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Old 07-25-2013, 06:43 PM   #1  
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Default The Slow Carb Diet

Edited to Add: After creating this thread (with a title that I can't change), I realized I am not doing the true Slow Carb Diet from the book The Four-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. I am doing a modified version. It's working for me, but if you are looking for the real diet from the book, here is a link to that thread, but it hasn't been very active lately: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/othe...body-diet.html, so whether you are on the true Slow Carb Diet or a modified version, you are welcome to post here! Now on to my original post...

I read about The Slow Carb Diet by following a blog link "How to Lose 100 Pounds on The Slow Carb Diet – Real Pics and Stories" on Huffington Post and I decided to give it a try. I believe this diet is related to the 4-Hour Diet or actually may be the 4-Hour Diet, only the blog did not specifically say so and did not focus on times to eat. I have been on this diet for 6 days now and have lost 6 lbs, which I know, of course, is water weight, but hey, I'll take it! I was stuck at the same weight for a long time before trying this. I believe this diet will be a good fit for my body, since I have a family history of insulin-related conditions. (Type 1 and 2 diabetes and hypoglycemia run in my family.) Cutting down on carbs makes sense to me. The gist of the diet is to eat lean meats and fish, eggs, legumes, and non-starchy veggies, and to avoid grains, dairy (except for cottage cheese), pasta, fruits (except for tomatoes and avocados), sweets, and starchy vegetables. However, each week there is a cheat day, in which you can eat anything on the forbidden list. The cheat day is recommended not just to help you stay on your diet but also to keep your metabolism from stalling. Again, this may be the 4-Hour Diet but I'm not positive. The blog was written by the author of The 4-Hour Diet and there is a reference to the book in the blog, but the diet is referred to as the Slow Carb Diet throughout the blog. Has anyone else tried this diet? Pros? Cons?

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Old 07-27-2013, 02:23 AM   #2  
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I haven't heard of that diet, but that's pretty much how I've been eating for the last couple months, and I'm finally having success. (After a long plateau while I was just calorie counting.) I really like eating low carb and I think it's helped a lot, but I can't give up my weekly pizza/cupcake treat, so I definitely do a high carb meal once a week. It's working for me! Glad to hear about your success on this plan and I'll check more into it.
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Old 07-28-2013, 09:05 PM   #3  
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Hi Angelarm. I'm glad to hear this type of diet (even without a name) is working for you, because it's working really well for me so far and I truly want it to keep working! I'll tell you and anyone else who may be reading, it's not just the fact that I have lost weight quickly so far that excites me. It's that it's been really easy to follow, I no longer have cravings, and I didn't even have cravings or feel an urgency to overeat on my cheat day. That, to me, is a success in itself. It's like I'm no longer struggling with food. I yo-yo dieted for years and always my diet plan was to count calories, and I always failed in the long run. Each day took willpower. Some days were easy but some days were really hard, and when I'd slip up, I'd feel terribly guilty, defeated, and I'd fall of the wagon. Now, although it takes a discipline not to eat bread, potatoes, and sweets (out of habit) each day, it's no longer a struggle--maybe because quick carbs really have been affecting my insulin levels and now they aren't--and doing without those foods is not a big deal because on cheat day, I can have all those things. I love that there is nothing to feel guilty about, which means there is no reason to fall off the wagon. For the first time, I'm viewing food differently, not as my best friend or my enemy, and it's awesome! So I really, really hope this diet keeps helping me to lose weight. I admit I am cheating on one aspect of it: I have not given up my Diet Dr. Pepper, even though I am drinking much more water each day. So far, though, it hasn't negatively affected my weight loss, cravings, etc., so I guess until it does, I'll keep drinking it. (I know from past experience that when I stop, I will have four days of severe migraine headaches and I'm just not ready to volunteer for that yet, lol.) Anyway, I have my fingers crossed that this is finally the diet that will work for me...for good!

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Old 08-16-2013, 11:34 PM   #4  
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I'm doing really well on this diet! I've lost an average of 1/2 lb a day for a total of 14 lbs so far. However, after reading more of the fine details of the Slow Carb Diet (btw the book it's from is called The Four-Hour Body, not The Four-Hour Diet), I find I can only claim to be following the diet loosely. For example, it says to eat the same meals over and over. I don't do that. It says not to begin the cheat day until after breakfast and to overeat on cheat day. I start cheat day as soon as the day begins, and I eat only until I feel full, just as on other days. It says to eat only lean, preferably organic meats. I eat whatever meats I want. It says to avoid ketchup and creamy salad dressings. I not only eat ketchup but also honey bbq sauce, and ranch salad dressing. It says to drink no more than 16 oz. of diet soda a day. I drink at least 24 oz. It says no cheese except cottage cheese, and although I don't eat cheese on anything else, I do add a little to my salads. It says no fruit except tomatoes and avocados, but I eat any of the veggie-like fruits, such as squash, cucumbers, etc. It's says to eat within an hour of waking up and not to eat late. I eat whenever I want. So I follow the diet for the most part on what foods to eat and avoid, however, not exactly, and as for the other rules, I kind of ignore those. But hey, my way is working for me so far! And it's still really easy. I'm kind of amazed by it.
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Old 08-19-2013, 11:00 AM   #5  
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This is what I'm doing in a nutshell and is great,I have no cravings and when I want something sweet,I mix frozen berries with splenda, (but when that's coming I will start using stevia),and top whipped cream, virtually guilt free

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Old 09-20-2013, 09:37 PM   #6  
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Cheeri, your weight loss is just amazing! As for me, at the two-month mark, I'm down 20 lbs! And it's still easy...incredible!

