Today’s post is not what you expected - normally I post an interview in mid-week but I got a little sidetracked.
A week from today, I will be at Penn State Altoona for 3 presentations. Then after that, I’m visiting my brother and his family in Virginia the rest of the week and weekend. It’s an opportunity to connect with my mom and dad who are also planning to be there. Therefore, I am taking a two week break from interviewing people.
I know many of you have been waiting to see the final results of the “Tim Ferris Diet.” If you were extra alert and took took notice of today’s title, you’d already have some inkling about the results.
In the last update, I promised to post before and after photos. That’s here too. I also dropped hints that I’ll be starting a new 30 day experiment. In fact, I’m already on Day 2 with absolutely phenomenal results - much better than the “Tim Ferris Diet.” I’m not kidding!
Before I go any further, I thought I’d comment on the photo you see here. It was taken at a lake not far from where I live. Yesterday afternoon, I was soaking up the sun’s rays and inhaling nature’s beauty while admiring the crystal clear water - you can see algae floating just beneath the water’s surface. For some strange reason, I hold utter fascination with clear water. Interestingly enough, this was revealed during the reading I did with Akemi Gaines last week. That was one thing that she could not have possibly known about me but was right on target. Hmmmm……..
Anyway, rendezvousing with nature has taken priority over writing blog posts and meeting self-imposed deadlines because there’s nothing more nurturing to the soul than soaking up nature’s beauty and basking in the warm sun. Being in the midst of nature like that calms and reassures me. It also helps me get centered. Besides, I’m trying to absorb as much sun as I can before the Fall/Winter sets in. Even though it’s already September, we’ve been blessed with a supply of nice warm, sunny days lately and I have every intention of taking advantage of them, wherever I happen to be.
Okay, let’s do it. A final update on the “Tim Ferris Diet.”
While I wouldn’t call it a failure, I definitely did NOT achieve what I set out to do. Some of you thought losing 20 lbs. in 30 days would have been unhealthy anyway. Others thought the diet was clogging my system with too many beans (LOL).
But everyone was supportive, which was awesome!
Now it’s my turn to share what I think really happened. But first, let’s pull out the final numbers:
Day 1 ……………………………………………………………………Day 30
Weight: 171.5 lbs. 165 lbs.
Belly to Belly Measurement: 38 inches 36 inches
Pant Size: 34 inches (snug, almost tight) 33 (snug, almost tight)
Day 1 Photo
Day 30 Photo
It’s kind of hard to tell but if you look closely enough, you can see faint outlines of my abs straining to come through.
Interestingly enough, the photos don’t seem to jibe with the numbers but I did lose 6.5 lbs, took off 2 inches around the waist (”belly to belly” measurement) and tried on a pair of 33 inch pants to find it fitting snugly (rather than “tightly”).
Not bad, but not good enough.
While I did not lose the desired weight and am not yet ready to transit into pant size 33,” I would say this experiment was a moderate success for I learned a lot, gained measurable energy and made myself super conscious of my eating habits. Not only that, but it prepared me for my new experiment, which I’ll tell you about in a moment.
Having touted the positive benefits of the “Tim Ferris Diet,” I also have some ideas why it didn’t go as well as anticipated. Mind you, it doesn’t mean this diet doesn’t work - it does - but for some people. When I first discovered it and read all those comments at Tim Ferri’s blog about how many people lost weight, I just had to give it a try.
I’m glad I did.
But like Alexandria said in her Facebook comment a few weeks ago, this was a diet very high in nutrient-rich fiber and high protein, much of which contained water-insoluble fibers, making it hard for the body to break down.
Eating beans 3 times a day along with mostly chicken and occasionally “grass-fed” beef was clogging my system. Even though I noticed a measurable gain in energy (especially at the gym), I was retaining much of the weight because my body was having a difficult time breaking everything down.
