Now, let me start by saying that this diet isn’t for everyone. It isn’t easy, it takes a lot of dedication,
and you will miss certain foods like crazy!
Ever since I started the Four Hour Body (last June), I have started
dreaming of strawberries, raspberries (yes, I know you're normally allowed these things on most diets!), creamy lattes and yoghurts. I even lie
awake at night, with visions of chocolate, Haribo and ice cream dancing in
my head.
All that considered, this diet has sometimes turned me into a crazy
woman. But if you are serious about getting fit and shaping up, then I can
promise that this is definitely worth a try.
It has taken me from a size 12-14 right down to a size 8-10. It is
incredible. I am the slimmest I have ever been, I am the healthiest I have ever
been, and I am also the most confident I have ever been. And who doesn’t want
to feel like that?
The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferris basically suggests that, to reach your
ideal body weight, all you need to do is work out for four hours a month. Yes,
really. FOUR hours a month! You can do more if you want to, but we can all manage an hour a week, right?
It recommends following the diet with a series of kettlebell workouts (I
can’t recommend kettlebells enough – they completely transformed my body), but
you can pretty much pick the exercise you want to do. I stick with running and aerobics mainly (about five hours a week).
The diet itself is pretty straightforward. It is all about shedding fat by cutting out sugar and focusing on a lean, high-protein diet packed with slow-burning carbs.
You eat three meals a day with no snacking, if at all
possible. In these meals, you can eat as much meat as you like. You can gorge on it
if you want! You also need to fill yourself up on legumes and beans (not baked beans –
butter beans, lentils, that type of thing) and vegetables.
My favourite meals include scrambled eggs for breakfast, bean casseroles
and STEAK. Yummy, yummy steak. You are even allowed a glass of red if you want
to. Brilliant, no?!
Things you can’t have include: fruit (of any kind), sugar (in pretty
much any form), dairy, carbs (that includes cereal and brown bread), alcohol
(except your glass of red), caffeine, fizzy drinks.
I like to think of it as a cavewoman diet. If it isn’t natural, or if it
wasn’t around thousands of years ago, leave it.
Then, one day a week (and this is the BEST part!!), you can eat whatever
you like, in whatever quantity you like…yes, you read that right. You can live
off chocolate for one, whole day if you so wish! Perhaps you fancy burger and chips, an afternoon tea, or a KFC? Well, you can have it all. Welcome to Utopia.
The day off not only helps to keep you on track, but it also speeds your
metabolism right back up. It is my favourite day of the week, and I spend my
whole time writing down what I’m going to have (chocolate, ice cream,
chocolate, biscuits).
To summarise:
Rule
1: Avoid eating "bad” carbs.
Rule
2: Eat the same meals week in, week out (this makes it a whole lot easier and more effective).
Rule
3: Don't drink calories.
Rule
4: Don't eat fruit.
Rule
5: Take one day off per week and go INSANE. Enjoy it!
Anyway, if you can stick to this diet, you will see results. And fast. You will look and feel better than you ever have done before, and you will feel
so so confident! You won’t even recognise yourself…
In fact, I am even happy to be snapped in my bikini, which I never was before! And I can guarantee that I never felt so good.
Sam x
The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferris costs £8.88 and is available from Amazon.
