Situational Info

CAN I DRINK ALCOHOL? WHAT TYPES OF WINE ARE BEST?

On cheat days, all is fair. Have a keg by yourself if the spirit moves you. On diet days, stick to dry wines, “dry” being defined as less than 1.4% residual sugar. The driest red varietals are Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, whereas the driest whites are generally Sauvignon Blanc and Albariño. This certainly doesn’t stop me from enjoying my favorite big reds: Malbec from Argentina and Zinfandel from California. I have found better fat-loss results with red wine compared to white. Though there are exceptions, it is best to avoid Riesling, White Zinfandel, and Champagne.


WHAT SHOULD I EAT FOR SNACKS?
There should be no need, or real physical urge, to eat snacks. If you are hungry, you’re not eating enough protein and legumes at each meal. This is an uber-common novice screw up. I’ve been there too. Eat more. If you’re eating enough and still feel the urge to snack, it’s a psychological addiction, one that most often goes hand in hand with procrastination. Some of us go to the bathroom, others go to the water cooler, and others eat. I’ve done all three, so I know the drill. If all else fails and you must have a snack, go for carrots, but a bag of carrots will hit you like a donkey kick in the stomach, so don’t binge. If I snack, I’ll most often make a small snack— 200–300 calories—out of restaurant leftovers like Thai chicken basil with no rice. If you’re really starving, just eat another slow-carb meal. It won’t do any harm. If you get headaches or have other symptoms of low blood sugar, 90% of the time it will be because you are not eating enough. First-time slow-carbers are accustomed to eating small portions of calorically dense carbohydrates (think bagels or pasta), and they duplicate the portion sizes with the calorically lighter slow-carb foods, resulting in insufficient calories. Expect that you can eat two to three times as much volume, and assume that you should. Likewise, if you have trouble sleeping due to hunger, you’re not eating enough. In these cases, consume a bit of protein prior to bed, which can be as simple as 1–2 tablespoons of almond butter (ideal) or peanut butter with no additives (the only ingredients should be peanuts and perhaps salt).

DO I REALLY HAVE TO BINGE ONCE A WEEK?
It is important to spike caloric intake once per week. This causes a host of hormonal changes that improve fat-loss, from increasing cAMP and GMP to improving conversion of the T4 thyroid hormone to the more active T3. Everyone binges eventually on a diet, and it’s better to schedule it ahead of time to limit the damage. The psychological benefits outweigh even the hormonal and metabolic benefits. I eat like this all the time and have for seven years. Few ways of eating (WOE) are this sustainable and beneficial.

WHAT IF I’M TRAVELING AND EATING IN AIRPORTS?

If you’re airport-hopping and cannot find a Mexican restaurant or grill, grab a bag of raw almonds or walnuts at a kiosk and commit to consuming no starch for the remainder of your travel time. There are enough calories in that single bag to give you two to three small “meals” and get you through a full 12 hours. Most airports also have chicken salads (omit dressings besides olive oil or vinegar) that you can combine with the nuts. If it comes down to it, choose mild hunger instead of deviation. If you always eat on the clock, perhaps it’s been a few years since you’ve felt real hunger.