Even though 30 days seems to be plenty of time to get used to the food I was eating, apparently, for me, it wasn’t long enough. Perhaps I should have made it a 60 day experiment instead. But I’m not going to do that because long before I discovered the “Tim Ferris Diet,” I had seriously been considering the raw/living food diet/lifestyle. In fact, I’ve already started on that with even better results! More on that in a separate post.
Let’s recap the lessons I learned:
- Anytime you start an experiment/project, find a way to hold yourself accountable.
- Having patience and faith is critical in anything you set your mind to.
- Don’t compare yourself to the success of others.
- When life intervenes, you must find a way to make it work.
- Use tools to sharpen your focus like a calendar to keep yourself inspired so that you can continually move toward the goal.
- When microwaving food, don’t use plastic containers - use microwavable glass/ceramic bowls (thanks to Nita and Jen Krejsa for alerting me to this)
- Never give up hope, especially when the going gets tough.
- Eat small portions at least every 3 hours to keep your metabolism going.
- Never let yourself go hungry because if you do it often enough, the body will go into survival mode and store away food, which turns to fat. Plan it out so that snacks can be healthy and not last-minute-grab-a-bag-of-potato-chips kind of thing.
Ok, there you have it - the 30 day “Tim Ferris Diet” is officially over.
I’ve already begun turning a new page. You won’t believe how dedicated I am to this new raw food/living food experiment. Not only that, the results have been nothing short of phenomenal!
Stay tuned……
Food for thought: What impact did this 30 day “Tim Ferris Diet” experiment have, if any, on you personally?
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11:30 am on September 11th, 2008 1
Hi, thank you for the mention.
I don’t know much about Tim Ferris Diet, but sounds like it’s a variation of high protein diet. Not good. Protein is meant to be a construction material of the body, not fuel. Too much residual when you burn it.
I’m not 100% raw food dieter, but I like it. Tastes good too.
1:31 pm on September 11th, 2008 2
@ Akemi - Yes to Me - & Akashic Record Reading:
Well, protein is always a good thing to have as part of your meals but too much of it can wreak havoc. I think I had too much of it. Not even all the working out at the gym did much to help break things down.
And so now it’s onto raw/living foods. Like you, I’m not 100 percent raw but this week I am “detoxifying,” which I’ll describe in the next post. Going 100% is not for everyone. Some people do 80% raw, 20% other or some variation of that.
I just finished having my “green smoothie” for lunch - filling and delicious!
By the way, I agree when you say “too much residual” when you burn it. That’s the problem I think I had with this diet.
3:55 pm on September 11th, 2008 3
I bit my tongue a bit when you first started and wanted to be supportive, but now that it’s over I don’t feel like it would be negative to give you a little more of my perspective.
From my research (I too focus a lot on fitness), a person in decent shape like yourself would have a tough time burning more than 1-2 lbs of fat a week. I know Tim says he burned off X lbs in X days, and I’m not going to question that. It is a very unlikely result though.
I was still pulling for you and hoping to be proved wrong however, as everyone likes faster results =). I have done various forms of ketogenic dieting (more extreme) and 1.5 lbs a week on average is a great result.
So bottom line, you may not have lost the 20 lbs you wanted, but kudos to you for your results anyway!
8:54 pm on September 11th, 2008 4
Great job, Stephen. Even though it didn’t turn out the way you expected, it looks like the journey ended up being the most important part, not the result. As usual, I enjoyed reading about your experience and the lessons you learned. It always inspires me to examine my life as you examine yours. Thanks! I can’t wait to hear about the raw food/living food diet adventure.
Also, will you please take me to that lake sometime???
ps you spelled my name wrong in the mention up there!
7:45 am on September 12th, 2008 5
@ Sid Savara:
I’m smiling because I know how you felt when trying to restrain yourself from giving out a little bit of your own advice when someone is trying to tackle something like the “Tim Ferris Diet.”
