The Fat Loss Troubleshooter

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED!!!

2008-01-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

I know I know, I hate change too. I hate moving, I hate updating links, favorite lists, etc. But I assure you the pay off will be worth it. I got so much coming up for you that your head is going to spin BUT the only way you are going to know about it is if you are paying attention to my blog and mailing list.

So from now on the new blog and even more information will be found at
http://www.avidityfitness.net

Oh and don't forget to take a look at the new releases of The Fat Loss Troubleshoot and The Metabolic Repair Manual.

Fat Loss Troubleshoot NO LONGER

2008-01-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

At least this version. Today is the last day you can get this version of the troubleshoot.

When will I release the new one...soon enough and believe me this is going to be worth the wait.

So you have 12 hours and then POOF, it is gone forever!

GET IT HERE NOW!

Keen Fitness Sense-Interview with Julie Keen

2008-01-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

How cool is it to be a fitness professional and have a last name like Keen? You are destined for greatness by this very fact alone. But just as Peter Parker is told "with great power comes great responsibility” same goes with a great name and Julie Keen has more than lived up to it.

Leigh Peele-Julie, can you tell us a little about yourself, give our readers a little background into what you do, love, and what field you are in?

Julie Keen-Well, when I was a teenager I had a few pretty severe athletic injuries that piqued my interest in sports medicine. I went off to the University of Connecticut majoring in athletic training. Near the end of my four years, I realized that what I really wanted to do was physical therapy. So I graduated, moved to Boston for two wild years while I finished my prerequisites, and came home to attend UConn again for PT.

For the past 12 years I have worked in many therapy settings (hospital, rehab, home care, and outpatient) but most of my time has been spent in outpatient orthopedics where the majority of my caseload has been persons with lower back pain. I was fortunate at one time to work for an organization who paid for a lot of continuing education, so I was able to take many cutting-edge manual courses: Geoffrey Maitland's mobilization, Brian Mulligan's mobilization with movement, David Butler's neurodynamics, Philip Greenman's muscle energy, balance training, Shirley Sahrmann's lumbar stabilization, Jenny McConnell's taping techniques for the knee and shoulder, etc.

I have always had an interest in exercise and weight lifting (since I found the weight room as a high school athlete), but after working for a few years in PT, I realized that many PTs don't have a great knowledge base in exercise, beyond what to do in the acute and sub-acute stages. Probably because most PTs don't get to see their client's beyond the sub-acute stage! So I made it my mission to learn as much as I could about exercise and fitness. This led me in the past year to get my NSCA-CPT certification.

A few years ago I married a wonderful man and we started a family. I am fortunate enough to be able to stay home with my girls. I do some training in the evenings and weekends, and work one weekend per month as a per diem physical therapist. I also write articles, and have some online clients.

As for what I love? My family. My kids, husband, and parents are my life! My passions? Food. Eating food. Cooking food. Talking about food. Reading about food. Seriously!! I like to stay active ... I waterski, bike, showshoe, xc-ski, hike ... pretty much anything outdoors. And if we are somewhere and there is a pick-up game of anything going on, I'm in there tussling with the boys! Football, basketball, softball, volleyball, I love it all!

Leigh Peele-Let me guess Julie, you like food?

Those courses you took sound fantastic. Of those or any of recent that you have been too what is the most exciting and surprising thing you have learned? You know the kind of knowledge that you want to slap yourself in the head for missing out on before and makes you want to shout at the fitness world to let more know.

Julie Keen-I would have to say that Gary Gray's Chain Reaction course was the best I've been to. It was one of those completely paradigm-shifting experiences! As I said before, many therapists are focused on isolated exercises to fix one part of a dysfunctional chain. So my education, and my early experience with weight training in the heydays of the muscle magazines and isolation exercises/body part splits left me squarely inside the proverbial box.

Gary taught me to think outside that box and to figure out how to get the muscles working again from a functional standpoint. (For example, in functional life, the quad rarely extends the knee, especially in isolation, it more typically decelerates knee flexion.) So, I'm big on functional movements. I rarely prescribe isolated movements now unless there is a real isolated weakness that prevents improvement solely with the functional movement.

That said, I think many trainers who purport to be "functional" miss one of Gary's big basic tenents. Have a reason, a purpose, for everything you are doing with a client. So having some overweight housewife (whose main goal is to lose fat) stand on one foot on a Bosu ball and do bicep curls ... my question is WHY? What purpose is that going to serve in a fat loss program? I could maybe see it in an ankle rehab program, but not in a fat loss program. It just doesn't follow common sense.

Leigh Peele-Ha but Julie, It is cutting edge balance super inner core work that really hits those "upper abs"!

I couldn't agree more with you on any of those statement you listed.
You mentioned that you do training in person and in online conditions. Do you focus more on rehab/chain work? What is your average client like?

Julie Keen-I would say that most of my online clients have pretty significant rehab needs. Most are folks who have had either major surgery at some point, or a major injury at some point. I also have many who have avoided major injury or surgery, but are a biomechanical mess. They have come to me because I am a physical therapist in addition to being a trainer, so they want that rehab aspect. Most of those clients have goals of improved health and mobility leading to improved fitness. I also have a small number of online fat loss clients.

My in-person clients are all fat loss, but they also have significant rehab needs. Many have had joint replacement or back surgery. The majority are significantly obese. Even in those fat loss clients, my programs are heavy on warm-up drills, emphasizing mobility and activation.

It's funny because I did not set out to be a fat-loss trainer, but the obese clients have a whole host of physical ailments that go along with their obesity and can really limit their ability to effectively exercise. My goal for them is to be able to exercise successfully and painfree so that they feel good doing it and stick with it. I teach them that if they focus on health first, the changes in the mirror will follow. In turn, they chose me as their trainer, because I am also a physical therapist and that makes it feel more safe for them. I think they also like the fact that I do not work out of a gym, but rather come to their house. It is much less intimidating for someone new to exercise, especially if he/she is obese.
Leigh Peele-I know the gym atmosphere can be really intimidating, especially for those who are starting out. What are some of the common problems you see with obese clients? Can you point out some mobility issues that obese clients might have to deal with more than non-obese clients?

