Right before Christmas my son called me anxious to tell me about a new book he was reading and that I needed to go get it! The discussion quickly became about how intrigued he was by the research put into the book and the authors approach to sharing it. You should know that I am a facts girl. I need facts or at least some data and study, the why and how of things, especially when it comes to my health. Obviously my son knows this about me and knew I would love this author’s findings and ideas and the way he puts them out there in this book!
The book is called “The 4-Hour Body” written by Tim Ferris. For a quick read on who he is and what he is all about click on the link and you can read on Wikipedia. I enjoy his podcasts and listen pretty faithfully. He has an open mind and touches a wide range of really stimulating topics! Over the last few years I have worried that perhaps I am not as open minded as I would like to be; his podcasts and books have allowed me to open my mind…..I love this! I also love his matter of fact approach with tons of research behind what he is talking about. I love that he thinks outside the box and is not just retelling the same old “change your body” story. He is discussing what he knows, how he learned it (by using himself as the subject most of the time) and why he believes it. This is important to me…..important to everyone I hope!
So how did it change my life? Get to the point you say….okay….will do! Tim Ferris (lets call him Tim going forward) describes himself as the guide and explorer and advises you to be sure to seek counsel from a physician if you are going to give any of it a try! He also advises and reminds us that we are all different, we all have different needs and if something does not feel right then we modify it to work for us! These are guidelines folks not a “you must do”! You do not need to read the entire book, just the first few chapters that are ‘mandatory’ reading and then you move on to what interests you. His MED, Mimimim Effective Dose; the smallest dose that will produce a desired outcome. is what grabbed my attention. Not because I am lazy but because I have NOT been lazy and I was ready for some serious body recomp and puzzled as to why what I was doing was not really working any more. This book educated me on why! He also introduced me to the Slow Carb Diet.
Before I began, I went to my GP and had my physical done a few months early and told him I was about to start a slow carb diet and would be taking a stack of PAGG. Check out the link for an idea on what PAGG is, but PLEASE consult your doctor before you start it. AGAIN, I advise buying the 4-Hour Body and read up on Tim’s details, science and contradictions for some potential users. My doctor gave me the thumbs up. I then went to the kinesiologist at our clinic and had her run a load of data on my body. We did body fat using a BodyPod, weight, measurements…..yes….all of the data right in my face. I looked great….dressed. I only weighed 118 pounds at 5 foot 5 but I did not look how I knew I could and should for optimal health and longevity.
Once I had all of my data, got through the Christmas season and a week at our cottage where I knew I was not going to commit to cooking diligently or restricting having to much wine with friends, I began the Slow Carb Diet on January 8. Just an FYI, my husband is doing this diet with me, our younger children are not as they are healthy active kids and I am feeding them a clean diet as always. I did not feel comfortable restricting grains, fruit and dairy from their diet; however, sugary treats are even tougher to find around our home than they were! Some days I am NOT popular…oh well…they will get over it and thank me later (maybe….I don’t know if this theory is actually correct…but it makes me feel better)!
Slow Carb Diet! This is not a diet to me…..it is a lifestyle. I have never really been on a “diet” before and the word freaks me out so I call it a “lifestyle change”. I am going to give you the very basics below but encourage you to buy the book or check out this link here or google Slow Carb Diet and do your research. Two things you need to know: Firstly, this is very similar to the Keto Diet but has been modified for sustainability (my opinion) and second, you will be eating a TON of protein. You start your day with 30 grams of protein within 30 – 60 minutes of waking up and you need to eat 20 grams MINIMUM each meal! For the other main pointers……here they are in a nutshell:
- Avoid “white” carbohydrates – all bread, rice (including brown), cereal, potatoes, pasta, tortillas and fried food with breading
- Eat the same meals over and over again – just to keep it simple and avoid frustration on what you can and can’t eat and preparation, etc ( I am going to post some recipes to help you with this one!)
- Don’t drink calories (with the exception of protein powder if you just can’t seem to get enough protein in…..I do this!)
- No Dairy!
- Don’t eat fruit – NO NO NO…..it is sugar and sugar turns to fat……it does!!!
- Take one day off per week and GO NUTS! – yep…..you can eat whatever you like on day 7!!
Again, I am going to tell you that this does NOT give you the details you require to start this “lifestyle change”. You need to do your research! I am here to tell you that it has been fabulous for me and my husband and I am excited to share it with you because of this positive impact. Lets talk about that and then I am going to leave you alone and you can decide whether you would like to give it a try.
Since starting the diet, which is 13 weeks ago today…..I have lost 3% body fat, 10 pounds and feel stronger at the gym!!! I did NOT workout for the first 8 weeks and have just started really committing to working out again. This was because of the research I did and wanted to limit my exercise at the beginning and allow my body to do its thing. Now that I am back at the gym I am considering, along with my kinesiologist’s advice, giving myself a “quick carb” within 30 minutes of working out. I did have one episode after a heavy cardio workout with a heavy load, I felt pretty rotten after and my body needed some glucose!! This is an example of modifying for your body and listening to what you need. Really need……not a Snickers bar because you are angry at your husband!! I am having fun with my cooking, I did not in the beginning because I was really hung up on ensuring we did not “cheat”! We have been doing this for awhile now and I have become creative and find it easy to cook with all of the foods we can eat. I will definitely share these recipes with you in COOKING & RECIPES. Even if you do not want to eat slow carb you will love these options.
That’s it…..I will update you on my workouts, my data (getting an update the second week of May) and how I am feeling. There will be more modifications, I am sure, and I will share those with you as well. Good luck to you on your journey to optimal health and fitness. I would love to hear what some of you are doing and how it is working. If anyone out there is also on slow carb let me know what you have done to make it work for you and share some recipes if you have some! Oh and one more thing…..I will post info on where I buy some of the products I need for cooking and supplements. This has been a journey in itself and I have found some great solutions!
xoxo
PS. As I write this article I am feeling my abs and they are pretty great. You all, I am not doing a ton of exercise yet and for someone who ALWAYS worked out, I am shocked at how my body is changing with this new lifestyle! Had to share that! This is awesome!!
PSS. I almost forgot…..a very important detail…..red wine is allowed….YESSSS….do you hear the angels singing or perhaps a whole symphony……up to 2 glasses of red wine per day. NO MORE! xoxo
