(This is a guest post by Tom Venuto, author of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle)

“How can I gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?” That’s right up there with “How do I get six pack abs” as one of the most frequently asked fitness questions of all time. The problem is, when you ask it, you get all kinds of conflicting answers - even from experts who are supposed to know these things. So what’s the deal? Is it really possible to lose fat and build muscle simultaneously?

Short answer: Yes, you can gain muscle and lose fat at the “same time.”

Long answer: It’s difficult and it’s complicated. Allow me to explain….

First we have the issue of whether you really lose fat and gain muscle at the “same time.”

Well, yes, if your definition of the “same time” is say, a month or 12 weeks. But in that case, you’re probably not gaining muscle at the “same time” literally speaking, as in, right now this very moment you are reading this, or 7 days a week, 24 hours a day for months in a row.

The best explanation for what’s really happening is that you alternate between periods of caloric surplus (anabolism) and caloric deficit (catabolism) and the net result is a gain in muscle and a loss in body fat.

You see, if you stay in a calorie surplus, it’s the body’s natural tendency for body fat and lean body mass to go up together. And if you stay in a calorie deficit, it’s your body’s natural tendency for body fat and lean body mass to go down together.

There may be exceptions, but the general rule is that it is very difficult to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time - the mechanisms are mostly antagonistic to one another. When it does happen, it’s almost always the result of “unusual conditions” - I call them X factors.

The 4 X-Factors

The first X-factor is “training age” . Ever hear of “newbie gains?” The less trained your body is and the further you are from your genetic potential, the easier it is to gain muscle. The reverse is also true - an advanced bodybuilder with 20 years experience would be thrilled just to gain a few pounds of solid dry muscle in a year!

The second x factor is muscle memory. It’s easier to regain muscle you’ve lost than it is to gain new muscle in the first place (ergo, the fat out of shape semi retired bodybuilder who starts training again and blows up and gets ripped “overnight”).

The third X factor is genetics (or somatotype). Ever heard of the “genetic freak?” That’s the dude who sprouts muscle like weeds even when he’s on the “50-50 diet” (50% McDonald’s and 50% pizza)… and he never gets fat. (That dude chose the right parents!)

The fourth X factor is drugs. It would stun (or sadden) you if you knew how many people take performance and physique-enhancing drugs. I’m not just talking about pro bodybuilders, I’m talking about “Joe six pack” in the gym - not to mention those fitness models you idolize in the magazines. How did they get large muscle gains with concurrent fat loss? Chemicals.

I’m not a gambling man, but I’ll place a wager on this any day: I’ll bet that in 99% of the cases of large muscle gains with concurrent large fat losses, one or more of these x factors were present.

That’s not all! There are actually 5 more X factors related to your body composition and diet status (the X2 factors). But I’ll have to talk about those later.

So you’re not a beginner, you don’t take roids, you’re not a genetic freak and you have no muscle memory to take advantage of. Are you S.O.L? Well, I do want you to be realistic about your goals, but…

There IS a way for the average person to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

The Secret: You have to change your “temporal perspective!”

Traditionally nutritionists and fitness pros have only looked at calorie balance in terms of 24 hour periods. At midnight, you could tally up the calories like a shopkeeper closing out his register, and if the balance were positive, you’d say you were in a surplus for the day. If the balance were negative, you’d say you were in a deficit for the day.

But it’s entirely possible that you might pass through periods of “within-day” surplus where you were in a highly anabolic state (for example, you eat the biggest, highest carb meal of the day after your workout), and you were in a deficit the rest of the day.

If you did intense weight training, and you timed your nutrient intake appropriately, Isn’t it possible that you could gain a small amount of muscle during those anabolic hours, while losing fat the rest of the day? Granted it might only be grams or ounces - but what if you kept that up for a week? A month? Three months?

As you pan out and look at the bigger picture, what if most days of the week you were in a deficit for the entire day, and on some days you were in a surplus? If so, then isn’t it possible that over the course of the week, you’d have a small net gain of muscle and loss of body fat a a result of the caloric fluctuation?

These within-day and within-week phases are called microcycles and mesocycles. If you also had a primary goal with a longer term focus of several months, say 12 weeks or 16 weeks, that would be a macrocycle.

What I’ve just described is nutritional periodization. Some people call it cyclical dieting. it’s where you manipulate your calories (primarily by fluctuating carbohydrate intake, hence “carb cycling”) in order to intentionally zig zag your way through periods of surplus and deficit and create specific hormonal responses.

The end result: muscle gain and fat loss during the same time period!

I know that someone out there is having a hissy fit because I’ve only talked about calories: deficits and surpluses. Rightfully so. Calories matter but there’s more to it than calories - most importantly, hormones and “nutrient partitioning.”

If you’re in a calorie deficit you are going to pull energy from your body.The question is: From WHERE? If your hormones are out of whack and you’re eating crap, you could lose more muscle than fat in a deficit and gain almost pure fat, not muscle, in a surplus!

But WHAT IF you could manipulate within day energy balance, use nutritional periodization AND control your hormones with food and lifestyle strategies?

