Running should be a joyful experience, not a boring or exhausting workout.

Today, I went for the perfect run. Why was it perfect? Because I utterly enjoyed it, and I know that it was exactly what I needed today. That’s how training should be – our desires should line up exactly with our needs.

Not only was I eager to get outdoors and run, I wanted to do it right. I wanted to practice the perfect run and know that when I was finished I had done something right and good for me. Allow me to elaborate.

I ran Fall cross country, Winter Track, and Spring Track and Field in high school, and my events were the long distance events. I put a LOT of miles on my body in three years. So many miles, in fact, that I overtrained into injuries that ultimately led to almost three years in physical therapy, which was terminated early because I had maxed out the funds my health insurance was covering. I won’t bore you with the details.

It’s probably too obvious to say that I approach long distance running with caution these days. In fact, I remember saying that I would never run again. That’s what the doctors and specialists were telling me, and I eventually believed them for awhile. I’ve learned a lot about running since then, including many things that I would do differently if given the chance to return to the past.

Today, I definitely will not allow myself to stumble back into the running methods of my youth. I approach each run in a very different manner than I used to, and I want to share some tips about how to run better with you.

How to Run Better: 5 Things That I Do Differently Now That I Know Better

1) My lifestyle is much more balanced and supportive of a running hobby than it was when I was in high school. I eat better foods. Drink only water and tea most of the time. I’m not sleep deprived or over-worked. I have plenty of time to take care of my health. Going for a run today does more good than harm.

Running used to just add to the laundry list of stresses in my life, instead of being an avenue for stress-relief as it is today. If you’re already over-stressed, then it’s counter-intuitive to add to that stress by going for a physically demanding run.

Another aspect of this is that I have active recovery practices programmed directly into my lifestyle. Exercise is no longer simplified into work times and rest times – training days and “off” days. Every day is an opportunity for physical activity, and the best way to sustain physical activity is to adopt a daily personal practice that will help to PREhabilitate your body. I primarly use the Intu-Flow Longevity System for this purpose. If you don’t compensate for the physical work-related activities that you do regularly, then your body will eventually adapt to them and will always lead to imbalances and worse over time. Look at anyone who trains for endurance sports if you need proof.

2) Methods of warming up for a run have changed drastically. I used to jog for a bit, which I’ve now learned is an inefficient stride for energy conservation. After a 5-10 minute jog, I would do a full body course of static stretches, holding each one for 15-30 seconds until the muscle relaxed (read “lengthened” or “deformed”). After the stretching, I would begin the run.

Today, my warmup is comprised of much different methods that have been contributing to my injury-free, and thus, pain-free running hobby. I use joint mobility exercises instead of static stretches – working from head to to, and core to periphery. I also skip the initial jog, and just progress slowly into my run – walking, trotting, then running with occasional sprints interspersed throughout the run. Jogging is a thing of the past!

The program RMAX Powered Running really helped me learn how to fine-tune my joint mobility warmups specifically for running. I consider this the best resource for runners that wish to train long-term without injuries:

RMAX Powered Running

3) I run differently than I used to. My running technique has changed subtly in the past year, but the minor changes have made a huge impact on how well I run and how good I feel afterwards. I used to feel awful when I finished a run, just beat and exhausted with achy joints all over. It’s not like that anymore, and a huge reason for that is because my stride has changed out of necessity.

I’ve been adopting a “less is more” philosophy, and especially when it comes to footwear. In fact, I’ve been going barefoot all year, as often as I can, including during my runs. Naturally, taking off your shoes will change the way you walk and run. If you’re like me, upon first trying barefoot running, you’ll be hopping around like you’re walking on hot coals every time you step on a pebble – but your feet will toughen up quickly. In fact, running barefoot may even naturally improve your running technique in-and-of-itself.

When you take off your shoes, heel striking is no longer an option. As it turns out, heel striking is one of the major causes of joint injuries in the knees, hips, and spine, among other places. Try heel striking while barefoot and your intuition will tell you it’s a bad idea. You’ll never do it twice, trust me. Instead, you will want to land on your forefoot, or “mid-foot.” This will help you to “catch” your weight and absorb the shock throughout your body – instead of having over-engineered shoes do it for you. This is where natural running technique starts, and it will progress into more efficient and effective running from there.

If you want more information on this running technique, research the POSE running method as developed by Dr.Nicholas Romanov.

4) I now include an effective post-run ritual. When I was done with my runs in high school, that was it for the day – I was just DONE. I’d put everything I had into each run, and a proper cooldown routine just wasn’t employed regularly. Sometimes, I would “walk it off” to catch my breath and maybe do some stretches, but I was inconsistent at best. When I was finished running, I was finished exercising. That’s what the warmup was for, right?

WRONG!

The cooldown portion of your run is arguably one of the most important aspects, and if you want to stay injury-free, you better pay attention to that short window of opportunity following your runs.

I have a very specific cooldown ritual that I follow after every run, with some variance here and there depending on what my intuition is telling me. I ALWAYS do some full body vibration drills as soon as I’ve finished my run and the “cooldown walk.” Just shaking out my legs, arms, and torso really helps to alleviate some of the stored tension throughout my body and restores bloodflow to my muscles and synovial fluid to my joints. The RESET program was a great resource for learning how to do this effectively.

After shaking out, I’ll usually walk on the outside and inside edges of my feet for about 50-100 small steps. This helps with the prevention of shin splints.

Other than that, I’ll usually do some biomechanical exercises from the BodyFlow program to relieve some deeper tension in and around the joints in my legs, hips, and spine. This is always intuitive, and each day is a little different.

I always finish with either Forest Flow from Prasara Yoga or a 4 Corner Balance Drill.

The 4 Corner Balance Drill

5) I enjoy every step of every run I take today. For me, running used to be a challenge. It was hard work that I did for the purpose of bettering myself. There was an element of fun to it, but it was more pain than pleasure. The end always justified the means, and so it wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been. I would stress over shaving off an extra second or two from my 1600 meter race, and it wasn’t healthy or sustainable long-term.

Today, running is a pure joy. The fact that I CAN RUN is a blessing and I don’t take it for granted. I make it a point to enjoy every moment, and stay away from the competitive running mindset that led to injury in the past. I can already run pretty far, and a decent pace, and I can sprint fast enough to surprise most people. Sure, I could probably increase my speed a little if I changed my running technique to include heel-striking, but since I’m not in a hurry or running for my life, I’ll content myself with a slightly calmer pace. If I ever did have to run for my life, I’m sure I’ll use the fastest method possible then.

I guess you could say that I’m taking a “Slow Fitness” approach to running. I’m in it for the long haul, and I’d like to run well into old age. There’s no point trying to push to the limit, or exceed my potential every single run. I’d rather progress slowly over time and keep my gains, than progress quickly and have to quit due to injury.

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The Perfect Run Through My Neighborhood

Today’s run was perfect because I incorporated all of the above tips. To top it off, I had my dog, Ronin, trotting by my side. I got a chance to say hello to three children and have them pet my dog. Ronin and I even got chased down the street by a fiesty German shepherd dog. I smelled and felt the wind, and I wasn’t exhausted when I was done. It was exploratory, it wasn’t a race – nowhere to be, nowhere to go, just running. When we got home, we both drank from the hose in the backyard!