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Old 09-30-2013, 09:33 PM   #7  
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Very interesting post--- will be watching this one! Nice job, ladies
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Old 10-15-2013, 12:44 AM   #8  
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Are you still following this diet? i'm interested in your meal plans.
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Old 10-23-2013, 03:44 PM   #9  
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Hi TwoTots, yes! I've lost 27 lbs now and it still seems easy to me. Again this is a modified version of the Slow Carb Diet, but here is what I do in a nutshell:

For 6 days of the week, I eat
--meat (and not necessarily lean or organic)
--fish
--legumes
--eggs
--non-potato veggies
--veggie-like fruits (like tomatoes, cucumbers, squash)
--nuts and seeds in moderation
--peanut butter (not natural, just store brand)
--cottage cheese
--black olives
--condiments (including honey bbq sauce)
--salad dressings (usually ranch)
and I drink
--6 8 oz of water a day
--Diet Dr. Pepper
--Green tea

For these 6 days, I avoid
--breads and grains (including corn)
--pasta
--dairy (other than eggs and cottage cheese)
--fruits (except veggie-like fruits)
--potatoes
--sweets

I count no calories. I count no carbs. I don't eat every 4 hours (like the book says). I don't pay attention to numbers at all. I eat when I'm hungry. I stop when I'm full, and I try not to eat late at night (although if I'm hungry, I will).

The 7th day of the week (I've chosen Saturday) is an allowed and even recommended Cheat Day. Woohoo! I eat WHATEVER I want as much as I want, but again, I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. I do gain between .5 and 2.5 lbs the day after cheat day, but it's just water weight and it falls back off in the next couple of days while I continue to lose fat. It's all figured into the plan, so I don't worry about it.

On this diet, I never feel "starved" because my blood sugar no longer spikes and drops daily on a high-carb diet, and I'm never tempted to break my diet or binge on forbidden foods because I can have them on Cheat Day. Also, I'm not much of an exerciser, but I try to walk for 20-30 minutes each day.

A typical breakfast for me is 2 boiled eggs. But if I want tunafish or steak or cottage cheese, etc., I'll eat those things. For lunch I may have a large salad loaded with all kinds of veggies, egg, a sprinkle of shredded cheese, chopped walnuts, and a meat like chopped up turkey or ham or pepperoni slices and ranch dressing. For snacks, I tend to choose from nuts, black olives, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter and celery, cottage cheese, veggies and ranch dressing--just something to hold me over. For dinner, I'll typically have meat and veggies and a small salad. I don't worry about portion sizes because I stop eating when I feel full, and any time I want a snack, I'll have one.

So that's it!

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Old 10-28-2013, 01:34 AM   #10  
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Hi Jacqui D. Thank you for all this information. I'm starting this diet today. Well done on your fantastic weightless. I will post later and tell you how I'm getting on.
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Old 10-28-2013, 08:09 PM   #11  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TwoTots View Post
Hi Jacqui D. Thank you for all this information. I'm starting this diet today. Well done on your fantastic weightless. I will post later and tell you how I'm getting on.
I hope it works for you! I'm looking forward to your update!

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Old 11-14-2013, 10:59 AM   #12  
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Yesterday, continuing on today, is a bit of a milestone. I am back down to my lowest weight in 4 years, which is also the weight I was when I lost my motivation to keep counting calories and jumped off the weight loss wagon 4 years ago. My old green ticker, which I keep in my signature as a reminder, shows my progress back in 2009. It took me until 2013 to give weight loss another go, and this time I am so glad that I didn't go back to counting calories, the plan I had always used, the plan on which I yo-yoed for 30 years. It works for many people, but it didn't work for me because I never stuck to it. My motivation this time is not at all diminished, because this diet hasn't been a struggle for me. I've steadily lost 32 lbs and I eat whatever I want every single week. Of course, I don't know if I could have followed the true Slow Carb Diet from the book The Four-Hour Body. Would I have lost weight more quickly if I had? Probably, but that's a big "if I had." Modifying the diet worked for me, and being on the diet, even if it is a modified version, has helped me to accept that a diet doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. (i.e. I can have a cheat day, and simple moderate exercise is fine.) It has helped me to accept that my weight will fluctuate up and not to get excited about it because it will go back down. (Every day after cheat day my weight goes up, but in the next week, it almost always all comes back off and then some. If it will do that after a cheat day, it will certainly go back down after fluctuations when I haven't even cheated, like on days when hormones have an effect.) Accepting those ideas was huge for me. It has made all the difference, and without this diet, I don't know that I could have accepted them. I was so rigid while counting calories that any lapse in following the plan exactly played a mental number on me, making me feel guilty like I had blown it, and always eventually led to my failure. And no matter how hard I tried, I could not follow the plan exactly for more than 6 months. I was hungry. I felt deprived. I wanted sweets. I didn't want 1/2 cup portions. I wanted my Diet Dr. Pepper. On this diet, I drink Diet Dr. Pepper everyday, I eat until I'm full, and I can have sweets on cheat day every single week. I don't feel deprived. It's easy. I don't know that it would be for everybody--I don't think everyone can or wants to give up certain foods for 6 days a week--but wow, is it ever for me! So, I've been logging my weight loss progress since August (I began the diet on July 19th), and now that I am back down to my lowest weight in 4 years, I thought I'd include my log here to show the journey it took to get here:

