Breakfast is the hardest meal for most to modify, as we're a country of toast- and cereal-eating junkies. Moving to slow carbs and protein requires a more lunchlike meal for breakfast. This is easier when you realize that breakfast can be a smaller meal when followed by a lunch three to five hours later. Try it for five days and you'll see the difference. Not only will the increased protein intake decrease water retention, resting metabolism increases about 20% if your breakfast calories are at least 30% protein.

If you want a more typical breakfast, try eggs with turkey bacon (or organic normal bacon)4 and sliced tomato. Delicious. Cottage cheese, my mother's preference, is also a fine addition. Have you ever cooked eggs with ghee (clarified b.u.t.ter)? Try it and thank me. and sliced tomato. Delicious. Cottage cheese, my mother's preference, is also a fine addition. Have you ever cooked eggs with ghee (clarified b.u.t.ter)? Try it and thank me.

Interested in why I specifically choose eggs, spinach, and lentils? For those who like to get deep in the weeds, your science fix is next.

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[image]In randomized and controlled trials, eating eggs results in more fat-loss and increased basal metabolism. In one such trial, overweight women who consumed a breakfast of two eggs a day for eight weeks (at least five days per week) instead of a bagel of equal weight and caloric value lost 65% more weight and-more importantly-had an 83% greater reduction in waist circ.u.mference. There were no significant differences between the plasma total-, HDL-, and LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels of either group.

Egg yolks also provide choline, which helps protect the liver and increases fat-loss as compared to a control. Choline metabolizes into betaine and offers methyl groups for methylation processes. Steven Zeisel from the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill explains: "Exposure to oxidative stress is a potent trigger for inflammation. Betaine is formed from choline within the mitochondria, and this oxidation contributes to mitochondrial redox status." Guess what another primary source of betaine is? Spinach.

This is where credit is due: Popeye got it right. Spinach is incredible for body recomposition.

The phytoecdysteroids (20HE specifically) in spinach increase human muscle tissue growth rates 20% when applied in a culture (think petri dish). Even if you're not interested in growth, it also increases glucose metabolism. Phytoecdysteroids are structurally similar to insect molting hormones-finally, an affordable way to eat insect molting hormones!-and both increase protein synthesis and muscular performance. Even little rats build stronger paw grips. In good news for women, the 20HE ecdysteroid tested demonstrates no androgenic properties. In other words, it won't give you a hairy chest or an Adam's apple.

The Rutgers University researchers responsible for the princ.i.p.al study emphasize, almost as a deterrent, that one would need to eat 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of spinach per day to mimic the administration used. In testing, I've found that it's not hard at all to see a visible effect with smaller amounts. I routinely eat two to three cups of spinach per day, which is less than you think, and each cup is 81 grams. Two cups, at 162 grams, is about 16% of 1 kilogram. Three cups is almost 25% of 1 kilogram. If the results of the study are dose-dependent, one might expect an increase in muscle fiber synthesis of 3% from 2 cups and 5% from 3 cups, not to mention the effect of increased carbohydrate metabolism. Compounded over time, this is significant. If the effect is not dose-dependent but rather triggered at a dose less than 1 kilogram per day, it is possible that the 20% increase could be achieved with far less than 1 kilogram. I also believe that spinach increases cAMP, but that's for the geeks to explore.

Lentils, last but not least, are a rich and cheap source of protein (amino acids), isoleucine and lysine in particular. Both lysine and isoleucine, a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA), are noted for their roles in muscular repair, and the latter for its effect on glucose metabolism.

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DO I HAVE TO LIMIT VEGGIES TO THOSE LISTED?.

There's no need to limit veggies to those I listed, but I've found that the more variety you attempt, the more likely you are to quit, as everything from shopping to cleanup becomes more complicated.

As I've said before, this diet is not designed to be fun, even though most people end up enjoying it. It's designed to be effective. The vegetables I've listed are those I've found to be most tolerable when eating them again and again. Feel free to subst.i.tute whatever you want, but don't forget to include legumes for calories.

One veggie that often gets unnecessarily tossed due to rule #1 (no white foods) is cauliflower. Eat all the cauliflower you like. It's great for making faux mashed potatoes. Otherwise, stick to the no-white rule.

ARE CANNED FOODS ALL RIGHT?.

Canned foods are absolutely fine. No problem. Almost all of my vegetables are either frozen (80%) or canned (20%). I'm a huge fan of canned tuna in water mixed with lentils and chopped onions.

