The 4-Hour Body_ An Uncommon Guide to Ra - Timothy Ferriss [38]
Mark’s experience is typical:
I have been doing this now for about 10 weeks and I have weighed myself daily during the process. I put on up to 2 kg (4.4 lbs) every cheat day, return to my pre cheat weight by Wednesday at latest, and have been averaging a further 1 Kg (2.2 lbs) per week loss by the next cheat day.
To date I have lost 12 kgs / 26.5 lbs. I am fairly strict during the week (protein + beans + veg and thats about it), and I do circuit training and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 3–4 times per week. The only variation I have from Tims guide is a whey protein shake after every hour of training.
Weigh yourself before your first meal on cheat day and ignore the short- term fluctuations, which do not reflect fat-loss or gain. Remember to take circumference measurements on your weigh-in days, as it is typical to gain some lean muscle while on this diet.
The mitochondria in muscle increase your ability to oxidize fat, so we want to encourage this, but the muscle gain can keep you at the same weight for one to two weeks.
Pounds can lie, but measurements don’t.
Some dieters needlessly fall off the train in frustration. Angel, whom we met once in earlier chapters, didn’t. Why not? At the risk of sounding repetitive, let me reiterate, since I know most readers will ignore this:
[Week one] Hello all. I just wanted to share my first week with you. I have lost a total of 7 pounds.… Mondays are also the day that I take my measurements. I have lost 1 inch from each thigh, 1 inch from my waist, and 1/2 inch from my hips. I already noticed that my pants I haven’t worn for a while fits perfect. This is the motivation I need to keep on going.
[Week two] After my cheat day on Saturday, I gained 1 pound which is normal for me. The week before I gained pretty much that, but lost it. So week two, I lost that 1 pound. I didn’t lose any weight on week two, but I’m not discouraged. I did manage to lose in inches. I lost ½ an inch off my hips which is absolutely great. I lost a total of 1 inch off my thighs. Not so shabby either. So that’s a total of 1.5 inches for the week. I’ll take the inches. The grand total of inches lost from Day One: 5 inches total. Yippee! No exercise either.
Enjoy your cheat day guilt-free. Measure the right things at the right times.
CAN I USE SPICES, SALT, OR LIGHT SAUCES? WHAT CAN I USE FOR COOKING?
Spices and herbs, but not cream-based sauces, are your friends. Take a trip to Whole Foods with $50 and get educated. That $50 spree will last you at least a few months.
Montreal steak rub, thick salsa without sugar added, garlic salt, white truffle sea salt (combine this with tarragon on eggs), Thai chili paste (srichacha)—this is just about all you need to start. For salad dressing, a few drops of a nonsugar sweetener like stevia mixed with vinegar and mustard will give you a dressing to satisfy any sweet tooth. My preference, and my go-to restaurant salad dressing, is simply balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Butter is fine, as long as the only ingredients are butter and salt.
For cooking, you can use olive oil for low heat and either grapeseed oil or macadamia oil for high-temperature cooking.
“Comparison of Dietary Fats and Oils,” from Agricultural Handbook, no. B-4, U.S. Human Nutritional Information Service, http://www.adoctorskitchen.com/about/about-fats. (Courtesy: Deborah Chud MD)
Macadamia oil is the new and improved olive oil. Since several high-level bodybuilding coaches introduced me to this new kid on the block, I’ve been hooked.
Consider the following:
• It tastes almost like butter. Extra-virgin olive oil is fine alone or on salad, but let’s face it—it makes scrambled eggs taste like cat vomit.
• Unlike olive oil, it has a high smoking point (234°C) and is ideal for sautéeing and all manner of cooking. I now use butter from grass-fed cows, ghee, and macadamia oil exclusively for all stove-top action.
• It has a long shelf life and is more stable than olive oil when exposed to light. If you’ve ever consumed olive oil from a clear container, there is a good chance that you’ve downed