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Metabolic Resistance Training | Lose Fat Fast

A new technique on how to lose fat fast.  You do not need to exercise to lose fat,however, it sure helps speed up the process and improve other areas of your health. Your how to lose fat solution is better served with an effective interval training program in conjunction with your proper nutrition eating plan.  High Intensity Interval Training has proven to be the fastest way to burn the fat, it is how you speed up your metabolism. gaining muscle while losing fat. The more muscle fiber in your body, the more calories you burn even at rest.  I am a big believer in exercise routines that are short, to the point and don’t require a gym full of equipment.  That is why I am such a big fan of Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training series, it covers those points well.  Craig has put together a new wrinkle on interval training, increasing it’s effectiveness.  I highly recommend you take a moment and check this out, after all, who doesn’t want to speed up their fat loss diet plan?

How To Lose Fat Fast!


Now over to fitness expert, Craig Ballantyne, to explain why
metabolic resistance training is so important for fat loss.
“What is Metabolic Resistance Training”
By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS, CTT

Click Here To View

What the heck are these metabolic resistance training workouts that
everyone keeps talking about for fat loss? Well, you’ve probably
heard the term because the internet is buzzing about this type of
training for fat burning.
After all, gone are the days of slow cardio for weight loss. Heck,
even interval training is starting to get passed over. All in favor
of this specific type of workout called metabolic resistance
training.
It’s really exciting though, to know that we can build muscle and
lose fat at the same time, while getting lean and even having
ripped six-pack abs thanks to these short, burst workouts. And you
don’t need fancy, expensive equipment. Instead, you can focus on
using bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, kettlebell exercises, or
even TRX exercises.
Let me explain in this short, fun video with a few examples:

Anytime you use supersets or circuits and train with an elevated
heart rate and insufficient recovery. You are doing metabolic
resistance training. But the metabolic resistance training used by
Turbulence Training readers is different. I’ve modified the heavy
metabolic resistance training and also incorporated metabolic
resistance conditioning using lighter resistance, and less rest.
In this new Turbulence Training metabolic resistance training
workout program, you’ll get 4 workouts, broken down into these two
components. Two workouts of heavy metabolic resistance training and
two workouts of metabolic conditioning. The heavy workouts are done
first, and are followed immediately the next day by the
conditioning workouts.
I’ll be writing a lot more about metabolic resistance and
conditioning workouts in the future to help you lose fat and gain
muscle at the same time. That’s the beauty of the system; not only
do the fast-paced, short burst workouts help you burn a ton of
calories, but if your goal is muscle building, you can do that too.
Until then, get ready to use a few new exercises and a few training
methods we haven’t used before to elevate ” in-workout and
after-workout” calorie burning.
It’s all about working your metabolic systems for maximum calorie
burning, while only permitting yourself to have incomplete
recovery. These are the intense workouts you’ve been looking for.
No more slow, boring, monotonous cardio workouts that take forever.
Those days are over.
So be prepared to hear a lot more about MRT and metabolic lifting
and conditioning workouts. And again, you aren’t limited to
machines or weights. You can do these workouts with almost any
equipment, and even with bodyweight exercises only, as my
bodyweight cardio circuits have proven.
You’ll have a total blast even doing these types of programs at the
park with your TRX and kettlebells and body weight. You’ll be so
much better off than being stuck in stuffy gym with machines. And
make sure to watch my video to find out why MRT might even be
better than traditional interval training.
Times are a-changing. The entire fitness industry is going through
a revolution where we move away from bodybuilder and cardio bunny
workouts. And that’s a good thing. Doing less cardio and
eliminating little isolation exercises, such as crunches, from your
routines will help you get results fast.
Get started with the Turbulence Training Metabolic Resistance
Training workouts here.
You now have a fun, four-day program that will get you ripped and
give you the body that you deserve.
Train hard but safe with new MRT workouts.
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Click Here To View

If you haven’t checked out Craig’s Turbulence Training series, do so.  It is  geared for those who want to accelerate their fat loss results and who doen’t want to lose fat faster?  You will lose fat gain muscle with these  interval training routines.  Add the Metabolic Resistance Training to it and you will most definitely supercharge your how to lose fat fast program.  Burn fat gain muscle is absolutely proven way to lose fat and keep it gone forever.  To your success on the journey to the body of your dreams, Grant C.

