About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book,
Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) 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: Click Here!

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author of Tubulence Training

My Top Five Fat Loss Tips

Men’s Fitness magazine recently asked me for 3 of my best fat loss
secrets. Since most times the magazines just don’t have enough space
to run my full tips, I thought I’d give you a more detailed
explanation of my secrets here (plus a few extra bonus tips that I
didn’t send to the magazine).

Fat Loss Tip #1 – Focus on burning carbohydrate, not fat, during your
fat-loss workouts.

Sounds backwards, right? But not when you look at how I structure
my workouts.

Remember that Turbulence Training focuses on resistance training
and interval training. Both of these use carbohydrate as the main
source of energy. So it’s obvious the workout is designed to burn
carbohydrates during the training session.

I have no interest in you trying to train in your “target heart
rate zone” for fat burning (aka – the fat burning zone). The whole
idea of a fat-burning zone is an over-simplified idea of how the
body works during exercise.

Leave the inefficient fat burning zone to the mis-educated trainers
in the commercial gyms (that not surprisingly, also want to sell you
a heart rate monitor so you can stay in your “fat burning heart
rate zone”).

If you want to get the most results in the least amount of time,
focus on burning carbohydrates, not fat.

Why do my fat loss workouts focus on burning carbohydrate rather
than fat?

In order to burn more calories after the workout, that’s why. When
you exercise with intervals and heavy resistance training, your body
uses more calories in the hours after exercise than it would if you
did traditional cardio and lifted lighter weights.

I call this ‘Turbulence’. By any name it gives you the same results
- maximum improvements in your body composition (helping you lose
fat while gaining muscle).

Fat Loss Tip #2 – Use a range of repetitions in your strength training
workouts.

In order to train more muscle fibers and burn more carbohydrates, I
have clients use a range of repetitions within the same workout.

The Turbulence Training workouts now use 6, 8, and 12 reps per set
in order to work the muscle the most effectively.

This will burn more carbohydrates and promote as much muscle growth
as possible when you are keeping the calories low.

Fat Loss Tip #3 - Use the stationary cycle for interval training.

I choose the stationary bike for intervals whenever possible
because cycling against a resistance can help maintain muscle mass.

Cycling against a resistance also allows you to perform a large
amount of mechanical work, and that is a key determinant of the
Turbulence in my training.

But please note: I don’t use low-intensity, fast pedaling ‘spinning’
intervals as I’m convinced that the hard, resistance based
intervals are more effective for fat loss. My clients only cycle
against a strong resistance in their intervals.

And while I really like the bike, but there are many other ways to
do intervals. Use what works for you, but if you are at a plateau,
try the bike.

Fat Loss Tip #4 – Increase meal frequency

Okay, so this isn’t really a secret to anyone that has read about
fat loss.

But a 2005 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer
calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering
post-meal insulin levels.

Combine an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and
fiber intake, and you’ll see your body composition improve rapidly.

If you need more nutrition help, then you’ll love the new
Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women – written by
Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.

See below for more details…

Fat Loss Tip #5 – My Synergistic Turbulence Training Workouts

My Turbulence Training Fat Loss workouts are fast becoming the most
effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get lean. The
synergistic strength training-interval training workouts are
efficient and effective – getting you in and out of the gym in
under an hour.

Here are some tips that you can use for an advanced training phase.
Use these advanced secrets for 2 weeks then return to your normal
training schedule:

a) Add 10 seconds to each interval but maintain the intensity

b) Add in some body weight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in
the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do
your body weight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits
first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or
later in the afternoon or evening)

If you are advanced, you can use squats, pushups, and body weight
rows for your circuit.

If you are a beginner, you could use lying hip extensions, modified
pushups, and stick-ups.

c) Add an extra set to each exercise in the first superset you do
in each workout.

Again, use these three tips for an advanced fat loss period of two
weeks, then return to a normal training schedule.

But always stick to the best fat loss nutrition plan possible.

If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne
Author, Turbulence Training

P.S. Big Nutrition Announcement!

The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women – written
by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., is ready for you.

