Hi everyone!
Just wondering if anyone here has read The Four Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss. I’m looking to try some of his experiments on myself to see if they work on a type 1 diabetic. Has anyone been interested in some of his findings but, not sure they’ll work for insulin dependent diabetes?
It really is an amazing book. Lots of fun, too! I posted about it: http://thegirlsguidetodiabetes.com/2011/01/28/tim-ferris-4-hour-body
My husband is type 1 and we have been on this since Monday (3 days) and we have been noticing that his blood sugar has been low the past couple days and since he can’t eat carbs or sugar its hard getting his blood sugar to where it needs to be. Have you started it?
Well, I typically eat the slow carb diet only without the beans. Thing is, I feel better with the legumes added to the diet except I don’t like that I have to figure out how to cover their slow moving carbs. If your husband has been low, he may want to make sure his basal insulin (if he’s on a pump) or his long acting insulin (if he’s on shots) is set correctly. I don’t have lows as long as my long acting is at the right place, meaning if I don’t eat all day I don’t go high or low. When your husband is low what does he use to treat? I go ahead and use juice, even though the diet doesn’t allow it, we diabetics are a big exception on this 
Of course, that makes the diet a little tougher to do successfully. This is why I typically leave out legumes or at least make that portion really small. Then later on in the day if I need juice for a low I can still have some extra calories. When I just have the protein and veggies, I don’t need much insulin for meals and can avoid more lows.
My husband isn’t a diabetic and has been doing this slow carb diet for about 3 weeks now. He is looking really good, so I’m impressed with the results!
I highly recommend this review of the book the New York Times. It’s extremely funny.
Hi all. I am so glad to see someone discussing this. I am always on the prowl for innovative health info, and I love trying to figure out how to incorporate that new-found info into the diabetic’s lifestyle.
I am T1 since 1995 on MDI (sorry, just not interested in pumping yet; thanks for trying). Back in the late Nineties and early 2000s, I was quite committed to bodybuilding and exercise in general. At that time (not really realizing it), I had had a diet that was kind of similar to the slow-carb concept. There were a lot of egg whites, cans of tuna, and beans in my diet. My workouts would generally make me crash into hypo territory, depending on the muscle group, and it was there that I would always incorporate a carb-laden meal as a follow-up (violating Tim’s proscription of doing so). Obviously, I have lapsed a bit since those days, but it was at that time that I remember having the tightest control of BGs as well as a better overall health picture.
I am about halfway through the audio book edition of The_Four_Hour_Body, and I definitely like what I hear. I was very fond of Tim Ferriss’s last work, The_Four_Hour_Work_Week (and I liked that reader better too, incidentally); so – while I am loath to listen to anyone’s gimmicky diet plan, I already have a great deal of trust in Mr. Ferriss’s frankness and thoroughness when it comes to his research and explanations. I know he is not a diabetic, but I would love to have him explain a possible application for us, because I feel that he is definitely on to something. Perhaps I will work on this.
I am going to begin the diet next week as well, and I will definitely keep everyone posted, and I hope you all will do the same. Best of luck!
OMG it really is hilarious, I read it a few weeks ago and just had to re-read it 
I’m a big fan of Tim’s first book, too! I have tried to get him to talk about type 1 diabetes and the slow carb diet but no can do. I assume it’s not something he wants to get into based on legal stuff and maybe lack of knowledge? Anyway, I’ve been trying it and find that at the beginning there is an issue with lows. This went away when I lowered my lantus a bit (I’m no longer a pumper, I use humalog and lantus) and guess what…I haven’t lost much weight. Perhaps because of the juice I have several times a week to fix my lows. I’m going to keep trying and see how things go and will keep you all posted, too.
Something Tim doesn’t mention is nutritional typing. I am a firm believer that some people can eat a certain way and lose weight while others may gain. Our nutritional needs vary according to our genes. Whatever our ancestors ate is probably what we’re most likely to tolerate or do well with. For example, my husband is from Mexico where they’ve ate eggs, beef, chicken, low carb veggies for many years and that is the food he stays lean and healthy on. I on the other hand come from Venezuela where people eat a lot of fruits, corn meal, sugar cane, and legumes. This is the food I feel most energetic after eating. My husband goes to sleep after a carb heavy meal. Anyway, I may be tweaking the slow carb diet a little to fit my needs.