AHA! NOW you can see how concurrent muscle gain and fat loss are starting to look possible!

Make no mistake - concurrent muscle gain and fat loss is a difficult goal to achieve. The good news: difficult does not mean impossible. Or as George Santayana said, “The difficult is that which can be done immediately, the impossible, that which takes a little longer.”

The Holy Grail Body Transformation Program: How to Gain Muscle and Lose Fat at The Same Time

You can learn more about gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time in Tom Venuto’s new e-book called, “The Holy Grail Body Transformation System“

You’ll learn all about nutritional periodization, cyclical dieting, hormonal manipulation, within day energy balance, nutrient partitioning, AND the all the X factors, including the 5 “X2-Factors” - which are the keys to gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time.

You’ll also get Tom’s new “TNB” training system, as seen in Men’s Fitness magazine (the complete, expanded version that Men’s Fitness didn’t have room to print).

At the moment, The Holy Grail ebook is not for sale separately and there are only two ways you can get it.

From now until Midnight (PST), March 5th, 2010, you can get a copy of the Holy Grail Body Transformation program ebook for FREE when you purchase the Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle e-book from this web page:
BurnTheFat.com

The other way you can a a copy is by joining the Burn the Fat Inner Circle at:
BurnTheFat.com/innercircle

Burn the Fat Inner Circle is an amazing fat loss support community. I encourage you to visit it to learn all about this group of supportive fat loss achievers and how they and Tom can help you accomplish your own goals.

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I’ve been working out consistently for years and lost enough fat to be at a healthy weight and body fat level. It dawned on me that I was over trained by spending 5 days a week (1.5 hours per session) at the gym and teaching group exercise in the evenings.

After reading Joey Atlas’ Fat Loss Manifesto and listening to him on Fat Loss 4 Busy Women, I decided to reduce my training to 4 times a week (1 hour per session).

Here are some positive effects that I’ve been experiencing since I exercise less…

1. Less cravings

My cravings are usually for dark chocolate, which I haven’t eaten for 2 months. I’m also eating less food since I’m not as hungry as before.

2. Less tired

I feel more energised, alert and take less naps.

Previously, I was fatigued, moody and always needed a nap after my long workouts.

3. Weight loss

By eating less, I lost some weight.

What I learned from Joey is that too much of the wrong exercise can cause over eating and weight gain. This is known as compensation.

After exercising, some people become hungrier and wanting to eat more.

a) If they consume more calories than burned –> weight gain
b) If they calories consumed is equal to calories burned –> weight unchanged

Some even think they can reward themselves with bad choices of food. It takes about 1 hour to burn 400-500 calories by running on a treadmill. This can easily be wiped out by consuming a large burger or a donut with cream in 5 minutes! No amount of exercise can beat a bad diet.

Other compensatory effects include more naps and less movements post exercise.

The bottom line is what you eat matters more than how much you exercise.

Nevertheless, you must not give up on exercising. There are many health benefits to exercise such as reducing risks of diseases, improving stamina, joint mobility, mental health and managing pain. Choosing the right kind of exercise (combined with proper nutrition) can help with fat loss and overall good health.

In my case, exercising and eating less seem to be the optimal balance in achieving weight maintenance.

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The obesity epidemic is fueled by the increasing food portion sizes in and out of the home. We consume more food than is needed for our daily calorie needs.

Portion distortion is common and pervasive. Restaurants and fast food outlets are not the only places serving bigger portions. We self serve ourselves larger portions at home. Most people are eating more and yet, underestimating their actual calorie intake. Portion distortion can be contributing to your belly fat and/or obesity related health problems.

Here are 5 tips to overcome portion distortion with portion control.

1. Be aware of portion sizes

Be conscious of how much you are eating and what a healthy portion is. When eating out at restaurants that serve large meals, divide out the food so you eat a portion that is best for you and take away the remaining to be eaten later. Otherwise, split your meals with someone who is dining with you, if he or she does not mind sharing.

2. Eat slowly

We live in a fast paced society where time is of essence. We are often eating on the go or in a hurry to finish our food. When you realise you are no longer hungry, you would have over eaten.

Develop a habit of eating and chewing your food slowly. By doing so, your brain and stomach have time to register when you are full.

3. Consume more low calorie foods

We can take advantage of portion distortion by increasing portion sizes of low calorie vegetables and fruits. They are high in nutrient and fiber that fills you up. When low calorie vegetables and fruits are eaten before a main meal, they displace the higher calorie foods so you eat less of the latter.

For snacks, low calorie fruits and vegetables are great alternatives to processed foods as they are healthy and satiating.

4. Smaller plate

People eat more when more food put in front of them. Given a big plate, you are likely to fill it up and eat beyond fullness.

Instead, use dessert plates. A smaller plate means smaller portion, so you don’t end up stuffing yourself and eating mindlessly.

5. Nutrition label

Calories per serving on food labels can be misleading. Since there is no standard serving size, manufacturers set their own serving sizes to fool you into believing that there are fewer calories since calories per serving are always less than total calories of the entire content (which is not shown on label).

