Day 6

Cheater, Cheater.

Yep. I'm a cheater. Sitting right now having Triscuits and hummus. And loving every bite. Side note: it is impossible to count Triscuit consumption. Impossible. I'm either around 10 or 30. I can't be sure.

Let take a moment to follow Rebecca's advice and tell you a bit about the diet I'm on.

The Slow-Carb Diet, by Tim Ferriss, author of "The 4-Hour Body," makes a case for better fat loss through simplicity. Below is a summary of Tim's rules for success.

#1. Avoid "white" carbohydrates (or anything that can be white).

#2. Eat the same few meals over and over again (so you don't get frustrated and give up).

#3. Don't drink calories (one glass of red wine a night is allowed).

#4. Don't eat fruit (except tomatoes and avocados).

#5. Take one day off per week and go nuts (literally, ANYTHING is fair game).

The book goes into a bit more detail, but those are the basic components. No exercise is required, nor is counting calories. The only other "rule" is to try to achieve at least 20g of protein per meal (you can see why I started eating eggs again). While the diet doesn't require calorie counting, I counted mine one day, just out of curiosity. I had had 4 full meals, consisting of at least 20g of protein each (two had upwards of 30g each), and ended up consuming just 1300 calories. 

Now back to the cheating.

For those of you, like me, who thought a cheat day was simply for cheaters unable to sustain a rigorous diet for more than 6 days at a time, read on. The cheat day designed by Tim has a two-fold effect. First, it means you don't have to live the rest of your life (or however long you stay on the diet) without Triscuits (or whatever your indulgence foods are). Second, "dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function and conversion of T4 to T3) doesn't downshift from extended calorie restriction." (Tim Ferriss, The 4-Hour Body) Seems to me like whoever said "cheaters never prosper" didn't do his homework. Probably just copied the answers from someone else...

So while my beloved Triscuits are not allowed 6 days a week, today, my cheat day, I am FEASTING on them! Still to come: sweet potato fries and bruschetta! Yummmmmmmmm........

Oh, and current weight: 132!!!