Julie Keen-Well, I don't really like to make generalized statements based upon someone's body weight, but my obese in-person clients have many mobility restrictions because they have all had some sort of orthopedic surgery. The obese people I have treated in the physical therapy clinic don't necessarily have more mobility restrictions than the average person, but that might be since I'm comparing among physical therapy clients.

Common mobility restrictions that I have noticed in general include:
(Please note that these are gross generalizations, obviously every one is an individual!)
*Protracted scapulae with upper extremity internal rotation (in relaxed standing the palms will face backwards)
*Forward head
*Poor lumbar stability and motor control
*Weak glutes with a tendency to compensate using lower back muscles
*Limited hip mobility
*Short hip flexors (may or may not be weak)
*Long and weak hamstrings
*Poor body awareness - I think that obese people in general have had such shame around their bodies that they are used to tuning them out. Consequently, they have a lower awareness of where they are in space.

One of the real issues I see with out of shape obese clients is that they are very weak even with body weight exercises. So to have someone up and down on/off the floor in a workout can be a workout in and of itself! But that can be true with an out of shape thin client too I suppose.

Another is that sometimes an obese person will get soft tissue approximation during some stretching exercises before a stretch is felt. For example, in heel sitting, many people will feel quad stretch. But if someone is obese, and tries to heel sit, their calves and hamstrings might come into contact before the muscle is put on stretch.

But I really don't like to make generalizations; I evaluate each person as an individual with no preconceived ideas about what he/she might have as a restriction or limitation!

Leigh Peele-That is a great rule to follow Julie. While I know we have been discussing some more physical aspects I was curious what roles nutrition plays in your programs with clients be it recommendations or more specific guidelines?

Julie Keen-Well, in general I believe that people should eat balanced. Balanced protein, carbs, veggies, and fats. I think that each food group plays a vital role in homeostasis, from hormone balance to digestive health to immune function and more. Completely eliminating any one food group can lead to significant imbalances.

That said, each person's body is different, and each person will need differing levels of each macronutrient depending upon his/her individual constitution. So with my clients we start with a baseline diet, and adjust as progress dictates. Progress being fat loss or cravings or energy levels or whatever.

I emphasize health above appearance with all my clients, so if someone has a lot of dietary changes to make, we make them over time with small, manageable steps, again adjusting as the client progresses. In general, I have people eat 5-6 meals per day, with a portion of protein, a portion of real carbs (unprocessed) and a lot of fibrous veggies, topped with some healthy fats at each "meal".

Most of my client's don't obsessively track calories, but rather portions, or sometimes grams of certain macros. When someone has more than 50 pounds to lose, I just don't think it's necessary when they aren't even doing the basics. Once someone gets the basics down, then we move more toward tightening things up, especially if we need to jumpstart progress.

Nutrition is huge ... it is the fuel that feeds your body. If you want to have a healthy body, you can't be feeding it crap!! I spend a lot of time on nutrition with my clients. Each one keeps a log and we review it at least once a week, when we problem solve regarding energy levels and cravings, substitutions for less healthy options, eating out etc. Cooking is a major hobby of mine, so we talk about cooking and recipes and shopping for healthy options.

Leigh Peele-Julie this is fantastic stuff, real common sense approach and I could pick at you all day but I will leave this to be my last intrusion.

I am starting a new section that I am adding on to the end of my interviews titled "The Pro and the Case Client". I give you the case and you give me what you would do in a training aspect to help them with their problem.

Case Client #001-Posture Gadget Addict

Client #001 has a problem with upper postural distortions that lead to a forward head posture and the dreaded hunchback. Frantic to fix this problem #001 has gone out and gathered pillows, braces, the posture pal and some sort of restraint made fit for medieval times. Overwhelmed by their new toys and plagued with an internet full of advice #001 has come to you for help. He asks you " Is there a gadget safe to use to help his particular posture problem and what should he really be doing to fix it?"

Julie Keen-Well, as is typical, it depends! In general I am not big on gadgets unless he has an abundance of money!

Assuming that #001 has a desk job, then I would advocate four things. First, either an ergonomic chair, or at a minimum a lumbar cushion. When someone sits all day, and gravity exerts the constant pull toward the ground, most people end up losing that ideal posture. Even those with the best of intentions end up looking like a teenager in front of the TV after time. A good lumbar support (either built into a good ergonomic chair, or a lumbar cushion) can help foster good posture throughout the day. Second, a sticky note on his computer monitor reminding him to correct his posture every 10 minutes, and third a timer to get him up out of his chair doing easy postural exercises every 20-30 minutes (things like stick-ups, standing backward bends, and upper cervical nodding).

Fourth is for when he is not at work ... the ever-loved foam roller. He needs to work on mobilizing his thoracic spine to reduce kyphosis and improve extension and rotation. His workouts should include a healthy warm-up with lots of thoracic mobilization, pectoral stretching, and postural activation exercises.

I would avoid exercises that promote trunk flexion like crunches. I would also avoid things like Good Mornings and even Romanian Deadlifts until proper posture comes more easily. Proper posture must be emphasized in all training activities or he will just be promoting the poor posture.

I would also recommend that he limit recreation activities that promote poor posture like video games (unless it is the Wii), TV-watching, and sometimes even long-distance road biking.

Kyphosis (that dreaded hunchback) is correctable with concerted effort and the lack of underlying structural defect (like Scheuermann's Disease) ... it just takes time to improve mobility of the joints, strengthen the structures that are weakened, and stretch those that are tight. Sometimes extended time. You can't correct a 40-year old guy's issue, which he has likely had for at least 25 years, in 2 weeks. It is a continual effort.

