 6 days per week - so that really only leaves 4 more days to muddle through - and they're not that bad. I'm also thinking doing more exercise on and immediately after the cheat day will help mitigate against those indulgences as well.

donhaynesjr

My cheat day is coming to a close after dinner in 10 minutes. I've had a large cinnamon roll and mousse pie that I bought yesterday at pastry school, orange chicken with lo mein noodles, a Mountain Dew, and now about to enjoy lasagna with french garlic bread. I honestly can't wait to get back to slow-carb tomorrow.

mcferg

My cheat day is coming to a close after dinner in 10 minutes. I've had a large cinnamon roll and mousse pie that I bought yesterday at pastry school, orange chicken with lo mein noodles, a Mountain Dew, and now about to enjoy lasagna with french garlic bread. I honestly can't wait to get back to slow-carb tomorrow.

Exactly! And that's the point. Enjoy! I've got 2 more days, and I've got my eyes on a number of things, but I think I'm going to wait until noon to get thing really rolling...lots going on in the morning, so, I figure it's an easy way to delay the damage.

recesq

He does talk about yogurt. It raises blood sugar, thats why he says to cut dairy out. He is only showing people the data from his experiments and the results of the regimen. If you dont like it because you can't eat a favorite food, it doesn't mean the results he achieved aren't factual.

cheerbabe080790

i had my first cheat day today. I don't think I went as crazy as i was supposed to. I ate 1500 cals when i usually eat 1200. and my biggest thing was eating a cannoli. Any thoughts. should i have gone crazier? I don't really feel like eating anymore today though.

mcferg

He does talk about yogurt. It raises blood sugar, thats why he says to cut dairy out. He is only showing people the data from his experiments and the results of the regimen.

Can you tell me where he specifically says to stay away from yogurt? I know he said to avoid dairy, but doesn't specifically mention yogurt (in those passages)

If you dont like it because you can't eat a favorite food, it doesn't mean the results he achieved aren't factual.

I agree with this. I also personally get in trouble when I try to justify foods. Personally, I'm staying away from yogurt, because he says to avoid dairy. That's not a big deal for me, as I don't eat a lot of yogurt anyway, but I don't think I'd eat it even if I did. That's not to say that there aren't things that I justify. One is soy protein. Ferris contradicts himself regarding soy, and, while I've cut back a lot on the amount that I eat, I still eat it, and I justify it based on the fact that his reasons for not eating soy are not mentioned in the diet chapter. However - he doesn't say that you CAN eat it either. The other thing is - twice this week, I found myself starving with no time for a meal and I ate a "pure protein" bar. It has 180 cals, 19g of Protein and only 2g of sugar. However - these types of foods (the bars), I think are "domino" foods for me. I'm trying to stay away from them.

I think that the issue with this diet in particular is that there's a lot of very specific, detailed reasoning Ferris gives for a lot why this works...it could be that making even slight deviations from the plan could have a greater affect on your results than you might think.

i had my first cheat day today. I don't think I went as crazy as i was supposed to. I ate 1500 cals when i usually eat 1200. and my biggest thing was eating a cannoli. Any thoughts. should i have gone crazier? I don't really feel like eating anymore today though.

1500 doesn't seem like much for a cheat day, but I'm not sure I'd eat if I didn't feel like eating either. One of the reasons for the cheat day is for something of a "metabolic reset", but based on the examples Ferris gives of athletes alternating "high calorie" days with "low calorie" days, the deviation is only a few hundred calories, so, maybe that will do it. For me, though - I do really like to indulge more than that - it helps me stave off cravings as the week progresses. That being said, I probably consumed about 4,000 calories on my 1 cheat day, and was a little difficult dealing the scale on subsequent days (even though I know I should expect that). I'm hoping, though, that that will help in the long run.