Turbulence Training Click Here!

 


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Best Exercise For Fat Loss? | Ask The Fat Loss Expert

Basketball for Fat Loss?
By Tom Venuto
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle

QUESTION:Hi Tom. I have asked several other experts about this and so far no one seems to give me an EXACT answer. Some trainers tell me I have to go steady and nonstop for 30 minutes straight or more to burn fat. Others tell me I have to do intervals and they have to be in a certain ratio of sprint to recovery. I’m getting tired of my cardio ritual and would like a change. I love basketball. I could play for an hour and enjoy every minute of it, and I FEEL like I’m getting a good workout doing it. But is it really the same as something like a good run?

ANSWER: I just plugged basketball into my calories burned calculator and it says that if you weigh 185 pounds, moderate basketball (full court game play) burns 839 calories per hour. Moderate basketball (non-game) is 528 calories per hour. I’m guessing “non-game” means either half court or just casual play with your buddies.

Either way, 528-839 calories burned per hour sounds like a good fat burner to me – especially the all-out, full court basketball. Don’t you agree?Basketball also gives you a wide variety of different physical challenges and intensity levels – running down the court, jumping, pivoting, shooting – and you said you enjoy it.

If you feel guilty when you finish your game, as if you didn’t burn enough, when the game is over, just run intervals up and down the court… do about 6-10 of them or until you yak. (just kidding).If I were to clarify my position on cardio training in my Fat Loss Book today, I don’t think I would change my recommendations much. I’m a very strong proponent of exercise and becoming more active to burn fat rather than just cutting calories. However, I might change some of the language to make it clearer that fat loss is about BURNING calories and that your choices for HOW to burn them are virtually infinite.

The problem, in my opinion?

The word “aerobics” sets people off… especially the macho guys. There’s an instant emotional connotation carried in the word “aerobics, and it’s negative for many people. “Aerobics” is also usually a very narrow definition making for a fairly small list of choices.

I like the word “cardio” a little better, because it’s a little broader, but even “cardio” carries with it some pre-conceived notions and it’s unclear whether various types of “cardio” exercise are good fat burners.
Is basketball cardio? I suppose it depends on your definition.

Is basketball a good fat burner? Sure. But you might not think so if you were inflexible about how you define exercise and training.

What I would do if I wanted to most clearly define what makes a good fat burner I’d recommend that you focus on:

“INCREASING ENERGY EXPENDITURE” (BURN MORE!)

This description leaves the choice of activity up to your own personal interpretation and personal preference.

Is 500 to 800 calories per hour a lot of energy to expend? You bet. Better still is the fact that you enjoy it. I know, I know, everyone wants to be told EXACTLY what to do; how many minutes, what intensity, what type, what heart rate, blah, blah, blah, and gurus are infamous for being dogmatic about their systems as the “best way” or “only way.”

But what if Dan loves basketball and Tom loves the Stepmill and Joe loves to jog and Kyle likes calisthenics and John likes kettlebells and Suzy likes kickboxing? Then what?

By changing your language and focusing on increasing “energy expenditure” (Burning more), that should change your conception of what efficient fat burning exercise is.

DEFINITION OF GOOD FAT BURNING EXERCISE =
High # of total calories burned/expended

DEFINITION OF GREAT FAT BURNING EXERCISE =
High # of total calories burned/expended and high # expended per unit of time

DEFINITION OF WHOOP-ASS FAT BURNING EXERCISE =
High # of total calories burned and high # burned in a short period of time and you love doing it! It’s play time!

Fat oxidation and excess post exercise energy expenditure and all that other scientific stuff (that I could bore you to death talking about) does matter, but your primary focus should be on:

1) Burning as many calories as you can in the time you have.
2) Finding something you like to do.
3) Focusing on RESULTS above all else… Is your body fat decreasing or not?Last, but not least, don’t forget that optimal fat loss is achieved with a three-part approach including nutrition, weight training and “cardio” training. I’m not saying that basketball should replace your strength training. I’m suggesting that basketball or other sports can be a perfectly viable alternative to traditional aerobics or cardio if they’re high energy cost activities.