Sometimes persons with postural deficiencies also need hands-on physical therapy. If the joints are really stiff, they might need manual mobilization by a qualified therapist. Also some people just have poor body awareness (commonly referred to as "motor morons" - not very politically correct, but pretty accurate!) and need verbal, visual, and tactile cueing with frequent monitoring to correct long-standing habitual postures.
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You can find more out about Julie Keen and her work by going to http://www.keenfitness.com or contacting her directly at KeenFitness@comcast.net.

Alan Aragon-The Scientist of Fitness Pt. 2

2008-01-02T07:37:00.000-08:00

We last left off with some of the best information we have gotten of late on common sense and its approach to your fitness and nutrition program. Now I am going to let you in on that secret I was talking about.

Leigh Peele-Alan here is what I want to elaborate on and it brings me to an even more important point of what you are releasing as an amazing helpful service for others.

I want to elaborate on the need to ask "Why?".

Recently in some discussions with Coach Hale we were discussing the importance of being a skeptic and how it is a good thing, a positive one, not a negative thing like it's claimed. Really all it entails is just asking why.

Now I am in on the secret that you are taking giving the information as to "why" on a whole new level with the creation of a new service you are offering of amazing and in depth information. Can you share with the readers what this service is and WHY it is important to utilize such a service especially right now?

Alan Aragon-Let me first tell the readers flat-out that I approached you to do this interview because I want to blatantly promote my new "baby" that's been in development for some time now. I got really creative with the title -- Alan Aragon's Research Review. Bear with me on the background before I get into some of the details. This is by far my most ambitious project ever, and it will be exactly that for the rest of my career. What made me put this together? Dissatisfaction with the general state of ignorance, half-understanding, and perpetuation of misinformation in fitness circles. Are people dying off in droves because of this? No, but I see a tremendous amount of confusion resulting in a lot of wasted time, money, and potential. Seeing this on a daily basis is what drove me to create this review and make it available to the fitness pros as well as lay folks who take fitness and
science very seriously.

In the beginning, everything the 'experts' hold to be true in our industry should be based on scientific research, rather than opinion and hearsay. While science is the best tool we have for figuring out the way nature works, the scientific research isn't perfect. Oftentimes it's riddled with shortfalls that render it either useless or tentative at best. So, rather than simply relay the research data, my goal is to take things a step further and dissect its strengths, weaknesses, and applicability in a subscription-based online journal. I'll look at the current, recent, and not-so-recent research on a number of different topics, as well as comment on fitness information in the popular media.

In addition to critically analyzing the literature, I'll periodically
inject my observations in private practice as a degree of cross-checking what's seen in the lab with what's seen in the field. I honestly can't verbalize how excited I am about this project. It gives me the opportunity to be an ongoing facilitator of the acquisition of knowledge –- real knowledge, not Bro-pinion. Those who would rather be spoon-fed simplistic, generalized sound-bites of info will probably hate it. People who see the value of understanding the facts (or lack of) behind the current recommendations and getting to the nitty-gritty of the so-called what we base our beliefs on will instantly love it. Keep in mind that although the sub-topics will evolve and grow as I get readers' feedback, each issue will open with a full-length, fully referenced article examining whatever topic grabs me and compels me to air out its details. Rather than hype it up any further (which is not a talent of mine), I'll provide a sample issue for folks to decide for themselves.

Leigh Peele-Alan, not that you haven't, but I really want to break this down for readers here what this really means. This isn't just some run of the meal monthly subscription program where you get an interview here and a half hearted "new" swiss ball movement. This is the actual science and study behind what we are all doing or should be doing, broken down into laymen detail (for those of you that don't know some of these studies can cost 20-40 bucks easy).

As far as topics are concerned what are we going to see a lot of being discussed, obviously nutrition, but any physiology thrown in there at all? In short, can you give us a little preview of what being a subscriber can bring us knowledge of?

Alan Aragon-Overall, the goal is to provide a unique science & practice-based, multi-topic, commercial-free, in-depth, ongoing resource of information. For now, the format of each issue will be as follows:

Editor's Cut -- A comprehensive review article that will attempt to cover the range of relevant details of the given topic. It will be fully referenced, and will include a summary and application section.

Nutrition & Exercise Research -- Just what the title denotes. Some
research looks at nutrition or exercise individually, and some of it is
combined. Study strengths, limitations, and applications of the research released in the current month will be examined.

Supplementation Research -- Same format as above, but I'll look at all
the wonderful powders, pills, & potions on the market.

Less Recent Gems -- Just because research is more than a month old doesn't make it less important. In fact, a big part of the research review is to re-capture and re-examine the tremendous body of work over the past few decades. It's this collective body of research that shapes our current practices, so this section of the review is just as important as the sections covering the late-breaking stuff.

In The Lay Press -- I'll choose a layperson-directed online or print
article about some aspect of fitness that I find interesting or
provocative, and critically evaluate it.

Future sections will include letters to the editor, debates, invited
reviews, as well as other ideas that are bound to crop up.

Leigh Peele-*Disclosure* I want to just write for those reading that my enthusiasm is not marketing hype, I really am this excited about what Alan is doing and am signing on the moment it's available to the public. Yes, I am that much of a nerd and yeah you should be too. So with that being said...

Alan, this is really an incredible release you are going to be offering. Now I know for myself, even with my gleaming and light blinding brilliance ...

*crickets chirping*...

that a study is no picnic in the park to read sometimes. How easy is this information going to be for the average joe to understand? Can anyone make use of these?

Alan Aragon-I appreciate your enthusiasm about the journal. Yes, studies can be complex and confusing for the uninitiated. Also, not everyone's learning style clicks with the format of scientific studies. This is especially the case with primary research, so my objective is to make the primary research digestible. Also, I believe that anything is learnable, it just requires having a genuine interest in the subject.

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Now I have just received my issue of AARR and guess what you can get a free sample yourself but don’t think I am giving you the link yet without my final words.

You will be able to see for yourself the quality of Alan’s work here, which is without contest. He also put together something that is far beyond it’s worth. I want to answer a question that didn’t get asked myself.

Why does someone need this?

