1. To awaken to the present moment
When you rush breathlessly from one moment to the next, anticipating another problem or hungering for another pleasure, you miss the beauty and immediacy of the present, which is constantly unfolding before your eyes.Meditation teaches you to slow down and take each moment as it comes — the sounds of traffic, the smell of new clothes, the laughter of children, the worried look on an old woman’s face, the coming and going of your breath. In fact, as the meditative traditions remind us, only the present moment exists anyway — the past is just a memory and the future a fantasy, projected on the movie screen of the mind right now.
2. To make friends with yourself
When you’re constantly struggling to live up to images and expectations (your own or someone else’s) or racing to reinvent yourself to survive in a competitive environment, you rarely have the opportunity or the motivation to get to know yourself just the way you are. Self-doubt and self-hatred may appear to fuel the fires of self-improvement, but they’re painful — and besides, they contribute to other negative mind-states, such as fear, anger, depression, and alienation, and prevent you from living up to your full potential. When you meditate, you learn to welcome every experience and facet of your being without judgment or denial. In the process, you begin to treat yourself as you would a close friend, accepting (and even loving) the whole package, the apparent weaknesses and shortcomings as well as the positive qualities and strengths.
3. To connect more deeply with others
As you awaken to the present moment and open your heart and mind to your own experience, you naturally extend this quality of awareness and presenceto your relationships with family and friends. If you’re like the rest of us, you tend to project your own desires and expectations onto the people close to you, which acts as a barrier to real communication. But when you start to accept others the way they are — a skill you can cultivate through the practice of meditation — you open up the channels for a deeper love and intimacy to flow between you.
4. To relax the body and calm the mind
As contemporary health researchers have discovered — and traditional texts agree — mind and body are inseparable, and an agitated mind inevitably produces a stressed-out body. As the mind settles, relaxes, and opens during meditation, so does the body — and the longer you meditate (measured both in minutes logged each day and in days and weeks of regular practice), the more this peace and relaxation ripples out to every area of your life, including your health.
5. To lighten up
Perhaps you’ve noticed that nonstop thinking and worrying generate a kind of inner claustrophobia — fears feed on one another, problems get magnified exponentially, and the next thing you know, you’re feeling overwhelmed and panicked. Meditation encourages an inner mental spaciousness in which difficulties and concerns no longer seem so threatening and constructive solutions can naturally arise — as well as a certain detachment that allows for greater objectivity, perspective, and, yes, humor. That mysterious word enlightenment actually refers to the supreme “lightening up”!
6. To enjoy more happiness
Research reveals that the daily practice of meditation for just a few months actually makes people happier, as measured not only by their subjective reports, but also by brain-mapping technology. In fact, meditation is apparently the only thing that can permanently change your emotional set point — your basic level of relative happiness that scientists say stays the same throughout your life, no matter what you experience. If you want lasting happiness, leading-edge science and spiritual wisdom have the same advice to offer: Forget about winning the lottery or landing the perfect job — and begin meditating instead!
7. To experience focus and flow
When you’re so fully involved in an activity that all sense of self-consciousness, separation, and distraction dissolves, you’ve entered what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls a state of flow. For human beings, this total immersion constitutes the ultimate enjoyment — and provides the ultimate antidote to the fragmentation and alienation of postmodern life. No doubt you’ve experienced moments like these — creating a work of art, playing a sport, working in the garden, making love. Athletes call it “the zone.” Through meditation, you can discover how to give the same focused attention to — and derive the same enjoyment from — every activity.
8. To feel more centered, grounded, and balanced
To counter the escalating insecurity of life in rapidly changing times, meditation offers an inner groundedness and balance that external circumstances can’t destroy. When you practice coming home again and again — to your body, your breath, your sensations, your feelings — you eventually grow to realize that you’re always home, no matter where you go. And when you make friends with yourself — embracing the dark and the light, the weak and the strong — you no longer get thrown off-center by the “slings and arrows” of life.
9. To enhance your performance at work and at play
Studies have shown that basic meditation practice alone can enhance perceptual clarity, creativity, self-actualization, and many of the other factors that contribute to superior performance. In addition, specific meditations have been devised to enhance performance in a variety of activities, from sports to schoolwork.
10. To increase appreciation, gratitude, and love
As you begin to open to your experience without judgment or aversion, your heart gradually opens as well — to yourself and others. You can practice specific meditations for cultivating appreciation, gratitude, and love. Or you may find, as so many meditators have before you, that these qualities arise naturally when you can gaze at the world with fresh eyes, free from the usual projections and expectations.
11. To align with a deeper sense of purpose
When you practice making the shift from doing and thinking to being, you discover how to align yourself with a deeper current of meaning and belonging. You may get in touch with personal feelings and aspirations that have long remained hidden from your conscious awareness. Or you may connect with a more universal source of purpose and direction — what some people call the higher self or inner guidance.
12. To awaken to a spiritual dimension of being
As your meditation gradually opens you to the subtlety and richness of each fleeting but irreplaceable moment, you may naturally begin to see through the veil of appearances to the sacred reality at the heart of things — and you eventually may come to realize (and this one could take lifetimes!) that the very same sacred reality is actually who you are in your own heart of hearts. This deep insight — what the sages and masters call “waking up from the illusion of separation” — cuts through and ultimately eliminates loneliness and alienation and opens you to the beauty of the human condition.
Tuning in to your body
Like Mr. Duffy in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses,most of us “live a short distance” from our bodies. The following meditation, which has counterparts in yoga and Buddhism,helps reestablish contact with the body by drawing attention gently from one part to another. Because it cultivates awareness and also relaxes the muscles and internal organs, it makes a great preamble to more formal meditation practice. Allow at least 20 minutes to complete.
1. Lie on your back on a comfortable surface — but not too comfortable unless you plan to fall asleep.
2. Take a few moments to feel your body as a whole, including the places where it contacts the surface of the bed or floor.
3. Bring your attention to your toes.
Allow yourself to feel any and all sensations in this area. If you don’t feel anything, just feel “not feeling anything.” As you breathe, imagine that you’re breathing into and out of your toes. (If this feels weird or uncomfortable, just breathe in your usual way.)
4. When you’re done with your toes, move on to your soles, heels, the tops of your feet, and your ankles in turn, feeling each part in the same way that you felt your toes.
Take your time. The point of this exercise is not to achieve anything, not even relaxation, but to be as fully present as possible wherever you are.
5. Gradually move up your body, staying at least three or four breaths with each part.
Follow this approximate order: lower legs, knees, thighs, hips, pelvis, lower abdomen,lower back, solar plexus, upper back, chest, shoulders. Now focus on the fingers, hands,and arms on both sides, and then on the neck and throat, chin, jaws, face, back of the head, and top of the head.
By the time you reach the top of your head, you may feel as though the boundaries between you and the rest of the world have become more fluid — or have melted away entirely. At the same time, you may feel silent and still — free of your usual restlessness or agitation.
6. Rest there for a few moments; then gradually bring your attention back to your body as a whole.
7. Wiggle your toes, move your fingers, open your eyes, rock from side to side, and gently sit up.
8. Take a few moments to stretch and reacquaint yourself with the world around you before standing up and going about your day.
1. Lie on your back on a comfortable surface — but not too comfortable unless you plan to fall asleep.
2. Take a few moments to feel your body as a whole, including the places where it contacts the surface of the bed or floor.
3. Bring your attention to your toes.
Allow yourself to feel any and all sensations in this area. If you don’t feel anything, just feel “not feeling anything.” As you breathe, imagine that you’re breathing into and out of your toes. (If this feels weird or uncomfortable, just breathe in your usual way.)
4. When you’re done with your toes, move on to your soles, heels, the tops of your feet, and your ankles in turn, feeling each part in the same way that you felt your toes.
Take your time. The point of this exercise is not to achieve anything, not even relaxation, but to be as fully present as possible wherever you are.
5. Gradually move up your body, staying at least three or four breaths with each part.
Follow this approximate order: lower legs, knees, thighs, hips, pelvis, lower abdomen,lower back, solar plexus, upper back, chest, shoulders. Now focus on the fingers, hands,and arms on both sides, and then on the neck and throat, chin, jaws, face, back of the head, and top of the head.
By the time you reach the top of your head, you may feel as though the boundaries between you and the rest of the world have become more fluid — or have melted away entirely. At the same time, you may feel silent and still — free of your usual restlessness or agitation.
6. Rest there for a few moments; then gradually bring your attention back to your body as a whole.
7. Wiggle your toes, move your fingers, open your eyes, rock from side to side, and gently sit up.
8. Take a few moments to stretch and reacquaint yourself with the world around you before standing up and going about your day.
Meditation: It’s easier than you think
Meditation is simply the practice of focusing your attention on a particular object — generally something simple, like a word or phrase, a candle flame or geometrical figure, or the coming and going of your breath. In everyday life, your mind is constantly processing a barrage of sensations, visual impressions, emotions, and thoughts. When you meditate, you narrow your focus, limit the stimuli bombarding your nervous system — and calm your mind in the process.
1. Find a quiet place and sit comfortably with your back relatively straight.
If you tend to disappear into your favorite chair, find something a bit more supportive.
2. Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes,and relax your body as much as you can.
3. Choose a word or phrase that has special personal or spiritual meaning for you.
Here are some examples: “There’s only love,” “Don’t worry, be happy,” “Trust in God.”
4. Begin to breathe through your nose (if you can), and as you breathe, repeat the word or phrase quietly to yourself.
You can whisper the word or phrase, subvocalize it (that is, move your tongue as
though saying it, but not aloud), or just repeat it in your mind. If you get distracted, come back to the repetition of the word or phrase.
As an alternative, you can follow your breath as it comes and goes through your nostrils, returning to your breathing when you get distracted.
5. Keep the meditation going for five minutes or more; then slowly get up and go about your day.
How did you feel? Did it seem weird to say the ame thing or follow your breath over and over? Did you find it difficult to stay focused? Did you keep changing the phrase? If so, don’t worry. With regular practice, you’ll gradually get the knack.
Of course, you could easily spend many fruitful and enjoyable years mastering the subtleties and complexities of meditation. But the good news is, the basic practice is actually quite simple, and you don’t have to be an expert to do it — or to enjoy its extraordinary benefits.
1. Find a quiet place and sit comfortably with your back relatively straight.
If you tend to disappear into your favorite chair, find something a bit more supportive.
2. Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes,and relax your body as much as you can.
3. Choose a word or phrase that has special personal or spiritual meaning for you.
Here are some examples: “There’s only love,” “Don’t worry, be happy,” “Trust in God.”
4. Begin to breathe through your nose (if you can), and as you breathe, repeat the word or phrase quietly to yourself.
You can whisper the word or phrase, subvocalize it (that is, move your tongue as
though saying it, but not aloud), or just repeat it in your mind. If you get distracted, come back to the repetition of the word or phrase.
As an alternative, you can follow your breath as it comes and goes through your nostrils, returning to your breathing when you get distracted.
5. Keep the meditation going for five minutes or more; then slowly get up and go about your day.
How did you feel? Did it seem weird to say the ame thing or follow your breath over and over? Did you find it difficult to stay focused? Did you keep changing the phrase? If so, don’t worry. With regular practice, you’ll gradually get the knack.
Of course, you could easily spend many fruitful and enjoyable years mastering the subtleties and complexities of meditation. But the good news is, the basic practice is actually quite simple, and you don’t have to be an expert to do it — or to enjoy its extraordinary benefits.
Other Journeys That Masquerade as Meditation
Thinking:
In the West, the term meditation has frequently been used to refer to a kind of focused reflection on a particular theme, as when you say, “I’m going to meditate on this problem for a while.” Although higher-order contemplation or inquiry plays a part in some meditation techniques, it bears little resemblance to the often tortured, conflicted process that usually passes for thinking. Besides, thinking tires you out, whereas meditation refreshes you and perks you up.
Daydreaming:
Daydreaming and fantasy offer their own unique pleasures and rewards, including occasional problem-solving and a momentary escape from difficult or tedious circumstances. But rather than leaving you feeling more spacious and more connected with being, as meditation does, daydreaming often embroils you more actively in the drama of your life.
Spacing out:
Sometimes spacing out involves a momentary gap in the unbroken stream of thoughts and feelings that flood your awareness, a kind of empty space in which nothing seems to be happening except being itself. Such genuine “spacing out” lies at the heart of meditation and can be deliberately cultivated and extended. Alas, most spacing out is just another form of daydreaming!
Repeating affirmations:
This common new-age practice — a contemporary version of what used to be called positive thinking — purports to provide an antidote to your negative beliefs by replacing them with positive alternatives. Generally, however, the negativity is so deeply rooted that the affirmations merely skim the surface like froth on the ocean and never really penetrate to the depths, where your core beliefs reside.
Self-hypnosis:
By progressively relaxing your body and imagining a safe, protected place, you can lull yourself into an open, suggestible state known as a light trance. Here you can rehearse upcoming performances, rerun past events to get a more positive outcome, and reprogram your brain using affirmations. Although self-hypnosis differs from mindfulness meditation, emphasizing ongoing attention to the present moment — it’s actually quite similar to the healing and performance enhancement techniques.
Praying:
Ordinary or petitionary prayer, which calls on God for help or asks for something, can be performed meditatively but has little in common with meditation as I’ve been describing it. However, contemplative prayer, also known as orison (the yearning of the soul for union with the Divine) is actually a form of concentrated contemplation whose focus is God.
Sleeping:
Refreshing though it may be, sleep is not meditation — unless you happen to be an expert yogi who meditates in your sleep. Research shows that the brain waves generated during sleep are significantly different from those generated during meditation. Of course, meditators often find themselves falling asleep — and then, as one of my teachers used to say, sleep well!
In the West, the term meditation has frequently been used to refer to a kind of focused reflection on a particular theme, as when you say, “I’m going to meditate on this problem for a while.” Although higher-order contemplation or inquiry plays a part in some meditation techniques, it bears little resemblance to the often tortured, conflicted process that usually passes for thinking. Besides, thinking tires you out, whereas meditation refreshes you and perks you up.
Daydreaming:
Daydreaming and fantasy offer their own unique pleasures and rewards, including occasional problem-solving and a momentary escape from difficult or tedious circumstances. But rather than leaving you feeling more spacious and more connected with being, as meditation does, daydreaming often embroils you more actively in the drama of your life.
Spacing out:
Sometimes spacing out involves a momentary gap in the unbroken stream of thoughts and feelings that flood your awareness, a kind of empty space in which nothing seems to be happening except being itself. Such genuine “spacing out” lies at the heart of meditation and can be deliberately cultivated and extended. Alas, most spacing out is just another form of daydreaming!
Repeating affirmations:
This common new-age practice — a contemporary version of what used to be called positive thinking — purports to provide an antidote to your negative beliefs by replacing them with positive alternatives. Generally, however, the negativity is so deeply rooted that the affirmations merely skim the surface like froth on the ocean and never really penetrate to the depths, where your core beliefs reside.
Self-hypnosis:
By progressively relaxing your body and imagining a safe, protected place, you can lull yourself into an open, suggestible state known as a light trance. Here you can rehearse upcoming performances, rerun past events to get a more positive outcome, and reprogram your brain using affirmations. Although self-hypnosis differs from mindfulness meditation, emphasizing ongoing attention to the present moment — it’s actually quite similar to the healing and performance enhancement techniques.
Praying:
Ordinary or petitionary prayer, which calls on God for help or asks for something, can be performed meditatively but has little in common with meditation as I’ve been describing it. However, contemplative prayer, also known as orison (the yearning of the soul for union with the Divine) is actually a form of concentrated contemplation whose focus is God.
Sleeping:
Refreshing though it may be, sleep is not meditation — unless you happen to be an expert yogi who meditates in your sleep. Research shows that the brain waves generated during sleep are significantly different from those generated during meditation. Of course, meditators often find themselves falling asleep — and then, as one of my teachers used to say, sleep well!
Promoting the Benefits of Meditation
Although Western researchers have been studying the benefits of meditation for more than 50 years, three people in particular have helped popularize the practice by demonstrating how it can cause measurable improvement in a broad range of health concerns.
Herbert Benson and the Relaxation Response:
A cardiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Benson pioneered the field of mind-body medicine with the publication of his best-seller The Relaxation Response in 1975. Based on his study of TM practitioners, the book identifies a natural reflex mechanism that can be triggered by 20 minutes of daily meditation practice involving a quiet environment, repetition of a sound or phrase, a receptive attitude, and a comfortable sitting position — a kind of generic TM! Once initiated, this reflex apparently induces relaxation, reduces stress, and counteracts the fight-or-flight response. In subsequent studies, Benson found that the Relaxation Response had a beneficial effect on hypertension, headaches, heart disease, alcohol consumption, anxiety, and PMS.
Jon Kabat-Zinn and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction:
Since 1979, when he established the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues have trained thousands of patients with a variety of health problems in the fundamentals of Buddhist mindfulness meditation and mindful hatha yoga. Outcome studies indicate that the eight-week program, which involves formal classes, home-study, and a one-day meditation workshop, helps participants reduce the stress that contributes to their illness and teaches them how to extend the benefits of mindfulness into every area of their lives. Featured in the PBS series Healing and the Mind with Bill Moyers, Kabat-Zinn’s program has been duplicated in clinics,schools, and workplaces across the country.
Dean Ornish and the Opening Your Heart Program:
In a landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Ornish, who is a physician and the director of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute, showed that patients can actually reverse their heart disease through fundamental lifestyle changes, without the use of surgery or cholesterol-lowering drugs. Although his program also emphasizes the health benefits of a low-fat diet, exercise, and hatha yoga, Ornish teaches that the key to healing the heart lies in opening the heart — and that meditation is a crucial component in this process because it helps to free us from our habitual patterns of stress and emotional reactivity.
Herbert Benson and the Relaxation Response:
A cardiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Benson pioneered the field of mind-body medicine with the publication of his best-seller The Relaxation Response in 1975. Based on his study of TM practitioners, the book identifies a natural reflex mechanism that can be triggered by 20 minutes of daily meditation practice involving a quiet environment, repetition of a sound or phrase, a receptive attitude, and a comfortable sitting position — a kind of generic TM! Once initiated, this reflex apparently induces relaxation, reduces stress, and counteracts the fight-or-flight response. In subsequent studies, Benson found that the Relaxation Response had a beneficial effect on hypertension, headaches, heart disease, alcohol consumption, anxiety, and PMS.
Jon Kabat-Zinn and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction:
Since 1979, when he established the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues have trained thousands of patients with a variety of health problems in the fundamentals of Buddhist mindfulness meditation and mindful hatha yoga. Outcome studies indicate that the eight-week program, which involves formal classes, home-study, and a one-day meditation workshop, helps participants reduce the stress that contributes to their illness and teaches them how to extend the benefits of mindfulness into every area of their lives. Featured in the PBS series Healing and the Mind with Bill Moyers, Kabat-Zinn’s program has been duplicated in clinics,schools, and workplaces across the country.
Dean Ornish and the Opening Your Heart Program:
In a landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Ornish, who is a physician and the director of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute, showed that patients can actually reverse their heart disease through fundamental lifestyle changes, without the use of surgery or cholesterol-lowering drugs. Although his program also emphasizes the health benefits of a low-fat diet, exercise, and hatha yoga, Ornish teaches that the key to healing the heart lies in opening the heart — and that meditation is a crucial component in this process because it helps to free us from our habitual patterns of stress and emotional reactivity.
Reflecting on Your Life
The great spiritual teachers and meditation masters have always reminded us of the brevity of life. The medieval Christian mystics kept a skull on their desks to remind them of their own mortality. And Buddhist monks and nuns in some Asian countries still meditate in cemeteries to deepen their awareness of impermanence. Whether tomorrow, next year, or many years from now, you and I will eventually die. Remembering this from time to time can help us to clarify life’s priorities — and remind us of our reasons for meditating.