I’ll be juicing veggies every morning along with some lemons. I’ll eat more chicken then beef because I get sleepy after eating beef and I think one should eat foods that give energy not take it away… I’ll have legumes but in small portions and I’ll add a few starchy veggies a few times a week and see how that goes.
Hi Sissy,
I’m just starting it, I’ve been doing a variation of it for a few months based on lower carbs/slow carbs and higher protein ratio’s. My numbers have been great, I have a ton of energy, and overall feel great. Part of that is due to the diet portion, and part due to workouts. I’ve been working out for a long time, but a few months ago started adding h. i. t. into the routine, which fits in with this approach pretty well, at least for me. You’re right, it is fun. Staying fit doesn’t have to be a drag, in fact, quite the opposite, which just leads to allowing you to have even more fun in everything else you’re into. I love the commercial for the book, you can see it here: ‘The 4-Hour Body - Official Video Trailer’ http://t.co/eSbcYFF Behind the Scenes: http://t.co/RvdvIYQ
my current workout is based on this: http://diet-fitness.healthguru.com/video/bradley-coopers-total-body-workout
thanks for bringing this up! I’m glad to see others are into it!
Hey! It’s nice to see you’re feeling good on this diet. Do you include the legume portion? I find it hard to eat beans every day lol but I try.
Based on last month’s weigh in, I’m at the same weight right now but I have more muscle so I hope that means I lost fat. Now I just need to lose MORE fat lol.
That trailer is awesome, I love it! It’s very well done. Have you read the book? It’s so interesting and surprisingly entertaining!
Everyone here might be really, really interested to read Dr. Bernstein’s book, The Diabetes Solution. He is an older Type 1 Diabetic, Engineer, and Doctor. He talks about a very low carb diet and relates it specifically to all diabetics. It’s priceless. His A1C is in the 4% range through diet and insulin injections. I eat this way as well (meat, non-starchy veggies, plenty of good fats) and my type 1 is in good control as well, last A1C was 5.6 and think the next one will be in the lower 5% range.
Not sure about Tim Ferris’ workouts, but I do crossfit workouts that vary from slow, heavy lifting, to some faster bodyweight stuff (pull ups, push ups, squats, sprints) and no matter what I do they cause a glucose rise. I recently started giving a small bolus before my workouts (typically 1.5 units of novolog), and that has been working well. When I workout more often I do need to decrease my morning lanuts dose as my insulin sensitivity increases. If I don’t make it to the gym for a couple of weeks, my sensitivity declines and I need a bit more lantus.
Same happens to me with needing to decrease or increase my lantus according to my activity level.
I own The Diabetes Solution book and agree it’s really interesting. I don’t follow his diet to the T because I feel healthier with more carbs than his plan allows but doing a modified version which is much like Tim Ferriss’s has helped me keep a 5.3%.
It really does help to minimize carbs. I think that those that say it doesn’t help them with their blood sugar management are going wrong somewhere else. The law of small numbers in particular, is irrefutible science.
Hey right back! lol
I’m just starting the book. I do eat some legumes, but not every day. For the most part I’m eating something closer to the Paleo plan joeynicole references here
Along with that I have whey protein drinks (whey powder mixed with water and some added fiber, approx 56 g protein/8 carbs) 2-3 X a day depending on workouts and activity. From that aspect it’s not completely low-carb, but when compared to protein and good fat to carb ratio intake it works for me. I also snack on almonds most every day, which I love. Like TF and others recommend, every so often I chuck the whole thing and have a meal of pretty much whatever I want, and then go back to what is working. Personally, I think that occasional break is very helpful from a mental perspective.
I have a LOT to learn and a long way to go, but so far so good after about 4 months. In any case, I feel great, my weight is good, I’m adding muscle (not bulk, just lean muscle) and I’m having a blast watching my numbers continue to improve. Last A1C was 6.2, hoping to make it into the 5’s soon. We’ll see…
I love almonds, too, so much I had to completely remove myself from them lol. Anyway, nice to hear what works for you. Good luck on lowering the A1c although 6.2 is already pretty awesome! Keep us posted on how you do!