Week 1--High 201.5 lbs, Low 200 lbs
8/3-201 Cheat Day
8/4-201.5
8/5-201 TOM (a week late)
8/6-201
8/7-201
8/8-201
8/9-200

Week 2--High 200 lbs, Low 197 lbs
8/10-200 Cheat Day
8/11-201
8/12-200
8/13-202
8/14-200
8/15-199 Onederland!
8/16-197

Week 3--High 199 lbs, Low 197 lbs
8/17-197 Cheat Day
8/18-199
8/19-199
8/20-197
8/21-197
8/22-197
8/23-199
8/24-199 TOM (2nd time in 1 month, thanks age 52, lol!)

Week 4--High 199.5 lbs, Low 196 lbs
8/25-198.5 Cheat Day
8/26-199.5
8/27-197
8/28-197
8/29-196 No longer in overweight BMI category!
8/30-196

Week 5--High 196.5 lbs, Low 195 lbs
8/31-195 Cheat Day
9/1-196.5
9/2-196.5
9/3-196.5
9/4-196
9/5-195
9/6-195

Week 6--High 197 lbs, Low 195 lbs
9/7-196 Cheat Day
9/8-197
9/9-197
9/10-197
9/11-197
9/12-197
9/13-195

Week 7--High 196.5 lbs, Low 191 lbs
9/14-194.5 Cheat Day
9/15-196.5
9/16-196
9/17-195
9/18-193
9/19-191 TOM
9/20-191

Week 8--High 191 lbs, Low 188.5 lbs
9/21-189 Cheat Day
9/22-191
9/23-191
9/24-190
9/25-189
9/26-189
9/27-188.5

Week 9--High 190.5 lbs, Low 187 lbs
9/28-188.5 Cheat Day
9/29-190.5
9/30-189
10/1-189
10/2-189
10/3-187
10/4-187

Week 10--High 190 lbs, Low 185.5 lbs
10/5-186.5 Cheat Day
10/6-189
10/7-188.5
10/8-190
10/9-188.5
10/10-186.5
10/11-185.5

Week 11--High 188.5 lbs, Low 185 lbs
10/12-185 Cheat Day
10/13-185.5
10/14-186
10/15-186.5 TOM
10/16-187.5
10/17-188.5
10/18-188

Week 12--High 186.5 lbs, Low 184 lbs
10/19-184.5 Cheat Day
10/20-186.5
10/21-185.5
10/22-184.5
10/23-184
10/24-185.5
10/25-184.5

Week 13--High 184.5 lbs, Low 181.5 lbs
10/26-183 Cheat Day
10/27-184.5
10/28-183
10/29-183.5
10/30-182.5
10/31-183
11/1-181.5

Week 14--High 185.5 lbs, Low 180.5 lbs
11/2-183.5 Cheat Day
11/3-185.5
11/4-184
11/5-184.5
11/6-183
11/7-181
11/8-180.5

Week 15--
11/9-181 Cheat Day
11/10-180
11/11-181
11/12-179.5
11/13-179 Back down to my lowest weight since 2009!
11/14-179

Last edited by Jacqui_D; 11-21-2013 at 06:53 AM.
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Old 11-14-2013, 03:30 PM   #13  
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Hello Jacqui. Well done you on your weight loss. I started this diet last Monday. I lost 7 lbs before cheat day (Saturday). I gained 4lbs!!!!! after cheat day. But those 4lbs and 2 more are now gone. I fell very calm inside while doing this diet. The cravings are there but not so intense. I feel more forgiving of myself, if I'm hungry I eat some nuts or have extra veg and meat. I love my spoonful of peanut butter every night. It's early days yet but I'm feeling good about this.
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Old 11-14-2013, 07:58 PM   #14  
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TwoTots, congrats! That deserves some dancing things! You are doing so well! And I know exactly what you mean about feeling calmer. It's like you don't always have to be on guard, watching and waiting for when you might not be able to (gasp) resist eating. You can eat! Like you said, have some nuts, some veggies, some meat. It's okay! I'm glad the diet is working out so well for you! And for me, lol! I'm still amazed by it!

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Old 11-15-2013, 12:48 AM   #15  
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Hi Jacqui. Let's continue to post our updates here. I'm down two more pounds today. I'm a bit amazed at the weightless. After cheat day and up 4 I panicked a bit. But it's still going. True weigh in tomorrow.

Last edited by TwoTots; 11-15-2013 at 12:48 AM.
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