The Slow Carb Diet – My Mixed Review After 30 Days on the Diet

No Beer? No bread? Sounds like purgatory. No thanks!

I liked Tim's book but not the slow carb diet with all the beans. The men seemed to have better results than the women. I think Tim posted somewhere that some women may not see any results until after 4 weeks on the diet. I think I'd rather do your plan of 2 shakes for Breakfast and Lunch and a meal for dinner. Also didn't agree with having to eat 30 mins after waking up.

I don't know that I could go 6 days without some small treat each day. Personally, I follow a paleo/primal diet that focuses on vegetables, fruit and meat (with a little diary), but I really savor a small bite of dark chocolate and a few glasses of red wine or one light beer in the evenings. I find that eating this way with a day or two of IF is pushing me closer and closer to single digit body fat percentage!

Hey Rusty!
Great post. I purchased the book a couple of months ago but never gave the diet a try. I'm impressed that you walked the walk and did the diet for 30 days.
I'm not too sure if the diet is for me either.
The way my mind is programmed is weird. Its all or nothing for me. I have an easier time having no cookies than having 4. If I have a few cookies I don't stop lol.

So when I diet I go super extreme. I like doing this because its guaranteed weight loss. When I go for a more moderate diet approach my weight doesn't really change a whole lot.

Right now I'm doing your shake, shake and chicken salad diet. Its very extreme but somehow I can stick with it. I'm on my second day of the diet and holy crap does it ever work. If I push through 5-10 days of this diet i'll probably be at my leanest state. My waist went from 33" to 32.25" after the first day lol. Its nuts

a little strict and few too many rules for my liking Rusty…and i might struggle with no beer!

Beans don't agree with my stomach so I don't think this diet would suit me. I don't believe in the necessity of eating in the morning either.

But I still agree with a lot of what this guy says, such as cutting out candy, sugar and refined grains.

Pretty much the definition of a "diet" vs a "lifestyle" … not for me! Thanks for paying the price for us Rusty.

Hey Rusty.

Funny you should post this, because i read the 4 hour body last night, and searched around your site for a review of the diet!
I recently came across your website a month or so ago, it's amazing. Congrats on creating and running such an awesome site.
Anyway back to the diet –
Read it and thought it seemed really strict, and i didn't really want to avoid fruit since i enjoy it so much (especially after reading your post about fruit in the diet) So i think I'm going to stick to normal healthy meals for the week, but implement 2 fasts eat stop eat style.
Do you still think it's okay when trying to get pretty lean to eat a lot of fruit on non fasting days?
Also,
I'm shooting for the Cam Gigandet (Never back down) look. I'm 19, fairly lean now and close to target weight, ready to drop only a 1lb or 2/maintain to really sharpen up for the summer. I've been weight training for 6 months only, switching around reps and sets every 4-5 weeks. I'm asking myself whether i need to lift for mass as I haven't been weight training all that long, or use strength training as you mainly recommend for really dense muscles and the look I'm aiming for.

Thanks.

I'm a beer lover, too, but the deal breaker for me is no fruit.

Like you, I tried the Slow Carb Diet for about a month. I lost some weight, but I felt the restrictions were too socially compromising. I like going out multiple times a week with my friends and family and not having to worry about what nutients I can and can't have. It is way easier to roughly estimate calorie consumption and eat according to that. Plus, no rules about beer!

As always, great post!

Rusty,

Glad to see someone of the fitness world has tried this! I went on (and still am) doing the Slow Carb Diet. My company did an 8 week Biggest Loser competition on January 7th.

I lost a total of 12 pounds. Keep in mind I gained 1 pound and 5 pounds another during the whole thing. (Heigh: 5' 5") Starting weight was 175 and got to 163. I'm still on it but haven't weighed myself since then. We used a body fat measurement tool. The kind that shoots an electric current through your body. What was odd was while on this diet I lost inches in my over all appearance BUT my body fat stayed at a 20% and actually went UP to 22 at one point. 35" waist to a 32". Used a tape measure to be safe.

I honestly don't find this as a diet as more of a lifestyle change. Even though the competitions is over I'm still eating this way as it seemed natural to me. Trust me, I used to eat steak and cheese's, burgers and other garbage on a regular basis. Also, I just don't want to be the typical fat, cheeto eating, slob of an IT technician.

Rusty,

that's how I eat all the time !;-)
Do you mind if I leave this link to my brand new post on HIIT for fat burning?

Don't want to impose … but I think it's really GREAT, even if I say so !;-)

the-interval-training-fat-burning-routine/

But if you mind, please just delete the link, no prob !;-)

Thanks,

Mark

Wow Rusty!

All I can say is "thank you!" for putting this diet to the test for us like that. I'm still undecided about Tim's book (lots of interesting stuff for sure, but just a bit too unsustainable for most of the tactics.)

I tell you what: you nailed it on the head with regards to preferring low-calorie diets versus diets centered around macronutrient exclusion. In my own experience, I've always managed to shed bodyfat while still taking in all sorts of carbs, just by watching my overall caloric intake.

Plus, "all you can eat of beans" does horrible things to my GI! Must be cause I'm pushing 40 or something, but I can't eat lots of beans like I used to. (And Beano does nothing for me too.)

Btw, you are the UNDISPUTED master of photos in posts!

-Mark

forgot to add: I did substitute beer or a burbon on the rocks for the wine.

Liked Ferris's book, plenty of cool tips and stories. I think it's more for people who have weight to lose, rather than lean up an already lean body. The plan you mentioned above works great, especially with the intermittent fasting mixed in.

I've been practicing a modified slow carb diet, I eat pretty well during the week and also fast during the day on Mondays.

I don't have one big cheat day, but instead cheat a little during the week, and then cheat a bit more on Friday night and Saturday's.

I also put no restrictions on dairy products. Dinner without cheese? Come on!

As for your stomach aches, sounds like adding some fermented foods to your diet would help a lot (whether or not you wanted to continue the slow carb way).

This eat like this normally and I actually enjoy it. I've recommended this to friends and it always produces a great result. The only problem they had was keeping it up. Cutting out processed carbs is a huge pain for most people.

Thanks for the review. I have Tim's book also. What kind of calorie deficeit would you be looking at for the next 3 weeks. When you say eat what you want for dinner within reason what does that equate to?

Would you share your maintenance diet?

It looks like an interesting approach but it does look pretty restrictive. I would have expected you to see better results but you're already pretty lean. As you say, maybe it's better for someone with more weight to lose. Personally, I'm with you when it comes to intermittent fasting and enjoying the weekend with less restrictions.

meal replacement shake for breakfast and lunch… could you define?

your low calorie plan sounds aggressive for sure! i would estimate you are eating 800 calories or 900 calories max – is that right rusty?

Rusty,

I tried this too but stopped a couple of weeks into it. You are probably right that it is better for people who have a lot to lose. On my blog I am tracking another chapter from his book: How to gain 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days. I am on day 18 and am going for 31 days. Check it out. Thanks.

David

I'm with ya' brother. IF gives me the flexibility to not worry about it. I do avoid wheat but have to have the occasional pizza. I don't worry about it from a "lean" stand point but it gives me serious IBS. I have a thing for chik-fil-a but only like twice a year but that will go right through me. I just can't eat crap anymore without dealing with the consequences. Bottom line is IF allows me not to fixate on what I'm eating in terms of carbs and whatnot.

It was an interesting read but I wasn't very impressed with the diet.

Way . . . way . . . way too many beans in the menu. Beans are a hard food for humans to digest.

The rest of the menu looked like a strict pre-contest bodybuilding type diet. Very bland, very regimented. (Regimented is fine for a short period but a diet doesn't need to be bland.)