Using my new definition for fat burning exercise should help lift the fog of confusion that has been created by only defining fat burning exercise as”aerobics” or “cardio.”

The word “Aerobics” is somewhat restrictive in scope and definition. The possibilities for “expending energy” are endless.So now, go forth and Burn The Fat… however you choose to do it… just do it!

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
Burn the Fat Feed the MusclePS. By the way, you don’t see a lot of fat jiggling around the court in the NBA do you?

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: Click Here!

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Fast Weight Loss,Is It True?

The Truth About Fast Weight Loss
By Tom Venuto

Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle

WEIGHT LOSS POP QUIZ: What are 3 things that ALL 8 of these advertisements have in common?

“Burn 30 lbs in 3 weeks – no diet!”

“Lose 9 Pounds Every 11 Days!”

“Lose a pound a day without diet or exercise!”

“Lose 2 pounds a day without dieting!”

“Lose 30 pounds In 30 Days!”

“Lose 20 lbs in 3 weeks!”

“Burn 30 lbs in 25 days!”

“Lose 10 Pounds This Weekend!”

ANSWER: (1) They are all FALSE, (2) they are all DECEPTIVE…

I just did an Internet search for “how fast should you lose weight” and these are just a small sample of ACTUAL ADS that are running this very moment. They sure are enticing, aren’t they? They play on your emotions and on your desire for instant gratification.

But did you know that…

(3) these claims are all actually ILLEGAL, says the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

“We have known for some time now that there is a serious problem with weight-loss product advertising,” said FTC Chairman Timothy J. Muris. “Reputable marketers continue to take care to avoid false and misleading claims, but it appears that too many unscrupulous marketers are making false claims promising dramatic and effortless weight loss to sell their products. It is not fair to consumers; it is not fair to legitimate businesses, it is illegal, and it will not be tolerated.”

You might be asking, “Ummm, if it will not be tolerated, then why do we keep seeing these ads?” Ah yes, well, God bless the Internet, On Google, you can put up an ad and have it showing in 15 minutes. You can then have it taken down just as fast. Same goes for websites. The FTC couldn’t keep up with OFFLINE false advertising, how are they possibly going to keep up with it ONLINE??? And it’s only going to get worse.

There’s only so much the FTC and other consumer watchdog organizations can do. It’s up to YOU to educate YOURSELF and know the red flags and warning signs of bogus weight loss claims.

Here’s what else the FTC says about why these types of advertising claims are so damaging:

  • “The deceptive promotion of quick and easy weight loss solutions potentially fuels unrealistic expectations on the part of consumers. consumers who believe that it really is possible to lose a pound (of fat) a day may quickly lose interest in losing a pound a week.”
  • “The proliferation of “fast and easy” fixes undermines the reality of what it takes to lose weight. People who need to lose weight are buying empty promises.”

I believe that the weight loss education industry has been knocked a few steps backward in the last few years due to (1) the internet and (2) the horrendous reality TV shows that actually encourage people to attempt “extreme” body makeovers or see who can lose weight the fastest. The winners (or shall we say, the “losers”, as if that’s a flattering title to earn), are rewarded generously with fortune, fame and congratulations.

These shows are damaging and despicable. I’m shocked that so many millions tune in and I’m even more surprised how many people think this garbage is “inspiring.”

Let’s face it. Everyone wants to get the fat off as quickly as possible – and having that desire is not wrong – it’s simply human nature. Patience is the one thing you never seem to have when you’ve got a body fat problem. You want the fat gone and you want it gone now!

Like the FTC said, with what we see on TV these days and with web page after web page of fast weight loss claims, you actually start to believe it’s doable and you’re no longer interested in a healthy 1-2 lbs weight loss per week. In fact, you even see people with your own eyes losing weight incredibly fast. How do you deny it’s possible when you see THAT?

Well, the answer comes to you when you expand your time perspective and see where those people are 6, 12, 18 months from now. Deep in your heart, you KNOW the answer…

The faster you lose weight, the more muscle you will lose right along with the fat, and that can really mess up your metabolism.

