4 Hour Body: Week 1

I’ve completed my first week of 4 Hour Body. Read 4 Hour Body: Before I Begin for more information. It wasn’t the best week to start because I was on the road most of the week, but I stuck very close to the diet. I started the week at 193.9 lbs and 19.4% body fat.

Day 1 – Sunday, January 16, 2011

After weighing in, I did swings with a 50 lb kettlebell (3 sets of 25), 10 myotatic crunches, and 10 cat vomits. These exercises were a lot harder than I expected, especially the kettlebell swings.

Breakfast consisted of black beans, spinach, and egg whites with one whole egg topped with southwest salsa. The egg and salsa mixture was very good. The beans and the spinach were OK, so I need to find a way to put some excitement into them. I didn’t eat soon enough after waking up, so I’m going to switch to one weigh-in per week because I need to wait at least 30 minutes after getting out of bed to get consistent body fat numbers on the scale.

For lunch I had turkey breast slices, a small avocado, peas, and a lettuce and tomato salad with homemade vinaigrette. The sodium content in the turkey is terrible, but I wanted to eat it instead of throwing it away. While golfing, I had a small thing of trail mix at the start of the back 9. Walked a little over 5.5 miles on the course. Dinner was black beans, asparagus, and garlic stir-fry beef. Had a glass of red wine at night.

Day 2 – Monday, January 17, 2011

Lower back is sore. I assume it’s from the first session of kettlebell swings. Ate spinach, pinto beans, and eggs with salsa for breakfast. I ran 3.11 miles outside. For lunch I had pinto beans, peas, a small avocado, and garlic stir-fry beef. As the day progresses soreness is spreading to my legs, ass, and shoulders. For dinner I started cooking chicken in a pan with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. After that cooked awhile, I added diced tomato, a large can of black beans, and some red wine as an experiment. I had no idea how this would turn out. It looks like shit on a plate, but I’m happy to say it turned out quite tasty and made the beans really easy to eat. On the side I had sauerkraut and asparagus. I can understand why the kettlebell swing is so great for the posterior chain. I’m sore from my hamstrings up to my shoulders. Ended the day with a glass of red wine.

Day 3 – Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Still sore today. Lower back is the worst. Breakfast was the usual; eggs with salsa, pinto beans, and spinach. I should probably start putting my hand in the photos for scale because the breakfast place is smaller than the plates used in some of the previous pictures. For lunch I ate some of the leftover bean and chicken concoction from last night with peas and sauerkraut. Had a 30 minute golf lesson and 30 minutes of practice. Could really feel the lower back soreness after the drive home. For dinner I had asparagus, pinto beans, and garlic stir-fry beef. Glass of red wine in the evening.

Day 4 – Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Lower back is still sore this morning, so not looking forward to the swings. For breakfast I ate eggs with salsa, cottage cheese, and spinach. Did swings with a 50 lb kettlebell (3 sets of 25), 10 myotatic crunches, and 10 cat vomits. The swings didn’t get any easier. I hope my form is correct.

Before driving down to Tucson for the rest of the week, I ate the rest of the bean and chicken dish for an early lunch. After getting settled at the hotel, we had lunch in a little cafe. I had a tuna salad. For dinner we went to a pizza place and a bar, so I had 3 pieces of pizza and 2 pints of Fat Tire. This may turn into cheat day for the week. We’ll see how the rest of the week goes.

Day 5 – Thursday, January 20, 2011

Weighed myself this morning out of curiosity. The scale showed 189.6 lbs with 19.1% body fat, so I’ve lost 4 lbs in 4 days! Went for a 3 mile run. For breakfast I had a spinach and ham omelet with tomato slices. Lower back soreness is nearly gone. Feeling really good about this diet and the only thing I miss is having a glass of milk with a home cooked meal. For lunch I had a huge chef salad. At dinner I ate “Roast Duck Breast + Tamale of the Duck Leg Confit, dirty rice, braised turnip greens + Maque Choux” from a restaurant called Downtown Kitchen and had red wine.

Day 6 – Friday, January 21, 2011

Today is the first day I’m not sore from the kettlebell swings. For breakfast I ate the same thing as yesterday; spinach and ham omelet with tomato slices. Ate a pan seared salmon salad for lunch. For dinner I had chips and salsa, 2 mini chimichangas, a carne seca plate, and a few prickly pear margaritas. Not a very good dinner for the slow carb diet, but I’m out-of-town with coworkers.

Day 7 – Saturday, January 22, 2011

Cheat Day! I weighed in this morning and took measurements (see the next section). For breakfast I had an iced Nutella mocha and a Nutella strawberry banana crepe. Ate a small bag of chips for a snack. For lunch I had a mushroom bacon cheeseburger with fries. At dinner I went all out. We started with Sonoran chilies and fried mushrooms as appetizers. Then I had a salad, prime rib, and tamale pie. Finished it off with a piece of Boston cream pie. Had a beer before dinner, a couple at dinner, and finished with a mocha java stout at a local brewery.

Tracking Progress

Really happy with the outcome of week 1 considering I was on the road and ate some things that aren’t allowed on the slow carb diet.

• Weight: 189.7 lbs (-4.2 lbs)
• Body fat: 18.7% (-0.7%)
• Total inches: 142.75″ (-2″)

Check out how I did in week 2.