I understand the idea of having a cheat day once a week, but he really pushed the idea of force feeding junk all day. I prefer the occasional treat in moderation a few times a week or on special occasions rather than a 1 day in 7 pig out frenzy.

I agree with you about the wine Rusty. It was because Tim likes wine, not for any other important dieting factor.

The diet would work to help people lose fat because it is cutting out foods with a lot of processed sugars and flours. Always a step in the right direction.

But I don't like it from a health point of view. And seriously, beans and lentils every day? With no fruits and foods like butter? That would test the resolve of the toughest Spartan.

Bova

I have to admit I have not read the book but when I saw that there were a good amount of beans involved and you said your stomach hurt, I immediately thought of lectins. Lectins can bind to your intestinal tract which creates all kinds of havoc (which could loead to a leaky gut, autoimmune complications, etc). Lectins are present in nearly everything, it is mother nature's way of "natural pesticides." I am willing to guess that either you did not cook the beans fully or soak them, are more sensitive to lectins, or various other factors. If you dropped beans and substituted them with more veggies or sweet potatoes you would be good to go

I love how you concluded this diet could work but it wasn't the right fit for you and your girlfriend.

Iagree that weightloss pretty much boils down to a large enough calorie deficit as oppossed to rigid rules, plus a lot of people can't (mentally) handle having certain foods off limit and eat them anyway!

~ Harlow

Rusty-

You need to formally write up your "2 Beers a Day to a Six Pack!" diet!

I expect royalties on that title, you know

But seriously, the intermittent fasting approach is the easiest to follow, in my opinion. The "eating what I want while creating a weekly calorie deficit" approach, as you put it, works good enough for me. Although to get really lean I find that I either have to become super strict with my portion size or add in more starved state HIIT/cardio sessions.

Anyways, thanks for the dose of common sense. Now I am craving some good beer…

-Ian

I stuck with this diet for a month and ended up with horrendous bloating and constipation and a month-long belly hangover. The beans and lentils are murder in those quantities. I lost 4lbs – but in my case I have at least 30 to lose, so this return was poor. In contrast, the last diet I tried (Arthur de Vany's, three years ago at a similar weight) sheared off 22lbs in 2 months. I'm sure Ferriss' diet will work – but only for particular constitutions.

I just attended Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution Seminar, and have never been more on board with the advantages of a Paleo diet. I understand that some people find it restrictive, but it really seems to be the path to optimal health. There are definitely ways to get lean (intermittent fasting etc). However to get lean, and get the added benefits that Paleo provides (decreased inflammation, improved gut health) just makes sense to me.

Robb mentioned that Tim Ferris is now eating a primarily Paleo diet. After Robb read Tim’s book they exchanged some phone calls in which Robb called Tim out on a few scientific flaws in his book. Robb is a very interesting dude, who really backs up his advice with scientific evidence.

Intermittent fasting is my favourite way to get lean however, and when I fall off the Paleo wagon I just start to use IF to my advantage.

Cheers,
Jordan

p.s. Glad you tried the slow carb diet Rusty, but I doubt you need it!

I don't know about this approach. I have heard some celebs do this type of diets but usually it's the heavier ones or those that bypass doing exercise and look for a different approach to eating.

I too find it too restrictive but I did find your experiment quite interesting. I have yet to read the book so that is on my list.

-Sam

Thanks for being the guinea pig, Rusty!

I would of never tried it anyways. You turned me on to Intermittent fasting over a year ago and it has worked wonders for me. I don't see any reason to try something else. Once I find something that works, I just stick with it.

If it isn't broke, why try to fix it?

I crossed finding a diet or a way to lose weight off of my list of things to do once I started fasting.

I liked parts of Tim's book though.

-Kelly

I have been on the slow carb diet for about 2 months – lost 10 lbs (from 184 to 175) Waist down 2 inches (36 to 34). I am 6 feet tall and feel that my body-fat percentage is slightly under 20% since I can start to see a hint of my abs. My only modification to the diet is that I have a piece of fruit in the morning. Even with all those eggs and meat, my cholesterol level improved significantly: triglycerides down 14 (75 to 61), VLDL down 3 (15 to 12), LDL down 23 (108 to 85), HDL up 9 (39 to 48). Gary Taub’s book “Good Calories, Bad Calories gives good explanation and supporting science research behind the idea that carbs (not just bad carbs) make us fat.

Excellent book, but slow-carb is definitely for people who have a long way to go instead of for those of us in good shape but interested in doing some tinkering. Low-carb in general is best for inactive people who have been overweight for a long time. They have more of a hormonal balance problem than a calorie deficit problem. Don't fear the white carbs and fruit, focus on limiting refined foods, and find out what "cheating" strategy works for you, that's the key!

Cool you tried it out. Sounds boring and that's what Tim says about but I eat similarly and it does work but I'm not that strict.
I do have a few beers too regularly.
But i think you are right it's more for people who have lots of weight to lose. I find intermittent fasting is good getting to those last few pounds but to really lean out it's calorie deficit by cycling foods.
Raymond

Diets like above usually work well for heavier folks like you said…I'm with you though about the beer. And can definitely relate to corona lites. Out of curiosity what meal replacement shake do you like?

I have been on this diet since January and have seen spectacular results. I also pay a little more attention to cardio now days but I have dropped 4% body fat. My abs are starting to cut to the best level of my life. I did add in a few scoops of gainer each day because my blood sugar would surge due to lack of calories.

So far so good. I may tone back the beans soon to reduce unwanted stomach gases lol….

Terry

i hate a diet with many rules. I will stick with ESE. Too many rules make me boring with my diet. ESE i think still the best rusty. I just do 2 fasting days a week and i just eat everything i want, including "fast carb"

Rusty,

I read The 4-Hour Body and I can see how the slow carb diet can work for people, but personally it's not really for me. First of all, I don't like beans. Second, I like to cheat on more than one day a week. My diet right now is mostly Primal during the week with cheating on the weekends and intermittent fasting mixed in. It works great and I can tweak it to be a little more calorie restrictive before a vacation if I need to.

Alykhan

Leangains is so much better than the Slow Carb Diet….and just about any other diet if you ask me.

Rusty, do you prefer ESE over the Leangains 16/8 split?

I know Martin wrote a guest article awhile back so I assume you're familiar with it. The details are here if anyone's interested http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html

Very easy to maintain + tons of real world results + many hormonal benefits. I've personally lost fat and gained muscle on the approach and I can't imagine EVER going back to my old 6 meals a day diet!

rusty,

I'm sure you already know where I stand on this. haha. All this diet is, is restrictive. And the audacity of Ferriss to put in that wine rule for himself is as hilarious as it is insulting to the everyday dieter. Why not a piece of chocolate equivalent to 2 classes of wine?

And then the cheat day, as always, is non-sensical. I think the reason you were probably having stomach pains at night may have been the added fiber if you were looking for more veggies to eat at dinner to fill you up and your stomach was adjusting. Just a thought.

But I do agree, a low-calorie Anything Goes Diet, makes life a lot more manageable and fun while still getting you to your goal weight.

excellent honest review buddy.

Rusty,

I have had alot of success with the protein shake breakfast and lunch with the big dinner & fasting…

I like how I feel with less carbs and minus the soft look . Its good that you bring a refreshing perspective to this, as most are just biased to everything Tim Ferris does or say.

Ryan

It's the "no fruit" thing that put me off trying Tim's diet. Also we follow a Paleo eating style most of the time anyway, so I wouldn't expect too many changes if I tried.

The other thing is the amount of beans and lentils… I'd just never survive

Interesting to hear your observations Rusty. And especially about your conclusion that the Slow Carb would be more effective for people who have more to lose.