Of course, if you find it too depressing to think about dying, by all means feel free to skip this exercise. But you may discover that your initial aversion fades as you open your heart to the preciousness of life. Take ten minutes or more to do this guided meditation (which is adapted from the book A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield):
1. Sit quietly, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths, relaxing a little with each exhalation.
2. Imagine that you’re at the end of your life and death is quickly approaching.
Be aware of the tentativeness of life — you could die at any moment.
3. Reflect on your life as you watch it replay before your eyes like a video.
4. As you reflect, choose two things you’ve done that you feel good about now.
They may not be important or life-changing; in fact, they may be simple,seemingly insignificant events.
5. Look deeply at what makes these moments memorable — at the qualities of mind and heart you brought to them.
6. Notice how these memories affect you — what feelings and other memories they stir up.
7. In light of these memories, consider how you might live differently if you had your life to live again.
What activities would you give more time to than you do now? What qualities of being would you choose to emphasize? Which people would you give more (or less) of your attention to?
8. As you end this exercise and go about your day, notice whether your attitude toward your life has changed in any way.
Of course, if you find it too depressing to think about dying, by all means feel free to skip this exercise. But you may discover that your initial aversion fades as you open your heart to the preciousness of life. Take ten minutes or more to do this guided meditation (which is adapted from the book A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield):
1. Sit quietly, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths, relaxing a little with each exhalation.
2. Imagine that you’re at the end of your life and death is quickly approaching.
Be aware of the tentativeness of life — you could die at any moment.
3. Reflect on your life as you watch it replay before your eyes like a video.
4. As you reflect, choose two things you’ve done that you feel good about now.
They may not be important or life-changing; in fact, they may be simple,seemingly insignificant events.
5. Look deeply at what makes these moments memorable — at the qualities of mind and heart you brought to them.
6. Notice how these memories affect you — what feelings and other memories they stir up.
7. In light of these memories, consider how you might live differently if you had your life to live again.
What activities would you give more time to than you do now? What qualities of being would you choose to emphasize? Which people would you give more (or less) of your attention to?
8. As you end this exercise and go about your day, notice whether your attitude toward your life has changed in any way.
The Mind-Body Benefits of Meditation
Physiological benefits:
1. Decreased heart rate during quiet meditation
2. Lower blood pressure in normal and moderately hypertensive individuals
3. Quicker recovery from stress
4. Increase in alpha rhythms (slow, high-amplitude brain waves that correlate with relaxation)
5. Enhanced synchronization (that is, simultaneous operation) of the right and left hemispheres of the brain (which positively correlates with creativity)
6. Reduced cholesterol levels
7. Decreased consumption of energy and need for oxygen
8. Deeper, slower breathing
9. Muscle relaxation
10. Reduction in the intensity of pain
11. More happiness and peace of mind
12. Less emotional reactivity; fewer intense negative emotions and dramatic mood swings
12. Increased empathy
13. Enhanced creativity and self-actualization
14. Heightened perceptual clarity and sensitivity
15. Reductions in both acute and chronic anxiety
16. Complement to psychotherapy and other approaches in the treatment of addiction
1. Decreased heart rate during quiet meditation
2. Lower blood pressure in normal and moderately hypertensive individuals
3. Quicker recovery from stress
4. Increase in alpha rhythms (slow, high-amplitude brain waves that correlate with relaxation)
5. Enhanced synchronization (that is, simultaneous operation) of the right and left hemispheres of the brain (which positively correlates with creativity)
6. Reduced cholesterol levels
7. Decreased consumption of energy and need for oxygen
8. Deeper, slower breathing
9. Muscle relaxation
10. Reduction in the intensity of pain
11. More happiness and peace of mind
12. Less emotional reactivity; fewer intense negative emotions and dramatic mood swings
12. Increased empathy
13. Enhanced creativity and self-actualization
14. Heightened perceptual clarity and sensitivity
15. Reductions in both acute and chronic anxiety
16. Complement to psychotherapy and other approaches in the treatment of addiction
10 Basic Guidelines for Living in Harmony with the Spirit of Meditation
1. Be mindful of cause and effect.
Notice how your actions — and the feelings and thoughts that accompany them — influence others and your own state of mind. When you flare up in anger or lash out in fear,observe how the ripples can be felt for hours or even days — in the responses of others, in your own body, and in your meditation. Do the same with actions that express kindness or compassion. As the Bible says, “As you sow, so shall you reap.”
2. Reflect on impermanence and the preciousness of life.
Death is real, say the Tibetans; it can come without warning, and this body, too, will one day be food for worms and other earthly creatures. By reflecting on how rare it is to be a human being at a time when physical comforts are relatively plentiful and the practice of meditation and other methods for reducing stress and relieving suffering are so readily available, you may feel more motivated to take advantage of the opportunities you have.
3. Realize the limitations of worldly success.
Check out the people you know who have achieved the worldly success you aspire to. Are they really any happier than you are? Do they have more love in their lives or more peace of mind? Through meditation, you can achieve a level of inner success that’s based on joy and tranquility rather than material gain.
4. Practice non-attachment.
This classic Buddhist counsel may seem on first blush like an impossible task. But the point here is not to be indifferent or to disengage from the world, but to notice how attachment to the outcome of your actions affects your meditations — and your peace of mind. What would it be like to act wholeheartedly, with the best of intentions, and then let go of your struggle to get things to be a certain way?
5. Cultivate patience and perseverance.
If nothing else, the practice of meditation requires the willingness to keep on keeping on — call it discipline, diligence, perseverance, or just plain stick-to-itiveness, you’ll reap the greatest benefits if you do it regularly, day after day. Besides, the qualities of patience and perseverance translate nicely to every area of life.
6. Simplify your life.
The busier and more complicated your life, the more agitated your mind will be when you meditate — and the greater your stress level. Pay particular attention to all those extra activities you tack on to an already crammed schedule (perhaps to avoid taking a deep breath, hearing your heartbeat, facing your fears, and dealing with other unpleasant feelings like loneliness, emptiness, grief, or inadequacy). If you stop running and listen closely, you may hear the voice of your own inner wisdom.
7. Live with honesty and integrity:
When you lie, manipulate, and compromise your core values, you may be able to hide from yourself for a time — until you reach your meditation cushion. Then the proverbial you-know-what hits the fan, and every peccadillo comes back to haunt you. Meditation mirrors you back to you, and what you see may motivate you to actualize more of your positive potential.
8. Face situations with the courage of a warrior.
Unlike their battlefield counterparts, “meditation warriors” cultivate the courage to drop their aggression and defensiveness, face their fears, and open their hearts — to themselves and others. Easier said than done, you may say, but meditation will teach you how — and then you need to be willing to follow through in real-life situations. Ultimately, every moment becomes an opportunity to practice.
9. Trust the technology of meditation — and yourself.
It helps to remember that people have been meditating successfully for thousands of
years — far longer than they’ve been using, say, laptop computers or the Internet. Besides, we’re talking low-tech technology here, something anyone can do — like breathing and paying attention. Just trust the technology, follow the instructions — and let go of the results.
10. Dedicate your practice to the benefit of others.
As I mention earlier, the Tibetans call this dedication bodhichitta (“awakened heart”) and regard it as essential for meditation that is life-changing, rather than merely cosmetic. Studies of the impact of prayer on healing, cited in Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine by Larry Dossey, MD, have shown that prayers that request specific results are not nearly as effective as those that ask for the best for all concerned. In other words, the love you take is equal to the love you make!
Notice how your actions — and the feelings and thoughts that accompany them — influence others and your own state of mind. When you flare up in anger or lash out in fear,observe how the ripples can be felt for hours or even days — in the responses of others, in your own body, and in your meditation. Do the same with actions that express kindness or compassion. As the Bible says, “As you sow, so shall you reap.”
2. Reflect on impermanence and the preciousness of life.
Death is real, say the Tibetans; it can come without warning, and this body, too, will one day be food for worms and other earthly creatures. By reflecting on how rare it is to be a human being at a time when physical comforts are relatively plentiful and the practice of meditation and other methods for reducing stress and relieving suffering are so readily available, you may feel more motivated to take advantage of the opportunities you have.
3. Realize the limitations of worldly success.
Check out the people you know who have achieved the worldly success you aspire to. Are they really any happier than you are? Do they have more love in their lives or more peace of mind? Through meditation, you can achieve a level of inner success that’s based on joy and tranquility rather than material gain.
4. Practice non-attachment.
This classic Buddhist counsel may seem on first blush like an impossible task. But the point here is not to be indifferent or to disengage from the world, but to notice how attachment to the outcome of your actions affects your meditations — and your peace of mind. What would it be like to act wholeheartedly, with the best of intentions, and then let go of your struggle to get things to be a certain way?
5. Cultivate patience and perseverance.
If nothing else, the practice of meditation requires the willingness to keep on keeping on — call it discipline, diligence, perseverance, or just plain stick-to-itiveness, you’ll reap the greatest benefits if you do it regularly, day after day. Besides, the qualities of patience and perseverance translate nicely to every area of life.
6. Simplify your life.
The busier and more complicated your life, the more agitated your mind will be when you meditate — and the greater your stress level. Pay particular attention to all those extra activities you tack on to an already crammed schedule (perhaps to avoid taking a deep breath, hearing your heartbeat, facing your fears, and dealing with other unpleasant feelings like loneliness, emptiness, grief, or inadequacy). If you stop running and listen closely, you may hear the voice of your own inner wisdom.
7. Live with honesty and integrity:
When you lie, manipulate, and compromise your core values, you may be able to hide from yourself for a time — until you reach your meditation cushion. Then the proverbial you-know-what hits the fan, and every peccadillo comes back to haunt you. Meditation mirrors you back to you, and what you see may motivate you to actualize more of your positive potential.
8. Face situations with the courage of a warrior.
Unlike their battlefield counterparts, “meditation warriors” cultivate the courage to drop their aggression and defensiveness, face their fears, and open their hearts — to themselves and others. Easier said than done, you may say, but meditation will teach you how — and then you need to be willing to follow through in real-life situations. Ultimately, every moment becomes an opportunity to practice.
9. Trust the technology of meditation — and yourself.
It helps to remember that people have been meditating successfully for thousands of
years — far longer than they’ve been using, say, laptop computers or the Internet. Besides, we’re talking low-tech technology here, something anyone can do — like breathing and paying attention. Just trust the technology, follow the instructions — and let go of the results.
10. Dedicate your practice to the benefit of others.
As I mention earlier, the Tibetans call this dedication bodhichitta (“awakened heart”) and regard it as essential for meditation that is life-changing, rather than merely cosmetic. Studies of the impact of prayer on healing, cited in Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine by Larry Dossey, MD, have shown that prayers that request specific results are not nearly as effective as those that ask for the best for all concerned. In other words, the love you take is equal to the love you make!
The Negative Side Effects of Life in the Postmodern Age
Anxiety and stress:
When the ground starts shifting beneath your feet,your first reaction as you attempt to regain your stability may be anxiety or fear. This gut-level response has been programmed into our genes by millions of years of living on the edge. These days, unfortunately, the tremors never stop, and small fears accumulate and congeal into ongoing tension and stress. Your body may feel perpetually braced against the next onslaught of difficulties and responsibilities — which makes it virtually impossible to relax and enjoy life fully. By relaxing your body and reducing stress, meditation can provide a much-needed antidote.
Fragmentation:
Most Americans once lived, shopped, worked, raised their kids, and spent their leisure time in the same community. They encountered the same faces every day, worked the same job for a lifetime, stayed married to the same person, and watched their children raise their own children just down the block. Now we often shuttle our kids off to school or daycare and commute long distances to work, while checking our messages on the cellphone. On the way home, we may stop by the mall, and we may spend our evenings surfing the Net. We change jobs and partners more frequently than ever, and when our children grow up, they often move to another state — or another country! Although we may not be able to stay the tide of fragmentation, we can use meditation to connect us with a deeper wholeness that external circumstances can’t disturb.
Alienation:
When our lives appear to be made up of disconnected puzzle pieces that don’t fit together, no wonder we wind up feeling completely stressed out. Despite the statistics that herald prosperous times, many people work at marginal jobs that pay the bills but fail to connect them to a deeper sense of value or purpose. According to an article in American Demographics magazine, more people are flocking to small towns in an attempt to recapture a sense of community, and fewer and fewer are voting in each election, apparently because they believe that they have little power to change things. Never before, it seems, have human beings felt so alienated, not only from their work and their government, but also from others, themselves, and their own essential being — and most of us don’t have the skills or the know-how to reconnect! By bridging the chasm that separates us from ourselves, meditation can help to heal our alienation from others and the world at large.
Loneliness and isolation:
With people moving from place to place more frequently and families fragmenting and scattering across the globe, you’re less and less likely to have regular contact with the people you know and love — and even if you do, you may be too busy to relate in a mutually fulfilling way. Recently, I heard a radio ad arguing that since family dinners are clearly a thing of the past, why not purchase Family Net — a separate cellphone for mom, dad, and the kids — so that the family can keep in touch! Again, you may not be able to stem the forces that keep us apart. But you can use meditation to turn every moment together into “quality time.”
Depression:
When people feel lonely, alienated, stressed out, and disconnected from a deeper source of meaning and purpose, it’s no wonder that some end up feeling depressed. In a nation where Prozac is a household word, millions of people take mood-altering chemicals each day to keep from feeling the pain of postmodern life. Meditation can connect you with your own inner source of contentment and joy that naturally dispels the clouds of depression.
Stress-related illness:
From tension headaches and acid indigestion to heart disease and cancer, the steady rise in stress-related illness reflects our collective inability to cope with the instability and fragmentation of our times — and fuels a billion-dollar healthcare industry that at times only masks the deeper problems of fear, stress, and disorientation. As numerous scientific studies have shown, the regular practice of meditation can actually reverse the onslaught of many stress-related ailments.
When the ground starts shifting beneath your feet,your first reaction as you attempt to regain your stability may be anxiety or fear. This gut-level response has been programmed into our genes by millions of years of living on the edge. These days, unfortunately, the tremors never stop, and small fears accumulate and congeal into ongoing tension and stress. Your body may feel perpetually braced against the next onslaught of difficulties and responsibilities — which makes it virtually impossible to relax and enjoy life fully. By relaxing your body and reducing stress, meditation can provide a much-needed antidote.
Fragmentation:
Most Americans once lived, shopped, worked, raised their kids, and spent their leisure time in the same community. They encountered the same faces every day, worked the same job for a lifetime, stayed married to the same person, and watched their children raise their own children just down the block. Now we often shuttle our kids off to school or daycare and commute long distances to work, while checking our messages on the cellphone. On the way home, we may stop by the mall, and we may spend our evenings surfing the Net. We change jobs and partners more frequently than ever, and when our children grow up, they often move to another state — or another country! Although we may not be able to stay the tide of fragmentation, we can use meditation to connect us with a deeper wholeness that external circumstances can’t disturb.
Alienation:
When our lives appear to be made up of disconnected puzzle pieces that don’t fit together, no wonder we wind up feeling completely stressed out. Despite the statistics that herald prosperous times, many people work at marginal jobs that pay the bills but fail to connect them to a deeper sense of value or purpose. According to an article in American Demographics magazine, more people are flocking to small towns in an attempt to recapture a sense of community, and fewer and fewer are voting in each election, apparently because they believe that they have little power to change things. Never before, it seems, have human beings felt so alienated, not only from their work and their government, but also from others, themselves, and their own essential being — and most of us don’t have the skills or the know-how to reconnect! By bridging the chasm that separates us from ourselves, meditation can help to heal our alienation from others and the world at large.
Loneliness and isolation:
With people moving from place to place more frequently and families fragmenting and scattering across the globe, you’re less and less likely to have regular contact with the people you know and love — and even if you do, you may be too busy to relate in a mutually fulfilling way. Recently, I heard a radio ad arguing that since family dinners are clearly a thing of the past, why not purchase Family Net — a separate cellphone for mom, dad, and the kids — so that the family can keep in touch! Again, you may not be able to stem the forces that keep us apart. But you can use meditation to turn every moment together into “quality time.”
Depression:
When people feel lonely, alienated, stressed out, and disconnected from a deeper source of meaning and purpose, it’s no wonder that some end up feeling depressed. In a nation where Prozac is a household word, millions of people take mood-altering chemicals each day to keep from feeling the pain of postmodern life. Meditation can connect you with your own inner source of contentment and joy that naturally dispels the clouds of depression.
Stress-related illness:
From tension headaches and acid indigestion to heart disease and cancer, the steady rise in stress-related illness reflects our collective inability to cope with the instability and fragmentation of our times — and fuels a billion-dollar healthcare industry that at times only masks the deeper problems of fear, stress, and disorientation. As numerous scientific studies have shown, the regular practice of meditation can actually reverse the onslaught of many stress-related ailments.
Fat Loss Lie #12
You Can Lose weight in just minutes each day (or week!)
3 MINUTE ABS
8 MINUTES IN THE MORNING!
THE ONE WORKOUT A WEEK FITNESS REVOLUTION!
CHANGE YOUR BODY IN 30 MINUTES A WEEK
I'd like to caution you about the mindset of trying to get more results in less time. You should always, (of course), look for ways get the most benefit from every minute you spend in the gym and improve the efficiency of your workouts. What I’m referring to when I speak of the “more for less” mindset is the error of looking for better results in the form of a “secret” training program, short cut, miracle pill, or easy, “overnight” cure without putting in any effort.
There’s a fine line between training enough to stimulate growth and overtraining. We are warned continually not to over train or we’ll hold back our strength and muscle gains. We are also cautioned not to do too much aerobics or we’ll lose the muscle we already have.
It’s true that many people are overtraining – maybe even most people. But just as there’s fine a line between optimal training and overtraining, there’s also a fine line between optimal training and under training.
The minimalist “less is more” approach is highly appealing because it represents the ultimate “lazy man (or woman's)” approach. (And it SELLS!)
The promoters are basically saying, "Hey pal, you're spending too much time in the gym and it's holding back your gains. Buy my secret miracle training program from Bulgaria, and you only have to train once or twice a week for a few minutes and you'll double your results."
If you believe that, then I have some swampland in Florida and a Bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you. Call 1-800-YOU’VE-BEEN-HAD for details.
Briefer and less frequent workouts are only good to the extent to which they prevent you from overtraining and they optimize hormonal response to training. Minimalism as a marketing appeal is a completely different story. Make sure you recognize the difference between the two.
I thought 8 minutes in the morning was ridiculous (but brilliant from a marketing perspective), now someone just wrote a book called 3-minute abs. What's next? 30-second abs? Massive muscles in five minutes? The one rep muscle revolution? Gimme a break! Just get your butt in the gym and train for forty-five minutes to an hour three to five days a week – or however much it takes for you to get the results you desire.
Your body is begging for exercise – it’s an amazing machine that was designed to be used – often and vigorously.
When the promoters of a program tell you that “ten minutes a day” or “once or twice a week” will get you a body like a bodybuilder or a fitness model, and you believe that, and you end up disappointed with your meager results, then I have no sympathy for you and the money you wasted. That's just plain naïve.
You can get health benefits from very small amounts of exercise. Even walking to work or class, or raking the leaves in your yard can have health benefits. But you get even greater health benefits from larger amounts of exercise. Training for basic health benefits and training for maximum fat loss and muscle growth are not the same thing. To get maximum changes in body composition, you need a much higher frequency, duration and intensity.
You can get a "training effect” (muscle growth and strength increase) in as little as two thirty-minute workouts per week - that is true - but to become super lean and extremely muscular - forget it! If that were the case, then all champion bodybuilders would be doing it. Here’s what it all boils down to: The rewards you take out will always come in direct proportion to the work you put in.
