Challenge, one week without (or at least minimum) carbohydrates

One of my favorite books, and writers of course, is “The 4-Hour Body” by Tim Ferriss. Here’s a quick summary:

“The 4-Hour Body” is a groundbreaking guide to optimizing human performance. Ferriss shares unconventional yet effective strategies for achieving rapid fat loss, muscle gain, improved sex, and better sleep. Drawing on personal experimentation and expert interviews, he distills complex scientific concepts into actionable insights, offering readers a blueprint for transforming their health and fitness in minimal time.

In essence, Tim experiments with his body to achieve his goals, mastering every field he wants to excel in. I plan to embark on a similar journey this week and will be posting daily updates.

As you can infer from the title, the main goal is to consume as few carbohydrates as possible while combining exercise, cardio, and strength training. To begin, my weight is 78.4 kilograms.

Since I need to prioritize protein and reduce carbohydrates, here’s an example of seven lunches and seven dinners rich in protein:

Lunch Ideas:

• Grilled Chicken Salad:

• Grilled chicken breast (6 oz): Protein: 42g, Fat: 6g, Carbohydrates: 0g
• Mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, and bell peppers
• Olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing

• Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps:

• Canned tuna (5 oz): Protein: 30g, Fat: 1g, Carbohydrates: 0g
• Mixed with Greek yogurt, diced celery, and onion
• Wrapped in lettuce leaves

• Turkey and Avocado Wrap:

• Sliced turkey breast (4 oz): Protein: 24g, Fat: 1g, Carbohydrates: 0g
• Avocado slices, lettuce, and tomato
• Whole wheat or low-carb tortilla (optional)

• Salmon Quinoa Bowl:

• Grilled salmon fillet (5 oz): Protein: 34g, Fat: 18g, Carbohydrates: 0g
• Quinoa, spinach, roasted vegetables
• Drizzle with lemon and olive oil

• Beef Stir-Fry:

• Lean beef strips (5 oz): Protein: 35g, Fat: 12g, Carbohydrates: 10g
• Mixed vegetables (broccoli, bell peppers, snap peas) stir-fried in coconut oil or olive oil
• Seasoned with soy sauce or tamari

• Egg Salad:

• Hard-boiled eggs (3 eggs): Protein: 18g, Fat: 15g, Carbohydrates: 2g
• Mixed with mayonnaise or Greek yogurt, mustard, and diced celery
• Serve over a bed of spinach or lettuce

• Grilled Shrimp Skewers:

• Grilled shrimp (6 oz): Protein: 36g, Fat: 2g, Carbohydrates: 0g
• Serve with a side of grilled vegetables (zucchini, bell peppers, onions)

Dinner Ideas:

• Baked Chicken Breast:

• Baked chicken breast (6 oz): Protein: 42g, Fat: 2g, Carbohydrates: 0g
• Steamed broccoli and cauliflower
• Tossed in garlic and herb seasoning

• Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry:

• Thinly sliced beef steak (5 oz): Protein: 35g, Fat: 12g, Carbohydrates: 10g
• Steamed broccoli florets
• Sautéed in ginger, garlic, and soy sauce

• Grilled Lemon Herb Salmon:

• Grilled salmon fillet (6 oz): Protein: 40g, Fat: 20g, Carbohydrates: 0g
• Roasted asparagus spears
• Seasoned with lemon zest, dill, and garlic

• Turkey Meatballs with Marinara Sauce:

• Turkey meatballs (5 oz): Protein: 35g, Fat: 10g, Carbohydrates: 8g
• Serve with marinara sauce and zucchini noodles (zoodles)

• Baked Cod with Pesto:

• Baked cod fillet (6 oz): Protein: 36g, Fat: 3g, Carbohydrates: 0g
• Served with a dollop of basil pesto
• Steamed green beans on the side

• Steak Salad:

• Grilled sirloin steak (6 oz): Protein: 42g, Fat: 18g, Carbohydrates: 0g
• Mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, and sliced red onion
• Dressing made with olive oil and red wine vinegar

• Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Turkey:

• Bell peppers stuffed with ground turkey (6 oz): Protein: 36g, Fat: 10g, Carbohydrates: 10g
• Mixed with onions, garlic, and diced tomatoes
• Baked until peppers are tender

These meal ideas provide ample protein while minimizing carbohydrates, supporting your goal of eating a low-carb, high-protein diet. Adjust portion sizes and ingredients according to your individual nutritional needs and preferences.

Lunch Ideas	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Carbohydrates (g)
Grilled Chicken Salad	42	6	0
Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps	30	1	0
Turkey and Avocado Wrap	24	1	0
Salmon Quinoa Bowl	34	18	0
Beef Stir-Fry	35	12	10
Egg Salad	18	15	2
Grilled Shrimp Skewers	36	2	0

Dinner Ideas:	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Carbohydrates (g)
Baked Chicken Breast	42	2	0
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry	35	12	10
Grilled Lemon Herb Salmon	40	20	0
Turkey Meatballs with Marinara	35	10	8
Baked Cod with Pesto	36	3	0
Steak Salad	42	18	0
Stuffed Bell Peppers with Turkey	36	10	10

These tables provide a clear breakdown of the protein, fat, and carbohydrate content for each meal option. Adjustments can be made based on individual dietary preferences and nutritional requirements.

