The Slow-Carb Diet Explained | Tim Ferriss & Dr. Andrew Huberman

Summary

The Slow Carb Diet is a straightforward diet plan designed for those who have struggled with other diets. It focuses on improving muscle mass and reducing body fat percentage. Key rules include avoiding drinks with calories, eliminating white foods, consuming 30 grams of protein post-waking, and incorporating vegetables, beans, lentils, and proteins into meals. The diet allows one 'cheat day' per week for indulgence. It emphasizes simplicity and adherence, with modifications possible after initial success.

Takeaways

• 🍽️ The slow carb diet is designed to be a simple and easy-to-follow diet, aiming to improve muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage for those who have struggled with other diets.
• 🥤 Rule one of the slow carb diet is to avoid drinking calories, which means no sugary drinks, juices, or caloric beverages, but black coffee and unsweetened tea are allowed.
• 🚫 The second rule is to not eat anything white, which generally means avoiding starches and similar foods, with some exceptions like cauliflower.
• 🥚 Eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up is a key part of the diet, helping to kickstart the day with a protein boost.
• 🥦 The diet allows for the consumption of vegetables, beans, lentils, and some types of protein, promoting a fiber-rich and balanced meal plan.
• 🔄 The inclusion of lentils and beans is emphasized due to their high fiber content, which helps to inhibit appetite and support the diet's goals.
• 🍰 The diet includes a 'cheat day' once a week, where dieters can indulge in any food they wish, providing a release valve for dietary restraint.
• 🍇 There is a specific instruction to avoid fruit and fructose during the week to limit hidden sugars and added sweeteners.
• 📈 The diet does not require calorie counting, as the high-fiber and high-protein meals tend to be self-limiting and naturally control portion sizes.
• 📅 Some individuals may choose to fast or have a very light meal the day after their cheat day to help mitigate any potential negative effects from overindulgence.
• 🎨 The slow carb diet is presented as a template that can be personalized and adjusted over time, allowing for flexibility and long-term sustainability.

Q & A

What is the primary goal of the slow carb diet?

The slow carb diet aims to be a simple and easy-to-follow diet that helps individuals recompose their body by improving muscle mass and decreasing body fat percentage.

What is the first rule of the slow carb diet?

The first rule of the slow carb diet is not to drink calories, which means avoiding beverages like juice and opting for black coffee or unsweetened tea.

What does 'don't eat anything white' mean in the context of the slow carb diet?

This rule suggests avoiding all foods that are white or could be white, which generally includes starchy foods and similar items, with some exceptions like cauliflower.

How much protein should be consumed within 30 minutes of waking up according to the slow carb diet?

The slow carb diet recommends consuming 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up.

What are the food categories one can choose from for their meals on the slow carb diet?

The food categories include vegetables, beans, lentils, and some type of protein, which should be combined to create meals without deviation for at least one or two weeks.

What is the purpose of including lentils and beans in the slow carb diet?

Lentils and beans are included because they add a lot of fiber and help inhibit appetite, which is an important component of the diet.

What is the concept of a 'cheat day' in the slow carb diet?

A 'cheat day' is a day off per week where one can indulge in any food they want without restrictions, serving as a release valve to prevent cheating from becoming a failure point.

What should be avoided during the week on the slow carb diet besides white foods and drinking calories?

Fruit and fructose, including agave nectar and hidden sugars, should be avoided during the week on the slow carb diet.

Can fasting or having just one meal be done the day after a cheat day on the slow carb diet?

While the script does not explicitly mention it, the person sharing their experience found it beneficial to fast most of the day after a cheat day, having just water, black coffee, or tea, and possibly a small meal in the evening.

How does the slow carb diet approach the issue of overeating on cheat days over time?

Over time, most people naturally start to regulate their intake on cheat days, feeling the negative effects of overeating and thus ratcheting back their consumption.

Is calorie counting necessary on the slow carb diet?

No, calorie counting is not necessary as the diet is self-limiting due to the high fiber and protein content, which naturally limits what and how much one wants to consume.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Slow Carb Diet Overview

The Slow Carb Diet is a straightforward and easy-to-follow diet plan designed for individuals who have struggled with other diets. It aims to improve muscle mass and reduce body fat percentage. The diet's success lies in its simplicity: no calorie drinks, avoidance of white-colored foods, and a focus on high-protein meals within 30 minutes of waking. It encourages eating from three food categories: vegetables, beans/lentils, and protein sources. The diet also incorporates a 'cheat day' once a week, allowing for indulgence in any food, which serves as a release valve to prevent feelings of deprivation. Additional rules include avoiding fruit and fructose during the week and not having 'domino foods' at home to prevent overeating. The speaker emphasizes the importance of simplicity and consistency for at least two weeks before considering exceptions or deviations.