“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
- Vince Lombardi.
3 MINUTE ABS
8 MINUTES IN THE MORNING!
THE ONE WORKOUT A WEEK FITNESS REVOLUTION!
CHANGE YOUR BODY IN 30 MINUTES A WEEK
I'd like to caution you about the mindset of trying to get more results in less time. You should always, (of course), look for ways get the most benefit from every minute you spend in the gym and improve the efficiency of your workouts. What I’m referring to when I speak of the “more for less” mindset is the error of looking for better results in the form of a “secret” training program, short cut, miracle pill, or easy, “overnight” cure without putting in any effort.
There’s a fine line between training enough to stimulate growth and overtraining. We are warned continually not to over train or we’ll hold back our strength and muscle gains. We are also cautioned not to do too much aerobics or we’ll lose the muscle we already have.
It’s true that many people are overtraining – maybe even most people. But just as there’s fine a line between optimal training and overtraining, there’s also a fine line between optimal training and under training.
The minimalist “less is more” approach is highly appealing because it represents the ultimate “lazy man (or woman's)” approach. (And it SELLS!)
The promoters are basically saying, "Hey pal, you're spending too much time in the gym and it's holding back your gains. Buy my secret miracle training program from Bulgaria, and you only have to train once or twice a week for a few minutes and you'll double your results."
If you believe that, then I have some swampland in Florida and a Bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you. Call 1-800-YOU’VE-BEEN-HAD for details.
Briefer and less frequent workouts are only good to the extent to which they prevent you from overtraining and they optimize hormonal response to training. Minimalism as a marketing appeal is a completely different story. Make sure you recognize the difference between the two.
I thought 8 minutes in the morning was ridiculous (but brilliant from a marketing perspective), now someone just wrote a book called 3-minute abs. What's next? 30-second abs? Massive muscles in five minutes? The one rep muscle revolution? Gimme a break! Just get your butt in the gym and train for forty-five minutes to an hour three to five days a week – or however much it takes for you to get the results you desire.
Your body is begging for exercise – it’s an amazing machine that was designed to be used – often and vigorously.
When the promoters of a program tell you that “ten minutes a day” or “once or twice a week” will get you a body like a bodybuilder or a fitness model, and you believe that, and you end up disappointed with your meager results, then I have no sympathy for you and the money you wasted. That's just plain naïve.
You can get health benefits from very small amounts of exercise. Even walking to work or class, or raking the leaves in your yard can have health benefits. But you get even greater health benefits from larger amounts of exercise. Training for basic health benefits and training for maximum fat loss and muscle growth are not the same thing. To get maximum changes in body composition, you need a much higher frequency, duration and intensity.
You can get a "training effect” (muscle growth and strength increase) in as little as two thirty-minute workouts per week - that is true - but to become super lean and extremely muscular - forget it! If that were the case, then all champion bodybuilders would be doing it. Here’s what it all boils down to: The rewards you take out will always come in direct proportion to the work you put in.
“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
- Vince Lombardi.
Fat Loss Lie #11:
“If all else fails, then steroids, growth hormone, weight loss drugs or surgery will help me lose this stubborn fat for good and regain my youthful look”
To many people who are frustrated with little or no results, despite their best intentions, physique-enhancing drugs or hormones appear to be a panacea or “miracle cure.”
Steroids have been around for a long time. So have obesity drugs. Lately, there’s been a huge push – especially on the Internet - for the use of Human Growth Hormone or estosterone under the harmless sounding auspices of “anti-aging medicine” and “Hormone replacement therapy.” This sales pitch is being made mostly to the baby boomers, who desperately want to regain their youthful looks and vitality.
Dramatic short-term results in body composition can be achieved from use of weight loss drugs, steroids, thermogenics, thyroid drugs, growth hormone and other chemicals.
However, appearances can be deceiving. The road of drug use can be a wild ride in the beginning, but in the long run, it doesn’t lead you anywhere – it’s a dead end street.
Regardless of whether we’re talking about illegal steroids and performance enhancers, prescription obesity drugs, hormone replacement therapy, or even over the counter “fat burning” drugs like ephedrine, these are all really one in the same:
(1) Billion dollar money makers, and
(2) Feeble short-term attempts at treating effects, not causes.
Lets take weight loss drugs, for example:
What would happen if the pharmaceutical companies finally came out with a “safe and effective” obesity drug and brought it to the marketplace on a massive scale?
Here’s exactly what would happen:
THE OBESITY PROBLEM WOULD CONTINUE, AND THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES WOULD GET RICHER!
Think about it: Did Xenical cure obesity? How about Phentermine? Meridia? Adipex? Bontril? Didrex? Tenuate? What about Ephedrine? Did that solve the obesity problem? How about gastric bypasses? 60,000 were performed last year. Did that solve the obesity problem?
In a few extreme cases where someone’s health is at stake, and when time is of the essence, the benefits of drugs clearly outweigh the risks. However, even in these cases, you have to concede that it’s a short-term treatment. Here’s the problem with thinking that any drugs will be a long-term solution:
We live in an orderly universe where everything happens for a reason (by “law”). For every effect, there is a cause. There are no accidents.
A lean body never happens by accident. An overweight body never happens by accident.
A lean body and an overweight body are effects. Both of these effects have causes. If you’re overweight, you can create lasting changes 100% of the time if you find the cause of the overweight condition and remove it.
The cause of body fat in most cases is inactivity, poor nutrition and often a negative self-image. Taking drugs is only treating the effect (the fat). Even if the fat (the effect) is temporarily removed, it will always come back if the cause is still there.
You can’t merely take pills or drugs that only treat symptoms/effects and expect a permanent change.
The idea that some people were born to be fat is ridiculous and terribly disempowering. Equally disastrous is the belief that any pill will ever be a long-term solution to the obesity epidemic.
Depending on your genetics, you may never look like Mr. or Miss Olympia, but you always have the power to improve your body and your health above and beyond where you are today.
How? By accepting 100% total responsibility for your situation and then taking positive action every day for the rest of your life to improve it. You simply have to change your lifestyle!
Try to fight the law or shirk hard work by looking for short cuts if you want, but in the end, you’ll always lose. Try to ignore the law if you want, but ignorance of the law does not excuse you from its operation.
"Whatever it is you seek in the form of rewards, you must first earn. All attempts to sidestep this law will end in failure, frustration and, if maintained long enough, ultimate demoralization. All over the world there are millions of people who are being hurt, confused, frightened, and whose lives are turned upside down because they don’t understand the principle law on which everything in the universe operates - the law of cause and effect."
- Earl Nightingale
Lifelong health, fitness and a perfect body weight do not come out of a bottle or needle and NEVER will - no matter what new concoction they cook up in the lab. Those who think otherwise may gain temporary relief from health woes or enjoy some short-term benefits, but unless they change their lifestyles, they’ll have some hard lessons to learn in the long run.
I envision a day when both the medical and fitness communities will join together to help stop this monumental error in thinking, and begin to teach people how to improve their lifestyles and alter their mental attitudes instead of writing prescriptions and selling “magic” pills.
Dr. Joseph Mercola said it well:
"It is my vision to transform the existing medical paradigm from one addicted to pharmaceuticals, surgeries and other methods that only conceal or remove specific symptoms - with morbid results to our health and economy -- to one focused on treating and preventing the underlying causes."
Taking ANY kind of drugs to lose weight is never more than a desperate, fear-driven, short-term solution to a problem with deeply rooted and often unseen causes.
To permanently become lean, you must identify the causes of excess fat, which can include poor nutrition, inactivity, unhealthy lifestyle, and negative self-image, and treat those. Only when the source of your problem is removed, will the unwanted effects disappear for good.
To many people who are frustrated with little or no results, despite their best intentions, physique-enhancing drugs or hormones appear to be a panacea or “miracle cure.”
Steroids have been around for a long time. So have obesity drugs. Lately, there’s been a huge push – especially on the Internet - for the use of Human Growth Hormone or estosterone under the harmless sounding auspices of “anti-aging medicine” and “Hormone replacement therapy.” This sales pitch is being made mostly to the baby boomers, who desperately want to regain their youthful looks and vitality.
Dramatic short-term results in body composition can be achieved from use of weight loss drugs, steroids, thermogenics, thyroid drugs, growth hormone and other chemicals.
However, appearances can be deceiving. The road of drug use can be a wild ride in the beginning, but in the long run, it doesn’t lead you anywhere – it’s a dead end street.
Regardless of whether we’re talking about illegal steroids and performance enhancers, prescription obesity drugs, hormone replacement therapy, or even over the counter “fat burning” drugs like ephedrine, these are all really one in the same:
(1) Billion dollar money makers, and
(2) Feeble short-term attempts at treating effects, not causes.
Lets take weight loss drugs, for example:
What would happen if the pharmaceutical companies finally came out with a “safe and effective” obesity drug and brought it to the marketplace on a massive scale?
Here’s exactly what would happen:
THE OBESITY PROBLEM WOULD CONTINUE, AND THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES WOULD GET RICHER!
Think about it: Did Xenical cure obesity? How about Phentermine? Meridia? Adipex? Bontril? Didrex? Tenuate? What about Ephedrine? Did that solve the obesity problem? How about gastric bypasses? 60,000 were performed last year. Did that solve the obesity problem?
In a few extreme cases where someone’s health is at stake, and when time is of the essence, the benefits of drugs clearly outweigh the risks. However, even in these cases, you have to concede that it’s a short-term treatment. Here’s the problem with thinking that any drugs will be a long-term solution:
We live in an orderly universe where everything happens for a reason (by “law”). For every effect, there is a cause. There are no accidents.
A lean body never happens by accident. An overweight body never happens by accident.
A lean body and an overweight body are effects. Both of these effects have causes. If you’re overweight, you can create lasting changes 100% of the time if you find the cause of the overweight condition and remove it.
The cause of body fat in most cases is inactivity, poor nutrition and often a negative self-image. Taking drugs is only treating the effect (the fat). Even if the fat (the effect) is temporarily removed, it will always come back if the cause is still there.
You can’t merely take pills or drugs that only treat symptoms/effects and expect a permanent change.
The idea that some people were born to be fat is ridiculous and terribly disempowering. Equally disastrous is the belief that any pill will ever be a long-term solution to the obesity epidemic.
Depending on your genetics, you may never look like Mr. or Miss Olympia, but you always have the power to improve your body and your health above and beyond where you are today.
How? By accepting 100% total responsibility for your situation and then taking positive action every day for the rest of your life to improve it. You simply have to change your lifestyle!
Try to fight the law or shirk hard work by looking for short cuts if you want, but in the end, you’ll always lose. Try to ignore the law if you want, but ignorance of the law does not excuse you from its operation.
"Whatever it is you seek in the form of rewards, you must first earn. All attempts to sidestep this law will end in failure, frustration and, if maintained long enough, ultimate demoralization. All over the world there are millions of people who are being hurt, confused, frightened, and whose lives are turned upside down because they don’t understand the principle law on which everything in the universe operates - the law of cause and effect."
- Earl Nightingale
Lifelong health, fitness and a perfect body weight do not come out of a bottle or needle and NEVER will - no matter what new concoction they cook up in the lab. Those who think otherwise may gain temporary relief from health woes or enjoy some short-term benefits, but unless they change their lifestyles, they’ll have some hard lessons to learn in the long run.
I envision a day when both the medical and fitness communities will join together to help stop this monumental error in thinking, and begin to teach people how to improve their lifestyles and alter their mental attitudes instead of writing prescriptions and selling “magic” pills.
Dr. Joseph Mercola said it well:
"It is my vision to transform the existing medical paradigm from one addicted to pharmaceuticals, surgeries and other methods that only conceal or remove specific symptoms - with morbid results to our health and economy -- to one focused on treating and preventing the underlying causes."
Taking ANY kind of drugs to lose weight is never more than a desperate, fear-driven, short-term solution to a problem with deeply rooted and often unseen causes.
To permanently become lean, you must identify the causes of excess fat, which can include poor nutrition, inactivity, unhealthy lifestyle, and negative self-image, and treat those. Only when the source of your problem is removed, will the unwanted effects disappear for good.
Fat Loss Lie #10
You can lose 30 pounds of fat in 30 days
LOSE 30 POUNDS IN 30 DAYS... GUARANTEED!!!
LOSE 10 POUNDS THIS WEEKEND!!!
You see ads like these all the time, and they sure are enticing, aren't they? But is it really possible? Can you really lose weight that quickly?
The answer is YES. It's quite possible to lose 30 pounds in 30 days or 10 pounds over the weekend. But that's the wrong question; the question YOU should ask is,
“How can I lose 30 pounds of FAT healthfully and permanently?”
Don't confuse WEIGHT loss with FAT loss!
Your body is 70% water, so it's easy to lose weight quickly. Any diet that dehydrates you will create quick, dramatic weight loss. Want to lose 10 pounds over the weekend? That’s easy! Just stop drinking water! Of course that would be pretty dumb and pretty dangerous too, but that's exactly what you're doing when you lose weight that quickly (you're simply dehydrating yourself - or even worse - you're losing lean body weight too!)
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), one of the largest and most respected health, medical and exercise organizations in the world, has established guidelines for healthy rates of weight loss.
In their position statement on "Proper and improper weight loss programs," the ACSM recommends losing weight at a rate of no more than two pounds per week.
This two pounds per week guideline has become recognized as the standard rate for safe weight (fat) loss. Time after time I see people get impatient and they attempt to violate this rule, only to lose muscle, slow their metabolisms and eventually gain all the fat back…and then some! Weight loss is not something to be rushed.
You can lose 30 pounds of weight in 30 days, but you'll NEVER lose 30 pounds of fat in 30 days.
There are virtually no limits to what you can achieve in the long run. You will absolutely STUN yourself at how much you can achieve in one, two, three years if you get on a supportive, healthy, long term nutrition and training program.
You can reach virtually any fat loss or fitness goal that you’re truly committed to. However, you must be patient; there are definite limits to how quickly you can safely achieve fat loss.
"In the long run, you hit only what you aim at, so aim high."
- Thoreau
LOSE 30 POUNDS IN 30 DAYS... GUARANTEED!!!
LOSE 10 POUNDS THIS WEEKEND!!!
You see ads like these all the time, and they sure are enticing, aren't they? But is it really possible? Can you really lose weight that quickly?
The answer is YES. It's quite possible to lose 30 pounds in 30 days or 10 pounds over the weekend. But that's the wrong question; the question YOU should ask is,
“How can I lose 30 pounds of FAT healthfully and permanently?”
Don't confuse WEIGHT loss with FAT loss!
Your body is 70% water, so it's easy to lose weight quickly. Any diet that dehydrates you will create quick, dramatic weight loss. Want to lose 10 pounds over the weekend? That’s easy! Just stop drinking water! Of course that would be pretty dumb and pretty dangerous too, but that's exactly what you're doing when you lose weight that quickly (you're simply dehydrating yourself - or even worse - you're losing lean body weight too!)
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), one of the largest and most respected health, medical and exercise organizations in the world, has established guidelines for healthy rates of weight loss.
In their position statement on "Proper and improper weight loss programs," the ACSM recommends losing weight at a rate of no more than two pounds per week.
This two pounds per week guideline has become recognized as the standard rate for safe weight (fat) loss. Time after time I see people get impatient and they attempt to violate this rule, only to lose muscle, slow their metabolisms and eventually gain all the fat back…and then some! Weight loss is not something to be rushed.
You can lose 30 pounds of weight in 30 days, but you'll NEVER lose 30 pounds of fat in 30 days.
There are virtually no limits to what you can achieve in the long run. You will absolutely STUN yourself at how much you can achieve in one, two, three years if you get on a supportive, healthy, long term nutrition and training program.
You can reach virtually any fat loss or fitness goal that you’re truly committed to. However, you must be patient; there are definite limits to how quickly you can safely achieve fat loss.
"In the long run, you hit only what you aim at, so aim high."
- Thoreau
Fat Loss Lie #9
If you eat the right foods, you can lose fat permanently without exercise.
A full-page ad in a recent issue of the National Enquirer featured this headline:
"Lose Up To 2 Pounds Daily... Without Exercise."
Yeah right! And you'll make a million dollars a day too...without working! That's a whopper of a lie if I've ever heard one.
Trying to lose fat without exercise is like trying to sit on a chair without four legs. If one leg is missing, your chair is going to fall over.
An effective fat burning program must have four crucial components:
1. Aerobic exercise
2. Weight training
3. A nutrient dense diet of natural foods with a mild calorie deficit
4. Goal setting, motivation and a positive self image
Except for those genetically gifted, fast-metabolism types (that we all love to hate), it‘s extremely difficult (if not impossible) for most people to lose fat permanently without exercise. It’s always better to BURN THE FAT than it is to try to starve the fat (refer back to Fat Loss Lie #2 for the reasons why).
To lose fat, there must be a calorie deficit. Such are the laws of thermo-dynamics and energy balance. However, there’s more than one way to create a calorie deficit. One way is to decrease your calorie intake (eat less). The other is to increase the amount of calories you burn though exercise.
Of the two ways to create a calorie deficit, burning the calories is the superior method. This is because large, prolonged calorie deficits cause muscle loss and trigger the “starvation response.” Ironically, most people do the opposite: They slash their calories to starvation levels and exercise too little or not at all.
Paradoxical as it seems, the most effective approach to fat loss is to eat more (keep the calorie reduction small) and let the exercise burn the fat. In fact, I wrote an entire full-length book on this subject, titled “Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle.” You don’t have to starve yourself – you just have to choose the right foods and make exercise a part of your lifestyle.
Why would anyone resort to starvation diets when they can burn fat more efficiently through exercise? Perhaps they believe that eating more food and working out at the same time will “cancel each other out. Maybe they shy away from the hard work involved in exercise. There’s also a trend these days towards avoiding too much aerobic exercise because of the notion that it will make you lose muscle. Quite to the contrary, aerobic exercise –combined with weight training - is the only method of fat loss that allows you to create a calorie deficit and burn fat without slowing down the metabolism.
Here are the reasons why exercise - not dieting - is the superior method of losing body fat:
1. Exercise – aerobic and weight training - raises your metabolic rate. Dieting decreases your metabolic rate.
2. Exercise creates a caloric deficit without triggering the starvation response.
3. Exercise is good for your health. Dieting is harmful to your health.
4. Exercise, especially weight training, signals your body to keep your
muscle and not burn it for energy. Dieting without exercise can result in up to 50% of the weight loss to come from lean body mass.
5. Exercise increases fat-burning enzymes and hormones. Dieting decreases fat burning hormones and increases fat storing hormones.
6. Exercise increases the cells sensitivity to insulin so that carbohydrates are burned for energy and stored as glycogen rather then being stored as fat.
If anyone ever tries to sell you a program for losing weight and it doesn’t include exercise (it’s just a “diet”), hold on to your wallet and run for cover. Even if you could get lean without exercise, you should be working out for your health anyway, not just for cosmetic reasons.
A full-page ad in a recent issue of the National Enquirer featured this headline:
"Lose Up To 2 Pounds Daily... Without Exercise."
Yeah right! And you'll make a million dollars a day too...without working! That's a whopper of a lie if I've ever heard one.
Trying to lose fat without exercise is like trying to sit on a chair without four legs. If one leg is missing, your chair is going to fall over.
An effective fat burning program must have four crucial components:
1. Aerobic exercise
2. Weight training
3. A nutrient dense diet of natural foods with a mild calorie deficit
4. Goal setting, motivation and a positive self image
Except for those genetically gifted, fast-metabolism types (that we all love to hate), it‘s extremely difficult (if not impossible) for most people to lose fat permanently without exercise. It’s always better to BURN THE FAT than it is to try to starve the fat (refer back to Fat Loss Lie #2 for the reasons why).