Take for example, the following 3 brands of cereal from the same company.

Weetabix: 127kcal per serving (serving size = 37.5g)

Crunchy Bran: 122kcal per serving (serving size = 40g)

Oatibix Flakes: 114kcal per serving (serving size = 30g)

Do you notice the different serving sizes?

Most adults can easily eat more than one serving of cereal at one sitting. While you may think you only had 127kcal, total calories consumed can exceed 200-300kcal !

Learn to read the label carefully. Your should calculate the total calories for the entire food package. This enables you to get a better idea of the actual calorie intake based on the amount of food you consume, rather than some random serving sizes concocted by the food manufacturer.

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(This is a guest post by Jon Benson, author of  Every Other Day Diet, 7 Minute Muscle and Fit Over 40)

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I bet you didn’t know this …

Obesity… even being overfat… is a disease.

No, really.

At least that’s what several social groups wish you to believe. “Suffers Of Obesity” is just one of those groups. Their entire stance is obesity (which, btw, can be only 30lbs or so over your ideal bodyweight) is an actual disease.

Well, is it?

Yes… and no.

Comedian Ricky Gervais has a hilarious go at this stance… that obesity is a disease. You sometimes have to laugh, you know? ; )

“No… it’s not a disease… it’s greed. You just love to eat,” or so Gervais believes.

Well, in my first newsletter for 2010, a new decade with new ideas, I’m here to share a new idea with you:

We really need to redefine some words.

One of those words is “disease”.

Case-in-point:  Wikipedia.com defines disease…

“In human beings, “disease” is often used more broadly to refer to any condition that causes pain, dysfunction, distress, social problems, and/or death to the person afflicted, or similar problems for those in contact with the person. In this broader sense, it sometimes includes injuries, disabilities, disorders, syndromes, infections, isolated symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts and for other purposes these may be considered distinguishable categories.”

Let’s think about that.

If you bump your knee against a sharp object, is this a new disease called “bumpuskneeitis?” Er… no. It’s an accident. Sure, it may ’cause’ a specific set of symptoms that could broadly (as in as broad as the back-side of a barn) be considered a “disease”, but … no. It’s an accident with biological consequences.

Social problems?  So, if I decide to read 17 books on why my parents suck as a teenager and develop anti-social behavior, is this a “disease”?  NO!  This is the angst of youth combined, perhaps, with poor parenting!  Sure, it can lead to mental issues that could be classified as “disease”, but guess what?

It’s totally within your control. No one force-fed the books to the teen. And no one is force-feeding you, or anyone you know.

That decision is yours and yours alone… and anyone, repeat ANYONE on the face of planet earth can change their behaviors and attitudes toward food.

Okay, some more thoughts on disease:

Let me give you a few examples of what is typically thought of as “disease”…

— Leprosy
— Cancer
— Hypothyroidism

We’ll just take three… there are thousands as you know.

Now, we can all agree that these three states represent true “disease”. The first you could catch by accident; the second is a combination of genetics, environment, and who-knows-what-else, and the third is almost always genetic.

One, cancer, is something you ‘may’ be able to do something about. For example, lung cancer. 90% of lung cancer patients contract the disease from smoking.

Let’s just cover these 90%, shall we?

And folks, I’m asking for an open mind here…

Is lung cancer, in the case of the 90%, REALLY a disease?

Or is it a biological consequence?

Sure, “cancer” is a disease. But what caused it in this case? Something involuntary? Hardly. Something that could not be stopped?

No way.

The 90% caused it. Period.

Welcome to the real world.

So, I propose this:  We redefine “disease” as an abnormal biological condition that we DO NOT have direct cause or effect over.

Airborne viruses: Disease.  Obesity: NOT a disease.

And yes, lung cancer in chain smokers:  NOT a disease; it’s a biological outcome. The end result should be treated as a disease, of course, but come on: Where is the responsibility folks?

Life, if you want to live it fully and without fear, is ALL about taking total responsibility. That’s empowerment. Anything less is… well, LESS.

In our example, lung cancer is no more a “disease” than, say, me hitting myself over the head with a hammer every day and causing brain damage is a disease.

Brain damage (not self-induced) = disease.

Brain damage caused by self-inflicted hammer-hitting = biological consequence. In this case of sheer stupidity!

Now, one could (and many will) make the argument that I had a “mental” disease that caused me to WANT to hit myself over the head with a hammer… but… well…

At this point we need to redefine the word “disease” in my opinion. Here’s why:

First, if this were the case, I could say that all criminals have a disease.

They all have a mental disease that makes them want to kill, steal… you name it.

This may in fact BE true… we do not know… but do we hold them NOT responsible if it is? No, we do not.

And that brings us back to obesity.

Obesity and being overfat is not a disease folks…
—— >  it’s a biological consequence.

And, with the exception of the extremely ‘rare’ cases of total glandular dysfunction from birth, obesity… your bodyweight… is your responsibility.

Period. End of story.

Sorry, but that’s the way the ball bounces.

