What Do Happy Hour and Boot Camp Have in Common?

"Happy Hour is so much fun, you get two drinks and you pay for one!"

I don't know where I first heard this, but for some reason it stuck in my head. It's a little diddy about "happy hour". And yes, there's a tune that goes with it, but you'll have to make up your own for now.

Silly? Absolutely. But it perfectly symbolizes the " 2 for the price of 1" or what we have come to refer to as the "Two fer".

And that brings me to boot camp. We have a "two fer" also. If you are a new member you can join with a friend and "split the cost" of a one month membership. Two people, half the price, the perfect "two fer".

Register Here For "Two for One" Boot Camp

What's really great about this is that it gets people excited for "two" reasons. First, everybody loves a deal and to save money. By getting a perceived value, they feel good about their purchase and that's also a good thing. Second, they have established a low barrier of entry into boot camp.

First time boot campers are often tentative. They don't know what to expect and they have some reservations that they might fail or not be able to keep up with the group. It's easy for us veterans to know that their apprehensions are just FEAR or what is referred to as

False Evidence Appearing Real.

But within a week or so, their fears are gone and they know how boot camp works. Aside from some sore muscles everything is hunkey dory.

But then by the final week, they are beginning to feel awesome and their energy levels pick up. Many are getting their nutrition dialed in and their clothes are a tad looser. And many begin to realize that boot camp exercise works. I live for is the look on people's faces when they talk about how their lives are changing, how amazing they feel, and that they can do things they never could before.

But, they also begin to realize the appreciate the value of boot camp that is far beyond the price.

Here is a recent testimonial I received from a boot camper.

"I was getting ready to leave my office and head over to Boot Camp when I received a call from my boss advising me that our offices were going to be moving and I would have an hour-long commute. While I was driving to Boot Camp I could barely hold back the tears, I was a complete wreck at the thought of such a grueling commute. I got to Boot Camp and Larry put us through another great workout, which is always different and and fun, and always kicks my butt (in a good way though). Got back in the car to drive home and started thinking about work again, and realized that I was in such a great mood that even the thought of that commute couldn't bring me down. I just felt a sense of contentment that wouldn't go away. I was totally amazed that the power of a great workout had changed my mood from being completely miserable to being very happy, and changed my outlook to make a bad situation seem not so bad at all, or at least fixable. If I can change my body to make it better, then I can change anything."

Boot camp is about life. Everything we think and do adds up to the experience we call "our life". It's not complicated, but it is about our thoughts and our actions.

So let me get back on point. If you want to change your life, then you need to start working towards creating the life you want. Fitness goals should not take over your life, they should enhance every other part of it. Your body, mind, and diet aren't stand alone islands. Everything interacts and weaves together.

And boot camp is a place where all of this comes together. It's here for the taking if you want it and if you are willing to do the work.

And we're making it easier than ever because now you can join with a friend for half price. (new members, one month only).

Register Here For "Two for One" Boot Camp

Press on!


P.S. Please forward this blog post to anyone you know that might be able to benefit from our program and this New Year's Special.


Register Here For "Two for One" Boot Camp

Fat Kids Are Harder to Kidnap

Do I Have Your Attention Now?

Be honest. Does this tee shirt's graphic make you laugh? I found it on Google images. I have to admit, the first time I saw a t-shirt like this I chuckled. In the past I have been incredibly insensitive to fat kids. Not out loud, but in the quiet of my own mind. Why is it so easy to make fun of fat kids?

It's easy to snicker and point a finger so-to-speak at anyone who appears different, but over-fat kids are often victims of many varied circumstances that have contributed to their being overweight. And in addition to the food habits they have developed, their health is declining at an alarming rate. As if that's not bad enough, they are the brunt of jokes, ridicule, and prejudice.

Over the years I have worked with many overweight adults. Many have been heavy their entire lives. In their adult years the struggle to lose weight never goes away. I have come to see the child in them that learns to cope. I see what can happen to kids who grow up this way.