More Running Resources:

The Definitive Guide to Going Barefoot

John races his dog Ronin in a barefoot sprint contest (video)

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen – I’ve heard nothing but positive reports from people who have read this book. It’s number three in my book reading queue. My review is forthcoming.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Running Enthusiast

7th Anniversary Interview with Tom Venuto

Here’s some of the info that was covered:

• old bodybuilding photos pulled out of Tom’s photo albums!
• The story of how Burn The Fat was originally developed
• Tom’s “man boobs” story
• The most important fat loss strategies Tom uses with a new client
• The difference between male and female fat loss strategies
• 3 things that mess up your results
• How to get rid of the last bits of stubborn fat

7th Anniversary Interview with Tom Venuto

Tom kindly requests that no one make any wisecracks about the “man boobs” thing!!!

Enjoy the interview, and feel free to discuss it here.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Manager of BurnTheFat.com

Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is the #1 best selling diet and fitness ebook in the history of the Internet. Tom Venuto, a respected fat loss expert, natural bodybuilder, and personal trainer, has not just pumped out yet another “diet” into an already over-saturated market. Tom’s Burn the Fat can be more accurately described as a “Fat Loss Bible.” It is quite simply one of the most complete, detailed, and precise guides to fat loss you will ever see.

What makes it so much different than other weight loss publications on the market?

Well first of all, it’s not a “weight loss” program, it’s a “fat” loss program. This may seem like semantics or wordplay at first, but once you’ve read just the first three chapters, there will be no doubt in your mind that pursuing “weight loss” is not only the wrong goal, it may be the reason that you’ve failed to reach and maintain your ideal body weight. Burn The Fat shows you exactly why it’s fat you must lose, not “weight” (which includes muscle, water and other lean tissue) and then goes on to show you exactly how to do it.

Secondly, what makes Burn The Fat different is the amount of attention that is paid to each and every element of successful, healthy, permanent fat loss. Burn The Fat not only thoroughly dispels the lies, myths and fallacies surrounding a very confusing subject, it is simply the most detailed book about fat loss ever written. By reading Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, (or better yet, “studying it”), you will learn more about fat loss than you would from an entire bookshelf of maintstream diet publications at your local bookstore.

You may be wondering, “Is this a low carb diet? A high protein diet? A high fat diet? what type of program IS it???”

The truth is that Burn the Fat is neither a high protein diet, or a low carb diet. That’s because with the information in this book, you will be able to easily determine your own ideal macronutrient ratio. You will be able to analyze your body type (are you an endomorph, ectomorph, or mesomorph?), determine your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate, or the amount of “maintenance” calories your body requires daily), and assess whether you are carb tolerant or carb intolerant.

This personalized approach makes perfect sense because each of us is a unique individual and no two people are exactly alike in terms of body physiology and personal goals.

One of the most powerful chapters in the book is the first one called, “How To Set Powerful, Compelling Goals That Will Propel You Forward and Charge You Up with Unstoppable Motivation”. In this chapter, you will learn what is perhaps, the ultimate secret to burning fat and getting in shape…and it has nothing to do with diets, supplements or training programs.

There’s a great quote in this chapter from the legendary Green Bay Packers coach, Vince Lombardi…

“The dictionary is the only place success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must all pay for success.”

That quote does a nice job of expressing the “no quick fix” philosophy behind the program and setting the tone for the entire book. In the rest of the book, you’ll learn the complete and exact mechanics of fat loss – explained on both a scientific and a practical level (which you can easily apply in your own daily life in terms of what to eat and how to exercise to burn fat).

If there is any drawback to the Burn The Fat ebook, it’s that it contains so much information, that some readers may find it a bit overwhelming. Those who are looking for a “cliff’s Note’s” quick start type of fat loss program, might be a bit intimated at first. The good part however, is that even these types of readers can feel confident and assured that it will be worth the effort because this will literally be the last book they ever have to buy on the subject

Who will benefit most from Burn the Fat?

In the broadest sense, anyone and everyone who needs to lose weight will benefit from Burn The Fat. Men, women, bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, and especially motivated individuals and avid readers will love this book. Although it was written by a bodybuilder, this book is certainly not just for bodybuilders.

You will find no “30 lbs. in 30 days” miracles at work here. It’s all about intelligent eating choices, planning, hard work and lifestyle change. As Burn The Fat author Tom Venuto says,…

“Burn the Fat is simple, but it’s not easy.”

In terms of graphic design, Burn the Fat is a clean and professionally formatted PDF e-book. It’s a little on the plain side, being just text, but that makes it an ideal volume for printing and reading in the comfort of a favorite chair. Because of it’s size, it does require a robust printer and a good stack of paper.

Initially, some people thought that Burn the Fat was priced a little on the high side because $39 might seem like a fair chunk of money for a PDF-formatted ebook. However, after they saw the amount of information contained within Burn The Fat’s 340 pages, along with the 4 special bonus ebooks and reports that come with it, they said it was not only worth the $39, but many times that amount.

As with any how-to publication, you’re not really paying for the materials used to compile the document, but for what the information can do for you, and clearly, this publication has changed many lives and the hundreds of testimonials and success stories found on the Burn The Fat website are proof of that.

The Bottom line?

Anyone looking for a sugar-coated solution to fat loss, anyone looking to be told fairy-tales, and anyone looking for a “magic bullet” offered by the likes of body wraps, fat burning pills, diet shakes, or “fat-burning” creams and gels might be best advised to steer clear of Burn the Fat.

On the other hand, anyone tired of “spinning their wheels” going nowhere, who wants the truth about fat loss and who is ready and willing to put in the hard work and discipline and make the lifestyle changes necessary to get a fat free body, will find Burn The fat to be one of the best investments they ever made in their lives.

Click here to learn more about Tom Venuto’s Burn the Fat!

In a few days, the Real Time Physique (RTP) Body Tranformation Challenge will officially begin (May 1st, 2009). This is a completely new body transformation contest that the world has never seen before, and there are two powerful reasons why. First, it’s because no internet-based body transformation challenge has ever given away such an amazing prize package to the winners. Picture in your mind… flying to New York and staying in a 5 star hotel -  awakening to lower Manhattan as the eastern sun rises over the Atlantic ocean.  You’ll be escorted to a “VIP” high class gym to train with 2 world-famous fitness celebrities. After you’ve had your share of fun, you will finish the day with a Broadway show after a private dinner. Did I mention the $500 cash prize money?

The second reason this body transformation challenge is unique is because there has never been one that is based on accountability. Social support is a major secret to compliance in a fitness program, and that’s exactly what this event capitalizes on. If you have ever tried to transform your body in the past with less-than-satisfying results, then the social support factor that comes from accountability will be the motivational push that makes all the difference this time – helping you to “get out of your own way” and claim the summer body of your dreams.