While I certainly appreciated your restraint, I would have been perfectly okay if you had expressed your opinion(s) early on because that’s what this place is about - I think healthy debates are good as long as they’re respectful, loving and honorable. The moment a debate turns ugly and people start slinging mud, name calling is the moment I call it off and turn those kind of commentators away.
At any rate, thanks for your continued support - like I mentioned in the article, I learned a lot. I continue to learn more now that I am reading up on raw/living food lifestyle habits, which I will be reporting on shortly. It’s been an eye-opener for me and I’m sure for some of the readers here.
I’ve never heard of ketogenic dieting - interesting. I’ll google that to satisfy my curiosity.
I LOVE hearing from you - there’s something special about you - the energy behind the words you write - I find it fascinating. Can’t quite put my finger on it but you’re way cool, that much I’ll tell you!
7:49 am on September 12th, 2008 6
@ Jen Krejsa:
Problem solved - I fixed the spelling of your last name up there - sorry about that! Thanks for correcting me - I appreciate it.
Of course, you better get yourself down here before it gets too cold to sit by that lake. It’s incredibly tranquil and peaceful. I was there yesterday and the day before, taking advantage of the brilliant weather.
I go out of town next week for a speaking engagement (Penn State University) so maybe we could grab a chance before I leave?
Thanks for your support - I am going to be posting an article about what I’ve been learning about the raw food/living food lifestyle. It’s very interesting - there are a lot of myths to debunk.
Can you keep a secret?
I’ve already lost 3 pounds this week, since starting! And no, I’m not starving. I’m actually eating 5 times a day and I never go hungry. What’s happening is my body is “detoxing.” It is the answer to many of our “ailments” - even yours. Wait and see.
9:00 am on September 12th, 2008 7
I’m betting that you’re pretty happy that you won’t be diving into cans and cans of pinto beans!
I have a friend whose whole family is on the raw diet. Her daughter just completed a 12 hour triathlon!
9:06 am on September 12th, 2008 8
@ Karen Putz / DeafMom:
Well, believe it or not, I actually didn’t mind eating those beans and I still have some left. Not about to throw them out so I intend to finish them, slowly, one by one. Instead of eating beans 3X a day, I might, in the name of “getting my money’s worth,” perhaps I’ll have one a week, maybe two. Then when it’s all gone, I’ll probably “rarely” have beans. But it’s not because I don’t like them.
I do - but not that much. It was fun to give it a shot though.
Your friend’s whole family has gone raw? Wow. That’s amazing. It’s true - if done right, it can give you incredible energy. Why? Because long story short, eating raw fruits and vegetables (and it’s not just a stick of celery and carrots, LOL), cleanses your cells. I’ll be talking about it in the next couple of days. It’s pretty interesting, actually.
Eye opening.
12:37 pm on September 12th, 2008 9
Stephen, I have been a vegetarian for about 11 years now. In the beginning, I still ate to much pasta and rice, both favorites of mine so I didn’t lose any weight from not eating meat but I feel overall healthier without meat. I still cook meat for my husband, son and visiting family members. In the past two years, some meats have begun to smell bad to me when I cook it even. People told me that would happen after awhile.
About two years ago, I decided to start adding more raw vegetables and learned how to sprout my own veggies. Sprouting is kind of fun. I don’t usually have a green thumb with gardening in any form. Only the most hardly of plants survive my attempts but with sprouting it is easy and rewarding. I haven’t done any sprouting in awhile but the thought to do it has been in my mind for awhile. I am taking your article as a nudge from my Spirit Guides that yes it is time to do it again. Like you, I don’t see myself ever going 100% raw. I love hot soups in the winter too much to give them up.
Let me know if you are interested in sprouting and I can give you my sources for buying the sprouting seeds.
1:31 pm on September 12th, 2008 10
Stephen -
Glad to hear it =). Personally, I think there is a time for criticism of an idea, and a time for support. I think if I had jumped in BEFORE you took the plunge and said “Hey listen, by the way, 20 lbs is a lot of weight - maybe lets shoot for something reasonable like 10?” that would have been totally acceptable.
