The 4-Hour Body / Slow-Carb Diet

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Replies

  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
    Nah I just use MFP. I still do a cheat meal once a week and I still lost. I think it revs up my metabolism to go over on my calories every once in a while.
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79
    Back to the plan today!!!!! I managed to escape a big gain after yesterdays cheat day. I ended up eating over twice my usual calories...and only had a 0.6lb gain this morning. I didn't do any of the damage control techniques either. DH was worried that I'd have like a 5lb gain and get discouraged that I reversed all the good I've been doing.

    Heading out to breakfast in a bit. Gonna be interesting to look at the menu in a new way.
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
    Strange things are happening. Today (Sunday) is my cheat day. This is my fourth cheat day, and check out my progress so far:

    Weight Lost:
    Week 1 - 1 lb
    Week 2 - 1 lb
    Week 3 - 1.5 lbs
    Week 4 - 2.5 lbs!!

    I'm shocked. I actually thought I was on a nice, slow, steady 1lb / week ride here. When I hit 1.5 last week, I figured it was due to some water fluctuation and that I'd probably lose 0.5 lb this week putting me back on course. However, seems like that's not the case. For me to lose 2.5 lbs on the fourth week of any diet is very good. I have been on diets where my weight was a fair bit higher, and would have been thrilled with 2.5 lbs in the fourth week.

    I don't expect the upward trend to continue, and I'd be totally fine going back to 1 lb / week...would be thrilled just to "keep" the 4 lbs lost over the last two weeks, but who knows. I have NEVER been on a diet where I lost more weight in week 4 than week 1. It's like Christmas morning up in here!

    And it's cheat day! The good scale results has inspired me to try to consolidate my cheating to meals so I can do the prescribed exercises before and after. I'm also going for a run today (as I always do on Sundays). Good stuff.
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79
    Strange things are happening. Today (Sunday) is my cheat day. This is my fourth cheat day, and check out my progress so far:

    Weight Lost:
    Week 1 - 1 lb
    Week 2 - 1 lb
    Week 3 - 1.5 lbs
    Week 4 - 2.5 lbs!!



    And it's cheat day! The good scale results has inspired me to try to consolidate my cheating to meals so I can do the prescribed exercises before and after. I'm also going for a run today (as I always do on Sundays). Good stuff.


    Great job!!!!! That's amazing to see the increase like that. Any tricks you'd like to share? Did you do anything different this week vs. last?

    Enjoy your cheat day!
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
    Great job!!!!! That's amazing to see the increase like that. Any tricks you'd like to share? Did you do anything different this week vs. last?

    There are only a couple of differences throughout in my eating, etc:

    - Week 3 I didn't exercise due to illness
    - Week 1 I ate significantly more (~6,000 calories vs ~4,000 calories) on my cheat days

    Of course, I'm not tracking my food intake, but almost every non-cheat day looks like this:

    Breakfast: 2 eggs + 3-4 oz of some other protein, 1 cup steamed veggies, 1/2 cup beans
    Lunch: Salad w/ small amount of oil + vinegar, 6-8 oz of some protein, 2 cups steamed veggies, 1/2 cup beans
    Snack: Pure Protein Bar
    Dinner: Pretty much same as lunch
    Other: 2-3 glasses of red wine

    I also consume a fair bit of diet soda. I know artificial sweeteners are a no-no, so I kind of cheat there (the pure protein bar is also a cheat in that regard, but it's low in sugar at least). The occasional 3rd glass of wine is also a cheat. I believe I'm following the plan pretty closely otherwise.

    I should point out that I exercise 7 days per week most weeks. I run 4 days (minimum of 20 miles total), and I do strength training the other 3. My strength training conists of a Power 90 video that lasts 35 minutes. On my cheat day, I usually run at least 7 miles, and on the following Monday, I add extra sets to the strength training. This extra exercise on Sunday (cheat day) and Monday are to a) burn a few more calories and b) take advantage of the extra energy from the extra carbs.

    I guess Ferris would label my running as "recreation" and not exercise, and that may be true to an extent, but I know that I'm burning a bunch of extra calories doing it.