To me this T shirt is not funny. Not one bit. In fact, it's the complete opposite. It's message is cruel and insensitive. I just hope I never catch anyone wearing one. If I do, they will get one very unexpected "in your face" moment.

Many kids learn to compensate for their weight, but inside they hurt just like anyone else. Childhood obesity is a problem for all of us, because each one of us has the ability to behave in a way that can help or hinder an over-fat kid.

My business partner in youth fitness is Coach Todd Dattoli. Todd is about as passionate as one can be when it comes to coaching kids. He's a Youth Fitness Specialist through the IYCA (Int'l Youth Conditioning Association). Below is an excerp from one of Todd's articles. Please read and I think you might be surprised at just how bad childhood obesity is. And it's not just the USA either.

Take it away Todd! - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Obesity has become a worldwide problem. Childhood obesity has not only reached epidemic proportions worldwide but poses a serious risk to the health and longevity of children. The over-whelming reason for this global problem that researchers point to time and again is that children and teens are not getting
enough physical activity. This lack of exercise and poor eating habits has concomitantly caused a huge increase in fat mass for children worldwide, where in some countries such as the US, Australia, Canada and the UK childhood obesity has doubled or tripled in the last 10 years.

Here in the United States, children are supposed to get 150 minutes of exercise weekly during school hours, but no one really knows how many, if any, schools actually follow this recommendation. This information was published in JAMA in
July 2008 as well how the US Department of Agriculture proposed a standard of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. However, it appears obvious that so many youth are not meeting this standard and is a clear reason why children's weight has skyrocketed to epic proportions.

Consider this:

--> The prevalence of obesity among children ages 6-11 more than doubled in the past 26 years, going from 6.5% in 1980 to 17% in 2006.

--> The rate of obesity among children ages 12-19 more than tripled in that same time period, increasing from 5% to 17.6%.

--> Fewer than 25% of children in the U.S. get 30 minutes or more physical activity per day.

If this trend continues, we will be burying our children before they have a chance to fully realize their adult lives.

This may sound like a bold statement, but there is a saying that goes "you're as old as your arteries", which means that the condition your arteries are in is more important than your actual age within the evolution of heart disease or stroke.

Case in point is a recent research study conducted by the University of Missouri School of Medicine in which they presented their findings to the American Heart Association stating that obese kid's artery plaque is equal to that of a middle-aged adult. If a child of 13 already has the arteries of a 45 year old and is at such a high risk for heart disease at such a young age, what type of future will this child have? More importantly, will these children even live to see 45 years old if this horrid trend continues and we don't do more to prevent this from happening?

Pretty eye opening, don't you think?

This epidemic is compromising the long-term health and academic achievement of many children. Our youth fitness program, Play On! seeks to help reverse this trend by educating children about healthy food choices and physical activity. Play On! is a unique program that can help enhance children's wellness and give them the tools to live healthy lives!

So from now on, when ever you see an over weight child, don't be so quick to judge them. Don't be so quick to assume that he or she is fat just because they eat too much. There are so many reasons why this happens, it's impossible to know. Also, try to remember that they are just like you. They have feelings too, but unlike you they wear their challenge 24/7. They have to face reality every day and just learn to cope. The least we can do is not make it any more difficult for them.

Committed to your fitness success,


P.S. Please write your comments. Let us know what you think.

Why Am I Not Losing Weight?

I'm often asked, "If I'm under eating and exercising, why am I not
losing weight (body fat)?" Here's a simplified explanation based on
the science.

First of all, under eating is just like being on a diet. It's
important to have a baseline of nutrition to meet metabolic needs.
So it's vital to know how many calories you need to consume
each day to maintain, build, or lose, depending on your goals. As
we are talking about improving body composition, (muscle-to-fat
ratio) this is especially significant.

