If you want to build muscle and burn fat without starving yourself, the ‘Slow Carb’ Diet may be for you.
This post was inspired by Timothy Ferriss’ wildly popular book “The 4-Hour Body“.
The Slow Carb Diet is a great way to lose weight without counting macros or measuring food.
This diet is extremely effective, even without weight training or engaging in a consistent workout routine.
The record shows that the Slow Carb diet has successfully helped many people lose weight.
People claimed to have lost 20 pounds in 30 days, without exercise, with Slow Carb.
There’s also an account of a man losing 100 pounds on the Slow Carb diet.
The Slow Carb Diet is very simple. You just follow a few rules and watch the belly fat melt away.
The rules are as follows:
- No starchy food
- No dairy
- No liquid calories
- No sugar
- One cheat day per week.
The expanded version of these rules below…
Don’t eat white starchy food
This means no potatoes, pasta, rice, or bread.
Anything fried or that has breading is not allowed on the Slow Carb Diet.
There is one exception:
Rice or potatoes may be consumed within one hour of an intense weight training workout.
Good life advise is to avoid flour and wheat at all costs:
An interesting tidbit I read in the “4-Hour Body” stated that a chemical called chlorine dioxide is used to bleach flour. Chlorine dioxide in flour combines with protein, in foods like breaded chicken, to create a compound that is used in labs to induces diabetes to rats.
Mmm…Dia-bee-tus.
Reading that further proves that wheat is the kiss of death.
Needless to say, I’ve significantly reduced my consumption of bread and refined wheat products. I have better energy, better focus, and a better body as a result.
No Dairy
Dairy is packed with sugar. To make matters worse, many people are daily intolerant or dairy sensitive.
For them, eating dairy causes gas, bloating and weight gain. Not a good results anyway you cut it.
Dairy is for making baby cows big and fat. When humans eat/drink dairy, it packs fat on our body.
Don’t drink calories
No beer or mixed drinks. And no juice, fresh squeezed or otherwise.
It’s way too easy to guzzle down drinkable calories.
Liquid calories do nothing but hurt your progress.
The only exceptions are a glass of red wine in the evening (I recommend a nice Chianti if you are legal drinking age), and protein shakes.
Don’t eat fruit or refined sugar
Sugar destroys your body.
If sugar rots your teeth, and teeth are made of enamel, which is the hardest substance in your body, what do you think sugar does to the rest of your body?
While sugar wreaks havoc on your body it also packs on the pounds.
Sugar is easy to consume and you can never get enough of it. Your body uses sugar for quick energy. But most people aren’t active enough to burn all the calories from the sugar they consume.
Sugar that doesn’t get used by the body gets stored as fat.
Avoid sweets, candy, and fruit all together. (Yes, that includes fresh fruit.)
And, finally, my favorite part of the Slow Carb diet:
Pick one day per week and eat anything you want
A cheat day is a Godsend when dieting.
It gives you a reward for your discipline. Indulging on a cheat day is ultra satisfying rather than eating shit daily which leaves you feeling guilty.
Avoid snacking at all costs during the week. Unless it’s a healthy snack of course.
If you want a snack, eat plain almonds, cashews, walnuts, or peanuts.
If you need something sweet have a non fat greek yogurt.
Slow Carb sounds like a boring diet, and at times it seem that way, especially if you’re eating the same stuff over and over.
Having an idea of what you can eat on this diet can expand your horizons.
Here’s a more complete list of foods that are acceptable to eat on the Slow Carb Diet. This should help you add some variety to your meals:
Protein Sources
Beef
Chicken
Cod
Eggs
Goat
Haddock
Halibut
Herring
Lamb
Liver
Mackerel
Mahi Mahi
Perch
Pork
Red Snapper
Salmon
Sardines
Shellfish
Tilapia
Tuna
Turkey
Vegetables (Healthy Carb Sources)
Artichoke Hearts
Asparagus
Avocado
Bamboo Shoots
Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Collards
Cucumbers
Dandelion greens
Eggplant
Garlic
Green Beans
Iceberg Lettuce
Kale
Kimchi
Leeks
Mixed Vegetables
Mushrooms
Olives
Onions
Peas
Peppers (Hot, mild, sweet)
Radish
Red cabbage
Romaine Lettuce
Saurkraut
Spinach
Squash
Tomatoes
Turnip Greens
Yellow pepper
Zucchini
Legumes
Black beans
Black-eyed Peas
Kidney beans
Lentils
Navy Beans
Pinto beans
Red Beans
Healthy Fats
Pure Extra Virgin Olive oil and Coconut oil can be used for cooking as they are a source of heathy fat.
Peanut butter and almond butter are also acceptable healthily fat sources.
Water Intake
Drink a lot of water on this diet.
Try to drink at least gallon of fresh water each day.
Drink coffee if you need a boost, but limit diet pop to one can a day.
The Slow Carb Diet for the Weight Trainer
If you are lean and trying to build muscle, the Slow Carb Diet is great to keep body fat low.
However, there are two additional rules that apply to the Slow Carb Diet if you are a weight lifter:
- You can eat potatoes or rice within an hour after a weight training workout
- Cottage cheese and protein shakes can be eaten to get extra calories and protein. (You can get quality protein powder here)
Weight trainers need the extra calories to keep energy levels up and build muscle.
Carbs from potatoes and rice provide the extra energy you body needs, and replenishes your glucose stores.
Cottage cheese and shakes get in much needed protein.
All in all the Slow Carb diet is a simple way to eat better, feel better and look better.
If you want to take it one step further, try the carnivore diet to drop fat so fast it will make your head spin.
Cheers.
Jordan
