Sample Meal Plan – Slow Carb

Background: The Slow Carb Diet™ was created by Tim Ferriss in his awesome book, “The 4-Hour Body“. I’ve put the information below together to give you some info and show how I would use the plan. Get the book for the full details of how this diet can work for you.

Our super simple meal plan example that adheres to having 4 low carb meals a day with a focus on veggies, beans and lean protein sources (70-80% of your diet).  I would suggest you eat every 3-4 hours and start eating no later than 9am. You will eat like this 6 days a week. Day 7 is your “cheat day” where you will have one cheat meal and cheat snack of your choice.

The Plan below is JUST A SAMPLE, so feel free to modify this plan to your needs.  The main goal is for you to eat low carb, simplify your eating and become more aware of what you are eating.

How much you eat of each food group you eat will be determined by how many calories/nutrients you need to lose weight.  Calories, Protein, Carbs and Fats!

In my opinion, depending on your weight and height, most people who are doing intense exercise regularly, will need 1300-1900 calories. Start by going to calorie calculators at iifym.com, freedieting.com or myfitnesspal.com to determine how many calories you will eat. THIS IS MANDATORY! You need to do your research and create a calorie goal at the start.

You also need to have an idea of how much food you should eat in terms of protein, carbohydrates and fats. If you don’t have some idea of these numbers…how do you really know what you’re eating?  How do you know whether your eating habits are the real issue hindering your weight loss?

Meal 1 – Lean Protein – Vegetables
(Substitution for more carbs: You can have non-instant oatmeal, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup almonds or 1 serving of whole grain/no sugar cereal instead or veggies)

Snack – 50 to 200 calories of fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, low fat cheese or lean protein.  (optional)

Meal 2 – Lean Protein – Vegetables

Meal 3 – Lean Protein – Vegetables/or Beans

Snack – 50 to 200 calories of fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, low fat cheese or lean protein. (optional)

Meal 4 – Lean Protein – Vegetables/or Beans

If you want to do 3 meals a day and 2 snacks, that’s find too.  Just remove Meal 3.

When to Eat:
For example, you could do 8am – 12pm – 3pm – 6pm or 7am – 11:30am – 4pm -6:30pm.  It’s up to you, depending on your schedule. I find that for most people more than 3 hours without food will cause serious hunger cravings and a serious drop in blood sugar, especially when you are eating limited calories (which I know that some people like to do).  If you can’t have a full meal, have a snack that is 70 to 200 calories.  Don’t go overboard with snacks.  They should fit into your overall calorie/nutrition goals.

How to Use Snacks:

When you put together your meal plan in terms of how many calories you need, use snacks to balance our the equation.  For example, your meals may be approx. 400 calories per meal x 4 meals = 1600.  If your goal calories are 1700 then you may want to have a 100 calorie snack or two 50 calorie snacks.

Lean Protein/Veggies/Beans

Lean Protein – 0 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, 0-3 g fat, 45 calories per serving.

According to BreastCancer.org, a deck of cards represents a 3-ounce serving of meat or poultry. Similarly, a checkbook is a good representation of a three-ounce portion of fish.  These examples represent 3 lean servings of protein (about 135 -150 calories):

• 6 egg whites
• 3/4 cup of cottage cheese
• 3oz of lamb
• 3oz of pork tenderloin
• 3oz of skinless chicken
• 3oz of canned salmon
• 3oz of cooked shrimp

Lean protein that is a bit more fatty has 0 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, 4-7 g fat, 75 calories per serving.

Vegetables –  Non-starchy Veggies contain 25 calories, 2 grams of protein on average (some have more protein) and 5 grams of carbohydrate per serving.  What is a serving?

Beans, Peas and Lentils – 15 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, 0-3 g fat, 125 calories per serving.  Here are some examples of a serving.

Whether you are having 3 servings of protein per meal or 2 servings of beans…that has to be determined by what your calorie and nutrient goals are.

YOUR TASKS

1. Visit freedieting.com, iifym.com or myfitnesspal.com and determine how many calories you will be eating.  You also need to know how much you plan to eat in term of protein, carbs and fats.
2. Divide up how many servings of what foods you need to reach your calories goals.  How many servings of protein and veggies do you need to reach 400 calories per meal?  What can you have for a 100 calorie snack that will fit into your calorie/nutrient goals.
3. Create a list of 10 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 10 dinners that you would like.  Go online and search for low-carb, paleo and carb cycling recipes for ideas.

Tip: Focus on simple, straight forward meals that are easy to prepare.  Don’t use too much sodium or and keep track of any oils or butter used.  All calories count, including what you drink.

Note on the suggested calories: Many people have asked for for a 1200 plan but, I actually think that 1200 is way too low for most people and in the long term you can cause damage to your metabolism. Depending on your height, activity level and current weight, I would suggest that you add 300-600 more calories to that 1200 in the form of healthy, natural snacks between meals (fruit and veggies preferred) because for most people who are exercising 1200 alone is too low.

We are providing these meal plans for your personal use only. Do not distribute or use these plans commercially.

Disclaimer: Nutritional content will vary depending on the brands of food used. This meal plan does not take into account serious illness or specific nutrient ratios. If you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, heart disease diabetes or other medical issues, please talk with your doctor or dietitian/nutritionist before changing your diet significantly. These plans are meant to be examples of balanced eating, but we all have varied needs. Use this information as an example and take caution with regard to your own specific nutrition needs.