Three months ago, I started an experiment to get in shape as quickly as possible ( A 30 Day Plan To Get In Shape – My Experiment ). I stayed on the plan for 90 days. And I’ve lost 5 inches off my waist size, reached sub 12 % body fat and got visible abs for the first time in my life.

This was how I looked when I started off

This is me now.

Today, I’ll share the exact fat loss diet plan that made this body re-composition possible and an easier alternative that anyone can follow.

The Low Carb Diet

I started my 2500 kcal fat loss diet plan ( Maintenance calories calculated using TDEE calculator ) with a break up of 25 % Carbs, 35 % Proteins and 40% Fats. You can find the exact meal break – up in my earlier post ( A 30 Day Plan To Get In Shape – My Experiment )

Since then, I’ve cut almost 200 kcal off my diet every week mainly by reducing Carbohydrates and Fats.

Right now, I’m at 1600kcal with a 15% Carb, 45% Protein and 40 % Fats breakup. That meant my macros are approximately 50g Carbs, 75g Fats and 190g of Proteins.

Meal Plan

The Meal Plan is as follows

5-15 AM : Pre Workout – 40 g Whey protein*

6 AM : Morning Workout

7-30 AM : Breakfast – 20 g Oats , 5 Almonds and 40 g Whey protein* with water

1 PM : Lunch – 50 g Brown Rice, 200 g Chicken Breast, 50 g Vegetables, 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

7-30 PM : Evening Workout

8-30 PM : Post Workout – 40 g Whey protein*

9-30 PM : Dinner – 150 g Brown Rice, 3 Eggs, 100 g Vegetables and 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

* – Unflavored 

Following this Low Carb Diet, I consistently lost at least 0.5 % body fat every week and was experiencing visible progress. 

Last week, I included a cheat day into this plan ( planned once every 14 days ) to see how it affects my progress. I did a 4000 kcal binge on a Sunday, gained 1 Kg of water weight and was back to my Saturday ( day before binge ) measurements by Tuesday.

The fat loss diet was so effective that a full day of binge eating didn’t have any impact on my progress!!!

However, unless you’re a hardcore fitness enthusiast, you might find this plan too extreme for the following reasons. You

• Can’t workout regularly, let alone twice a day.
• Are not interested in measuring food daily.
• Find the diet to be too bland and unappetizing. ( The unflavored whey protein with water tastes exactly as it sounds like )
• You tend to cheat at least once a week and this plan is too strict.

If any of these points apply to you, don’t worry. You can still lose a decent amount of body fat by following a close cousin of this diet and an easier alternative, the “Slow Carb Diet”

The Slow Carb Diet

The Slow Carb Diet was introduced by Tim Ferriss in his book “ The 4 Hour Body “. The main advantage of this diet is that it’s simple and has a high adherence ratio ( % of people who follow the diet consistently ) compared to all the other alternatives.

The diet can be explained in just 5 rules, which are

1. No “White” Carbohydrates

Any carbohydrate that is or can be white must be avoided. That would exclude the following foods – Bread, Rice ( White & Brown ), Potatoes, Pasta, Roti etc. If you workout, you’re allowed to have one of these within 30 minutes of training. Otherwise, Beans and Vegetables would be your only Carb Sources

2. Eat the Same Meals Everyday

Pick your meals by selecting one food from each category as mentioned below. Eat as much as you like but stick to the same meals everyday. Have around 3 to 4 meals per day.

Main Proteins

Eggs, Chicken, Fish

Legumes

Lentils ( Dal ), Black Beans, Red Beans

Vegetables

Spinach, Mixed Vegetables, Peas, Broccoli, Green Beans

Keep the meals at least 4 hours apart from each other and have your first meal within an hour of waking up.

3. Don’t Drink Calories

The only allowed liquids are water, unsweetened tea and coffee ( without milk ). Milk, Soft drinks and Fruit Juices are to be avoided.

4. Don’t Eat Fruit

Tomatoes and Avocados are an exception and are allowed. No other fruit makes the cut.

5. Take 1 Day Off per Week

This is the most important rule that sets this diet apart from others. Once a week, on a day of your choice, you can eat whatever you like. Nothing is off limits.

Having a weekly cheat day is shown to have a positive impact on diet adherence and most people find weekends to be the preferred choice, so that they can go out with friends or family and have a good time.

Also, if you feel that excluding all carbohydrates, dairy and fruits is bad for your health. Feel free to have them on your cheat day.

If you’re interested in the fine print and reasoning behind each rule, I highly recommend you purchase “ The 4 Hour Body “ by Tim Ferriss.

Summary

Both of these diets work!. The Low Carb Diet worked wonders for me personally. Even though I didn’t follow the Slow Carb Diet exactly, I can attest to its effectiveness based on the similarity of underlying principles i.e limit your carbohydrates, avoid sugar and processed foods, stay away from dairy, fruits and other liquid calories, and consume the same meals every day

The best part of the Slow Carb Diet? Exercise is left to your choice and you get to binge eat every week!!!

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