Backpacker Diet

I’ve often heard of people losing lots of weight when backpacking, especially when taking on the vagabond approach, as we have. I’m embarrassed to admit that we have gained weight over our entire journey, eating every new cuisine we meet along the way. Because we house sit or rent private apartments, we tend to seek out local markets and attempt to cook everything we try in restaurants. Cooking has always been our ‘thing’, we cook together and really enjoy trying new recipes. In an attempt to get our bikini bodies ready for a summer in Greece, we are trying the Tim Ferriss’ Slow Carb Diet. Have you heard of it? It will serve as our backpacker diet and here are the four rules:

1. Avoid ‘White’ Carbohydrates – Anything that is, or can be, white. That means no rice, pasta, potatoes, bread or anything fried with breading.
2. Don’t Drink Calories – You can drink as much water (and should drink ridiculous amounts, like at least a gallon a day), unsweetened tea, diet sodas, coffee (without cream) and any other low calorie drinks. But no fruit juice (or fruit for that matter), soft drinks or milk. Bonus: You are allowed, and encouraged, to drink a glass of red wine every night.
3. Take One Day Off Per Week – Binge crazy, eat whatever you want for one day of the week. Tim Ferriss recommends Saturdays and believes that if you go crazy, you won’t want it for the rest of the week.
4. Eat the Same Few Meals Repeatedly – It has been shown that the most successful diets lack variety, as daunting as that sounds. It is best if you stick to a few options and mix them up as opposed to trying to create creative meals every night. Here are the three categories to choose from:

Proteins:

• Egg Whites (with one full egg for flavor)
• Chicken Breast or Thigh
• Grass Fed Organic Beef
• Pork

Legumes:

• Black Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Lentils

Vegetables:

• Asparagus
• Spinach
• Peas
• Mixed Vegetables

So those are the rules and we’re starting tomorrow. If I’m brave, I’ll post my results, but no promises! Check out some of the great stories of other people who have had success with the low carb diet here.

xoxo