If your body does not have adequate calories coming in from
glucose (carbs), then it converts amino acids (protein) found in
the lean muscle to a usable form of energy. By adding in exercise,
your body requires more calories and therefore will burn muscle
faster since there is an inadequate supply of glucose/glycogen.

When muscle is broken down and burned, the body loses its primary
calorie burning machinery, therefore slowing the metabolism. So
initially you may see weight loss, as you lose muscle. Then the
metabolism slows (due to lost muscle) and you stop losing weight.
The entire time, your body composition has actually increased the
percent of fat because you're losing more muscle than fat.

By increasing your calories from glucose to the appropriate level,
your body will use glucose and stored glycogen for energy, sparing
your muscle/lean mass. By then adding in appropriate exercise
(muscle-strengthening resistance training and cardio), your body
continues to burn glucose (carbs) and fat at an optimal rate, while
also building lean mass. The body's additional lean muscle mass
leads to more calorie burning machinery and therefore more fat
being burned. This may not show on the scale (especially
initially) but will be evident in inches lost and a decrease in
body fat percentage.

This is where Isagenix can make a big impact in the process of
helping the body to release fat weight. Isagenix as a system helps
reduce calories, which is also what typical diets do. But where
many diets fall short, Isagenix has a positive impact on LMM. In
fact, Isagenix is not only LMM sparing, it's muscle building!

I also recommend that you use the following calculation in
conjunction with body composition measures. This calculation helps
bridge the difference between scale weight and body fat:


1. Take your weight and multiply it by your percent body fat as a
decimal. For example: 160 pounds x .25 (if body fat is 25%) = 40
pounds of fat.

2. The rest of the weight is LMM (Lean Muscle Mass-muscle, bones,
etc).

So 160 pounds - 40 pounds = 120 pounds of LMM.

As you fuel your body properly, watch your lean muscle mass weight
increase and the body fat weight decrease.

Can You Think Your Way Thin?

The most essential step you can take to achieve amazing fat loss success is…..Goal Setting.

Seems that in almost every reply I state this in, to women who are desperate to know what they must do to succeed - there is a sudden sense of feeling deflated.

“You mean there is no tummy tightening, metabolism stoking workout that will put me on the fast track?”

Nope. In fact this is exactly how the Isagenix Nutritional Cleansing system begins. You must establish your goals and create a mindset programed for success. This precedes the nutrition section and the workout plans.

If this is still an area you feel you struggle with, then I have the Ultimate Solution for You.

For those of you who have been here a while, you know Dax Moy. For
those of you who are new - you MUST meet him and at the very LEAST take
a moment to listen to his inspiring and motivating voice…

=>Meet Dax Here<=

Well a portion of my weekend entailed spending time with this amazing man…and it was his BIRTHDAY!

Yes, Happy Birthday Dax! 38 Years Young!

Well Dax is relaunching is super powerful, newly revised, Goal Achievement Program-

The Magic Hundred - yes partly in celebration of his birthday, but also because today - September 22nd marks the 100 day countdown to the New year!

Just 100 days left in 2008 to achieve your goals for the year!
Of course Dax goes into great details of what this entails, but here is a quick overview.

The Magic Hundred will show you how to change your mindset, set your goals, and achieve them.

But it’s not just about setting goals for weight. The Magic Hundred forces you to improve your entire life.

Just to clarify…The Magic Hundred is a goal-achieving program (not just a goal setting program!). It’s really the first program I’ve come across that gets you focused on taking action in an organized and persistent manner to help you get things DONE. Not just planned or started, but actually DONE.

It’s a very cool system, because Dax follows up with short audio clips of instructions and inspiration for you everyday to keep you on track.

I promise you’ll accomplish more in the next 100 days than in any other 100 day period of your life with this approach. I cannot even begin to tell you what it has done for me.

First used about 12 months ago and Patrick and I sit down every “quarter” to create a new Magic Hundred. No, we do not always get all 100 goal DONE - but what we DO accomplish has set us up to achieve more than we could have ever imagined in such a short period of time.