If you are a fitness professional you better not think twice. This is a way to get up to date and back catalog information on the actual science and fact of what your job is. If you are going to take networking and podcasting so seriously, you better start taking the science of what you do seriously as well.

If you are a fitness enthusiast, it's time to end hero worship. It’s time to understand that it doesn’t take a degree or a certification to have this knowledge. This may be a bit of a scary journey at first, this stuff isn’t the new Harry Potter release, but reading this information wont just open your eyes to if you need a PWO shake or not. It will open your eyes to all the methods of research for our society. Don’t be afraid to investigate what you are given.

Okay, now you can have the link. I better hear from Alan sales are through the roof. For what it is worth there is no affiliate for this, and I am just another customer, I just got a receipt for purchase to prove it.

http://alanaragon.com/researchreview

My New Years Gift

2008-01-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

My phone has rang off the hook today. Even with crap email there has been tons of messages. I should be happy right? Trainers dream. The new year for a trainer is like a retail store on Black Friday. Well I have a free gift for someone out there and I am curious about who is going to take it. I am only going to mention this once and only here.

I want to see who of you still has the drive a month from now. After all the hype of new years resolution is over. After most have given up and fallen by the wayside. The first two people to send me an email at midnight of Jan.31st (technically Feb. 1st) eastern time will get a free training program, phone consultation, and nutrition program.

Happy New Year.

Edit-Eastern Time (North Carolina) is the time zone.

To All Readers

2008-01-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

I recently sent out this email below...

If you are receiving this email it is because in the last 72 hours I have tried to send you an email and it either came back to me (after a long time) or I haven't received a response to my email sent. So unless I stepped into some virtual dog poo that I am unaware of I think there is a problem with email service. So if you get this please write back if you have received messages from me or not. If haven't or unsure just write back "resend" and I will resend everything I have written.

Thanks for your time and sorry if I am just filling your inbox with crap;)

Leigh Peele
http://leighpeele.blogspot.com
http://fatlosstroubleshoot.com

--

It turns out the problem is worse than I thought and I have not been receiving or sending most emails for sometime. I am very sorry for this and am in the process of switching to a new company as I type. Please if you get a failure notice keep trying, I will have new service up and running within the next few days. You can also leave anything in comments here or through Private Message on JPFitness.com

Again sorry for any problems.

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UPDATE- HOLY CRAP I HAD NO IDEA HALF OF YOU HAD CONTACTED ME. PLEASE FORGIVE THE DELAY. I WILL GET TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU.

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Final Update-For the time being the problem seems to be fixed. According to the hosting company I had a "blocked que" in my email system. As for how the newsletter got sent out if I am "having a problem", my newsletters work through a different provider. Meaning my web email and newsletter are two different things. You will never get put on my newsletter list just because you email me, I hate that. So those of you who were rude, think twice before you speak. The problem was with my client/general email service and that is an important issue and I thought getting the word out was needed. That is all, there will be a new service company, I am not going to change it over until late evening. There might be a small window of delay so if I don't respond to a message it is only because I didn't get it.

A Mama and PB2

2007-12-30T15:11:00.000-08:00

First off in case any of you didn't know PB2 is now in some stores across the country. Now I live in NC and I don't know what the hell a Hy-Vee is but apparently they now carry PB2. For those of you in the other like 46 states or outside the US you can order it off their website.

For those that don't know PB2 is a powdered peanut butter. It mixes with water and gives you a wicked amount of peanut butter for a smaller amount of calories. I have about 10 PB2 recipes and uses for this stuff. Now this isn't about lower fat, this is just about people who are in a deficit that are obsessed with peanut butter and can't eat as much of it as they want to. I am obsessed with peanut butter so this is awesome to me I buy in massive amounts.

I had sent some to a client of mine and got them on the PB2 train. I recently got a email from them discussing trying to get their mama to try it and the sheer battle that took place to get their mama to do so. They put a line in their email that I feel is pretty simple but brilliant.

"So, I lectured her on how she needs to stop resisting things and be more open minded or she would never lose weight, because ultimately she will just stick with what she knows and that is garbage foods! Then she said well when you were younger I had a hard time getting you to eat things, and I said amazing how the tables have turned."

So much common sense and beauty is in that statement. The major point is though that change takes change and if you want to change your body, you are going to have to change your lifestyle.

If you want some of that peanut butter do me a favor and become a peanut pal! When you are asked what brilliant person referred you to PB2 mention me by email...info @ avidityfitness.net

http://www.bellplantation.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=54

What is that you say, a calorie isn't just a calorie...

2007-12-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

A recent study in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism shows some interesting information on the aspect of free radical production in the body in both normal and obese subjects.

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/92/11/4476?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=Dandona&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

I think my favorite aspect of this study is when subjects took in high fiber and high fruit compared to high-fat, high carb fast food, they showed no oxidative stresses, period.

So this is definitive proof that not just how much you eat matters, what you eat matters as well. Now you might be saying, eh I will still lose fat right, calories are calories. Well oxidative and inflammatory stress makes the metabolism of nutrients worse, increase the putty building around your heart easier and raises cardiovasular stress, and since everything is a connect the dots system, it is safe to say that this doesn't seem to be a optimal fat loss style program to me.

Southern Comfort: Interview With Coach Jamie Hale

2007-12-29T12:40:00.000-08:00

When I first spoke with Jamie Hale I was instantly at ease. It could have been his welcoming nature or perhaps it was that darn southern accent that made me feel right at home. Regardless I was excited to have some swapping of words on various subjects. We talked about perspective, skeptism, and the importance of solid research. That conversation left me wanting more, so what follows is just that.

Leigh Peele-Today I got hit in the face with the ridiculous guidelines that are being given by the new Physic Clinic by T-nation "no tomatoes and better be scared of the 2 carbs in a piece of sugar free gum". Why do you think it has gotten to this point Coach Hale? And what is the best way to tell someone who has been lead down this road of being obsessed over the carbs in a tomato that are trying to get back on a sane eating path?

