Complete Human

The Food.

I am following Tim Ferriss’s “Slow-Carb-Diet,” which basically contains the following basic rules:

1. No “white” carbohydrates. Which includes: bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading
2. Eat the same few meals over and over again. Mix and match with these foods

• Proteins:
  Egg whites with one whole egg for flavor
  Chicken breast or thigh
  Grass-fed organic beef
  Pork
• Legumes:
  Lentils
  Black beans
  Pinto beans
• Vegetables:
  Spinach
  Asparagus
  Peas
  Mixed vegetables

1. Don’t drink calories. Try to stick to water. Avoid artificial sweeteners. Up to 16oz of diet sodas/drinks allowed per day (Sprite Zero is my crack, but I would like to eventually get rid of it altogether)
2. Don’t eat fruit.Only exceptions are tomatoes and avocados (limit the latter to one cup/meal per day)
3. Take one day off per week.Mr. Ferriss calls this the Dieters Gone Wild (DGW) day. Eat anything and everything your heart desires.

The only extra thing added to these rules, which is very helpful, but not necessary, is to try to consume 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking.

I’ve tried very low carb diets before and they are really hard to stick to in my opinion because (1) I get tired of eating just freaking meat, (2) too many limitations on veggies (I love veggies), and (3) I felt tired and hungry pretty often.

I really think the open door to veggies and the addition of beans can pretty much cure these issues. In fact, I’ve been following these rules since Monday (4/16/12) and I have been loving it. Way less snacking than I usually do, and so far no headaches or grouchiness.

I’m buying a tape measure today to get some measurements and I have a body fat caliper (not the most accurate, but all I can afford) coming in the mail. So the only measurement I can give is weight.

4/16/12 - Starting weight - 150.4

4/18/12 - 148.8

I wasn’t able to weigh myself this morning, but I think from now on, my weigh days will be Saturday morning which is going to be my DGW day as well.

The first “hole” I’m planning on filling is my body. I have committed, failed, tried, failed, and completely given up on my body in a never ending cycle. Am I morbidly obese? No. Do I feel happy, confident, sexy, or healthy in my own skin? No.

So, I am going to be using Tim Ferriss’s “The 4 Hour Body” as a guide in trying to achieve a 20 pound recomposition in my body.

One of the first steps is to take “before” pictures of your body and put them somewhere you will see them often. I’m on Tumblrallof the time, so why not kill two birds with one stone - place the pictures somewhere I can see them all of the time, and create a little public accountability to motivate me to stick to my goals.

Hopefully in the next couple of days I can get the following measurements and post them here:

• weight
• upper arms
• waist
• hips
• legs
• bodyfat percentage

I am also going to be “flash dieting” over the next 6 days. Basically, I will take pictures of everything I eat all day long, and at the end of the day post my pictures. It serves as a visual food diary (that takes way less time than trying to remember and log what, when, and how much food I ate every day).

I am ready to stop making excuses and start feeling comfortable in my own body!