Yes, it’s true that weight training with cardio will be much more effective in overall fat loss than just doing cardio alone.

In fact, there’s several reasons for this and before I dive into them, let’s make it clear that if you trying to burn fat and not doing weight training as part of that, you are really taking some big steps backwards.

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to burn more fat and at a faster rate? You seem them in the gym, they don’t spend a lot of time doing cardio or weights but they seem to lean up quickly.

What do you do?

Why you do more cardio right? Burn more of those calories off. Pretty soon you are close to 2 hour sessions but that’s okay.

Wrong!

Fact: An important key to the entire process is weight training.

If you don’t train with resistance during this time, it’s entirely possible some of your “loss” will be from lean muscle tissue. That’s a big mistake.

And if you do lose a lot of weight too quickly (too much cardio, starvation diets) you will end up losing a majority of your weight thur lean muscle tissue. In just a second, I’m going to tell you why that’s how you can really screw up your metabolism and it’s exactly the opposite of what you want to do.

Fact: Weight training is the single most effective form of exercise for long term fat loss and lean muscle preservation.

When you incorporate weight training into your fat loss program, you are ensuring that your gradual body fat reduction comes from fat tissues and not lean muscle.

For starters…

Aerobic exercise is great for cardiovascular fitness and as a metabolic boosting tool and creating new pathways for nutrients. But it’s simply cannot build muscle to the extent that weight training can.

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Frankly…

If all you do is cardio for your fat loss goals plus a solid nutrition plan, you can drop a lot of lean muscle mass as well and end up lowering your BMR (basal metabolic rate).

So what?

If you lower your BMR by losing more muscle it means you have to exercise MORE to burn more calories!

That means more gym time, longer cardio sessions than the person right next to you who does some simple but effective weight resistance exercise as part of their overall “fat loss program.”

On the other hand, if you do some weight training as part of your program and you gain some muscle, you are burning more calories all the time. Even at rest!

This means that the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be and the more calories you burn all the time.

Before you think “but I don’t want to bulk up,” that’s not even part of the plan.

Simply engaging in some form of moderate weight resistance program will help you build and maintain the muscle and help you burn more of the fat.

You end up having a higher BMR, a faster metabolism and less fat without having to spend more time in the gym.

So it all adds up to this…

An important key to the entire process of burning fat is weight training.

Make sure that your “fitness” program always includes some form of weight training.

Lose the word “diet” from your vocabulary!

According to Miller Jones, a professor of nutrition and food science at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota…

4th graders are aware of the word diet, especially the girls.

One of the world’s largest study of weight loss has shown that diets do not work for the vast majority of slimmers and may even put lives at risk.

This type of yo-yo behavior is linked to many health problems. Because of the strain on the body of repeated weight loss and weight gain, the researchers found that the dieters would have been better off not dieting at all.

Research has shown the repeated rapid weight gain and loss associated with dieting can double the risk of death from heart disease, including heart attacks, and the risk of premature death in general.

For starters…

When you think ‘diet’ you are actively engaging in short term thinking. When you start to think of it as something you go on and then off again, that’s the wrong direction.

Some of the BEST resources on nutrition are not diets. They are eating plans. They are how to eat healthy for life programs. They teach you how to eat correctly for everyday living. There’s nothing short term about them.

“The benefits of dieting are simply too small and the potential harms of dieting are too large for it to be recommended as a safe and effective treatment for obesity.” -Dr Traci Mann

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Click here for Marc’s No Bull Bodybuilding program.

A quick test is to simply look at any given plan and immediately ask yourself…

Is this something I can do for life?

Frankly…

If you are overweight, then thinking in the short term is exactly why you could be doomed to fail! As you bounce from one plan to the next, you become more and more frustrated.

FACT: Many diets that use a severe calorie restriction just makes it harder to lose the weight the next time.

FACT: Some studies show that repeated weight loss and regain actually increase the changes you’ll gain even more weight the next time.

FACT: Studies consistently find that people who report the most exercise also have the most weight loss.

Now with all this in mind…

No matter what eating plan you choose or what your goals, just drop the word ‘diet’ from your vocabulary and pick a plan you can stick with for life. That encourages slow weight loss or weight gain. That doesn’t “demonize” foods but helps you pick and choose from healthy alternatives and explains the reasons why.

If you are always changing your eating habits for special events or every 8 weeks, you might be dieting. That’s the time to take a step back and learn all you can about nutrition. Learning how to eat correctly is something you can stick with for life and avoid the common frustrations.

“Common workout mistakes” has always been a very popular topic in fitness publications. But no matter how many times this subject is re-hashed, you almost always hear about the same half a dozen or so mistakes, including poor form, overtraining, going too heavy, not stretching, not warming up, yadda, yadda yadda. Ironically, you seldom hear about the biggest mistakes of all. I call these humongous bloopers “bonehead mistakes” because once you start to analyze and think about them, they’re really just common sense and they all seem so obvious… except of course to the person doing it… who is often quite oblivious until someone else points it out to them… then the light goes on and it’s like… “Doh!”

Before I begin the countdown, (in no particular order), there’s one more gripe I have about the treatment this subject has been given in the past: Most of the attention has been put on the mistakes, but very little on the solutions. It’s all too easy to point fingers and say, “Don’t do that” and “Shame on you, dummy” but only 1% of your time should be spent on problems. 99% should be spent on solutions. So in that spirit, after I bring each mistake to your attention, I’ll give you a solution-oriented training tip to help you avoid boneheadedness and join the elite group who “kick butt” in the gym at every workout…

Bonehead workout mistake #1: “Winging it”

“Winging it” means having no written goals or plans, no training journal and no way of “keeping score.” It’s when you just show up at the gym day after day and do whatever strikes your fancy, whatever machine happens to be available, or whatever you’ve become habitually accustomed to doing. Winging it is when you don’t know where you are, where you’re going or how you’re going to get there – but you start your journey anyway – no compass, no roadmap. It’s been said that “Action without planning is the biggest cause of failure,” and I believe that statement is 100% accurate.

Kick butt workout tip #1: Develop a strategic plan

Successful people never “wing it,” they always have a plan. Strategic planning is a never ending process and includes: Assessment (where am I now?), goal setting (where do I want to go?), creating a plan or strategy (How will I get where I want to go?), executing the plan (what action steps must I take daily to reach my goal?), and measuring results (how will I know if I’m moving towards my goal and how will I know when I’ve reached it?). Boneheads “wing it.” Butt–kickers have a master plan and goals for every workout.
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Bonehead workout mistake #2: Repeating the same workouts… without progressive overload

In one respect, repeating the same workouts is important – it’s called “continuity.” Continuity means that to experience an adaptive response (more muscle, more strength, less fat and all that other good stuff), you must a repeat a certain modality or exercise consistently over a long enough period of time to allow the adaptive response to occur and to reap the full benefits (rather than changing exercises at every workout). That type of repetition is good. The bonehead mistake is when you do the same exercises, same reps, same weight, same everything, week after week, without ever challenging yourself to do more than you’ve done before. If your muscles could talk they would say, “Yawn…. Did that, done that, been there… we’re just going to stay exactly the way we are… no need to get bigger or stronger today.”

Kick butt workout tip #2: Strive to beat your previous workouts

Muscle growth and strength increases occur when you place demands on your body above and beyond what it has experienced in the past. Your body responds to this progressive overload by getting stronger in order to handle this type of demand in the future. Your objective at almost every workout is to set goals to beat what you did during the previous one. If you can’t add more weight, it could be as simple as one more rep with the same weight or the same sets/reps/weight in less time. It could also mean one more minute of cardio, one level higher on a stairclimber, or half a percent steeper incline on the treadmill. Continuous and never-ending improvement is the name of the game.
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Bonehead workout mistake #3: Starving yourself

A calorie deficit is the only way to lose body fat. However, the caloric deficit must be kept small. When calories are cut too much, or held too low for too long, your body thinks you are starving and sets into motion a series of metabolic and hormonal events, which ultimately result in muscle loss, slow metabolism and plateaus. Your body is like a power plant or furnace and when you don’t feed the fire, your metabolic flame dwindles to a flicker, producing less heat and less energy. That’s why not eating enough is one of the biggest mistakes of all.

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Kick butt workout tip #3: Eat more, burn more

Did it ever occur to you that if you exercise more you can eat more and that this is a more effective fat loss strategy than eating less and exercising less? To lose body fat, you must create a calorie deficit. A deficit can be created by exercising more, eating less, or ideally, with a combination of both. The best combination of all is a small decrease in calories accompanied by a large increase in activity. Think about it: Decreasing calories slows your metabolism. Increasing calories increases your metabolism. Exercise increases your metabolism.