To lose fat, there must be a calorie deficit. Such are the laws of thermo-dynamics and energy balance. However, there’s more than one way to create a calorie deficit. One way is to decrease your calorie intake (eat less). The other is to increase the amount of calories you burn though exercise.
Of the two ways to create a calorie deficit, burning the calories is the superior method. This is because large, prolonged calorie deficits cause muscle loss and trigger the “starvation response.” Ironically, most people do the opposite: They slash their calories to starvation levels and exercise too little or not at all.
Paradoxical as it seems, the most effective approach to fat loss is to eat more (keep the calorie reduction small) and let the exercise burn the fat. In fact, I wrote an entire full-length book on this subject, titled “Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle.” You don’t have to starve yourself – you just have to choose the right foods and make exercise a part of your lifestyle.
Why would anyone resort to starvation diets when they can burn fat more efficiently through exercise? Perhaps they believe that eating more food and working out at the same time will “cancel each other out. Maybe they shy away from the hard work involved in exercise. There’s also a trend these days towards avoiding too much aerobic exercise because of the notion that it will make you lose muscle. Quite to the contrary, aerobic exercise –combined with weight training - is the only method of fat loss that allows you to create a calorie deficit and burn fat without slowing down the metabolism.
Here are the reasons why exercise - not dieting - is the superior method of losing body fat:
1. Exercise – aerobic and weight training - raises your metabolic rate. Dieting decreases your metabolic rate.
2. Exercise creates a caloric deficit without triggering the starvation response.
3. Exercise is good for your health. Dieting is harmful to your health.
4. Exercise, especially weight training, signals your body to keep your
muscle and not burn it for energy. Dieting without exercise can result in up to 50% of the weight loss to come from lean body mass.
5. Exercise increases fat-burning enzymes and hormones. Dieting decreases fat burning hormones and increases fat storing hormones.
6. Exercise increases the cells sensitivity to insulin so that carbohydrates are burned for energy and stored as glycogen rather then being stored as fat.
If anyone ever tries to sell you a program for losing weight and it doesn’t include exercise (it’s just a “diet”), hold on to your wallet and run for cover. Even if you could get lean without exercise, you should be working out for your health anyway, not just for cosmetic reasons.
Fat loss Lie #8
Zero carbohydrate or very low carbohydrate diets are the best way to lose body fat permanently.
No diet issue has created more confusion and controversy than the low carbohydrate vs. high carbohydrate debate.
Contrary to what certain diet "guru's" tell you, carbohydrates are not fattening.
It’s a flat out LIE to say, "carbohydrates are fattening." What's fattening is eating more calories than your body can use at one time.
However, it's true that some people lose weight more quickly on a low carbohydrate diet (that's not the same thing as saying carbohydrates are fattening.) It's also true that almost every bodybuilder or fitness competitor uses some variation of the low carb diet to prepare for competitions.
Despite these facts, very low carb diets are not the ultimate answer to permanent weight loss. At worst they are unhealthy. At best they’re a temporary tool that should be used only for short periods to achieve specific fat loss goals (preparing for bodybuilding competition, for example).
Even for carb-sensitive, insulin-resistant, hypoglycemic people who respond well to less carbs and more protein/fat, there are still many drawbacks:
1) Very low carb diets are difficult to stick to. If you remove most of your carbohydrates from your diet for a long period of time, you’re setting yourself up for a relapse. The more you cut back the carbs, the bigger the rebound will be when you put carbs back in. That's why 95% of people gain back all the weight they lose on a very low carb diet.
2) Very low carb diets are often unbalanced and missing many nutrients. It’s still up for debate whether low carb programs like the Atkins diet are unhealthy, but few people would debate the fact that the optimal diet for long term maintenance is one that has balance between protein, carbs and fats and includes a wide variety of foods, not an overemphasis on one food or food group.
3) Very low carb diets may be unhealthy. Many low carb diets allow large amounts of saturated and processed fats. (No toast or pancakes are allowed, but bacon, sausage, butter and whole eggs for breakfast are just fine). In the absence of carbohydrates, you can eat fat with protein and you’ll still lose weight (fat doesn’t necessarily make you fat). But it's probably not wise to eat large amounts of saturated fat and it’s never wise to eat processed fats or trans fats. Although the effects of low carb, high fat/protein diets on various health markers is still up for debate, most people would be best to opt for a diet that is low in fat (below 30% of total calories) and moderate in carbs and protein.
4) Very low carb diets cause your energy levels to plummet. Not only will you feel tired and irritable without carbs, but your training will also suffer: Low carbs = low energy. Low energy = poor workouts. Poor workouts = poor results.
5) The weight loss on a very low carb diet can be deceiving. You will definitely lose weight if you don't eat carbs, but much of the initial weight loss will be muscle and water. Suppose you lose 5 lbs in one week on a low carb diet: That sounds impressive, but if one pound is fat, two pounds are water and two pounds are muscle, what did you accomplish? Your goal should never be weight loss. Your goal should be fat loss.
Most people will lose fat simply by adding a regular exercise routine to their schedule and by "cleaning up" their diets. By "cleaning up" your diet, I mean that you’ve mastered all the nutritional basics like eating small frequent meals, controlling portion sizes, cutting down on unhealthy fats, avoiding sugar and refined foods, etc.
Low carb diets can accelerate fat loss. But if you choose the low carb approach to dieting, the best method for most people is to decrease your carbohydrates moderately and add in some of the “good fats.”
Cutting out carbs completely is not necessary, it's probably not healthy, it's hard to stick to, and it's no fun! It's usually not wise to go to extremes in anything and that’s as true for nutrition as anything else in life: moderation is the key.
No diet issue has created more confusion and controversy than the low carbohydrate vs. high carbohydrate debate.
Contrary to what certain diet "guru's" tell you, carbohydrates are not fattening.
It’s a flat out LIE to say, "carbohydrates are fattening." What's fattening is eating more calories than your body can use at one time.
However, it's true that some people lose weight more quickly on a low carbohydrate diet (that's not the same thing as saying carbohydrates are fattening.) It's also true that almost every bodybuilder or fitness competitor uses some variation of the low carb diet to prepare for competitions.
Despite these facts, very low carb diets are not the ultimate answer to permanent weight loss. At worst they are unhealthy. At best they’re a temporary tool that should be used only for short periods to achieve specific fat loss goals (preparing for bodybuilding competition, for example).
Even for carb-sensitive, insulin-resistant, hypoglycemic people who respond well to less carbs and more protein/fat, there are still many drawbacks:
1) Very low carb diets are difficult to stick to. If you remove most of your carbohydrates from your diet for a long period of time, you’re setting yourself up for a relapse. The more you cut back the carbs, the bigger the rebound will be when you put carbs back in. That's why 95% of people gain back all the weight they lose on a very low carb diet.
2) Very low carb diets are often unbalanced and missing many nutrients. It’s still up for debate whether low carb programs like the Atkins diet are unhealthy, but few people would debate the fact that the optimal diet for long term maintenance is one that has balance between protein, carbs and fats and includes a wide variety of foods, not an overemphasis on one food or food group.
3) Very low carb diets may be unhealthy. Many low carb diets allow large amounts of saturated and processed fats. (No toast or pancakes are allowed, but bacon, sausage, butter and whole eggs for breakfast are just fine). In the absence of carbohydrates, you can eat fat with protein and you’ll still lose weight (fat doesn’t necessarily make you fat). But it's probably not wise to eat large amounts of saturated fat and it’s never wise to eat processed fats or trans fats. Although the effects of low carb, high fat/protein diets on various health markers is still up for debate, most people would be best to opt for a diet that is low in fat (below 30% of total calories) and moderate in carbs and protein.
4) Very low carb diets cause your energy levels to plummet. Not only will you feel tired and irritable without carbs, but your training will also suffer: Low carbs = low energy. Low energy = poor workouts. Poor workouts = poor results.
5) The weight loss on a very low carb diet can be deceiving. You will definitely lose weight if you don't eat carbs, but much of the initial weight loss will be muscle and water. Suppose you lose 5 lbs in one week on a low carb diet: That sounds impressive, but if one pound is fat, two pounds are water and two pounds are muscle, what did you accomplish? Your goal should never be weight loss. Your goal should be fat loss.
Most people will lose fat simply by adding a regular exercise routine to their schedule and by "cleaning up" their diets. By "cleaning up" your diet, I mean that you’ve mastered all the nutritional basics like eating small frequent meals, controlling portion sizes, cutting down on unhealthy fats, avoiding sugar and refined foods, etc.
Low carb diets can accelerate fat loss. But if you choose the low carb approach to dieting, the best method for most people is to decrease your carbohydrates moderately and add in some of the “good fats.”
Cutting out carbs completely is not necessary, it's probably not healthy, it's hard to stick to, and it's no fun! It's usually not wise to go to extremes in anything and that’s as true for nutrition as anything else in life: moderation is the key.
Fat Loss Lie #7
Some people will never be able to lose weight and they should just give up and accept their genetics for what they are.
It's true; your heredity will, to a certain degree, dictate your athletic ability and the ease and speed with which you can lose fat. However, it's a lie to say that some people can't lose weight because they've inherited a "slow metabolism."
Let's be honest; not everyone is going to become an Olympic Gold medalist, a Mr. Universe or a Miss Fitness America. However, you should never just "accept your genetics" and give up. Everybody can lose fat. It just takes a little longer for some than for others.
Some people have inherited a metabolism and body type that tends to favor fat storage. This body type is called an "endomorph." Endomorphs may have a slower metabolism, they’re often carbohydrate sensitive, they gain fat quickly when they eat poorly; they gain fat quickly if they don't exercise, and they may hold onto stored fat, even on a clean, low fat diet.
Weight loss is easier for some than for others and that doesn't seem fair. But that's the way life is. This simply means you're going to have to adjust your diet and training to fit your body type and metabolism.
You may have to work harder than other people. You may have to be more persistent than other people. You might need a stricter diet than other people. You might need to train more intensely than other people. You might have less margin for error (fewer cheat days).
The question is: Are you willing to do what it takes for you?
I write and speak about the role of genetics in fitness a lot and the reason is because I'm sick and tired of hearing people using their "bad genetics" as an excuse for why they can't get in shape.
It's amazing what a human being can achieve when they have a crystal clear goal and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. Need proof?
Marla Runyan is a world champion middle distance runner. At the 2000 Olympic trials in Sacramento, Runyan captured third in the 1500 meters, finishing in 4:06.44; a time good enough to gain her a berth on the 2000 US Olympic team.
At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Runyan was eighth crossing the finish line in 4:08.30.
Is this disappointing? Not when you consider that Runyan has been legally blind since her 9th birthday. Marla suffers from a genetically inherited disease of the retina, called Stargardt's. She is considered legally blind because her condition cannot be corrected. Her vision is limited to the peripheral - she can only see shapes in front of her, and can't even make out the face of her coach ten feet away. Despite this so-called handicap, Marla Runyan is the eighth best runner in the world in the 1500 meters.
The first U.S. paralympian to reach the Olympics, Runyan says she doesn't even look at her lack of sight as an obstacle; "I think my vision is just a circumstance that happened and I don't look at it as a barrier. I never said I want to be the first legally blind runner to make the Olympics. I just wanted to be an Olympian."
"I have been legally blind for 20 years. I am very used to my eyes and how the world appears to me. In fact, I am so used to it that I often forget I see things differently from everyone else. The track looks the same to me as it did 15 years ago. Therefore, I do not consider my vision impairment a "handicap" when it comes to running. It is not a factor or an excuse for a bad race."
And then there's Carl Joseph. Carl Joseph was captain of his football team. He could dunk a basketball. He high jumped 5 feet 10 inches. He threw shot and discus. He was also born with only one leg.
Like Runyan, the difference between Carl and others with genetically inherited disabilities is nothing more than his attitude. Carl Joseph didn't make excuses:
"A lot of people go through life wishing they could change this or
that. God gave me one leg, and I'm just as happy and thankful to
be healthy and to have done as much as I have. Ever since I was
a kid I could do anything I wanted to. One leg or two, it didn't
make any difference to me. It's all in the mind. My mind always
told me I could do things, so I just went out and did them."
- Carl Joseph
When I first wrote about these two athletes as examples of what genetically disadvantaged people can achieve, I received an e-mail from an angry reader (who was very overweight and convinced that his genetics were to blame and there was nothing he could do about it). He wrote; “Tom, those are terrible examples. – Will a positive attitude restore Marla’s sight? Will positive thinking re-grow Carl’s leg?”
I felt sorry for this poor fellow because he entirely missed the point, and because of his own “vision problem” he has limited his own development. The answer to his questions of course, are no; the chances of positive mental attitude growing back a leg or restoring one’s sight are mighty slim.
But that doesn’t matter; the difference between people like Marla and Carl and the man who wrote to me is that Marla and Carl didn’t use their genetic disabilities as justification for their own failure and mediocrity or as an excuse for not even trying.
Marla and Carl did the best they could with what they had. It was much harder for them; and even with all the effort, they still couldn’t reach the level of those without such disabilities. But being better than others was not the goal. What they did was to become the best they could be. They became champions in their own right. They got out there and played the game.
“Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they’re yours.”
- Richard Bach, Author of “Illusions”
It's true; your heredity will, to a certain degree, dictate your athletic ability and the ease and speed with which you can lose fat. However, it's a lie to say that some people can't lose weight because they've inherited a "slow metabolism."
Let's be honest; not everyone is going to become an Olympic Gold medalist, a Mr. Universe or a Miss Fitness America. However, you should never just "accept your genetics" and give up. Everybody can lose fat. It just takes a little longer for some than for others.
Some people have inherited a metabolism and body type that tends to favor fat storage. This body type is called an "endomorph." Endomorphs may have a slower metabolism, they’re often carbohydrate sensitive, they gain fat quickly when they eat poorly; they gain fat quickly if they don't exercise, and they may hold onto stored fat, even on a clean, low fat diet.
Weight loss is easier for some than for others and that doesn't seem fair. But that's the way life is. This simply means you're going to have to adjust your diet and training to fit your body type and metabolism.
You may have to work harder than other people. You may have to be more persistent than other people. You might need a stricter diet than other people. You might need to train more intensely than other people. You might have less margin for error (fewer cheat days).
The question is: Are you willing to do what it takes for you?
I write and speak about the role of genetics in fitness a lot and the reason is because I'm sick and tired of hearing people using their "bad genetics" as an excuse for why they can't get in shape.
It's amazing what a human being can achieve when they have a crystal clear goal and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. Need proof?
Marla Runyan is a world champion middle distance runner. At the 2000 Olympic trials in Sacramento, Runyan captured third in the 1500 meters, finishing in 4:06.44; a time good enough to gain her a berth on the 2000 US Olympic team.
At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Runyan was eighth crossing the finish line in 4:08.30.
Is this disappointing? Not when you consider that Runyan has been legally blind since her 9th birthday. Marla suffers from a genetically inherited disease of the retina, called Stargardt's. She is considered legally blind because her condition cannot be corrected. Her vision is limited to the peripheral - she can only see shapes in front of her, and can't even make out the face of her coach ten feet away. Despite this so-called handicap, Marla Runyan is the eighth best runner in the world in the 1500 meters.
The first U.S. paralympian to reach the Olympics, Runyan says she doesn't even look at her lack of sight as an obstacle; "I think my vision is just a circumstance that happened and I don't look at it as a barrier. I never said I want to be the first legally blind runner to make the Olympics. I just wanted to be an Olympian."
"I have been legally blind for 20 years. I am very used to my eyes and how the world appears to me. In fact, I am so used to it that I often forget I see things differently from everyone else. The track looks the same to me as it did 15 years ago. Therefore, I do not consider my vision impairment a "handicap" when it comes to running. It is not a factor or an excuse for a bad race."
And then there's Carl Joseph. Carl Joseph was captain of his football team. He could dunk a basketball. He high jumped 5 feet 10 inches. He threw shot and discus. He was also born with only one leg.
Like Runyan, the difference between Carl and others with genetically inherited disabilities is nothing more than his attitude. Carl Joseph didn't make excuses:
"A lot of people go through life wishing they could change this or
that. God gave me one leg, and I'm just as happy and thankful to
be healthy and to have done as much as I have. Ever since I was
a kid I could do anything I wanted to. One leg or two, it didn't
make any difference to me. It's all in the mind. My mind always
told me I could do things, so I just went out and did them."
- Carl Joseph
When I first wrote about these two athletes as examples of what genetically disadvantaged people can achieve, I received an e-mail from an angry reader (who was very overweight and convinced that his genetics were to blame and there was nothing he could do about it). He wrote; “Tom, those are terrible examples. – Will a positive attitude restore Marla’s sight? Will positive thinking re-grow Carl’s leg?”
I felt sorry for this poor fellow because he entirely missed the point, and because of his own “vision problem” he has limited his own development. The answer to his questions of course, are no; the chances of positive mental attitude growing back a leg or restoring one’s sight are mighty slim.
But that doesn’t matter; the difference between people like Marla and Carl and the man who wrote to me is that Marla and Carl didn’t use their genetic disabilities as justification for their own failure and mediocrity or as an excuse for not even trying.
Marla and Carl did the best they could with what they had. It was much harder for them; and even with all the effort, they still couldn’t reach the level of those without such disabilities. But being better than others was not the goal. What they did was to become the best they could be. They became champions in their own right. They got out there and played the game.
“Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they’re yours.”
- Richard Bach, Author of “Illusions”
Fat Loss Lie #6
Losing fat can be accomplished without hard work.
If someone is eating poorly and not exercising, then they can often begin losing fat very quickly and easily, relative to their previous disappointing results. All they have to do is improve their nutrition and exercise habits and a quantum leap can often be made.
With that distinction made, let me state unequivocally that permanent fat loss is never really “easy.” There is always effort and discipline involved, as there is with any worthwhile achievement. Endlessly searching for an easier way, a magic bullet, miracle cure, a holy grail, is a misguided quest.
Losing fat is very simple, but for most people it is not easy. There's a big difference between simple and easy:
"Simple" means there is nothing complicated about the process - it's like algebra; just plug in the numbers where the X's and Y's are, and the formula always produces the correct result.
"Easy" implies that something can be done with little or no effort. Anyone who tells you they've discovered an “easy” way to lose fat is lying.
Getting a lean and muscular body requires two things:
1) You must be willing to work hard
2) You must be patient
The problem with many people is that they shy away from anything that appears to be hard work. They’re always looking for short cuts. As soon as they see something that promises results "quickly," "easily," "effortlessly," "while they sleep," "without exercise," and so on, they whip out their wallets and take the bait, hook, line and sinker.
Shortcuts always fail! Take a shortcut and you're going to get lost, fall into a deep hole, or smack into a brick wall!
Everything worth having in life has a price attached to it - EVERYTHING! (Study Emerson’s essay on Compensation). If you want a lean and muscular body, you must be willing to pay the price for a lean and muscular body. STOP looking for easy ways. Just pay the price and it’s yours – and it’s yours for life, because you didn’t depend on the crutch of a short-term gimmick.
Make no mistake; people with great bodies, especially bodybuilders and fitness models, have worked very hard for a very long time to get where they are. Many of the best natural bodybuilders in the world are in their late 30's or early 40’s and have been training for 10, 15, even 20 years.
It's an absolutely unbreakable law of the universe that you can't get something for nothing. Your results will come in direct proportion to the amount of effort you put in. You can only reap what you sow.
If someone is eating poorly and not exercising, then they can often begin losing fat very quickly and easily, relative to their previous disappointing results. All they have to do is improve their nutrition and exercise habits and a quantum leap can often be made.
With that distinction made, let me state unequivocally that permanent fat loss is never really “easy.” There is always effort and discipline involved, as there is with any worthwhile achievement. Endlessly searching for an easier way, a magic bullet, miracle cure, a holy grail, is a misguided quest.