    Today, I'm going to dial back my run a bit (~5 miles) and do the prescribed muscle work before and after my cheat meals.
  • walkers345
    walkers345 Posts: 50 Member
    That's awesome Mcferg! I do know what you mean by that Christmas morning feeling! Yesterday was my cheat day, and it was fun! Unfortunately, I stepped on the dreaded scale today after cheat day, and low and behold---it was broken!! It's pretty old, I even tried changing out the lithium battery, but no go. I'm actually not disappointed about that one. I am about to order or buy another. Anyways, It's nice to hear everyone's progress. It gives me continued inspiration. Hopefully, this week will continue with lower scale readings. I am officially starting week 4. I had mentioned I was down .5 lbs overall. Yesterday, I took my measurements and I have lost 2.5 inches all together. Here is to another week. My goal again this week is increased water intake.
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
    Unfortunately, I stepped on the dreaded scale today after cheat day, and low and behold---it was broken!! It's pretty old, I even tried changing out the lithium battery, but no go. I'm actually not disappointed about that one. I am about to order or buy another. Anyways, It's nice to hear everyone's progress. It gives me continued inspiration. Hopefully, this week will continue with lower scale readings. I am officially starting week 4. I had mentioned I was down .5 lbs overall. Yesterday, I took my measurements and I have lost 2.5 inches all together. Here is to another week. My goal again this week is increased water intake.

    In the grand scheme of things, I think that inches are a better indicator of fat loss than the scale, or at least can be (there are cases where you may gain inches in some places due to muscle growth...one of the reasons the only thing I currently measure is my waist). That being said, it's really hard to not focus on what the scale says. It's so burnt into my brain. I've spent my entire adult life going up and down on the scale, BUT, I have been successful in narrowing the range in which I yo-yo over the years.

    I was thin (but doughy) in high school without explicitly dieting or watching my weight (following my 10th grade growth spurt, prior to which I was pretty pudgy). However, first semester freshman year of college, I gained 40 lbs. I lost about 35 lbs the second semester, by simply eliminating eating at night. Oh, those were the days...where a small, easy change like that netted the desired results. But the yo-yo was on. After that, I gradually gained weight throughout college, and hit my all time high point (around 260lb) a couple of years after college. It was at that point that I took up running, and started truly dieting for the first time. I got down to 185 lb, and I felt great.

    From there on out, I never really got close to 260 again, but I went up to around 240 once or twice. For about the next 12 years, the magic number was about 230 - the point at which I would diet. I never got under 190 during that time, so I basically went back and forth from around 230 to 190.

    About 3 years ago I really got into running. I had run before for weight control, but always found it drudgery. Now, more than a dozen years after I started running, I finally hit a groove with it. It was after the birth of my 3rd son. My house turned into an insane asylum. Rather than dreading the monotony of running, I cherished it and started doing it every day, building endurance. At some point, I was talking to a friend of mine about my running (she was an avid runner), and she says, "with that kind of mileage, you should run a marathon...you're almost there now". I had never even considered it. I started looking at training plans for marathons and realized she was right - I was already doing that kind of work (for the most part). I'm not saying this to boast...I'll get to my whole point of this shortly....

    So, over the last 3 years, I've run 3 marathons and 2 half-marathons, and enjoyed every minute of it. Finally finding regular exercise I enjoy HAS helped me narrow down the "window of my yo-yo" considerably, and it's also lowered the point at which that window starts and ends. Over the last 3 years (prior to this diet), though, I've still had a window of about 20 lbs (185-205). In fact, I think I was actually 206 when I ran the San Francisco Marathon in July 2009. My MAIN goal for this program is to put an end to the fluctuation. My goal weight is 175 lb. If I can settle in there and stay there - wonderful. If that number is 178 or 180, that's okay, too (though I know I'll still be doughy at that weight).

    I'm going on and on about myself here, but I have 2 points....

    1) I don't think I'll ever be able to "let go" of the scale. It has been the barometer of my self esteem for at least 15 years. Sad but true. It has led me to some very healthy physical habits, but also created some unhealthy emotional ones.

    2) I KNOW that I am one of the lucky ones in loving running so much. I used to look at friends of mine that seem to have uber-high metabolisms...could eat whatever they want and be rail thin and wish to be like that. In a sense, by developing a love for running, I've become one of those people. I know I'm not rail thin, but having that I know is a gift. I remember what it was like hating exercise and having to struggle to do it every day, and how near-impossible that is to sustain. I'm not gloating here. I've been both the person who hates to exercise and the person who loves to exercise.

