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With so many Americans now working regularly from home, it can be difficult to stay healthy and active. This is especially significant given that the obesity rate in the U.S. rose from 30.5% in 1999 to over 40% in 2017-2018.
While many nutritional approaches can be effective, Tim Ferriss’s slow carb diet is one intriguing option for those who want to eat better, improve their energy, and shift their body composition. The general rules for the diet are as follows:
- To only eat food off the approved food list (mainly meat, poultry, fish, eggs
legumes, vegetables, healthy fats). - Don’t eat food off the non-approved list (avoiding foods like white carbs, fruit, and dairy).
- Don’t drink your calories.
- Eat 4 meals a day.
- Have one cheat day per week to eat what you want.
Below, we’ll cover 7 reasons why this diet is effective and explain how to implement this slow carb diet into your day-to-day routine.
1. Drastically Reduces Your Carb Intake
The Tim Ferriss slow carb diet was introduced in 2010 as a way to shed the pounds fast. It works by sticking to a list of approved foods six days a week and having one day off to eat what you like. Literally, you can have anything you want on cheat day.
By eating a reduced amount of carbohydrates and focusing on high protein meals, you’ll breakdown stores of fat and energy that will lead to weight loss.
2. High Protein Meals Keep You Full for Longer
Having a high protein diet with foods such as eggs, oily fish, and meats will fill you up for longer and leave you feeling fuller for longer.
This is because it takes longer for your digestive system to process and break down protein, so it stays in your system for a greater length of time than most food alternatives.
This means you’ll be less likely to snack or cheat on your diet, which will create better results in terms of long-term weight loss.
3. Avoids High Calorie and Sugary Drinks
One way to accidentally consume a lot of dormant calories is through drinking soda, energy drinks, fruit juices and the like. These drinks can often contain hundreds of calories and they won’t even fill you up!
By removing these from your diet, the calories you do consume will be solely food-based. This will prevent any unnecessary calorie intake that could lead to accidental weight gain.
If you were previously consuming these drinks, avoiding them as part of the Tim Ferriss slow carb diet will help you to slash your daily calories and trim your waistline.
4. Allows You to Indulge Every Week
One of the main reasons why diets don’t work is that they are too restrictive and they leave people feeling like they are missing out on certain foods. However, with the Tim Ferriss slow carb diet, you are allowed one cheat day every single week to indulge in your favorite “forbidden” foods.
This means you are less likely to binge and crave restricted food groups, because you are encouraged to eat them (to your heart’s content) once a week.
As a dieter, this gives you something to look forward to each week, while still maintaining your slow carb meal plan the rest of the time.
5. No Calorie Counting
One thing that can be defeating about some diets is the calorie counting. Calorie counting is time-consuming, tedious and can be difficult to build into your daily routine if you are short on time.
With the slow carb diet, you are encouraged to eat as much as you like of the approved food groups. This allows you to avoid counting any unit of measurement. You can simply stick to the approved food groups on your list and make your meals without fear of overeating.
6. Dramatically Increases Your Vegetable Intake
In America, most people don’t consume their daily quota of vegetables. It is estimated that only 9.3% of the population is hitting the recommended daily allowance of two to three cups of vegetables.
The slow carb diet incorporates constant opportunities for you to increase the number of vegetables you are consuming every day. Beyond weight loss, eating a wide range of vegetables can have far-reaching health benefits
For example, it can aid with digestion, as well as lower your risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and numerous types of cancer.
7. Caters to Folks Who are Gluten or Dairy Free
Many people want to avoid, or are allergic to, either gluten or dairy products. With some diet plans, especially those that involved pre-prepared shakes or meals, this can be hard to achieve.
This isn’t the case for the Tim Ferriss slow carb diet. Anyone with an allergy, intolerance or a personal preference to avoid these products can easily do so.
It’s also handy that you don’t have to buy your products from a specific brand or go searching online to find your food items. Everything on the approved list is readily available and can be sourced at any supermarket or grocery store.
Ready to Start Tim Ferriss’s Slow Carb Diet?
Congrats on learning seven key reasons that the Tim Ferriss slow carb diet is highly effective. If you’re seeking to improve your eating habits while still enjoying your food options, then this diet might be an effective place to start.
On a personal level, I used this diet when I had to do weigh-ins and body fat measurements at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA, as a member of the USA 7s Rugby Team. While I do believe there are many effective approaches to nutrition, I can tell you first hand that this diet is effective. While I don’t adhere to to this nutritional approach anymore, I do think its basic principles are solid and backed by science.
To accelerate your results, remember to pair your diet plan with an exercise routine. Why not have a look at these fitness posts for inspiration? If you’re interested to learn more, I also answer nutrition questions in my Instagram stories.