Here are just some of the things you’ll learn from Dr. Mohr…

1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)

2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)

3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)

4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)

5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet
(p. 10)

6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)

7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods – find out which
food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)

8] The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)

9) Dr. Mohr’s 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)

10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)

11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)

12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)

Try Turbulence Training today:
Click Here!

Foods That Burn Fat: The Top 10 Lists

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Click Here!
Anytime the topic of discussion in my blogs, articles or newsletters has turned to my own personal grocery shopping list, there has always been a spike in interest. It seems that many people are not only curious about what foods a natural bodybuilder eats to maintain single digit body fat, but they also want to be taken by the hand and told exactly what foods to eat themselves while on fat-burning or muscle building programs. That’s why I decided to put together four separate “top 10” lists of healthy foods that burn fat and build muscle.

Exact quantities and menus are not listed, just the individual foods, and of course my food intake does vary. I aim to get as many different varieties of fruits and vegetables as possible over the course of every week and there are a lot of substitutions made, so you are not seeing the full list of everything I eat, only what foods I eat most of the time.

I also want to point out that while I don’t believe that extreme low carbs are necessary or most effective when you look at the long term, research has shown that there are some definite advantages to a low to moderate carb and higher protein diet for fat loss purposes. These include reduced appetite, higher thermic effect of food and “automatic” calorie control.

Personally, I reduce my carb intake moderately and temporarily prior to bodybuilding competitions. Specifically, it’s the foods that are on the starchy carbs and grains list that go down during the brief pre-competition period when I’m working on that really “ripped” look. I keep the green and fibrous veggie intake very high however, along with large amounts of lean protein, small amounts of fruit, and adequate amounts of essential fats.

This list reflects my personal preferences, so this is not a prescription to all readers to eat as I do. It’s very important for compliance to choose foods you enjoy and to have the option for a wide variety of choices. In the past several years, nutrition and obesity research – in studying ALL types of diets – has continued to conclude that almost any hypocaloric diet that is not completely “moronic” can work, at least in the short term.

It’s not so much about the high carb – low carb argument or any other debate as much as it is about calorie control and compliance. The trouble is, restricted diets and staying in a calorie deficit is difficult, so most people can’t stick with any program and they fall off the wagon, whichever wagon that may be.

I believe that a lot of our attention needs to shift away from pointless debates (for example, low carb vs. high carb is getting really old… so like… get over it everyone, its a calorie deficit that makes you lose weight, not the amount of carbs).

Instead, our focus should shift towards these questions:

* How can we build an eating program that we can enjoy while still getting us leaner and healthier?

* How can we build an eating program that helps us control calories?

* How can we build an eating program that improves compliance?

Here’s one good answer: Eat a wide variety of high nutrient density, low calorie density foods that you enjoy which still fit within healthy, fat-burning, muscle-building guidelines!

Here are the lists of foods I choose to achieve these three outcomes. This eating plan is not difficult to stick with at all, by the way. I enjoy eating like this and it feels almost weird not to eat like this after doing it for so long.

Remember, habits work in both directions, and as motivational speaker Jim Rohn has said, “Bad habits are easy to form and hard to live with and good habits are hard to form but easy to live with.”

These are listed in the order I frequently consume them. So for example, if oatmeal is on the top of the list, it means that is the food I am most likely to eat every single day.

My 10 top natural starchy carb and whole grains

1. Oatmeal (old fashioned)
2. Yams
3. Brown rice (a favorite is basmati, a long grain aromatic rice)
4. Sweet potatoes (almost same as yams)
5. Multi grain hot cereal (mix or barley, oats, rye. titricale and a few others)
6. White potatoes
7. 100% whole wheat bread
8. 100% whole wheat pasta
9. Beans (great for healthy chili recipes)
10. Cream of rice hot cereal

My Top 10 top vegetables

1. Broccoli
2. Asparagus
3. Spinach
4. Salad greens
5. Tomatoes
6. Peppers (green, red or yellow)
7. Onions
8. Mushrooms
9. Cucumbers
10. Zucchini