Do give it a look if this at all resonates with you.

Here’s a list of all the bonuses too…

From Dax:

* I’m going to give you the 100-page workbook that will guide you step
by step through the entire goal setting to goal getting process,
insuring that no stone is left unturned in your journey towards success.

* I’m going to give you a FREE 30 day trial of my newest Magic Hundred
software program, allowing you to list grade and track each of your
Magic Hundred goals, monitor your daily action tasks, store
motivational images and much, much more…

* I’m going to give you 12 mp3 audio lessons that you can listen to
whenever you want to and wherever you are to keep the principles at the
top of your mind.

* I’m going to give you access to my MAGIC 100 teleseminars where I’ll
go into even greater depth and answer your questions about how to get
more from the program.

* I’m going to send you a specially written email message every single
day for 100 days to help keep you on track and focused on achieving
everything you set out to achieve.

The Magic Hundred The perfect compliment to your fat loss system.

Imagine what you can achieve in the next 100 days with Dax as your coach!

What The New "Low-Carb" Study REALLY Says

When it comes to fat loss, Tom Venuto is truly an internationally known expert and foremost authority. Enjoy the article.
-LW


By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

www.BurnTheFat.com

A news media feeding frenzy erupted recently when a new diet study broke in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Almost all the reporters got it wrong, wrong WRONG! So did most of the gloating low carb forumites and bloggers. Come to think of it, almost everyone interpreted this study wrong. Some valuable insights came out of this study, but almost everyone missed them because they were too busy believing what the news said or defending their own cherished belief systems …

The new study, titled, “Weight Loss With a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet” was published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in issue 359, number 3.

I quickly read the full text of the research paper the day it was published. Then, I shook my head in dismay as I scanned the news headlines. I found it amusing that the media turned this into a three ring circus, putting a misleading “low carb versus high carb,” “Atkins vindicated” or “Diet wars” spin on the story. But that’s mainstream journalism for you, right? Gotta sell those papers!

Just look at some of these headlines:

“Study Tips Scales in Atkins Diets Favor: Low Carb Regimen Better Than Low Fat Diet For Weight And Cholesterol, Major Study Shows. “

“Low-Carb and Low-Fat Diets Face Off “ “The Never-Ending Diet Wars” “Low Carb Beats Low Fat in Diet Duel.” “Atkins Diet is Safe and Far More Effective Than a Low-Fat One, Study Says” “Unrestricted Low-Carb Diet Wins Hands Down” Some of these headlines are hilarious! I wonder if any of these reporters actually read the whole study. Geez. Is it too much trouble to read 13 pages before you write a story that will be read by millions of already confused people suffering the pain and frustration of obesity?

Here’s a quick look at the study design.

The low fat restricted calorie diet was based on American Heart Association guidelines. Calorie intake was set at 1500 for women, 1800 a day for men with 30% of calories from fat, and only 10% from saturated fat. Participants were instructed to eat low fat grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes and to limit their consumption of additional fats, sweets and high fat snacks.

The Mediterranean diet group was placed on a moderate fat, restricted calorie program rich in vegetables and low in red meat, with poultry and fish replacing beef and lamb. Energy intake was restricted to 1500 calories per day for women and 1800 calories per day for men with a goal of no more than 35% of calorie from fat. Added fat came mostly from nuts and olive oil.

The low carb diet was a non-restricted calorie plan aimed at providing 20 grams of carbs per day for the 2 month induction phase with a gradual increase to 120 grams per day to maintain the weight loss. Intakes of total calories, protein and fat were not limited. However, the participants were counseled to choose vegetarian sources of protein (more on that bizarre-twist shortly).