05:04

🏋️‍♂️ Personal Experience and Adaptation of Slow Carb Diet

The speaker shares personal benefits from following the Slow Carb Diet, including fat loss, muscle gain, increased energy, improved sleep, reduced caffeine needs, and stable blood sugar levels. They enjoyed the structured 'cheat days,' which were fun and allowed indulgence without guilt. The speaker also discusses their practice of fasting or having a very light meal the day after a cheat day to mitigate any potential negative effects. They suggest that after following the diet strictly for several weeks, it's acceptable to make personalized adjustments, such as reducing intake on the day following a cheat day. The speaker emphasizes the importance of learning the basic rules before breaking them and mentions that no additional purchases are needed to start the diet, as all information can be found on a specific blog.

Keywords

💡Slow Carb Diet

The Slow Carb Diet is a dietary plan that emphasizes simple adherence and is designed for individuals who have struggled with other diets. It aims to improve muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage. The diet's rules are straightforward, which is part of its appeal and effectiveness. In the script, the Slow Carb Diet is described as not being ideal for every sport or circumstance but generally works well for many people, especially those who have had trouble with dieting in the past.

💡Don't Drink Calories

This rule from the Slow Carb Diet suggests avoiding beverages that contain calories, such as juice or soda. It promotes the consumption of black coffee and unsweetened tea, which are calorie-free. The concept is to reduce unnecessary caloric intake from drinks, which is a fundamental principle in the diet's approach to weight management and body recomposition.

💡Don't Eat Anything White

A core rule of the Slow Carb Diet is to avoid foods that are white or could be white, which typically includes starchy foods and those high in refined sugars. This rule helps in eliminating simple carbohydrates and sugars from the diet, which can contribute to weight gain and is a key strategy in the diet for reducing body fat.

💡30 Grams of Protein

Consuming 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up is a specific guideline of the Slow Carb Diet. This practice is believed to kick-start metabolism and help in building muscle mass. The script mentions this as a crucial part of the diet's regimen, emphasizing the importance of protein in the diet's overall structure.

💡Vegetables, Beans, and Lentils

These food groups are allowed and encouraged in the Slow Carb Diet. Vegetables provide essential nutrients, while beans and lentils are rich in fiber and protein. The script highlights these as healthy food options that can be incorporated into meals without deviation from the diet's principles.

💡Cheat Day

The Cheat Day is a once-a-week allowance in the Slow Carb Diet where dieters can indulge in any food they wish, without restrictions. This is meant to provide a psychological release valve and prevent feelings of deprivation. The script describes the Cheat Day as an integral part of the diet's sustainability and enjoyment.

💡No Fruit or Fructose

The Slow Carb Diet advises against consuming fruit and fructose during the week to avoid added sugars and hidden sweeteners. This rule is part of the diet's strategy to control sugar intake and manage blood sugar levels. The script mentions this as a specific restriction, except on Cheat Day.

💡Domino Foods

Domino Foods refer to items that, once started, are hard to stop eating, leading to overconsumption. The script warns against having such foods in the house to avoid triggering compulsive eating habits, which could undermine the diet's goals.

💡Glycogen Depletion Workout

A glycogen depletion workout is a strategy mentioned in the script to mitigate the effects of a Cheat Day. By depleting glycogen stores through exercise before indulging, one can potentially limit the amount of fat stored during the Cheat Day. This is an advanced technique for those looking to optimize their diet experience.

💡Fiber

Fiber is an essential component of the Slow Carb Diet, found in vegetables, beans, and lentils. It aids in digestion, helps control appetite, and contributes to a feeling of fullness. The script emphasizes the importance of fiber in the diet, noting its role in making the diet self-limiting and beneficial for weight management.

💡No Calorie Counting

The Slow Carb Diet does not require calorie counting, as the diet's high-fiber and high-protein foods naturally limit the amount one can consume. The script points out that the diet is self-limiting, which simplifies the process and makes it easier for individuals to follow without the need for meticulous tracking.

Highlights

The slow carb diet is designed to be a simple and easy-to-follow diet for those who have struggled with other diets.

The diet aims to improve muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage.

The first rule of the slow carb diet is not to drink calories, favoring black coffee and unsweetened tea.

Rule number two is to avoid eating anything white, which includes starches and similar foods.