Jamie Hale-People do not like to think for themselves. If they actually thought for themselves the majority of fitness and nutrition gurus would be out of business. Many people have been taught what to think but not how to think.

I would hope the best way to cure this problem would be to show them evidence that indicates facts. But it does not seem to be that simple. We still have to keep striving to produce fact based information and destroy the dogmatism.

Leigh Peele-Agreed. When it comes to fact based information the majority of fitness professionals don't even realize what that is. It’s just picking a cert, take a course, read a book, oh and get that CPR course done. Let's say there is a professional out there that just didn't know any better, that like most didn't really think there was anything to challenge. Where would you suggest them to start to help improve their knowledge and outlooks?

Jamie Hale-I would suggest they contact other professionals they admire in the field. This can be a double-edged sword if you begin to rely on their suggestions too much (appeal to authority) without seeing the evidence. Only after checking the statements of the authority numerous times should you begin to consider their word as fact without actually seeing the evidence (still questionable).

I would advise beginning trainers and coaches to look into the Primary Research Data and listen to sources that are able to provide evidence and logic for their explanations. With that being said, it is a myth that we can be skeptical all the time as this simply would require too much time. If trainers would learn the basics of logic and rhetoric they would save themselves much time and money.

Another issue to consider when in attempt to gain knowledge is why do you seek knowledge? If you seek knowledge to make yourself a better personal trainer or if you are interested in becoming a better science writer, the knowledge required is significantly different. The everyday approach to knowledge acquisition is quite different than the scientific approach. This is just as a quasi-experiment is different than a true experiment. One of the key aspects to being a successful personal trainer is to possess good communication and motivational skills.

Leigh Peele-Very true what you say, it’s all about the want feeding the need and going with your desires. What drives you most Coach? What about this field and your place in it get you out of that bed every morning?

Jamie Hale-At the moment I am really excited about a new cd I received from Dan Moore containing 200 full studies. Actually some of the data are reviews, minibooks etc.. I get up each morning and look at my forums (MaxCondition, Practical Scientist, Knowledge and Nonsense) and answer my e-mails. I also look through information I collected on the previous day (highlighted section). I spent the majority of my day investigating, and discussing Primary Research Data. Currently I am also spending a great deal of time looking at different types of logic. I am also working on some information that will help people in the fitness industry learn how to construct valid arguments and identify logical fallacies.

Below I have included the basic system I use for learning. Let's assume that you have already decided the data has proven valid. Discussing the sources of the information and whether they are valid or not is a different discussion. Let's stick to discussing what strategies are used to retain and understand the correct data you are investigating.

My general Learning method:

-Read the information and highlight key points.
-Look at references provided in the paper
-Look up the definitions of any words that I am unsure of their meanings (abbreviated notes on the paper concerning definitions, discussing with colleagues)
-2nd reading involves reviewing and analyzing highlighted points and definitions
-3rd reading, before the third reading I put the info away for 2-3 days and review highlights again
-At this point I have formed a mental picture (similar to concept map) and I review the concepts randomly through out the day
-If I am having problems understanding the concepts or quickly recalling what I have learned I will read again and look further into more studies regarding similar or the same subject matter.
-Once I feel like my comprehension of the material is adequate I began writing on the topic if I am really interested (I have learned a great deal through writing)

Once every few months I pick some material at random that I have collected and read the highlights and highlighted references again. If I have a hard time recalling the information presented in the paper the process begins again. Sometimes I will read the entire paper again, but most of the time I start with the strategy I mentioned involving the 2nd reading.
I think in order to fully understand and be able to apply the newly attained information to various situations it is important to have visual cues. I like concept maps written on paper as well as concept maps I form in my mind. For me Rote style of learning does not really enhance long term memory or apply to new-problem solving situations.

My biggest drive comes from the passion to further enhance my knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Leigh Peele-Talk about a map for learning! I have to say I might even start to use that approach in my research, I somewhat lack that organized manner and it can leave me jumping from analyzing joint inflammation issues to the effects of casein post workout. I sit back and go…how the hell did I get here?

Of all that you wrote there is one thing that really jumped out at me when you stated "you learned a great deal from writing". I have to agree 100% it is one of the reasons I love writing because the research I put in always leads me to new knowledge. Since you recently released the book "Knowledge and Nonsense" I can assume a lot of new finds came out of that. Can you give a run down of what the book is about?

Jamie Hale-There was a great deal of things I discovered when writing Knowledge and Nonsense. I looked into subjects that I had not really considered investigating before. It also took a while to write the introduction to the book (advise from Alan Aragon). The introduction to the book gives readers my suggestions on navigating the book. It's not everyday you purchase a Fitness book that is almost 500 pages long. The instructions in the introduction make the book relatively easy to navigate. The table of contents and index also make the book user friendly. This book provides something for everyone. To demonstrate the wide diversity of the book consider the two indexes: Biochemistry and Genetics and Vertical Jump Enhancement. After reading this book you will be armed with the proper artillery to argue with anyone about Exercise and Nutrition. Below is an abbreviated table of contents (table of contents in the book much larger).

Ch 1- Basic Nutrition
Ch 2- Popular Diets: the science (approximately 43 diets reviewed)
Ch 3- Bodybuilder Nutrition Roundtable (features 8 nutrition advisors)
Ch 4- Hormones
Ch 5- Nutrition: Fact or Fiction
Ch 6- Muscular Bioenergetic Pathways & Muscle Fiber Types
Ch 7- Kinesiology and Biomechanics
Ch 8- Training for Skeletal Muscle Growth
Ch 9- Exercise: Fact or Fiction

This book destroys much of the popular bodybuilding and fitness dogma. In the chapters that discuss Exercise and Nutrition: Fact or Fiction, 114 topics are discussed.

Leigh Peele-Not only no nonsense book but jesus a book chalk full of page after page of no nonsense. You certainly aren’t lacking volume of material.

Jamie, a lot of my readers teeter on that edge of really going after the science of things. These aren’t just the weekend warriors either; these are some fitness professionals as well. What can you tell someone on that edge of the truth and great knowledge to get him or her to dive in? How can understanding WHY you do something make you better at it in your mind when it comes to training?