Once you set the goal for yourself of losing 20 lbs (as lofty a goal as it may be!) and started down that path, I felt there was no point in being difficult about it - you’ve set your goal, you’re going for it, and for 30 days I can be supportive. Having never done the Tim Ferris diet, OR seen any results of it fail, it certainly wouldn’t be my place to say it wouldn’t work =)
The Atkins diet is ketogenic dieting, but there are many other forms of it as well. Bottom line, it worked well for me short term, but without knowing the long term effects, I only did it in short two month spurts, and I have stopped doing it altogether as I am not sure if it was causing my body any harm. But man, did the weight come off!
1:42 pm on September 12th, 2008 11
Too much protein in your diet for extended periods of time is very bad for your kidneys. I did the Adkins Diet back in the 1970’s for about 6-8 weeks and stopped it because I got sick and very weak. I know the diet has changed some since the 1970’s. I bought the book to check it out a few years ago when it was the major diet to use. I didn’t think it was that much improved from the one that I did in the 1970’s. I know lots of people lose weight with it. I would not want to do it for an extended time period. I read somewhere a few years ago that most Americans get way too much protein in our diets already. With all that meat, you are also getting all of those growth hormones in your diet. Have you noticed how quickly our children are physically maturing now? Do you think it could possibly be all those growth hormones in our meat supply?
4:19 pm on September 12th, 2008 12
@ Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker:
Oh really? I didn’t know you were a vegetarian. How cool. It’s interesting how you mention that you still cook meat for your husband, son and visiting family members. I’m doing a lot of research about raw/living eating lifestyles. There’s this book that I will be talking about in a near-future post that points out the element of “reality,” meaning not everyone is going to embrace your new eating habits - some may not understand it, some may want to try it and so forth. The key is not to push our newly selected lifestyle on anyone but ourselves. Basically we adapt as best as we can.
For instance, say you’re with a bunch of people from out of town and everyone wants to go to McDonald’s. What can you do? Surely, you can go with them and not order anything or you could order one of their garden salads, which is the “next best thing.” That can and will happen down the road.
For instance, next week I’m going to my brother’s house and they are big meat and potato eaters. Will I have any? Sure - a small portion - I’m not going 100 percent raw. I am “transitioning.” Some people end up being 80% raw and 20% cooked meals. You know, that’s okay. Whatever works for you. Know what I mean?
I’ll let you know if and when I get to the point of “sprouting” in my “backyard.” Thanks.
4:23 pm on September 12th, 2008 13
@ Sid Savara:
I know exactly what you mean and I thank you for your kind consideration. I would have done the same thing had I been in your position. You’re right, once someone sets down a determined path, there’s no sense in being difficult about it. After all, that person will learn on his own - like I did! And it turned out to be a great experience.
As I mentioned, I learned a lot and I even see it as a precursor to the raw/living foods lifestyle - it was preparing me for the next phase. And like I’ve told some people here already, I’ve already had incredible results after just a few days. Unbelievable. More on that later.
Thanks for enlightening me on the ketogenic dieting. Patricia, another commentator here, said that kind of dieting made her sick and weak. Interesting that you stopped before arriving at that point. Hmmm..I wonder why it made her sick and you wary of going further with it?
BTW, how much weight did you lose with that one? I’m curious.
4:27 pm on September 12th, 2008 14
@ Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker:
I’m learning that too much protein is too hard for the body to break down. It’s amazing how much misinformation floating around out there - we’re all told that we need lots of protein to build and repair muscles. I’m no doctor or scientist but I do see some truth to that but not to the point where you overload the body with too much.
In fact, this kind of reminds me of what I read in this raw diet detox book I’m reading where the author says it’s not good for most people to go 100 percent raw at once. Why? Because when the fruits and vegetables are cleaning up the cells and taking away waste, if there’s too much waste being cleaned away at once, it’s like the toliet plugging up. Make sense? The whole point of detoxing the body is to clean away the waste but little at a time because otherwise where will the excess waste go?