In all fairness Tim does push for people to try out stuff and keep only the bits that work. So in that spirit – I've introduced a few more bean and lentil meals. And I've managed to curb the usual learned after dinner sweet craving.

I loved Tim's book as it will revolutionize the way people look at dieting. I feel a lot of people feel they have to follow advice absolutely, and in the process, they forget to be individual, and what they do or don't like.

@Johnn,I'm with you brother,Leangains all the way!

Your plan sounds a lot like the modified Warrior Diet that Jason Ferruggia currently follows and prescribes to people who want to lose weight. I can see why it'd work – I've tried some high-protein meal replacements and they've been extremely filling.

Personally, I'd not change anything from the original Warrior Diet and just eat one large meal at the end of the day, but I can see why fasting every single day might not have such an appeal to you.

I very much agree that macronutrient-focused diets are really overcomplicating things. When do you need to manage your macronutrients? If you're looking to go from 6% to 2% body fat, of course, and if you're looking to prevent water retention. It just seems presumptuous of Ferriss to label refined carbohydrates as fat-storing devils.

Unlike you, though, I don't really like the book. He makes a lot of absurd recommendations. I'm sorry, but his training programme is not to my liking at all. 4-Hour Work Week was better; Nate Green's Hero Handbook is the best in terms of improving productivity.

Eating within 30mins of waking? I've been IFing so long that I don't think I even know what breakfast is anymore. I never eat before 12 and sometimes as late as 5pm and feel much much better for it.

I'm a great fan of your Bova and not eating fruit…it sounds the most stupid advice!
Tim Ferriss? No thanks!
Thanks Rusty for posting this…sorry for you and your girlfriend though

The Slow Carb Diet seems to be one of the hit-or-miss approaches with its focus on restricting the type of foods/drinks you can have. It can work pretty well for people who won't fast, count calories or do any type of portion control.

For someone in the know like you Rusty, I would guess approaches that focus on portion/calorie control without restricting food choices would be much more doable and enjoyable.

We know that every diet that creates a calorie deficit will work and we only need to find one that we can stick to.

On a side note, I cannot imagine giving up on my daily beer and chocolate.

I've also found some people cannot tolerate higher protein diets(most of them women btw.).

Agree totally with your position on this Rusty, I can easily remain at bf of around 8% year round without any strict 'rules' I've just learnt over the past few years approximately how to eat to keep weight/body composition stable.

My main outline is quite simply to keep pretty strict about what I eat from monday-friday. During the week day times usually low carb high protein highish fat, lots of veg, some fruit, strictly 'clean'. Evenings (post 'main' workout, I also do small focused workouts including intervals and MRT type stuff in the day) I eat pretty much want I want, just not too much, most of my day's carbs, not too soon before bed though.
Weekends loosen up a bit have a few beers etc but essentially the same just don't worry about it.
24 hour fast 1-2 times a week unless I'm trying to gain weight.
I guess this is easy for me because I don't like junk food and don't have a sweet tooth.

Lifestyle vs diet really is the biggy for me, you can train yourself to naturally eat healthy food in the right amounts at the right times with the right macronutrient makeup for you. I've found that things balance out over time, sometimes you over eat slightly, sometimes create a calorie deficit or fast for a while.

If I need to drop a couple of pounds I do almost exactly what Rusty outlined, if you stay within 5-10 pounds of really lean all year round a short focused extreme diet is no big deal for a couple of weeks.

Get in good shape, stay there, enjoy life.

No beer but 2 glasses of wine? Not likely in my house, how about 6-8 beers and we'll cut the food altogether! /joke

I actually started on this, but quickly moved over to more straight-ahead Low GI diet. Lost 15 lbs in 6 weeks, but am now adding in your "vacation blueprint" advice, and the pounds are definitely still coming off. I do stick to red wine during the week. On Saturdays, I'll have an IPA or two.

I always wrap new golden pill diets inside my weight watchers points. WW has been around way before any of these Young Turks were born.

Favorite right now with incredible results is Mark McManus and his http://www.MuscleHack.com routines and diet. All inside my WW allowable points. If I want to tweak, I just take off a point or two. Gaining muscle, approaching 10% BF (that's not "best friend") at the same time.

I eat around 300-400 carbs a day, because I usually bike 15 miles and run 2.5 miles a day. I also include some body resistance training. I have to have the carbs for the long rides 35+ miles.
My bodyfat is between 4-6 %

Rusty, I am with you on preference over low calorie diets versus nutrient specific diets. Although, it's nice to have variety every now and then. I do find that ESE combined with low cal is the best thing that works for me. I don't like rules that much although when I feel like tightening things up again, I try to do it for a bit.

Anna D.

I've read 3 books in the past 3 months that have changed the way I think about diet and exercise. Tim's 4HB was the first. I liked the concept of MED, particularly as he applies it to muscle-building and strength. His emphasis on measurements (body fat, girth, blood testing, photographs) is fantastic and fits well with his self-experimentation approach. However, I then read Gary Taubes' Good Calories, Bad Calories – perhaps the best book I've ever read. A thorough recounting and analysis of the history of nutritional science in the USA. It explains how we got to be in the situation we are in (where doctors provide advice that is in exact opposition to what's healthy) and what we can do about it – though it is not a typical diet and exercise book, in that there are no recipes, guidelines or regiments. It was life-changing. I then read Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson and found it far less convincingly written than Good Calories, Bad Calories, but because Taubes had already dispelled Conventional Wisdom for me, I found it extremely compelling. Sisson has excellent recommendations for diet and exercise. They are similar to Ferriss' with a couple of key differences – no to beans, yes to fruit and a focus on building what Tim calls "superhuman strength" which is basically getting appropriately strong for the muscle you build, not adding needless muscle bulk. I would highly recommend trying it out for yourself, particularly those who are not significantly overweight.

I believe most of the diet information floating around is complete wishful thinking. Bruce Lee was ripped 40 years ago, Steve Reeves 60 years and greeks were carving statues of ripped people 2000+ years ago. Appears to be no short cuts to cuts…

I haven’t read the book so I won’t comment on it directly. I will say that any diet book that doesn’t have a calorie range and focuses more on food choices does not give a dieter all the necessary tools and information for weight loss. Similarly any book that promises rapid fat loss with rapid muscle gain with the same diet plan will likely result in subpar results.

A dieter needs to understand the following sentence to be successful:

Every 3500 calories cut from the diet or burned during exercise results in a pound of weight loss.

When I am trying to lose REAL weight I eat in the 1500-1700 calorie range. The result is always a minimum of eight pounds of weight loss a month with good reductions in overall body fat percentages. Add a reasonable amount of protein and some weight lifting and you will get it done.

No white carbohydrates eliminates much of a Southern man's diet. I grew up eating tons of white carbs, but as I've gotten older, I've cut back on them some. I don't think I could ever fully eliminate things like rice and potatoes, and I definitely wouldn't want to give up dairy. Much like you, I'd rather drop pounds using a calorie deficit.

IVE BEEN USING ESE WITH LEANGAINS FOR MY SUMMER CUT. DOING GOOD BUT THAT STUBBORN FAT IS A BITCH=)

I MIGHT TRY CARB BACK LOADING WITHIN THE YEAR TO STAY LEAN WHILE HAVING A LIFE=)

Way too complicated, calories in/calories out is much easier to follow.

After reading so many of your posts about calorie deficits and still being able to eat just about whatever you want during full meals, I'm not sure if I'll EVER try another diet again where I'm limited to WHAT I can eat. I've been doing fasting-type eating and have lost 9 pounds in the last 3 months, so I'm not sure the 4-hour body diet is going to appeal to me personally with all its restrictions. Thanks for the review Rusty!

