For those who didn’t read the recipe thread, has anyone even heard of black salsify?

Sorry if this has been asked, but what are you supposed to eat on, say, a 4hr training run?

pay attention at the back bob, it says on the plan, last bit….. 🙄

Is black pudding allowed?

Something with easily absorbable carbs. This could be anything from haribo to gels.

I’m confused by the lean meat stipulation but then the recipe idea using chorizo… and bacon’s not exactly lean unless you’re trimming it (but should you?).

Not really trying to pick holes, it’s all sensible advice but it does basically come down to eating a healthy diet – everyone knows that’s what you’re supposed to do it’s the execution that’s hard. I don’t really see anything particularly insightful (although it’s far from Atkins it is definitely relying on protein a lot to stave off hunger pangs as there’s very little snacking allowed).

I’m also not convinced by the ‘off day’ for maintaining your metabolic rate. You should be exercising (at a high intensity) to keep that high, I can’t see how 1 day a week of high calories is going to trick your body into raising the metabolic rate for the other 6 days (and by enough to counter the additional calories you took in on your piggy day). Off days for keeping motivation (which is also mentioned) are useful IMO but there should be some sensible limits and they should be seen as a slowdown to your weight loss (even if they are still worth it if it means you’ll maintain the diet).

I think the idea of it is that if your fat, it will help you lose weight more effectively than other diets.

If your already thin and do a bit of exercise and eat a healthy, balanced diet then you’ll be fine eating stuff like bread, pasta and fruit.

t does basically come down to eating a healthy diet

No, cos that normally includes milk, fruit, carbs etc.

This diet is persuading your body to do something it might not want to do (ie lose fat) by activating certain mechanisms. Or more accurately, avoiding them.

It doesn’t rely on protein to stave off hunger since it is NOT calorie restricted. You can eat as many calories as you like. By reducing insulin generation it changes what your body does with those calories. To do that, you have to eat slow carbs (ie legumes) and leave out the milk and fruit.

FW the answers and evidence is/are all in the Four Hour Body.

I’m also not convinced by the ‘off day’ for maintaining your metabolic rate. You should be exercising (at a high intensity) to keep that high, I can’t see how 1 day a week of high calories is going to trick your body into raising the metabolic rate for the other 6 days (and by enough to counter the additional calories you took in on your piggy day). Off days for keeping motivation (which is also mentioned) are useful IMO but there should be some sensible limits and they should be seen as a slowdown to your weight loss (even if they are still worth it if it means you’ll maintain the diet).

Instead of not being ‘convinced’ why don’t you do the ultimate and experiment?

This is one of the reasons i tried it in the 1st place. I wanted to actually see if it worked. I had my birthday at the weekend and seriously pigged out. BBQ (thanks to tollah) ,cakes, meals out, chips, pie. I found my weight was the same!

But aren’t haribos white carbs? F’rexample, over a 4hr ride I can get my 30g/hr of carbs from 2l of sports drink, or 2.5 bananas, or 1.5 Clif bars, or a handful of dried apricots (etc etc…).

On this diet, only the sports drink is allowed?

What I’m asking, I suppose, is what do you use?

Tricky – I also don’t gain weight on my off days. I find that I don’t actually pig out really – I just start with a latte and a cake, drink a moderate amount of juice and coke during the day, a sandwich at lunchtime and have a normal meal in the evening. To be honest I have to remind myself to have carbs with that!

Most of the 4HB book is the guy experimenting on himself, relating the experiences of people who are presumably his clients, and talking to scientists.

But aren’t haribos white carbs?

Yes – white carbs are ok before, during and after riding as per the instructions.

I will be using sports drinks and gels etc once I get home to pick them up. I’m using fruit juice atm to drink but that might have a negative effect being fructose…

If your already thin and do a bit of exercise and eat a healthy, balanced diet then you’ll be fine eating stuff like bread, pasta and fruit.

Didn’t work for me. I always thought I ate a fairly balanced diet and didn’t drink a lot. My exercise last year went from training twice a week to nearly twice a day (with 2 rest days) around 8-10 hours training a week.

Guess what, my weight stayed exactly the same! It wasn’t until I looked into the idave/4 hour body way of eating that it dropped down from 75kg to 70kg now

OK, I was being a bit fick, innit. I thought white carbs were banned outright and you were supposed to stuff your jersey pockets with a couple of kilos of frozen peas or something 🙂

If your already thin and do a bit of exercise and eat a healthy, balanced diet then you’ll be fine eating stuff like bread, pasta and fruit.

I’m coming from this angle, I eat well and train 15hrs a week, but need to drop some BF before the race season kicks off.

Hmm.. liquified peas watered down in your camelbak…

Pea wet

Serendipitous….

IS THAT IT?

what all you lot get your knickers in a twist about?

🙄

No porridge? useless.

I would love to do it, but as a veggie I struggle. I guess pretend meat/quorn etc is not allowed?

Why would you struggle as a veggie? It’s a bean fest.

Lack of dairy might be an issue but you’ve still got eggs and cottage cheese. Not that different to being vegan I suppose.

Whilst I agree it’s not a calorie-counting diet the fact remains by eating a lot of protein you are getting the maximum feeling of satiety for the minimum calories so you’ll be taking in less calories than people who have cakes and stuff in their diet… I doubt anyone is doing 2500+ calories on the diet on an ‘on’ day simply because they won’t feel like eating the amount of food required to get that many calories based on what they’re allowed to eat. So it’s indirectly restricting your calories, just not in a way that’s immediately obvious hence it’s likely easier to stick to than something like a points-based restricted calorie diet.

As for not putting on any weight after a single day pig-out, come on did you really expect to? As I said I don’t think it’s a bad idea I just don’t see it having much effect on the metabolic rate.

*reads rest of thread having had bowl of scrambled eggs for breakfast and now eating watercress/rocket/spinach salad with chunks of lean ham and chopped up boiled eggs on*

Is there is a limit on eggs? I don’t mean on this diet just health wise in general 😯

FW – you’re right in that I probably do take in less carbs overall, since they are harder to come by. Personally there’s a limit to how many beans I can force down, despite the fact that I love them.

On my first week I was ketogenic and felt really tired on the bike at the end – I’m now managing that by taking more carbs around the riding.

But that’s not the reason why it works, I don’t think. It’s low insulinaemic. I have calorie restriced before, MORE than this, and it was not as effective and sh*tloads harder.

Bagpuss – no. Knock yourself out 🙂

with an egg? 😯

Is that in the book……*flicks over pages*

Yes. When you’re unconscious you can’t eat white carbs.