The Four Hour Diet


Would you like to lose 20 pounds in 30 days?  Timothy Ferriss has published a book that promises exactly that.  In his "The 4-Hour Body" book, he details the small changes to your lifestyle that can let you lose weight, build muscle and improve your immune system.

He calls is the "Slow-Carb Diet."  There are only a few guidelines, and they aren't too draconian.

Rule 1: Eliminate the "white" carbs from your diet.  This means that you don't eat potatoes, bread, pasta, most grains or dairy.  Oddly, you are allowed cottage cheese, but that might be Timothy's favorite food.  The white carbohydrates have a lot of calories relative to their nutritional value, so cutting them out won't hurt your nutrition but can help you to burn fat.

Rule 2: Eat the same few meals over and over again.  Focus on protein and vegetables, avoiding legumes.  That's a lot of meat and eggs, spinach and broccoli.  You can eat as much as you like, and Timothy recommends eating three or four times a day.  He especially stresses the benefit of eating your first meal within 30 minutes of waking up.

Rule 3: Don't drink your calories.  That means no milk, fruit juice or caloric sodas.  To lessen the sting, you are allowed two glasses of red wine.  Drown your sorrows?

Rule 4: No fruit.  Ouch.  The simple sugars (fructose) in fruit metabolize very quickly, hurting your weight loss.  That means no fruit, period.

Rule 5: You get one day off the diet each week.  Woo hoo! A free day!  That means fruit and dairy for a day, and plenty of anything you want.

On top of the eating guidelines, Timothy has some other suggestions for weight loss.  One very interesting idea is about making your body cold to burn calories.  That is accomplished through cold showers, drinking lots of ice water and putting ice bags on your head and neck.  He specifically counsels against rigorous exercise.  He also recommends taking garlic pills and nutritional supplements, like Omega-3 and probiotics.

The 4 hour diet has received a huge amount of attention, some good and some bad.  Have you tried it?  Click on the Comment button and let us know how it went.

1 comment:

  1. These comments are interesting. Does the book cite any research? I remember reading that the Chinese believe cold drinks are bad for Chi. The pH Miracle Living science states that toxins leave us with sweating through skin. I hope no one goes overboard with his suggestions!

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