My top 10 lean proteins

1. Egg whites (whole eggs in limited quantities)
2. Whey or Casein protein (protein powder supplements)
3. Chicken Breast
4. Salmon (wild Alaskan)
5. Turkey Breast
6. Top round steak (grass fed beef)
7. Flank Steak (grass fed beef)
8. Lean Ground Turkey
9. Bison/Buffalo
10. Trout

My top 10 fruits

1. Grapefruit
2. Apples
3. Blueberries
4. Cantaloupe
5. Oranges
6. Bananas
7. Peaches
8. Grapes
9. Strawberries
10. Pineapple

Note: I DO include healthy fats as well, such as walnuts, almonds, extra virgin olive oil, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil (supplement – not to cook with), avocado and a few others.

Also, I do eat dairy products and have nothing against them, nor am I lactose intolerant. I simply don’t eat as much dairy as the rest of the stuff on my lists. When I eat dairy, its usually skim milk, low or non fat cottage cheese, low or non fat yogurt and low or non fat cheese (great for omelettes).

Last but not least, I usually follow a compliance rate of about 95%, which means I take two or three meals per week of whatever I want (stuff that is NOT on these lists – like pizza, sushi, big fatty restaurant steaks, etc)

I hope you found this helpful and interesting. Keep in mind, this is MY food list, and although you probably couldn’t go wrong to emulate it, you need to choose natural foods you enjoy in order to develop habits you can stick with long term. In the fruits and vegetables categories alone, there are hundreds of other choices out there, so enjoy them all!

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!

A few additional thoughts I feel important to note. If you,like myself are insulin intolerant ( as are an estimated 40% of the adult American population)You need to be aware of your complex carbohydrate consumption. Those are the starch and grain foods. As author Tom Venuto points out in his other writings, he does not suffer that condition. Those of us that do, simply dont’ do as well with the starch carbs, they trigger fat storage in our bodies. The good news is that in my own personal experience I have found that severely limiting those types of carbs in my bulk fat loss program hastened the fat loss. I have also found that during the last years of maintaining my desired body fat percentage (14 to 16%) I can eat the starches without problems. I still have to be moderate with them, but I enjoy them whenever the urge strikes me. Certainly possible that by improving my overall health and changing my eating habits that I am not near as sensitive to starches as I once was. I cannot stress more urgently that to win your fight with the Fat Gremlins it behoves you to learn all you can about how the body works. When you can identify the type of specific metabolism that you have, what hormones cause fat storage, which ones initiate fat burning, how to exercise to release fat buning hormones, how blood sugar levels affect you, it becomes so much easier to put together you own fat burning and fat loss food lists. I have found that the more you know the how and why, the easier it is to create new habits. For the best all in one primer on how and why the body works in respect to fat loss and fat storage, I have found no better than Tom Venuto’s book. There are other good publications on the topic, some that present enough in simpler terms to be effective, none as thorough and comprehensive as Tom’s.   Should you find the above article helpful, I thank you in advance for clicking the like button and sharing the info with others.  To your success, Grant C.

The Little Thing in Your Head That’s Keeping You Fat

By Tom Venuto
Click Here!
I have no doubt that a scientist somewhere just read the title of this article and said out loud, “YES! Venuto is right! That little thing in your head – the hypothalamus – it IS the thing that is keeping you fat! By George, that Venuto guy isn’t a dumb bodybuilder after all – he’s been doing his research!” At which moment, I will be shaking my head and thinking, “you need to get out of the laboratory and into the real world, with real people, buddy.” Okay, okay, to be fair, Neuro-endocrine control of appetite and body fat really is quite fascinating. But today, I’m talking about PSYCH-ology, not PHYSI-ology. The little thing in your head that’s keeping you fat is actually just a….

Limiting belief!

Self-limiting beliefs are among the biggest problems that people deal with in their struggles to achieve a healthy ideal weight. They’re also one of the reasons that so many people start to falter or fall off the diet and exercise wagon as early as late January or early February in their New Year’s goal pursuits.