I did the diet and noticed ok results. I like the fact that I could eat as much as I wanted but I still looked puffy from the carbs and bloating. I am going out of town this weekend to show off and that's why I did it. This last week tho I had to go atkins like just to dry out enough and I think I look better than where I was but not what I was hoping for.

I had a friend try this out for 4 weeks he didn't monitor his weight, but he did get leaner. I think it's effective. I'd much rather just reduce my calories to get the job done.

- Trevor

Like any diet this works by restricting calories. I don't buy all the don't eat this, don't eat that BS. It's just calories in vs out. There may be differences in the way the body metabolizes different macronutrient groups, but they are insignificant.

I'm following an IF style diet. In fact, it's more of a lifestyle as I've been doing it for a year and a half, after I read about it on this blog. I don't avoid pasta, white bread, red meat, rice, sugar OR alcohol. I don't eat meals with x% protetin or x this or that. I probably eat way more carbs & fat than I do protein. I sometimes eat so much I feel uncomfortable. I sometimes eat right before going to bed. I barely do any cardio.

I've never been leaner. I never thought it would be possible to have visible abs but still eat take-aways and drink beer regularly . It matters not what form the calories take.

This diet is too rigid for me.

I am currently at 6% body fat and am the leanest I have ever been. I purchased Tom Venuto's best selling ebook, "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, " and that has been a godsend for me. I consume an abundance of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Nothing is off limits because as Tom has said, it is the calorie deficit that is responsible for fat loss not so much macronutrient manipulation. I weigh and measure all of my food, and consume a diet that is high in protein (for appetite suppression and muscle preservation) and moderate in carbs. I have no problem getting lean with this "balanced" approach.

Too often people are dogmatic with what diet works best and will obfuscate the process of fat loss. It all boils down to science. Fat loss is not esoteric but is very predictable. Where many people seem to struggle is being able to remain in a calorie deficit for a long enough period of time to see maximal results. That's why I believe if you consume ample protein and fiber this will be less of a problem. Protein maintains stable blood sugar levels and fiber feels up on few calories. Combining a lean protein source with every meal will blunt the effects of the carbohydrates. This approach to dieting will enable one to quell their appetite to end each day in a calorie deficit.

Any diet that alleges that you can eat as much food of a particular kind is spurious. You have to be in a calorie deficit to lose fat. Period! Too many chicken breasts and salad greens can be stored as fat as well. A CALORIE DEFICIT is a sine qua non for fat loss.

Been checking back each day to this post for answers…

What kind of calorie deficeit would you be looking at for the next 3 weeks. When you say eat what you want for dinner within reason what does that equate to?

Would you share your maintenance diet?

What meal replacement bar do you use when IF?

I find that such rigid diets are not meant to follow for a long time since they are really hard to adhere to in the long haul.

It's much better to shoot for the lifestyle oriented diets that are not too rigid (Primal for example) and that focus on health, not only dropping weight or putting weight if you want that. Overall long term strategy is always more productive than a rigid short term tactic.

For me the best way to get and keep lean is Primal lifestyle combined with IF (a la Leangains) with sporadic Warrior way mixed here and there if I overdid eating some day or another. And of course lifting heavy.

Good review Rusty – appreciate your efforts in going through with it and trying it first hand.

All the best,

The Mancini

Hey!

I was just wondering if any of you know of books to get a male model body with little or no gym equipment?
Thanks

Great post Rusty!

I tried the slow-carb diet for the entire month of March and I lost 9 lbs. (172 to 163) and my wife lost 6 lbs. (125 to 119). In contrast to your experience, we found the diet easy to follow. We tracked our progress on our blog and we planning to continue until the end of April.

John

if you are only doing shakes for breakfast and lunch, how many calories are they and what are they made of? thanks for the review.

Great article!

Tim's diet is suited for Tim. I think everyone needs to create their own eating habits by learning the basics of food and nutrition.

Tim Ferris' stuff is always top notch, however it isn't without flaw. Like many people pushing diet programs, he makes it seem like its 'his way or the highway' so to speak. In reality, people do better on diets that are tailored directly to them. Anything less than this is striving for less.

A note to Rusty: The stomach pain may have just been a temporary thing. I know nutrition expert Robb Wolf often says the body takes 30 days to adapt to a diet metabolically. Just another opinion!

Hi Rusty

I was wondering, if you weren't on the Slow Carb Diet, what would you have eaten those 30 days to lose weight for your vacation. Basically I'm interested to know more about what your typical diet (if the diet had too much fibers, what do you eat usually to get calories without all those fibers?)

if you did not measure your muscle weight, and only went by POUNDS LOST, you probably undercut your success by quite a bit.
calorie restriction is good for weight loss. it is not good for building a beautiful body-
and as a 40+ year old woman, i've found 'protein' diets (which this is just another version of) to be the most successful at reducing fat and adding muscle.
tim has much more in the book than a diet, including GREAT tips for simple exercises that maximize the effects. i highly recommend it for women.
-t-

Hi Rusty

The weight I like to stay at where im very lean is 138. Doing the last 4 months i have often failed to go to the gym and workout plus my eating habits have been horrible.
Now im at 148,5 and im sure i haven't really gained in this period. My goal is now to get back down to 138 where i used to be. Would like to accomplish this as fast as possible without sacrificing a lot of muscle, but some will be okay. What method would you recommend? And how long do you think it would take to reach this goal?

Good review Rusty. I follow a diet year-round which is very similar to this one and it certainly isn't for everyone! I personally love it but I can see why one would prefer other methods. On another note, why is it that you are so outspoken against anabolic steroids yet so fond of alcohol? As a college professor, I was shocked to learn that more college students are killed in a day from alcohol-related deaths (the majority of which are unable to even possess alcohol by law) than people of any age from anabolic steroid-related deaths in a year. I know this seems off-topic, but it is something that I find highly ironic in our society as a whole. Thanks again for the article!

Rusty,

Seriously though, sounds pretty good to me:

legumes (beans and lentils) and cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage and co.) are what's called "TS Smart Carbs" in my Temporal Synergy Method of Fat Burning.

These foods have a direct and specific fat burning effect, due to certain phyto-nutrients and the soluble fiber they contain.

Looks like Tim has done his homework here !;-)

Thanks for the good stuff,

Mark

Will try to answer some of the questions. Appreciate all of the comments!

@Sue,

Funny…my girlfriend was convinced it was a "guy's diet" as well.

@Lloyd,

You get really lean and still eat fruit…you just got to make sure you are still in a calorie deficit. One of my favorite diet techniques involves eatin a Fuji or Honeycrisp apple and several glasses of water…whenever I get the impulse to eat junk food when dieting. The pectin expands in your stomach and makes you feel full…and an apple is roughly 100 calories or less.

@Mark W,

Yeah…have to be more careful with food once you are 40 or over…I know exactly what you mean!

@Scott,

I'm not crazy strict as I'm not worried about getting ultra-lean or anything. For calories…averaging 1,500'ish. Some days less and a few days more. The Meal Replacement Powder…like Myoplex, MuscleMilk, MetRX, that type of thing.

@Jessica,

More like 1,500-1,600 per day (average)…some days as low as 1,000, most are closer to 1,400-1,500 and quite a bit more on Sat and Sun.

@Bova,

There does seem to be an anti-fruit movement going on. I can get ripped while eating apples. In fact, the fuji and water combo fills me up when I'm dieting hard.

@Nige,

My girlfriend still doesn't feel like her normal self. This diet has more of a rebound effect than I'm used to seeing. Again…we were both pretty darn fit going in, so this may not be the case for everyone.

@Gerard,

I like Myoplex original or Prograde. There are tons of brands that are good…these are just my personal favorites.