The study subjects were mostly male (86%), overweight (BMI 31) and middle age (mean age 52)

Here were the study results:

There were some health improvements in cholesterol, blood pressure and other parameters in the Mediterranean and low carb group that bested the high carb group. That was the focus of many articles and discussions that appeared on the net this week. However, I’d like to focus on the weight loss aspect as I’m not a medical doctor and fat loss is the primary subject matter of this website. All three groups lost weight. The low carb group lost 5.5 kilos, the Mediterranean group lost 4.6 kilos and the low fat group lost 3.3 kilograms…. IN TWO YEARS! Whoopee!

My conclusion would be that the results were similar and that none of the diets worked very well over the long term!

Amanda Gardner of the US News and World Report Health Day was one of the few reporters who got it right:

“Diet plans produce similar results: Study finds Mediterranean and low-carb diets work just as well as low fat ones.”

Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times also came close with her headline:

“Long term diet study suggests success is hard to come by: In a tightly controlled experiment, obese people lost an average of just 6 to 10 pounds over two years.”

Even this headline wasn’t 100% accurate. The study was HARDLY tightly controlled. Tightly controlled means metabolic ward studies where the researchers actually count and control the calorie intake.

The problem is, you can’t lock people in a hospital or research center ward for two years. So in this study, they used a food frequency questionnaire. Sure, like we believe what people report about their eating habits at restaurants and at home behind closed doors! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

“No! I swear Dr. Schwarzfuchs! I swear I didn’t eat those donuts over the weekend! I stayed on my Mediterranean diet. Honest!”

One of the most firmly established facts in dietetics research is that almost everyone underreports their food intake BADLY, sometimes by as much as 50%. I’m not saying everyone “lies,” they just forget or don’t know. In fact, this underreporting of calorie intake is such a huge problem that it makes obesity research very difficult to do and conclusions difficult to draw from free-living studies. Another blunder in the news reports is that this study didn’t really follow Atkins diet parameters OR even the traditional low fat diet for that matter, so it’s not an “Atkin’s versus Ornish” showdown at all. If you actually take the time to read the full text of the research paper it doesn’t say ANYTHING like, “Atkins is the best after all.” That’s the spin that some of the news media cooked up (and what the Atkins foundation was hoping for). It says, “The diet was based on the Atkins diet.” However, the sentence right before that says, “The participants were counseled to choose vegetarian sources of fat and protein.” Vegetarian Atkins? The chart on page 236 says the low carb diet provided 40% of calories from carbs at 6, 12 and 24 months. If I’m reading that data properly, then the only low carb period was a brief induction phase in the very beginning. Does that sound like Atkins? 40% carb sounds more like the Zone diet or my own Burn The Fat program to me.

The Atkins Foundation, which partially supported this study, told reporters, “We feel vindicated.” HA! They should have paid the reporters and told the researchers they felt ripped off and they wanted a refund for misuse of their research grant!

After carefully reading the full text of this study, there are many interesting findings we could talk about, from the differences in results between men and women to the improvements in health markers. Here’s what the study really says that stood out to me. It’s what I would have talked about if the newspapers or TV stations had called me:

1. “Mediterranean and low carb diets may be effective alternatives to low-fat diets.”

I can agree completely with that statement. All three diets created a calorie deficit. All three groups lost weight. Low carb lost a little more, which is the usual finding because low carb diets often control appetite and calorie intake automatically (you eat less even if you don’t count calories). Also, if body composition is not indicated, there’s an initial water weight loss that makes low carb diets look more effective in the very early stages.

2. “Personal preferences and metabolic considerations might inform individualized tailoring of dietary interventions.”

Absolutely! Nutrition should be individualized based on goals, health status, body type, activity level and numerous other factors. Different people have different phenotypes. Some people are more predisposed to thrive on a low carb approach. Others feel like crap on low carbs and do better with more carbs or a middle of the road approach. Those who dogmatically follow and defend one type of diet or the other are only handcuffing themselves by limiting their options. Iris Shai, a researcher in the study said, “We can’t rely on one diet fits all.” Hmm, far cry from “Atkins wins hands down,” wouldn’t you say?

3. “The rate of adherence to a study diet was 95.4% at 1 year and 84.6% at 2 years.”

