How to Master Cheat Days | Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss on how to master cheat days | Tim Ferriss
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About Tim Ferriss:
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 200 million downloads and been selected for “Best of iTunes” three years running.
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[@timferriss]

Take 10 seconds and sign up for my free "5-Bullet Friday" newsletter: go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/ Each Friday, you’ll get a short email from me with five things I've discovered that week, sending you off to your weekend with fun and useful things to ponder and try. 🙌

[@dustinborland2793]

Tim, Ive been following you for years now. Back around 2009, I was watching a video by Vince Delmonte, who is a Canadian bodybuilder and fitness model. He actually recommended your book to his followers. I’ve tried many diets before slow carb and some after. I always come back to slow carb because it’s the most sustainable and easy to follow. I still come back to your videos from time to time for reference or a reminder. I hope you’re doing well and thank you for writing that book!

[@pezpez2383]

My journey on the 4 hour body? 280 to 160. Period. 30lbs a month... gone. Ferris changed my life for the better and continues to do so. Thanks Tim.

[@bakedutah8411]

Pez Pez, a year on, could you give an update? Have you kept the weight off? 120lbs loss at 30lbs a month is not a life change; it’s only a four-month change, maybe five or six if your loss rate slowed. So, how how you’re doing now is important info. More to the point, it would be great to hear in another 1, 2, and 5 years. Only then can you begin to conclude something life changing has happened. Not to denigrate your achievement dude; very well done. But stay vigilant. I’ve been there.

[@madisonfosterDiscGolf]

@dark nath I didn't see any responses to your question (even though it's a year later lol), but so far since I've been on Slow Carb, I've routinely had things like Bratwurst and Italian Sausage and I've had no trouble losing weight even having those things in my diet

[@anonymousperson167]

“.period.”=ellipsis

[@pezpez2383]

@@bakedutah8411 update… I’ve stayed under 180

[@JohnDean16]

@@pezpez2383NICE!

[@sebmaneo]

NGL - Cheat days *completely* changed my life. Before 4-hour-body, I couldn't stick to any diet long enough to see improvements. Now, on Tim's slow-carb-diet, anytime I feel the urge to binge during the week, I simply make a list of the items I crave and make sure to eat 'em all on Saturday. You can literally have the best of both worlds and still keep the pounds off.

[@MuscleMeetsMind]

Dude, same here! It’s been revolutionary. I viewed them in a bad light before. Silly me.

[@inkedbluebird]

I was one of those women who lost one hundred pounds. Thanks for being kind to me when I introduced myself to you on BART in 2015. Women can do it. I did. I focused on measurements first. Then weight when my measurement numbers dove down. Keep going. This will be proven to be the best way for women particularly to lose weight, balance their hormones, and prove "professional nutritionists" wrong.

[@TheByrdHouse]

Great diet thank you Tim. Jiu Jitsu 3 x per week, no other exercise. W1 - 220 lb - 6 lb = 214 lb W2 - 214 lb - 4 lb = 210 lb W3 - 210 lb - 3 lb = 207 lb W4 - 207 lb - 3 lb = 204 lb W5 - 204 lb - 0 lb = 204 lb W6 - 204 lb - 4 lb = 200 lb W7 - 200 lb - 0 lb = 200 lb W8 - 200 lb - 2 lb = 198 lb W9 - 198 lb - 0 lb = 198 lb W10 - 198 lb - 4 lb = 194 lb W11 - 194 lb - 1 lb = 193 lb W12 - 193 lb - 2 lb = 191 lb W13 - 191 lb + 2 lb = 193 lb W14 - 193 lb - 4 lb = 189 lb W13 - 189 lb - 0 lb = 189 lb W15 - 189 lb - 1 lb = 188 lb W16 - 0 lb - 0 lb = 188 lb (Hurricane Harvey)

[@stephenwilliamson2164]

What is a typical day of eating for you. Congratulations

[@Ryan-bu3cs]

Tim, you've changed my life and everyone's around me more than once. Keep it up, and thank you.

[@SiimLand]

"If you half-ass your cheat day, you're going to cheat again." - Go for the gold, lol

[@Sharktankshank]

I somehow ate until I felt like vomiting twice yesterday and today I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to have two cheat days per week and still lose weight. I guess I'll try to binge harder next week.

[@deekshant97]

Hey Tim, I hope you read this. My first month of slow carb diet is gonna complete this week and I have already lost 10 pounds. Thank you for this and every piece of content you have every produced. I'm really thankful because this is the first time I've followed a diet for more than a week. Again, thanks again. Your forever student.

