The 4-Hour Body: Slow-Carb Diet FAQ and Common Mistakes

So you read the five rules of the Slow-Carb Diet. Simple enough. But now you’re a week in and you have questions. Why am I starving at 3pm? Can I eat cheese? What the hell do I order at a restaurant?

Chapter 8 is where Ferriss answers all of that. Think of it as the troubleshooting manual. And honestly, this might be the most useful chapter in the whole fat-loss section.

The Top 3 Mistakes That Kill Your Progress

Ferriss says these three cover 90% of the cases where people stall out. I believe him.

Mistake 1: Not eating breakfast fast enough. You need to eat within one hour of waking up. Ideally within 30 minutes. His dad is a perfect example. Month one, losing 17 pounds a month. Month two, he started skipping breakfast and dropped to 5.5 pounds a month. Month three, he added a 30-gram protein shake within 30 minutes of waking. Back up to 18.75 pounds a month. Same diet. Only the breakfast timing changed.

Mistake 2: Not enough protein. Get at least 20 grams of protein per meal. At breakfast, aim for 40% of your calories from protein. Two to three whole eggs will do it. If you can’t stomach eggs early, try turkey bacon, organic sausage, or cottage cheese. Or just do a protein shake with water.

Mistake 3: Not enough water. This one catches a lot of people, especially women. Ferriss’s mother plateaued and then lost 3 pounds the next week just by adding a few more glasses of water. Drink extra water on cheat day too - the carb load pulls water to your gut and muscles, and if you’re dehydrated, you’ll get headaches.

You’re Probably Not Eating Enough

This is the sneaky one. People switch from bagels and pasta to vegetables and beans, but keep the same small portion sizes. Problem is, slow-carb foods have fewer calories per bite. You need to eat two to three times the volume you’re used to.

If you’re hungry between meals, that’s a sign you’re not eating enough at meals. If you’re getting headaches, same thing. If you can’t sleep because of hunger, have a tablespoon of almond butter before bed.

One reader, Kristal, was barely losing weight and felt cranky all the time. She was filling up on green vegetables and barely touching the beans. She flipped it around - made beans the main event - and immediately started dropping weight. She lost 10 pounds after that one change.

The Bean Problem

“I hate beans” is probably the most common complaint. Ferriss breaks it down:

• If it’s the gas, try lentils instead. They’re much easier on the gut. You can also buy canned beans, drain and rinse them. The liquid contains most of the oligosaccharides (the stuff that makes you gassy). Beano also works.
• If it’s the bland taste, add balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, or hot sauce. Cholula is Ferriss’s pick.
• If it’s the texture, mash white kidney beans with olive oil and garlic. Works like mashed potatoes.

Do you have to eat beans at every meal? No. When eating out, Ferriss often skips them and orders extra protein and vegetables instead. But if you skip the legumes, you must eat bigger portions to make up for the missing calories.

Eating Out Is Easier Than You Think

The magic phrase at restaurants: “I’ll just have more vegetables instead of the rice/potato/bread.” If they charge extra, pay it. Ferriss calls it your “flat stomach tax” - usually about $3.

Best cuisines for slow-carb: Thai and Mexican. One guy named Eric lost 91 pounds in 10 months eating almost exclusively at Chipotle. Fajita bowls with no rice, no tortilla. Steak, peppers, onions, salsa, guacamole, lettuce. About 1,480 calories a day.

For airports, grab a bag of raw almonds or walnuts at a kiosk. That’s enough for two to three small meals over 12 hours. Combine with a chicken salad (skip the dressing, use olive oil and vinegar) and you’re fine.

Ferriss says he’s followed this diet in 30+ countries. Travel is not an excuse.

No Dairy, No Fruit, Yes Alcohol

Dairy is out despite having a low glycemic index. The problem is milk spikes insulin almost as much as white bread. One reader cut out just a handful of cheese on breakfast eggs and one glass of milk per day. Lost 6 pounds that week. If you need something in your coffee, use cream (not milk), max two tablespoons. Or try cinnamon.

Fruit is not needed. There’s no agreed-upon definition of a “balanced diet” anyway. Save fruit for cheat day.

Alcohol is okay in moderation. Dry red wines are best - Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. Ferriss says he got better fat-loss results with red wine compared to white. On cheat day, drink whatever you want.

Domino Foods Will Wreck You

These are foods that are technically allowed but impossible to eat in small amounts. Nuts are the worst offender. A cup of almonds has 824 calories - more than a Whopper. “A few almonds” sounds reasonable but nobody actually eats just a few.

Other domino foods: chickpeas, hummus, peanuts, macadamias.

Ferriss himself stalled three separate times because of almonds. The rule is simple: if you can’t control portions, don’t keep it in the house.

Cheat Day Panic

You woke up Monday and you’re 8 pounds heavier. Don’t freak out. It’s water. Even a 120-pound woman can gain 8 pounds of water weight after a carb-heavy cheat day. Larger guys can see 10 to 20 pounds swing. It all disappears by Wednesday.

Weigh yourself before your first meal on cheat day. Take body measurements too - waist, hips, thighs. The scale lies. The tape measure doesn’t.

And yes, cheat day is mandatory. The calorie spike triggers hormonal changes that actually help fat loss - thyroid hormone conversion, leptin levels, all that. Psychologically, knowing Saturday is coming makes the other six days easy.

Supplements and Other Quick Hits

Ferriss recommends three supplements: potassium, magnesium, and calcium. The diet causes water loss and your electrolytes go with it. Avocados are loaded with potassium (more than bananas). Take 500mg of magnesium before bed for better sleep. Spinach shows up on all three electrolyte lists.

For cooking, use olive oil for low heat, macadamia oil or grapeseed oil for high heat. Butter is fine as long as it’s just butter and salt.

For vegetarians: eggs and beans are enough. Add cottage cheese if you want. Use brown rice protein, hemp, or pea protein for shakes. Avoid refined soy products.

For the gym: don’t overdo it. One reader was doing 2 hours on the treadmill plus spin classes five times a week and started gaining weight back. Ferriss told her to cut to 2-3 short weight training sessions. Overtraining kills your metabolism and makes you eat more. Less is more.

The Bottom Line

Most people who fail on the Slow-Carb Diet are making one of these mistakes: skipping breakfast, not eating enough protein, not drinking enough water, or sneaking domino foods. Fix those four things and the diet works.

The beauty of this chapter is that it’s all real people reporting real results. Not lab studies. Not theoretical. Just “I did this thing and lost X pounds.”

Next chapter covers what happens to all that food you eat on cheat day - and how to minimize the damage.

Previous: The Slow-Carb Diet - 5 Simple Rules That Work

Next: Damage Control - How to Minimize Binge Day Fat Gain

This is part of my 4-Hour Body retelling series. New posts every Saturday.