Should you try the Slow-Carb Diet Plan?I recently read The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferris. It’s not your typical ‘diet’ book, that’s for sure.
Tim Ferris is known for coming up with ‘hacks’ for every day life. He has hacks for mastering languages (he speaks at least 5), for learning the tango (he became a world champ in 6 months), along with many other things. Check out his podcast—it’s great.
In The 4 Hour Body, he shares how he stays lean with minimum effort. He calls it the ‘minimum effective dose’ for losing weight.
The 4 Hour Body diet plan is essentially the slow carb diet, and Tim claims that if you follow the slow carb diet plan, you can lose 10-20 pounds of fat in a month. Is it hype or is there some truth to this?
So what exactly is the Slow-Carb diet plan?
What’s important to know is it’s NOT a low-carb diet plan. There are distinct differences between the two diets.
With traditional low-carb diets, you have to seriously restrict carbs, which can lead to a massive weight loss. Many people become burnt out over time (hello, carbs are GOOD for you, in moderation of course) and regain the weight, usually adding a few extra pounds. Just say NO to low carb diets =)
Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs:
When we talk about carbs, we have to differentiate between good carbs and bad carbs.
Bad carbs contain sugar, are processed, white flour, ice cream, cookies, cake, soda, etc.
Good carbs are slow digesting, contain fiber, are low glycemic, and don’t spike your blood sugar or insulin. These kind of slow carbs are loaded with nutrients and phytochemicals.
When you eat foods loaded with phytonutrients, carotenoids, flavonoids, and polyphenols, like fruits and veggies, you will improve a ton of health problems from dementia to obesity and aging.
I could go into a WHOLE post entirely about carbs, calories, and why they aren’t all created equal, but I want to get to the good stuff because I know you’ve got places to be =)
Does the Slow-Carb Diet Plan work?
On the Slow-Carb Diet plan, you’ll rapidly burn fat by avoiding foods that promote fat storage (like SUGAR). According to a study done here, 84% of people who stuck to the Slow-Carb Diet Plan lost weight and the average weight loss was 8.6 pounds over a 4 week trial. Not only that, but 14% of the participants lost 15 pounds or more. That’s CRAZY for just 4 weeks. I would love to see a follow up from this study to see if the participants kept the weight off.
Tim’s 5 Rules of the Slow-Carb Diet Plan:
Rule #1: Avoid “white” starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, or grains.
Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again, especially breakfast and lunch.
Rule #3: Don’t drink your calories, with the exception of 1-2 glasses of dry red wine each night
Rule #4: Don’t eat fruit. According to Tim, fructose (the sugar in fruit) -> glycerol -> phosphate -> more body fat. He claims that 500 years ago your ancestors probably didn’t eat oranges in December! Do I agree with this? Meh, not really. I think 1-2 pieces of fruit a day is fine, but it’s up to you =)
Rule #5: Take one day off per week and go nuts, like on Saturday.
Sample Slow-Carb Diet Plan Day:
What does a day of eating look like on the Slow-Carb Diet plan?
Breakfast: 2-3 eggs with 1/2 cup black beans, 1/ cup salsa, 1/2 cup black beans, 1/2 avocado
Lunch: Broccoli, salmon, pinto beans
Dinner: Asparagus, steak, kidney beans, glass of red wine (optional)
Mix and match from the following food combos:
The Proteins: eggs, chicken, fish, beef (grass fed), pork, or lamb. I’m also eating tempeh and organic tofu.
Legumes: lentils, black beans, pinto beans, red beans
Vegetables: Spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, sauerkraut or kimchi, asparagus, green beans, kale
Note: You do NOT need to restrict your portions while eating on the slow carb diet plan. Eat until you’re satisfied.
Cheat Days (not necessarily Slow-Carb Diet, but in the 4 Hour Body Diet Plan):
An interesting twist that Tim Ferris adds in the 4 Hour Body is that he recommend one cheat day each week. The theory behind this is that your body is most likely in a calorie deficit all week, and if you remain in that deficit for too long, your body will get used to it and your weight loss will stall.
By shocking the body with more calories, you’ll prevent the dreaded plateaus from happening. It’ll also be easier to adhere to the slow carb diet plan way of eating if you know that on Saturday (or whatever day you choose) you’ll be able to enjoy that chocolate, fruit, cocktail, or cupcake. I don’t necessarily agree with an entire cheat DAY, but I think cheat meals are fine. Try it out for yourself and see how your body reacts =)
Should you try the Slow-Carb Diet Plan?
It’s up to you! If you like a super simple structure like the one outlined above, and the idea of being able to eat until you’re satisfied, without necessarily counting calories, give it a shot. Try eating a slow-carb lunch or dinner each day and see how you feel =)
Rachel’s Disclaimer:
One thing I ALWAYS want to mention, is that I don’t recommend ‘dieting’, if you decide to eat this way, awesome—but please don’t think this has to be all or nothing. Just by eating one meal that aligns with the Slow-Carb Diet plan with give you great results—by replacing sugary cereal with eggs and beans, or pizza with a big salad with lean protein, you’re making a huge improvement to your health.
Did this help you? If so, I would really appreciate it if you comment below and share on Facebook!
Rachel Ngom’s Blog
Email:Clientcare@fitwithrachel.com
“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” Tony Robbins
This was very helpful. When diets are too strict, it makes is impossible for follow.
happy you enjoyed it =)