Every meal for the first 3 weeks of slow carbing has been a challenge. What am I going to eat? Do I have slow carb ingredients? I need to run to the store. I’m already hungry. Now it’s going to be 2 hours before I eat lunch. Aaahhh! Very frustrating.

On my second pass through the book I focused in on this:

Mix and match from the following list, constructing each meal with one pick from each of thethree groups. I’ve starred the choices that produce the fastest fat-loss for me:

Proteins
*Egg whites with 1–2 whole eggs for flavor (or, if organic, 2–5 whole eggs, including yolks)
*Chicken breast or thigh
*Beef (preferably grass-fed)
*Fish
Pork

Legumes
*Lentils (also called “dal” or “daal”)
*Black beans
Pinto beans
Red beans
Soybeans

Vegetables
*Spinach
*Mixed vegetables (including broccoli, cauliflower, or any other cruciferous vegetables)
*Sauerkraut, kimchee
Asparagus
Peas
Broccoli
Green beans

Eat as much as you like of the above food items, but keep it simple.

I didn’t exactly miss this the first time I read the book (in fact it’s in my notes) but I didn’t realize how important it was. This is an example of why I’ve been saying anyone following the advice in this book should read it again after 3 weeks. You’ll have a different perspective.

So I cooked  up a couple of proteins, a couple of legumes, and a couple of vegetables and put them all in containers in the fridge. Whenever it’s time for a meal I heat up a scoop of each and I’m done.  Use various spices or hot sauces for variety and change the selections within each category every few days. Easy as pie. Pie. Tomorrow is cheat day. Pie.

I’ve been told you can’t lose weight by reading a book, but I’d say I have evidence to the contrary.  It’s been three weeks since I read The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss and I’m dropping 5 lbs a week with diet changes alone.

Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbohydrates
Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again.
Rule #3: Don’t drink calories.
Rule #4: Don’t eat fruit.
Rule #5: Take one day off per week and go nuts.

Also eat 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up.

I don’t recommend starting this just based on reading this blog entry. There’s a little more to it. I recommend reading the book and listening to the Timothy Ferriss interview on the Nerdist Podcast.

Even though the fever went away my wait-it-out strategy really wasn’t working as well as I hoped. At a certain point today it got to the point where I felt like I was breathing through a wet washcloth. I thought my lungs were full of fluid. It hurt to inhale. Okay, I give up – doctor time. The doctor asked if my chest hurt, which I honestly answered yes. I may have inadvertently made a sort of chest clutching motion as I answered. All the sudden the room flooded with nurses and assistants pushing in carts. There was a mad flurry of activity. Machines were being hooked up left and right. I think someone repelled in from the ceiling. Little probes were placed all over my body, there was something on my finger, something in my mouth, a cuff on arm, blood being drawn… after a few minutes the EKG said my heart was okay, so they brought me to the x-ray room. They took a few pictures of my chest. All clear. Just bronchitis. Prescriptions for Albuterol, Methylprednisolone, and Azithromycin.