Therefore, eat more, exercise more = double increase in metabolism. Eat less, don’t exercise = double decrease in metabolism. This is the entire premise of my Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle System and that’s why the program is so powerful and has helped tens of thousands of people lose fat without depriving themselves. Yes, starving is for boneheads.
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Bonehead workout mistake #4: Skipping scheduled workouts

A great body doesn’t happen overnight. Successful body transformation is the cumulative result of dozens or even hundreds of successful workouts. Each workout brings you one small step closer to your goal. Each workout missed takes you one small step backwards. Most people underestimate the cumulative effect of each small step. They figure that “It just doesn’t matter… it’s only one workout.” If you don’t think that one little workout matters, then think about the humble termite; they’re such itty bitty little creatures and they take such itty bitty little bites, yet when enough little bites are taken, an entire building can come crumbling down.

Kick butt workout tip #4: Be disciplined and consistent

Not only do you slip backwards physically when you skip even one scheduled workout, perhaps more devastating is the effect on your mind and character. Every time you successfully complete a scheduled workout, you build your discipline and self esteem. When your self esteem increases, it makes you feel good and that stimulates a positive self-reinforcing cycle of even more discipline, confidence and action. Everything you do helps or hurts. Every workout counts. Treat your word as law. When you say you’re going to work out… WORK OUT!
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Bonehead workout mistake #5: Focusing on strengths, favorite exercises and favorite body parts, neglecting weaknesses

Most people have a favorite body part or exercise. But playing favorites in your training can lead to big problems. An unbalanced, asymmetrical physique is one of them, but having a great upper body with toothpick legs is the least of your worries. Strengthening and stretching some muscle groups but not others is a great way to cause poor posture, muscular imbalance, dysfunction, strains, pulls, tears or ruptures.

Kick butt workout tip #5: Train for functional balance and aesthetic balance

Non-boneheads train every muscle group for symmetrical, visually pleasing development. However, “balance” is more than cosmetic. Everyone – athletes, bodybuilders, and recreational exercisers – must also train for functional balance to prevent injury and maintain optimal function and range of movement in every joint and muscle group. Every plane of movement and angle of movement must be trained. Flexors must be balanced with extensors. Front to back movements must be balanced with rotational and side to side movements. Prime movers, antagonists and stabilizers must all be strengthened. Always stretch, strengthen and build to the point of total body balance.
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Bonehead workout mistake #6: Using mostly machines and single joint/isolation exercises

So you joined the gym and you hit “the circuit”… you know, that section in the gym with all those fancy, chrome-plated, “technologically advanced” weight stack-pulley, hydraulic or computerized machines all lined up in neat rows… far, far away from the barbells and squat racks (which you never touch), and which is designed to give you an “easy, safe, injury-free, effective full-body workout.” The machines may be easy, but most machines aren’t as safe or effective as they’re made out to be.

Kick butt workout tip #6: Use mostly free weights and compound, multi joint exercises

For lower body, squat and lunge variations are tops. For upper body, barbell and dumbbell presses, chin ups and rows are king. These and similar “BIG” exercises stimulate more muscle fiber, stir up more fat burning and muscle building hormones, and have more carry-over to real world and sporting activities than machines. Although weight stack machines are safe with respect to the fact that you can’t drop a barbell on your head, they’re ultimately NOT as safe as free weights because they don’t develop the stabilizing muscles and functional strength that protect you from injury. A few machines and isolation exercises mixed into a balancedr program is fine, especially if you have bodybuilding goals, but focusing on compound and free weight exercises gives you far more bang for your buck than any machine ever created.
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Bonehead workout mistake #7: No mental preparation

This mistake goes hand in hand with mistake number one (winging it). You see, preparation is more than setting goals, writing out plans, and scheduling workouts. Preparation is also mental, yet most people haven’t the slightest idea just how powerful the mind is or how to harness its power. Psychologists and “brain scientists” have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between an experience that is real and one that is imagined. Failure to take advantage of this discovery is a mistake of enormous magnitude.

Kick butt workout tip #7: Use visualization and mental rehearsal daily

Arnold Schwarzenneger, Jack Nicklaus, Andre Agassi and countless other sports legends have written and spoken extensively about their regular use of mental imagery. Those who succeeded, but claimed not to use such techniques as “visualization” were surely using it unconsciously or in a non-formalized manner. I would suggest you consciously and deliberately use this technique in the following manner: Twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, get relaxed, close your eyes and form mental images of yourself having the body you’ve always wanted, completing perfect workouts with motivation and enthusiasm and reaching all your goals. These images will penetrate your subconscious mind and literally program your brain to activate your body for total success.
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Bonehead workout mistake #8: Not eating immediately after training

Not eating anything after your workout (or waiting 2-3 hours to eat), because (a) you don’t feel like eating, (b) you don’t have anything to eat with you, (c) you heard that you get leaner if you don’t eat after your workout… is one of the most boneheaded things you can ever do!

Kick butt workout tip #8: Eat protein AND carbs (not just carbs) immediately after your workout

Much research has been done on the topic of post workout nutrition in recent years and the scientific literature is almost unanimous in its findings: At one time carbohydrates were emphasized after a workout. Other people insisted that protein is more important. The truth is, the optimal post workout meal includes quickly digesting protein and carbohydrates and is consumed immediately after training during the period known as the “post-workout window of opportunity.” Although the ideal amount and type of protein and carbs is still debated, the studies have shown that proper post workout nutrition increases protein synthesis, suppresses cortisol, replenishes glycogen, and enhances recovery.
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Bonehead workout mistake #9: Comparing yourself to others

Always trying to one-up the next guy is bonehead behavior. Comparing yourself to others is a great way to lower your self esteem and stay perpetually frustrated, unhappy and dissatisfied!

Kick butt workout tip #9: Compare yourself to nobody but yourself

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden always advised his players, “Never try to be better than someone else; but never cease trying to be the best you can be. That is under your control. The other isn’t.” So why not focus on competing with yourself? Compare yourself to yourself. Improve yourself. Work on progress and forward movement. Become better than you used to be. Ultimately, competitive sports are most valuable to the degree you use them to better yourself, not to beat others.
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Bonehead workout mistake #10: Making excuses

Many people, when they don’t get the result they want, or when things don’t go the way they expect, insist it’s not their fault. When they don’t lose any body fat, it’s their genetics or “The diet just doesn’t work!” When they fall off the wagon, it’s their friends and family’s fault – “They just don’t support me… they even tempt me with junk food and eat in front of me.” When they miss workouts, it’s their boss’s fault – “I just don’t have time with so much work being piled on me at the office.” No matter what the situation, the boneheads never even consider that the problem is staring right back at them in the mirror – someone or something outside of them is always responsible.

Kick butt workout tip #10: Accept total, 100% responsibility for all your results – good or bad

When you win, you don’t attribute it to luck or give someone else the credit for it. You proudly say, “I created it… I did it… that was me!” However, if you want to take the credit for your wins, you must also take credit for your losses and say, “Yep, I created it… I did it… that was me!” Boneheads want to take credit for their successes but not accept responsibility for their failures. Ultimately, that turns them into nothing but big losers. Winners and successful people became successful because they learned three magic words: I AM RESPONSIBLE. Once you claim responsibility for every result in your life – the good and the bad – the feeling of empowerment and liberation that comes over you is beyond description. For the first time in your life, you realize that YOU are in control. From that moment on – and not a second sooner – you become the creator of circumstance rather than a victim of it.
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Well, that’s all ten of em’. Let me wrap up with what is perhaps the biggest mistake of all, and that is: Not learning from your mistakes. Mistakes are okay. The only people who don’t make any are the timid, wimpy people who don’t even attempt anything. If you realize you’ve been making a lot of these mistakes, don’t beat yourself up. As long as you learn from them and then stop making them, you’re off the hook! But if you keep repeating these mistakes over and over again, then it’s official: You’re a bonehead!

If you enjoyed this article and you’re interested in learning how to quickly and easily lose fat permanently – without drugs, supplements or fad diets – AND without making any bonehead mistakes – click here to visit my BURN THE FAT website: Burn the Fat

Why Are We So Fat? That’s the question asked in the cover story about obesity in a recent issue of National Geographic magazine.

“Americans enjoy one of the most luxurious lifestyles on Earth: Our food is plentiful. Our work is automated. Our leisure is effortless. And it’s killing us,” says Geographic senior writer Cathy Newman.