@John,

Leangains and ESE both work well. ESE fits my lifestyle better…but no doubt Martin B has a great thing going.

@Steve,

The big breakfast was tough for me. I do like a big shake 4-5 days per week in the morning, perhaps one traditional breakfast…and 1-2 days where I fast until dinner.

@Hristo,

I don't think I can tolerate high levels of protein either. When I was young it wasn't a problem…now I feel healthier will less.

@ Kyle,

Yeah…a good example of eating carbs and remaining ripped. Right on.

@Scott,

Tom Venuto really gives out solid advice. People don't give him as much credit as they should…but he overdelivers on all of his products. BTFFTM is a great course.

-Rusty

Completely off topic but I was not sure where else to contact you. Do you think it is possible to achieve muscle growth only hitting a muscle once every two weeks. Example: Doing a very comprehensive chest workout on Monday and then not hitting chest again til two Mondays later. Your thoughts? Thanx.

Good morning Mr Moore!
First, i want to apologize for my english level (i'm french)
I want to thank you for all and congratulate you for everything.
I am in the fitness thing since 2 years so i am kind a new. I found your blog in february 2010.
I started with a french method called "Lafay" based upon cumulative fatigue through bodyweight exercise.
But in every method i found the nutrition didn't suit me at all.
I don't want to put on fat. I follow a bulk diet for about 3 months then i cut. In the end i just gained maybe 2 pounds of muscle. Funny right?
So i tell myself i will do my own nutrition as i feel it: mostly whole natural food. That is actually pretty close to what Bova is telling.
Which brings me to my second main point: all the great people i discover because of you. For that i thank you a lot. But i always come back to you.

The third point is that i'm a golfer. So i can't bulk up. I want to be athletic and have a body that actually works.
The fourth point is a thought coming right from my mind. I read a lot of people who wants to be like Pitt, Gyllenhal etc… Those man are optimized for camera. They are actually lightweight based upon bodybuilding criteria. To prove my point of view i want you to look at the female stars who look awesome in a movie but are actually light. this is the Magic of the cinema for sure. Then, actors are doing a lot of sport to be ready for a role (boxing, sword fight). So they look so good because they use their body to do something like athletes do.
So to look like an athlete well you have to be one. Only weight training won't give you that.
I could be wrong, but being an athlete is at least good for health
To conclude i remember a sentence that says "making a good choice for the wrong reason could be a wrong choice"
IMO,it is more important to aim for feeling good which implies looking good than just trying to look good. Because if your only goal is to look good well put on drugs and you will look good. But i'd rather not have your health.
Thank for all the people who had the courage to read that entirely.
And thank to you Mr Moore for your attention.

ps: you don't answer me in twitter

I totally agree about creating a calorie deficit vs limiting certain macronutrients and/or foods. The deficit is the key to weight loss! No need to be unrealistic, especially in the society we live in, and follow a lot of "rules" you won't be able to stick to long-term.

Wow i can't see how you could hang in there for 30 days, but after doig the 30 days workout and a hard diet, what are we suppose to do? We start again in eating everything and drink whatever we want or we keep on like that? But for me it is a very sure no, so keep this ways for another people. It is a great article but not for me the diet.

Well…a good piece of discussion to say the least. I think its always a good idea to have a diet plan in order to organize yourself on daily basis. But the dark part of the story is that most of us tend to adopt each n every plan that seem to work for anyone around that makes the situation somewhat worst. What i suggest is choose your diet or even a workout plan right according to your health.Remember whatever diet plan you are aiming for just Do not overwhelm yourself. Remember simple paths can make it even better n easy for you to stay fit n smart. So now you clicked the point that your first focus is your health. I would love to share some more information to help you in attaining good health. Check this out.

http://tinyurl.com/6d9hn9f.

I hope you’ll find this info useful.

Thanks! n Good Luck!

Rusty,
Great Article as always! Amazing how you come up with this stuff
I have a question actually, Im 177 pounds, 6 ft, and 18 years old. I have been intensely trying to lose weight, and what i do is i workout (Weight Training, Resistance Training, HIIT(10 mins), and then steady state(7 min), everything takes 1.5 hours) at around 5 pm and dont eat anything for the whole day before this. An hour after my workout i have something light and protein based (around 100 calories), and then a glass of milk, so total about 200 calories everyday of the week. Although i have been doing this everyday for two weeks, i had been moderately dieting two months prior to this. Do you think what i am doing is unhealthy? I have barely had any fat loss at my love handles and butt, but almost my fat from my stomach has become a third of what it was, do you know what i could do? Am i doing something ineffective for weight loss? I have been doing everything to increase my HGH levels : Sleeping, Dieting, and Intense Excercise!

Thanks again Rusty

I've been a Ferriss fan for years since he released the 4 Hour Work Week. He had blogged about the Low Carb Diet on his blog well before he released his 4 Hour Body. I take issue with the Low Carb Diet with respect to 3 foods: (1) dairy, (2) potatoes, and (3) fruit. Any diet that exludes these 3 foods, I simply can't subscribe to. In fact, it's incomprehensible to me that fruit should not be eaten. For this reason alone I would not try the diet.

That said, I know the 4 Hour Body is chalk full of much more than just the Low Carb Diet.

I read the book and gave that same diet a try. I'm a really dedicated individual and I like to see things through when I tried them.

That being said, I found it quite difficult to stick with this diet. I was lacking energy and you really get to see how many foods are LOADED with carbs…

After 4 weeks, I lost some pounds but it definitely wasn't worth the effort.

Just my 2 cents

(I have only read Tim's blog posts, I don't own his books)

Here are my thoughts on fat loss diets -

1. There's no getting around calorie in/out – the only way to lose weight is a deficit

2. The other important thing, and also a predictor of good health, is to avoid spikes in blood sugar levels.

3. IF is very well regarded as leading to weight loss and other benefits.

There is no reason these can't be combined. What I understood from Tim's article is that it was a way to achieve results, not a diet for life. Thus it talks about meal repetition as a way of ensuring you stick to the diet.

Most diets which prescribe 'do not eat this' work by eliminating calories, its just another way. For some people calorie counting may work, but its more data to keep track of.

The 'cheat day' is also documented as beneficial to leptin levels which is one of the keys to fat loss.

Very nice post, I am going to buy this book, I came across it sometime ago on amazon but having read your post I am convinced the book is worth buying. Thank you for sharing.

not a fan of ferris at all. I find his experiments and work arounds shady. Still love the blog, but I'm not surprised his miracle method was as effective as any other diet.

Great post and awesome to see examples as you try things out. That's how we all learn.

My wife and I read through The Carb Lovers diet. It has some of the same recommendations about the types of carbs. Perhaps this is another case where moderation matters. Switch to slow carbs when possible, then live life.

I mean come-on Movie night demands some candy. Right?

Hi There-

Just found your blog from Mark's Daily. Have you ever been the the Lean Gains blog? It's fairly interesting stuff about IF.

I read the 4 hour body and saw Tim speak live. Amazing man but I agree "meh" on the diet.

Great blog!

B

I love your postings…great info. I too prefer to watch calories with and emphais on whole foods during the day. The cheat day works really well for me by giving me something to look forward to.

Thanks for sharing your experience on the diet. I think that this diet is going to be hard for the majority of people to stick to. Just like the Atkins diet and its cousins, too much restriction can only be sustained for so long. I am also not 100% sure that no fruit is wise…I guess it is ok if you can make up for the vitamins, minerals and other micro nutrients with vegetables.

I remember a few years back when the low carb trend first took hold that every second person I knew was on some sort of low carb – high protein diet. None of those people are still on it and none of those people kept the weight off. And remember, this diet calls for eating beans/legumes with every meal. So while this diet may be effective in the short term, I am not sure it is very effective long term.