CAN I EAT WHOLE GRAINS OR STEEL-CUT OATS?.

No.

CAN I DO THIS IF I'M A LACTO-OVO VEGETARIAN?

Lacto-ovo is fine. Meat isn't necessary, but it does make the job easier. Eggs and beans are sufficient to lose weight, but I would avoid most milk products. Cottage cheese is an exception. It doesn't interrupt things, and the high casein content appears to facilitate fat-loss.

One reader used Yves veggie hot dogs and Instone high-protein pudding, in addition to eggs, to satisfy his protein requirements. Brown rice protein, as well as hemp or pea protein, will work if you can stomach it. If possible, I discourage consuming any refined soy products, including all soy milk and isolated soy protein supplements. See the "Meatless Machine" chapter for more warnings on soy and alternatives.

CAN I EAT SALSA?.

Salsa is outstanding, especially chunky medium spicy salsa with corn, beans, etc. I can't stand egg whites by themselves, as they're too boring even for me. This is why I almost always eat whole eggs, but if you add a few spoonfuls of salsa on top of either option, it's a delicious little meal. Just don't put the salsa and lentils in the same bowl. The mixture will make you gag like a camel coughing up a hair ball.

CAN I EAT FRIED FOODS?.

Stir-fry is ideal for this diet, as are most cuisines (like Thai) that depend on it. Deep-frying should be avoided because of the breading and poor nutrient density for the calories.

Refried beans work just fine, and more than 30 slow-carbers have lost up to one pound per day using them as a staple. Reader David C. lost 20 pounds in 30 days using almost exclusively canned refried beans. In his last update, he'd lost 42 pounds and his wife had lost 36 pounds.

Refried beans do, however, contain a boatload of sodium, approximately 45% of the daily allowance per cup. If you don't have hypertension, this probably won't kill you, but do your best to include other beans, or mix them together, on occasion. This will result in less water retention. Bloated ain't pretty, no matter how low your bodyfat.

I love refried beans, too, but try to diversify once you have the hang of the diet.

WHAT IF I'M TRAVELING AND EATING IN AIRPORTS?

If you're airport-hopping and cannot find a Mexican restaurant or grill, grab a bag of raw almonds or walnuts at a kiosk and commit to consuming no starch for the remainder of your travel time. There are enough calories in that single bag to give you two to three small "meals" and get you through a full 12 hours. Most airports also have chicken salads (omit dressings besides olive oil or vinegar) that you can combine with the nuts.

If it comes down to it, choose mild hunger instead of deviation. If you always eat on the clock, perhaps it's been a few years since you've felt real hunger.

Having followed this diet in 30+ countries, I can state without exception that travel is not a legitimate excuse for breaking the rules.

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Speaking as a cooking-inept bachelor, and as someone who has eaten out an average of twice a day for the last five years, the slow-carb solution in restaurants is eight words: "I'll just have more vegetables instead of [starch]."

For most places, it's a simple matter of subst.i.tuting more vegetables-spinach or whatever is available-for the standard rice, bread, or potato that comes with the meal. "No subst.i.tutions" on the menu? No problem. Add a few more words and it's abracadabra done: "I'll just have more vegetables instead of the [starch]. If I have to pay a bit extra, that's fine."

If that fails, gird your loins and just order a separate veggie or legume side while omitting the starch. In total, this subst.i.tuting will average out to less than $3 extra per meal, and it's often free. Consider this your nominal flat stomach tax. If you're eating out to begin with, you can afford an extra $3, so don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish. If you can't afford it, skip a latte or newspaper so you can.

The most cost-effective cuisines I've found for the Slow-Carb Diet are Thai5 and Mexican, the latter of which leads us to the wonderfully simple example of Eric Foster and his Chipotle Diet. and Mexican, the latter of which leads us to the wonderfully simple example of Eric Foster and his Chipotle Diet.

Eric lost 91 pounds and went from 44% to 23.8% bodyfat in less than 10 months adhering to the following menu: BREAKFAST: One cup of coffee and an egg (scrambled or hard-boiled) [I believe he would have lost significantly more fat by adding even one extra egg each day.]LUNCH: Fajita bol (peppers, onions, steak, tomato salsa, green tomatillo salsa, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, romaine lettuce)DINNER: Fajita bol (peppers, onions, steak, tomato salsa, green tomatillo salsa, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, romaine lettuce) This diet totals about 1,480 calories and 29 grams of nonfiber carbohydrates daily. Brent, another follower of the Chipotle Diet, lost 120 pounds in 11 months, bringing him from 300 to 180 pounds bodyweight.