Here’s the skinny…

Adam Waters, a Fitness Professional from Australia has researched, practiced, and developed this concept of implementing “real-time accountability” into a body transformation system. Adams reputation precedes him as one of the worlds greatest accountability and success coaches, and is one of the worlds most widespread fitness blogger’s on the internet. Adam’s work has been published in Men’s Fitness, USA and Men’s Fitness Australian editions.

An interesting twist is that my friend, Tom Venuto is co-sponsoring the RTP challenge. In the world of changing physiques through diet, nutrition, and body transformations, Tom Venuto is among one of the top experts in the world. He’s not only my go-to expert for everything nutrition, bodybuilding, and killer physique-based training, he’s also someone that I’ve enjoyed personally working with for the last couple of years. Tom is known for his ability to translate research journal jargon into real world practical advice for those of us who don’t have PhD’s. He’s also the author of the Internets best selling diet/nutrition program in history called Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (where I work as the manager) and the founder of the Internets largest fat loss support community, the Burn the Fat: Inner Circle (where I work as a contributor and forum moderator).

I can’t think of anyone more qualified than these two to be heading up a Real Time Physique Body Tranformation Challenge.

After announcing the fitness challenge last week, Tom and Adam have released the transformation challenge trailer (movie)…

Watch the trailer below and find out how this accountability-based body transformation challenge could transform your body in the next 84 days…

The deadline to register for the RTP transformation challenge is this Thursday at 11:59pm EST (less than 3 days!). Nobody will be allowed in after that date since the contest starts May 1. To learn more about the RTP transformation challenge, visit:

http://www.rtp-transformation-system.com

To learn more about how an accountability-based body transformation competition can help you get more motivated to transform your body than ever before in your life, be sure to check out Adam’s personal body transformation and the many testimonials on this page:

“It struck me the other day just how much time I spend telling people what I eat. Then there’s the inevitable discussion that follows, in which the usual questions are raised, to which I give the usual answers. And I thought – wouldn’t it be nice if there was a 5-minute video which covers all that stuff? So I created one. Once I got started, it became something of a labour of love. I hope you enjoy it – and that it might save you as much time as it will save me!

For maximum impact, I recommend playing it full screen…”

Primal Nutrition in a Nutshell


Primal food is naturally occurring on the earth – natural being the key word here. If it crawled, ran, swam, or flew at one point, it was primal food. If it could be gathered in the wild or harvested from the garden, it was primal food. While I wouldn’t go as far to say that primal food or the paleo diet are 100% the only way to eat, I think there is a TON of value in this pursuit and anyone can learn a lot about healthy eating by learning more about primal nutrition.

I also think it’s a silly idea that the earth is millions of years old, but I do agree that human genetics haven’t changed much, if at all, over the last several thousand years. We still need all the basic nutrients that our ancestors did.

What do you think of the video?

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

P.S. If you are interested in a health-first diet without supplements, fake foods, drugs, or pesticides, and without screwing up your metabolism, then this will be the most important book you ever read. Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is the #1 Best Selling Diet and Nutrition program in Internet History, and for a good reason. Read the official review here:

Review of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

Even though Tom is a bodybuilder at heart, he has a wealth of health-first nutrition knowledge. Tom has been laboring away in research and academia almost as long as I have been alive, and has held many prestigious positions within the fitness industry including health club manager, best-selling author, and the founder of the internet’s premiere fat loss membership support community, the Burn the Fat: Inner Circle.

I caught up with Tom after a well-earned break from his normally hectic schedule as a fitness author and nutrition researcher to bring you this exclusive interview.

What is the average day like for Tom Venuto? How do you fit training and eating into your hectic schedule?

It’s the other way around. I work my hectic schedule around my training and eating. Training and nutrition are among my highest priorities. Everything else is scheduled around the priorities. So an average day starts with me reviewing my priorities for the day and I make sure those priorities get accomplished, if nothing else.

Can you give us a word picture of how much you enjoy training and competing in bodybuilding? For you, what is bodybuilding?

The way I see it, bodybuilding is the human body as sculpture. If you have appreciation for art and if you can look at Ancient Greek sculpture or Renaissance sculpture like Michelangelo’s David and say that’s a beautiful work of art, then couldn’t you look at a sculpted body and say that’s even more beautiful than an inanimate piece of art? I think most people don’t see bodybuilding that way because they think it’s a superficial pursuit. They think it’s only about vanity. Or they think its just about winning a trophy. That would be like saying martial arts is only about violence and beating people up. Obviously there’s an art and even a spiritual practice there as well.

I believe that as a bodybuilder, you’re a sculptor. And the food you eat and the training you do are your hammer and chisel. If you know how to eat and how to train, your body is your canvas. You can paint whatever you want. You can chisel off a little bit on the waist, and slap a little muscle on the lats and deltoids and carve out more definition and you look like a different person. Bodybuilding nutrition and training give you a feeling of total control over creating your body – you don’t feel like you’re at the mercy of genetics or environment because you’re holding the tools to change it. This is what I love about bodybuilding and why it’s the method of physique transformation I teach in my Burn the Fat program.

How important is your competitive bodybuilding to assisting you with your vision and purpose?

My business vision is to inspire and motivate as many people as I can to change their lifestyles, become fit and achieve their ideal weight and great health – naturally. I think the best way to inspire and lead is to set the example and what better way than drug-free bodybuilding?

What is your favorite quick and easy, nutrient-dense meal?

My all time favorite has to be my high protein, apple cinnamon oatmeal pancake. You can see the recipe here: http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/public/124.cfm?sd=2

When Tom Venuto has guests, what does he serve?

I “serve” whatever the best restaurant has on the menu! Seriously, last time I had some friends over, we went into Manhattan and ate some Italian at little Italy. I don’t eat in restaurants often, but when friends are over, that’s an occasion when I like to go out and enjoy a good meal in a place with some good atmosphere.

Favorite protein source? Favorite veggies? Favorite fruits? Favorite starchy carbs? Favorite treat or cheat foods?

Favorite protein: steak. I also eat eggs, fish and chicken daily. Veggies: A favorite is mixed veggies like mushrooms, onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc. in an omelette or a huge raw veggie salad with a nice balsamic dressing. Fruits: I like them all, but I eat grapefruits and apples and blueberries the most. Starchy carbs: oatmeal, yams, potatoes, brown rice. Favorite treat foods? A big restaurant steak, sushi or pasta. I don’t cheat often – I don’t crave junk foods most of the time.

Let’s say someone wants to build lean muscle, how much should they be eating, and how important is food quality? I’ve heard a lot of guys say they just need to eat a TON, even if it’s from McDonald’s.

The amount of calories a person needs is totally individual based primarily on gender, body size and activity level, secondarily on age. The guy who eats a ton of fast food to gain muscle who doesn’t get fat is the exception, not the rule. In fact, that’s usually the genetic freak on steroids. The average natural guy needs to eat the right quantity and high quality food to make solid, lean gains while staying healthy. It’s true though, it takes a lot of food to gain large amounts of lean mass. Most people who complain that they can’t gain muscular weight simply aren’t eating enough. Some pro bodybuilders say that during mass building phases, eating literally becomes their job.