[@laylaaissaoui-hester7638]

I did this for years before I had my child and I got ripped. Thank you for reminding me, I'm starting today.

[@eduardopicasso6559]

Fabulous, totally true i eat clean for 15 days and then i cheat for 15 days; doesnt work, i am gonna practice this thanks Tim!

[@StevieRomano]

I just started the 4-Hour Body Journey 3 days ago....already feeling like Im looking better and losing weight. Thank you for this.

[@fvm9576]

That's awesome!! I'm starting tomorrow, I've been loosely following the past two weeks an noticed some good results. Now I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when I go full slow carb!!

[@jasondonnelly8940]

Several years ago a coworker told me about 4 hour body . It works ! I dont follow it strictly , still works ! Lost 20lbs in a month and feel great ! There are many other diets that work , but slow carb is very easy and effective for me . Thank u Tim Ferriss.

[@lowe-v3k]

HELP! For an age 64 obese female diabetic who had a mastectomy, would this diet be healthy & would a 20 lb kettleball be safe to use? Thank you!

[@MrTerryabel]

3 cheat days under my belt and loving it. Thanks Tim! I like to photo everything I eat on that day(and store it in Evernote). Geeky fun.

[@FitnessFAQs]

Without adherence.. what's the point? Great emphasis on this notion Tim.

[@melissanelson1112]

The absolute BEST “diet” EVER. I’ve even set my (adult) kids up with your ALA/garlic/green tea protocol. Ty ty ty 🙏🏻

[@WorkComp]

Melissa, can you tell from the book how much garlic per dose or per day? The only thing I see is that he links on his website to a garlic supplement that is 650 mg per capsule. So, should we infer 650 4X per day? There's a stack sold on amazon that only has 500 mg total per day. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

[@jrogers1999]

Tim, thank you for all your dedication and research. The Slow Carb diet is the only diet I have been able to sustain (2 yrs!). Look better, feel better, thank you so much for giving back!

[@bedtimeread]

Hey Tim, looking at this vid cause my first binge day is in 2 days and getting ready.. first 5 days so far.. started at 190lb.. weight this morning at 182lb. Loving every minute! Thank you!!!

[@jonsalvador5051]

Been doing it the TF way and it works, been doing it now for 6+ months every Saturday, binge and no damage / fat store... thank Tim

[@Mackie17]

I bought the 4 hour body years ago and it's still one of my favorite books. If you ever write a book on the keto diet I'll be first in line.

[@gax9974ever]

This guy has such a good narrative, I could listen to him all day long!

[@trroop17forever]

I lost 23 of body fat in 3 weeks the first time I tried 4HB. I fell off the wagon when I started working 6 days a week with 4 double shifts; no time to meal prep, too much coffee, and a nearby snack machine. It works, but for me, meal prep was key.

[@jziskind]

At first I thought he was bald and wearing a headband

[@cybersphere]

Yeah, I was expecting an aerobics session from the 1980s

[@SiimLand]

Same.

[@JuanRuiz-ji6ug]

yes

[@sebastiankeiner1955]

Well bald he is

[@brandonbeckett3777]

I was gonna say the same thing haha

[@adellyjosefina]

I re-listening to this and it's great information because now I've noticed I tend to cheat towards the end of the week if I don't really go full out on my designated day. Wishing you the best, Tim.

[@philipfry2396]

I love cheat day! The sugary food tastes so much better if you eat it one day a week only. So I make sure I enjoy every bite. I can confirm that at the end of the cheat day I'm looking forward to switch back to slow carbs. And during diet days I often save or write down all the cheat day food I'm going to enjoy on Saturday.

[@thekeithraymond9102]

my cheat day looks like man vs food

[@tr3der]

Tim, so glad you revisited 4HB and Cheat day. Been doing it 5 years, lost 30 lbs in first 3 months, never looked back. Quick 2 questions: 1) On cheat day, can you substitute orange juice instead of grapefruit juice? 2) Only thing miss during week is Lattes. Is it bad to have 1 each day during week? Thanks and love your stuff!

[@sarrourahtun6081]

Greg Lowe what's 4HB??