But doesn't it get boring? Eric suspected it would:

I honestly thought I might get bored of the burritos after a couple months, but it hasn't happened yet. Thank G.o.d! Before I started dieting, Chipotle was my favorite place to eat. I made adjustments to the menu items to make it low-carb, and it tasted just as good as if I hadn't made any changes at all.

Losing fat doesn't need to be punishment. It doesn't even need to be inconvenient.

Go slow-carb for a week and you won't go back.

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WHAT ABOUT FAT-LOSS DRUGS?.

I could recommend several hard-core thermogenics, but the potential for addiction, organ damage, and lesser-known chronic problems (sinusitis, for example) just isn't worth it.

The most effective, side-effect-minimal "stack" I've found is PAGG, and it's detailed in the chapter ent.i.tled "The Four Hors.e.m.e.n."

ISN'T HIGHER PROTEIN HARD ON THE KIDNEYS? WHAT IF I HAVE GOUT?

First, I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on the Internet. If you have medical conditions of any type, consult a physician. Now, on to my interpretation of the data: If you don't have a serious preexisting medical condition, the amount of protein I prescribe should not hurt you. There is no compelling evidence to support the protein-hurts-your-kidneys claim. This is what Michael Eades MD calls a "vampire myth" because it just refuses to die, despite a lack of evidence.

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 #2 222 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 #3 203 lbs.90 day weight loss = 41 lbs.

The first month, his rate of loss was 17 pounds per month 17 pounds per month. The second month, when he postponed breakfast, his rate of loss dropped to 5.5 pounds per month 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 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 a.s.sociated with overeating in the evening. Don't skip. Have no appet.i.te 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:

10/18/20082/14/2009: Starting weight: 260 lbs, Today's weight: 212 lbsWow! 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 foods, such as turkey bacon, organic bacon, organic sausages, or cottage cheese. Third choice: have a 30-gram protein shake with ice and water, as my father did.

The first few days you'll feel like you're force-feeding yourself, and then it will all change and you'll feel incredible. Get at least 20 grams of protein per meal, no matter what.

Related problem: not eating enough food. Do NOT try to restrict portions or calories. Eat until you are full, and eat as much as you like of the approved foods. If you don't, you will either downshift your metabolism or cheat between meals with banned-food snacks.

Kristal wasn't losing weight and was irritable on the diet. Why? Because she was neglecting legumes and focusing on a higher volume of green vegetables, resulting in insufficient calories. There is no need to count calories if you follow the rules, and one of the rules is: get plenty of legumes. Her results multiplied after making one change:

I took your advice and made beans the #1 ingredient this week, and I have a lot more energy and am remarkably less cranky. The first couple weeks I made veggies #1 with a bit of beans and meat tossed in. This week it is beans, beans, beans...and I'm now down 10 pounds. Whoopee!

MISTAKE #3: NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER.

To ensure optimal liver function for fat-loss, increased hydration is a must.

Insufficient water intake ("I just don't like drinking much water") seems to be particularly common among women. My mother plateaued in fat loss and, looking at her water intake, I insisted she add a few more gla.s.ses. She immediately started losing fat again and lost 3 pounds in the subsequent week.

Make a special effort to drink more water on your cheat day, as the carbohydrate overload will pull water to your digestive tract and muscle glycogen. If you don't get enough water, headaches will be the result.

MISTAKE #4: BELIEVING THAT YOU'LL COOK, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A BACHELOR In a sentence: if you don't normally cook, get canned and frozen food for the first few weeks.

Don't buy a bunch of food that requires cooking skills if you don't have them. Don't buy foods that spoil if you've never prepared a proper meal. Unfounded optimism will just result in rotten food and frustration. Below is a telltale picture of what happens to most onions that live in my refrigerator.

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Jack and the onion stalk I have bags of dried lentils in my cabinet that are now six months old. Why? I'm too lazy to boil and strain them.

Keep it simple. Use frozen and canned stuff for at least the first two weeks. Change one habit at a time: food selection first, food preparation second.

MISTAKE #5: MISTIMING WEIGHINGS WITH YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE (NOT A PROBLEM FOR BACHELORS).

Women tend to retain much more water just before their periods. Be sure to take this into account when you start your diet and take measurements.

Ignore scale readings in the 10 days before menstruation. They're not at all a reflection of what's happening. If you are following the diet to the letter, you will lose fat. Treat your first weighing following your period (as soon as one day following is fine) as your "after" measurement.