Fat Burners: The Unadulterated Truth

Posted by Eric Twitty on November 13, 2008

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By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

www.BurnTheFat.com

Fat burner supplements are advertised everywhere these days - on the internet, in magazines and even on TV. The ads almost always feature a very lean fitness model or bodybuilder and claim that these products, usually pills, were the secret to their six pack abs and very low body fat levels. Some of these ads suggest that the only way to get as lean as the “hot bodies” you see in the ads is by taking their “miracle pills” and that proper nutrition and exercise alone is not enough.

While I won’t dismiss the fact that there are ingredients in some fat “burner” products that might help a little bit, I take great displeasure in seeing misleading advertising claims as well as the misleading use of models who are often paid to endorse the product even though they may never have even used it (they’re just models!)

Many “fat burner” companies have been sued by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising, false claims and falsifying before and after photos.

In one of my previous newsletters, I said that in my opinion, 97% of your results come from nutrition and training and maybe you get an extra 3% advantage from supplements. Just so you know those numbers arent something I just pulled out of thin air, lets take an example:

• walk your dog for 15 minutes
• walk for 5 minutes at normal casual pace three times a day
• 30 minutes of ironing
• bagging leaves and grass clippings for 14 minutes
• re arrange your furniture for 10 minutes
• wash your car, 15 minutes
• vacuuming for 15 minutes
• 7.2 minutes of walking up stairs (could be spread throughout the day)

Ah yes, but why move your body when you can take the pill and metabolism increases while you sit and watch TV? How about for your health? A body that is not moved, rots away. Unlike a car which only has so many miles on it and wears out from over-use, people are the only “machines” on earth that fall apart from under-use.

Here’s what any good personal trainer will always tell you: No amount of calorie restriction or pill-popping will ever give you FITNESS. It willl never give you STRENGTH. it will never get you MUSCULARITY. It will never give you FUNCTIONALITY. At best it will help you reduce body mass slightly.

On one hand, I’m tempted to say that everything counts and that yes, 75 calories here and 75 calories there, it ALL adds up, because it does. After you’re exercising regularly and all your fundamentals are in place, details and little things do matter.

I’m simply asking you to put the benefits of any fat burners in proper perspective and realize that (1) there is no “need” for taking them and (2) the claims made in the ads are often erroneous or exagerrated.

1. NEVER buy a fat burner unless you get independent verification of the claims made for the product.

2. Put it in perspective

3. See if there are any side effects or health warnings.

4. Read the label and see if the product contains enough active ingredient to even work.

5. Proprietary blend scam.

Some companies don’t let you see how much ingredient is in the product formula, because it contains multiple ingredients and they say their formula is a “trade secret” aka “proprietary”, so they list what is in the product but not how much. Well, if you don’t know how much is in there then how are you supposed to know whether it contains the proper dosage? (answer: you don’t!)

6. Make sure there is human research, not just rodent research.

7. Look for more than one human study.

Actually, I think it’s a good thing that nutrition and supplement companies fund and sponsor some of the research. They should. They should not only back up their claims with published clinical trials, they should share some of the cost of this expensive research.

Do you really need “more” than nutrition and exercise?

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto
www.burnthefat.com

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: www.burnthefat.com

Listen to Maintainers, Not to Losers: 5 secrets to keeping the weight off for good

Posted by Eric Twitty on November 1, 2008

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com

I have very little interest these days in all the media-hyped stories of dramatic, rapid losses of body weight. “Big losers” don’t impress me, for numerous reasons. For example, weight is not fat. “Weight” could be composed of mostly lean tissue, or it could be mostly water weight. In fact, I would go a step further and point out that rapid loss of bodyweight correlates very highly with a greater chance of relapse, weight re-gain and long term failure.

So what does impress me? What gets my attention?

I pay attention to what the “long term maintainers” have to say - those are the people who have maintained an ideal weight for over a year… preferably even 2-5 years or more.

The difference between losers and maintainers

As I was researching the subject of long term weight maintenance recently, I was surprised at the huge amount of research that’s already been done in this area.

One paper that caught my interest was published by Judy Kruger and colleagues in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, titled,

“Dietary and physical activity behaviors among adults successful at weight loss maintenance.”