Am I being mean? No. I was obese. I have a right to speak my mind about it, and trust me:  My depression (a disease… sorta… some genetic, but a lot of it was caused by eating too much sugar) definitely aided in my obesity.

Then how come I’m not obese any more?

I found a better way to eat. I re-trained my body to crave this style of eating (and exercise) over stuffing myself with pizza and burgers every day.

Here’s what I use:

Click here —> Every Other Day Diet

It torches belly fat… and it reprograms the body and mind to use food as fuel… especially if you use my “7 Minute Body” workout system (you can get it at 77% off after you pick up EODD on the page above… ; )

So be brave. Be fearless. And be responsible.

Oh… and be sure not to catch “internetemailitis”… its a disease that causes you to want to check your email more than 10 times a day.

I have it. So be careful… may be contagious. : )

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P.S. Author Jon Benson documents his journey from obesity to total leanness in EODD. He had to overcome ‘real’ diseases, like pituitary failure from a high fever (i.e. viral pneumonia that almost killed him) and clinical depression (partially what he calls “his fault”; partially not… i.e. half disease, half biological consequence.) He KNOWS what you can do once you have a solid plan in place and a determined mind.

Then no “disease” can stop you… at least the ones that do not kill you.

So go for it… be brave, be responsible… and be lean!

Click here —>  Every Other Day Diet

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(This is a guest post by David Grisaffi, author of Firm And Flatten Your Abs)

“Stomach exercise” is the most frequently asked about and searched on (via internet) yet misunderstood subject in the entire field of health, fitness and exercise. And it’s no wonder. Regardless of age, experience or gender, everyone wants a flat “stomach” because the abdominal region is the true showcase of your physique. Since the abs are usually the last place to “shape up” and “lean out,” then most people would say that if you’ve got abs, you’ve got it all.

Well, in my way of thinking, this is only partially true. There’s more to a complete physique than “abdominal exercises” and “six pack abs” and most people are completely wrong about “stomach exercises” and “”stomach muscles.” (you’ll find out why in just a moment)…

The Difference Between “6-Pack Abs” And Truly “Fit Abs”

Having a great looking set of abs is very much a matter of low body fat. But make no mistake, just being lean and seeing a “six-pack” doesn’t mean you are strong, fit or conditioned. Real fitness means more than visible muscle development, it means strength, endurance, and stability, and this type of true functional fitness does not come from merely eating the right foods or reducing your body fat.

Nutrition is so important that you could even say that “abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym” and you would not be telling a lie. But this clever maxim is not telling the whole truth either. Great abs come from nutrition AND training, not one or the other. The training develops them. The nutrition uncovers them.

Don Juan Ponce de Leon arrived in America in 1493 looking for a fountain of youth and today in the “stomach exercise” marketplace, it seems that far too many people are looking for a “magic fountain” in order to flatten their waistlines.

Ponce never found the fountain of youth and you will never find a magical solution for flat abs. There are no short cuts. It takes a change in lifestyle to get a change in health, physique and performance. That includes nutrition AND training.

There’s No Such Thing As “Stomach Exercises”

Proper choice of exercise is a critical factor in your quest for a firm and flat waistline. But you will never get a great “stomach” from ANY “stomach exercise” because your stomach is a part of your digestive tract, not your skeletal muscular system! So let’s get the terminology straight, shall we?

The area of you body you really want to improve is called your “core region.” Many people refer to it as the “abdominal region.” However, training only with “ab exercise” is NOT the optimal approach.

        THIS is your stomach!    

The abdominals only include the front (anterior) side of your body and if the only type of training you do is abdominal training, you may be unwittingly setting yourself up for lower back problems. If you don’t think this is serious, then consider this statistic:

According to the American Chiropractic Association, more than 31 million Americans are suffering from low back pain at any given time.

So would you like to trade great abs for a bad back?

I didn’t think so. The good news is that you can kill two birds with one stone. You can develop great abdominal muscles, great core muscles and a strong, pain-free back by using exercises that focus not on the “stomach,” (which is not a muscle you train at all), not on the “abdominals,” (which is only part of the muscles you need to target), but on the entire core.

The core is the key to your success.

The core is the entire complex of muscles around your hip and waist region from your lower rib cage to the bottom of your pelvis. If you just focus on “abdominal exercises” alone (or “stomach” exercises, LOL), you will develop what I refer to as a “one dimensional body.” I focus on training the body as a whole, or “multi-dimensional training” to develop a complete person and to develop effective and powerful athletes.

What every program I write has in common is that I do not attempt to “isolate” the abdominals (or train the “stomach muscles!”) It’s all about the core and about integrating your body as a unit so you function better in daily life.

As you do core-focused exercise programs you not only train your muscular system but also the system that drives your muscular system – that is, the nervous system. This may very well be the most important secret for getting better results in your workout programs.

The more efficiently your nervous system works, the better your results will be. Core workouts that improve both muscular strength and conditioning while also improving neural drive will develop stronger neural control of the associated muscles.

This type of training for your core may very well be the most important secret for getting better results in your workout programs.