I’m finding this to be a very interesting journey.
At any rate, I have no idea if kids are maturing quickly because of growth hormones in the meat supply. I haven’t really given that much thought. Hmm..interesting question.
4:31 pm on September 12th, 2008 15
Until I started having problems with my blood sugar, I could still eat at McDonald’s or Burger King. I would ask for a hamburger without the meat. They didn’t have salads on the menu when I first became a vegetarian. I love french fries and baked potatoes so I would do those sometimes. Because of the blood sugar problem, those are all out now. When I visit someone else, if I don’t know their food preferences or I do know they are strictly meat eaters, I will take an ice chest along with a selection of veggies that I am willing to share with whoever wants any. For potlucks, I take veggies to share. My mother-in-law will still to this day ask me, “Don’t you want to eat some of this delicious meat?” I laugh and tell her no thank you.
Being vegetarian is an individual choice. I didn’t do it for religious reasons. I did it because I have always preferred vegetables and meat just didn’t taste good anymore. Hamburgers were the first things to go. Chicken and turkey were the last to go. I ate chicken and turkey for two years after I gave up beef. Then they started to not taste good any more. For me, it was a gradual process. I can’t tell you the exact day that I gave up me.
4:34 pm on September 12th, 2008 16
Interesting play on words, that last sentence should read “I can’t tell you the exact day that I gave up meat.” not “me.” My fingers hit the submit button before I finished proof reading what I wrote.
5:12 pm on September 12th, 2008 17
@ Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker:
Everything you said here is pretty much what this author of a book I’m reading said. It’s a gradual process. I love chicken and so that will probably stay around for a little while although I have already begun to eat less of it. I’m still getting adjusted with this new lifestyle, still learning, experimenting, etc.
I think initially I’ll be something like 75% - 80% raw and the rest cooked meals. I just went shopping at a health food store (Whole Foods Market) and was surprised to find non-pasteurized cheese, raw honey, etc. I even learned what ginger looked like! I even asked the cheese lady for a taste of raw cheese and you know what? It was delicious! I’m a HUGE cheese lover.
Will write more later. Thanks for this lively discussion. It’s fun, fun, fun.
5:24 pm on September 12th, 2008 18
The most successful was about 12-15 lbs in 2 months. It is hard to be exact, so my method is I weighed every day for a week before starting, and every day for a week after stopping the diet. So basically, about on par with your weight loss. Keto dieting is not proven to be risk free though, and there is empirical evidence on both sides of the fence - so keto diet at your own risk.
5:39 pm on September 12th, 2008 19
@ Sid Savara:
I see - very interesting. All of us varying degrees of success but it seems like an optimal loss would be somewhere around those numbers, I’d say. I guess it’d be reasonable, like you said before, to shoot for a 10 lb. loss in a month or two, considering “across the board averages.”
Glad you sounded a warning for those who might be interested in the Keto dieting. I don’t have worry about that because I wasn’t even aware what it was!
1:30 pm on September 15th, 2008 20
Well, congratulations on not losing 20 lbs. in 30 days and having the courage to stay accountable on your blog. I personally find that more impressive than if you had actually dropped the weight.
You reminded me that I need to wrap up my own 30 day trial. I like the idea of focusing on one issue for a short period of time. It helps me focus and motivates me to take action. I think I will be choosing something a little more tangible.
I look forward to the next thirty days, Stephen.
8:18 am on September 23rd, 2008 21
@ Ned:
Thanks Ned - as you can tell, I haven’t posted anything in more than a week. I just got back from my trips to Pennsylvania and Virginia. I’ve been on the new 30 day raw food/living food “diet” for almost two weeks so I have some catching up to do.
Thanks for your continuing interest and curiosity.