From a fat loss standpoint, how important is it to eat organic, whole, raw, and unprocessed foods? From a health standpoint?

From a fat loss standpoint, it’s hardly important at all, which really irritates the heck out of the “clean eating” or “natural health” people and they yell at me for even suggesting this. But a metabolizable calorie is just a calorie from a pure energy balance point of view. However, I’m not saying you should only worry about the quantity of food you eat and not the quality. Eating unprocessed foods is very important for your health. Food quality does impact body composition as well, by way of nutrient partitioning and the effect that each type of food has on hormones, cell quality, appetite and long term health. But eating organic or raw and so on has very little bearing on actual fat loss unless doing so makes you eat less.

What about foods that contain zero calories – like diet sodas, should these be avoided or welcomed as a nice treat away from our diet?

I have no problem with an occasional diet soda or diet Snapple or crystal light, etc., strictly from a fat loss perspective. It’s all over the news again that “diet soda makes you fat,” but that’s not true. The recent wave of publicity against diet soda came as a result of a mouse study. Rodent studies, especially in the area of obesity research, have almost no bearing on the results in humans. The human studies from a few years ago were epidemiological. They looked at data that had been collected from a large group of overweight people and said, “aha, these overweight people drink a lot of diet soda, therefore, diet soda made them fat.” That’s confusing correlation and causation. That’s like looking at data about all the fires in your city for the last 10 years and saying, “aha, the fires with the most damage had the most fire trucks at the scene. Therefore, fire trucks caused the damage.” Perfect correlation, but obviously the fire trucks didn’t cause the damage. The reverse is true, actually.

There are no calories in diet soda. If diet soda makes you fat, how do you explain it? One suggested mechanism is that it may increase appetite. This has not been proven, but if it’s true then that would concern me. However, if diet soda increases appetite and you eat more of other food, then what was the true cause of the fat gain – the diet soda or the additional food eaten? What if you had the awareness and restraint not to eat the additional food?

That said, it’s important to realize that diet soda is not real food. It has no positive nutritional value and it’s entirely possible that drinking large quantities of it may have negative effects on health over the long term – especially from daily consumption. I think we should be very selective about what we eat every day as part of our habitual intake. However, as you suggested, non-caloric diet drinks can be a nice occasional treat with sweet taste, to help take the edge off a strict diet. Just keep your consumption of anything artificial to a minimum. Also remember that the correlation found between diet soda intake and being overweight shows that using reduced calorie diet products is no guarantee that you’ll lose more weight if you compensate by eating more elsewhere.

Is there a best nut to eat? I’ve heard that peanuts should be avoided because of the allergens. What nuts do you recommend eating?

Peanuts are a highly allergenic food, so for sure, if you’re allergic to peanuts, don’t eat peanuts. That doesn’t mean we should warn everyone to avoid peanuts – well, except when there’s a recall from a salmonella outbreak, as there was recently, but that’s not an everyday type of occurrence. Interesting enough, natural (no sugar) peanut butter is one of the all time favorite dietary fat sources for dieting bodybuilders. It tastes good so it helps take the edge off the diet and provides some energy and satiety when carbs are low. All nuts have some valuable and unique nutritional qualities, so nuts can be a part of almost any nutrition program. I like almonds and walnuts in particular. Walnuts are one of a few whole food sources rich in omega-3. All nuts are high in calories, so the quantities should be carefully controlled and measured.

What do you think about juicing vegetables and fruits – any thoughts on the pros and cons? Do you have any favorite recipes?

I don’t have any favorite recipes, because I don’t use a blender or juicer that often, I eat a lot of whole fruits and vegetables instead. But sure, I think it’s a great idea to make smoothies or drinks, provided the ingredients are mostly whole foods, especially the veggies because they’re so low in calorie density. If you’re talking about using fruit juice from a carton, then I don’t advise that for fat loss programs except in very small, carefully counted quantities because liquid calories don’t activate the satiety mechanisms in your body the way whole foods do. But fruit juice in a carton is different than something you could blend up at home straight from whole foods because in the latter case you have the fiber and pulp and its just the whole food liquefied. You could even make the shake somewhat thick and chunky and research has shown that shakes or smoothies that are thick or even have a degree of “chew factor” can help with satisfying appetite.

How much attention should we pay to our fiber intake – and what are some of the best fiber-filled foods?

Fiber is very important for health but also it has implications for appetite and body fat control. The fiber itself is not fully metabolizable so all the caloric energy is not available; it gets passed through the digestive system unabsorbed. Fiber also contributes to the feeling of fullness and helps with control of blood sugar. For fiber, eat lots of fruits and veggies of course, but don’t forget about the natural starchy carbs. The starchy complex carbs often get snubbed on a fat loss diet, but those can be some of your best sources of fiber, especially the beans and legumes. Also, if you don’t eat a lot of berries, some of the berries like raspberries are loaded with fiber. Put some on your oatmeal in the morning and you’ll have half your daily fiber intake in one meal.

What do you think about intermittent fasting? I’ve read about some plans that involve fasting for 24 hours every so often. Some plans call for alternate-day fasting. It’s said to improve insulin sensitivity and increase longevity, among other benefits. Any thoughts?

I think it’s noteworthy that you said many people are interested in fasting or intermittent fasting (IF) for life extension, independent of weight loss interests. Discussing “life extension by caloric restriction (CR),” including IF, is still entirely academic and totally theoretical because the life extension claims are all based on animal studies or at best, looking at biomarkers of aging in humans. CR clearly extends the lifespans of animals, and the subject is being studied in earnest to find mechanisms and see if animal findings transfer to humans. But we still have no direct, conclusive proof that CR will extend human life and even the CR researchers say so themselves.

I think an area that’s usually overlooked in life extension and improved quality of life as you age is psychology. I believe that understanding the mental and emotional side of health and aging are worth greater consideration than dietary factors. People with a purpose, a passion and a reason for living – especially if that includes other people – are going to live a long healthy life – that’s my personal belief anyway. I’d recommend some deep introspection on this before starving yourself. I also think you have to think about quality of life above all else. Lifelong hunger is a tough sale, and nobody wants to tack on years of dysfunction and illness. What if you under-eat yourself into a weak and frail body – what will be the consequences when you’re older? One of the poster boys for CR is 6 feet tall and 115 lbs.

With intermittent fasting (IF), alternate day dieting or just an occasional fasting day, you have more reasonable and feasible approaches than prolonged CR. If fasting is not carried to extremes and or if short fasts are done infrequently, I don’t think you have to worry about metabolic slowdown or any major muscle losses and there may be health or psychological benefits. Some people say the IF approach gives them a sense of freedom and relief from regimented diet programs especially ones requiring meals every three hours like Burn The Fat or other bodybuilding-based programs.

IF practitioners are quick to say that bodybuilding diets with 6 meals a day is not mandatory and may actually be an inconvenience to many people’s lifestyles. That’s a perfectly legitimate point. However, what does not make sense to me is that their answer to 6 meals a day is to eat nothing for an entire day or the better part of a day rather than taking a balanced approach and meeting in the middle with just 3 meals a day. So if someone absolutely does not want to use the bodybuilding method of 6 small meals a day, why not just eat 3 slightly larger meals a day (or 3 meals plus snacks), every day instead of having days with zero meals or just one big meal? Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner is actually the traditional and socially acceptable meal pattern and will help alleviate the hunger of long stretches without food, which is a big problem with any fasting approach.