• THIS is why my “brand” of core training gets results in women who have had C-sections, or other abdominal surgeries when nothing else worked

• THIS is why the core exercises I recommend will flatten out a “pooching” belly, which is a result of deep muscular weakness and lack of neuromuscular control (It’s NOT just a body fat problem!)

• THIS is why my clients have overcome agonizing lower back pain when all else failed

• THIS is why my workout program have helped men and women recover from embarrassing incontinence

• THIS is how I have helped hundreds of new moms regain their flat and firm midsections after having their babies

• THIS is why my clients remain injury free, while so many other training programs are actually the CAUSE of injuries

• And THIS is why my type of training – PROGRESSIVE CORE TRAINING – develops amazing athletes – top wrestlers, PGA golfers, and pro boxers with powerful punches and abs of steel.

The purpose of this article was not to give more workout routines (I’ve written an entire book about core training that’s FULL of workouts (Firm And Flatten Your Abs).

The purpose of this article was to “install” 3 incredibly important lessons into your brain:

• You can’t train your “stomach” because your stomach is an internal organ of digestion not a skeletal muscle!

• You can’t totally “isolate” your abdominals because your abdominals do not work in isolation, they work in conjunction with the rest of your body (and “isolation” as with only doing crunches, is not the optimal approach anyway).

• You get more by training your core! You become a better athlete, you help prevent injuries, you get stronger and you get that coveted 6-pack abs look.

I hope the “morals” of these lessons have already sunk in and will become a part of your own fitness philosophy… and the next time you hear someone talk about “stomach exercises”, you’ll now be able to get a good chuckle out of that.

About the Author:

David Grisaffi majored in physical education and holds multiple certifications including 3 from the prestigious CHEK Institute: Level II high Performance Exercise Kinesiologist, Golf Biomechanic, and health and lifestyle counselor. He’s also certified by the ISSA as a personal trainer and specialist in performance nutrition. David has been a high school wrestling and baseball coach and is currently an independent trainer and strength coach. He has been sought after by some of the top athletes in professional sports including world champion boxer Greg Haugen and professional golfer Michael Putnam. David’s ebook, Firm And Flatten Your Abs is an online best seller which teaches you how develop “six pack abs” while improving strength, function and athletic power at the same time. Find out more at: Firm And Flatten Your Abs website

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Fitness madman Jon Benson is at it again… this time telling us you can get “skinnny eating fast-food…” And he intends to prove it. Naturally you have to modify the way you eat fast food (duh!) but his tips are really clever. Here’s 3 for you today…

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3 Fast food Fat Loss Tips
(by Jon Benson, author of Every Other Day Diet, 7 Minute Muscle and Fit Over 40)

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Believe it or not you can get lean by eating fast food.

I know, it sounds crazy… but in a few weeks I’m going to prove it to the world with the release of my newest mini e-book “Fast Food Fitness: How I Dropped 40lbs Eating Fast Food Every Day.”

Do you think I’m joking?  I’m not.

Of course there’s a WAY to eat fast food and drop the pounds. You can’t just eat like everyone else does. That’s common sense.

And believe me, there are more healthy ways to drop the pounds than eating fast food… for sure.

But the way I figure it: Would you rather be healthIER and lean or UNhealthy and overfat?

Silly question… so consider “Fast Food Fitness” a path to the lesser of two evils… and one that actually got me to 10% bodyfat (that’s pretty lean!) a few years ago.

Here’s how it started:

I simply hate to cook!  I have since solved that problem… I hired a part-time chef (it’s cheaper than it sounds)… but until two years ago I was eating out every single meal… I mean EVERY MEAL.

Most of the time… not all of the time, but most of the time… these meals were fast food joints like burger joints and even fried chicken places.

But I had to keep my physique, so … what to do?

Well… you’ll have to wait. At least a few weeks.

If you want the book for half-price, you have to own a copy of “Every Other Day Dietplan“… everyone who owns a copy before “Fast Food Fitness” hits the Internet will get half-off.

So go here if you don’t have EODD yet …

Click here —->  Every Other Day Dietplan

Here’s 3 of my top 25 fast-food diet-tips… just these 3 will take you 1/3 of the way there…

First, use my Half-n-Half Principle. Order whatever you are going to order and then have the person behind the counter cut the order exactly in HALF.

Half to go… half to eat there.

Eat half now…. then the other half 3-4 hours later. Believe it or not you will store less bodyfat and even increase your metabolism eating like this.

Simple trick… give it a shot.

Second, ditch all the starch. That means buns, bread and anything made of flour. BUT here’s the “still tastes good” trick I use. I keep ONE of the pieces of bread from, say, my hamburger. Then I “pick” at it while I enjoy the meat and either a small diet soda or tea. Eat no more than 5 “picks” at the bread… about half a slice. You still get the exact taste of a burger with none of the stuff that makes most people over-fat.

Third, for you chicken lovers, split your order between fried and baked chicken. KFC has excellent baked chicken… try it. Then strip most of the skin off the fried chicken. Not all… most.

You still get the taste, but with far fewer bad food-stuffs and calories…. make sense?