Some of the latest facts and statistics about obesity revealed in the article are chilling:

* One out of three Americans is obese, twice as many as three decades ago
* The Center for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) has declared obesity an “epidemic”
* 15% of children and teens are overweight, a nearly three fold jump since 1980
* Other countries are catching up to the United States, especially newly industrialized nations. KFC opened a drive through restaurant in Beijing in 2002 with more on the way. UK snack food consumption rose 25% in the last five years. Sales of processed food rose 20% in Latin America between 1980 and 2000.
* Being overweight is now associated with over 400,000 deaths per year
* Obesity is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, stroke, and colon, breast and endometrial cancers
* Next year, Obesity is expected to surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in the United States
* The Puget Sound Ferries increased their seat width from 18 to 20 inches to allow room for bigger bottoms
* An ambulance company in Colorado retrofitted its vehicles with a winch and a plus size compartment to accommodate patients up to a half a ton in weight
* A casket maker in Indiana now offers double-sized models
* One in four Americans gets ZERO exercise, one-third of Americans don’t get the minimum amount the government suggests we need just to avoid chronic disease
* The average child will watch 10,000 commercials per year touting food or beverages, nearly all of them for junk and fast food

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Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle
Click here for Tom’s Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program.

So what’s the answer to the question, “why are we so fat?” What does this article reveal? Are overweight people deficient in fat burning hormones? Was the obesity gene discovered and isolated, confirming that your genetics determine whether fat is fate? Does blood sugar and insulin go haywire in certain people regardless of how they eat or how they exercise? Has it finally been proven that carbohydrates make us fat? Is the appetite mechanism in the brains of obese people out of kilter?

Although there may be a sliver of truth and scientific fact in each of the statements above, none of them are the real reason we are so fat. The conclusions made in the National Geographic article on the other hand, are refreshing, because they are the right ones, and the most obvious ones: The reason we are so fat is because we eat too much and exercise too little. Surprise, surprise!

“For all the Americans who’ve blamed bulging bellies on a slow metabolism, the jig is up,” says Newman. “A report earlier this year by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) finally confirms what many of us didn’t want to admit: We’re fat because we eat a lot – a whole lot more than we used to, and most of the increase comes from refined carbohydrates (sugar).”

Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University is quoted in the article as saying, “How about some common sense? It’s a simple matter of eating fewer calories. But nobody wants to talk about calories because doing so does not sell books.”

Truer words have never been spoken. Unfortunately, few people want to listen to that simple message, “Eat less, exercise more,” because everyone is too busy looking for the latest breakthrough or the “next big thing in fat loss.” Besides, fat loss couldn’t be that simple, could it?

Well, maybe fat loss isn’t “easy”, and certainly “eat less, exercise more” is an OVER-simplification, but the fundamental cause of obesity really IS that simple and the facts confirming it are now in:

According to the CDC report, we ate 1775 pounds of food per year per person in 2000, up from 1497 pounds in 1970.

In the 70’s, we ate 136 pounds of flour and cereal products and now it’s up to 200 pounds per person – and the increase is almost all from processed, white flour, high sugar foods. Not to mention, everything has been Super-sized. Example: 1955 McDonald’s French fries – 2.4 ounces, 210 calories. 2004 Super size Fries – 7 ounces, 610 calories.

When you add this increased food intake (mostly refined food) on top of the lack of exercise encouraged by technology, cars, video games, television, washing machines, riding lawnmowers, elevators and other modern conveniences, you have the recipe for obesity on a global scale.

In all our searching and waiting for the latest scientific discovery, the newest pill, or the next breakthrough supplement that will free us from the shackles of body fat, most people have continued to overlook or ignore that simple and obvious advice: “Eat less, exercise more.”

Is it really that simple? Isn’t there a lot more to it? Well, yes, of course. There’s how much less do you eat, what do you eat, how much you exercise, what kind of exercise and so on. But those are just details. Often what we must do, in order to see the big picture clearly, is to reduce the problem to its most basic level FIRST before worrying about any details.

A principle called Occam’s Razor was proposed by English philosopher and theologian William Occam in the 14th century. It said, “Entities should not be multiplied beyond what is necessary.” Plainly stated, it says, “The simplest and most obvious solution to a problem is usually the best one and the correct one.”

Does accepting this simple answer to the obesity epidemic make the process of losing the weight any easier? Perhaps not, at least not physically. Permanent fat loss will always require sweat, discipline and effort, and as with freedom and liberty, “eternal vigilance” will be the price that must be paid to keep the fat off once it is lost. In addition, it would be naïve not to admit that genetics do play a small role, so weight loss will be a greater challenge for some than for others.

However, if we would stop allowing ourselves to be so caught up and immobilized by the myriad of different weight loss methods and theories today and just acknowledge, accept and practice the simple advice given to us in Newman’s article – which we’ve all heard a thousand times before – “Eat less, exercise more,” we would not only be rewarded with results, we would also see the fog of confusion that seems to shroud the whole “weight loss thing” begin to lift. Certainty would take its place, and that would at least give us the confidence to continue to forge ahead towards our goals.

There have been countless studies performed on the role of protein in the muscle growth process to try and determine exactly how much protein you should consume to build muscle mass. Recently, several studies have looked at the role that dietary protein plays in helping you lose fat, and more importantly, helping you keep it off!

One thing scientists have discovered is that eating lean protein foods is important for regulating body composition because it decreases your appetite.

In a 2003 study reported in the journal, Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition And Metabolic Care (2003; 6(6): 635-638), protein was shown to be more satiating (made you feel fuller) than both carbohydrate and fat both in the short term and the long term.

Eating more lean protein foods has also been proven as an effective strategy to help you burn fat and keep it off because of something called, “dietary thermogenesis” (also known as the thermic effect of food).

In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2005 (93(2): 281-289), researchers followed a group of 113 overweight subjects after 4 weeks of a very low calorie diet, through a 6 month period of weight maintenance. The subjects were divided into a protein group or a control group. The protein group was simply given an extra 30 grams of protein per day on top of their usual diet.

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Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle
Click here for Tom’s Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program.

The researchers found that during weight maintenance, the group with the higher protein intake was less likely to regain the lost weight, and any weight gain in the protein group was lean tissue and not fat. The results were attributed to higher thermic effect and a decrease in appetite.

Although calories will always be the bottom line when it comes to fat loss, studies such as these are confirming what bodybuilders have known for a long time: That calories are not the only factor that can influence your body composition. Your protein intake and your ratios of protein relative to carbohydrate and fat can clearly play a key role in helping you lose fat and keep the fat off.

None of this is news to bodybuilders or to anyone who is already familiar with bodybuilding-style nutrition programs such as Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle. But it’s interesting that such positive results were achieved in studies where protein was increased so conservatively – as little as 30 additional grams of protein per day or a 20% increase above traditional protein recommendations.

Many bodybuilding-style diets (such as Burn The Fat and Body For Life) call for as much as 30%-40% of the total daily calories from protein and some competitive bodybuilders crank up the protein (temporarily) to as much as 50% before competitions.

I’m curious to see if any research is ever conducted with these more aggressive protein intakes. If so, my guess is that we will find once again, that the bodybuilders are ahead of the science when it comes to the manipulation of diet for improving body composition.

The take home lesson is simple: If you remove some carbs and put in some protein – nothing too radical; even as little as trading 30 grams per day of carbs for 30 grams of lean protein – this small change in your diet may decrease your appetite, decrease your body fat and help you keep the fat off after you lose it.

Nearly everybody who’s started out with the dream to get into shape, build muscle or lose fat, has fallen prey to some type of fitness myth. Many times, those myths come from sources and publications that we trust. Maybe it’s false advertising that leads somebody to start a myth or the quest to get rich. Or maybe it’s just simple ignorance.

The fitness industry is no exception. As with any commerce industry, there’s the potential for myths that develop into frauds, dangerous exercises, worthless supplements or just incomplete information. If there is money to be made, you are guaranteed to find some popular fitness myths.

These 6 sources of myths, deception and fraud are not all inclusive. They are the top contenders for a variety of reasons which will be explained below.

The best way I know how to combat and avoid falling prey to any of these misconceptions and myths is to travel down the path of education.

It’s far less costly to educate yourself (just learning from a variety of sources) than fall victim to ignorance and waste years and sometimes thousands of dollars on false information. Not to mention the frustration that myths can incur.

Fact is…

These 6 sources can be myth-makers or myth-busters!

1. Websites and Magazine Editors:

Without a doubt, magazines and websites can be a popular source of bodybuilding myths. Sometimes the story will just have it’s facts wrong. Or it might be an editorial. Sometimes editors have to take an old story and put some popular spin on it to make it more interesting.