[@JinJiD]

4 hour body, the title of tim's book where he explains all this in detail

[@JinJiD]

Greg, I certainly don't know the answer to your question, but considering you have been following the diet for 5 years, you can try to incorporate those into your diet and you can see how that affects the results by yourself. I think something tim tries to teach us, is to experiment and find our own answers :D. Since that's how he learned all this himself, trying things out and drawing conclusions. Worst thing that could happen in your case is that you gain a few lbs for a couple of weeks, which you'll lose soon enough.

[@sarrourahtun6081]

+JinJiD Thanks

[@chriscash782]

No you cannot substitute orange juice. Go back and read the let in the book about this. Very specific element in grapefruit juice that neutralizes some of the insulin response or something like that

[@anonimus9921]

Tim you've picked the most difficult hat to wear. This guy is on a roll. Everything he does he does it 💯. What if it catches on.. #baldbeanies #scalphat

[@NeiJiaQuanBook]

it didn't lol!🤣

[@MrKentakie]

I tried a low carb and a full keto diet (not at the same time). Didn't work for me. Now it's a slow carb plus intermittent fasting which worked for me at the end. That way I achieved ketosis more often and longer as in my keto diet and my fat/weight droped some kg in just a few weeks. I'm now in my cheat day and love both, the cheat day and the actual slow carb diet. You can try the same. If it works for you, nice but try everything out to find what suits you best. (Sorry for some misspellings if you find one :D)

[@qFlux888]

Saw this video while digging into my first meal of cheat day... now I'm more pumped than ever to eat a pint of ice cream in like three hours. I've always been somewhat skinny - fat loss wasn't the issue, just healthy eating in general was the goal. Slow Carb is the first diet that helped me feel like I'm truly eating healthy. I look forward to every meal knowing it'll be good fuel for my body, no guilt at all about my food habits anymore. Thank you!

[@akadrum75]

I have lost 150lb thanks to tim thanks

[@IsaacNewton1966]

I lost 32lbs without him.....................

[@stephieirene1]

How long did it take you?

[@IsaacNewton1966]

@@stephieirene1 6 months

[@sitinysther4464]

How long you taket to lose 150 pounds?

[@JJPHILLYLG]

You are so right about craving the return of your regular diet after a cheat day.

[@deshtruction33]

is fasting for 24hrs before a cheat day enough to control the eventual insulin spike? or are the methods you've described more effective?

[@claudiucosar]

huberman takes one day fasting after the cheat day to help get rid of the excess energy and maybe fixing the damage

[@JonWRowe]

Fats are benign, regardless of whether you are in ketosis. For instance, French people aren't in ketosis; rather they have a high fat diet. No negative health effects, etc.

[@ab3585]

is green tea extract bad for the liver???

[@bianchialex]

I'm 185 %13 body fat I want to get to that %8-9 fat range. I do slow carb with intermittent fasting. My Pagg supplements come in the mail tomorrow, I think I was overeating healthy food for the first 20lbs I lost so I'm cutting that back a bit. I haven't done any damage control on my cheat day and I've been overeating cheat days. I think I'm gonna limit cheat days to once every two weeks or just a once weekly cheat meal. I am considering adding in a full 24 hour fast after the cheat day. I've done stricter diets before I'm not worried about the itch scratching thing too much.

[@chrisjohnson6380]

Has Tim ever talked about the green wall of plants in the background? Looks interesting

[@patkaczmarek7362]

Cheat days are very important. Equally important is...don't skimp on a cheat day. Eat whatever you want, as much as you can hold. You'll find those cravings slowly subside after a few binge feastings. If not, a good cheat day still serves as a reward to keep the discipline focused on daily workouts and proper diet.

[@saramoore2827]

Is the slow carb diet okay for hypothyroidism issues?

[@harrisonstace3023]

Hey Tim, im trying to gain weight healthily. D you still recommend the slow carb diet for weight gain?

[@Alex_Warrior]

Just be careful. I'm sure if done absolutely right this can work great for some people, but I eventually gave up on it and developed some eating disorders. Definitely won't happen to everyone, just be cautious. I was spending way too much time thinking about what I'll eat on my cheat days and then I don't get shit done on those days

[@olkid]

Just had 2 fruit a nut bars that are high in fibre, with coffee and a glass of grapefruit juice. Let the games begin...

[@StevenRayWarren]

Love it lol how'd it go?

[@diogeneslovessunshine332]

Nice

[@FrederickTSchurgerDC]

Very insightful on this. I've been doing keto for 10 months now, and have been leary to do a full on cheat day. This makes me feel more comfortable, especially since my fat loss seems to have stalled, and I seem to be getting more early evening keto fogs too. Since you're on the revisting side of things lately, might I suggest how Simple & Sinister may intersect with Occam's protocol? Testing that out for myself with 5-7 d's of S&S (sans TGU's due to a shoulder injury that I'm rehabing). Thank you!!