If you’re that science guy I spoke of and you’re about to bail because you’re thinking, “Here we go again… another psycho-babble, self help article,” then think again. A belief is the force behind the placebo effect, which is well known by every scientist and medical professional. A respected doctor gives a patient a pill and is told it’s a powerful drug. The patient gets well immediately, not knowing that the “miraculous” substance was a dummy pill. Inert. Sugar. The miracle was in the mind.

But beliefs are not only involved in the mind-body connection, they are unconscious programs that control your behavior. The most important factor in whether you achieve the body and the health you want is NOT what diet or training program you follow. It’s what makes you follow your diet and training program. And guess what? What you believe controls your behavior – whether you will stick with your program or sabotage it with cheating, bingeing or inconsistency.

What to do about limiting beliefs

Ok, so now you agree that beliefs are psychological factors that affect you physically by controlling your behavior, including your eating, exercising and lifestyle. What now? 3 steps. 2 questions.

STEP 1: IDENTIFY LIMITING BELIEFS

You are fully aware of many of your beliefs. For example, beliefs about spirituality or politics are usually in the front of your conscious mind.

But the beliefs that hold back your health and physical development the most are usually the ones you don’t even know you have. They are like unconscious “brain software,” running silently in the background.

So the first step is to bring those unconscious and potentially damaging beliefs up to the surface so you are aware of them. You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know you have one.

2 Quick Questions That Will Help Draw Out Your Beliefs

Beliefs can go back to childhood, but don’t worry, you don’t have to go to a psychotherapist and be regressed back to kindergarten. It’s simpler than that. But it does pay to do this questioning process as a formal “exercise” with serious quiet time, with pen and paper (instead of just thinking about it).

Question #1: What causes me to be overweight (or unhealthy, or not having the body I want)?

Question #2: What’s preventing me from getting leaner? (or healthier?)

Spend some time with it and see how big of a list you can create. Ask yourself whether each belief helps or hurts you. Does it move you forward or backward. Does it empower or disempower you? The ones that hurt you or hold you back will be obvious. You may come up with beliefs such as:

“I’m overweight and I can’t get leaner because”:

I have no time
I’m too old
I can’t stop eating
I hate exercise
You just can’t do it when you have 4 kids
It’s impossible after having a hip replacement

But the million dollar question is: are these beliefs actually true?

Beliefs are not facts. You may hold your beliefs as absolute reality, but when you deconstruct them and challenge them, you may see that they don’t hold any water.

Self limiting beliefs are false interpretations (negative thought patterns) that hold you back. And you keep holding on to them because making excuses and staying the same is a lot more convenient than changing, isn’t it? Change requires hard work, effort and leaving your comfort zone.

Your mission now: weaken the limiting beliefs and get rid of them

STEP 2: CHALLENGE THOSE BELIEFS

How do you challenge a belief? 4 ways:

(A) Challenge it directly: Is the belief even valid at all? See if you can find a “counter example” that disproves your belief. For example; if you think that after you’ve had 3 or 4 kids, it’s impossible to get a nice flat stomach, what will you say after I introduce you to a dozen of my clients and readers who had 3 or 4 kids and went from bulging belly to rock-hard flat stomach? If they did it, then how could your belief be valid? Answer: It WASN’T! You believed something false and inaccurate and it was holding you back!

(B) Challenge the source: Is it your belief, or have you been living what your parents, peers or culture handed down to you? Just the realization that a belief wasn’t yours to begin with is enough to shatter it.

(C) Challenge the usefulness of the belief: Ok, so you believed something when you were younger. Does still believing it has any usefulness today? Does it help you move closer to what you want in your life today? If not, then wouldn’t today be a good time to get rid of it?

(D) Challenging the belief by weighing the consequences: If you keep this belief, what is it going to cost you? What will the pain be like? What will you miss? And what will these consequences be if you don’t change it NOW?

STEP 3: INSTALL A NEW BELIEF

Nature abhors a vacuum, as Spinoza once said. You don’t simply get rid of a belief, you must also replace it. What things would you want and need to believe instead that would create positive behaviors that would move you toward your goal? Write them down, then massage them into an affirmation. For example, if you’ve hung your hat on the belief that you didn’t have time to exercise, could you write a new affirmation of belief similar to this?