Jamie Hale-It's fun to discover the truth. It's fun to be able to shoot down the Type 2 SS (supplement salesman) or the gym guru who tells everyone in the gym what to do. With a basic knowledge of the Primary Research Data this is possible. With a basic understanding of logic (science of reasoning, thinking, proof or inference) you will be able to see through the rhetoric often used by the fitness industry.

I don't think that understanding a particular exercise will necessarily make you better at it. But it will probably help with the overall training regimen. If you understand the mechanics and different modes of training you can tailor the movements (and the placement of movements in the workout) to meet your specific needs. Although I don't think most trainees are really interested in why they do things they just want someone to tell them what to do. On the other end some athletes may be too analytical and this can be detrimental. I think this was one of my biggest problems as an athlete. I was speaking with one of my old baseball coaches a few days ago and he told me I was the fastest person on the bases he had seen, but I was uncoachable. My Boxing and Olympic Weightlifting coaches told me the same thing.

Leigh Peele-It would seem Jamie that you are just too smart for your own good then. I am sure this is a phrase you will hear often in your life.

I am starting a new section that I am adding on to the end of my interviews titled "The Pro and the Case Client". I give you the case and you give me what you would do in a training aspect to help them with their problem.

Case Client #002-"Training A.D.D Guy"

Client #002 has a problem with making advances in his training because each week he reads some new technique, method, or program that he just must try. He also gets highly bored with training routines in general and is a classic case gym floater. Because of all this sketchy training he has really no true ability in strength or core function and should really no go beyond the basis of bodyweight movement. He also has a desire to do various show moves like pistols and one arm push ups. How would you guide Client #002? What would you say to him to get him on track and to keep him on a program and how much of a problem is A.D.D training? Is it a problem at all?

Jamie Hale-I would ask the client for his/her preference of movements. I would suggest the client follow a training regimen that emphasizes various motor qualities and targets the particular qualities they are most concerned with. If the client really loves variety and becomes bored easily I would suggest we stick to some core movements for a specified period, but change the accessory movements often. This allows some consistency while at the same time allowing variety to deal with the boredom factor. With most of my training programs there is a fair amount of variety but yet enough consistency that we can track specific increases in strength and total work (per movement). I don't think it is unusual to run into a client who is always looking for change. I must admit I have fallen victim to this myself lately.

Leigh Peele-Excellent coach, I think we have all fallen victim of this but making sure to track change and progress is obviously the key to actual progress. I can't thank you enough for the time you have taken and in my mind this is just a part 1. With your book being so filled with information I can assure you there will be a part 2 coming up.

---

To Purchase Knowledge and Nonsense go click to add to cart below. I assure you this is almost as primo as it gets for information you really need to know.
To find out more about Coach Hale check out his site here at http://www.maxcondition.com

Alan Aragon-The Scientist of Fitness Pt. 1

2007-12-26T22:08:00.001-08:00

There are not many people who when they talk I feel what they say goes without question. When it comes to information and validity though it doesn’t get much better than Alan Aragon. You can bet that when he speaks, it's truthful. Funny enough he of all people will tell you not to believe anything just because and to always ask why, what, who and how come.

Leigh Peele-Alright Alan, on the off chance someone reading doesn't know who you are, give us a brief rundown, a bio to Alan Aragon.

Alan Aragon-I'm a student of science as it relates to improving the body, both functionally and aesthetically. I'm a contributing editor to Men's Health, and I also do a monthly column in their mag called Ask The Weight Loss Coach. On a day-to-day basis, I'm a private practice nutritional counselor. When I'm not in the office counseling and writing, I'm giving continuing education lectures to registered dietitians, personal trainers, and strength/conditioning coaches. I also do ongoing corporate wellness presentations for Tesco. A recent gig I picked up was becoming the exclusive nutrition consultant of the Southern California Soccer Academy. Somewhere among all that, I find slivers of time to raise my 2 boys and harass my wife.

Leigh Peele-That is quite a bio and a modest one at that because I am aware of far more that you have done and achieved. Perhaps one of my favorite achievements of yours is the publication of your book */Girth Control: The Science of Fat Loss & Muscle Gain/*. Can you give us a little run down on what this book is about and who it is for?

Alan Aragon-Girth Control... The name makes me chuckle because I've been repeatedly ribbed by friends who tell me it sounds like a manual for male sexual enhancement. Well, being not too far removed from that, the superficial goal for book is about learning how to achieve a better physique on a permanent basis. The deeper goal is to teach people the skill of taking the constantly evolving barrage of fitness information and either rejecting or applying it through the skill of scientifically critical thought. Put more simply, the book is just as much a guide on how to fish as it is a fish in and of itself. As far as intended audience goes, I've rarely heard complaints from the online fitness community that it's either too incomprehensible, or conversely, too simplistic. Fitness professionals, and research-hungry layfolk will enjoy the book. I actually didn't have a target audience in mind when I wrote the book, I just pretty much wrote about what I personally am interested in, which is nutrition, training, supplementation, and the science that pulls it all together.

Leigh Peele-I don't know Alan, depends on your point of view because I think reading Girth Control for most would help with male sexual enhancement or at very least their dating pool.

You mentioned what I feel is one of the most important aspects of fitness education or any education for that matter, the process of elimination and weeding out the good from the bad. What sets off your B.S meter?

Alan Aragon-Great physiques set of my BS meter! I make that generalization partially in jest, because of course there are exceptions. However, the overwhelming majority of folks with cover model physiques seem to give the absolute worst advice. For example, "This works for me, therefore, this is the best way, and you should do it too". Another one is the automatic recommendation to supplement the diet with stuff that's already abundant in the diet. A prime example of this is BCAA. Will it hurt? Of course not.