This was not an experimental study, but a compilation of data from the “Styles Survey” which was representative of the U.S. population and asked respondants questions about strategies to aid with maintaining an ideal weight.

In this particular survey, only one-third (30.96%) of the respondents said they were successful at keeping their weight off. The researchers wanted to know the difference between the small group that was successful and the majority that were not.

Both groups reduced the amount of food they consumed, they ate smaller portions, more fruits and vegetables, fewer fatty foods and fewer sweetened beverages.

Not really any surprises there, but what we want to know most is not what losers and maintainers have in common, but what the maintainers did that the losers didn’t.

Some major differences emerged between losers and maintainers:

First, a significantly higher proportion of successful maintainers reported exercising 30 minutes or more daily, and they also reported adding other physical activity to their daily schedules (recreation, sports, physical work, etc). In addition, more of the successful maintainers included weight training in their exercise regimens than did the losers.

Reducing sedentary activities (TV watching, etc) was also a significant difference between those who successfully maintained and those who did not.

The next big difference that separated the successful maintainers from the unsuccessful was in their “self-monitoring behaviors” including:

* tracking calories
* tracking body weight
* planning meals
* tracking fat
* measuring the amount of food on their plate

Unfortunately, these types of self-monitoring behaviors, especially weighing and measuring food and counting calories, are among the most avoided and even criticized weight control techniques. Some weight loss “experts” even claim that it’s detrimental to count calories, weigh yourself or measure and weigh your food.

However, these self monitoring behaviors are being identified more and more frequently in the research as part of “the difference that makes the difference.” I agree, and they have always played a major role in my own Burn The Fat program.

A final difference was that people who reported self-perceived “barriers” to their success were 48-76% less likely to be a successful maintainer.

For example, they said they had no time to exercise, they were too tired to exercise or it was too hard to maintain an exercise routine. I interpret this as: the unsuccessful losers were excuse makers!

THE TOP 5 STRATEGIES TO BE A SUCCESSFUL MAINTAINER

So let’s recap and turn these research findings into some practical action steps you can apply today.

1. Increase your total daily activity level, including formal exercise as well as sports, physical work or recreational activity. Exercise improves weight loss, but more importantly, it is critical for weight maintenance.

2. Decrease sedentary recreational activities by cutting back on TV watching, computer games and web surfing. Take up physical recreation such as sports, boating, biking, walking, hiking, gardening, physical hobbies and playing with your kids, if you have them.

3. Include weight training as part of your formal exercise program, throughout the fat loss phase and even more seriously during maintenance.

4. Track and monitor everything! Count calories and nutrients, measure your portion sizes, weigh your food, plan your menus in writing and monitor your body weight and body fat percentage.

5. Avoid excuses and maintain positive beliefs and attitudes towards your environment and what you perceive as “barriers.” For example, say, “I can always make time for what is most important to me” instead of, “I don’t have time to exercise.”

If you’re currently on a fat loss journey, and you want to know how good your odds are for being a successful maintainer, it’s pretty easy to predict using these 5 strategies. If you’re not using all 5 of them yet, then when would be a good time to start today?

There are limitations to survey results such as these, including the fact that they are cross sectional, and therefore cannot prove causality. However, I believe these findings are important and significant.

Not only do they confirm previous similar studies and agree with the findings of other groups of successful maintainers (such as the National Weight Control Registry), I found that these results match precisely what I’ve seen among my most successful “Burn The Fat” clients.

THIS is the type of advice I’d suggest you listen to the most: Advice about how to lose body FAT, not body WEIGHT, and how to maintain an ideal bodyweight and body composition over the long haul, not how to lose weight as fast as possible.

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com

P.S. There was one more “difference that made the difference,” in this study, and this one may surprise you (although it didn’t surprise me). Successful maintainers were LESS likely to take over the counter diet products (pills, etc).

About the Author:

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

5 Daily Habits You Should Incorporate Into Your Life

Posted by Eric Twitty on October 17, 2008

Your daily habits greatly influence the success you achieve in life.

Focusing on productive habits while minimizing non-productive habits will go a long way in giving you the life you want.