Losing fat is very simple, but for most people it is not easy. There's a big difference between simple and easy:
"Simple" means there is nothing complicated about the process - it's like algebra; just plug in the numbers where the X's and Y's are, and the formula always produces the correct result.
"Easy" implies that something can be done with little or no effort. Anyone who tells you they've discovered an “easy” way to lose fat is lying.
Getting a lean and muscular body requires two things:
1) You must be willing to work hard
2) You must be patient
The problem with many people is that they shy away from anything that appears to be hard work. They’re always looking for short cuts. As soon as they see something that promises results "quickly," "easily," "effortlessly," "while they sleep," "without exercise," and so on, they whip out their wallets and take the bait, hook, line and sinker.
Shortcuts always fail! Take a shortcut and you're going to get lost, fall into a deep hole, or smack into a brick wall!
Everything worth having in life has a price attached to it - EVERYTHING! (Study Emerson’s essay on Compensation). If you want a lean and muscular body, you must be willing to pay the price for a lean and muscular body. STOP looking for easy ways. Just pay the price and it’s yours – and it’s yours for life, because you didn’t depend on the crutch of a short-term gimmick.
Make no mistake; people with great bodies, especially bodybuilders and fitness models, have worked very hard for a very long time to get where they are. Many of the best natural bodybuilders in the world are in their late 30's or early 40’s and have been training for 10, 15, even 20 years.
It's an absolutely unbreakable law of the universe that you can't get something for nothing. Your results will come in direct proportion to the amount of effort you put in. You can only reap what you sow.
Fat Loss Lie #5
Thermogenic "fat burners" that contain ephedrine and caffeine are highly effective for permanent fat loss
Xenadrine, Hydroxycut, Metabolife, Thermadrol, Diet Fuel, Stacker and Ripped Fuel. Ever heard of any of these? If not, you must have been living in a cave somewhere for the past ten years because "thermogenic" fat burning pills made with the herbal stimulant ephedra have become the hottest weight loss craze in the history of the industry.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on these products every year and there's no end in sight to this fat burning pill feeding-frenzy. Even if Ephedra is banned for over the counter sale because of FDA pressure, it’s likely that ephedra-free stimulant products will take their place in short order, even if they’re weaker versions of the original products. The strength of the brand names seems to be carrying them forward.
But are these thermogenic products all they're made out to be? Let me set the record straight once and for all.
Open up any bodybuilding or fitness magazine these days and you'll see multi-page advertisements boasting of “amazing”, “clinically proven,” “university-tested” results, with dramatic photos of physiques allegedly transformed overnight by using these products.
One headline says "Proven to increase fat loss 1700%." Another says "Burn up to 613% more fat!" Still another says, "34 times more fat lost than control group."
Frankly, the hype surrounding these products borders on being ridiculous. Where did these numbers come from? 1700% or 613% or 34 times greater THAN WHAT? Obviously, some “apples” are being compared to “oranges.”
It's easy for supplement companies to cleverly take statistics out of context - just one of many sneaky tricks they have up their advertising sleeves. (Did you know there’s an infamous book called “How to Lie With Statistics,” written on this very topic? If you don’t believe me, go to Amazon.com and see for yourself.)
If any supplement really did burn 1700% more body fat, there wouldn't be any overweight people left! But there are: There are more overweight people today than ever before in history!
Don't believe the hype! It’s not that these products don’t work at all – the problem is more in the deceptive marketing and advertising than the products themselves. The claims are simply outrageous.
Thermogenic fat burners do work, but they don't work miracles and they’re not a substitute for proper nutrition and training. Because the primary ingredients ephedrine and caffeine are strong central nervous system stimulants, they also have many potential side effects and contraindications. Use caution if you use thermogenic products at all and never use them if you are sensitive to stimulants and/or have a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disorders or any other medical problems.
If you’re not sure if ephedra products are safe for you, check with your doctor first.
Most of your results will come from hard training and a good diet. There are no magic pills. Why is it that people just don't seem to get this? It's human nature, I suppose. We all want instant gratification, so it's awfully easy to be swayed by the glossy four-page magazine spreads with those mind blowing (doctored?) before and after photos.
Certain supplement companies are partly to blame for our obsession with fast results. Instead of teaching and educating the public about healthy, sensible, slow and steady permanent fat loss, they tease and tempt with very shrewd marketing campaigns. Testimonials, endorsements, scientific studies and before/after photos are incredibly persuasive because they appeal to your emotions. “Take this pill… go to bed…wake up skinny – it’s magic!”
Even the names of the products were carefully chosen: Do you think it's a coincidence that the #1 selling herbal weight loss supplement Xenadrine sounds a lot like the prescription drug Xenical? Not a week goes by that someone doesn’t ask me about the ”drug” Xenadrine (Xenadrine is a brand name for an over-the-counter, ephedra product; Xenical is a prescription drug).
If you want to lose body fat, get your diet and training program in order FIRST. Once you're eating nutritiously, moderately restricting your calories, doing cardio and working out with weights, then and only then - and only if you have a clean bill of health - should you even consider a thermogenic herbal product if you need an “extra boost.”
Note: Personally, I’ve used ephedrine and ephedra products in the past and noticed a very strong stimulant effect which “boosted” my workouts, but I gave them up (for many reasons), and have not used them for years. I still reach 3-4% body fat every time I compete - with no thermogenic or “fat burning” supplements whatsoever.
Xenadrine, Hydroxycut, Metabolife, Thermadrol, Diet Fuel, Stacker and Ripped Fuel. Ever heard of any of these? If not, you must have been living in a cave somewhere for the past ten years because "thermogenic" fat burning pills made with the herbal stimulant ephedra have become the hottest weight loss craze in the history of the industry.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on these products every year and there's no end in sight to this fat burning pill feeding-frenzy. Even if Ephedra is banned for over the counter sale because of FDA pressure, it’s likely that ephedra-free stimulant products will take their place in short order, even if they’re weaker versions of the original products. The strength of the brand names seems to be carrying them forward.
But are these thermogenic products all they're made out to be? Let me set the record straight once and for all.
Open up any bodybuilding or fitness magazine these days and you'll see multi-page advertisements boasting of “amazing”, “clinically proven,” “university-tested” results, with dramatic photos of physiques allegedly transformed overnight by using these products.
One headline says "Proven to increase fat loss 1700%." Another says "Burn up to 613% more fat!" Still another says, "34 times more fat lost than control group."
Frankly, the hype surrounding these products borders on being ridiculous. Where did these numbers come from? 1700% or 613% or 34 times greater THAN WHAT? Obviously, some “apples” are being compared to “oranges.”
It's easy for supplement companies to cleverly take statistics out of context - just one of many sneaky tricks they have up their advertising sleeves. (Did you know there’s an infamous book called “How to Lie With Statistics,” written on this very topic? If you don’t believe me, go to Amazon.com and see for yourself.)
If any supplement really did burn 1700% more body fat, there wouldn't be any overweight people left! But there are: There are more overweight people today than ever before in history!
Don't believe the hype! It’s not that these products don’t work at all – the problem is more in the deceptive marketing and advertising than the products themselves. The claims are simply outrageous.
Thermogenic fat burners do work, but they don't work miracles and they’re not a substitute for proper nutrition and training. Because the primary ingredients ephedrine and caffeine are strong central nervous system stimulants, they also have many potential side effects and contraindications. Use caution if you use thermogenic products at all and never use them if you are sensitive to stimulants and/or have a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disorders or any other medical problems.
If you’re not sure if ephedra products are safe for you, check with your doctor first.
Most of your results will come from hard training and a good diet. There are no magic pills. Why is it that people just don't seem to get this? It's human nature, I suppose. We all want instant gratification, so it's awfully easy to be swayed by the glossy four-page magazine spreads with those mind blowing (doctored?) before and after photos.
Certain supplement companies are partly to blame for our obsession with fast results. Instead of teaching and educating the public about healthy, sensible, slow and steady permanent fat loss, they tease and tempt with very shrewd marketing campaigns. Testimonials, endorsements, scientific studies and before/after photos are incredibly persuasive because they appeal to your emotions. “Take this pill… go to bed…wake up skinny – it’s magic!”
Even the names of the products were carefully chosen: Do you think it's a coincidence that the #1 selling herbal weight loss supplement Xenadrine sounds a lot like the prescription drug Xenical? Not a week goes by that someone doesn’t ask me about the ”drug” Xenadrine (Xenadrine is a brand name for an over-the-counter, ephedra product; Xenical is a prescription drug).
If you want to lose body fat, get your diet and training program in order FIRST. Once you're eating nutritiously, moderately restricting your calories, doing cardio and working out with weights, then and only then - and only if you have a clean bill of health - should you even consider a thermogenic herbal product if you need an “extra boost.”
Note: Personally, I’ve used ephedrine and ephedra products in the past and noticed a very strong stimulant effect which “boosted” my workouts, but I gave them up (for many reasons), and have not used them for years. I still reach 3-4% body fat every time I compete - with no thermogenic or “fat burning” supplements whatsoever.
Fat Loss Lie #4
Meal replacement products, powders and diet shakes help you "burn" fat.
Supplement companies would like you to believe that meal replacement products (MRP's), powdered mixes and shakes have some sort of "magical" fat-reducing or muscle-building properties. The truth is that they’re nothing more than "powdered food" (or “liquid food”).
The primary benefit of these products is convenience.
It's a challenge to eat frequently and to get enough high quality protein from whole foods, so quality MRP's are great when you're in a hurry and you don't have time to eat food, but they’re not better than food, no matter what any supplement "guru" says.
Owners of supplement companies will say that MRP's are the greatest thing since electricity. That shouldn't come as any surprise; sales of these products run in the tens of millions of dollars each year.
With the one possible exception of post-workout nutrition during mass-building programs, eating real food is better than drinking shakes. The human gastrointestinal system has evolved to efficiently digest whole food, not powders or pills. The process of digesting solid food every three hours actually increases your metabolic rate. This is known as the "thermic effect of food." Powders fail to take advantage of this metabolic boost.
I suggest you follow Mr. Parillo's advice: Whenever you have a choice, and whenever time permits, you should always choose whole foods over powders and drinks.
“Food is the cornerstone of nutrition. If you don’t eat the proper foods - lean proteins, starchy carbs, and fibrous carbs - nothing else matters. No supplement can ever provide you with all the benefits that food supplies. We were built to process foods - proteins, carbohydrates and fats - not powdered or liquid supplements alone. If you want to make the best possible progress with your physique, I suggest that you forget the hype surrounding all supplement diets or meal replacement programs and get back to basics. And that means food."
- John Parillo, Author of High Performance Bodybuilding
Supplement companies would like you to believe that meal replacement products (MRP's), powdered mixes and shakes have some sort of "magical" fat-reducing or muscle-building properties. The truth is that they’re nothing more than "powdered food" (or “liquid food”).
The primary benefit of these products is convenience.
It's a challenge to eat frequently and to get enough high quality protein from whole foods, so quality MRP's are great when you're in a hurry and you don't have time to eat food, but they’re not better than food, no matter what any supplement "guru" says.
Owners of supplement companies will say that MRP's are the greatest thing since electricity. That shouldn't come as any surprise; sales of these products run in the tens of millions of dollars each year.
With the one possible exception of post-workout nutrition during mass-building programs, eating real food is better than drinking shakes. The human gastrointestinal system has evolved to efficiently digest whole food, not powders or pills. The process of digesting solid food every three hours actually increases your metabolic rate. This is known as the "thermic effect of food." Powders fail to take advantage of this metabolic boost.
I suggest you follow Mr. Parillo's advice: Whenever you have a choice, and whenever time permits, you should always choose whole foods over powders and drinks.
“Food is the cornerstone of nutrition. If you don’t eat the proper foods - lean proteins, starchy carbs, and fibrous carbs - nothing else matters. No supplement can ever provide you with all the benefits that food supplies. We were built to process foods - proteins, carbohydrates and fats - not powdered or liquid supplements alone. If you want to make the best possible progress with your physique, I suggest that you forget the hype surrounding all supplement diets or meal replacement programs and get back to basics. And that means food."
- John Parillo, Author of High Performance Bodybuilding
Fat Loss Lie #3
You can believe everything you read in the magazines.
Most magazine publishers own supplement companies and use their magazines as the primary means for promoting their products. Certain well-known magazines have been doing this for decades. One day, it dawned on the rest of them that more money could be made selling supplements than selling advertising or subscriptions. Before long, every publisher jumped on the bandwagon and started supplement companies.
You see, magazines have mega-credibility. After all, they can’t print a lie right there on paper, can they? If it’s in print, it must be true, right? They’d get in some kind of trouble with an “alphabet agency” otherwise, wouldn’t they? Maybe. Maybe not.
Editorials are more believable than advertising (that’s why they try to make ads look so much like articles these days). Most people will believe almost anything if it’s printed in a "reputable" medium such as a nationally circulated magazine. That's why magazines are the perfect vehicles for promoting supplements.
Did you ever notice how many magazine articles are about the latest, greatest "breakthroughs" in supplements? These "articles" aren't really articles at all; they’re nothing more than advertisements in disguise! (With an 800 number for easy ordering at the end… how convenient!)
Even if a magazine doesn't have a vested interest in a supplement line, you still can't count on them to reveal the whole truth to you because they don't want to offend the deep-pocketed companies that are spending big money to advertise.
A full-page ad in a high circulation national magazine can cost tens of thousands of dollars. With this kind of money at stake, do you think any magazine will print an article saying “supplements don't work” and on the next page, run an ad for the same supplements they are criticizing? Not likely is it?
It’s in the magazine’s best interest to promote supplements like crazy, regardless of whether they work or not, because the more supplements that are sold, the more the supplement companies will advertise. The more they advertise, the more supplements they sell, and on and on the cycle goes.
This is the same reason you often get better investing advice from the smaller, lesser-known financial newsletters than you do from the major financial magazines and newspapers; because the major publishers don't want to write editorials that will upset the advertisers.
Don't believe everything you read. Question everything. Use your head. Use common sense and your own good judgment. Beware of hidden motives. Just because it's right there in black and white doesn't mean it's the truth. If it sounds too good to be true…it probably is.
Most magazine publishers own supplement companies and use their magazines as the primary means for promoting their products. Certain well-known magazines have been doing this for decades. One day, it dawned on the rest of them that more money could be made selling supplements than selling advertising or subscriptions. Before long, every publisher jumped on the bandwagon and started supplement companies.
You see, magazines have mega-credibility. After all, they can’t print a lie right there on paper, can they? If it’s in print, it must be true, right? They’d get in some kind of trouble with an “alphabet agency” otherwise, wouldn’t they? Maybe. Maybe not.
Editorials are more believable than advertising (that’s why they try to make ads look so much like articles these days). Most people will believe almost anything if it’s printed in a "reputable" medium such as a nationally circulated magazine. That's why magazines are the perfect vehicles for promoting supplements.
Did you ever notice how many magazine articles are about the latest, greatest "breakthroughs" in supplements? These "articles" aren't really articles at all; they’re nothing more than advertisements in disguise! (With an 800 number for easy ordering at the end… how convenient!)
Even if a magazine doesn't have a vested interest in a supplement line, you still can't count on them to reveal the whole truth to you because they don't want to offend the deep-pocketed companies that are spending big money to advertise.
A full-page ad in a high circulation national magazine can cost tens of thousands of dollars. With this kind of money at stake, do you think any magazine will print an article saying “supplements don't work” and on the next page, run an ad for the same supplements they are criticizing? Not likely is it?
It’s in the magazine’s best interest to promote supplements like crazy, regardless of whether they work or not, because the more supplements that are sold, the more the supplement companies will advertise. The more they advertise, the more supplements they sell, and on and on the cycle goes.
This is the same reason you often get better investing advice from the smaller, lesser-known financial newsletters than you do from the major financial magazines and newspapers; because the major publishers don't want to write editorials that will upset the advertisers.
Don't believe everything you read. Question everything. Use your head. Use common sense and your own good judgment. Beware of hidden motives. Just because it's right there in black and white doesn't mean it's the truth. If it sounds too good to be true…it probably is.
Fat Loss Lie #2
The only way to get really lean is to "starve" yourself
Most commercial diet programs are very low in calories. Many border on starvation: 1200 calories, 1000 calories, even 800 calories or less!
Ironically, the more you slash your calories, the more your metabolism slows down. In fact, very low calorie diets can actually make you fatter! It’s physiologically impossible to achieve permanent fat loss by starving yourself.
When you eat less, your body burns less. When you eat more, your body burns more. It’s the ultimate paradox.
Very low calorie diets not only slow your metabolism so you burn fewer calories, they can also cause muscle loss. Eventually, they shut down your metabolism completely. When this happens, the weight loss stops and any increase in calories that follows will cause immediate fat gain. This “rebound effect” is inevitable, because no one can stay on low calories forever.
Carefully scrutinize the calorie recommendations of any diet program before you start it. You'll probably discover that 95% of them have you slash your calories to “starvation” levels.
Any diet program that’s extremely low in calories will cause weight loss in the beginning – but it will never work for long.
You see, the human body is very “smart” - it always strives to maintain a magnificent state of equilibrium: Metabolism, body temperature, blood sugar, hormone levels, acid-alkaline balance and every other system in the body, are all regulated within a narrow range that your body finds safe and comfortable.
When you subject yourself to drastic measures in an attempt to create sudden changes such as rapid weight loss, your metabolism cybernetically adjusts itself to maintain equilibrium in energy balance, much the same way as a thermostat maintains the temperature of your home within a desirable range. As soon as you’re in danger of starving, your body will quickly adjust your metabolic rate downward like a thermostat, so you burn fewer calories. This is often referred to as “the starvation response.”
The only way to lose fat and keep it off permanently is to reduce your calories slightly and increase your activity greatly. It’s always better to burn the fat than try to starve the fat.
“Dieting is not effective in controlling weight. You can get a temporary weight loss with a diet, but each scheme ultimately gives way to weight gain, and subsequent losses become increasingly difficult. Worst of all, you get progressively fatter on less food. Dieting actually makes you fatter!
- Dr. Lawrence Lamb, Author of The Weighting Game
Most commercial diet programs are very low in calories. Many border on starvation: 1200 calories, 1000 calories, even 800 calories or less!
Ironically, the more you slash your calories, the more your metabolism slows down. In fact, very low calorie diets can actually make you fatter! It’s physiologically impossible to achieve permanent fat loss by starving yourself.
When you eat less, your body burns less. When you eat more, your body burns more. It’s the ultimate paradox.
Very low calorie diets not only slow your metabolism so you burn fewer calories, they can also cause muscle loss. Eventually, they shut down your metabolism completely. When this happens, the weight loss stops and any increase in calories that follows will cause immediate fat gain. This “rebound effect” is inevitable, because no one can stay on low calories forever.
Carefully scrutinize the calorie recommendations of any diet program before you start it. You'll probably discover that 95% of them have you slash your calories to “starvation” levels.
Any diet program that’s extremely low in calories will cause weight loss in the beginning – but it will never work for long.
You see, the human body is very “smart” - it always strives to maintain a magnificent state of equilibrium: Metabolism, body temperature, blood sugar, hormone levels, acid-alkaline balance and every other system in the body, are all regulated within a narrow range that your body finds safe and comfortable.
When you subject yourself to drastic measures in an attempt to create sudden changes such as rapid weight loss, your metabolism cybernetically adjusts itself to maintain equilibrium in energy balance, much the same way as a thermostat maintains the temperature of your home within a desirable range. As soon as you’re in danger of starving, your body will quickly adjust your metabolic rate downward like a thermostat, so you burn fewer calories. This is often referred to as “the starvation response.”
The only way to lose fat and keep it off permanently is to reduce your calories slightly and increase your activity greatly. It’s always better to burn the fat than try to starve the fat.