Will it work better than the BCAA within food? This hasn't been systematically measured, let alone proven. Are there examples of higher leucine content being less effective than lower leucine content in research? Yes. Will those supping BCAA experience benefits due to placebo? Definitely. Until research proves me wrong on this, it's saving my clients (and myself) some sushi money. Another thing that sets off my sensors is when someone classifies a food or food product as extremely bad for the body and to be avoided at all costs. The whole "clean eating" thing really bugs me. People almost make a religion out of avoiding long lists of foods, ultimately to their detriment, and that of those in their immediate surroundings. It's comical. Most people who are devoted to "clean" eating can't logically define what "clean" means within the context of fitness and/or health. Then you have the more-is-better camp who believes that if a little fish oil is good for you, enough to deep-fry a turkey is even better.

Another thing that really sets off the BS meter is the idea that you MUST take this exotic berry juice (insert whatever MLM product you want), and without it, your health and longevity will suffer. I realize that's not the explicit message given by the sales reps, but it's certainly implicit in their sales pitch. And that's bullshit.

Leigh Peele-This is why I like you Alan, you get right to it. Still there has to be a FEW secrets out there to gaining a successful body comp, even if that secret happens to be common sense. Care to give us 3 things that anyone training to improve their body composition should be doing, the absolute “Alan must haves” of any program.

Alan Aragon-

1) Keep your eyes on YOU. It's fine to get inspired by others' physiques, but you have to set your own personal standards. People tend to fixate on their weaknesses, while at the same time obsess over the strengths of others. That's a surefire way to stay eternally frustrated. It's a healthier approach to acknowledge your own strengths, and use them as benchmarks by which to bring up your weaknesses. Learn to give yourself a pat on the back for the improvements you make. Keep your eyes on YOU, don't let the achievements of others dictate your obsessions.

2) Question fitness advice given to you by others. "why" is one of the most powerful words you can put in your vocabulary. Investigating the reasoning behind the advice will often reveal that the answer is "just because", rendering the advice anywhere from helpful, to dangerous, to just a plain waste of time and resources. I encourage my clients, students, and colleagues to question everyone's advice, including mine. I firmly believe that the better you can sharpen your thinking, the better you can continue to sharpen your physique.

3) Minimize the number of variables you alter en route to the goal. This helps control the experiment, so to speak. For example, even though my focus is nutrition, I still encourage people to leave their diet alone if they're happy with it, and alter their exercise program first. Then they can see how far they can get on that change alone. For all they know, that one change could have been all that was necessary, and hallelujah, there was no need to screw with the diet. Once you reach a progress plateau, then you can re-examine your options. This example goes both ways. If someone loves their training program, keep it in place but alter the diet as minimally as possible for progress to occur. Of course, there are folks who have not a clue what they're doing (or they've been haphazard and inconsistent), and need to start from scratch by laying out a plan that covers everything. Even in that case, the idea is to minimize the number of program alterations, and keep things simple.

Alright guys I am going to let you in on something about Alan here, I got the low down on a new program Alan is releasing. I can’t tell you what just yet. I can tell you…

-No one out there is offering this
-It could help improve your knowledge and performance like you wouldn’t believe
-It’s doesn’t cost you tons of money
-You are going to find out in the 2nd part of this interview what it’s all about.

In the meantime you can find out more about Alan here

Twas the day after Christmas....

2007-12-26T09:20:00.000-08:00

Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house,
no people were stirring, no kids, no spouse.

The stockings were down on the ground with flare,
Empty of all the chocolate that once had laid there.

The children were passed out on the couches all fed,
while visions of High Fructose Corn Syrup danced in their heads.

And mama in her kerchief and I in my cap,
were forced to settle down from a sugar coma nap.

When over in the kitchen there arose such a clatter,
I rolled my full belly over to see what's the matter.

When what to my glazed over eyes should appear,
a tray full of food and a six pack of cold beer.

Like a little old driver, too slow and a little thick,
I knew at that moment I might make myself sick.

More rapid than eagles third coursers they came,
My tummy whistled and shouted and crumbled to be tamed.

Their eyes how they twinkled, it could have been all that sherry,
Their cheeks were like roses, oh wait that was all the cherries.

The droll on their mouth was falling on my toes,
And their was this beard on their chin, that's not where the food should go.

They had a puffy face and a round belly,
That shook when they laughed like a bowl full of jelly.

They were chubby and plump, a right full ole elf,
And I laugh when I say them and then I thought of myself.

With a wink of an eye and a turn of the head,
I saw my future and was filled with dread.

They spoke not a word, but went straight to work,
Shoveling down all the food with a fork.

Then they slowly waddled from their chair and gave a little whistle,
well it was more like the sound of a falling cruise missile.

I heard them exclaim right before they stumbled out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all and to all a good fright"

-Expert of The Day After Christmas
Leigh Peele

----

This message was brought you by the foundation of a hope for a better food tossing out. We urge you to make Christmas last just one day, and to take the next day to toss out all things and make leftovers a vision of the past, except for turkey, that can stay. Thank you.

Introduction: Coach Jamie Hale

2007-12-19T08:34:00.001-08:00

I know this blog gets a nice mixed reading group so there may be some of you that aren't aware of this man, but you will be now.

I recently have had the pleasure of on going conversation with the Coach and I can say without pause that it has been highly enjoyable and if time allowed he is very well one of those people I would love to just sit around and think with. If you take a look at his site you will figure out what I mean.

Oh did you need a reason too go there?
What about a interview...with me?
Yeah click here you!

PS-His is coming as well.
PSS-Do yourself a favor and grab his new book while you are there, it's greatness but we will talk about that more later.

Oh and one more thing, recently sent to me by the Coach.