These five habits will make you healthier, smarter, and give you more money to invest in your future. At the same time, these habits will replace non-productive habits that are holding you back.

Here they are:

Habit 1: Devote at Least an Hour a Day to Reading

Reading has so many benefits. Not only is it good exercise for the mind, but it also is a great escape from the problems you are facing in your life. It is a much more productive habit than watching television. Take at least an hour out of your television time and devote that time to reading something that will make a positive difference in your life. Read about the topics that interest you. Read about improving the areas of your life that you want to improve. Read some of the great literature out there. It doesn’t matter what you read, just read.

Habit 2: Make a Daily To-Do List

To-do lists are great at getting you to do the things you need to do but keep putting off. Making a list of things that you want to accomplish daily will make you much more productive and a more efficient person. You will be amazed at how much you get done. Take some time each night and write down the things you want to accomplish the next day. Write down enough things to keep you busy. Challenge yourself.

Habit 3: Walk an Hour a Day

Walking is a great low intensity exercise. It’s great for fat burning and even relaxing. If you need some time alone, go outside and take a walk. A daily walk will help you shed the pounds and keep them off, while at the same time give you some time to yourself.

Habit 4: Drink Lots of Water

Drinking water instead of soft drinks is about the best thing you can do for your health. Try to drink at least half a gallon of water a day. I went out and bought an aluminum water bottle. I just refill it with filtered water when I finish the bottle. This saves me money because I don’t have to buy bottled water, and its great for the environment because I have no plastic to throw away.

Habit 5: Pack your Lunch for Work

Taking your lunch to work is great because it gives you better flexibility on your food choices. It’s also much cheaper than going to a restaurant for lunch. I like to cook my meals on Sunday and pack them for the week. If you are not sure what to cook, check out my healthy recipes section and read my Only Diet You Will Ever Need article.

Incorporate These Habits

You should definitely incorporate these habits into your life as soon as possible. They replace the nonproductive habits with more productive ones. These habits are a positive step towards your health, mental, and financial goals.

Healthy Recipe Series: Salmon Quesadillas

Posted by Eric Twitty on

Here is a healthy recipe for one of my favorite foods.

3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup kale, stems removed, shredded into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar or colby cheese
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
4 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
6 oz. wild salmon filet

Heat 1 tsp. of the olive oil in a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the kale in the skillet and cook until just wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with the sea salt. Remove the kale from the skillet and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the shredded cheeses. Set aside.  In a separate skillet, heat 1 tsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the 6 oz. salmon filet seasoned with your favorite seasoning. When done, cut into flakes.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the bottom of the skillet. Top half of the tortilla with 1/4 cup of the kale, one-quarter of the flaked salmon and 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese mixture. Fold the other half of the tortilla over thefilling and cook for one minute, pressing down lightly with the back of a spatula. Using tongs, gently flip the quesadilla over and cook another minute or two, until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining three tortillas and fillings.

Cut each quesadilla into three triangles. Serve immediately with guacamole, tomato salsa and non-fat sour cream, if desired. Makes 4 salmon quesadillas.

Healthy Recipe Series: Lasagna

Posted by Eric Twitty on October 16, 2008

This is the first in a new series aimed at helping you achieve the body you have always wanted.  Enjoy!

Lean Ground Turkey
Pam Spray
15 oz. Low Fat Ricotta Cheese
2 Tablespoons reduced fat parmesan cheese
1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning blend
26 oz. Ragu Traditional spaghetti sauce
8 uncooked whole grain lasagna noodles
8 oz. fat free mozzarella

Brown ground turkey in a pan using Pam, then mix with all but one cup of your spaghetti sauce. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put the ricotta, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning in a bowl and stir. Spoon your one cup of plain spaghetti sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. Top with 4 lasagna noodles, then top noodles with 1 cup of the ricotta mixture. On top of this, sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella. Now layer on a cup of your spaghetti sauce/browned turkey mixture. Add 4 more lasagna noodles, the rest of the ricotta mixture, and the last of the spaghetti sauce/browned turkey. Finish up with a final layer of mozzarella. Make sure all the noodles are covered with sauce or cheese. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, let cool for 10 minutes.