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If something is published that is controversial (the recent Soy examples) it can be fuel for further research and studies but more often than not, people take a single article in a popular magazine or newspaper as fact.

There is a common belief that if it’s in print… it must be right.

Am I right about that so far?

Pick up an issue of Cosmo, Us, People or look at back issues of most popular fitness magazines. How many times have you seen a new twist or angle put on the ever popular, “Arnold’s Arm Routine.”

It’s part of life to re-create, re-package and enhance old stories. Just keep in mind that myths can start anywhere.

2. The “I Feel It” Syndrome:

Just because it worked for me, doesn’t mean it works for you. This can apply to training programs or supplements. The “I Feel It Syndrome” simply doesn’t take into account the Principle of Individual Differences. Everybody is slightly different. If a beginning builder happens to respond very well to some strange exercise (not taking into account they are new and will almost respond to anything) it doesn’t make that exercise or routine one that will work for everybody.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve personally heard people tell me that Creatine is a worthless supplement that simply doesn’t work.

While it might not work for them (roughly 30% of the population does not respond to regular creatine products) there are over 300 peer reviewed and published studies that show many benefits of creatine and that it does work.

For starters, I’m going to take 300 journals with well researched documentation over “somebody” in the gym telling me it doesn’t work.

3. The “Big Guy” Syndrome:

A younger bodybuilder might look up to the biggest guy in the gym, but without knowing how the big guy got big… it can be a real source of myths. How he or she got big might be 1) hard work and dedication 2) genetics 3) drugs 4) combination of all the suggested. The person asking simply doesn’t really know how they got bigger and most likely it will be a combination of hard work and dedication along with some pseudo-scientific explanation of their training.

Reminds me of a story one person told me.

A very large bodybuilder was the envy of all the younger guys in the gym. They always wanted to know his “secrets.” He never told them until one day, this young guy was pestering him.

“Do you really want to know the secret?” The Big Guy asked.

“Yes!” Said the young student.

“It’s Alpo Dog food. Seriously. Something they put in there just builds muscle. I can’t explain it.” The Guru said.

[ 2 weeks pass ]

The younger guy see the big bodybuilder again and says, “You know I really don’t like the taste. I just can’t keep eating the stuff.”

Now I can’t tell you if this is true. It’s probably a myth in itself. But it lends itself to proving a point that you can get a lot of myths from the biggest guy or gal in your gym. And over time, it can be pretty costly or foul tasting depending on the advice you receive.

4. Supplements Salespeople:

How many supplements have over 300 peer reviewed and published studies behind them from various sources? Not many. Supplement salespeople have a clear agenda to push their products. Which is fine expect you don’t know what they are thinking, their agenda or if they have some quota to fill. Just keep in mind they may or may not know what they are talking about. Keeping yourself informed will help you make the right choices and help them direct you to what you want.

5. Equipment Salespeople:

Similar to the supplement salespeople, how many highly trained and fully qualified equipment sales people are fully aware of biomechanics and how exercises related to the body? Not a whole lot. You could get an entirely different story about muscle building from a Bowflex salesperson over a person at Sears who wants to sell you a weight stacked machine. You can easily fall prey to the machines vs. free weights myths right here.

6. Podcasters:

Heck, I’ll put myself on the chopping block here. With the Internet being so popular and everybody having a microphone, all of us who podcast about fitness can spread myths or be a new source of a myth. Much like website or magazine editors, we want readers and listeners and might put new slants on old stories. Hopefully you will research things for yourself, get other opinions, check with your doctor if necessary and educate yourself so that you can make informed choices. Even my podcast is simply there to help you learn to love to learn.

Make no mistake… while this list isn’t all inclusive of every possible sources of myths, they are the lead contributors. But that doesn’t mean they are inherently bad or you need to avoid them.

In fact, the same sources can be the greatest contributors of myth-busting!

My point is…

Keep yourself informed and just be cautious.

I’m going to close this article out with a quote I think sums up falling prey to the fitness myths that you may encounter. “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” – Derek Curtis Bok

What ever happened to, “Get some exercise every day because it’s good for you?” You hardly ever hear that anymore.

Instead, we now hear about “Revolutionary, breakthroughs” that allow you to train once a week and presto! – overnight muscle and instant abs! We also hear advice and instruction such as:

“Don’t do too much cardio, or you’ll lose your muscle and get weaker.”

“Watch out for catabolism, and beware of cortisol!”

“Be careful not to overtrain…

“Train don’t strain…

“Long workouts are out… short workouts are in”

“Train less to gain more…”

“Your muscles don’t grow while you’re training, they grow while you’re resting”

This is all well and good and there’s some true and sensible advice in there, and don’t get me wrong – any amount of exercise is better than no exercise, however….

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO EXERCISING EVERY DAY BECAUSE IT’S A POSITIVE HABIT THAT’S GOOD FOR YOU?

Do you remember when fitness professionals used to recommend daily exercise? Have you noticed the “Achieve more by doing less” theme being taken to ridiculous extremes?

Have you noticed that a tiny core of fitness professionals still promote daily exercise, but their voices are seldom heard today amidst the marketing cries of 21st century Madison Avenue and slick big city publishers?

People DO judge a book by its cover and publishers know that. Typical magazine articles and books in the health and fitness section today have titles that sound like this:

* Massive Muscles in Minutes
* Instant Abs! How to sculpt six pack abs in 3 minutes a day
* A few minutes in the morning
* The busy executive’s two-minute workout
* The revolutionary program to Lose Fat and get in shape 5 minutes at a time
* The “Indulge” Program: Enjoy delicious dishes while losing all the weight you want, without exercise!
* The power of one: How to transform your body and your life with one workout a week
* The 30 minute fitness revolution: How to Achieve your perfect body in just 30 minutes a week
* The 11 minute total body workout

All these pitches appeal to your lazy side. Inside, the authors coddle you like a helpless infant, saying, “Poor baby, It’s not your fault, we understand…we know you don’t have any time…no one does…Don’t worry, it’s okay, OF COURSE you don’t have to workout for hours and hours – who ever gave you THAT idea?? Awwwww… there now…Working out too much is bad for you anyways… breaks down muscle, suppresses your immune system, causes oxidative damage and releases cortisol…. Follow our easy 5 minute program and you’ll be just fine…”

Do you think it’s a coincidence that obesity is at an all time high, rising in lockstep with these lackadaisical attitudes?

Even with all these “new” exercise programs, training routines, scientific “breakthroughs,” diets, books, websites, and of course, all the “cutting edge” supplements, AMERICANS ARE FATTER AND UNHEALTHIER THAN EVER BEFORE IN HISTORY!!!!

And if you’re not from the U.S., don’t laugh at us, because your country is probably not far behind!

I’m not implicating laziness as the sole reason for obesity. That would be over-simplifying a complex problem with multiple causes. However, laziness and aversion to exercise are certainly major contributing factors.

Human beings are capable of reaching breathtaking heights, but they also have a lazy side hard-wired into their natures. We need a push to overcome inertia. We need motivation. We need to be inspired to look up and reach for the stars, instead of settling for a little clod of dirt.

And now, the very diet and fitness industries that are supposed to be helping and motivating are actually making it worse by making silly promises in the name of getting the sale and appealing to our inherent slothfulness.

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BUT WAIT! It goes even deeper! Could it be possible that even the world’s most respected health, fitness and medical organizations are reducing their recommendations so as not to discourage the public from even trying? Lyle McDonald, Diet guru and Author of the Ketogenic Diet thinks so. In Lyle’s forum, he wrote:

“From a public policy standpoint, there’s that huge tradeoff: Get a small improvement in health (and presumably decrease health-costs) by getting folks to do something, or risk a much larger dropout rate by telling them to work harder. They keep scaling back their recommendations and they still can’t get the majority of people to do it. Something is going to be better than nothing, I suppose.”

Just how far has this down-sizing of exercise trend gone? All the way to zero in some cases: Some “experts” tell you that you don’t need ANY exercise at all…

Just take this youth-restoring hormone therapy, a once per week injection, rub on some crème, take a handful of pills, get a nip here and a tuck there, have some fat suctioned, drink a few specially formulated shakes three times a day, eat these special foods, staple the stomach, stick on a patch, and there you have it: A perfect body without almost no expenditure of energy!

Many people who have been struggling with weight loss want to believe these claims so desperately, they take the bait every time, even when it sounds too good to be true and defies common sense.

Remember that classic courtroom scene in the movie “A Few Good Men” when Jack Nicholson says,

“You want the truth? … YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!”

