The 4-Hour Body_ An Uncommon Guide to Ra - Timothy Ferriss [43]
Gout?
Gout is usually blamed on purines and therefore protein, so those diagnosed with it, like my mother, will be put on low-protein, low-legume diets. I ascribe to Gary Taubes’s interpretation of the scientific literature, which indicates that fructose (and therefore sucrose, table sugar) and other factors are more likely to be causal agents of gout. Phosphoric acid in carbonated drinks is also to be avoided.
My mother’s uric acid levels normalized on the Slow-Carb Diet, despite much higher protein intake. She continued to take low-dose allopurinol during the diet, and the food was the only variable that changed.
This said, no matter what you do with your diet or self-experimentation, do not stop or modify medication without consulting a medical professional.
I’M HITTING A PLATEAU—WHAT SHOULD I DO?
The first three mistakes discussed in the next few pages (eating too late, not eating enough protein, drinking too little water) are the three most common causes.
Nevertheless, the total percentage of bodyfat lost per month naturally decreases over time. The number of mitochondria in your muscle tissue largely determines your rate of sustained fat-loss. Targeted exercise, even just 20 minutes per week, will often double fat-loss that’s plateaued, and should do so for at least two to four months. The best options are covered in the “Adding Muscle” chapters.
Common Mistakes and Misunderstandings
The first three mistakes in this section cover 90%+ of stalling problems, but the rest are well worth reading. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and a few minutes of education is worth many pounds of extra fat-loss.
MISTAKE #1: NOT EATING WITHIN ONE HOUR OF WAKING, PREFERABLY WITHIN 30 MINUTES
This was my dad’s issue and is almost always a show-stopper. Look at what happened once we addressed it:
12/27/08
Beginning weight 245 lbs.
1/30/09
End of month #1 228 lbs.
3/1/09
End of month #2 222½ lbs. [Too little protein in morning for last 4 weeks—added 30 grams as a ready-to-drink Myoplex shake within 30 minutes of waking to restart fat-loss]
4/2/09
End of month #3 203¾ lbs.
90 day weight loss = 41¼ lbs.
The first month, his rate of loss was 17 pounds per month. The second month, when he postponed breakfast, his rate of loss dropped to 5.5 pounds per month. The third month, after consuming 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking, that rate more than tripled to 18.75 pounds per month!
These numbers don’t tell the whole story, of course, as he was adding muscle at the same time, but this type of dramatic acceleration is typical. Skipping breakfast is also closely associated with overeating in the evening. Don’t skip. Have no appetite in the morning? No problem. Keep it small and protein-rich, then: two to three hard-boiled eggs sprinkled with white truffle sea salt.
Here’s another case study, this time from JayC:
10/18/2008–2/14/2009: Starting weight: 260 lbs, Today’s weight: 212 lbs
Wow! This is the first time I’ve been less than 215 since my freshman year of college! I hit a bit of a plateau after getting down to 220 on Christmas. I was eating the same, drinking the same, etc and stayed at 220! So how did I get over this plateau?? By eating more! Can you believe the awesomeness of this lifestyle? Tim had posted … to eat at least 30g of protein upon waking, and to up the water even more so. Reluctantly I enlarged my breakfast and lunch portions and BAM!
Skip breakfast, forget to eat within one hour of waking, and you will fail.
MISTAKE #2: NOT EATING ENOUGH PROTEIN
Get at least 20 grams of protein per meal.
This is absolutely most critical at breakfast. Eating at least 40% of your breakfast calories as protein will decrease carb impulses and promote a negative fat balance. Even 20% protein—more than most people consume—doesn’t cut it. First choice: down two to three whole eggs at breakfast. Second choice: if that’s impossible to stomach, add other protein-rich whole