The Only Diet Plan You Will Ever Need

Posted by Eric Twitty on October 8, 2008

There are so many diet plans out there, it is obvious why people are lost when it comes to dieting.

Everyone is looking for that magic diet that will melt off the pounds in record time.

These diet plans usually lead to frustration and failure and it doesn’t have to be that way.

Effective dieting takes a lot of discipline and hard work.

So what makes up an effective diet?

An effective diet should accomplish these three things:

1. Boost metabolism- increase fat burning even while you are inactive
2. Create a slight caloric deficit- you take in slightly less calories than you burn
3. Keep insulin levels low- insulin is the hormone that controls blood sugar levels

Boosting Metabolism

To put it simply, your metabolism is the amount of calories your body burns to operate on a dialy basis. Boosting your metabolic rate can have a dramatic effect on your daily calorie expenditure. So how do we boost our metabolism?

1. Break up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day
2. Eat lean, protein rich meats with every meal

Breaking up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller meals ensures that your body has the fuel it needs to function optimally. Each meal should include a good lean protein source and green vegetables such as broccoli or spinach. Protein requires more calories to digest than fat or carbohydrates. You can include a piece of fruit with your early meals but you should avoid it in your later meals.

Create a Caloric Deficit

Creating a caloric deficit basically means eating less calories than you burn. There are formulas out there that you can use to estimate your daily calorie expenditure but I think for most people just wanting to lose weight they aren’t necessary. If you stick to the foods that I recommend you should steadily burn fat and trim inches off your waist.

Keeping Insulin Levels Low

There are many health advantages to keeping your insulin levels low. Chronically elevated insulin levels can lead to diabetes and excess fat storage. Vegetables will do little to raise insulin concentration in the blood. You should get most of your carbs from green vegetables and fruits. One or two spikes in insulin levels throughout the day is fine but you want to avoid high insulin levels for an extended period. You accomplish that by avoiding foods that are very starchy.

So What Foods Should You Buy

Your food choices at the grocery store are very important. You want to avoid purchasing unhealthy foods. Don’t even go down the potato chip aisle at the store. Remember, if it’s not in your house, you won’t be tempted to eat it. Here is a list of what you should be buying at the store:

• Plenty of lean meats (chicken, sirloin, lean ground beef, lean ground turkey, lean turkey breast)

• Fish (salmon, tilapia, etc.)

• Fresh or frozen green veggies (broccoli, spinach, asparagus, celery, etc.) do not buy the cans

• fresh fruit (grapes, bananas, blueberries)

• regular oatmeal

• extra virgin olive oil

• coconut oil (for cooking)

This list offers lots of choices to create variety. Variety is essential if you want to stick to the diet.

Putting it All Together

So what would a typical day on this diet look like? It should look something like this:

Meal 1

5 oz. chicken breast
1 cup of oatmeal mixed with blueberries

Meal 2

5-6 oz. of lean ground beef or turkey
1 cup steamed veggies
1 banana

Meal 3

5 oz. chicken breast
1 cup steamed veggies

Meal 4

5-6 oz. salmon or tilapia
1 cup steamed veggies

Meal 5

5 oz. chicken breast
1 cup steamed veggies

This is just an example. You can eat whatever meats you like as long as they are lean. I would avoid eating a lot of fish. You should only include fish in three or four meals a week. Just remember that you want to avoid a lot of carbs later in the day.

Helpful Tips

1. Drink mostly water- its ok to have a zero calorie beverage every once in awhile such as diet coke but I would limit them to no more than one a day
2. Take a good multivitamin- this will ensure that you are getting all your vitamins and minerals
3. Take 10 grams of fish oil daily- there are numerous benefits to taking fish oil, its benefits are well published all over the web
4. Pre-cook your meals- this saves a lot of time, I usually cook everything on Sunday and pack them into ready-to-go meals in the refrigerator for later use
5. Experiment with different seasonings- use different seasonings while cooking to create more variety
6. Exercise- any daily exercise can go a long way in increasing your metabolism and burning extra calories

Get Out There and Get it Done

This truly is the only diet plan you will ever need. You shouldn’t even consider this a diet. This is a way of life. These are solid eating habits that will give you the body you want and help you keep it.