Enjoy the tips… but remember, the healthiest (and tastiest) way to eat is still my Every Other Day Dietplan, which works in your favorite foods each week….

Click here to learn more about —-> Every Other Day Dietplan

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I’ve just finished reading Fat Loss Manifesto by Joey Atlas. I’m glad that he has finally come out to explain why exercise doesn’t make you lose weight. His perspective goes against the mainstream media but it’s something that I’ve always known from experience.

You can grab a FREE copy here:

–> Fat Loss Manifesto

This is a must read for busy women who eat a clean diet and work out hard, but still FAIL to lose weight. Worst still, some end up putting on weight! How could this be happening?

Are you often hungry and eating more on workout days? As a result, you consume more calories than you burn off. It’s no wonder that you aren’t shedding the excess pounds, but also gaining more!

This is what Joey calls “Metabolic Compensation” (page 20) and a very common complaint by people who try the typical workout/gym method to lose body fat. They are hungrier and tend to eat more after exercise compared to when they were more sedentary.

He mentions that every one has a unique ‘personal metabolism’ (page 24). Most fat loss products and programs force your metabolism to do things it doesn’t want to resulting in The Metabolic Mismatch Factor (page 25). When a fat loss method does not match the human metabolism, you either gain or not lose weight despite your strict and disciplined efforts.

The solution?

“Metabolic Synchronization” (page 25) is the way to lose body fat permanently. The idea is to tap into what your metabolism naturally wants to do instead of forcing it to do something it shouldn’t.

Check out the Metabolic Synchronization ‘To Do’ List on page 26. Are you doing these 11 things to leverage the power of Metabolic Synchronization for permanent fat loss?

He goes on to share 3 food spindle cheat sheets (choose one that suits your lifestyle) that match your eating pattern and food intake to your natural metabolism and appetite.

You can get a FREE copy of the Fat Loss Manifesto here:

–> Fat Loss Manifesto

Joey has just released “Fat Loss For Busy Women” program, based on Metabolic Synchronization. Check out my review here –> Fat Loss For Busy Women Review

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Happy New Year, everyone! I hope the new decade has kicked off so far so good for you

Before the start of my cardio kick class today, I had the opportunity to speak with a few of my participants. “I’m going to lose weight” is the common new year’s resolution among them. Good start… but I wonder how long they’ll stick to it. There’s always next year to make the same resolution. I’ve seen the number of sign ups increased in January of every year at fitness clubs. Everyone got excited and hype up about losing flabs and bulges. Come February or March, some would have lost momentum and quit.

I view new year’s resolutions as just simple wishes that often don’t get fulfilled. Easy to make and yet, easy to forget and not follow through.

Staying lean, fit and healthy is not something you decide to do at the start of each new year. It is a daily ritual, just like eating and sleeping. You don’t put off eating your dinner till the new year, do you? The same goes for getting into shape. It requires daily commitment and hard work. There is no quick fix.

I don’t know about you… I rather work hard for a healthy body than pay the costly price of being fat/obese –> sickness (diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, etc), medical bills, low self esteem, depression and so forth.

The choice is yours. Make a decision to live a healthy life, take action and you won’t regret it in the years to come.

Here’s an article by Tom Venuto on why you should be setting goals instead of new year resolutions.

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Goal Setting For The New Decade: Beyond The New Year’s Resolution
By Tom Venuto
BurnTheFat.com

When you pause and reflect on the past decade as you look ahead to a new one, it makes you appreciate how short life is, how valuable time is and how quickly the time can pass you by - with nothing to show for it, if you don’t plan otherwise.

That’s why the passing of another decade can feel like a wakeup call as much as a fresh start: Looking at the technological wonders that surround us in 2010, I can’t help thinking it feels like science fiction.

In fact, modern technology is one of the reasons why some people have succeeded at body transformation while others have failed.

I’m still in awe of the web. The satellite navigation system in my car amazes me every time I drive. I can store a library of books in a device that fits in my pocket. It blows my mind that we can speak to each other face to face through the internet live on video. That’s straight from Star Trek! And those are just the everyday little things.

The cover story of the January 2010 National Geographic magazine is titled, “Merging Man and Machine” – it’s about bionic limbs. Richard Branson’s company, Virgin Galactic just unveiled spaceship two and is preparing to launch civilians into sub orbital space flights.

It’s the greatest time to be alive in all of human history! Unfortunately, today’s modern conveniences have brought a dark side upon us.

Rising obesity has paralleled the march of technology. The chair-bound, desk-job, computer, car, elevator, television based society of today is helping to make millions of people fat and lazy.

Our current way of life is less than a century old, yet our biology hasn’t changed in tens of thousands of years. Our bodies were designed to move and work, not sit and click.

We’ve become spoiled. Complacent. Dependent. And we are paying a price for it. We are fatter than ever before in all of human history. More than two thirds of Americans are now overweight. One third are obese.

People are dying because they‘re too fat.

Ironically, none of our new technology can solve our body fat problems.  There’s no easy way. No pill. No machine. No drug. More knowledge isn’t going to help. We already have most of the answers. We know more about the human body than ever before. But it’s all academic.

