The 4 hour Body (slow carb Diet) Anyone?

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pmgphotograpgie
pmgphotograpgie Posts: 2 Member
edited January 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
THE FOUR HOUR BODY - AWESOME APPROCHE

Hey guys, I've been trying all sorts of dieTS in the past and I never went for more than 2 months with average results. I've read this book by Timothy Ferris (the 4 hour body) and I really liked it. He uses a technical approche on the subject of dieting and he offers a wide range of tools that you can use to gain/lose weight/muscles.

The diet he recommended (the slow carb diet), isn't anything new. Its the good old no bread/potatoes/rice/carbs/carbs/carbs diet but with a twist : THE LEGUME. Anyways, I've been following this diet with alot of succes and I am curious to find people out there who are willing to share recipes, srories, fails and wins with me.

I'm a 34 years old male, looking to lose around 50 pounds (245 to 195). Cheers, Max

Replies

  • blueeyetea
    blueeyetea Posts: 44 Member
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    That's pretty much how I eat. Although legumes aren't usually part of a low-carb diet (at the start anyway), I like the fact that they're a good source of fiber. Making up the extra fiber with just veggies can be a chore, imo. All that chopping and shredding!

    I use a variation of this lime-cumin dressing recipe to make my favorite lentil salad. I just open and rinse a can of lentils to which I add nuts, seed, and a bit of Feta Cheese. For my husband needs the extra carbs, I add raisins and cooked brown rice. It's even better if you can prepare it in advance, so perfect for brown bag lunches.
  • blueeyetea
    blueeyetea Posts: 44 Member
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    Oh, I just thought of another recipe that I made, "beans and greens", in my pressure cooker. It's basically a bean stew with sauteed kale or spinach, topped with a sprinkling of pepper and parmesan cheese.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
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    That's great that this diet is working well for you- but if you're losing weight it's because you are in a caloric deficit.

    Caloric deficit = weight loss
    Caloric surplus = weight gain
    Maintenance calories = stay the same weight

    There are certain reasons to be specific about what you eat - better health, better digestion, allergies and sensitivities... and there's certain macronutrients ratios that are better for muscle preservation and fat loss... but there's really no need further than that to cut out certain types of foods or overcomplicate things. You aren't losing weight because you're avoiding potatoes, it's because you're eating fewer calories than you burn.
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
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    While I enjoy Tim Ferris' podcasts, he does have a tendency to major in the minors, especially when it comes to diet/exercise. A great deal of his recommendations are a lot of work for little reward, especially for people who aren't aiming for high level fitness goals.
  • pmgphotograpgie
    pmgphotograpgie Posts: 2 Member
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    Cool! Thanks for the advise! For all that caloric deficit thing, I'm pretty sure that you lose faster on a ketogenic diet vs the typical low calorie like WW. I've realized that I have a tendency to have more cravings on an "everything allowed" low calorie diet vs a ketogenic diet, where I eat just more of everything. I know the goal is to change my habits towards eating clean and making good choices, but when you are in my situation (1 1/2 year on pause because of a massive herniated disc) and you can't really move, thinking of an avocado makes me gain weight
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    Cool! Thanks for the advise! For all that caloric deficit thing, I'm pretty sure that you lose faster on a ketogenic diet vs the typical low calorie like WW. I've realized that I have a tendency to have more cravings on an "everything allowed" low calorie diet vs a ketogenic diet, where I eat just more of everything. I know the goal is to change my habits towards eating clean and making good choices, but when you are in my situation (1 1/2 year on pause because of a massive herniated disc) and you can't really move, thinking of an avocado makes me gain weight