Well, if you can’t handle it, then stop reading now because here is the truth that almost no one else wants to tell you:

Your body is BEGGING for DAILY exercise!

The human body-mind is the most remarkable creation in the universe and it was designed and engineered to be used often and vigorously. The mind and body atrophy and weaken if not used frequently.

Your body isn’t going to fall apart by getting your heart pumping every day– YOUR BODY WILL THANK YOU FOR IT!!!!!

In some cases, using material things wears them out faster. Your car only has a certain number of miles on it, right?

Your body is the opposite: It wears out when it’s NOT used.

Have we forgotten all the incredible benefits of REGULAR exercise – both strength training and aerobic training – to keep us young, vibrant and healthy?

Have we forgotten that exercise can feel good and give you a natural high that’s better than drugs or alcohol?

Have we become so vain and ignorant that all we want is to look good on the outside for a short while and do it with the least amount of effort, using the path of least resistance?

Do you realize that you grow against resistance – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually?

Why not have a helicopter fly you up to the summit and drop you off? You’d get the same view as those blokes who risked life and limb lugging 60-pound rucksacks up the steep mountain side for days, wouldn’t you?

Why do CHAMPIONS climb?

The answer is: There’s no personal growth without the journey. Reaching the top without the climb leaves you unfulfilled. The journey is the greatest reward, not the destination. Champions understand this. The other 95% of the world hasn’t figured it out yet, so they remain stuck in self imposed bogs of quiet desperation.

Do you really want to go to the store and just buy the trophy without the competition? How would you feel seeing it on your mantelpiece? It would make great conversation at a party, right? Your friends and family would be so proud of your “bought” trophy… (or would they?)

If you would stop for a minute and think about the great rewards of training and understand that the training IS the trophy, then the entire attitude of exercise avoidance would disappear, obesity and disease would plummet, you would be working out and loving it, and your health, your body, your attitude, your energy and your outlook on life would shift so dramatically, your friends and family would hardly recognize you. They would be inspired by you too, so the “exercise fever” would spread.

So HOW MUCH exercise do you REALLY need? What are we talking about here?

I’m not talking about training two hours a day like Jack Lalanne has for the last ¾ of a century, or doing hours of high intensity weight training like a competitive bodybuilder, or an hour and a half of cardio a day like an endurance athlete, unless that’s called for to reach a certain goal, or unless that’s what you enjoy.

I’m not talking about lifting weights every day. You need recovery time from intense forms of training.

I’m not talking about never taking an entire week off for rest and renewal.

And I’m not talking about never taking any days off.

What I AM talking about is doing a few days a week of some challenging intense exercise AND doing some form of moderate exercise – enough to break a sweat, get you breathing heavy and bring your heart rate up – almost every day of the week, most of the year.

It could be the popular six day program alternating weights and cardio every other day with Sundays off. It could be two days a week of lifting weights, two days of aerobics or kickboxing classes and two days of hiking or mountain biking (six days total with one rest day). If it’s fat loss you want, then cardio 5 or 6 days a week with a few days of strength training works like magic.

It could be virtually anything! Choose what you love to do – just do something every day, include both strength training and aerobic training each week and do it on a regular schedule at the same time each day.

Ultimately, the amount of exercise you REALLY need is the amount it takes to give you the results you want.

However, there are some very compelling reasons to exercise every day…

Why every day? Because that makes it a HABIT.

Anything you do repeatedly (especially daily) will eventually become a habit, and your habits, positive or negative, will control your results and ultimately, shape your destiny.

Habits can be harnessed to your advantage, propelling you downstream towards your desired destination, or they can become your worst enemy, forcing you to paddle fruitlessly upstream against their powerful currents.

Ninety-nine percent of the things you do each day are done on “automatic pilot” – without consciously thinking, deciding, choosing or exerting willpower. That is the power of habit and exercise is one of the most positive habits you will ever develop.

Why else is daily exercise a good idea? Because you develop METABOLIC MOMENTUM.

Your metabolism is like a spinning top. You twist the top and it starts spinning at maximum velocity, but not long after your fingers leave contact with the top, it’s already slowing down.

Eventually, the revolutions decrease and the top starts to wobble. You have to spin it again before it loses all its momentum and topples over. By spinning it more frequently, the average rpm’s stay higher and the top never slows to a wobble.

Your metabolism is the same way. Exercise “spins” your metabolic rate. Many factors affect metabolism, but nothing else cranks up and maintains your metabolic speed like frequent exercise of sufficient intensity.

In Dr. Michael Colgan’s book, “The New Nutrition”, Dr. Colgan writes,

“At The Colgan Institute, we have found that for fat loss, five days a week for 30 minutes is much superior to three days weekly at 70 minutes even though the total weekly time of the three day people is an hour longer. In order to keep the metabolic rate churning, frequent exercise is the key.”

Amen Michael.

In “The Metabolism System For Weight Loss” Exercise Physiologist Greg Landry writes:

“You won’t find many people telling you to exercise daily. In fact, most “diet” programs or weight loss books you read will not emphasize exercise and that’s simply because so many people have a negative reaction to exercise. You have to start thinking differently about it. Exercise can be fun. The key is finding something you can enjoy doing on a daily basis. Many people think an hour of exercise every day is more than their body can handle, but keep in mind that our bodies were made for and are capable of many hours of physical activity a day. DAILY exercise is absolutely critical to losing weight! DAILY exercise is also very effective at changing a sluggish metabolism into a super-charged metabolism!”

Bravo Greg.

Yes, I hear the grumbles and groans from the peanut gallery… “You mean 3 days a week isn’t enough?” But how am I supposed to find time to exercise every day? That’s impossible because I have kids, a job and a life, you know!

Impossible???

Here’s a novel idea: Get your butt out of bed 30 minutes earlier!

Are you really concerned about quality time with your family? If so, then you OWE IT TO THEM to take the time to take care of yourself so you’ll be around long enough to enjoy their company.

We live in a society with more demands on our time than ever before. But if you don’t make time for exercise now, you’ll lose time to sickness and immobility later.

Psychologists tell us that most people will almost never take action to PREVENT a problem, only take action to GET RID OF a problem after it has already occurred. So true isn’t it? Unfortunately for many, that may be too late.

Your body is remarkably forgiving, but there’s only so much abuse it can take. Abuse includes negative actions like smoking, drinking, drug use and eating refined junk food. But sometimes that abuse comes in the simple form of neglect – it’s what you don’t do that hurts you the most.

Can you exercise too much? Certainly. Is there a point where you become overtained? Of course. Is there a point of diminishing returns? Sure is. Can training become an unhealthy obsession? Absolutely. Do you need to take time off for recovery and renewal? Most definitely! Should you maximize your workout efficiency to get the most benefit in the least time? A resounding YES!

However, if I were you, I’d be far more concerned about getting too little activity than getting too much.

So, my friend, if you want to go on believing in the hype you read in the magazines and best selling books these days about minimalist training, once per week workouts, (or less), or the diet that doesn’t require ANY exercise, just eat these special food combinations, take these supplements or cut out all the carbs and get the body of your dreams, that’s your choice… it’s your body, your health and your life…let your results be your guide.

But when you’re unhappy with your results, and when you stand in front of the mirror scratching your head trying to figure out why you don’t look and feel the way you want to look and feel… and when you start to feel the downward pull of gravity and body parts are sagging…. and when the aches and pains strike, and the doctor’s visits become more frequent…

…AND, when you see that there are others the same age as you, in the same circumstances as you, with the same number of hours in the day that you have, who have remained lean, healthy, and muscular…

…THEN GET OFF YOUR GLUTEUS MAXIMUS AND GET SOME EXERCISE EVERY SINGLE DAY! YOUR BODY WANTS IT, NEEDS IT AND IS LITERALLY BEGGING FOR IT!

A news media feeding frenzy erupted earlier this week when a new diet study broke in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on Thursday, July 17th. Almost all the reporters got it wrong, wrong WRONG! So did most of the gloating low carb forumites and bloggers. Come to think of, almost everyone interpreted this study wrong. Some valuable insights came out of this study, but almost everyone missed them because they were too busy believing what the news said or defending their own cherished belief systems …

The new study, titled, “Weight Loss With a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet” was published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in issue 359, number 3.

I quickly read the full text of the research paper the day it was published. Then, I shook my head in dismay as I scanned the news headlines. I found it amusing that the media turned this into a three ring circus, putting a misleading “low carb versus high carb,” “Atkins vindicated” or “Diet wars” spin on the story. But that’s mainstream journalism for you, right? Gotta sell those papers!