[@bonsummers2657]

In a sentence or two or so, what is 'doing keto'?

[@FirehawkVFX]

I am two weeks in and drop rate at a good steady rate. However - my sleep has became very bad now for a few days,

[@krabbebj]

Loved the shout out to Dan Duchaine and Body Opus. Brought back memories.

[@spasticplastic]

Say I'm taking my cheat day on Saturday and I'm planning on going out with friends that night and getting plastered, is it permissible to take my cheat from like 4 pm to 4 am if I'm going to be sleeping most of Sunday?

[@bobvance7605]

is this grapefruit juice before every meal or just the first one?

[@Kumar19812009]

i was wondering post breakfast, can you have caffeine in form of coffee with milk and some sugar?

[@notemaker3000]

On page 79 of 4 Hour Body you say “Once you see the results, suck it up and move to 100% slow carb for six days, after which you can indulge yourself for 24 hours.” So..... not true?

[@jeremiahbui5556]

" You're fucking fine." i like this guy.

[@link6563]

I do a cyclical ketogenic diet, with days of fasting. Slow carb diet actually got me fat.

[@NishutiP]

“they’re mutants,” “they’re freakshows” 😂 oh tim, how I love you.

[@Wil_Dasovich]

💯

[@miguelalfonsosantiago5552]

Holy......, yo Wil, you doing this diet too?

[@TubeDeviant]

The slow carb method along with cheat days definitely seems like that middle ground that makes sense to me.. I wanted to try low carb or keto, but it just seemed to restrictive and I questioned my discipline since my dietary habits aren't the "cleanest" now.. What good is it if I can't be consistent and adhere to the diet to make it a lifestyle change..?? This slow carb with cheat days seems a lot more feasible and realistic for someone who is used to eating lots of carbs.. And bad carbs as well..

[@ketsukusa]

thats the worst hat evermade bro

[@jawohl3110]

You have not seen many hats so far, as it seem.

[@Ferelmakina]

It's a bandana O.O

[@dancingin2024]

He knows how to give women 15 min orgasms. Leave the man alone!!

[@philliptandymiller1058]

Lol

[@LucidPigFilms]

I thought it was a headband the whole time

[@TheIndieGameDev]

Great video, love the new format, I've been a fan many years. Just in reference to the podcast plug at the end of the video. Are the podcasts filmed? Could they be uploaded to youtube? Or failing that, what's an easy way to access them while commuting? An app similar to audible maybe?

[@06Umiami]

OMG! Two weeks into the diet and the wife is attempting to manage my cheat days. Micromanage my cheat day I should say.

[@jeremylynch3039]

Thank god for Tim!

[@sarrourahtun6081]

OMG his voice...!!!!! you can say anything and i'm listing :)

[@liorrubin64]

Can I sometimes move the cheat day one day after or before or generally move it to one time thing? Like for example, holiday meal

[@jackcollings]

If you're intermittent fasting, should the cheat day still hold the time constraints of the fast?

[@chriscash782]

I had to watch this again because I have an epic cheat day scheduled for tomorrow

[@StevenRayWarren]

Chris Cash same

[@janeschroeder9803]

Do you still folllow 4 meals a day ? Or are you fasting until day noon and doing a 16 hr fast

[@BABOBWomensMTBChannel]

In your experience, what is the best way to defeat insulin resistance in someone who doesn't need to lose weight?

[@MariePierCharron]

Thank you!

[@ZsaZsaJohnson]

Hi Tim, how should berberine be taken? Before meals with AGG?

[@gloriasaliba3395]

Before meals

[@ZsaZsaJohnson]

@@gloriasaliba3395 Thank you so much. It only took 5 years to get an answer lol 😊

[@gloriasaliba3395]

@@ZsaZsaJohnson lol - you’re welcome

[@gloriasaliba3395]

I find having a solid cheat meal rather than an entire cheat day and some protein and fibre like an egg and spinach for breakfast works well for me - also having a short walk after your cheat meal:s is a great thing to do

[@Anthony-sn9kl]

Solid stuff Tim, truth spoken.

[@gstrummer]

well done. thank you

[@axel.gouveia]

Tim would you recommend the slow carb diet for someone that wants to gain muscle?