    You can only lose weight through a calorie deficit. The size of the deficit dictates the rate of weigh loss not what you eat.
  • jkc715nyc
    jkc715nyc Posts: 1 Member
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    I've been doing low carb for almost 2 years now and had a lot of success. A few vacations led to me falling off the wagon for a bit (hey, when in Paris I'm eating the damn croissant lol) so Im back at it. A friend of mine told me how her mom did slow carb and lost a bunch of weight, so I thought i'd give it a try. I started gaining weight though! I started tracking everything on here and realized i was consuming more calories and carbs then ever, so I'm being very careful now and tracking everything. I hate to give up the cheat day, but I don't want to gain either. Curious if anyone else has experienced this.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Cool! Thanks for the advise! For all that caloric deficit thing, I'm pretty sure that you lose faster on a ketogenic diet vs the typical low calorie like WW. I've realized that I have a tendency to have more cravings on an "everything allowed" low calorie diet vs a ketogenic diet, where I eat just more of everything. I know the goal is to change my habits towards eating clean and making good choices, but when you are in my situation (1 1/2 year on pause because of a massive herniated disc) and you can't really move, thinking of an avocado makes me gain weight

    Yes - the goal is to "change habits" and "make good choices."

    I don't understand why you can't make good choices while eating all foods in moderation? We don't have to make perfect choices....or eat "clean" whatever your definition is.......we just need to IMPROVE our diet.

    Do you intend to be low carb or keto forever? If no, then you will still have to deal with "more cravings" someday. A temporary keto or low carb diet is just putting those lifestyle changes off.
  • gotblues66
    gotblues66 Posts: 58 Member
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    The size of the deficit dictates the rate of weigh loss not what you eat.

    Interesting. Everything I've learned suggests what you eat does make a difference on rate of loss, it's pretty much the foundation of the keto diet, isn't it?
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
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    dsydorko wrote: »
    The size of the deficit dictates the rate of weigh loss not what you eat.

    Interesting. Everything I've learned suggests what you eat does make a difference on rate of loss, it's pretty much the foundation of the keto diet, isn't it?

    You will lose weight faster at first but in the long run it makes no difference.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    dsydorko wrote: »
    The size of the deficit dictates the rate of weigh loss not what you eat.

    Interesting. Everything I've learned suggests what you eat does make a difference on rate of loss, it's pretty much the foundation of the keto diet, isn't it?

    If that's what your keto sources told you, you should change your sources to ones who are not trying to embellish the truth.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    dsydorko wrote: »
    The size of the deficit dictates the rate of weigh loss not what you eat.

    Interesting. Everything I've learned suggests what you eat does make a difference on rate of loss, it's pretty much the foundation of the keto diet, isn't it?

    Exhibit #1 that calories are what matter: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/
  • sugaraddict4321
    sugaraddict4321 Posts: 15,736 MFP Moderator
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    blueeyetea wrote: »
    ...I use a variation of this lime-cumin dressing recipe to make my favorite lentil salad...

    I've been looking for dressing recipes to try since the same old thing gets boring. That looks delicious! Do you ever put the toasted seeds in as-is or do you always grind? I don't have a grinder so I am wondering about texture if you just leave the seeds whole.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    dsydorko wrote: »
    The size of the deficit dictates the rate of weigh loss not what you eat.

    Interesting. Everything I've learned suggests what you eat does make a difference on rate of loss, it's pretty much the foundation of the keto diet, isn't it?

    The keto diet does not have any advantage over any other diet. Low carb depletes glycogen initially causing excess water loss, but fat loss for ketogenic diet is reliant upon a calorie deficit just as any other diet. Your body must need to use it's energy stores because it's not receiving enough energy, whether that's from carbs proteins or fats doesn't matter.

    For some eating a ketogenic diet significantly lowers calories because it significantly limits the foods they would normally eat. Some may feel greater satiation on a ketogenic diet.

    On the other hand, some people have low energy, feel poorly, and have poor adherance to ketogenic diets. In addition, most people cannot maintain a ketogenic diet for the rest of their lives and as such regain most of their lost weight.

    In my opinion, eating a diet that is enjoyable and sustain and balanced without cutting out any of the macronutrients seems to be the best for maintenance and adherence.
  • mariafast7862
    mariafast7862 Posts: 22 Member
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    What do you think of the PAGG stack?? Do you follow that part?