“Dieting is not effective in controlling weight. You can get a temporary weight loss with a diet, but each scheme ultimately gives way to weight gain, and subsequent losses become increasingly difficult. Worst of all, you get progressively fatter on less food. Dieting actually makes you fatter!
- Dr. Lawrence Lamb, Author of The Weighting Game
Fat Loss Lie #1
You need supplements to lose fat.
Exercise, nutrition and the proper mental attitude (positive self-image) are the only things you need to lose fat permanently. Supplements are not a requirement. Some basic supplements are helpful for “nutritional insurance,” and some supplements can help speed up the fat loss process a little, but not nearly as much as the advertising leads you to believe.
Even supplements that have been proven effective are only responsible for a small fraction of the results you achieve. Based on 20 years of experience in bodybuilding and fitness, I believe that at least 97% of your results will come from good training and good nutrition.
If most of your results come from nutrition and training, then why would you chase after that last 3% “edge” if you haven’t even maximized the first 97%? Isn’t that approach completely backwards?
FOCUS ON YOUR DIET AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FIRST!
Believe it or not, advanced trainees, competitive bodybuilders or athletes will probably benefit more from using supplements than beginners. High level athletes are more likely to have "maxed-out” their training and nutrition programs. Their diets are impeccable. Their training is intense. Their discipline is unwavering.
Once you've reached a high level of development from intelligent, intense, methodical training and quality nutrition, and the closer you get to your ultimate genetic potential, the slower your progress will become. Progress can and will continue indefinitely, but as you reach higher levels of achievement, this is when supplements and other “minor” details make the most difference.
In world-class athletics, competitions can be won or lost by hundredths of a second, a tenth of a point, a fraction of a pound, or a single judge’s opinion. The extra 3% that supplements might provide could be the difference between winning and losing.
Now look at the average beginner or intermediate: They're still eating junk foods and skipping meals. They're not even working out consistently. And what do they do FIRST? You guessed it; they immediately run out searching for a "shortcut" in the form of a pill or powder.
It's a shame that so many people look for easy ways instead of making the effort to learn how to eat and train better.
It makes no sense to dive into heavy supplementation first in hopes of finding an easier way. Get your nutrition and training in order and maximize the first 97%. Once your training and nutrition is on point, THEN, by all means, start nit-picking and sweating the small stuff: Take advantage of every legal, natural and ethical edge possible to help you fulfill 100% of your potential and gain a competitive advantage.
Respected exercise physiologist Dr. Tim Ziegenfuss of Kent State said, “Supplements should be the icing on the cake.” That’s a good way of looking at it. If anyone tries to convince you that supplements are essential and that you can’t reach your goals without them, beware; they are probably just trying to sell you something.
“Superior people never wish it were easier, they wish they were better!”
- Brian Tracy, Author of “Maximum Achievement”
(source: tom venuto newsletter burn the fat)
Exercise, nutrition and the proper mental attitude (positive self-image) are the only things you need to lose fat permanently. Supplements are not a requirement. Some basic supplements are helpful for “nutritional insurance,” and some supplements can help speed up the fat loss process a little, but not nearly as much as the advertising leads you to believe.
Even supplements that have been proven effective are only responsible for a small fraction of the results you achieve. Based on 20 years of experience in bodybuilding and fitness, I believe that at least 97% of your results will come from good training and good nutrition.
If most of your results come from nutrition and training, then why would you chase after that last 3% “edge” if you haven’t even maximized the first 97%? Isn’t that approach completely backwards?
FOCUS ON YOUR DIET AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FIRST!
Believe it or not, advanced trainees, competitive bodybuilders or athletes will probably benefit more from using supplements than beginners. High level athletes are more likely to have "maxed-out” their training and nutrition programs. Their diets are impeccable. Their training is intense. Their discipline is unwavering.
Once you've reached a high level of development from intelligent, intense, methodical training and quality nutrition, and the closer you get to your ultimate genetic potential, the slower your progress will become. Progress can and will continue indefinitely, but as you reach higher levels of achievement, this is when supplements and other “minor” details make the most difference.
In world-class athletics, competitions can be won or lost by hundredths of a second, a tenth of a point, a fraction of a pound, or a single judge’s opinion. The extra 3% that supplements might provide could be the difference between winning and losing.
Now look at the average beginner or intermediate: They're still eating junk foods and skipping meals. They're not even working out consistently. And what do they do FIRST? You guessed it; they immediately run out searching for a "shortcut" in the form of a pill or powder.
It's a shame that so many people look for easy ways instead of making the effort to learn how to eat and train better.
It makes no sense to dive into heavy supplementation first in hopes of finding an easier way. Get your nutrition and training in order and maximize the first 97%. Once your training and nutrition is on point, THEN, by all means, start nit-picking and sweating the small stuff: Take advantage of every legal, natural and ethical edge possible to help you fulfill 100% of your potential and gain a competitive advantage.
Respected exercise physiologist Dr. Tim Ziegenfuss of Kent State said, “Supplements should be the icing on the cake.” That’s a good way of looking at it. If anyone tries to convince you that supplements are essential and that you can’t reach your goals without them, beware; they are probably just trying to sell you something.
“Superior people never wish it were easier, they wish they were better!”
- Brian Tracy, Author of “Maximum Achievement”
(source: tom venuto newsletter burn the fat)
Foods That Burn Fat
This recommended list of “fat-burning foods,” also known in the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (BFFM) program as “the terrific twelve,” might be the most valuable resource you’ve ever laid your hands on. Although the possible variety is your food choices is nearly infinite, these twelve are the staple foods that should make up the foundation of your program. Variety is important, but these are the foods you can’t go wrong with and the ones you’ll keep coming back to time after time.
1. Oatmeal
If I could only choose one source of complex, starchy carbohydrates for a fat loss program, this would be it! Oatmeal is the one carbohydrate food that virtually 100% of all bodybuilders and fitness models eat on a daily basis. What makes it so great? Well, although it’s a starchy carbohydrate, oatmeal has a nice balance between carbs, protein and good fat. A half a cup contains 3 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs and 5 grams of protein. The low glycemic index, combined with the presence of protein and fat makes oatmeal a very slowly released carb – exactly what you’re looking for when you want to get lean.
Make sure you choose the all-natural oats; either old-fashioned oats (such as Quaker) or the quick oats. Stay away from the sweetened and or flavored oatmeal packets. Oatmeal is delicious with natural (sugar free) applesauce and cinnamon. Or, try some crushed walnuts or flaxseeds in your morning oats, which will give your “porridge” a nice crunchy texture while adding those desirable “good fats” we all need. For a complete meal, try a couple scoops of Vanilla Praline flavored protein powder in your oatmeal. If you get tired of oatmeal, there are plenty of other cooked whole grain cereals in the “oatmeal family.” Look in your local health food store (or a gourmet supermarket) for barley, wheat, triticale, rye, oat bran and flax cereals (or a multi grain combination of the above).
2. Yams (and sweet potatoes)
Right behind oatmeal, yams (and sweet potatoes) are probably my second favorite starchy carbohydrate. Flavorful, all-natural, low in calories, and packed with nutrients and antioxidants like beta-carotene, it’s no wonder yams are a favorite carbohydrate among bodybuilders, fitness competitors and health-seekers alike. According to Brian Rowley, science editor for FLEX magazine, “Bodybuilders use yams when cutting body fat because they are low on the glycemic index. Waxy white potatoes (boilers) are high on the glycemic index, so they make an excellent post workout meal, but nothing compares with a yam the rest of the time.”
Although the glycemic index is a secondary factor when making carb choices on the BFFM program, if you’re carb sensitive or if you’re on a very strict diet (like a contest diet), then the glycemic index should be given more weight in your choices. Yams are one of the best. Sweet potatoes are not exactly the same thing as yams (they’re slightly higher on the glycemic index), but they’re otherwise similar, which also makes them good choices for fat burning diets. You can identify a yam by its darker orange color, pointier ends and unusual sizes/shapes. Combine a yam with a green veggie, a chicken breast, lean red meat or fish, and you’ve got yourself a perfect fat-burning, muscle building, metabolism boosting meal.
3. Potatoes (white or red)
Potatoes have earned an undeserved reputation as a food to avoid on a fat loss program. But think about it; Potatoes meet every criteria of a great carbohydrate: potatoes are a complex carb. They are all-natural. They contain fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are filling. They are low in calories. So why do people avoid them? One reason is because they confuse a dry potato with a loaded potato. Smother a potato with butter, sour cream and bacon bits and then you’ve got yourself a fattening, calorie-dense ensemble. Eat it dry or top it with Butter sprinkles, salsa or your favorite low fat, low calorie topping and you can’t go wrong.
Another reason people might avoid the potato is because they are using the glycemic index as their primary gauge for choosing carbohydrates. Potatoes are high on the glycemic index, which means they are absorbed as blood sugar very rapidly. What most people don’t realize however is that when you eat your potato as a whole meal with your favorite lean protein, the glycemic index of the entire meal is much lower. Most people also don’t realize that some white potatoes are higher in the GI than others. Baking potatoes are higher in amylose, a slow releasing starch, so the glycemic index is lower. Russet potatoes are also moderate on the GI. Waxy potatoes or boilers are high GI foods. If you’re extremely carb sensitive or hypoglycemic, then you might want to eat more yams than white potatoes, but generally speaking, white potatoes make a superb addition to almost any fat burning diet. I personally eat white potatoes right up until the day of a bodybuilding contest and I have no difficulty reaching 3-4% body fat.
4. Brown Rice
Brown rice is another staple food of bodybuilders and you often see the “muscled ones” chowing down platefuls of rice, both in season and out of season (in smaller quantities during the “cutting-up” season). Prior to contests, bodybuilders sometimes reduce the amount of rice (starchy carbs) and add in more green veggies (fibrous carbs), but rice is a solid year round staple, as long as you keep your calories in check. Obviously, this means avoiding fried rice or other rice dishes that have added fat and calories. Steamed or boiled rice is the way to go.
Of the many types of rice, slow-cooked brown rice or basmati rice are your number one choices. Instant (pre-cooked) rice is fine when you’re in a crunch for time, but the instant rice digests much more quickly and is processed in the body more like a simple carbohydrate. The same goes for white rice, especially the sweet variety that’s usually served in Chinese and Asian restaurants (including sushi rolls). White rice is the processed version of brown rice. Although it’s still technically a starchy complex carbohydrate, the white rice burns faster and has been stripped of much of its nutritional value. When you’re on a very strict fat loss diet, stick with the slow-cooking brown rice for best results.
5. 100% whole wheat and whole grain products
The “baseline diet” can and should contain a wide variety of bread products with one condition: They must be made from 100% whole grains (and the label must say, “100% whole wheat” or “100% whole grain” as the first ingredient). White bread and anything made out of white flour is not allowed in any quantity on this program (except the occasional planned “cheat meal”). If you’re particularly carb-sensitive, then bread – even the whole wheat variety – is one of the first things to go.
A small handful of people – usually one in 200, depending on what source you listen to – have sensitivity to the gluten in the wheat. Gluten is a protein found in wheat products and, much like lactose intolerance from dairy products, gluten intolerance can cause digestive difficulties and bloating in certain individuals. Most competitive bodybuilders drop out all the pasta and bread products for the 12-16 week dieting period before a contest, then usually put them back in for off-season maintenance. On very strict fat loss diets, wheat and bread products are usually eliminated completely. Generally speaking, however, 100% whole wheat and other whole grains are perfectly acceptable additions to a healthy diet for long term body composition control, it just depends on how “strict” you want or need to be with your nutrition.
6. Green fibrous vegetables (broccoli, green beans, asparagus, lettuce, etc)
Fibrous carbs are your number one choice for fat burning carbohydrates. Green vegetables, also known as fibrous carbs, hardly contain any calories (they have a low calorie density). It’s virtually impossible to over eat green vegetables. Eat them liberally and eat more of them late in the day. A diet of green vegetables combined with lean proteins is one of the best methods of getting lean as quickly as possible.
7. Fresh Fruit
Whole fruits are a fantastic, healthy food suitable for nearly any fat loss program. Although there are some “guru’s” in the bodybuilding industry who claim, “fruit is fattening,” this statement is somewhat misleading. It’s true that a diet of mostly complex carbohydrate will give you better results than a diet of mostly simple carbohydrates, but that’s not the same thing as saying “fruit is fattening.” Although fruits are simple carbohydrates, they are natural simple carbohydrates. Most fruits are low in calories, low in carbohydrate grams (compared to starches) and high in fiber.
Some fruits such as raisins are extremely calorie dense and best avoided when you’re on a strict fat loss program and your calorie allotment is small. Fruits like apples, peaches, grapefruits, and oranges, at only 60-80 calories apiece (or less), are a great addition to almost any nutritional plan. Just make sure the majority of your carbohydrates are of the complex type. An all-fruit or mostly fruit diet won’t be as effective for fat loss as one that is mostly green fibrous carbohydrates with lean protein.
8. Skim milk & nonfat dairy products
“Dairy products” cover an entire category of foods including milk, cheese, yogurt, sugar free frozen yogurt, and cottage cheese. To make it on the BFFM “approved” list, a dairy product must be labeled “fat-free,” “skim,” or 1% low fat. Whole milk dairy products are not allowed, as they are high in fat. Even 2% low fat milk is still 37.5% fat by calories.
Dairy products are a “combination food” – they contain carbohydrates and proteins. Because the protein found in dairy products is high quality, complete protein, a high protein dairy product can count as an exchange for a protein food. For example, you could have non-fat cottage cheese as a protein instead of a serving of lean meat. Non-fat cheese can also boost the protein content of a meal. Yogurt tends to have less protein than cottage cheese, so a single container of yogurt wouldn’t count as a full protein serving. In fact, yogurt would count more as a simple carbohydrate exchange than a protein (although, you could mix in a scoop of protein powder into your yogurt to make it “high-protein yogurt).
9. Chicken Breast (and Turkey Breast)
Chicken and turkey are probably the number one most popular protein sources among bodybuilders and fat loss seekers. Remove the skin and get the light meat found in the breasts. The thighs are higher in fat and calories. Naturally, your poultry should be broiled, grilled, or roasted and not fried.
Also, we’re talking about the real bird here, not the sliced lunch meat you find at deli’s or pre-packed in supermarkets. Lunch meats are processed proteins. Some nutritionists call them “fabricated foods” because they are made from a mix and poured into a mold before being cooked and wrapped. While these are acceptable occasionally, don’t make them a staple in your regular daily diet. Lunch meats are loaded with sodium, preservatives, binders, fillers and other nasty chemicals that you don’t want floating around in your body!
10. Egg whites
The name of the game in fat-burning, muscle-building nutrition is to eat a lean protein with every meal. With zero fat, egg whites are as lean as lean proteins get. Egg whites are right up there with chicken breasts as one of the top three lean proteins of choice for losing fat and gaining muscle. Eggs are a super-high quality protein. The problem with whole eggs is the high fat and calorie content. Fortunately, 100% of the fat is in the yolk, while the protein is split evenly between the yolk and the white. This doesn’t mean you have to throw out all your yolks, but it does mean you should limit your yolks. I’d recommend one yolk for every six whites you eat. Just crack them open, and separate the yolk from the white using the edge of the shell. Or, even easier, simply use “Egg Beaters” or another packaged egg white product. There must be hundreds of ways to make eggs, so use your imagination: Omelets, frittatas, scrambled, fried (in nonstick spray), over easy, sunny side up, hard-boiled or any other way you like them, use egg whites liberally!
11. Fish and shellfish
Many people complain about the lack of variety in a bodybuilding-style fat-burning diet, which typically has you eating egg whites, tuna and chicken day in, day out. What most people don’t eat enough of is fish and seafood. By using different types of fish and shellfish as protein sources, you can add an incredible amount of variety a well as getting those valuable good fats. Here is just a partial list of fish to consider: salmon, tuna, haddock, flounder, mackerel, trout, snapper, sea bass, swordfish, mahi mahi, perch, orange roughy, sole, Halibut, herring cod and catfish.
As with other meats, eat your fish baked, grilled or broiled and avoid fatty, high calorie sauces and butter. Most fish are very low in fat and high in protein. Some fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and trout, are high in fat. However, because fish is so high in Omega 3 fatty acids, these fish can and should be used liberally. Shellfish have many of the benefits that fish have and it can add some variety to your diet if you’re getting bored of egg whites and chicken. This category includes shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, etc. By the way, when you’re eating in restaurants, fish is a great choice, as long as you make sure there are no hidden bad fats or extra calories.
12. Lean red meat
Bodybuilders are quite famous for loving their red meat. Many bodybuilders believe that red meat helps muscle growth, and there may be much truth in that statement. Red meat is high in protein, B-12, iron and creatine. The problem with most cuts of red meat is the high fat content. However, not all cuts of red meat are the same. It’s a mistake to label the entire red meat category as a no-no because of high fat content. If you carefully choose the leanest cuts possible and keep your portion sizes small, red meat can be a great addition to a fat burning program. For example, a 6 oz serving of lean, trimmed top round steak has only 9 grams of fat, while a 6 oz of untrimmed porterhouse has 37 grams of fat (and the 18 oz porterhouse you’re often served in a steak house has over 100 grams of fat!)
(source: Tom Venuto’s Foods That Burn Fat, Foods That Turn to Fat )
1. Oatmeal
If I could only choose one source of complex, starchy carbohydrates for a fat loss program, this would be it! Oatmeal is the one carbohydrate food that virtually 100% of all bodybuilders and fitness models eat on a daily basis. What makes it so great? Well, although it’s a starchy carbohydrate, oatmeal has a nice balance between carbs, protein and good fat. A half a cup contains 3 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs and 5 grams of protein. The low glycemic index, combined with the presence of protein and fat makes oatmeal a very slowly released carb – exactly what you’re looking for when you want to get lean.
Make sure you choose the all-natural oats; either old-fashioned oats (such as Quaker) or the quick oats. Stay away from the sweetened and or flavored oatmeal packets. Oatmeal is delicious with natural (sugar free) applesauce and cinnamon. Or, try some crushed walnuts or flaxseeds in your morning oats, which will give your “porridge” a nice crunchy texture while adding those desirable “good fats” we all need. For a complete meal, try a couple scoops of Vanilla Praline flavored protein powder in your oatmeal. If you get tired of oatmeal, there are plenty of other cooked whole grain cereals in the “oatmeal family.” Look in your local health food store (or a gourmet supermarket) for barley, wheat, triticale, rye, oat bran and flax cereals (or a multi grain combination of the above).
2. Yams (and sweet potatoes)
Right behind oatmeal, yams (and sweet potatoes) are probably my second favorite starchy carbohydrate. Flavorful, all-natural, low in calories, and packed with nutrients and antioxidants like beta-carotene, it’s no wonder yams are a favorite carbohydrate among bodybuilders, fitness competitors and health-seekers alike. According to Brian Rowley, science editor for FLEX magazine, “Bodybuilders use yams when cutting body fat because they are low on the glycemic index. Waxy white potatoes (boilers) are high on the glycemic index, so they make an excellent post workout meal, but nothing compares with a yam the rest of the time.”
Although the glycemic index is a secondary factor when making carb choices on the BFFM program, if you’re carb sensitive or if you’re on a very strict diet (like a contest diet), then the glycemic index should be given more weight in your choices. Yams are one of the best. Sweet potatoes are not exactly the same thing as yams (they’re slightly higher on the glycemic index), but they’re otherwise similar, which also makes them good choices for fat burning diets. You can identify a yam by its darker orange color, pointier ends and unusual sizes/shapes. Combine a yam with a green veggie, a chicken breast, lean red meat or fish, and you’ve got yourself a perfect fat-burning, muscle building, metabolism boosting meal.
