Has anyone read 4-Hour body? What do you think of Tim Ferriss' analysis?

Thank you, Andrew! I have a few more questions, if you don't mind.
1. Would it help to eliminate the legumes since these are considered carbs (even though they are also protein)?
2. It seems like it would help to have the "binge" day every other week or only as needed...maybe even not at all? I'm having trouble understanding the benefit to ingesting a ton of calories in one day? Is it really crucial to the plan? Also, on the binge day, is it required to follow the "damage control" that he recommends?
3. He talks about the MED (minimal effective dose) of different foods, but also of exercise. I love to exercise and I am actually about to start marathon training. Even though he says you don't HAVE to workout a lot, is it OK if I do?

THANK YOU!!

Hi Lauren,
Bear in mind, generally, when people decide to modify their food intake, they eliminate foods they identify as bad, without replacing the calories. Caloric restriction leads to loss of water, muscle, and scale weight, but little fat.

The reason for keeping the legumes in the program, especially for athletes, is to maintain an appropriate level of caloric intake, without creating too great of a deficit. Legumes, are a 'slow-burning carb' with a good deal of fiber and protein, so they are a great replacement for simple starches in a typical nutrition plan. (funny - ProGrade Nutrition just released a product called Fusion that is a combination of protein and fiber, designed to bridge the gap between primary meals)

Regarding the binge or cheat day; Ferriss was successful doing this each week, and I'm inclined to trust his results, as the concept does have a pretty significant history of success. If you're going to be training for a marathon in the traditional way, logging increasing mileage over several weeks, I'd keep the cheat days; your body will need the extra carbs for recovery & glycogen reloading.

If by 'damage control' you mean the short bursts of activity about 90 minutes post consumption, then yes; I would do that if possible. If you mean his nutritional strategies with cinnamon and/or PAGG, that's a personal choice.

The MED doesn't necessarily apply to traditional marathon training; however, there are more and more endurance athletes who are transitioning to a cross-training, high-intensity interval training style of prep for endurance events. The MED would apply in that case. I have personal experience with interval training as a preparatory mechanism, as I trained that way for 6 weeks prior to attending an athletic performance mentorship program, wherein all participants had their VO2 max measured; I tested higher than the endurance athletes across the board. (still couldn't pay me to run a marathon, though! ;)

I hope that's helpful! Best wishes,

Andrew