THIS was the part of most interest to me. When I read this, immediately I could have cared less about the silly low carb versus high carb wars that the news reporters were jumping on. I wanted to know WHY the subjects were able to stick with it so well. Of course, that’s boring stuff to journalists… adherence? What does that word mean anyway? Yawn - not interesting enough for prime time, I guess. But it was interesting to me, and I hope YOU pay attention to what I found. The authors of the study wrote:

“This trial suggests a model that might be applied more broadly in the workplace. Using the employer as a health coach could be an effective way to improve health. The model of group intervention with the use of dietary group sessions, spousal support, food labels, and monthly weighing in the workplace within the framework of a health promotion campaign might yield weight reduction and long term health benefits.”

Hmmmmm, lets see: * Dietician coaching
* Group meetings
* Motivational phone calls
* Spousal support
* Workplace monitoring (corporate health program)
* Food labels - calorie monitoring
* Weigh-ins (required and monitored)

Wow, everything helpful to long term fat loss that sticks. Can you say, ACCOUNTABILITY? These factors help explain the better adherence.

By the way, the adherence rate for the low carb group was the lowest.

90.4% in low fat group
85.3% in the Mediterranean group
78% in the low carb group

Here’s the bottom line, the way I see it:

First, please, please, please learn how to find and read primary research and take the news media stories with a grain of salt. If you want to know who died, what burned down or what hurricane is coming, tune in to the news – they do a GREAT job at that. If you want to know how to lose weight or improve your health, look up the original research papers instead of taking second hand information at face value.

Second, those who prefer a low carb approach; more power to them. Most studies, this one included, show at the very least that low carb is an option and it’s not necessarily an unhealthy one if done intelligently. I also have no qualms with someone claiming that low carb diets are slightly more effective for weight loss, especially in the short term, free living situations. Is low carb superior for fat loss in the long haul? That’s STILL highly debatable. It’s probably superior for some people, but not for others.

Third, low carb people, listen up! Even if low carb is superior, that doesn’t mean calories don’t count. Deny this at your own peril. In fact, this study shows the reverse. The low carb group was in a larger negative energy balance than the high carb and Mediterranean group (according to the data published in this paper), which easily explains the greater weight loss. Posting the calories contained in foods in the cafeteria may have improved the results and helped with compliance in all groups.

When energy intake is matched calorie for calorie, the advantage of a low carb diet shrinks or disappears. For most people, low carb is a hunger management or calorie control weight loss advantage, not metabolic magic (sorry, no magic folks!)

Fourth, choose the nutrition program that’s most appropriate for your personal preferences, your current health condition, your genetics (or phenotype) and most important of all… the one you can stick with. Then tend your own garden instead of wasting time criticizing how the other guy is eating. Your results will speak for themselves in the end. Take your shirt off and show us.

If I were forced to choose only one approach (and thank god I’m not), I would recommend avoiding the extremes of very low carb or very low fat or very high fat or very high carbs. Balance makes the most sense to me, and the research suggests that this helps produce the highest compliance rate. That’s not rocket science either, it’s common sense. If you have a serious fat loss goal, as when I compete in bodybuilding, then a further reduction in carbs and increase in protein makes perfect sense to me as a peaking diet. If an extremely low or extremely high carb diet worked for you, great. But generalizing your experience to the entire rest of the world makes no sense. Arguing from extremes is the weakest form of argument. The reason I have THREE nutrition plans (three phases) in my own fat loss program is because programs with flexibility and room for individualization beat the others hands down in the long term. In fact, I wrote an entire chapter in my e-book about unique body types, how to determine yours and how to individualize your nutrition – it’s THAT important. If you have more choices, you have more power. The people who are shackled by dogma and narrow thinking are stuck. They also risk missing what’s really important. Things like:

Personalization
Adherence
Long-term Maintenance
Accountability
Social Support

and…

CALORIES!

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com