    In fact, my doctor still keeps telling me that I need to do more strength training. My genetics dictate a body with pretty low muscle mass...hence I've a family of skinny-fat people (my immediate family, that is...they're all pretty health conscious)...but most of them are female, and I think thin with a little softness works on a woman...on a man...not so much. So, I agree with him. That is why I've started forgoing running 3 times per week for strength training, and let me tell you - I despise it. I hate lifting weights more than I EVER hated running or any kind of cardio. It's complete drudgery. I'm just hoping that at some point, there's a similar lightbulb with that, and I can finally develop the superhuman body for which we all pine.
  • sasha_dirkson
    sasha_dirkson Posts: 2
    I am on day two of this diet and love love love it! Can’t wait to see my results in 30 days. I have a few Questions just to help me along:

    1) I am slightly confused on weather we can mix and match foods within each category. EXAMPLE: my favorite meal would be pork with a couple eggs, pinto beans mixed with black beans, and spinach. BUT, this would be mixing two types of food within a category…Is this OK??

    OR

    Do I have to stick with only ONE food in EACH category?

    2) I will definitely keep drinking my two glasses of Red Vino. Thank God! Any suggestions on the ounces alloted per glass?

    3) I have been cooking with Ghee Butter and Olive Oil on a heating level of 7 out of 10. Is this OK or should I be cooking with grapeseed/macadamia oil since it is a higher level of heat?

    PS…I really miss cooking with coconut oil :(
    Only downfall thus far.

    4)Lastly, I will be adding in exercise soon. Any suggestions on how often or how many times a week to do kettle bell exercises or other types of exercise? You can also send me to the part in the book where it states this info.

    5)Ok, I promise this is the last one. On cheat day, should I start adding in the exercises Tim Recommends right off the bat?? And Should my first meal be a protein or can I have whatever I want?

    Alright, I am Done!! I hope this posts. Thank you for any suggestions you can make for me. Cheers!!
  • cutmd
    cutmd Posts: 1,168 Member
    Few queries:

    In that blog post he said guys more than 12% BF have no carbs post workout. I haven't been tested with a bodpod or anything but I believe I am about 10% at the moment so not sure on postworkout carbs. (currently have fruit or dextrose and aim for .5g per lb of body weight)

    Also, if carbs are allowed post workout then would skim milk be ok here? I currently mix 1 cup skim milk with 1 cup water as I can't stomach it with just water.

    Postworkout at 10% BF, oats ok?

    I don't have much of a sweet tooth but for a long time I have been having 2/3 cup of low fat cottage cheese and 1 tbsn natural peanut butter as a night time snack. By my understanding, CC is ok and peanuts are ok as long as not turning into a domino food. correct?

    McFerg: can you link to this all in one PAGG?

    Is anyone doing the morning pre breakfast workout he recommends? KB swings and glute activation.

    Oh and I've been loving the cold showers! It is Summer here though, don't know if I could do it in Winter. Might even save some cash on the water bill haha.

    I think oats and nuts are fine, you are possibly less than 10% bf if that's your picture. I think cottage cheese and milk are only allowed on cheat days since they are dairy.

    I do a lot of squat swings and glute activation on my own but would be interested in his routine. I haven't read the book...

    Mcferg, i agree with you. Strength training is freakin' hard, I'd rather be jamming out on the elliptical or spinning, etc. But 30 day shred got me into really working out because it mixes strength training with cardio. And the wonderful muscle tone you get keeps me coming. Now I drudge through strength training and am ok because most of the time I'm looking in the mirror and seeing my muscles develop :happy:
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
    I am on day two of this diet and love love love it! Can’t wait to see my results in 30 days. I have a few Questions just to help me along:

    1) I am slightly confused on weather we can mix and match foods within each category. EXAMPLE: my favorite meal would be pork with a couple eggs, pinto beans mixed with black beans, and spinach. BUT, this would be mixing two types of food within a category…Is this OK??

    OR

    Do I have to stick with only ONE food in EACH category?

    2) I will definitely keep drinking my two glasses of Red Vino. Thank God! Any suggestions on the ounces alloted per glass?

    3) I have been cooking with Ghee Butter and Olive Oil on a heating level of 7 out of 10. Is this OK or should I be cooking with grapeseed/macadamia oil since it is a higher level of heat?

    PS…I really miss cooking with coconut oil :(
    Only downfall thus far.

    4)Lastly, I will be adding in exercise soon. Any suggestions on how often or how many times a week to do kettle bell exercises or other types of exercise? You can also send me to the part in the book where it states this info.