[@edgarestrada8487]

read the book

[@AbiolaAbrams]

Thanks, Tim! Great stuff, as per usual.

[@sp500-steph7]

Please do a cheatday mukbang 🤤👌🏻

[@MattFitVlog]

Time this is very important... does wearing a crazy tan headband ball cap help you lose weight yes or no? I have thousands on backorder awaiting your response

[@enceliahair]

What is this headband? I need to know the story behind it?

[@speakingofwhichchannel]

It's a highly effective diet the problem is that you don't learn how to eat outside of the diet but great otherwise

[@seanman22001]

I don't have a cheating problem. I've been trying keto for three years and almost could stop eating, so trying to throw beans in. Sugar just sounds gross. Once cheat meal a week sounds fine. Spaghetti, watermelon?

[@jordanjackson7171]

Really good - thanks Tim!

[@AdamMcCubbin]

Great Video! Sound methodology

[@priyadav6512]

What program ?

[@marcusgrip]

Thoughts on slow carb for me as type 1 diabetic, any different approach with lentils and legumes or cheat day? Since I don’t get an insulin spike and just inject 😊👍

[@gloriasaliba3395]

Marcus you need to eat more protein good fats and less carbs including legumes

[@MaceAries]

I love that green wall. I want that in my house!

[@hillcevan]

Ya really great content and ranking length, the views don't make sense. Desc., tagging, titling - Team Tim, who's running it?

[@mauiswift6391]

Thanks Tim, great info!

[@millyroberts1523]

Chickpeas slowed my progress down. Cottage cheese sped it up.

[@moviola12]

The slow carb diet is great, it works. But my cheat day makes fall asleep. I can't stay awake when I eat that kind of food on my cheat day. Any ideas?

[@TomAbramoff]

Thanks Tim!

[@IsaacNewton1966]

I "cheat" on holidays or if I go out to a movie, or the Opera, or some other show. Every other day I eat a well balanced, healthy diet.

[@PillCozbee]

Count calories on MFP, go to gym and do anything - something, completely cut out sugar. Fruit, etc ok, no refined sugar. Fat will melt off.

[@ApoorvMote]

I have been doing Cheat days for last 5 years. First with SCD & now with Keto diet. What worked for me was whole wheat or multigrain bread sandwich first few meals. I eat the whole loaf in first half of the day. It really blunts the sugar spikes for later day sweet binge.

[@AlexEats]

I do 2 15k calorie cheat days a week for weight loss

[@19battlehill]

That hat makes him look like a bald guy wearing a head band.

[@vitalysamonov3399]

Great video!

[@seancarlstorm]

It’s very hard to eat 10,000 calories on slow carb diet! I’m struggling to eat 2000 because I feel full

[@rustystyle]

So wait, when mass gain is the goal...is a (1) cheat day/meal advisable or just having 1-2 higher healthy cab meals? Cheers yo!

[@MrKentakie]

If you want to gain muscles you eat slightly more by default. There is no need for a cheat day but you could in terms of spiking your insulin

[@TheSentinel909]

The only diet that works for me. I don't even go into debates with people I just tell em - this one works for me.

[@charliem123321]

Liked and favourited!

[@Videoguy186]

Who’s here to prep before tomorrow? 🎄

[@JL-sw3sb]

Thanks for tips. I'm on low carb not exactly to lose weight but I have a long list of allergies. One of them is lentils which is good for you :-). About all the foods vegans are eating in KZbin are not for me. Not life threatening kind of allergy but annoying symptoms like itchy in the eyes and nose (like sinus), swell on the eyelids, inner ears and throat that would take at least 24 hours to subside. After assessing what I can eat, I realized going for low card is most suitable for now.

[@marvilus]

Would be helpful if you added some notes (helping with spelling, recipes etc.)

[@Chasebald]

Fun fact: beans cause your intestines to explode.

[@susannoel1554]

Really? It's one of the only foods that make me feel awesome. hmmmm-strange.

[@cameronmccoy5051]

They do make my intestines explode (or at least feel like they're going to) but I have Crohn's Disease and beans are one of my trigger foods. Which is unfortunate cuz I really miss eating them.

[@lumberjack9481]

Ive lost some fat and I am not fat but my goal was to get a six pack and I am doing kettle bell swings. Why I am not getting a six pack?

[@ladev91]

What if you are trying to maintain. How would this be different as opposed to trying to lose weight?

[@TheByrdHouse]

ladev91 80 / 20 rule?