An even bigger problem with fast weight loss is that it just won’t last. The faster you lose, the more likely you are to gain it back. It’s the the “yo-yo diet effect” – weight goes down, but always comes back up.

What Really Matters Is Not How Much WEIGHT You Lose, But How Much FAT You Lose

Where did your weight loss come from? Did you lose body fat or lean body mass? “Weight” is not the same as “fat.” Weight includes muscle, bone, internal organs as well as lots and lots of water…

Don’t Be Fooled By Water Weight Losses

One thing you should also know is that it’s very common to lose 3 – 5 pounds in the first week on nearly any diet and exercise program and often even more on low carb diets (because low carb diets deplete glycogen and every gram of glycogen holds 3 grams of water). Just remember, its NOT all fat – WATER LOSS IS NOT FAT LOSS – AND WATER LOSS IS TEMPORARY!

The only way to know if you’ve actually lost FAT is with body composition testing. For home body fat self-testing, I recommend the Accu-Measure skinfold caliper as first choice. Even better, get a multi site skinfold caliper test from an experienced tester at a health club, or even an underwater (hydrostatic) or air (bod pod) displacement test.

From literally hundreds of client case studies, I can confirm that it’s rare to lose more than 2 to 3 lbs of weight per week without losing some muscle along with it. If you lose muscle, you are damaging your metabolism and this will lead to a plateau and ultimately to weight relapse.

The Biggest Weight Loss Mistake That Is FATAL To Your Long Term Success

Lack of patience is one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to losing body fat. If you want to lose FAT, not muscle, and if you want to keep the fat off for good, then you have to take off the pounds slowly (of course, if you want to crash diet the weight off fast, lose muscle with the fat and gain all the fat back later, be my guest!).

This is one of the toughest lessons that overweight men and women have to learn – and they can be very hard learners. They fight kicking and screaming, insisting that they CAN and they MUST lose it faster.

Then you have these TV shows that encourage the masses that rapid, crash weight loss is okay. To the producers of these shows, I say SHAME ON YOU! To the personal trainers, registered dieticians and medical doctors who are associated with these programs, I say DOUBLE SHAME ON YOU, because you of all people should know better. These shows are not “motivating” or “inspiring” – they are DAMAGING! They are a DISGRACE!

The rapid weight loss being promoted by the media for the sake of ratings and by the weight loss companies for the sake of profits makes it even harder for legitimate fitness and nutrition professionals because our clients say, “But look at so and so on TV – he lost 26 pounds in a week!”

Sure, but 26 pounds of WHAT – and do you have any idea what the long term consequences are?

Short term thinking… foolish.

Do it the right way. The healthy way. Take off pounds slowly, and steadily with a sensible lifestyle program like my Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Program
that includes the important elements of cardio training, strength training and proper nutrition.

Measure your body fat, not just your body weight, and make this a new lifestyle, not a race, and you will never have to take the pounds off again, because they will be gone forever the first time.

Tom Venuto, author of
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Program

Founder & CEO of
Burn The Fat Inner Circle
Click Here

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is the author of the #1 best seller, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle: Fat Burning Secrets of the World’s Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom is a lifetime natural bodybuilder and fat loss expert who achieved an astonishing 3.7% body fat level without drugs or supplements. Discover how to increase your metabolism and burn stubborn body fat, find out which foods burn fat and which foods turn to fat, plus get a free fat loss report and mini course by visiting Tom’s site at: Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Program



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Is metabolism Important To Lose Fat? | Ask The Fat Loss Expert

About Your Physiology…

Q: How important is it to eat based on your metabolism
and eat the right foods for your metabolism? Do you touch
on this in your program?

A: Eating the right foods for your metabolism is so
important, that it is the difference between losing weight
and not losing weight. We are all individual and so are our
metabolisms. In order to pinpoint exactly which meal plan
will work best, I have included a Metabolic Typing Test so
my readers can determine exactly how they metabolize food
and which foods are “fat burning” foods and which foods are
“fat storing” foods. The results of this test have been a
true “AHA” moment for thousands of people, finally, maybe
for the first time, finding why they have not been able to
shed their unwanted fat before.

What I teach in The Diet Solution Program is exactly what
your body needs to maintain a lean and healthy body for a
lifetime.