For bodybuilders and those seeking muscle mass, I still strongly recommend eating 5-6 protein-containing, meals per day as I explain in my book Burn The Fat, and this method has a decades-long proven track record. However, given the research on IF and the interest in alternative lifestyle choices today, we don’t need to be dogmatic about meal frequency nor fear the occasional missed meal or short fast. IF could be a legitimate quick fix way to lose weight because it virtually guarantees a calorie deficit, without having to do any calorie counting. A high meal frequency is not an absolute requirement to lose weight, only the caloric deficit is, but I don’t believe there’s any physiological fat loss magic in IF outside the caloric deficit. Some people are best advised to avoid IF and that would include those with a history of binge eating or hypoglycemia and people who don’t tolerate hunger well. I also wouldn’t recommend IF to people who want to optimize muscle mass gains.

By now, most of us know that carbohydrates aren’t the arch-nemesis of fat loss progress, and we all know that we do need carbs, in different amounts for different people. What is the best way to find out how many carbs we need individually?

There are some questionnaires that are designed to help a person find their metabolic type. They’re not scientifically validated, but they do seem helpful to some people. There are also some clinical tests for glucose tolerance or insulin that might help. But I think there’s always going to be a little bit of trial and error necessary.

My preferred way to do it is to begin with a diet that’s nicely balanced between protein, carbs and fat, with about 40-50% of the calories from carbs. From there, if necessary, experiment with lowering that proportion of carbs and see how that affects fat loss and also how it makes you feel.

Some people may be able to avoid the trial and error because they already have an instinctive sense about whether they are the low carb or high carb type of person. They intuitively gravitate towards that approach. For those who aren’t sure, I’ve put together a pretty good set of criteria that will give you a good way to screen yourself for carb sensitivity. This might give you a better idea where to start and also reduce the trial and error period.

First, run through the list of metabolic syndrome symptoms:

1. Abdominal obesity, which for men is a waist measurement greater than 40 inches, and for women, greater than 35 inches

2. High triglycerides (over 150)

3. Reduced HDL cholesterol (under 40 mg)

4. Elevated blood pressure (over 130/85_

5. Elevated glucose (fasted – over 110)

Then ask yourself

1. Are you overweight or obese?

2. Are you over age 45?

3. Are you sedentary?

4. In your opinion, have you had difficulty losing weight on high carbohydrate diets? (keeping in mind that high carb diets make it easier to overconsume calories)

5. If you’ve tried a low carb diet before, in your opinion, did you feel that you were more successful with this approach than with any other? (keeping in mind that its easier to keep a calorie deficit on low carbs)

6. After eating a large dose of concentrated carbohydrates, especially simple sugars or calorie dense starches, do you tend to crash mentally and or physically shortly afterwards? (as compared to feeling more sustained energy and alertness)

The more of these you say yes to, the more likely you are carb intolerant which means you might want to be conservative on the carb intake. Since there’s so much variation from person to person, that’s one of the reasons I don’t prescribe a high carb or low carb diet exclusively to everyone. My Burn The Fat program has moderate carb and lower carb phases based on your goals and your body type. For most people, reducing carbs somewhat does help with the last bit of stubborn fat and I use a modified low carb program before competition myself. I explain that in chapter 12 of the Burn The Fat ebook.

Last but not least, one should keep in mind that the carb intake is relative to the activity level and training volume and training intensity. People who train more can and should eat more carbs. And in general you can eat more carbs on training days – after your workouts in particular – and all but the most extremely carb sensitive people will benefit greatly from that type of nutrient timing.

From a health standpoint, should people be concerned with their blood acidity versus alkalinity?

When I first heard about blood acidity I didn’t think there was anything to it. I thought it was just another fad coming out of the “alternative health” movement. But that was probably because my first exposure to the concept came from someone claiming that balancing your blood ph properly was the key to weight loss. I immediately thought that was a bogus claim and still do to this day. I haven’t seen a shred of evidence that eating a more alkaline diet will make you lose more weight if calories remain equal. However, I’ve read scientific papers which discussed the value of acid – alkaline balance for good health.

If we go easy on the processed grains and sugars, that will help. Some people also talk about acidity as a reason to avoid animal proteins and meat, but demonizing an entire macronutrient is never a good long term strategy. I see the issue as a matter of balance, which means balancing the acids with the alkalines which very simply means eating more greens and plant foods. That’s something you should be doing anyway for good health, so ph balance is really not an issue I focus on that much because if you’re eating lots of greens and vegetables you’ve got your bases covered.

Any exciting plans for 2009?

Big plans. But I should keep quiet because I tend to jinx myself on deadlines when I announce stuff before I have it finished. I’ll announce some of the new projects when they’re finished!

A big thanks to Tom for doing this interview!

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Manager of www.BurnTheFat.com

Tom Venuto - author of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

Weekly weight loss is a confusing subject due to the mixed messages that the weight loss industry has been sending for decades. We are constantly battered with claims like “lose 9 pounds in 11 days.” These claims are not only untrue, they are actually illegal and dangerous. Rapid weight loss is a poor choice for your health and an almost guaranteed route to weight REGAIN, and usually with interest.

I’ve been saying it for years, and Tom Venuto has been saying it for much longer. If you can lose two pounds per week of bodyFAT (not WEIGHT), then you are making optimal progress that is NATURAL and has a much higher chance of being PERMANENT. Here is a great article that Tom wrote all about the safest and most effective way to burn fat.

The 2 Pounds Per Week Rule and How to Burn Fat Faster
By Tom Venuto
www.BurnTheFat.com

Why do you always hear that 2 pounds per week is the maximum amount of fat you should safely lose? If you train really hard while watching calories closely shouldn’t you be able to lose more fat without losing muscle or damaging your health? What if you want to lose fat faster? How do you explain the fast weight losses on The Biggest Loser? These are all good questions that I’ve been asked many times. With the diet marketplace being flooded every day with rapid weight loss claims, these questions desperately need and deserve some honest answers. Want to know where that 2 pounds per week rule comes from and what it really takes to burn more than 2 pounds of fat per week? Read on.

Why Only 2 Pounds Per Week?

The truth is, two pounds is not the maximum amount you can safely lose in a week. That’s only a general recommendation and a good benchmark for setting weekly goals. It’s also sensible and realistic because it’s based on average or typical results.

The actual amount of fat you can lose depends on many factors. For example, weight losses tend to be relative to body size. The more body fat you carry, the more likely you’ll be able to safely lose more than two pounds per week. Therefore, we could individualize our weekly guideline a bit by recommending a goal of 1-2 lbs of fat loss per week or up to 1% of your total weight. If you weighed 300 lbs, that would be 3 lbs per week.