The problem lies in the doing. You have to do the work – in the gym and in the kitchen. Hard work.

We are a quick fix society. It’s partly human nature, but technology is making us more impatient. We can have products delivered to us with one click and even do it from our cell phones. We have instant downloads, movies on demand, and drive through coffee shops. We get  our food made and delivered in just minutes while we are sitting in our cars, and it’s still not quick enough. The internet is blazingly fast, but most people will abandon a web page in seconds if it hasn’t loaded. It’s no different with fat loss. We want six pack abs yesterday.

Simultaneously fighting the pull of human nature and the convenience of new technology is no easy task. But there is a solution: Future Orientation.

The most successful people in the world today are those who have a long term perspective. They plan 5-10 years in advance and beyond. They know how to enjoy and live in the present moment, but they take action and make decisions based on their future vision.

The passing of another decade makes you take stock of yourself and your achievements, or lack thereof. “What did I accomplish in the last 10 years? Am I a better person today than I was in 2000?”

If you don’t like the answers, then it’s time to finally get serious about your future because the next 10 years are going to fly by even faster than the last 10 as the pace of life and society gets even faster.

To succeed in the new decade, think beyond new year’s resolutions. Think beyond the 12 week fitness goal. As you write your goals this year, don’t stop with 3 month or even 1 year goals.

Project yourself into the future: 3, 5 and 10 years from now. For each point, dream, fantasize, visualize: if your body, your health your physical performance were perfect in every way, what would that look like? Describe it in vivid detail.

With our ingrained penchant for quick fixes, we often overestimate what we can achieve in the short term and set unrealistic deadlines on our short term goals. But the flipside is that we often underestimate what we can achieve in the long term, so we set our long term goals too low.  Do you realize that people have gone from broke to billionaire in 10 years? In this internet age, some have done it even faster.

My challenge for you this year is to start thinking about your body and your life with the same type of creativity that has led to our greatest technological advances:

Not the same thoughts as yesterday. Not just positive thoughts. just bigger thoughts. NEW THOUGHTS! Creative thoughts! Inventive thoughts! From new thoughts will spring new goals, new actions and new achievements.

Fitness goals should not take over your life, they should enhance every other part of it. So take this opportunity to achieve balance by setting long term goals for every area of your life – health, fitness, finances, career, relationships, experiences, travel, possessions and spiritual growth.

Most people didn’t set any goals 10 years ago. They’re among the masses who are in the same place today as they were a decade ago.  

Some people only set short term goals, so they accomplished a few little things, but then stopped, as if a goal were a final destination rather than a stepping stone along a path. Other people set goals but didn’t follow through on them. They forgot that goal setting and goal achieving are two different things.

Don’t fall into these traps.

If you need coaching in the goal setting process – from the daily and weekly baby steps to the long term goals and dreams that span a decade – read chapter one of Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle.  If you already have it, now is the time to revisit it.

If you don’t own a copy yet, you can get the program at:

Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

Most people make resolutions. Some people set well-formed goals. But long term goals are the goals that almost everyone forgets to set.

If you didn’t do this exercise 10 years ago, do it now. If you do, I guarantee that in 2013, 2015, 2020, you’ll not only find yourself living at a whole new level, you’ll find yourself living in another world - one of your own creation.

Happy New Year!

Tom Venuto, author of
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle

Founder & CEO of
Burn The Fat Inner Circle

PS. Remember, goal setting is just the start. Goal ACHIEVING requires a nutrition and training plan.  Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is the most comprehensive fat loss program of its kind because it teaches you every element necessary to succeed: nutrition, cardio training, weight training and “mental training” (goal setting and mindset).

Learn more about the Burn The Fat program at:
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle

Learn more about our Burn The Fat Inner Circle community at:
Burn The Fat Inner Circle

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: www.burnthefat.com

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Trans fatty acids or trans fats are formed when hydrogen is added to vegetable oils to solidify them into margarine or shortening. Hydrogenation is a chemical process that improves the taste and extends the shelf life of food products. Trans fats are commonly found in fried, baked and processed foods such as fries, cookies, crackers, doughnuts and pastries.

Trans fats are a double whammy as they raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels. High intake of this man made fat causes inflammation and clogs the arteries, thus increasing the risk of heart disease. Other potential health problems associated with trans fats are obesity, diabeters, cancer, asthma and decreased immune function.

From 2006, the FDA requires food manufacturers to list trans fats on nutrition labels. Prior to that, there was no requirement so people were not aware of the quantity of trans fats consumed in a food product. Be aware that 0 trans fat does not necessary mean no trans fat. The FDA allows the labeling of 0 gram of trans fat when there is less than half a gram of trans fat per serving. The danger is people tend to eat more than 1 serving and can easily consume too much trans fats at a time.

The FDA provides no maximum safety limit for daily intake of trans fat while the American Heart Association’s recommendation is less than 2 grams per day.

You should look out for trans fat ingredients such as partially or fully hydrogenated oil, margarine or shortening on food label. If you see any of these, there is definitely trans fat in the food product even though the label says 0 gram of trans fat.