Q: Do you think people can lose weight on a fat free diet?

A: Definitely not. The no-fat craze clearly made most Americans (and many other countries) gain more weight than ever before. Why? Because the right kind of fat is essential to the body and without it, your body can not metabolize the fat you don’t want. So unless you feed your body the fats that it needs, it literally holds on to all the fat you don’t need (and don’t want!). Eating a low fat or no fat meal plan is a huge mistake. Not only will you not lose weight but you may suffer from many conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease.
This is usually one of the most eye-opening chapters for most of my readers. They can’t believe they need to eat fat to lose fat and are amazed when they see the results first hand. Now, of course, eating unhealthy fats (like the ones found in French fries and burgers) is not the right approach. You must focus on the healthy fats (again, as Mother Nature intended).

Q: After reading The Diet Solution I discovered that I am a serious ‘Protein Type’ – what the main thing I should do to increase my energy?

A: The main thing is not to be afraid of eating healthy fat and healthy proteins. Everyone thinks chicken breasts and egg whites is the only way to lose weight but, especially for a protein type, that is not the case. Actually a protein type may gain weight by only eating low fat proteins and a low fat meal plan. Someone like you needs whole eggs, dark meat poultry, beef, and healthy fats.

Q: What exactly is Metabolic Typing and why is it so important for each of us to know our metabolic type?

A: Metabolic typing is actually a very old science-based way to determine which foods respond best to your body. The best way to describe this method is: the foods that an Eskimo would eat are clearly different than the foods a native Hawaiian would eat. Why? Because their natural ancestors and their environment dictate how their bodies will process and digest food. So an Eskimo will need a meal plan higher in healthy fats to keep warm and a Hawaiian will need a meal plan higher in veggies and fruits to stay cool. Now, it is often not this simple. Each and every person’s metabolism responds very differently to all food and can vary greatly from person to person. For example, I feel my best and stay at my ideal weight when I eat higher fat proteins along with lots of vegetables where as many of my clients do better with higher amounts of natural carbohydrates and lower fat proteins. My book provides a detailed, easy to answer test to determine your own personal metabolic type and then tells you exactly which foods are the best fit for you.

Q: Can people lose weight by just starving themselves?

A: Back in the caveman days, there were periods of feast and famine. Our bodies have a natural ability to make sure we do not die of starvation. This mechanism in our bodies holds on to every bit of fat and every calorie possible to keep us from dying. This is obviously no longer a risk in most countries, but this mechanism is still present in our bodies. So when people starve themselves all day, the body sees this as a potential risk, and holds on to every calorie and fat gram it possibly can. This is why people become extremely frustrated when they “don’t eat all day” and still don’t lose weight.
I know it seems counterproductive, but the only way to truly lose weight and keep it off is to start eating. But not processed unnatural foods. Your body will respond best to natural, wholesome foods and LOTS of them.

Q: How do companies get away with selling products with harmful chemicals in them?

A: I hate to say this but most food and pharmaceutical companies are really only concerned with one thing: money. So if they were to actually teach people the real truth behind how to lose weight and take control of their health, most of the food products, supplements and medications on the market today would be completely unnecessary. Let’s be honest. No one is going to get rich selling apples, you know?

I think many of these companies are also feeding off people’s emotions. The more addicted they get people to their products and diet foods, the more money they will continue to make. But if you were to get someone to their ideal weight with natural foods like veggies, fruits and natural meats, there would be no food addictions to diet foods and chemicals, just good healthy eating.
About Isabel…

Q: Isabel, tell us a little a bit about yourself, and what you do.

A: I am a NJ based Holistic Nutritionist and Exercise Specialist. I have a private practice in NJ and when I’m not seeing clients in my office I am writing books, newsletters, articles or speaking on the principles of healthy nutrition for weight loss and disease prevention. Basically, doing my best to communicate what true health is to the world.

Q: Isabel, I just finished your ebook, The Diet Solution, and get the sense of an interesting and diverse background. Can you tell a bit about yourself?

A: The Diet Solution Program is really a culmination of my search for answers to my own weight loss and health problems. I can remember going on my first “diet” in the 7th grade. You name the diet and I tried it. Not until I found the true answers to weight loss and how to keep it off was I able to finally reach my own ideal weight and level of health that I enjoy today.