“I’m a very busy person, so that means I must set clear priorities and I must keep my health and body on the top of my priority list. I always schedule time for my most important priorities, I am efficient with my training, and I use every minute of my day wisely. And if Barack Obama, the busiest person in the world, can train for 45 minutes a day 6 days a week, there’s no excuse for me. I can do it too.”

Write down your new belief affirmations and read them, right along with your goals, every day.
Then “activate” this affirmation by doing what Olympic and professional athletes do: engaging in mental rehearsal. Visualize yourself carrying out the behaviors that this belief would generate. Think about and feel what it would be like to take those positive actions steps and play mental movies of how your life would change by doing so. Involve all your senses: see it, hear it, feel it.

Keep it up until you start to see your behavior change and your habitual actions come into alignment with your goals/intentions. If you’re diligent, you’ll see changes in attitude and behavior with 21-30 days. It may happen sooner. It may take longer if you’ve carried deep, lifelong limiting beliefs. But in less than a month, the roots of the new belief pattern will be formed.

Then you can update your goals and affirmations to reflect your current priorities and move on to the next goal you want to achieve or the next limiting belief you want to change. Keep THAT up, and pretty soon, you will be LIMIT-LESS!

BELIEVE ME, spending quality time understanding and working on your beliefs is a lot more productive than spending time in forums arguing about whether a low carb program is better than a high carb program… or even whether the cure for obesity is found in the arcuate nucleus of the lower hypothalamus. It’s in your head all right… but most people have been looking in the wrong place.

Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
Click Here!
About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) 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: Click Here!

5 Excuses That Won’t Fly in 2011

By Tom Venuto
Click Here!

It’s 2011. Your old excuses for not getting in shape won’t work. As Dr. Evil (Austin Powers) said, ZIP IT! I don’t want to hear them anymore! Read em’, then haul your excuseless butt to the gym!

1. I have no time.

According to a story in a recent issue of Men’s Health magazine, Barack Obama works out for 45 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Obama doesn’t just play basketball either. Our new president stays fit to lead with cardio and weight lifting. He also says he wishes he could train 90 minutes a day. Have you ever seen what the daily schedule of a U.S. president looks like? If the busiest man in the world can train every day for 45 minutes a day, then what’s your excuse? ZIP IT! You ain’t got one!

2. It’s too expensive.

Getting in shape certainly is expensive… if you keep wasting hundreds of dollars, month after month on worthless “miracle” weight loss pills, internal cleansing gimmicks and “magic” potions that all claim to make you slim. Deceptive advertising and slick marketing for bogus diet aids is more rampant than ever. 2010 was the year of thewu-long tea scam, the acai berry scam, and, of course, the ubiquitous “cleansing” and “detox” gimmicks . Unless you put on your critical thinking cap and learn to investigate before you invest, then you’ll get scammed by 2011’s flavor of the year as well. Your quest for those elusive “6-pack” abs will not only continue to be expensive, you’ll go broke. Walking, jogging, calisthenics and body weight exercises are FREE. If you want to know what’s really expensive, tally up the cost of legitimate expenses like natural food, gym memberships, fitness education, dumbbells and so on, and compare that to your doctor’s bill when you’re sick.

3. No one will support me.

Experts on social influence say your income will be approximately equal to the average of your 5 closest friends. Not only do I think that’s pretty darn accurate, I also believe that your health is your greatest wealth, and your physical condition will be about equal to the average of your 5 closest friends. It’s a real challenge to stay positive, focused and active when you’re surrounded by critical people and negative influences. However, in 2011, lack of support is no longer a valid excuse. Online social networking is exploding (check out Twitter and Facebook ) and more IN PERSON friendships and associations are being made from an internet connection than ever before. Training buddies can be found online. Connect with them. Mentors and coaches are easily found online. Hire them. Support forums have been around for years. Use them. No support from your current friends? Stop whining, start reaching out and go make new ones. In 2011, support partners and new friends are just a click away.