Any info on the ice baths in the book? It seems to make sense to turn your body into a "drafty house" that burns more calories for heat to maintain the 98.6 "thermostat setting."

My wife and I tried this diet because we were looking to jump start our weight loss after she gave birth to our first child.

After 7 weeks on the diet my wife has lost 15 lbs(she's now under 135 lbs) and I've lost 22 lbs(I now weigh 187).

So the diet definitely has worked for us. We've been very strict during the week and blow it out on the cheat day. We eat everything on cheat day to the point that we're sick of food in general. Cupcakes, pizza, burgers, etc. all is fair game.

Also, on this diet, neither of us worked out at all.

I have been on this since mid January and I have lost +35lbs. The trick to beans is to soak them or have them right out of the can (after rinsing). I have beans with lunch and dinner and I only have stomach problems when I use too much seasoning. As far as vitamins and fruit go – I make sure to have fruit and dairy on my free day. This is not an exciting diet, although I have learned to cook meat in a much more flavorful way, but it is a diet – it is not supposed to be fun. I am never hungry and I make sure to drink a lot of water.

I have been on the Slow Crab Diet for 8 weeks now. In total I have lost 29lbs. Starting weight was 221 and am now 192. You are absolutely right that this diet works for people with a lot of weight to lose, like myself. In fact Tim does not recommend this diet for people only trying to lose their "last 10lbs". For that he has a completely different chapter called The Last Mile. In that you cut out the beans, and eat a more paleo type diet of meats and veggies. With your current body fat percentage and weight I would not think that Slow Carb would be overly effective and the results you did see are about what I would expect. Also he is big on testing your body fat percentage rather than actual weight, as we all know sometimes weight can change based on other factors.

I am also curious if you used dried beans or canned beans? I find using dried beans causes the digestive problems, but if you get canned beans (at least for me) there were no problems at all. Also like you I enjoy my beer, but I find having the cheat day is more than enough for me to get by for the week. Of course everyone is different which is why 1 diet will never work for everyone, but I would definitely recommend this for anyone trying to lose 20+ lbs to get to a healthy weight.

Oh and one of the best meals I make for this is a Slow Carb Chili.

1 500g ground chicken
1 Can of Red Kidney Beans
1 Can of Black Beans
1 Red and Green Pepper
1 Cup of Spinach
Mushrooms
1 tbls of Chili Powder
1 tbls of Cumin
or use pre-mixed chili powder.
1 can of Tomato Paste (make sure it is only made with tomatoes and has nothing else added)
1 cup of water to dilute the Tomato Paste into more of a sauce.

Pan fry the chicken, add all the ingredients into a pot or slow cooker and cook for 20-30 minutes. Makes a great tasting chili that is slow carb approved.

Rusty, thanks for your opinion on the slow carb diet. What meal replacement shake do you like to use?

Chance

Hey,
It's cool that you've tried Slow Carb Diet and thank you for your honest review. One statement I really like:
"I Prefer Low-Calorie Diets Over Nutrient-Focused Diets". You know man, you are right. It's actually not even a matter of your preference. It is the only true, long-standing solution.
Let's be honest, it's about calories not types of foods. Underdeveloped countries have significantly lower obesity rates than developed countries. They eat less calories and walk more (less cars, less roads)
You are right man, let's keep it real. Manipulating CALORIES vs ACTIVITY=the only true religion:)
Derek

Great info and thank God for cheat day!!!

you did not measure correctly your progress.

you said you've lost "only" 4 pounds in 4 weeks, but you say absolutely nothing about your body fat percentage, neither the total inch body measurement

Tim Ferriss' diet is about body recomposition not about losing weight… you can lose zero pounds and still lose 20 pounds of fat — the swimsuit photos will show that beyond any doubt

since you've missed basic requirements as taking into account not only body weight but BF% and total inches, I suspect you've missed other "minor but essential" requirements of his diet/method/lifestyle

in other words, as computer programmers use to say: garbage in, garbage out

Water is considered as one of the best natural appetite suppressants. Water fills up the stomach quickly and curbs hunger. Drinking a glass of water before every mea suppresses appetite to a great extent. Apples contain a high quantity of fibre. Secondly, it takes a longer time to eat an apple which sends a signal to the brain that the stomach is full up. Therefore, eating a raw apple every day helps in suppressing appetite. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, cabbage, etc. contain large volumes of fibre which lend a hand to decrease the rise of the blood sugar. This in turn suppresses hunger.

Tim has some interesting ideas about fat loss (my favorite is the light exercise before & after a meal). But yours truly is not a fan of the Slow Carb Diet.

I followed the SCD for 2 weeks but found that it & I mixed like 'oil & vinegar'! (1) too restrictive for my taste, (2) didn't like the idea of having to eat breakfast within x minutes of getting up (I DON'T eat breakfast most mornings; having to do so made me think of food more than I usually would), (3) I like beans but eating them every day would make me an outcast in my home and (4) sticking with basically the same meals day-in-day-out bores me to no end! And believe it or not, I couldn't pig out on my cheat day like Tim recommends … I like to do things in moderation, so going wild doesn't work for me.

But just because it wouldn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for someone else who needs that type of structure. However, for the next 30 days I'm eliminating the following from my diet: white carbs, added sugar & salt, dairy & alcohol (except for a Michelob Ultra. I know there are beers with fewer calories, but I love my Michelob Ultra ).

Ray

I also did the slow carb diet and found that I had far less energy for my workouts. I was sick to death of eggs for breakfast, but I loved the pig out days. And man did I look awesome at the end of it all. However, I don't believe I will do the slow carb diet ever again. There are healthier ways to lose weight.

[...] can check out this workout on fitnessblackbook.com, and you can check out the diet for yourself. Read up on the diet and if you like it you can start [...]

I agree with focusing on CALORIES as the primary factor in weight gain or loss. Let me qualify that statement by stating that you should concentrate on a higher protein intake within your calorie allotment to aid in losing just BODY FAT (as much as possible). Personally I feel unless you are extremely overweight or training for overall "condition" for some reason, cardio is useless for fat burning, which I know is very controversial but oh well, thats my opinion. I stay 5 – 7% bodyfat all year by following this plan training no more than 3 days a week about an hour per workout, maybe closer to an hour and a half counting warming up and some stretching.

I've been doing this diet for 7 weeks now. It's simply become how I eat. Admittedly, I do a bit of a Paleo/Slow-Carb hybrid diet. I don't do a bunch of beans, I do some dairy (generally fermented), and I do a little bit of high nutrient fruit (like blueberries). I'm not doing it to lose weight (I'm 133 and 5'9", fine by me!), but rather for the other health benefits. I've been hypoglycemic all my life, and for the first time, I can go more than 2 hours without eating. I never snack anymore. It's unheard of! I focus more on saturated fats than a lot of people (Ferriss doesn't explore fat levels really at all), and it has helped a ton with my sleep.

Everyone seems to find their ideal as a bit different on this diet. My boyfriend had some weight to lose (he's 6'2" and down to 185 from about 195). He gained muscle too, even though he hasn't been working out at all. He does no fruit and less dairy than I do, and that works for him.

This diet seems to be amazing for cholesterol and triglyceride levels though. Look into the sustainable health benefits if it before knocking it for being too hard! =)

After reading your post I purchased the book. I have to say, I also like his unconventional approach, but the slow carb diet sure isn't for me. I could never give up fruit. I don't care much for fried foods, or rice or pasta, but I love fruit and I do eat it in in crazy amounts every day.
I think I am going to come up with my own diet, where you can eat fruit and meat all day every day.