It was also my mother’s and my grandmother’s struggle with obesity and type 2 Diabetes that led me to research how blood sugar affects our ability to lose and gain fat. As I studied Diabetes more and more, I found that the same principles that could be used to control a diabetic’s blood sugar were the same principles that all people needed to use to lose fat and keep it off. Once I figured this out, I was almost amazed at how easy the answer was the whole time and couldn’t believe all of the past unhealthy plans I had attempted with no success.

To learn more about Isabel’s ultimate and permanant Diet Soultion now!Click Here!

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Diet Compliance vs Cheating | Ask The Fat Loss Expert

Diet Compliance vs Cheating – How Strict Should You Be?

QUESTION: Hello Tom, I’ve been doing BFL for the past year, and did well at first, losing 3 dress sizes and 5% body fat, but then I totally hit a plateau and have had no more results since December. I’m wondering if I’ve been strict enough with my eating

I bought your ebook, Burn The Fat, and I’m very excited about the information I’ve read so far, but I need some clarification about the eating part.

I’ve been eating according to the BFL philosophy with one “cheat” day per week. What I’m reading in your Burn The Fat program is instead, to allow myself a couple of “cheat” meals any time during the week or on the weekend, but not to take an entire day off the program.

However, in your list of foods that turn to fat, you mention that certain foods should only be eaten very rarely. Does that mean that they shouldn’t even be eaten at a weekly cheat meal? I can live with that, but then, what constitutes a “cheat” meal, (for example, if my favorite hash browns aren’t allowed? :)

I know you get a billion emails, but I would really appreciate it if you have time to answer.

Kind regards,
Kathleen

ANSWER: It’s not productive in the long term to totally deprive yourself of foods you enjoy. What you have to do is find a sensible way to work even your most “sinful” favorite foods into your diet, but do it in an amount and frequency that doesn’t set you back or sabotage your progress. This can be done by allowing yourself some “cheat meals” (some people call them “free meals” or “reward meals.”)

One really good way to look at the “cheat meals” concept is in terms of “compliance,” which means, what percentage of your meals are following the guidelines of the program and what percentage are off the program.

Too many meals or days off the program and your results are compromised. Too many days in a row eating nothing but “rabbit food” and you go crazy with cravings, right?

How much you need to comply (stick with) your program varies from person to person. It depends a lot on how ambitious your goals are and on how responsive your body is to nutrition and exercise.

When making your decision, keep in mind we all have different genetics and body types, which is something I discuss in great detail in chapter 5 of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle (www.burnthefat.com).

Are you a carb-tolerant mesomorph who gains muscle easily and loses fat easily or are you a carb-sensitive endomorph who gains fat easily? Depending on the answer, your diet program may need to be more or less strict than others.

Don’t compare yourself to others – you have to get to know your own body type. Some people can “Get away with” more cheat meals and still make progress (Yeah, I hate them too!)

Unless you’re a competitor in physique sports like bodybuilding, fitness or figure, or you’re getting ready for some type of transformation challenge or photo shoot, I suggest at least 90% compliance.

Whether you adjust your level of compliance above 90% (get more “strict”) or below 90% (get more lenient), depends how far away or close you are from achieving your goals, and most importantly, on what kind of results you’re getting each week.

If you’re complying 90% of the time, and you are getting awesome results, you don’t have to change a thing, and you may be able to loosen up your diet a little. I know some people who are definitely only “on the program” 80% or 85% of the time and they look great.

90% compliance means you are following healthy nutritious, fat burning eating guidelines 9 meals out of 10. If you’re eating small frequent meals like the burn the fat program suggests, that’s 5 small meals a day X 7 days a week = 35 meals. 90% compliance means about 31-32 of those meals are spot-on! The other 3 or 4 are for you to enjoy special occasions, reward yourself, and live a little.

If you’re like most people, and you simply want to drop a few pounds, trim a few inches off your waistline and look better in shorts or in a swimsuit for summer, then 100% compliance is unrealistic AND unnecessary. 90% compliance is more realistic as a lifesytle, while being strict enough for most people to get results.