4. I can’t lose weight because of my genetics.

The marvels of modern medical and biological research are astonishing. Our top scientists have mapped the human genome! In the past few years, numerous genes linked to obesity have been discovered. However, the obesity epidemic we’re facing today has only developed over the past 50 years and genetic mutations that lead to serious obesity are extremely rare. Genetic predisposition only means that you have a tendency. It’s when the genetics meet lifestyle and environment that the genes express themselves. If you have a family history of heart disease, is it smart to smoke, eat junk, be a stressed-out, type-A maniac and a couch potato? Well of course not, and it’s the same with obesity. If you have a tendency predisposing you towards obesity, you’d better be the person doing the MOST exercise, not the least. You’d better be the person paying the MOST attention to your nutrition. You’d better be the person with the healthiest lifestyle. But unfortunately, it’s usually the opposite. Most people throw up their arms in frustration saying, “what’s the use, I was dealt a bad hand.” Sorry. That won’t fly in 2011. The latest research says genetics are a factor, but a tendency is not a destiny!

5. I don’t know how.

The lamest excuse of them all in 2011 is “I don’t know how.” NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL AFTER THEY HAVE ACTUALLY DONE IT! Ponder that for a while. You don’t need to know how at first. To get started, you only need to know WHAT… what is the goal? Setting well-formed goals is the master skill of success. Not wishy-washy resolutions that have no resolve behind them, but real goals. In writing. With emotional ooompf! As you continue to affirm, visualize and focus on your goal with clarity, belief, and expectation, your new goal or intention will be received by your subconscious. Once a goal is accepted into your subconscious mind, your brain, being a goal-seeking mechanism, will turn on your attention filters to seek out all the information you will ever need to reach your goal. It will also turn on an infallible navigation system to guide you to your goal like a torpedo to its target. As your brain guides your attention, your direction and your behavior, you will discover that today, in 2011, there is more good information, coaching and instruction available than ever before. And when you’ve activated that “success radar” in your brain by setting goals effectively, it’s not as hard to find honest, accurate and helpful HOW-TO advice as you might think. In fact, you found this webpage, so you’re doing pretty good right now, aren’t you?

No more excuses. In 2011, remember my Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle Creed: You can either make excuses or get results, but you can’t do both!

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
Click Here!
About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) 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: Click Here!

This outline is the initial strategy I put together when I finally, after 35 yrs. of being Yo-Yo Weight Boy, decided to lose the fat for good!   This basic framework worked for myself and those I shared it with.  It is based around real science of how the body functions, no magic potions, no trendy “new discoveries”, just rock solid facts and logic.  The exciting part of this plan is that you can adjust the intensity at your pleasure.  Start mild and evolve into it at your own speed.  One absolute truth that I learned about weight control,  if you feel restricted or it just plain isn’t any fun, you won’t stay the course.  It will become just another failed “Diet Plan” relegated to collect dust like the ones before it!   Here is what turned out to be the cornerstone of my personal success at beating the Fat Gremlins that had plagued me for so long:  Change your mindset about food.   Food is merely fuel for the body.   When I changed my thinking of food as fuel, it became easier and easier to eat the right foods, to the point of where I didn’t even have to stop and analyze what I was about to eat anymore.  Food also functions like a drug in the body.  It effects how our organs and glands work ( glands create and secrete hormones into our body, it is certain hormones that tell our body to burn the fuel or store it as fat).  If you question my analogy of food as a drug, think about how you feel ten minutes after ingesting a large amount of refined sugar!   Yes, food can even cause and control mood swings for example.   The short Cliff Notes version is this: Avoid refined sugar as if it is the black plague ( white death if you prefer)  and reduce or eliminate complex carbohydrates ( starches) depending on your body type.  I mention the choice there because some folks do well with starches, most overweight people do not .  I’ll explain more later in the article.  Now this is probably not new data to you, it is all in the execution though isn’t it?   So let’s get started with a plan that is easy,  has no calorie counting, no restriction on how much you can eat, no weights and measures needed, no mandatory exercise ( exercise is a good thing, just not required to lose body fat) and no magic elixirs required.

