Losing fat by changing your diet

Today we are going to discuss the Slow-Carb Diet. A method popularized by Tim Ferriss, author of the 4-Hour Body.

Essentially it breaks down to this:

• Avoid "white" carbohydrates (or anything that can be white).
• Eat the same few meals over and over again.
• Don't drink calories.
• Don't eat fruit.
• Take one day off per week and go nuts eating anything you can.

I will start testing this as soon as i have the motivation since i went on the scale yesterday and i saw that i had gained 4kg and i miss the fat free body i had 6 months ago. I will maybe take some pictures to monitor my progress. My biggest challenge is that this diet involves eating big amounts of eggs, beans and vegetables like spinach, broccoli, radish. I really don't like these after my army days, but i guess i can adapt. I am not sure i will follow the no-fruit protocol since i live in a meditteranean country where fruits are aplenty. I am pretty excited about the go-nuts day, which is probably going to be Saturday for me.

Why am i choosing this diet? Because i want to lose weight and most importantly fat. I don't have the time or the finances to go to the gym right now, so i am relying on food and the work out i do lifting things at work. Also from what i saw people felt transformed at the end. Plus i want to go to Sweden in the best possible shape.

IS THIS DIET HEALTHY?

Well studies from LIFT (a great source for food and habits), showed that from a sample of 3500 people trying the diet 84% lost weight, with an average weight loss of 8.6 pounds (around 4.1-4.2kg). 14% lost more than 14 pounds (around 6.7kg) which is pretty impressive. Only 16% did not notice a change with a margin error of 5%. You can read about the full research here.

This diet promotes avoiding food that promote fat storage. It also uses methods like eating within 30 minutes of waking up and having "cheat-days" where you can eat your heart's desire to balance your metabolism. Source will be the book 4-Hour Body.

APPROVED FOODS

 Protein:

• *Egg whites with 1–2 whole eggs for flavor (or, if organic, 2–5 whole eggs, including yolks)
• *Chicken breast or thigh
• *Black beans
• *Beef (preferably grass-fed)
• Pork
• *Fish

Legumes:

•  *Lentils (also called “dal” or “daal”)
• Pinto beans
• Red beans
• Soybeans

Vegetables:

•  *Spinach
• *Mixed vegetables (including broccoli, cauliflower, or any other cruciferous vegetables)
• *Sauerkraut, kimchee
• Asparagus
• Peas
• Broccoli
• Green beans

Food in italics and * have provided the greatest success ratio for the author.

Now let's break it down daily. Ideally you should eat 5-6 small meals per day. Adjust your meals to your schedule, for example i wake up daily at 5am. Below are some meal ideas.

1) Breakfast - 5am: Smoothie with 30g of protein powder, 2-3 egg whites and one whole egg.
The ideal breakfast is 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up. Eggs are an easy way to do this (and boost success rate by 10%).

2) Lunch - 14:00-17:00: Roasted chicken breast with mixed vegetables and salad, meat, beef and even more vegetables.

My lunch hour varies greatly since sometimes i come home early from work, sometimes really late. It helps to have some peanuts or an apple to eat during that time to keep your system ticking and not starve.

3) Dinner 21:00-23:00: More of the same, mostly vegetables though and maybe a low fat yogurt because i am a fan. Smaller portions though and always eat 1-2 hours before sleeping.

Between these main meals i will always try to carry some nuts and maybe a fruit if i use them after all. Drink loads of water and avoid beverages like fizzy drinks, beer, white wine and alcohol. Red wine is acceptable and does not compromise weight loss. Be sure to drink red dry wine though. If you can't skip the drinks get something with 0 calories.

I will monitor my progress as i prepare mentally to enter this diet gradually. It will probably take me 4-7 days to incorporate these meals to my diet completely as it marks a great difference in my life-style. I will maybe tweak it as i want to lose 12 pounds and mostly belly fat.

Remember, what you believe, you can do!