    5)Ok, I promise this is the last one. On cheat day, should I start adding in the exercises Tim Recommends right off the bat?? And Should my first meal be a protein or can I have whatever I want?

    Alright, I am Done!! I hope this posts. Thank you for any suggestions you can make for me. Cheers!!

    1) That's fine. Actually, that's a very good meal. There are times I skip veggies at breakfast. I try not to...but sometimes it just seems gross. When I do, I make up for it later in the day. I usually have 2 cups of veggies w/ lunch & dinner.

    2) I don't measure my wine. I know I drink more than 2 glasses. The standard glass is 5 oz. I use a very small glass (like the kind you get from a tasting room) and usually have 3-4 glasses 2/3 full. 4 glasses of this size are about 3/4 of a bottle. Of course, some days I skip it altogether. I would say, though, until you figure out what works for you and this diet to keep it 1/2 bottle or less.

    3) The only reason those other oils are listed for higher heat is because they have a higher smoking point (point at which they "burn"). It's not for nutritional reasons. If you're using Ghee and Olive oil with no issues, you're fine.

    4) I'll have to defer on this one. I do follow Ferris' advice for minimizing damage on cheat day, but the rest of the week, I do my own thing.

    5) I would say that your first meal should be a decent-sized meal similar in composition to what you eat the rest of the week (protein + legume + veggie). It fills you up, and gets you through the first part of the morning before you start doing damage. As for the exercises....this is my fourth cheat day and the first day I'm doing the recommended exercises. We'll see how that affects things this week....
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
    McFerg: can you link to this all in one PAGG?

    http://www.paggstack.com/

    I have no affiliation, and I have not taken them. I did order them, but haven't received them yet. It's 2 bottles actually - 1 "P" and 1 "AGG"....so you can take them as recommended. I'll need to review the book for timing, etc...
  • sasha_dirkson
    sasha_dirkson Posts: 2
    Thanks so much!!! I really appreciate it. I'll post my success.
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79

    I'll need to review the book for timing, etc...

    I have my cheat sheet with me.....AGG prior to meals (15 mins or so) and PAGG (or PAG with the Green Tea) prior to bed.
  • clb51
    clb51 Posts: 23 Member
    I am starting today. I'm glad I found this forum. It's been helpful to read the different posts and get ideas and see the positive results that people are experiencing.
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member

    I'll need to review the book for timing, etc...

    I have my cheat sheet with me.....AGG prior to meals (15 mins or so) and PAGG (or PAG with the Green Tea) prior to bed.

    Great, thanks! No idea when I'll receive it. I think it ships first class, so maybe a week. The book says you're supposed to take 1 day off per week, and one week off every 2 months. Since there's specific discussion in the damage control chapter of taking the PAGG during cheat day - do you know which day you're supposed to take off? I think I'd choose either the day before cheat day or the day after, as those tend to be the days when I eat the least.

    BTW...after my cheat day yesterday I'm up 5 lbs. That's my biggest cheat day bloat since week 1 (6 lbs). I'm not concerned. I consumed a lot of sodium yesterday AND a lot of water, and that leads to much water retention. I'm sure by Wednesday or Thursday, I'll be back in business.
  • walkers345
    walkers345 Posts: 50 Member
    Mcferg, I purchased PAGG in separate pills. I've only been taking them on my cheat day ( I know that isn't ideal.) I think I'm just not ready to commit to 3 pills in the am and 4 pills in the pm. I already take Magnesium, Vitamin C, D and some probiotics. Sometimes, I also take DHEA and some coenz q10. it's quite a bit to remember. Anyways, I would recommend taking the PAGG when you may be eating more. In my 3 times taking the pills, I took them about 15 min. prior to a cheat meal(lunch) and OMG did it burn and make my empty stomach feel sick(until I ate). Whenever you decide to take them, I recommend taking them IMMEDIATELY before eating or during the meal.

    On Another note, I bought my new scale today. I am trying to drink lots of water today to flush out my cheat day water weight. Tomorrow, we will see the damage.:sick:
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
    In my 3 times taking the pills, I took them about 15 min. prior to a cheat meal(lunch) and OMG did it burn and make my empty stomach feel sick(until I ate). Whenever you decide to take them, I recommend taking them IMMEDIATELY before eating or during the meal.