This is not entirely true. Whether you realize or accept it as fact or not, the composition of what you eat is JUST AS important, if not more important than how much you eat. How do I know this? Well, was a faithful Weight Watchers adherent for years. I stayed within my alloted points ( about 1400-1500) calories a day, worked out with weights 3X a week and cardio at least 4 times a week. Sure, I lost weight, but I never could get rid of my soft middle. After a little research, i adopted a paleo-style diet. Within 3 weeks I got rid of my middle. Oh, and I ate about 300-500 more calories a day. Now, there are SOME who can get by on the simple calories in/calories out + exercise forumula. But just from personal experience, and seeing this very same phenomena in others, it cannot be discounted that certain foods tend to encourage weight loss/ gain. It's just a fact.

I finished reading the slow carb diet chapters of the book, and I liked it alot because this is how I decided to be a healthy eating-life style- for me long ago (before I even heard about the book). The slow carb diet is stricter than my usual diet, but reading it made me realize where I did wrong. I chose to eat like this because this diet stabilizes hunger and moods; I hate being hungry and I get irritated really easily if my blood sugar drops (I am not a diabetic). So I cut off sugar and almost all carbs and I felt really good. I continued to drink milk and eat white cheese and little fruit. I know now that if I become more strict (slow carb diet style) I will lose weight.

I also noticed that on my diet, I felt warmer and more energetic than when I used to eat carbs and bread. The slow carb diet has the same effects.

Please don't forget that Tim stated very clearly that the rules and the supplements worked for him and his study cases, and asked you (the readers) to experiment to find what works for you (and then he gave an example of his love to drinking wine in the night). He said that he "found that" (ie. experimented) 2 glasses of wine didn't hinder his fat loss much. Please experiment!

I don't think I'll let go of white cheese! Not for Tim, not for anyone!

I wonder why so many think this diet would be hard to stick with. Most cultures in the world have a staple diet of beans + veggies + some protein + rice. He's basically created the diet 90% of the world already eats, but taken out the rice!

This diet really isn't that hard. My wife and I have been on it for over 3 months now. It is probably one of the easiest and most controllable diets I've ever been on. We liked it so much that it is now pretty much our lifestyle. Just don't eat breads or carbs or candy during the week and do whatever you want on Saturday (or whatever day you select for Cheat Day). I can actually eat when we go out to restaurants by just removing the carb from the menu. I was kind of blow away by the claims of it being an "extreme diet". We live in a world that is 100% carb & processed food focused in every meal we eat (carbs are relatively cheap so it makes you feel like you're getting more for you money). We have massive obesity issues with our country. Every country we export our "food" to, experiences massive increases in obesity, heart problems…etc.. Most of those cultures live on a slow or no carb diet before we get there (veggies, meat, whatever they can obtain locally). Do we not see the problem?

I am really missing a solid study on how alcohol (not excessive) limits your progress. Tried it on myself, have never had any negative results!

As an NYC Personal Trainer and recreational Bodybuilder In my experience I feel the slow carb diet leaves you close to SUPER LEAN but not close enough. Carb cycling is what worked for me to get even more ripped

I'm not a fan of ANY diet that puts restrictions to any type of food. I simply like to choose what I like to eat, just eat less of it.

I agree that the beer may be the toughest thing to give up . I read Tim's book and I'm doing the slow carb diet because I believe that controlling insulin levels is the key to optimal health. We need to get off all the packaged "food" and eat real food. Back to basics. marketing and gluttony have got this country out of whack.
~Cheers!

I liked Tim's book. I am also not a fan of completely restricting foods. It always seems to lead to cheating and eventual failure. There were however some tips in the book that I really enjoyed.

Embracing a cheat day. Again, going cold turkey on all the foods you crave seems to lead to breakdown. Giving yourself a day each week or every other week to enjoy some vice foods can go a long way towards staying on track.

Overall I enjoyed the book. Thanks for the post!

I think that the core concepts in the book are well thought out and if followed will work very well. On the other hand I do believe that it can be easier than this and that food restriction can be replaced or supplemented by food moderation. I think this approach can have its benefits such as not needing a cheat day, which I have never been a big fan of.

I have been playing around with the slow carb lately and I don't find it too restrictive but I admit I have Celiac disease and have been gluten free for nearly 2 years anyway. So I only really gave up rice and potatoes.

Well, I'm a slow carb LOVER. After years of trying this and that diet, this is the first thing (besides Atkins) that has worked for me — and I love Tim Ferriss' version because of the beans and cheat day. Add working out with weights a couple times a week (also ala Tim) and this over 65 woman is lookin' good!

I am a big Slow Carb Diet fan — but agree with you that's it's more for people with more than 10 pounds to lose. I think Tim has used it to get rid of 25 lbs of fat and replace with muscle. Of course, I hope to do that , too — but I'm a 5'2 woman over 60 and my results will be a tad different than his!

I have been on the slow carb diet now for a week. I was 180 lbs starting, and am now 173. the only day i exercised was today, my binge day. i did eat whatever i wanted, but not too excess. people seem to complain a lot about the restricted meals. I do not see any restrictions, its just merely making different choices. I ate at restaraunts 3 times this week, and ordered completely delicious dinners and still stayed on track. I think people are restricive to change, and they need to understand that to get results you have to do what youve never done…..do people realize how many vegetables there are??? if you dont like beans, dont eat em!! i actually just purchased beans tonight from the store because all of my meals were prepared without them. If you must, modify the diet a BIT to meat your needs. its a basic protocol to follow. as for the people who like to "cheat a lil every day" instead of one big day, you havent read the fine print, the purpose of the high caloric load on the 7th day is to hit the reset button on your metabolism. consuming 3to 500 extra calories per every day means youll GAIN a pound by the end of the week!! whereas your cheat day, u will regain BELOW your precheat day weight about 48 hours after your cheat day………

An important note on calorie restriction!

For someone who is so educated I am very surprised that you seem to have missed out on the effects that significantly calorie deficient diets can have on the body.
When you consume less calories than needed, first your body will burn excess glucose, after that it'll move on to lean body mass (muscle tissue) first, and only THEN will it begin to break down fat.
The problem with relying on a diet that is very low in calories and relatively low in nutrients, especially for people who are very overweight or do this regularly! is that as you're losing weight you are losing some amounts of muscle everywhere.
I am not talking about the dangers of losing some bicep volume! I am talking about heart muscle and other important body tissues that unlike the major muscle groups are very hard to rebuild and can cause breathing problems, weakness, etc!
For anyone looking to lose weight, especially very overweight people or people who do so regularly, it is healthiest to burn calories through a combination of building more muscle to burn more FAT (as muscles are most efficient at burning pure fat, not lean body tissue, unless you overdo it) and then following a diet that is SLIGHTLY difficient in calories and high in nutrients, so your body has the materials to repair the hopefully only slight damage you're doing to your body by dieting. I do believe that the risks of being significantly overweight are far greater than the possible risks of dieting, but as someone who has so much influence on so many people I'd hope you'd feel oblidged to consider their long term health, not just their flat midsection.
Thanks

Sissi,

I agree and disagree with you on some part.
Yes a slow carb diet will be taxing on the body and muscles but you can effectively stop muscles from being broken down by supplementing with BCAAs before and after a workout.

Also the above diet is rich with protein and as we all know protein builds muscle.

Also the diet emphasizes that you will be avoiding white carbs but NOT within 1.5 of training. And that's because you will need that energy for your training. So you still technically are eating carbs but only within that time slot.

Personally I wouldn't follow that diet because I'm kind of like Rusty. I like to eat what I want but within certain limits and no junk food (unless its my cheat day).