Body Weight Vs Body Composition

Weight loss is somewhat meaningless unless you also talk about body composition; the fat to muscle ratio, as well as water weight. Ask any wrestler about fast weight loss and he’ll tell you things like, “I cut 10 lbs overnight to make a weight class. It was easy – I just sweated it off.”

You’ve also probably seen people that went on some extreme induction program or a lemon juice and water fast for the first week and dropped an enormous amount of weight. But once again, you can bet that a lot of that weight was water and lean tissue and in both cases, you can bet that those people put the weight right back on.

The main potential advantage of any type of induction period for rapid weight loss in the first week is that a large drop on the scale is a motivational boost for many people (even if it is mostly water weight).

Why do you hear so many diet and fitness professionals insist on 2 lbs a week max? Where does that number come from? Well, aside from the fact that it’s a recommendation in government health guidelines and in position statements of most nutrition and exercise organizations, it’s just math. The math is based on what’s practical given the number of calories an average person burns in a day and how much food someone can reasonably cut in a day.

How Do You Lose More Than 2 Pounds Per Week?

Can you lose more than 2 lbs of pure fat in a week? Yes, although it’s easier in the beginning. It gets harder as your diet progresses. How do you do it? My rule is, extraordinary results require extraordinary efforts. An extraordinary effort means a particularly strict diet, as well as burning more calories through training because you can only cut your calories so far from food before you’re starving and suffering from severe hunger.

Simply put, you need a bigger calorie deficit.

If you have a 2500 calorie daily maintenance level, and you want to drop 3 lbs of fat per week withe diet alone, you’d need a huge daily deficit of 1500 calories, which would equate to eating 1000 calories per day. You would lose weight rapidly for as long as you could maintain that deficit (although it would slow down over time). Most people aren’t going to last long on so little food and they often end with a period of binge eating. It’s not practical (or fun) to cut calories so much and in some cases it could be unhealthy.

The other alternative is to train for hours and hours a day, literally. People ask me all the time, “Tom, how is it possible for the Biggest Loser contestants to lose so much weight? Well first of all they’re not measuring body fat, only body weight. Then you have the high starting body weights and the large water weight loss in the beginning. After that, just do the math – they’re training hours a day so they’re creating a huge calorie deficit.

But without that team of trainers, dieticians, teammates, a national audience and all that prize money, do you think they’d be motivated and accountable enough to do anywhere near that amount and intensity of exercise in the real world? Would it even be possible if they had a job and family? Not likely, is it? It’s not practical to do that much exercise, and it’s not practical to cut your calories below a 1000 a day and remain compliant. If you manage to achieve the latter, it’s very difficult not to rebound and regain the weight afterwards for a variety of physiological and psychological reasons.

For Fast Fat Loss: Less Food Or Harder Training?

Trainers are becoming more inventive these days in coming up with high intensity workouts that burn a large amount of calories and really give the metabolism a boost. This can help speed up the fat loss within a given amount of time. But as you begin to utilize higher intensity workouts, you have to start being on guard for overtraining or overuse injuries.That’s why strict nutrition with an aggressive calorie deficit is going to have to be a major part of any fast fat loss strategy. Unfortunately, very low calorie dieting has its own risks in the way of lean tissue loss, slower metabolism, extreme hunger, and greater chance of weight re-gain.

My approach to long term weight control is to lose weight slowly and patiently and follow a nutrition plan that is well balanced between lean protein, healthy fats and natural carbs and doesn’t demonize any entire food group. To lose fat, you simply create a caloric deficit by burning more and eating less (keeping the nutrient density of those calories as high as possible, of course).

But to achieve the extraordinary goals such as photo-shoot-ready, super-low body fat or simply faster than average fat loss, while minimizing the risks, I often turn to a stricter cyclical low carb diet for brief “peaking” programs. I explain this method in chapter 12 of my e-book Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle (it’s my “phase III” or “competition” diet).

The cyclical aspect of the diet means that after three to six days of an aggressive calorie deficit and strict diet, you take a high calorie / high carb day to re-feed the body and re-stimulate the metabolism. Essentially, this helps reduce the starvation signals your body is receiving. It’s also a psychological break from the deprivation which helps improve compliance and prevent relapse.

The higher protein intake can help prevent lean tissue loss and curb the hunger. A high protein diet also helps by ramping up dietary thermogenesis. A high intake of greens, fibrous vegetables and low calorie fruits can help tip the energy balance equation in your favor as fibrous veggies are very low in calorie density and some of the calories in the fiber are not metabolizable. Healthy fats are added in adequate quantities, while the calorie-dense simple sugars and starchy carbs are kept to a minimum except on refeed days and after (or around) intense workouts.

There’s No Magic, Just Math

In my experience, a high protein, reduced carb approach in conjunction with weights and cardio can help maximize fat loss – both in terms of increasing speed of fat loss and particularly for getting rid of the last of the stubborn fat. It helps with appetite control too. But always bear in mind that the faster fat loss occurs primarily as a result of the larger calorie deficit (which is easily achieved with sugars and starches minimized), not some type of “low carb magic.” If your diet were high in natural carbs but you were able to diligently maintain the same large calorie deficit, the results would be similar.

I’m seeing more and more advertisements that not only promise rapid weight loss, but go so far as saying that you’re doing it wrong if you’re losing “only” two pounds per week. “Why settle” for slow weight loss, they insist. Well, it’s certainly possible to lose more than two pounds per week, but it’s critically important to understand that there’s a world of difference between rapid weight loss and permanent fat loss.

It’s also vital to know that there’s no magic in faster fat loss, just math. All the new-fangled dietary manipulations and high intensity training programs that really do help increase the speed of fat loss all come full circle to the calorie balance equation in the end, even if they claim their method works for other reasons and they don’t mention calories burned or consumed at all.

Beware of The Quick Fix

Faster fat loss IS possible. My question is, are you willing to tolerate the hunger, low calories and high intensity exercise for that kind of deficit? Do you have the work ethic? Do you have the supreme level of dietary restraint necessary to stop yourself from bingeing and putting the weight right back on when that aggressive diet is over? Or would you rather do it in a more moderate way where you’re not killing yourself, but instead are making slow and steady lifestyle changes and taking off 1-2 lbs of pure fat per week, while keeping all your hard-earned muscle?

Remember, 1-2 pounds per week is 50-100 pounds in a year. Is that really so slow or is that an astounding transformation? You don’t gain 50-100 pounds over night, so why should anyone expect to take it off overnight? Personally, I think short-term thinking and the pursuit of quick fixes are the worst diseases of our generation.

If you want to be one of those “results not typical” fat loss transformations, it can be done and it may be a perfectly appropriate short-term goal for the savvy and sophisticated fitness enthusiast. It’s your call. But when you set your goals, it might be wise to remember that old fable of the tortoise and the hare, and buyer beware if you go shopping for a fast weight loss program in today’s shady marketplace.

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com

About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.BurnTheFat.com

The BodyFat Solution is Coming


From what I’ve read so far, this book is simply amazing – and will empower thousands, if not millions of people to change their lives.