Let’s begin with a short refresher course on what the components are that make up the food we are going to be fueling our body with.  They are:  Protein (amino acids) with a caloric value of 4 per gram, Fats with a caloric value of 9 per gram and Carbohydrates ( both simple & complex) with a caloric value of 4 per gram.  I know I stated calories aren’t important, they aren’t, however, the more you know, the better I believe.  The final component is Vitamins and Minerals ( our bodies cannot function correctly with out them, and in the proper amounts).

SUGAR, any added sugar to our food/fuel is to be avoided like the Black Plague! Even though our body converts the fuel we ingest into a sugar (glucose) in order to burn it as fuel, added sugars (refined) are to viewed as evil incarnate, white or brown death if you will.  I am being dramatic to drive home a point.  Those of us that tend to store fat, from what I read and see around me, that would be a majority of us living in America, you need to view sugar as going directly from your mouth to fat storage.  Your body requires sugars, we burn them for energy, however you will get all need from fresh fruit (natural fructose) and simple carbohydrate ( all of the vegetable family).   Simple carbs (vegetables/fruits) take approx. 20 minutes for the body to convert to usable glucose for the body to burn,  Fruit is faster as the natural fructose is pretty much ready to burn in it’s natural form.  Refined sugar is also virtually ready to go and can be in the blood stream within minutes where the body either burns it or if it thinks it does not need it, stores it as fat.  The typical diet in America where processed foods are so plentiful is making us fat!   Manufacturers use sugar as a preservative and also an enticement.  Sugar is a drug for the body, it likes the initial energy spike, it wants more, sugar is an addictive substance to our body.  If you do nothing else but reduce and or eliminate added sugar to your food/fuel you will see your body lose fat.  How much and how fast is determined by how much added (refined) sugar you ingest.  The mindset that worked for me was: if it comes in a box,can or bottle, I probably don’t want to put it in my body! Now it is unrealistic to think one can absolutely remove all added sugar from thier fuel/food, however, with this mindset you can easily chop out  75% or more.   Remember, sugar is the prime culprit in storing fat, not fat, not protein.  It will shock you when you start reading labels at just how much sugar is added.  You can find products in a box,can or bottle without any added sugar, you just have to be vigilant.  Before you get dismayed at the thought of cutting down your sugar intake, let me share a personal observation that I experienced.   I gradually reduced my sugar intake, after a while I started noticing that when I did ingest sugar I didn’t  feel as good a few minutes later.  I also noticed I couldn’t eat very much of it, it was simply too sweet.  The upside of that was I really didn’t want the extra sugar and havn’t felt deprived at all.  I do on occasion eat something sweet/desert like without any problem, nature built in a self limiting feature now that I have my body working like it was intended.  Oh, a reminder, alcohol is pure sugar.

PROTEIN,  is an essential building block for the human body, without it for example, our muscle tissue could not replenish or grow.  There are approximately 28 amino acids (proteins) that are generally considered essential to sustain the human body in good stead.  Many are available in fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and dairy products.  Some are available in meats only.  You can eat all the protein you want.  Advisable if you are in fat loss mode to concentrate on lean meats, i.e. fish, fowl & lean pork ( think pork chops).  Beef is a good source of amino acids, harder to digest though, recommend you only have it 2 to 3 times a week in fat loss mode.   Protein will not go to fat on your body.

FATS,  are also essential to our survival, it is the connector that holds our cells together.  Now I encourage you to show some restraint in fat content ( remember they are over twice the calorie value of fats and proteins) that said, however, the natural fats found in nature will not harm you.  Real butter, never margarine.  Olive oil only.  Nuts ( almonds are the highest protein/lowest fat/nut) raw only. Cheese.  The body is designed to utilize natural fats.  What I have learned is that fat does not make you fat.