Bob

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The slow carb diet works. Period. I started it before the book came out just from reading his blog posts and I lost serious weight- and no- it wasn't just water weight- thats a misconception. Once the "keto" aspect kicks in the body has nothing but fat to burn since excess glucose is no longer available- this translates to fat burning. It's that simple. But its not necessarily keto because he allows carbs- which is more beneficial and not as hardcore crazy; thus the "slow carb" diet.

He never said the diet was supposed to be "fun." Its a diet- and just another option to reach a goal- once you're there its just about maintaining and that's easier once you are at a target weight.

My body completely changed on a lot of his ideas- from HIIT to dropping fat- not "weight", or essentially water- which a lot of these low fat diets emphasize. He isn't really into the "Calorie" theory-as in all calories are the same, etc. It just isn't true. Different foods affect people differently despite calorie amount.

Tim is all about working Smarter- not harder. You do the minimum to reach the maximum- and the body is just a cool side effect of his little science experiments. Again, he's not promoting a diet revolution like Dr. Atkins- he's just a guy who has done a lot of different things in numerous ways to discover the best outcome and shared it with others.

I just finished my fifth week on this diet. I am 180lbs trying to get to 130lbs. I started at 180 five weeks ago, and have lost absolutely nothing.

It wasn't a hard diet to adhere to, but the problem I had was that I saw no results. No weight loss. And none of my body measurements got smaller; so no fat loss, either.

I followed his five "rules" to a T and got nothing. One byproduct of this diet has been a caloric deficit as I've been consuming less than 1500 calories a day on it. The only positive takeaway is that I'm not eating junk anymore. But now eating is the bane of my existence. I no longer enjoy food, now I'm just stuffing my face. I can't stop by any fast food joints because there's white carbs in everything. The closest I've come is going to KFC and getting a bucket of GRILLED chicken. Hopefully, that didn't break any of the ridiculous rules. On cheat days I would go wild, but the problem came from not being able to lose the cheat weight during the course of the next week. And that was the last straw for me.

Halfway through my fifth week (last week), I eliminated beans and felt no loss of energy as a result. Tim has stated that his five "rules" should work for "99.9%" of people, well then I guess I'm part of the 0.1%.

Some observations I've made during this diet:
- I shouldn't have to eat if I'm not hungry, but I was eating 30g of proten every morning for breakfast within 30 minutes of waking like he suggested, even though I NEVER used to eat breakfast. (I also never eat lunch; dinner is my only meal everyday)
- Eatiing 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking is complete rubbish. And Tim provides no scientific evidence to back this up.
- In one chapter he talks about how his father drank only Myoplex ready-to-drink shakes for breakfast and lost fat. Also, in an interview on the Nerdist podcast, he suggested changing only your breakfast to Myoplex shakes and that it would yield significant results. Guess what happened? After 3 weeks of changing breakfast to Myoplex (42g protein) shakes, nothing happened, that's what.

This is the longest I've ever stuck to any diet, and I'm currently eating the same food for this week minus the beans and minus breakfast, and will see how it goes. I'm changing to the Primal diet/lifestyle and will not be following any advice from Tim Ferriss ever again.

I just started the slow-carb diet. Tim Ferris says to avoid artificial sweeteners, as they can stimulate weight gain. What about Stevia? I drink copious quantities of iced tea and I sweeten it with stevia.

I actually find the Slow-Carb diet a lot easier to maintain than calorie management, I ony miss dairy and fruit and I have one-two meals with a bit of dairy or fruit rather than a junky filled cheat day. I don't lose weight very quickly but I definitely see results. I've found the ice pack protocol to be most beneficial in terms of results though.

More than weightloss, I find the diet levels out my energy levels the best. I react to sugar spikes very badly (not clear why, but a sandwich at lunch makes me nearly comatose), so Slow-Carb works for me. I'm fully aware that it isn't for everyone, but it's an option for some…

Hi guys, people have been know to loose between 1-2 ponds a day on this diet, in some cases people have even lost 4 pounds a day on this diet. Its not for the faint hearted but has some really good reviews.

Seems like a reasonable approach, but like you say you don't really need such rigid rules.

Though I do think wine is a lot better than beer, as beer is estogenic.

And would like to know why he feels it important to eat first thing in the morning, as continuing the fast for a few hours has definite health benefits, with no negatives provided you eat healthily the rest of the day.

Hey Rusty!
Great post. I haven't personally tried Tim's diet but I'm always interested in following what he recommends. I don't believe n counting calories, and/or cutting calories. I rather workout harder to accomplish a daily calorie deficit.
Thanks for the diet review. Cheers

After reading the comments: Some should read the book before deciding it is undoable and nothing tastes better than being fit- even beer which you can drink on cheat days if you read the book. Turn your body into a FAT burner instead of a CARB burner.

This sounds great, I'm a believer of slow dieting and the low carb diet can be drastic in the short term. I also like the fact that you take one day off, It alleviates one of the killers of successful dieting.. boredom.

Hello
I am trying to loose weight as well, and even though I tried diets that worked in the past, the weight came back when I stopped it. I am very intrigued of this diet and I am going to try it. I also use peppermint and grapefruit essential oils to keep my cravings under control. Good luck to everyone who is trying to loose weight and be healthy!

I haven't tried the Slow Carb Diet to be honest, but I think the problem with beans has to do with soaking.

If you don't properly soak and prepare beans in an acid or alkaline solution (depends on the bean) for an extended period of time changing the water every 8-12 hours to break the phytate bonds and enzyme inhibitors there are extremely indigestible. Apart from being difficult to digest, phytates bond to necessary minerals and because we can't digest them we expel them with the minerals. Furthermore, Beans have an extremely high content of phytates compared to any other grains and nuts so it can actually cause a build up in phytic acid (this is what causes blootedness, indigestion, and gas) and long-term digestive health problems.

Beans are a great source of protein and necessary nutrients, but to really prepare beans properly you need to soak for extended periods of time and cook for hours making sure you remove any white foam that floats to the top. After this process they become very digestible and easy on the digestive system.

Basically, I think this diet could work for many people but one has to keep in mind the time and care it takes to be able to eat beans. I plan on doing the Slow Carb Diet after I give birth but because I won't be having a very rushed or busy lifestyle.

Sounds a little to restrictive in my book. Much prefer the eat stop eat and lean gains way of fasting to lose fat

I love the slow carb diet. In the first two weeks Ive gone from 219 down to 210 and I drank 2 glasses of red wine every night and binged like crazy on sweets, pizza, beer, etc on Saturdays. I am a female but my results are amazing. At 5'9 Im still quite large but I could do this diet forever. Losing weight is never fun, you will always suffer in some way or another. I find this particular eating plan is the least sufferable of all the hundreds that I've tried in the past and now on week three, the psychotic daydreaming and planning of the weekend binge has actually become very mild. I am not anticipating the weekend like I was in the first two weeks. Im just looking forward to it but Im loving how I feel on a day to day basis. No more stomache issues, no more bloated feeling, no more laziness. I feel awesome and cant say enough about Tim's plan.

Hey Rusty, another great article here. Thanks for taking the time to review this diet and let us know what you think. I was very interested in it but had my concerns.

I went on a gluten elimination diet for a month and it was torture trying to find things to eat when i was away from my apartment. Going out to restaurants that had zero gluten free options was truly frustrating and very hard to stick to.

This slow carb diet seems almost too restrictive like the gluten elimination was…i think i'll look elsewhere.

Thanks for the review!

-Dax

I try to stay away from white carbs like rice and potatoes. Processed foods are also off limits because they tend to be on the unhealthy side. I like to only eat natural meats, veggies, and some grains. I also have to occasional chocolate bar.