Just look at some of these headlines:

“Study Tips Scales in Atkins Diets Favor: Low Carb Regimen Better Than Low Fat Diet For Weight And Cholesterol, Major Study Shows. “
“Low-Carb and Low-Fat Diets Face Off “ “The Never-Ending Diet Wars” “Low Carb Beats Low Fat in Diet Duel.” “Atkins Diet is Safe and Far More Effective Than a Low-Fat One, Study Says” “Unrestricted Low-Carb Diet Wins Hands Down” Some of these headlines are hilarious! I wonder if any of these reporters actually read the whole study. Geez. Is it too much trouble to read 13 pages before you write a story that will be read by millions of already confused people suffering the pain and frustration of obesity?

Here’s a quick look at the study design.

The low fat restricted calorie diet was based on American Heart Association guidelines. Calorie intake was set at 1500 for women, 1800 a day for men with 30% of calories from fat, and only 10% from saturated fat. Participants were instructed to eat low fat grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes and to limit their consumption of additional fats, sweets and high fat snacks.

The Mediterranean diet group was placed on a moderate fat, restricted calorie program rich in vegetables and low in red meat, with poultry and fish replacing beef and lamb. Energy intake was restricted to 1500 calories per day for women and 1800 calories per day for men with a goal of no more than 35% of calorie from fat. Added fat came mostly from nuts and olive oil.

The low carb diet was a non-restricted calorie plan aimed at providing 20 grams of carbs per day for the 2 month induction phase with a gradual increase to 120 grams per day to maintain the weight loss. Intakes of total calories, protein and fat were not limited. However, the participants were counseled to choose vegetarian sources of protein (more on that bizarre-twist shortly).
The study subjects were mostly male (86%), overweight (BMI 31) and middle age (mean age 52)

Here were the study results:
There were some health improvements in cholesterol, blood pressure and other parameters in the Mediterranean and low carb group that bested the high carb group. That was the focus of many articles and discussions that appeared on the net this week. However, I’d like to focus on the weight loss aspect as I’m not a medical doctor and fat loss is the primary subject matter of this website. All three groups lost weight. The low carb group lost 5.5 kilos, the Mediterranean group lost 4.6 kilos and the low fat group lost 3.3 kilograms…. IN TWO YEARS! Whoopee!

My conclusion would be that the results were similar and that none of the diets worked very well over the long term!
Amanda Gardner of the US News and World Report Health Day was one of the few reporters who got it right:

“Diet plans produce similar results: Study finds Mediterranean and low-carb diets work just as well as low fat ones.”
Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times also came close with her headline:

“Long term diet study suggests success is hard to come by: In a tightly controlled experiment, obese people lost an average of just 6 to 10 pounds over two years.”

Even this headline wasn’t 100% accurate. The study was HARDLY tightly controlled. Tightly controlled means metabolic ward studies where the researchers actually count and control the calorie intake.
The problem is, you can’t lock people in a hospital or research center ward for two years. So in this study, they used a food frequency questionnaire. Sure, like we believe what people report about their eating habits at restaurants and at home behind closed doors! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

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“No! I swear Dr. Schwarzfuchs! I swear I didn’t eat those donuts over the weekend! I stayed on my Mediterranean diet. Honest!”
One of the most firmly established facts in dietetics research is that almost everyone underreports their food intake BADLY, sometimes by as much as 50%. I’m not saying everyone “lies,” they just forget or don’t know. In fact, this underreporting of calorie intake is such a huge problem that it makes obesity research very difficult to do and conclusions difficult to draw from free-living studies. Another blunder in the news reports is that this study didn’t really follow Atkins diet parameters OR even the traditional low fat diet for that matter, so it’s not an “Atkin’s versus Ornish” showdown at all. If you actually take the time to read the full text of the research paper it doesn’t say ANYTHING like, “Atkins is the best after all.” That’s the spin that some of the news media cooked up (and what the Atkins foundation was hoping for). It says, “The diet was based on the Atkins diet.” However, the sentence right before that says, “The participants were counseled to choose vegetarian sources of fat and protein.” Vegetarian Atkins? The chart on page 236 says the low carb diet provided 40% of calories from carbs at 6, 12 and 24 months. If I’m reading that data properly, then the only low carb period was a brief induction phase in the very beginning. Does that sound like Atkins? 40% carb sounds more like the Zone diet or my own Burn The Fat program to me.

The Atkins Foundation, which partially supported this study, told reporters, “We feel vindicated.” HA! They should have paid off the reporters and told the researchers they felt ripped off and they wanted a refund for misuse of their research grant!

After carefully reading the full text of this study, there are many interesting findings we could talk about, from the differences in results between men and women to the improvements in health markers. Here’s what the study really says that stood out to me. It’s what I would have talked about if the newspapers or TV stations had called me:

1. “Mediterranean and low carb diets may be effective alternatives to low-fat diets.”
I can agree completely with that statement. All three diets created a calorie deficit. All three groups lost weight. Low carb lost a little more, which is the usual finding because low carb diets often control appetite and calorie intake automatically (you eat less even if you don’t count calories). Also, if body composition is not indicated, there’s an initial water weight loss that makes low carb diets look more effective in the very early stages.

2. “Personal preferences and metabolic considerations might inform individualized tailoring of dietary interventions.”
Absolutely! Nutrition should be individualized based on goals, health status, body type, activity level and numerous other factors. Different people have different phenotypes. Some people are more predisposed to thrive on a low carb approach. Others feel like crap on low carbs and do better with more carbs or a middle of the road approach. Those who dogmatically follow and defend one type of diet or the other are only handcuffing themselves by limiting their options. Iris Shai, a researcher in the study said, “We can’t rely on one diet fits all.” Hmm, far cry from “Atkins wins hands down,” wouldn’t you say?

3. “The rate of adherence to a study diet was 95.4% at 1 year and 84.6% at 2 years.”
THIS was the part of most interest to me. When I read this, immediately I could have cared less about the silly low carb versus high carb wars that the news reporters were jumping on. I wanted to know WHY the subjects were able to stick with it so well. Of course, that’s boring stuff to journalists… adherence? What does that word mean anyway? Yawn – not interesting enough for prime time, I guess. But it was interesting to me, and I hope YOU pay attention to what I found. The authors of the study wrote:

“This trial suggests a model that might be applied more broadly in the workplace. Using the employer as a health coach could be an effective way to improve health. The model of group intervention with the use of dietary group sessions, spousal support, food labels, and monthly weighing in the workplace within the framework of a health promotion campaign might yield weight reduction and long term health benefits.”
Hmmmmm, lets see: * Dietician coaching
* Group meetings
* Motivational phone calls
* Spousal support
* Workplace monitoring (corporate health program)
* Food labels – calorie monitoring
* Weigh ins (required and monitored)

Wow, everything helpful to long term weight loss that sticks. Can you say, ACCOUNTABILITY? These factors help explain the better adherence.

By the way, the adherence rate for the low carb group was the lowest.

90.4% in low fat group
85.3% in the Mediterranean group
78% in the low carb group

Here’s the bottom line, the way I see it:

First, please, please, please learn how to find and read primary research and take the news media stories with a grain of salt. If you want to know who died, what burned down or what hurricane is coming, tune in to the news – they do a GREAT job at that. If you want to know how to lose weight or improve your health, look up the original research papers instead of taking second hand information at face value.

Second, those who prefer a low carb approach; more power to them. Most studies, this one included, show at the very least that low carb is an option and it’s not necessarily an unhealthy one if done intelligently. I also have no qualms with someone claiming that low carb diets are slightly more effective for weight loss, especially in the short term, free living situations. Is low carb superior for fat loss in the long haul? That’s STILL highly debatable. It’s probably superior for some people, but not for others.