This is the starting point for this journey, I will update every date with my workouts and meals, see you!

Day 1 of Challenge, one week without (or at least minimum) carbohydrates

Ok, so let’s resume my day. I starting the day with the outlook of doing intermittent fasting, between 16 and 18 hours so I took only black coffee for breakfast.

I ran 6 kilometers trying to get up to my 80% of hearbeat. I do not want to fatigue a lot or provoke an injury so I am not go to run at my 100% heartbeat.

For launch, I ate chicken with soja sauce, onion and carrots. At my head I wanted rice but I was able to skip it, here the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, julienned or thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooked cauliflower rice (optional)
• Sesame seeds and chopped green onions for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, marinate the chicken strips with soy sauce. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken strips and cook until they are browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, add a bit more oil if needed and sauté the sliced onion until it becomes translucent and slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the julienned carrots to the skillet and cook for another 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.
5. If using garlic, add minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
6. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and stir to combine with the vegetables.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Once everything is heated through and well combined, remove from heat.
9. Serve the chicken and vegetable stir-fry over cooked cauliflower rice or spiralized zucchini for a low-carb option.
10. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions, if desired, for added flavor and presentation.
11. Enjoy your delicious Chicken with Soy Sauce, Onion, and Carrots!

This version of the recipe is still flavorful and nutritious, with a focus on protein and healthy fats.

For dinner I took and omelette, easy to do.

During the whole day I drank more than two liters of water. Overall, I am fine, not hungry and so far full of energy!

Day 2 of Challenge, one week without (or at least minimum) carbohydrates

I started the day very early in the morning, 5AM and I did with a workout based on intervals. We will speak deeply on this type of workouts.

With this workout, my goal was to get around 180 steps per minute what it is consider the best performance for running.

I combine in this workout 6min running at 180 steps per min with two minutes of rest series doing a three repetitions.

The result is something like this:

As you can see, at the three six minutes running intervals I was around 180 steps per minute.

In addition, I used this workout for being inside on my heartbeat rate of 80%.

After workout and some streching I took a protein drink, we will speak deeper on future posts and a black coffee.

For lunch I ate a pork stew with carrots. I took two more coffees during the day, this time with short of milk and for dinner I ate potato salad with mayonnaise.

I felt that today I did not my best eating correctly, let’s see the results end of the week.

Tomorrow is a rest cardio day so I have to be alert of not eating carbs.

Day 3 of Challenge, one week without (or at least minimum) carbohydrates

As I mentioned before the third day it was a rest one. I took care my diet and avoid at less as possible carbohydrates.

I took for lunch a salad with curry pork, spichar, tomatoes and mozzarela.

For dinner, integral wraps of curry pork, here both recipes.

Curry Pork and Spinach Salad with Mozzarella and Cherry Tomato

Ingredients:

• 200g curry pork (cooked and sliced)
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 100g mozzarella cheese (sliced or cubed)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.
2. Add the sliced curry pork on top of the salad ingredients.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

• Calories: Approximately 400 kcal
• Protein: 30g
• Carbohydrates: 8g
• Fat: 28g

Dressing Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined.
2. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all the ingredients evenly.

Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious and nutritious Curry Pork and Spinach Salad with Mozzarella and Cherry Tomato!

Curry Pork Integral Wrap

Ingredients:

• 200g curry pork (cooked and shredded)
• 2 whole wheat or integral wraps
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup sliced red onions
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Nutritional Information (per serving, based on 1 wrap):

• Calories: Approximately 350 kcal
• Protein: 25g
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fat: 15g

Instructions:

1. Warm the whole wheat wraps in a skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until lightly toasted.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked and shredded curry pork with the diced tomatoes, sliced red onions, and chopped cilantro (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place a portion of the shredded lettuce onto each wrap.
4. Spoon the curry pork mixture evenly onto the lettuce.
5. Drizzle each wrap with a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt.
6. Roll up the wraps tightly, folding in the sides as you go to secure the filling.
7. Slice the wraps in half diagonally and serve immediately.

Enjoy your flavorful and nutritious Curry Pork Integral Wraps!

Day 4 of Challenge, one week without (or at least minimum) carbohydrates

I came back to the workouts doing a plain run of seven kilometers to a very easy and comfortable. I wanted to feel good senses.

After the workout I broke my fasting with a protein drink that has 30gr of protein per 150ml.

I took lunch out of home I ate Spanish paella and chicken with vegetables.

By night, some guacamole with vegetables.

Day 4 of Challenge, one week without (or at least minimum) carbohydrates

I have to say that I was not able to complete this challenge this time. I had a difficult day and as I did my workouts in the morning running 3 kilometers and doing weight exercices I ate carbs.

I will try in some weeks and I will write here how it is going.