STARCHES ( COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATE ), examples of starches are potatoes, wheat, rice, pasta etc.  All the stuff that is so filling.  When I added starches to my “no sugar zone” my fat loss increased dramatically.  Remember earlier I made mention of not all bodies being the same?  Starches take approximately 3 hours before the body can  convert them to a useable food.   Some bodies do well with starches, natures time delay energy source.  Many, and most overweight bodies do not process starches well.  For us, they go right to fat storage.   Many years ago I heard this simple self test and have found it to be very accurate.  If after eating a starch laden meal, in 20 or so minutes you feel sluggish, tired could take a nap, well your body does not do well with starches.  Best policy for fat loss is eliminate them as much as possible from your fuel choices.

What does this mean to our fuel choices?   Easy, you can fuel with all of the fresh vegetables and fruit you desire.  Eat lean fish and fowl aplenty, beef on occasion.  Cheese, eggs, raw nuts and seeds.  Limit starches, moderation.  If you fall into the category of being 30 or more lbs. overweight ( clinically obese) for you healths sake you should eliminate starches altogether.  At least until you are close to your target weight.

VITAMINS & MINERALS,  are the other required component to our good health.  Without them our bodies could not perform the bio-chemical and bio-electrical functions that keep us alive.  With out them we would not produce the various hormones required.  Hormones are what tell our body when and where to store fat, or to burn it.  It is true that you can get all the vitamins and minerals you require through food.  However, it can be a daunting task to eat enough of the right stuff to fill all the needs.  I recommend without reservation that you aquire a good quality multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, it takes the guess work out of the equation.  The more efficient the body is working the faster it burns off the excess fat.

Let’s begin losing weight right now!

Now to tie this together, what I have found is that to beat the Fat Gremlins permanently we have to effect a lifestyle change, change our state of mind if you will.   Drastic and immediate change is often difficult, most of us resist change.  The following tips are how I eased into it.  The world of psychology tells us that it takes approximately 30 days for the average adult to change a habit.  My personal experience holds that to be accurate.   I put together a simple mantra for myself .  I posted it on my mirror, refridgerator and cards I could carry.  I read it every morning , when I felt hungry and when I went to bed.

I WILL FUEL MY BODY WITH GOOD FUEL, WHENEVER I AM HUNGRY

I WILL AVOID ADDED SUGAR LIKE IT IS THE BLACK PLAGUE OF DEATH

I WILL REDUCE, THEN ELIMINATE STARCHES FROM MY FUEL

I WILL DRINK MORE WATER & TAKE A DAILY VITAMIN/MINERAL SUPPLEMENT

That is the mantra I used to change my mindset.  A few additional thoughts:   If you are hungry, eat!  It is better to eat smaller amounts through out the day, actually keeps the metabolism working.  Besides, hungry is no fun and could dissuade you from your game plan. Every Time you go to eat anything, ask yourself these questions.   Do I need this because I am hungry?  Do I need this because I feel low on energy?  Am I eating out of habit, or boredom?  Am I eating this just for the taste?   Is this good useable fuel for my body?  I also suggest making a game with yourself.   See how many times a day you decide you don’t need that food right now.   You may eat it in 15 minutes, but you don’t eat it right now. Pick a time in the evening ( 9:00 pm is mine ) as a target that you won’t fuel your body after that time.  Face it, our metabolism is hardly in high gear while we sleep.  The point of this is to make it easy to transition your thinking and habits.  The profound discovery I made was that the further along this path I got, the less I desired sugars and starches.  What happened was I began to feel so much better and have more energy that I did not like the way my body felt after eating bad fuel.  I truly lost all desire for all the bad food/fuel I had been eating .  The point of this is to lose fat easy.  That is how I finally took control of my body.  It is a great starting point and you will see and feel results.   As you transition to your new mindset you may wish to add more tools, learn which foods actually encourage the body to burn fat, add some types of exercise etc, learn more about which vitamins and minerals do what for the body.  I definitely encourage you on that path, however, success in beating the Fat Gremlins begins with a good foundation in place that you don’t feel is complicated or deprives you.  Remember your new mantra,  Food is merely fuel for the body! To your success,  Grant C.