3. Potatoes (white or red)
Potatoes have earned an undeserved reputation as a food to avoid on a fat loss program. But think about it; Potatoes meet every criteria of a great carbohydrate: potatoes are a complex carb. They are all-natural. They contain fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are filling. They are low in calories. So why do people avoid them? One reason is because they confuse a dry potato with a loaded potato. Smother a potato with butter, sour cream and bacon bits and then you’ve got yourself a fattening, calorie-dense ensemble. Eat it dry or top it with Butter sprinkles, salsa or your favorite low fat, low calorie topping and you can’t go wrong.
Another reason people might avoid the potato is because they are using the glycemic index as their primary gauge for choosing carbohydrates. Potatoes are high on the glycemic index, which means they are absorbed as blood sugar very rapidly. What most people don’t realize however is that when you eat your potato as a whole meal with your favorite lean protein, the glycemic index of the entire meal is much lower. Most people also don’t realize that some white potatoes are higher in the GI than others. Baking potatoes are higher in amylose, a slow releasing starch, so the glycemic index is lower. Russet potatoes are also moderate on the GI. Waxy potatoes or boilers are high GI foods. If you’re extremely carb sensitive or hypoglycemic, then you might want to eat more yams than white potatoes, but generally speaking, white potatoes make a superb addition to almost any fat burning diet. I personally eat white potatoes right up until the day of a bodybuilding contest and I have no difficulty reaching 3-4% body fat.
4. Brown Rice
Brown rice is another staple food of bodybuilders and you often see the “muscled ones” chowing down platefuls of rice, both in season and out of season (in smaller quantities during the “cutting-up” season). Prior to contests, bodybuilders sometimes reduce the amount of rice (starchy carbs) and add in more green veggies (fibrous carbs), but rice is a solid year round staple, as long as you keep your calories in check. Obviously, this means avoiding fried rice or other rice dishes that have added fat and calories. Steamed or boiled rice is the way to go.
Of the many types of rice, slow-cooked brown rice or basmati rice are your number one choices. Instant (pre-cooked) rice is fine when you’re in a crunch for time, but the instant rice digests much more quickly and is processed in the body more like a simple carbohydrate. The same goes for white rice, especially the sweet variety that’s usually served in Chinese and Asian restaurants (including sushi rolls). White rice is the processed version of brown rice. Although it’s still technically a starchy complex carbohydrate, the white rice burns faster and has been stripped of much of its nutritional value. When you’re on a very strict fat loss diet, stick with the slow-cooking brown rice for best results.
5. 100% whole wheat and whole grain products
The “baseline diet” can and should contain a wide variety of bread products with one condition: They must be made from 100% whole grains (and the label must say, “100% whole wheat” or “100% whole grain” as the first ingredient). White bread and anything made out of white flour is not allowed in any quantity on this program (except the occasional planned “cheat meal”). If you’re particularly carb-sensitive, then bread – even the whole wheat variety – is one of the first things to go.
A small handful of people – usually one in 200, depending on what source you listen to – have sensitivity to the gluten in the wheat. Gluten is a protein found in wheat products and, much like lactose intolerance from dairy products, gluten intolerance can cause digestive difficulties and bloating in certain individuals. Most competitive bodybuilders drop out all the pasta and bread products for the 12-16 week dieting period before a contest, then usually put them back in for off-season maintenance. On very strict fat loss diets, wheat and bread products are usually eliminated completely. Generally speaking, however, 100% whole wheat and other whole grains are perfectly acceptable additions to a healthy diet for long term body composition control, it just depends on how “strict” you want or need to be with your nutrition.
6. Green fibrous vegetables (broccoli, green beans, asparagus, lettuce, etc)
Fibrous carbs are your number one choice for fat burning carbohydrates. Green vegetables, also known as fibrous carbs, hardly contain any calories (they have a low calorie density). It’s virtually impossible to over eat green vegetables. Eat them liberally and eat more of them late in the day. A diet of green vegetables combined with lean proteins is one of the best methods of getting lean as quickly as possible.
7. Fresh Fruit
Whole fruits are a fantastic, healthy food suitable for nearly any fat loss program. Although there are some “guru’s” in the bodybuilding industry who claim, “fruit is fattening,” this statement is somewhat misleading. It’s true that a diet of mostly complex carbohydrate will give you better results than a diet of mostly simple carbohydrates, but that’s not the same thing as saying “fruit is fattening.” Although fruits are simple carbohydrates, they are natural simple carbohydrates. Most fruits are low in calories, low in carbohydrate grams (compared to starches) and high in fiber.
Some fruits such as raisins are extremely calorie dense and best avoided when you’re on a strict fat loss program and your calorie allotment is small. Fruits like apples, peaches, grapefruits, and oranges, at only 60-80 calories apiece (or less), are a great addition to almost any nutritional plan. Just make sure the majority of your carbohydrates are of the complex type. An all-fruit or mostly fruit diet won’t be as effective for fat loss as one that is mostly green fibrous carbohydrates with lean protein.
8. Skim milk & nonfat dairy products
“Dairy products” cover an entire category of foods including milk, cheese, yogurt, sugar free frozen yogurt, and cottage cheese. To make it on the BFFM “approved” list, a dairy product must be labeled “fat-free,” “skim,” or 1% low fat. Whole milk dairy products are not allowed, as they are high in fat. Even 2% low fat milk is still 37.5% fat by calories.
Dairy products are a “combination food” – they contain carbohydrates and proteins. Because the protein found in dairy products is high quality, complete protein, a high protein dairy product can count as an exchange for a protein food. For example, you could have non-fat cottage cheese as a protein instead of a serving of lean meat. Non-fat cheese can also boost the protein content of a meal. Yogurt tends to have less protein than cottage cheese, so a single container of yogurt wouldn’t count as a full protein serving. In fact, yogurt would count more as a simple carbohydrate exchange than a protein (although, you could mix in a scoop of protein powder into your yogurt to make it “high-protein yogurt).
9. Chicken Breast (and Turkey Breast)
Chicken and turkey are probably the number one most popular protein sources among bodybuilders and fat loss seekers. Remove the skin and get the light meat found in the breasts. The thighs are higher in fat and calories. Naturally, your poultry should be broiled, grilled, or roasted and not fried.
Also, we’re talking about the real bird here, not the sliced lunch meat you find at deli’s or pre-packed in supermarkets. Lunch meats are processed proteins. Some nutritionists call them “fabricated foods” because they are made from a mix and poured into a mold before being cooked and wrapped. While these are acceptable occasionally, don’t make them a staple in your regular daily diet. Lunch meats are loaded with sodium, preservatives, binders, fillers and other nasty chemicals that you don’t want floating around in your body!
10. Egg whites
The name of the game in fat-burning, muscle-building nutrition is to eat a lean protein with every meal. With zero fat, egg whites are as lean as lean proteins get. Egg whites are right up there with chicken breasts as one of the top three lean proteins of choice for losing fat and gaining muscle. Eggs are a super-high quality protein. The problem with whole eggs is the high fat and calorie content. Fortunately, 100% of the fat is in the yolk, while the protein is split evenly between the yolk and the white. This doesn’t mean you have to throw out all your yolks, but it does mean you should limit your yolks. I’d recommend one yolk for every six whites you eat. Just crack them open, and separate the yolk from the white using the edge of the shell. Or, even easier, simply use “Egg Beaters” or another packaged egg white product. There must be hundreds of ways to make eggs, so use your imagination: Omelets, frittatas, scrambled, fried (in nonstick spray), over easy, sunny side up, hard-boiled or any other way you like them, use egg whites liberally!
11. Fish and shellfish
Many people complain about the lack of variety in a bodybuilding-style fat-burning diet, which typically has you eating egg whites, tuna and chicken day in, day out. What most people don’t eat enough of is fish and seafood. By using different types of fish and shellfish as protein sources, you can add an incredible amount of variety a well as getting those valuable good fats. Here is just a partial list of fish to consider: salmon, tuna, haddock, flounder, mackerel, trout, snapper, sea bass, swordfish, mahi mahi, perch, orange roughy, sole, Halibut, herring cod and catfish.
As with other meats, eat your fish baked, grilled or broiled and avoid fatty, high calorie sauces and butter. Most fish are very low in fat and high in protein. Some fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and trout, are high in fat. However, because fish is so high in Omega 3 fatty acids, these fish can and should be used liberally. Shellfish have many of the benefits that fish have and it can add some variety to your diet if you’re getting bored of egg whites and chicken. This category includes shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, etc. By the way, when you’re eating in restaurants, fish is a great choice, as long as you make sure there are no hidden bad fats or extra calories.
12. Lean red meat
Bodybuilders are quite famous for loving their red meat. Many bodybuilders believe that red meat helps muscle growth, and there may be much truth in that statement. Red meat is high in protein, B-12, iron and creatine. The problem with most cuts of red meat is the high fat content. However, not all cuts of red meat are the same. It’s a mistake to label the entire red meat category as a no-no because of high fat content. If you carefully choose the leanest cuts possible and keep your portion sizes small, red meat can be a great addition to a fat burning program. For example, a 6 oz serving of lean, trimmed top round steak has only 9 grams of fat, while a 6 oz of untrimmed porterhouse has 37 grams of fat (and the 18 oz porterhouse you’re often served in a steak house has over 100 grams of fat!)
(source: Tom Venuto’s Foods That Burn Fat, Foods That Turn to Fat )
Foods That Turn To Fat
Part one of this special report listed the twelve foods that “burn fat.” This second installment in the series will teach you which foods “turn to fat.” One of the best ways to learn what you should eat is to learn what you shouldn’t eat. Then, by a process of elimination, you’ll be much more likely to eat the foods that will give you the best results.
In this report, you’ll discover that the foods that “turn to fat” all tend to have certain things in common:
• High total calories
• High calorie density per unit of volume
• High total fat
• High in unhealthy saturated and trans fats
• High in refined sugar.
• Low in nutritional value (low nutrient density)
• Flavor enhancers, fillers and other chemicals
• Artificial colors and flavors
• High sodium
It only gets worse. Many of these fat and sugar filled “junk foods” have negative nutritional value. They subtract from the good you’re doing when you pick the right foods. For example, anything high in white sugar is going to leach minerals from your body. None of the foods on this list should ever be eaten as a part of your regular daily diet. It’s wise to allow yourself one or two cheat meals per week, but save the “junk foods” on this list for the very occasional cheat day. If and when you do eat them, make sure you continue to obey the law of calorie balance (too much of anything gets stored as fat and small amounts of bad foods usually won’t get stored as fat)
1. Ice Cream
I’m sure a lot of people will be mad at me when they see their beloved ice cream as number one on the hit list of the foods that turn to fat, but here goes: Ice cream is Bad news with a capital B! Ice cream is loaded with fat, sugar and way more calories than you need; an evil fat-storing triad. Not to mention, the artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, emusifiers and stabilizers.
Now let’s talk about the fat. One cup (that’s a pretty small serving you know), contains approximately 350 calories and 20 grams of fat – mostly saturated. And that’s just regular premium vanilla ice cream. A cup of Haagen Dasz Belgian Chocolate has 660 calories and 36 grams of fat. But that’s nuthin! Ben & Jerrys has them all beat! A cup of wavy gravy ice cream has 660 calories and …. Gulp…. 48 grams of fat – 20 of them saturated!
There are so many delicious alternatives to ice cream like fruit sorbet or even sugar free, low fat frozen yogurt, it boggles the mind that more fitness conscious people don’t make the switch. Are you a Ben & Jerry’s freak? Skip the wavy gravy or chunky monkey and have the Cherry Garcia Yogurt instead (if you must)… it’s only 340 calories and six grams of fat. Healthy Choice makes a Low fat chocolate mint chip ice cream with only 200 calories per cup and just four grams of fat. Best of all, Kemp’s makes a sugar free non fat frozen yogurt that contains only 240 calories and zero grams of fat. It’s made with skim milk and is sugar free.
You can have your ice cream and eat it too, you just have to watch your portion sizes, read labels, choose your brand carefully, and go with a reduced fat or even a fat free version. Usually I hear, “but it just doesn’t taste the same.” Maybe true, but if regular ice cream is a regular item in your weekly or daily menu, you can rest assured that a lot of those calories will be turning to fat.
2. Fried Foods
All fried foods are really BAD NEWS! (with all capitals!) Fried foods are harmful in more ways than one. First of all, they are high in calories and mostly fat. Take a McDonald’s super size fries, for example. Polish off the whole batch and you’ve got yourself 610 calories and 29 grams of fat, 10 of them saturated. Large Burger King hash browns – 390 calories and 25 grams of fat, 15 of them saturated. KFC fried chicken breast (extra tasty crispy) – one serving alone sets you back 470 calories and 25 grams of fat.
Second, the type of fat is highly saturated and/or trans fat. Frying destroys essential fatty acids (EFA’s) by twisting their molecules from the cis-configuration in which they’re normally found to the unnatural trans shape. To make matters worse, shortening and margarines have replaced the lard that was traditionally used for frying. These contain large amounts of chemically altered trans fatty acids to begin with, so you get a double whammy of artery clogging, health destroying “funny fats.” According to Udo Erasmus, the world’s foremost expert on fats, there is no such thing as safe frying. “Safe frying is a contradiction in terms,” says Erasmus. “When foods turn brown, they have been burned. The nutrients in burned material have been destroyed. Proteins turn into carcinogenic acrolein. Starches and sugars are browned through molecular destruction. Fats and oils are turned to smoke by destruction of fatty acids and glycerol.”
Folks, stay the heck away from anything fried! (By the way, did you know that “sauté” is the French word for “fry?”)
3. Donuts and pastries
Like ice cream, doughnuts are one of the all time no-no’s when body fat reduction and good health are your goals. Doughnuts contain that king of fat storing combinations: refined sugar and saturated fats.
A small plain or powdered donut contains about 170 calories and 10 grams of fat (by the way, that’s over 50% fat by calories). Your larger donuts contain anywhere from 200 to 420 calories and up to 22 grams of fat – much of it saturated.
The flour in donuts, of course is white flour – stripped of any nutritional value with no trace of the original whole grain left intact. And heaps and heaps of sugar are added on top to add insult to injury.
Donuts also contain chemical agents designed to keep them soft, mono and diglycerides, propylene and glycol mono and diesters, coloring agents including FD & C yellow, number 5 and preservatives such as BHT and BHA.
If you want a chemical cocktail loaded with fat, sugar and calories, donuts fit the bill nicely. By the way, did you know they deep-fry those things? And one more thing; did you know a Cinnabon has 670 calories and 34 grams of fat? Stay away from Cinnabons, pastries, éclairs and anything else in the “donut family.”
4. White sugar, Candy, Chocolate and sweets
One of the biggest misconceptions in weight loss is that carbohydrates make you fat. This is an incorrect statement. A correct statement would be; refined carbohydrates make you fat… and that means white sugar, candy and sweets. Of course, calories are the bottom line… it’s not necessarily sugar that makes you fat, it’s too many calories that make you fat. But guess what? Refined carbs are incredibly calorie dense, making it extremely easy for you to eat too many calories.
Even if you could “get away with” eating sugar because your calories were below maintenance, you wouldn’t want to. You see, sugar is “empty calories.” No vitamins, no minerals, no fiber, no nothing… just calories.
Refined sugars wreak havoc with your blood sugar levels and they increase insulin levels, which can also increase fat storage and prevent stored fat from being released.
It only gets worse. Nancy Appleton, author of “Lick the sugar habit,” has compiled a list of over 100 reasons that sugar is disastrous to your health and fitness endeavors. Here’s a shortened version:
1) Refined sugar can be a contributing factor to gaining body fat
2) Refined sugar can increase the bad LDL cholesterol
3) Refined sugar can decrease the good LDL cholesterol
4) Refined sugar can increase triglycerides
5) Refined sugar can suppress your immune system
6) Refined sugar can deplete your body of important minerals
7) Refined sugar can contribute to the development of numerous types of cancer
8) Refined sugar can cause hypoglycemia
9) Refined sugar can decrease growth hormone
10) Refined sugar can contribute to diabetes
11) Refined sugar can cause food allergies
12) Refined sugar can increase serum insulin
If you made only one change to your nutritional habits today… that is, to reduce your sugar intake… the difference in your health, energy levels and body composition would absolutely blow your mind. Get the sugar out!
5. Soda
It was 1767 when British Scientist Joseph Priestly discovered how to carbonate water. Quite simply, pressurized carbon dioxide gas is pumped through the liquid and that’s what creates the bubbly fizz so many people have come to love. Since then, soft drinks have become a multi-billion dollar industry all around the world. In fact, Coca Cola is one of the most valuable and recognized brands in the world. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, the total consumption of carbonated beverages in 2001 was 10.3 billion cases. The average person consumes... get a load of this… 55.7 gallons of the fizzy stuff every year. But what’s good for the cola companies definitely isn’t good for what ails you.
Soft drinks are mostly water, but the amount of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup used to sweeten regular soda is more than enough to do its share of damage.
We’ve already talked about the ills of sugar, but liquid sugar is even more insidious when it comes to throwing a wrench in your fat burning machinery. Several studies have shown that when you consume liquid calories, you tend not to compensate by cutting back on the food you eat. The result is that you drink excess calories in addition to all the food you normally eat.
Liquid calories of all types are best avoided on fat burning diets.
6. Fruit “drinks” and other sugar sweetened beverages
Ditto (same as for soda)… don’t drink your calories, especially if they’re full of sugar! And don’t be fooled by the labels that say, “Contains real fruit juice.” Do your homework and read the ingredients list. If you see sugar, sucrose, corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup on the label, STAY AWAY!
7. Bacon, Sausage
Bacon has almost become a standard feature in the typical American breakfast. Too bad! The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that Bacon and Sausage are one of the worst foods you could possibly eat. One strip of regular pork bacon has 130 calories and 13 grams of fat, five of them saturated. By the way, that’s 93% fat by calories – Yikes!
Even if you choose turkey bacon, or a reduced fat bacon, you’d better check the label carefully. “Reduced fat” doesn’t mean much. If the fat is reduced from 90% fat to 70% fat or even 50% fat, that’s not much improvement.
Suppose you find a really, honestly lean bacon or bacon substitute. Still not a good choice. Why? Because it’s a processed food. The same warning that goes for processed fats and processed carbohydrates go for processed meats. You’re not eating pure, real pork my friend! You’re eating a “meat product” that contains some pork in a mix of fillers, sodium, sugar and nitrites that are used to cure the meats. Stay away from all fatty meats and all processed meats and stick with lean proteins like chicken breast, turkey, fish and egg whites. Your body will thank you.
8. White bread
The average American eats 54 pounds of bread each year. Most people think bread is fattening. This is largely due to the popularity of low carb diets. The problem is they’re eating the wrong kind of bread. White bread is treated in the body the same way as white sugar. White bread is a refined carbohydrate with no nutritional value. Whole grain breads (100% wheat, rye, etc) are another story.
Some breads are made from 100% whole grains with all the vitamins, minerals and fiber left intact. Other breads are all or mostly refined white flour. These breads have been stripped of most of their nutrients. The milling and grinding of the whole grain reduces the particle size while increasing the calorie density and turns the whole grain (a complex carb) into a simple carb that’s no better than pure sugar.
When proponents of low carb programs “flame” dieters for eating “too many carbohydrates,” what they often fail to mention is that the problem is not carbohydrates per se; the problem is refined carbohydrates. What most people miss is the fact that refined carbohydrates include not only white sugar and its derivatives (like corn syrup), but also white flour as well.
That’s right! This means that anything and everything made from white or enriched flour is a food that will more readily turn to fat! That includes, cereals, pretzels, bagels, breads, pitas, crackers and anything else made from white flour. If you’re not sure whether a food is whole grain or not, simply read the ingredients list on the label. If the food is whole grain, then the first ingredient will say something like “100% whole wheat.”