Exceptions to the 'no white foods' rule include cauliflower, but the advice is to keep it simple and avoid exceptions initially.

Consuming 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up is part of the diet.

Meals should be composed from three categories: vegetables, beans and lentils, and a protein source.

Lentils and beans are recommended for their fiber content and appetite-inhibiting properties.

The diet includes a 'cheat day' once a week where no dietary restrictions apply.

On cheat days, individuals can indulge in any food without limitations.

Fruit and fructose should be avoided during the week on the slow carb diet.

The diet does not require calorie counting as it is self-limiting due to high fiber and protein intake.

The slow carb diet is not about complete deprivation; it allows for a controlled indulgence once a week.

The diet can be personalized, such as fasting or having a single meal the day after a cheat day.

Over time, most people naturally regulate their cheat day intake as they become accustomed to the diet.

The speaker shares personal experiences with the slow carb diet, noting benefits such as increased energy and stable blood sugar.

The diet can be started without any purchases by finding information on tim.blog.

Transcripts

Could you give us just a brief top contour

of what the slow carb diet is?

Sure, yeah.

The slow carb diet is intended to be a simple,

easy to adhere to diet for people

who have perhaps failed other diets

that allows you to recompose your body.

So improve muscle mass, decrease body fat percentage.

And the rules are really simple

and that's part of what makes it work.

It's not ideal for every sport in every circumstance,

but broadly speaking, it works for a lot

of people who've had trouble with dieting in the past.

So, rule number one, don't drink calories.

That's it, very simple.

So black coffee, unsweetened tea, great.

Juice out, anything with calories out,

you could add a little bit of heavy cream

to your coffee, let's say.

But that's also bending

the rules in a way that I don't like.

So in the beginning it's like, follow the rules

so you can break them later.

So in the beginning, let's just say

you can't drink calories.

Number two, don't eat anything white.

Sounds pretty basic, right?

Just don't eat anything that is the color of white,

or that could be white, basically,

that means you're going to be avoiding starches.

And things that are similar to starches.

That includes things like oatmeal.

That includes things like oatmeal.

So roughly speaking, just avoiding things

that are white or that could be white

will get you pretty far.

And yes, there are exceptions, like cauliflower are fine,

you can have cauliflower, but again, don't get fancy, right?

It's very easy

to outsmart yourself when it comes to behavioral change.

Keep it simple.

So for at least two weeks,

forget about the exceptions, right?

Don't drink calories, don't eat anything white,

and then eat 30 grams

of protein within 30 minutes of waking up.

Okay, we got that.

And then there are a few buckets

you can choose from, right?

So you have vegetables, beans, and lentils,

and then some type of protein.

So you're going to come up with meals that you can follow

without deviating for a period of one or two weeks,

just come up with the same meals.

And that's going to sound boring.

Yes, but guess what?

You do it already.

You just might not realize it.

And the lentils and the beans, specifically as a pre-req,

we can get into some of the reasons, but add a lot of fiber

and also inhibit appetite, right?

So that's actually a very

important component of these meals.

And there may be a handful of other rules,

but those are the basics.

And then the redemption

is take one day off per week and just go fucking crazy.

That's cheat day.

There are some epic cheat days out there,

some I've captured for myself.

And anything goes, when I say anything, I do mean anything.

So if you want to consume multiple pizzas, pints of ice cream,

whatever, indulge, I left one out, no fruit during the week.

So avoid fruit, avoid fructose, so, agave, nectar,

anything that is sort of hidden sugar.

Avoid all that.

It's a no added sweeteners obviously,

but avoid fruit and fructose.

And again, it's not going to kill you.

Guess what?

If you're from European ancestry,

your ancestry did not have like blueberries

in the middle of winter, generally speaking, right?

So you'll be fine for a few weeks

and then there's that cheat day

and cheat day, anything goes.

The amount of damage you can do on cheat day

is pretty limited

and there are ways you can mitigate that.

There's a whole chapter called damage control

in before our body.

But focusing just on that diet

and having one day off

where you know you can do anything means

when you're controlling yourself

for those six days of the week,

you're not giving up your favorite foods forever.

You can even keep a list

of all things you want to eat on cheat day,

and then you have free license to eat on cheat day.

And that provides you with a release valve

so that you can build in the cheating as opposed

to having it occur as a failure point.

And there are a handful of other things there.

If you have domino foods in the house, for instance,

if you eat a lot of almonds or mixed nuts

and you're just going to sit there compulsively eating them

while you're sitting at your laptop, don't have

what I call domino foods in the house, which are going

to really create some portion control issues.