    On Another note, I bought my new scale today. I am trying to drink lots of water today to flush out my cheat day water weight. Tomorrow, we will see the damage.:sick:

    Thanks for the head's up. I will start PAGG on the first cheat day after I get them. I don't tend to be bothered by taking things on an empty stomach that bother some people, but I'd rather be safe, since this is new. I'll ease into it.

    As for the scale, keep in mind that, unless you're buying a medical-grade scale, there could be some variation between the two. This could be good or bad.
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79
    Morning!

    I also order PAGG yesterday. I ended up going with the individual pills for each instead of the stack. I guess I feel like I have more control over exactly what I'm taking that way. I'm going to also pick up some tiny baggies to put the pills in to take to work with me during the day so I can take them before my 2 lunches. They shipped out this morning, but with the big "storm of the century" we're expecting I have no idea when they'll actually arrive. But I'm hoping to get them before Sun for my free day. Yep, I bumped my free day to Sunday this week.....Super Bowl party!!!!

    walkers345, hope you can the new scale doesn't throw too much of a swing into your plan. I tested my new one against my old one. At night they were 3 lbs apart (new one read heavier) but in the morning they read the same. Go figure!

    clb51, welcome to the 4HB plan! If you have any questions along the way, please ask! We're all here to support and encourage each other. As well as to see what others are doing and how they are progressing.


    My 0.6lb gain is still with me from my free day. So I'm adding in the air squarts and wall presses today. I'll add in the arm pulls tonight when I get home before dinner and bed, just no room to do them here at work. And I can only imagine the looks I'd get if I walked into a conf room carrying an exercise band.

    On another note, I was pleasently surprised to wake up to 3 new orders for my digital image this morning!!!!! It's been a VERY slow start, but it seems like things are really starting to gain some speed! Here's the my 4HWW!!!!
  • walkers345
    walkers345 Posts: 50 Member
    So, I jumped on my scale this morning, and SHOCK, I was 1lb lighter than I was last week pre-cheat day. I didn't believe it, so I asked my husband, and he said he was down about 2 lbs from what our old scale said..BOOOOO. Oh well, So, that probably means I am about 1-2 lbs up from my lowest weight prior to cheat day, But it is only Tuesday afterall. Last week, it took me til Thursday to lose all the cheat weight plus .5lbs. I actually don't feel too bad, because I researched the scale through consumer reports and it was top ranked, so I guess that actually means, I was always about 2 lbs lighter than I thought?? I have to look on the bright side. :glasses:

    You all have inspired me to start the PAGG. Do you think the green tea may make me jittery? I quit coffee months ago, so I don't know if a little caffeine every day will affect me.

    I've been drinking water like there is no tomorrow. It really gets rid of the bloat.

    Good luck this week everyone!

    Sbracken, I am also going to bump my cheat day to Superbowl Sunday. Stay out of the snow :)
    It's going to get to 32 tonight in AZ, and we're all wearing parkas and moon boots! haha.

    Stephanie
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    I started 3 days ago officially.

    Breakfast
    4 eggs
    1/3 can mixed beans
    spinach or asparagus

    Lunch
    200g tuna
    1/2 can beans
    kimchi or mixed vegies
    2 tbsn salsa
    2 chillies
    (I spread this out as afternoon tea also)

    Dinner
    same as lunch :P
    Sometimes a glass of red wine

    Night time snack
    166g low fat cottage cheese
    1 tbsn natural pb

    As well as this, doing the cold water when wakeup, morning KB swings, cold showers and have ordered some PAGG. Also have some CQ that I will use on cheat day this Saturday.

    I'm not really expecting to lose much weight as I am already at a good weight I feel but would like to lose the last bit of fat. I'm not sure if I should be going to the "last mile" bit yet or not but I'll see how this goes for a while and see.

    I also do resistance training (full body workout of compound exercises) 3 times a week and 3 mma sessions a week. (except this week because of injured ankle)

    edit: Forgot to mention that I have my list of cheat foods sorted for Saturday :P
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    just posting so I can read this thread later.
  • YeaILift
    YeaILift Posts: 580 Member
    I'm not following this diet, but I have been following something similar for the past few months based on some of the principals this diet is based on. Due to circumstances out of my control :wink:, I ended up cheating last Sunday. I went over by 1500 calories or so. It is now Wednesday, and much like mcferg I have lost all the cheat day weight.