Third, low carb people, Listen up! Even if low carb is superior, that doesn’t mean calories don’t count. Deny this at your own peril. In fact, this study shows the reverse. The low carb group was in a larger negative energy balance than the high carb and Mediterranean group (according to the data published in this paper), which easily explains the greater weight loss. Posting the calories contained in foods in the cafeteria may have improved the results and helped with compliance in all groups.
When energy intake is matched calorie for calorie, the advantage of a low carb diet shrinks or disappears. For most people, low carb is a hunger management or calorie control weight loss advantage, not metabolic magic (sorry, no magic folks!) tom venuto Burn The Fat

Fourth, choose the nutrition program that’s most appropriate for your personal preferences, your current health condition, your genetics (or phenotype) and most important of all… the one you can stick with. Then tend your own garden instead of wasting time criticizing how the other guy is eating. Your results will speak for themselves in the end. Take your shirt off and show us.
If I were forced to choose only one approach (and thank god I’m not), I would recommend avoiding the extremes of very low carb or very low fat or very high fat or very high carbs. Balance makes the most sense to me, and the research suggests that this helps produce the highest compliance rate. That’s not rocket science either, it’s common sense. If you have a serious fat loss goal, as when I compete in bodybuilding, then a further reduction in carbs and increase in protein makes perfect sense to me as a peaking diet. If an extremely low or extremely high carb diet worked for you, great. But generalizing your experience to the entire rest of the world makes no sense. Arguing from extremes is the weakest form of argument. The reason I have THREE nutrition plans (three phases) in my own fat loss program is because programs with flexibility and room for individualization beat the others hands down in the long term. In fact, I wrote an entire chapter in my e-book about unique body types, how to determine yours and how to individualize your nutrition – it’s THAT important. If you have more choices, you have more power. The people who are shackled by dogma and narrow thinking are stuck. They also risk missing what’s really important. Things like: Personalization
Adherence
Long term maintenance
Accountability
Social Support

and…

CALORIES!

Why are bodybuilders infatuated with protein?

Bodybuilders are infamous for their love affair with protein. The way iron-pumpers see it, muscle is protein, so they associate eating more dietary protein with gaining more muscle. Devouring egg whites by the dozen, meat by the pound and protein powder by the bucketful is the norm for hard training physique athletes. But is all this carnivorism really necessary? Why the infatuation with eating huge amounts of protein? Are bodybuilders correct in their habitual practice of pounding down the protein or is this immoderation unfounded? To answer these questions, it is first necessary obtain a solid understanding of what protein is and how it is used in the body. Only then can we objectively look at the protein consumption practices of bodybuilders and compare them to what the scientific evidence says in order to make some sensible and productive recommendations.

Protein Turnover; the dynamic human body

Although your body appears quite solid, it is always in a constant state of flux. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “You cannot step in the same river twice.” What he meant was that a river may look the same every day, but it never is the same because of the constant flow of new water running through it. This is also true of the human body. Body protein is constantly being turned over as old cells die and new cells replace them. Best-selling author and mind-body expert Dr. Deepak Chopra describes this ongoing cellular renewal process like this:

“It is as if you lived in a building whose bricks were systematically taken out and replaced every year. If you keep the same blueprint then it will still look like the same building. But it won’t be the same in actuality. The human body also stands there, looking much the same from day to day, but through the process of respiration, digestion, elimination and so forth, it is constantly and ever in exchange with the rest of the world.”

Quantum physicists have proven that 98% of the atoms in your body are replaced within one year. In three months your body produces an entirely new skeleton. Every six weeks, all the cells have been replaced in your liver. You have a new stomach lining every five days. You are continually replacing old blood cells with new ones. Every month you produce an entirely new skin as dead cells are shed and new cells grow underneath. The proteins in your muscles are continually turned over as muscle is broken down and new tissue is synthesized. Every cell in your body is constantly being recycled.

Where do all these new cells come from? The answer of course, is from the protein foods you consume every day. That’s why the saying, “You are what you eat” is literally true from a molecular standpoint. Once you’ve accepted this maxim, you’ll start being awfully careful about what you put in your body every day.

Protein 101: What is protein anyway?

Its not surprising that bodybuilders put so much emphasis on protein. After all, protein is construction material for the human body like bricks are for a building. Body structures made from protein include skin, hair, nails, bones, connective tissue and of course skeletal muscle. Other proteins in your body include antibodies, enzymes, hormones such as insulin, and transporters such as hemoglobin. Next to water, protein is the most abundant substance in the body, making up approximately 15-20% of your weight. Of most interest to the bodybuilder is the fact that 60-70% of all protein in the body is located in the skeletal muscles. In order for muscle growth to occur, every day you must consume more protein than your body utilizes.

Like fats and carbohydrates, proteins are also composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The difference is nitrogen. Only protein can bring nitrogen into the body. Because muscle tissue contains most of the body’s protein and protein contains nitrogen, scientists can study the effect of dietary protein on muscle growth by comparing the amount of nitrogen consumed with the amount excreted (in feces, urine and sweat). If the intake of nitrogen is greater than the amount excreted, then we know that protein is being retained and new muscle is being synthesized. This is known as positive nitrogen balance. If more nitrogen is excreted than consumed, you are in negative nitrogen balance, indicating that protein is being broken down and muscle is being lost.

Amino acids: The building blocks of protein

The smallest units of a protein are called amino acids. Like bricks in a wall, amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Just as glycogen is formed from the linkage of numerous glucose molecules, proteins are formed from the joining of numerous amino acids. There are 20 amino acids that are required for growth by the human body. From these 20 amino acids, there are tens of thousands of different protein molecules that can be formed. Each protein is assembled from the bonding of different amino acids into various configurations. Growth hormone, for example, is a protein chain of 156 amino acids.

“Amino acids are somewhat like letters in the alphabet. If you had only the letter G, all you could write would be a string of Gs: G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G. But with 20 different letters available, you could create poems, songs, or novels. The 20 amino acids can be linked together in an even greater variety of sequences than are possible for letters in a word or words in a sentence. The variety of possible sequences for polypeptide chains is tremendous.” -Eleanor Whitney and Sharon Rolfes, “Understanding Nutrition.”

Essential vs. Non-essential amino acids

Out of the twenty amino acids, the human body can make eleven of them. These are called the non-essential amino acids (also known as “dispensable amino acids). The other nine amino acids are called “essential amino acids” or (indispensable amino acids). Essential amino acids are those which cannot be manufactured by your body and must be supplied from your food.

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Essential (indispensable) amino acids

Histidine

Isoleucine

Leucine

Valine

Lysine

Methionine

Phenylalanine

Threonine

Tryptophan

Non essential (dispensable) amino acids

Alanine

Arginine

Asparagine

Aspartic Acid

Cysteine

Glutamic acid

Glutamine

Proline

Serine

Tyrosine

Why bodybuilders must eat “complete” proteins every three hours

Foods that contain a balanced combination of all the essential and nonessential amino acids in the exact amounts required by the body for growth are called “complete proteins.” In order for the body to synthesize muscle, all the essential amino acids must be available simultaneously. Any non-essential amino acids that are in short supply can be produced by the liver, but if an essential amino acid is missing, the body must break down its own proteins to obtain it. To prevent muscle cell breakdown, dietary protein must supply all the essential amino acids. If your diet is missing any essential amino acids, protein synthesis will be inhibited.

Carbohydrates have a storage depot in the body called glycogen. Glycogen can be stored in the muscles and liver and then drawn upon hours or even days later when it is needed. Proteins cannot be stored in the body. There is only a very small and transient amino acid pool in the bloodstream. To maintain the optimal environment for muscle growth (positive nitrogen balance), complete proteins must be eaten with every meal. This explains the rationale behind the common bodybuilding practice of eating six protein-containing meals per day (one about every three hours.)

Protein Quality: Complete vs. Incomplete proteins

Bodybuilders and Protein

Protein isn’t just found in meat, eggs and milk. There is also protein in vegetables, beans, legumes, and grains. However, the protein in these foods is not considered “complete” because it lacks one or more of the essential amino acids. Generally speaking, proteins from vegetable sources are lower in quality and that’s the reason they are eschewed by bodybuilders. The complete proteins are those that come from animal sources such as eggs, milk and meat.

Many grains and legumes contain substantial amounts of protein, but none provide the full array of essential amino acids. Beans, for example, are very high in protein with about 15 grams per cup, however, they are missing the essential amino acid Methionine. Similarly, grains are lacking the essential amino acid Lysine. It has been frequently pointed out that combining two incomplete sources of vegetable protein such as rice and beans provides you with the full complement of essential amino acids. This may be true, but there’s a decided difference between simply meeting your minimum amino acid requirements for health and consuming the optimal quality of protein for building muscle. Combining complementary vegetable sources of protein just doesn’t cut it for the serious bodybuilder.

Is “Vegetarian bodybuilder” an oxymoron?

A pure vegetarian (vegan) diet is not conducive to building muscle. One thing you will never see is a rock-hard, massive and muscular vegan. Lacto-vegetarians (those who use dairy products) and ovo-lacto-vegetarians (those who use eggs and dairy products) can build excellent physiques. Bodybuilding champion Bill Pearl is just one example. Pearl is well known for his lifelong aversion to eating meat, but he does use complete proteins from eggs or dairy products. With this semi-vegetarian approach, Pearl won the Mr. America and Mr. Universe tittles and became a legend in the bodybuilding and fitness world.