On the other hand, if you had a very ambitious goal like preparing for a figure or fitness competition and you thought you had to reach at least 12 or 13% body fat (which is very low for women), and you knew you would be onstage with judges looking at every inch of your body in a teeny bikini (paying very close attention to whether anything on your butt and thighs was “jiggling”), then you would want to be as strict as possible during the pre contest diet period (100% compliance or very close to it).

Keep in mind also, that this is a competitive situation and every time you “cheat” and your competitors don’t cheat, you decrease your probability of placing high in the contests.

Unless you have a competitive physique goal like this, however, then total deprivation of pleasure foods or cheat meals (100% compliance), is not necessary because you always tend to crave what you cannot have. That’s a binge waiting to happen.

I prefer this 90 or 95% compliance approach over the “entire day of cheating” approach, because I have seen people use the term “cheat day” pretty darn loosely (basically making it the equivalent of BINGE DAY), and they do a lot of damage in terms of setting their progress back.

They end up frantically playing “catch up” for the better half of the following week with punishing extra exercise and dietary deprivation. Slow and steady is better than binge and punish don’t you agree?

Allow yourself some leeway. Enjoy food. Enjoy life. Have your pizza, or chocoloate or your hash browns or whatever makes your stomach happy. It will help, not hurt in the long run. Just be sure to be mindful of your calorie limits, and when you say you are going to comply 90% of the time, then keep your promise to yourself and comply!

For more information about dieting for fat loss, visit: Click Here!
About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified personal trainer (CPT), certified strength & conditioning specialist (CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” Tom has written more than 200 articles and has been featured in print magazines such as IRONMAN, Australian IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide. For information on Tom’s Fat Loss program, visit: Click Here!

Notes from the admin, my own experience has taught me how important it can be to allow some flexibility in your eating choices.  Particularly important when looking at the long term permanent fat loss maintenance. Changing the overall habits in a way that is still enjoyable for your lifestyle I feel is critical to your ongoing success.  If you don’t feel too restricted or guilty the more likely you are to stay the course and enjoy the journey.  After all, the point is to lose fat easy, isn’t it?   If you found this post helpful or interesting, I thank you in advance for clicking the like button and sharing this info with others.  To your fat loss success,  Grant C.

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One Year On Diet And No Results? | Ask The Fat Loss Expert

How an Entire Year Could Go By With No Results
By Tom Venuto
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QUESTION: Dear Tom: I’ve been going to the gym for the past year now, but I have only lost 2 pounds. I eat about 1800 calories a day and I do 3 cardio and 3 weight training sessions a week. I am 5 feet 5 inches and 128 lbs. I would like to be at 120 lbs.

To lose 8 more lbs isn’t a lot to ask, but I’m really frustrated. I’ve been VERY persistent, and I rarely cheat except once each weekend, but at this rate, it will take me another 4 years for me to reach my goal! Please help!

Vicky

ANSWER:

Don’t worry, it won’t take another 4 years! In fact, you can reach your target weight within the next month if you start getting feedback, charting results and making some strategic changes to your program.
First, it’s important that you understand how a year could go by with almost no progress.
Have you been doing the same nutrition, same calories, same cardio, same weight training and the same intensity for the entire past year with no changes? If so, then you shouldn’t be surprised if you’v continued to get the SAME results (very little).
If you do more of the same, you usually get more of the same.
Caloric intake, for example is not something you calculate once and then never pay attention to again. Calories have to be calculated and customized for each individual in the beginning and then adjusted continuously in “real time” during the course of a fat loss program, based on actual results.

Just because you start at 1800 doesn’t mean your caloric intake should stay there. Calories may need to be increased or decreased depending on whether your goals, your body weight and your activity levels change and based on your weekly progress (or lack of).

Which brings me to another point. I am a huge fan of using progress charts. There is a saying in business management and sports coaching:

“What gets measured gets done.”

When you start “keeping score” and tracking performance right down to the numbers, it’s almost miraculous how this awareness of how you’re doing translates into improved results.

When you track your body composition results every week, if a week or two goes by with no results, then you don’t continue with more of what got you no results, you change some variable in your program immediately!

An old Turkish proverb that says,

“No matter how far you’ve traveled down the wrong road, always turn back!”

