Here’s a classic example of a slow-carb lunch.
This mama needs to kick it into high gear to create her ideal thirty-seven-year-old body. This means some drastic measures, which I took as of last Monday, August 12th. The parents in our house all began Tim Ferris’ The Four Hour Body food plan, which we’d experienced with great success a year or so ago. When you do it properly, it really works, but like all health and fitness, the great challenge is in getting the ball rolling.
The thing I like about Four Hour Body is that I can eat as much as I want of the recommended foods, and those foods are wonderfully healthy. I don’t feel hungry, and after getting over the one-and-a-half to two-week period where I’m tormented by sugar withdrawal, I actually feel fantastic. This plan also allows one day of eating anything I want in any quantity I can manage. That’s a huge bonus because I don’t feel like I’m deprived of so many foods I love, and I LOVE food.
When we began two weeks ago I weighed in at 143 lbs. My bust was 34″, hips were 39″, and waist was 32″. My waist is my primary reason for getting my ass in gear. I gain all of my weight there, and studies have proven that those of us who collect most of our fat around our middles are at highest risk for all kinds of disease. We’ve also completely stopped exercising. We were so great with lifting weights every day, and I’m longing to return to this when poor Daddy has more time to spot me. Meanwhile, I’m trying my darndest to fit some yoga in while Noodle is napping in the mornings.
What’s the deal with the Four Hour Body? Well, there is some great science behind it that utilizes the way our bodies metabolize foods. Basically, six days a week I’m limited to:
Any legumes (except chickpeas)
Lentils
All veggies (except potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash)
Cottage cheese (the only dairy)
Any meat
Any nut
LOTS of water
My usual two – three cups of coffee (with a splash of coconut milk, a dash of cinnamon, and a bit of stevia) per day
One or two glasses of red wine or (less frequently) very dry white wine
Not bad, right?
This kind of eating is best described as “slow carb”, based on foods that have a low glycemic index.
Here’s the very best part, though. On one day (we chose Saturdays) we can eat ANYTHING we want in ANY QUANTITY. This ensures our bodies don’t go into starvation mode, and this actually helps spike our metabolism. We call this day “Free Day”, and sometimes I jot down my cravings so I can be sure to satisfy them on free day. Two weeks into this lifestyle change, I’ve stopped craving junk, and look to treats like cheese, good chocolate, yogurt and fruit to indulge in on Free Day.
Interested? Here’s a link to the Four Hour Body website and a slow carb recipe site to get you started. I’ll keep you posted about how I’m doing with these big changes. So far, at the start of week three I haven’t lost a single pound, or an inch to speak of, but I feel good, and my clothes are fitting differently.