    Granted, my work outs are short, but intense, and my diet has been great the last three days.
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79
    Wow....right on time!!!! Cheated on Saturday and this morning that weight plus 0.2lbs is gone!!!!!! I did the air squarts/wall pushes/arm pulls yesterday before eating and made sure I polished off that gallon of water. I'm loving this diet!

    Off to make breakfast....and then probably do some serious shoveling this morning.
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
    Wow....right on time!!!! Cheated on Saturday and this morning that weight plus 0.2lbs is gone!!!!!! I did the air squarts/wall pushes/arm pulls yesterday before eating and made sure I polished off that gallon of water. I'm loving this diet!

    Off to make breakfast....and then probably do some serious shoveling this morning.

    Right on!

    My cheat day this past Sunday, foodwise, wasn't that different from other Sundays. However, I did start drinking grapefruit juice before my cheat "meals" (2 of them - the rest was snacking). I also did the exercises. Other then the first round (before my first cheat meal), I found that 60-90 minutes after each meal was also before the next round of eating...be it snacks, meals, or what have you. It actually was a lot of work. I did the mini-workout 5 times throughout the day. I did 50 each of the air squats, wall extension and chest-band-things all 5 times. I also did 50 crunches 3 of the times. It's painted as a quick/easy thing, but I didn't think so. After all, in the end, it amounted to 900 reps of something or the other. For the record, the typical 35 minute strength workout I do 3 days per week totals about 300 reps total. Granted, these exercises are not quite as demanding, but I did feel like I was doing a lot more exercise than I expected. I also ran 5 miles that day as planned. Typically, I run at least 7 miles on Sunday, but since I was adding in the other exercises, I toned it down.

    The result was that, after my cheat day, I was up 5 lbs. I haven't gained this much on cheat day since my first one (+6 lbs). Also, it's now Wednesday morning, and I'm still up 4 lbs. Again, this is kind of similar to my first cheat day. Fortunately, the first cheat day, on Thursday morning, all of the weight was gone plus another 0.5 lbs. Truthfully, I will be happy is all of the weight is gone before Sunday. Since I lost double what I was expecting last week, I can live a week holding steady. If I do more than that I'll be ecstatic. If I haven't taken big step in the right direction as of tomorrow morning, I'll probably look at cutting back a bit Friday and Saturday.
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79
    I am loving this plan!!!! Stepped on the scale this morning and I'm down another 1.4lbs!!!!! Amazing! Losing weight has never been a very easy road for me. I don't have much to lose, so it tends to come off slowly. And according to the scale, it's body fat that I'm losing...body fat % has gone down while water % was about the same today as it was on Saturday. It went up after my cheat....showing that the "weight" gained on my cheat day really is just water retention.

    I kept with doing the squats/presses/pulls yesterday. I've been doing sets of 30....when I can remember to do them. I'm just waiting for DH to walk into the kitchen one day to see me squating while I'm cooking breakfast or something. He already thinks I'm totally obsessed with this diet. But he did compliment me on my intense will power yesterday. I baked him chocolate chip cookies (Toll House out of the tub) and didn't have any myself!!!

    mcferg, I agree!! The exercises do seem like they should be a quick, easy thing to get your muscles stimulated. And while I don't break a sweat doing them....and they really do only take a few minutes to do...it's alot of work at the end of the day when you add it all up. Guess maybe that's the whole point. Keep the muscles needing fuel throughout the day by doing short burts of work, ilo one longer workout only once a day. I'm noticing that the one thing I like best about this plan is he seems to encourage experimenting with it. My PAGG shipment was stuck in Ohio yesterday because of the storm, but I'm hoping it arrives today.
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
    SBracken,

    Way to go!

    Sadly for me, this is the first week my cheat day weight has not come off by Thursday. I'm still carrying 4 of the 5 lbs I gained. I'm not really concerned about it, but I'm watching my sodium today and hoping to see it gone tomorrow. In the past, the bulk of the weight was gone on one particular night - hoping tonight is it.

    My PAGG arrived yesterday. I'm not taking it today, though. Yesterday, I found myself feeling nauseous here and there, and I want to make sure whatever that is has passed before I start taking something some consider difficult to digest. I actually think I may start taking it on Sunday (cheat day). If the weight isn't gone by Sunday (after a 2.5 lb loss last week, I'll settle for breaking even this week), I'm going to modify my Sunday plan in hopes of not making things much worse.