The bottom line is that you can get fit and healthy without consuming animal proteins, but unless you include eggs or dairy products, you will never develop a physique worthy of the bodybuilding stage. If a hard and muscular physique is what you’re after, then heed the advice of Robert Kennedy, publisher of Muscle Mag International and author of “Rock Hard, Supernutrition for Bodybuilders:”

“The bodybuilder would be ill-advised to adopt a true vegetarian diet. You can be one of the millions who are eating less meat and more vegetables. You may even want to drop all flesh entirely. But is would be a mistake to try for pure vegetarianism. Only 3.7% of Americans consider themselves to be vegetarians, and of those only a fraction of 1% are purists. In the bodybuilding world of champions, that percentage is currently…. ZERO!”

Lean sources of complete proteins

Complete proteins come from animal sources including meat, eggs and dairy products. The obvious problem with animal proteins is that they also contain large amounts of saturated fat. To stay lean, bodybuilders must always keep fats in the diet low. Fortunately, fat from animal proteins can easily be avoided simply by making the correct choices. For example, use egg whites instead of egg yolks, lean meats such as turkey breast and chicken breast instead of fatty cuts of meat, and 1% low fat or non-fat dairy products instead of whole milk dairy products. These are some of the best sources of lean protein for bodybuilding purposes:

Chicken breast

Turkey breast

Fish

Shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab, clams, etc)

Egg whites

Lean red meats (top round, lean sirloin, and flank)

Nonfat or low fat dairy products

Protein powders (Whey protein, for example).

The great debate; The RDA vs. the “protein pushers”

For years a heated controversy has raged over whether or not extra protein will boost muscle development. On one side of the debate you have the conservative dietitians and medical community who stubbornly insist that the recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is all you need to develop muscle. The RDA’s are the official government guidelines set by the national research council. Currently the RDA for protein is based on body weight and is set at .8 grams per kilogram of body weight (that’s .36 grams per lb. of body weight). For a 172 lb. man that equates to a paltry 62 grams per day. It is important to note that the RDA’s were developed for the “average” sedentary person to avoid deficiency, not for athletes in hard training to gain muscle and strength. In fact, the RDA handbook even says, “no added allowance is made for stresses encountered in daily living which can give rise to increases in urinary nitrogen output.”

On the other side of the debate, you have the “protein pushers” who claim that megadoses of protein are the key to muscular growth. These high protein fanatics often suggest intakes of 400-500 grams a day or more. More often than not, the protein pushers are in some way affiliated with a supplement company and have a vested interest in selling you protein powder. In other cases, these high protein advocates may be professional bodybuilders who are taking large amounts of anabolic steroids, which can allow the body to utilize more protein than normal.

So who is right, the conservative medical and scientific community or the protein pushers? The answer is neither; the optimal intake is clearly somewhere in between the two extremes. An “optimal” protein intake for bodybuilders is still unknown at this time and will require further research, but one thing is for certain: The RDA is not enough to support the added requirements for intense bodybuilding training. Even the RDA handbook itself says, “No added allowance is made here for stresses encountered in daily living which can give rise to transient increases in urinary nitrogen output. It is assumed that the subjects of experiments forming the basis for the requirement estimates are usually exposed to the same stresses as the population generally.” If bodybuilding isn’t an “unusual stress” beyond what is normally encountered in daily living then I don’t know what is.Bodybuilders and Protein

What the current research says about protein and bodybuilding

Research has conclusively proven that exercise increases protein needs. Dr. Peter Lemon is the world’s leading researcher on protein requirements and athletes. In the journal “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” (19:5, S179-S190,1986) Dr. Lemon writes;

“Several types of evidence indicate that exercise causes substantial changes in protein metabolism. In fact, recent data suggests that the protein recommended dietary allowance might actually be 100% higher for individuals who exercise on a regular basis. Optimal intakes, although unknown, may be even higher, especially for individuals attempting to increase muscle mass and strength.”

Dr. Lemon’s most recent research published in “Nutrition Reviews,” (54:S169-175, 1996) indicates that strength athletes need up to 1.8g of protein per kg. of body weight to maintain positive nitrogen balance. That’s .8 grams per lb. of body weight or almost 140 grams a day for someone who weighs 172 lbs. This is very close to the long-held belief of bodybuilders that 1 gram per pound of body weight is optimal. Some studies have shown that even higher protein intakes may be necessary in hard training strength athletes. In one study of Polish weightlifters (Nutr. Metabolism 12:259-274), 5 of 10 athletes were still in negative nitrogen balance even while consuming 250% of the RDA.

So much research has been done on protein and athletes that it’s amazing that so many conservative registered dietitians and medical professionals still cling to the outdated notion that the RDA for protein is sufficient for muscle growth. The biggest irony is the fact that many of these “RDA pushers” are overweight, flabby, out of shape professors, researchers or white lab coat types. I don’t know about you, but I have a very hard time taking advice from “armchair experts” who don’t walk the walk. After years of being criticized by the academic and scientific communities for their “excess” protein intakes, bodybuilders today have received their vindication; It is no longer a theory that protein intakes higher than the RDA are more effective for building muscle, it is now scientific fact.

Now that we’ve established these facts, that still leaves one burning question: How do you determine the precise amount of protein that is right for you? Read part two to find out.

The Glycemic Index ranks foods on how they affect the blood glucose levels. It measures the amount of increase in your blood glucose levels two to three hours after eating.

The Glycemic Index shows how quickly a single food will turn into blood glucose on a scale of 100. Pure glucose is given a value of 100.

The Glycemic Index was created with the diabetic in mind.

You see, insulin spikes can be deadly to the diabetic. This fueled the need to develop a chart showing the insulin effects of certain foods. Clearly diabetics don’t want large spikes in insulin when preparing meals.

Before 1981, scientists believed that avoiding table sugar was the goal as it raised the glucose levels quickly. Current studies show that some foods actually have a higher blood glucose level than table sugars!

While it’s still a good idea to avoid empty sugar calories there’s many other foods that can spike the blood glucose levels.

Clearly not all foods are the same and they don’t have the same insulin effects on the body. Today it’s still favored to have a diet high in carbs and fibers and to avoid sugars.

Now get this: A baked potato ranks higher on the Glycemic Index than table sugar at 64! While some pastas rank lower than a baked potato and even table sugars.

But that’s not all…

You can see it’s value to a diabetic but using the Glycemic Index as a primary tool for choosing food can create problems.

First…

As you know, the Glycemix Index ranks how a single food breaks down in your body and is convered to blood glucose after eating. But if you follow the rules of performance nutrition, you should be eating a ‘complete’ meal:

* that consists of a lean protein
* a starchy carbohydrate
* and a fibrous carbohydrate

Not a single food by itself.

This changes the Glycemix Index of that meal!

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Second…

When you consume proteins with carbohydrates, it can greatly lower the blood glucose effects of that food. A baked potato’s score 85 on the Glycemic Index when combined with a protein is much lower.

Third…

There are flaws of the Glycemic Index like:

* Limited data. Only about 5% of the foods are listed in the Glycemic Index. And there is a very limited number of researchers that currently do testing.

* The numbers on the Glycemix Index are an average of the responses of groups of people. This explains the variation in some charts. The numbers listed are not exact values.

* A wide variation of in the actual Glycemic Index measurements. For example, a baked Russet potatoes have been tested with a Glycemic Index as low as 56 and as high as 111!

* Food preparation methods like microwaving, grinding, frying, baking, etc. There’s even differences in the GI when boiling pasta for 10 minutes or 15 minutes.

* Food combinations can affect the Glycemic Index of a listed food. While the Glycemic Index is based on single foods, we often consume foods in combinations. This can affect the overall Glycemic Index of that meal. Figuring out the precise Glycemic Index of foods after being mixed is less accurate.

* Individual differences in a response to a food on the Glycemic Index. People simply have different blood glucose responses. Without monitoring each person’s actual blood glucose levels, results can and often will vary.

* Reliance on the Glycemic Index can lead to over eating. If you only rely on the Glycemic Index to pick and choose foods you can end up consuming too many fats and excess calories.

In any event, the Glycemic Index is useful to people with certain dietary needs. But it’s service to the bodybuilder is vague. There’s no way that refined pasta is better for you than nature’s own potato.

Basing your choices only on the Glycemic Index can lead to over consumption of high calorie foods. And with the limited data and varied testing results, your own reactions to a particular food may vary greatly.

Needless to say…

If you follow the rules of performance nutrition and eat complete meals your goals will be much better served.