Here’s a brief look at the table of contents:

Part 1: Setting the Stage

Chapter 1 – BodyFat: A New Understanding of the Problem
Chapter 2 – Body Fat Myths and Why We Believe Them
Chapter 3 – Attitudes and Beliefs That Set the Stage for Success
Chapter 4 – Freedom From Emotional Eating

Part 2: The Five Principles

Chapter 5 – Mental Training Solution: Setting Goals and Reprogramming Your Mind for Automatic Success
Chapter 6 – The High-Low Nutrition Solution: How to Burn Fat Automatically and Feel Fuller on Less Food
Chapter 7 – The “E-Max” Fat-Burning Solution: Maximizing Your Metabolism and Burning More Calories 24 Hours a Day
Chapter 8 – The “Lean Muscle” Training Solution: Reshaping Your Body and Getting Leaner with Weight Training
Chapter 9 – The Social Support Solution: Recruiting Friends, Family, Peers, and Mentors into Your Support Circle

Part 3: Putting It All Together

Chapter 10 – Planning, Organizing, and Implementing: Focusing on Priorities, Putting it all together, and getting started right
Chapter 11 – Keeping Score and Staying on Track: How to Monitor Your Progress, Make Yourself Accountable, and Break any Plateau
Chapter 12 – Staying Lean and Staying Strong: Secrets of Maintaining Your Perfect Weight for Life

Appendix 1 – Stay Connected, Get Support, and Learn More at the BodyFat Solution Online
Appendix 2 – Body Fat Solution Recommended Foods

When I read through this list, this is what I see…

Tom has given an extensive solution to the underlying problems that create excess bodyfat. These solutions are based on principles, and are used for the purpose of fixing the source of the problem, instead of honing in on one of the sites of a problem (as so many popular diet programs do: such as eliminating carbs or fats from a diet, or restricting calories, etc.). I know Tom is sick and tired of “weight loss guru’s” trying to put a band-aid on a gunshot wound when it comes to fat loss.

This book gives a global, “big picture” perspective on how to shed excess bodyfat. Right in the introduction, Tom makes note that the key to the success of the BodyFat Solution is summed up in one word: simplicity.

The first part of the book is entirely devoted to educating you – to empowering you. Part 2 contains the essential ingredients of a successful fat loss plan, a plan that will help you lose weight permanently and naturally. I see all the important topics covered such as goal setting, maximizing the metabolic response to burn more calories, strength training, the “missing link” and success element we call social support, and of course, nutrition.

It only seems proper that the end of the book is meant to empower you even more with the power of simplicity, where Tom shows you exactly how to make all of this new information work for you and your lifestyle.

I haven’t finished the book yet, and I’m sure you’ll get my official review once I’m done. But from what I can see now, this book very well could change the face of the weight loss problem we have today. The truth is though, it’s not up to Tom to change the lives of millions through the adoption of healthier habits. It’s up to you.

The BodyFat Solution (hardcover) will ship January 8, 2009. For more information including a special sneak peek inside the book, visit: http://www.thebodyfatsolution.com

Or, pick up your copy by clicking the banner. Hold onto your seat, because the weight loss revolution is coming by storm in January!

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Manager of Burn The Fat Dot Com

P.S. In case you missed the previous blog post, check out this special download… The BodyFat Solution: 21-page Interview Transcripts

Most people spend their time worrying about the impending weight gain with the approaching holidays, rather than planning how to be in better shape after the holidays. If you’re the type who doesn’t take no for an answer and who takes action instead of just thinking about doing something, then listen up – this article was meant for YOU.

Tom Venuto has been a mentor and a friend to me, and I have the pleasure of being able to work with him everyday. Tom has got the whole fitness lifestyle figured out, and while I don’t agree with Tom on everything – I think his information is some of the best available. Tom really woke me up with this Holiday Fitness Challenge, and he challenged me to take action on it myself.

I want to challenge you to do the same. Commit today to be in BETTER shape once the holidays are over. It sounds backwards, I know. It will make sense once you finish the article.

Read this article, write down some goals, and start taking action today to achieve them by January 1st.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and CST Clubbell Athlete

My Holiday Fitness Challenge to You
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com

Media reports say that most people gain between 5 and 10 pounds of body fat in the six weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. According to research from the New England Journal of Medicine, the average amount is much more modest – just over a pound. However, even modest holiday weight gain may be cause for concern: A study by the National Institutes of Health found that this seasonal weight gain – even just a pound – is usually not lost after the holidays; it simply adds to the “weight creep” that sneaks up on us as we get older.

Whether the weight gain is a pound or ten pounds, did you ever ask yourself why does holiday weight gain happen at all?

Here are some common answers I’ve heard:

“I’m too busy over the holidays to work out as often as usual.”

“I’m more stressed over the holidays, and the food is there, so I eat more.”

“I have at least three parties to attend and then there’s Christmas and New Year’s, so it’s impossible to stay on a diet.”

“No one can tell me not to enjoy myself over the holidays, so I’m just going to eat whatever I want.”

These answers all have a few things in common.

First, they assume that it’s an either/or proposition: You can either get in better shape or enjoy yourself, but not both. Stated in reverse: You can either deprive yourself of holiday enjoyments or gain weight, but it has to be one or the other. The truth is, “either/or thinking” is a very limiting form of thought.

Second, these are all excuses or rationalizations. “I’m too busy” for example, is always an excuse, because I have never known someone who was too busy to make time for his or her highest life priorities. The problem then, is not lack of time, but that most people do not make exercise or eating healthy a priority. We all have the same amount of time – 24 hours a day – but the way people prioritize the use of time is the difference between success and mediocrity. And remember, words mean little. Actions reveal a person’s true priorities.

Third, none of these are the real reasons most people gain weight over the holidays to begin with. The real reason is because an intention was never set for the opposite: To get in BETTER shape over the holidays.

Most people set a “goal” to get in worse shape over the holidays!

It’s not consciously set, of course, as few people would intentionally set out to gain fat. They simply do it by default. In their minds, they accept that it must be just about impossible to stay in shape with everything going on over the holiday season, so why bother?

Once the decision has been made, then the rationalizing (“rationing lies”) continues:

“Why should I deprive myself?”
“Family is more important”
“Worrying about diet and exercise during the holidays is neurotic”
“I don’t care if I gain a few pounds, I’m going to enjoy myself anyway”
“It’s only these two or three weeks that I let myself go wild”
“I’ll start the first week in January and lose the weight then.”

As a result of this “negative goal-setting,” they expect to work out less, eat more and gain a few pounds, and they don’t seem to even consider alternatives.

But what would happen if you set an intention and a goal to get in better shape between now and New Years’s Day?

What would happen if you decided that it was not an all or nothing proposition and that you could enjoy the holidays and all it has to offer and get in better shape at the same time?

And what if you decided that your health and your body were the highest priorities in your life, because you realized that can’t enjoy anything else in life, including family or holidays, if you don’t have your health?

Here’s what would happen: You would get in better shape!

I’m not all that different from you just because I’m a bodybuilder and a fitness professional. I have many of the same problems, concerns and struggles as you do. Although today I always get in better shape between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, that’s a result of a conscious choice, a close examination of my old belief systems and a lot of action. For me, it all started about six years ago.