As food companies eliminate the use of trans fats, they are also replacing them mainly with refined vegetable oils such as canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, etc. Refined oils are highly processed with heat and chemicals, so they are as bad or worse than trans fat and cause various health problems. If you see vegetable oil as an ingredient on label, it is definitely refined oil (although no trans fat) and you want to avoid the food product.

Here are some tips to reduce or eliminate bad trans fats from your diet:

1. Consume minimally or no processed foods.

2. Choose healthy oils such as coconut oil (for cooking), flaxseed oil and olive oil.

3. Use a good quality butter instead of margarine or other vegetable spreads.

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(Editor’s note: this is a guest post by Jon Benson)

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You may be wasting your time in the gym or at home if you are trying to shape your body or get rid of body fat.

Most people are. That is when it comes to exercise for getting rid of belly fat and getting into better shape.

I was in the gym today (nothing new… ; ) and I saw all 4 of these exercises being performed by various gym members (again… nothing new.)

And they are useless for 99% of the people on the planet.

Here they are…

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USELESS EXERCISE 1: Walking Dumbbell Lunges

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Okay ladies, this one is for you… although I see guys do this exercise as well.

This is where you take a pair of dumbbells and kneel with one leg, then the other, and so-on, walking around the gym as you go.

The idea behind this exercise is to work the butt, and to some extent the thighs… but it’s a joke. It’s something invented by trainers who should know better.

If you want to build and tone your butt, exercise one leg at a time. Lunges are a great exercise for this, but save your energy. Do them on a Smith Machine or with a barbell. Work one leg at a time, too. Do not alternate legs. This just wears you out aerobically before it has a chance to get to your glutes.

Here’s how I perform lunges:  On a Smith Machine, with pretty heavy weights… one leg at a time. I will do 2-3 sets, or do them in my 7 Minute Body-style workout fashion. I will finish one leg (and one butt cheek) before moving to the other leg.

Why? Again, to focus on the muscle more intensely and to avoid turning a leg/butt workout into a cardio session.

Jon Benson covers exactly how to work the butt area for the best results in 7 Minute Body and 7 Minute Muscle, found right here —– >  7 Minute Body & 7 Minute Muscle

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USELESS EXERCISE 2:  The Sit-up

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I’m shocked that people still think sit-ups done the old-fashioned way actually work the abs. Even worse, most people have been fooled into believing this actually helps get rid of bellyfat.

Nonsense. Belly fat is burned off when you have a good nutrition plan and through general exercise, not using exercises for the abs. Ab exercises are fine, but guess what?

I never train my abs more than 3-5 minutes. Today my ab workout took 3 minutes and 12 seconds to complete. And my abs are sore!

But without the nutrition plan, forget it… I’d never SEE my abs at all. I’d just have a nice wall of muscle with a bunch of flab covering it up.

The best nutrition plan for abs is The Every Other Day Diet plan, found here:

Click here —– >  The Every Other Day Diet

The best exercises to do for the actual ab muscles are hanging leg raises, done slowly, crunches (if you do them right)… and that’s really all you need.

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USELESS EXERCISE 3:  The Bench Press

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I’m going to get a lot of flack from the guys out there who love to bench, but I’m here to tell you that this exercise for bodyshaping is all but worthless.

Why? Because most people are not built right body-wise to bench press on a flat bench with a barbell. I am not, that’s for sure.

Bench presses work if you have short arms, a relatively short torso, and your shoulders are genetically strong.

Protect your shoulders and really work your chest by doing incline dumbbell presses with your palms facing OUT, not in toward your head. This protects the rotator cuff, a part of the shoulder that is often injured using barbell bench presses.

Combine this with a good cable fly or press movement and you’re set. Again, you only need about 7-14 minutes of chest work tops to get the job done.

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USELESS EXERCISE 4:  Most Cardio Exercises

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Yep… saved the best for last.

Here’s a fact:  Most cardio (bike, treadmill, glider, whatever) is a waste to time… UNLESS you do it at the right time with the right nutrition plan.

The calories you burn from cardio will be easily negated simply by eating a bagel! Hardly effective for getting rid of bodyfat. Weight training and/or resistance training at home or with your body weight, as covered in 7 Minute Muscle, is your best bet for exercise that burns-off mega-calories and keeps on burning long after the exercise session is over.

Here’s how to use traditional cardio wisely:

1. Do it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach;
2. Keep your heart rate down to 75% of your max (220 minus your age x .75 will give you this number, at least approximately);
3. “Burst” for 2-3 minutes in your session up to 85-90% of your max heart rate.
4. OR, do cardio right after weight or resistance training when your heart rate is already elevated and your blood sugar is lower. Your body burns blood sugar first during exercise.

Cardio for most people only needs to be performed 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes. The only time I break this rule is when I want to get my body fat below 10%. Then I will do more, but only using the rules above.

Hope this saves you a ton of time with your workouts.

You can get both books, The Every Other Day Diet plan and 7 Minute Body, for a big-time discount by going here and watching this presentation:Click here —– >  The Every Other Day Diet

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