But broadly speaking,

don't drink calories, donate things that are white.

Take from three categories and build your meals out.

And those are the meals that you follow.

Do not eat fruit or fructose and then cheat one day a week.

And Saturday's a nice day for cheat day for most folks.

And just to answer some questions

that people are going to have.

No, that doesn't mean 24 hours

that you can spread out over two days,

that will actually set you back.

But the amount of fat that you can store

in a handful of sittings over 24 hours,

which legitimately

is more like 12 to 18 hours, pretty limited.

So that's a slow carb diet.

Great, thank you for that.

I also want to ask, is it okay

to take the day after cheat day and fast,

or do one meal that day?

When I followed the slow carb diet,

I benefited from it tremendously.

Lost fat, gained muscle, tons of energy, sleeping great,

required less caffeine, all sorts

of wonderful things, stable blood sugar.

I felt so, so good.

Really enjoyed the cheat days.

I really, really enjoyed the cheat days.

That's so fun.

So much fun.

At some point there's some gastric distress

that comes from not regulating intake,

which led me to not want to eat the next day.

So I tended to do the cheat days on Sunday in my case,

and then I would fast most of Monday just water,

black coffee, tea, and then I might have

a small meal in the evening.

And then by Tuesday I was back on the slow carb diet.

Does that seem like a sort

of a detrimental deviation from the plan?

I think that if that is what works for you,

then that is what works for you.

So this is the slow carb diet template

for me is a starting point.

And generally I'll say, I think this is from Picasso, right?

It's like learn the rules as an amateur

so you can break them as a professional.

But it's like, I recommend most people kind of stick

with the format for a handful of weeks

and measure the results, right?

So there are guidelines for how to measure

the scale is a bit of a blunt instrument.

So there are other ways, but if you're extremely overweight,

you can just use the scale and fasting I think is fine.

Or just ratcheting back your caloric

consumption significantly.

And what happens over time for most people also

is for the first say four weeks on cheat day,

you're going to go completely insane.

And I remember I was doing something much stricter called

the cyclical ketogenic diet,

which is a whole separate thing.

It's much more limiting in terms of what you can eat.

But I was training for ultimately the nationals

in Chinese kickboxing.

This was happening in '99, so I was training super hard.

I was following a cyclical ketogenic diet,

which meant I could eat very few things,

but I did have this one cheat day

and I would do a glycogen depletion workout beforehand,

which is one of the things you can do

to limit the damage on cheat day,

do a glycogen depletion workout beforehand.

And then I would just go crazy.

I mean, I would drive to like Krispy Kreme, buy 12 donuts

and they would be gone by the time I got home

and it wasn't an hour away,

it was like a 10 minute drive.

Donuts would be gone, right?

I would go to Safeway

and I would buy a bag of those fun sized Snickers

and that would be just a tiny portion of my calories.

Of sweet stuff for you, huh?

A lot of sweet stuff, I also did the savory stuff.

I mean, I had my favorites.

Nothing was safe.

Pizza, nothing was safe, nothing was safe.

My paws got into everything.

And then over time, because the next day you're going to feel

like you got hit by a diabetic dump truck,

you start ratcheting back

and you're like, okay, maybe I don't need to do that.

Maybe cheat day will just be two meals,

or maybe cheat day will just be like the pastries

in the morning with the coffee

and you start to regulate a bit, generally.

You don't have to, but over time you generally will.

And I think after you've followed it to the T,

just follow the commandments for say four to eight weeks,

then you can certainly deviate.

And I'm not saying if you're not hungry, don't eat.

However, in many cases people have,

they have acclimated to not eating in the morning

and then they end up overeating later in the day.

If you have that habit, right?

If you're consuming 50% of your calories or more at dinner

and you want to lose body fat, I would say

get some cottage cheese or something

that will give you 30 grams easily in the morning.

Worst case scenario, use a protein of some type.

Just don't make it hyper caloric.

You mean powdered protein like?

Could be powdered whey protein,

whole food is going to do a lot more.

And no calorie counting, correct?

No calorie counting.

It tends to be self-limiting.

When you're eating this much fiber

and this much protein, it tends to be very self-limiting

what you'll want to consume and what you can consume.

Yeah, once again,

I had great experiences with slow carb diet

and I'm going to go back on.

Yeah and nobody needs

to buy anything to figure it out.

If you just search on tim.blog "Slow Carb Diet,"

there, you'll get everything that you need to get started.

No purchase necessary.

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