For most of my adult life, I wasn’t much of a traveller and I didn’t enjoy flying or staying in hotels. I had a belief that if I traveled, my workouts and nutrition would suffer. After all, “it would be hard to stick with my usual bodybuilding diet, and I wouldn’t have access to my usual gyms.” Because of these reasons (excuses), I never did much travel back in those days.

Then I was forced to take some trips for business reasons. Predictably enough, my nutrition and workouts suffered while I was spending time in airplanes and in hotels. With my experience having confirmed my beliefs, I re-affirmed to myself, “See, traveling is nothing but a pain. You just can’t stay on a diet and training program when you’re out of town.”

After several more trips, I noticed that something very negative happened: I surrendered. I had resigned myself to “not bother” while I was on the road. I let my expectations create my reality.

But I didn’t let it go on for long. As soon as I became aware of what was happening, I decided that I wouldn’t tolerate it, so I challenged myself and my previous limiting beliefs. I asked myself, “Why the heck not? Why let myself backslide? Why even settle for maintaining? Why not challenge myself to improve while I’m traveling?” The answer:

There was no reason, there were only excuses.

From that day forward, I set a challenge for myself: To come back from every trip or vacation in better shape than when I left. Of course there were exceptions, as when I went on a vacation for total R & R. But I never let travel get in my way again…

I prepared food that I would eat on the planes so airline food was never an excuse…
I only chose hotels that had kitchens, so I could cook my own food…
I went food shopping immediately after check-in…

And I actually found myself training harder than usual!

No matter where I was training – it could even be some “dungeon” of a gym in the middle of nowhere – it didn’t matter because my mind was focused on improving and looking better when I came home than when I left. I had a goal!

What do you think happened? It’s not hard to guess: I always came home in better shape than when I left.

Since then, my “travel challenge” has become somewhat of a ritual in my life. When I’m away from my “home-base” it becomes a “fitness road trip.” I search the Internet or yellow pages or ask locals to help me find the most hard-core gym nearby wherever I will be staying. When I get there, I train every bit as hard as if I had a competition just weeks away. I look forward to it now.

In fact, this experience is what led me to my “holiday fitness challenge.”

Like many people, I travel over the holidays, so I’m automatically in “travel challenge” mode at thanksgiving, Christmastime and New Year’s. But with the additional temptations and busyness that the holidays bring on top of the usual travel stresses, I saw fit to declare a new challenge: “The Holiday Challenge.” The difference was that for my “holiday challenge,” I pledged to not only to return home in better shape than when I left, but to enjoy the holidays to the fullest at the same time.

People who think I “deprive” myself to look the way I do would be shocked: I eat some damn good food over the holidays including Pie at Thanksgiving and my mom’s famous red and green Jell-0 Christmas cake. Then on New Year’s I’m usually toasting champagne and having a blast with friends or family. The difference is, every other meal stays right on schedule and I work out hard and consistently over the holidays; I don’t let everything fall apart just because ‘tis the season.’ In fact, I work out HARDER over the holidays!

The idea that you can either enjoy the holidays or stay in shape – but not both – is damaging and limiting. It hurts your social life, your emotional life and your physical life. Life is not an either or proposition; it’s a matter of balance. Success does not mean going to extremes. Success can be a simple matter of re-examining your beliefs, rearranging your priorities, setting goals, changing the questions you ask yourself, re-evaluating your expectations and acting in accordance with all of the above.

Your expectations will become your reality.

What are you expecting this holiday season? Are you expecting to be in better shape after holiday parties, celebrations, banquets, dinners, and desserts? If not, then why not? What’s preventing you from enjoying all of the above and still getting in better shape? Do you have a limiting belief which dictates that it’s one or the other? Could it be that you never set a goal, intention or expectation to do it? Could it be that you’re rationalizing or making excuses? If so, then I challenge you to change it this year.

I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE IN BETTER SHAPE ON JANUARY 1st THAN YOU ARE TODAY! I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE FITTER, HEALTHIER, LEANER AND MORE MUSCULAR!

There’s less than a month until the end of the year. Why not see how much you can improve your physique over the holidays, without depriving yourself of any holiday enjoyments or festivities? Just step up your expectations. Step up your standards. Step up your nutrition. Step up your training. Step up your action. Step up to the “holiday fitness challenge” the minute you finish reading this, and then just see what happens!

Eat right, train hard, and expect success,

Tom Venuto CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Fat Loss Coach

——————————————————————
BURN THE FAT, FEED THE MUSCLE
The Classic Best-Selling e-book
——————————————————————

Discover the fat burning secrets of fitness models and bodybuilders and be 8-10 lbs LEANER by New Year’s. Visit: www.BurnTheFat.com

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

P.S. Read the official review of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by clicking here.

Tom has been super-busy taking media interviews with many major magazines and news outlets. The BodyFat Solution has been taking the fat loss industry by storm, and women especially have piqued an interest in Tom’s new book.

I’ve included a download link to 21 page transcript where you can learn Tom’s newest insights, techniques and strategies for fat loss success in the new year. You can download it here:

The BodyFat Solution: 21-page Interview Transcripts

Inside Tom’s report, you will learn

• how to end emotional eating and stop diet self sabotage once and for all
• Tom said that “BodyFat is not a problem, it’s a…”
• why people are confused when trying to think positively
• how to maximize goal setting with a “vision” that provides purpose and motivates you for life
• how to reprogram your mind to crave healthy foods unconsciously
• how ridiculous it is to listen to TV weight loss show winners for fat loss advice
• strategies to keep the weight off for good

You’re going to see and hear about Tom and The Body Fat Solution Book in the major media everywhere in 2009, and you will see the book on the shelves of every major bookstore in America….

Luckily, I have one of the first inside looks into Tom’s secrets for permanent and natural fat loss inside this PDF transcript.

My friend and training partner, Kyle Battis, just got a sneak preview for you from the first full-length interview Tom has ever given about his New Book! This 21-page transcript is from a teleseminar interview between Kyle and Tom.

The MP3 audio was already made available for the Burn The Fat: Inner Circle members (Inner Circle members get the first dibs on everything from Tom).

I can guarantee that when you read this report from Tom, his new insights on the reasons people are still failing with fat loss and why 90% of losers are regaining the weight, will give you some of the most enlightening “A-HA’s” of your life.

You can download the transcript, “An Introduction To The Body Fat Solution” from the link below, and get Tom’s latest advice that will help you reach your fitness goals in 2009. Knowing Tom, I understand that he doesn’t consider his work done unless he teaches you how to maintain your results for life.

The BodyFat Solution: 21-page Interview Transcripts

If you know anyone else that may be interested in reading this fat loss report, please send them the download link as well.

To your health and success,

Stumble It!

P.S. Happy thanksgiving! Take a moment and reflect on what you are thankful for, and then give thanks for it.

P.P.S. I’m not making any money off of promoting the BodyFat Solution.  Tom is a friend of mine, and I know that his work stands above and beyond anything else in the fat loss industry.  Tom has worked hard on this book, and he deserves to have it read by millions, which is why I’m sharing it with you.