Of course, you don’t have to throw out your entire program, you can simply “tweak” ONE or maybe two variables within the same program.

Also, when you measure, track and analyze muscle versus fat (body composition), instead of just scale weight, you might even discover you’ve gained some lean body mass and this offsets the drop on the scale (which means it’s possible you made more progress than you thought).

Now, back to the calories. To break a plateau, you can take a reduction in calories, or an increase in activity, either of which will create a deficit if you are currently in energy balance, or increase your existing caloric deficit.

1800 calories may not provide a large enough deficit for some women, and in fact, the majority of women your height, weight and activity level usually are losing fat safely and successfully on 1500-1600 calories per day. (for men about 2200-2500 calories, avg.)

At the end of the day, fat loss boils down to calories in versus calories out, so if you plateau, you may need a simple calorie reduction, provided you don’t restrict too low for too long (which tends to trigger your body’s “starvation response.”)

As for your cardio program, 3 days a week of cardio works for many people, but usually, I would consider three weekly cardio sesssions a maintenenance workout or at best a starting point for beginners, NOT a “maximum fat loss” program.

Example: this week, you could increase your cardio from 3 sessions to 4 sessions. If you combine the decrease in food intake with an increase in calories burned through activity, that will almost certainly get you burning fat again.

If it does, then stay with 4 days a week of cardio. If not, the next week go up to 5 days a week. Repeat this simple “feedback loop” process as many times and for as long as necessary.

Also remember that more (often) is not always better. You can also increase the intensity and get more calories burned in same amount of time. This feedback loop process can be used to make decisions about your training intensity, duration and type, as well as frequency.

Whichever strategy you choose to break the plateau, remember Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity:

“Insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Although this seems like common sense to some people, what happened to you is really quite common because it does appear that you’re doing everything you’re “supposed to be doing” with perfectly good intentions.

You have have all the key elements there: You’re exercising (weights and cardio). You’re watching your nutrition, and you’ve been disciplined and consistent in following it.

The trouble with many popular programs – even good ones – is that they are too dogmatic. Their entire program may revolve around “X” number of calories, “X” days per week of cardio and “X” days a week of weights….

And you’re not allowed to “tamper” with that “holy grail” formula.

I can understand the rationale for a simple diet and exercise prescription for a beginner in order to not confuse them with too many choices, but what if it doesn’t work after a month, three months, six months, A WHOLE YEAR? What if there are no options, what then?

In NLP, there’s a principle, (borrowed from cybernetics), called The Law of Requisite Variety, which says,

“The person with the most flexibility is the person with the most power and the greatest chance for success.”

You need to know what to do when you’re not getting results… you need options and choices for breaking plateaus, and that’s important because plateaus happen to everyone – including me.

Some people think that hitting a fat loss plateau means there’s something wrong with them. But plateaus are natural and normal. In fact, you could look at it this way:

Hitting a plateau means your body is healthy and your body is functioning normally, because normal function of the body is to adapt effectively to stress, to protect you and to maintain homeostasis.

Exercise is a stress. Dieting is a stress. It’s natural for your body to adapt to them. When you adapt, you must place a new “positive stress” on the body if you want continued improvement.

If you want to learn more details about how to change your program to break plateaus and make continuous progress as fast as safely possible, then I recommend you take a look at Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle (BFFM).

BFFM has flexibility, feedback and performance tracking built right into it. Chapter 4 in BFFM teaches the “BFFM feedback loop method”, and shows you how to chart progress and adjust your diet and workouts on a weekly basis, to keep you making progress or get you back on track if your progress stalls out.

There is no reason to allow even a few weeks, let alone an entire year to go by without results. But you can’t expect to get different results if you continue doing more of what’s not working.

Keep after it! Be persistent… but also be flexible!

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
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About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: Click Here!

I can’t over emphasise how valuable tracking and measureing are to your success, both in fat loss and other pursuits.  Business taught me that if you can measure and track something, you can improve it!  I have found that to always be true.  My valued reader, if you found this post to be helpful and/or interesting, I thank you in advance for clicking the Like button and sharing it with others.  To your success beating the Fat Gremlins, Grant C.


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