If you want to burn fat, give up the white flour completely and go with the grain – whole grain that is.
9. Potato Chips, Nachos, Corn Chips
In Robert Kennedy’s book “Rock Hard, Super nutrition for bodybuilders,” he wrote, “far too high sodium content makes potato chips almost lethal, especially if you are predisposed to high blood pressure. One popular brand contains 680 milligrams of salt, compared to the 4 milligrams of sodium one finds in an average baked potato.”
Sodium’s not the only thing chips have against them. Let’s see... we’ve got lots of calories, tons of fat, flavor additives and the refined oils that are used to fry/cook these buggers. The potato chip is not even close to the nutritional value of the raw potato, sodium and fat notwithstanding. The nutritional value that was in the raw potato has literally been “fried right out.” What’s left is mostly calories from fat from the refined oil used in the cooking process.
Oh, by the way, Nachos and Dorito-type chips are on the out list too (sorry).
These days you can find fat free potato chips at a health food store, which are definitely an improvement, but keep one thing in mind: packaged and manmade foods are NEVER as good as foods eaten the way they’re found in nature. Pretzels are better because you’re losing the fat, but since they’re made from white flour, pretzels are NOT as big of an improvement over potato chips as many people think they are.
10. Hot dogs, fast food burgers
Hamburgers and hot dogs are as American as Chevrolet, baseball and apple pie. Unfortunately, America’s love for fast food has turned it into one of the most obese and unhealthy countries in the world.
Out of the two, hamburgers are the lesser of the evils (but they’re still pretty evil). Hot dogs are not pure meat – they are a “meat product” consisting of some meat, mashed up with fillers, stabilizers, sodium, preservatives, artificial colors and artificial flavors. They’re a veritable mish-mash of chemicals and additives... a “fake food” so to speak. A three-ounce regular hot dog has 16 grams of fat – seven of them saturated.
If you simply must have a hot dog, these days, you can find low fat hot dogs or turkey dogs by companies such as Healthy Choice. However, keep in mind that all hot dogs – low fat or not – are processed meats. The same rule that applies to carbohydrates applies to proteins as well; that is: Natural foods are always better than refined foods. Stick with natural lean proteins like chicken breast and egg whites and avoid the refined and processed meats as much as possible. Hamburgers, while they may be made from real meat, are made from some of the fattiest meat available. There’s no such thing as “lean ground beef.” Even the leanest beef is still relatively high in fat. Read the labels and do the math for yourself.
Oh, one last thing…The nitrites used to cure the hot dogs have been linked to cancer.
11. Cookies, cakes, pies
Cookies, cakes and pies fall into the same categories as donuts – fat and sugar joined at the hip (and they’ll end up on your hips too, if you’re not careful!) Just because they’re baked and not fried doesn’t mean they’re any better.
Fat and sugar is the worst of all food combinations and they’re both found in abundance in cookies, cakes and pies. They also harbor untold amounts of dangerous trans fatty acids.
Save the cake for once a year on your birthday (okay, maybe a slice of pumpkin pie for thanksgiving). The rest of the year, avoid these like the plague.
12. Sugary breakfast cereals
According to the book “Cerealizing America,” by Scott Bruce and Bill Crawford, The cereal industry uses 816 million pounds of sugar per year. Americans buy 2.7 billion packages of breakfast cereal each year. If laid end to end, the empty cereal boxes from one year's consumption would stretch to the moon and back. 1.3 million advertisements for cereal aired on American television every year, or more than twenty-five hours of cereal advertising per day, at a cost of $762 million for air time. Only automobile manufacturers spend more money on television advertising than the makers of breakfast cereal.
Most of the boxed cereals found in supermarkets contain large amounts of sugar and some contain more than 50% sugar (sugar smacks have 53% sugar). Cereal manufacturers are very clever in their marketing, making many cereals appear much more healthy than they appear by “fortifying” them with vitamins and minerals. Oh, lovely – you now have vitamin-fortified sugar!
Before you eat any cereal, read the ingredients list and see how high sugar appears on the ingredient list. Then check the “Nutrition facts” panel.
There are actually only a small handful of national commercially branded cereals that are made from whole grains and are sugar free. Shredded Wheat is one. If you shop at a health food store instead of in your local supermarket, you are much more likely to find a healthy, whole grain, sugar free (or very low sugar) cereal. But watch out – some of the health food store boxed cereals are sweetened with fruit juice or fructose. Although this may be an improvement over refined white sugar, this can really skyrocket the calories.
Although there are some good boxed cereals available, you may find it interesting that bodybuilders and fitness models – among the leanest athletes in the world – almost never eat boxed cereal – even the better brands. Instead, they opt for unsweetened old fashioned oatmeal (not the flavored, sweetened packets). This might surprise you, but most commercial breakfasts cereals, with their hidden sugars and clever marketing, are foods that turn to fat. Leave em on the shelf!
(source: tom venuto article)
In this report, you’ll discover that the foods that “turn to fat” all tend to have certain things in common:
• High total calories
• High calorie density per unit of volume
• High total fat
• High in unhealthy saturated and trans fats
• High in refined sugar.
• Low in nutritional value (low nutrient density)
• Flavor enhancers, fillers and other chemicals
• Artificial colors and flavors
• High sodium
It only gets worse. Many of these fat and sugar filled “junk foods” have negative nutritional value. They subtract from the good you’re doing when you pick the right foods. For example, anything high in white sugar is going to leach minerals from your body. None of the foods on this list should ever be eaten as a part of your regular daily diet. It’s wise to allow yourself one or two cheat meals per week, but save the “junk foods” on this list for the very occasional cheat day. If and when you do eat them, make sure you continue to obey the law of calorie balance (too much of anything gets stored as fat and small amounts of bad foods usually won’t get stored as fat)
1. Ice Cream
I’m sure a lot of people will be mad at me when they see their beloved ice cream as number one on the hit list of the foods that turn to fat, but here goes: Ice cream is Bad news with a capital B! Ice cream is loaded with fat, sugar and way more calories than you need; an evil fat-storing triad. Not to mention, the artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, emusifiers and stabilizers.
Now let’s talk about the fat. One cup (that’s a pretty small serving you know), contains approximately 350 calories and 20 grams of fat – mostly saturated. And that’s just regular premium vanilla ice cream. A cup of Haagen Dasz Belgian Chocolate has 660 calories and 36 grams of fat. But that’s nuthin! Ben & Jerrys has them all beat! A cup of wavy gravy ice cream has 660 calories and …. Gulp…. 48 grams of fat – 20 of them saturated!
There are so many delicious alternatives to ice cream like fruit sorbet or even sugar free, low fat frozen yogurt, it boggles the mind that more fitness conscious people don’t make the switch. Are you a Ben & Jerry’s freak? Skip the wavy gravy or chunky monkey and have the Cherry Garcia Yogurt instead (if you must)… it’s only 340 calories and six grams of fat. Healthy Choice makes a Low fat chocolate mint chip ice cream with only 200 calories per cup and just four grams of fat. Best of all, Kemp’s makes a sugar free non fat frozen yogurt that contains only 240 calories and zero grams of fat. It’s made with skim milk and is sugar free.
You can have your ice cream and eat it too, you just have to watch your portion sizes, read labels, choose your brand carefully, and go with a reduced fat or even a fat free version. Usually I hear, “but it just doesn’t taste the same.” Maybe true, but if regular ice cream is a regular item in your weekly or daily menu, you can rest assured that a lot of those calories will be turning to fat.
2. Fried Foods
All fried foods are really BAD NEWS! (with all capitals!) Fried foods are harmful in more ways than one. First of all, they are high in calories and mostly fat. Take a McDonald’s super size fries, for example. Polish off the whole batch and you’ve got yourself 610 calories and 29 grams of fat, 10 of them saturated. Large Burger King hash browns – 390 calories and 25 grams of fat, 15 of them saturated. KFC fried chicken breast (extra tasty crispy) – one serving alone sets you back 470 calories and 25 grams of fat.
Second, the type of fat is highly saturated and/or trans fat. Frying destroys essential fatty acids (EFA’s) by twisting their molecules from the cis-configuration in which they’re normally found to the unnatural trans shape. To make matters worse, shortening and margarines have replaced the lard that was traditionally used for frying. These contain large amounts of chemically altered trans fatty acids to begin with, so you get a double whammy of artery clogging, health destroying “funny fats.” According to Udo Erasmus, the world’s foremost expert on fats, there is no such thing as safe frying. “Safe frying is a contradiction in terms,” says Erasmus. “When foods turn brown, they have been burned. The nutrients in burned material have been destroyed. Proteins turn into carcinogenic acrolein. Starches and sugars are browned through molecular destruction. Fats and oils are turned to smoke by destruction of fatty acids and glycerol.”
Folks, stay the heck away from anything fried! (By the way, did you know that “sauté” is the French word for “fry?”)
3. Donuts and pastries
Like ice cream, doughnuts are one of the all time no-no’s when body fat reduction and good health are your goals. Doughnuts contain that king of fat storing combinations: refined sugar and saturated fats.
A small plain or powdered donut contains about 170 calories and 10 grams of fat (by the way, that’s over 50% fat by calories). Your larger donuts contain anywhere from 200 to 420 calories and up to 22 grams of fat – much of it saturated.
The flour in donuts, of course is white flour – stripped of any nutritional value with no trace of the original whole grain left intact. And heaps and heaps of sugar are added on top to add insult to injury.
Donuts also contain chemical agents designed to keep them soft, mono and diglycerides, propylene and glycol mono and diesters, coloring agents including FD & C yellow, number 5 and preservatives such as BHT and BHA.
If you want a chemical cocktail loaded with fat, sugar and calories, donuts fit the bill nicely. By the way, did you know they deep-fry those things? And one more thing; did you know a Cinnabon has 670 calories and 34 grams of fat? Stay away from Cinnabons, pastries, éclairs and anything else in the “donut family.”
4. White sugar, Candy, Chocolate and sweets
One of the biggest misconceptions in weight loss is that carbohydrates make you fat. This is an incorrect statement. A correct statement would be; refined carbohydrates make you fat… and that means white sugar, candy and sweets. Of course, calories are the bottom line… it’s not necessarily sugar that makes you fat, it’s too many calories that make you fat. But guess what? Refined carbs are incredibly calorie dense, making it extremely easy for you to eat too many calories.
Even if you could “get away with” eating sugar because your calories were below maintenance, you wouldn’t want to. You see, sugar is “empty calories.” No vitamins, no minerals, no fiber, no nothing… just calories.
Refined sugars wreak havoc with your blood sugar levels and they increase insulin levels, which can also increase fat storage and prevent stored fat from being released.
It only gets worse. Nancy Appleton, author of “Lick the sugar habit,” has compiled a list of over 100 reasons that sugar is disastrous to your health and fitness endeavors. Here’s a shortened version:
1) Refined sugar can be a contributing factor to gaining body fat
2) Refined sugar can increase the bad LDL cholesterol
3) Refined sugar can decrease the good LDL cholesterol
4) Refined sugar can increase triglycerides
5) Refined sugar can suppress your immune system
6) Refined sugar can deplete your body of important minerals
7) Refined sugar can contribute to the development of numerous types of cancer
8) Refined sugar can cause hypoglycemia
9) Refined sugar can decrease growth hormone
10) Refined sugar can contribute to diabetes
11) Refined sugar can cause food allergies
12) Refined sugar can increase serum insulin
If you made only one change to your nutritional habits today… that is, to reduce your sugar intake… the difference in your health, energy levels and body composition would absolutely blow your mind. Get the sugar out!
5. Soda
It was 1767 when British Scientist Joseph Priestly discovered how to carbonate water. Quite simply, pressurized carbon dioxide gas is pumped through the liquid and that’s what creates the bubbly fizz so many people have come to love. Since then, soft drinks have become a multi-billion dollar industry all around the world. In fact, Coca Cola is one of the most valuable and recognized brands in the world. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, the total consumption of carbonated beverages in 2001 was 10.3 billion cases. The average person consumes... get a load of this… 55.7 gallons of the fizzy stuff every year. But what’s good for the cola companies definitely isn’t good for what ails you.
Soft drinks are mostly water, but the amount of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup used to sweeten regular soda is more than enough to do its share of damage.
We’ve already talked about the ills of sugar, but liquid sugar is even more insidious when it comes to throwing a wrench in your fat burning machinery. Several studies have shown that when you consume liquid calories, you tend not to compensate by cutting back on the food you eat. The result is that you drink excess calories in addition to all the food you normally eat.
Liquid calories of all types are best avoided on fat burning diets.
6. Fruit “drinks” and other sugar sweetened beverages
Ditto (same as for soda)… don’t drink your calories, especially if they’re full of sugar! And don’t be fooled by the labels that say, “Contains real fruit juice.” Do your homework and read the ingredients list. If you see sugar, sucrose, corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup on the label, STAY AWAY!
7. Bacon, Sausage
Bacon has almost become a standard feature in the typical American breakfast. Too bad! The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that Bacon and Sausage are one of the worst foods you could possibly eat. One strip of regular pork bacon has 130 calories and 13 grams of fat, five of them saturated. By the way, that’s 93% fat by calories – Yikes!
Even if you choose turkey bacon, or a reduced fat bacon, you’d better check the label carefully. “Reduced fat” doesn’t mean much. If the fat is reduced from 90% fat to 70% fat or even 50% fat, that’s not much improvement.
Suppose you find a really, honestly lean bacon or bacon substitute. Still not a good choice. Why? Because it’s a processed food. The same warning that goes for processed fats and processed carbohydrates go for processed meats. You’re not eating pure, real pork my friend! You’re eating a “meat product” that contains some pork in a mix of fillers, sodium, sugar and nitrites that are used to cure the meats. Stay away from all fatty meats and all processed meats and stick with lean proteins like chicken breast, turkey, fish and egg whites. Your body will thank you.
8. White bread
The average American eats 54 pounds of bread each year. Most people think bread is fattening. This is largely due to the popularity of low carb diets. The problem is they’re eating the wrong kind of bread. White bread is treated in the body the same way as white sugar. White bread is a refined carbohydrate with no nutritional value. Whole grain breads (100% wheat, rye, etc) are another story.
Some breads are made from 100% whole grains with all the vitamins, minerals and fiber left intact. Other breads are all or mostly refined white flour. These breads have been stripped of most of their nutrients. The milling and grinding of the whole grain reduces the particle size while increasing the calorie density and turns the whole grain (a complex carb) into a simple carb that’s no better than pure sugar.
When proponents of low carb programs “flame” dieters for eating “too many carbohydrates,” what they often fail to mention is that the problem is not carbohydrates per se; the problem is refined carbohydrates. What most people miss is the fact that refined carbohydrates include not only white sugar and its derivatives (like corn syrup), but also white flour as well.
That’s right! This means that anything and everything made from white or enriched flour is a food that will more readily turn to fat! That includes, cereals, pretzels, bagels, breads, pitas, crackers and anything else made from white flour. If you’re not sure whether a food is whole grain or not, simply read the ingredients list on the label. If the food is whole grain, then the first ingredient will say something like “100% whole wheat.”
If you want to burn fat, give up the white flour completely and go with the grain – whole grain that is.
9. Potato Chips, Nachos, Corn Chips
In Robert Kennedy’s book “Rock Hard, Super nutrition for bodybuilders,” he wrote, “far too high sodium content makes potato chips almost lethal, especially if you are predisposed to high blood pressure. One popular brand contains 680 milligrams of salt, compared to the 4 milligrams of sodium one finds in an average baked potato.”
Sodium’s not the only thing chips have against them. Let’s see... we’ve got lots of calories, tons of fat, flavor additives and the refined oils that are used to fry/cook these buggers. The potato chip is not even close to the nutritional value of the raw potato, sodium and fat notwithstanding. The nutritional value that was in the raw potato has literally been “fried right out.” What’s left is mostly calories from fat from the refined oil used in the cooking process.
Oh, by the way, Nachos and Dorito-type chips are on the out list too (sorry).
These days you can find fat free potato chips at a health food store, which are definitely an improvement, but keep one thing in mind: packaged and manmade foods are NEVER as good as foods eaten the way they’re found in nature. Pretzels are better because you’re losing the fat, but since they’re made from white flour, pretzels are NOT as big of an improvement over potato chips as many people think they are.
10. Hot dogs, fast food burgers
Hamburgers and hot dogs are as American as Chevrolet, baseball and apple pie. Unfortunately, America’s love for fast food has turned it into one of the most obese and unhealthy countries in the world.
Out of the two, hamburgers are the lesser of the evils (but they’re still pretty evil). Hot dogs are not pure meat – they are a “meat product” consisting of some meat, mashed up with fillers, stabilizers, sodium, preservatives, artificial colors and artificial flavors. They’re a veritable mish-mash of chemicals and additives... a “fake food” so to speak. A three-ounce regular hot dog has 16 grams of fat – seven of them saturated.
If you simply must have a hot dog, these days, you can find low fat hot dogs or turkey dogs by companies such as Healthy Choice. However, keep in mind that all hot dogs – low fat or not – are processed meats. The same rule that applies to carbohydrates applies to proteins as well; that is: Natural foods are always better than refined foods. Stick with natural lean proteins like chicken breast and egg whites and avoid the refined and processed meats as much as possible. Hamburgers, while they may be made from real meat, are made from some of the fattiest meat available. There’s no such thing as “lean ground beef.” Even the leanest beef is still relatively high in fat. Read the labels and do the math for yourself.
Oh, one last thing…The nitrites used to cure the hot dogs have been linked to cancer.
11. Cookies, cakes, pies
Cookies, cakes and pies fall into the same categories as donuts – fat and sugar joined at the hip (and they’ll end up on your hips too, if you’re not careful!) Just because they’re baked and not fried doesn’t mean they’re any better.
Fat and sugar is the worst of all food combinations and they’re both found in abundance in cookies, cakes and pies. They also harbor untold amounts of dangerous trans fatty acids.
Save the cake for once a year on your birthday (okay, maybe a slice of pumpkin pie for thanksgiving). The rest of the year, avoid these like the plague.
12. Sugary breakfast cereals
According to the book “Cerealizing America,” by Scott Bruce and Bill Crawford, The cereal industry uses 816 million pounds of sugar per year. Americans buy 2.7 billion packages of breakfast cereal each year. If laid end to end, the empty cereal boxes from one year's consumption would stretch to the moon and back. 1.3 million advertisements for cereal aired on American television every year, or more than twenty-five hours of cereal advertising per day, at a cost of $762 million for air time. Only automobile manufacturers spend more money on television advertising than the makers of breakfast cereal.
Most of the boxed cereals found in supermarkets contain large amounts of sugar and some contain more than 50% sugar (sugar smacks have 53% sugar). Cereal manufacturers are very clever in their marketing, making many cereals appear much more healthy than they appear by “fortifying” them with vitamins and minerals. Oh, lovely – you now have vitamin-fortified sugar!
Before you eat any cereal, read the ingredients list and see how high sugar appears on the ingredient list. Then check the “Nutrition facts” panel.
There are actually only a small handful of national commercially branded cereals that are made from whole grains and are sugar free. Shredded Wheat is one. If you shop at a health food store instead of in your local supermarket, you are much more likely to find a healthy, whole grain, sugar free (or very low sugar) cereal. But watch out – some of the health food store boxed cereals are sweetened with fruit juice or fructose. Although this may be an improvement over refined white sugar, this can really skyrocket the calories.
Although there are some good boxed cereals available, you may find it interesting that bodybuilders and fitness models – among the leanest athletes in the world – almost never eat boxed cereal – even the better brands. Instead, they opt for unsweetened old fashioned oatmeal (not the flavored, sweetened packets). This might surprise you, but most commercial breakfasts cereals, with their hidden sugars and clever marketing, are foods that turn to fat. Leave em on the shelf!
(source: tom venuto article)
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