    I bruised my tailbone last weekend, so exercise has been kind of scant this week, too, which may explain why I'm holding onto the cheat day weight more, but I hope to get back to it today.
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79
    mcferg, hope you're feeling better today! And that the free day weight has come off.

    My PAGG arrived yesterday, so I started it today. Wanted to get a jump on getting it into my system before Sunday...thinking maybe that will help lessen the damage. Although as of right now we have no plans for the Super Bowl. I keep asking DH about it, and even offered to have people over to our house and he just shruggs it off. Very strange since he's a HUGE football fan.
  • mcferg
    mcferg Posts: 142 Member
    mcferg, hope you're feeling better today! And that the free day weight has come off.

    My PAGG arrived yesterday, so I started it today. Wanted to get a jump on getting it into my system before Sunday...thinking maybe that will help lessen the damage. Although as of right now we have no plans for the Super Bowl. I keep asking DH about it, and even offered to have people over to our house and he just shruggs it off. Very strange since he's a HUGE football fan.

    I'm starting the PAGG tomorrow, I think. I still haven't lost the cheat day weight - still up 3.5 lbs from Sunday morning. I was kind of bummed about this yesterday, but not so much today. I have a feeling it will drop in the next day or two, and I'm completely fine with losing nothing this week, so, as long as the cheat day weight is gone by Sunday, I'm fine.

    I'm actually kind of used to weird fluctuations in water weight...up/down, then holding onto it for weeks at a time. However, one of the things I liked about this diet is that it wasn't happening like that... For the first 4 weeks, I gained on cheat day, lost it over the next 2 or 3 days, then continued to lose until the next cheat day.

    Thinking back, though, over my food this week, I think I've had some pretty high-sodium meals...almost every dinner falls into that category, so my guess is that's the culprit here. I'm going to try to make lower sodium choices the next two days and see what happens.
  • cutmd
    cutmd Posts: 1,168 Member
    Water retention is the devil. It gets me soooo depressed. It sounds like I need to read the book rather than just the blog to get all the exercises, etc. As it is I have been slipping mainly on popcorn, fruit, and occasional rice, but the vast majority is post workout. Is that cool? Are you lovely people tracking calories? I am behind on my calories by 500 on average for the week according to the neat little tool, but not losing. It makes me afraid to do cheating of any sort this weekend. ...

    How am I supposed to know if I'm eating too much or too little? Knowing my luck a cheat day will make me much fatter :grumble:
  • devuchka
    devuchka Posts: 19
    i've enjoyed reading this board & all of your comments.

    i just started the 4HB last week, and am trying to figure out how it all works. i have lost 20 lbs twice in my life, and i did so through a combination of exercise and a similar diet. so when i heard about this one i aleady knew that eating a lot of eggs & legumes would work. i do know that exercise is a big deal for me - moving my hips = shrinking them. so i started 30 min of my Denise Austin walker & my mini-tramp before I found this diet. I already lost 2 lbs from that. (on the other hand, a co-worker got sick and lost 20 lbs in 1 week while in bed, so i know for sure that weight loss can be done without exercise...)

    after starting on the 4HB, i am pretty happy though with the results. with 4HB and the cardio, i am down another 1 lb, and several inches around the waist & hips, it feels like in a week. i use the scale at my chiropractor's office, as i don't have one at home. instead i have a "scales skirt" that i use to track my progress. I have worn it at my ideal size so I know how that feels.

    jenjabbour, i have the same problem with liking coffee without milk. i tried the recommendation for cinnamon in it, and i LOVE it! in fact pumpkin pie spice is also great, so i'm gonna pop a little mini bottle in my handbag for when i go out for breakfast too. makes my starbucks come alive.

    i'm also having trouble eating enough to keep from getting hungry between meals. not sure what to do about that. i don't want to eat more, it feels yucky.

    i'm using this site to make sure i get enuf fat & carbs. calories be damned, i am way over. but as long as i fill up on the other stuff, i think i will be ok. we'll see...if i want to lose weight faster, i will just be more strict with my weekly menu. i gotta clean out the fridge first of all the pre-4HB stuff i bought & refill it with slow-carb yummies.

    i'm starting my first cheat day today, so here goes! pizza & martinis, coming right up! well, i mean, later on the day...wouldn't want to make myself sick too early, might as well wait until...after breakfast...at least...:drinker:
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