Learning
“1) Human beings have a natural potentiality for learning.
2) Significant learning takes place when the subject matter is perceived by the student as having relevance for his own purposes.” Passion for the subject is required to comprehend the concepts.
“3) Learning which involves a change in self organization - in the perception of oneself - is threatening and tends to be resisted.” Humans generally do not like to admit they were wrong and they like daily routine. The logical Fallacy of Cherry Picking often occurs with people that don’t like to see info that challenges their propositions. This is a big problem in Compulsory education as bias and one point of view are almost always promoted.
“4) Those learning which are threatening to the self are more easily perceived and assimilated when external threats are at a minimum.
5) When threats to the self is low, experience can be perceived in differentiated fashion and learning can proceed.” Don’t be afraid to progress and change views. Be concerned with recognition of the truth not saying your right for the sake of being right. Knowledge is tentative.
“6) Much significant learning is acquired through doing.” It is important to have in-the-trenches knowledge.
“7) Learning is facilitated when the student participates responsibly in the learning process.
8) Self-initiated learning which involves the whole person of the learner - feelings as well as intellect - is the most lasting and pervasive.” Self-intitated generally indicates passion. Passion is a key quality in acquiring knowledge and higher learning in any field.
9) Independence, creativity, and self-reliance are all facilitated when self-criticism and self-evaluation are basic and evaluation by others is of secondary importance.
10) The most socially useful learning in the modern world is the learning of the process of learning, a continuing openness to experience and incorporation into oneself of the process of change.” Huge problem here as most forced schooling results in learning what to think but now how to think. Individual learning methods vary and the promotion of one method to learning is not optimal.

-Excerpt from Carl Rogers Freedom to Learn

What's that in your pocket....

2007-12-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

I got more gifts than a Santa loading his sleigh!

-Review of The Protein Book with a sneak preview of what is inside.
-Interview with Alan Aragon (Will be announcing special exclusive secret in the 2nd part!)
-Interview with Jamie Hale (Man are you going to learn some stuff here and get a sneak look into his new release Knowledge and nonsense)
-Interview with Barbra Ling
-3 count them 3 new articles published that you get here for free
-Interview with Julie Keen
-Sneak peak to the newly updated Fat Loss Troubleshoot
-More Videos
-New case study where you will have a chance to be a client

Best thing of all, it is all free, it is all brought to you right here, you don't even have to sign up for anything.

I must be crazy or just tired of the bull, regardless you reap the benefits!

129...

2007-12-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

1 Year ago I started a count. Clients, all I worked for and gave everything I had.

(This doesn't even count the endless emails, phone calls and private messages, study clients, or the drop out clients I don't count.)

It has been one hell of a year. I am mentioning this because I got this email today and it hit me what a year it has really been.

"Hello,

We talked once back in March about my training, I posted at the WF board. I just wanted to let you know that because of all the advice you gave me yesterday I finally achieved my goal. I lost 55 pounds all total and have never been in better shape. I just wanted to thank you for all you are doing and for the help you gave me when you didn't have to."

He or she didn't leave their name and normally I don't count you but in this case I will just have to name you 130.

Ryan
Sheila
Terry (2)
Mary
Bobbie
Cliantha
Carol
Katie (2)
Karla
Teri
Angela
Tamara
Wendy
Devon
Vicki (2)
Chrissy
Christy (2)
Christi
Julian
Julia
Mellisa (2)
Dana
Matt(4)
Adam
Anna
Felicia
David (3)
Sarah (2)
Sara (2)
Jackie
Greg
Chris
Laura (2)
Lauren (2)
Rob
Robbie
Jeff (5)
Paula
Josh
Brian
Elda
Dessie
Jennifer(2)
Joe (2)
Melinda
Ksier
Pat
Penny
Stephen
Irena
Karol
Kathy
Maria
Mike (2)
Gary
Micheal
Cindy
Gregg
Tesia
Tamika
Donna
Doreen
Paul
Ming
Darcy
Allison
Topher
Marie
Missy (2)
Kristen
Kathleen
Christopher
Tony (2)
Sam
Samantha
Mae
Kitt
Crystal
Lillian
Lily
Fae
Patrick
Justin
Jason
Ward
Big B.
Frankie
Claire
Irene
Carrie
Robin (2)
Amanda (3)
Mandy
Page
Graham
Susie
Gloria
130

You might say when do you sleep, but when you look at that list...how can you when you are that excited about what you have done?

What about the people who bought the book?
What about the people who just read and never say a word?

So when I see some "guru's" talking about who they have worked with, I want a list, not of people you talked to for five minute in a consult, if that is the case I would be here all night. No I want your success stories, people you poured your heart into.
Not people you made scared of food or cheated out of life long results with your tricks.

Maybe not all of these clients are entering any competitions, though trust me some are. All of them though got the education that will last them a lifetime. They got fat loss that is staying. I didn't trick them, I just taught them.

I am really looking forward to 08'. I say this year let's double it.

John Izzo's Moving More Muscles

2007-12-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

I hope we see a Tony review as he is better at these sorts of things but until then I wanted to offer up some input on Izzo's newest DVD. It isn't going to take a lot of words.

It's 28 bucks, it is 75+ mins of no frill easy to follow information on creating AND executing a proper muscle balanced program. John is beyond easy to follow, you will learn some simple terms to explain complicated things.

If you are looking to improve your posture and training balance performance...buy it.

If you have clients at all buy it.

If you deem yourself in charge of designing your own training programs or plan on doing so in the future, buy it.

At 28 bucks you can't go wrong.

You can also look at a video preview here.

Good Calories, Bad Calories: Idiots Guide to Carbohydrates PT 2.

2007-12-06T23:08:00.000-08:00

The Holes

Gary’s biggest mistake is not understanding the ability of human error in measurement of calorie consumption. All it takes is 100 extra calories a day to gain 10lbs in 1 year. That is it. Introduce me to 10 people you know that weigh and measure their food (not in measuring cups either because that is largely flawed). You can’t give me 10, even if you are largely involved in fitness and health, you can’t give me 10 who weigh and measure their food. Now Gary says “Lean people will often insist that the secret to their success is eating in moderation, but many fat people insist that they eat no more than the lean-surprising as it seems, the evidence backs this up-and yet are fat nonetheless.”

I call bull. And here is why.

The Genetically Gifted

I have talked about this before and I have gone on and on in the new edition of the Troubleshoot about it. You often hear people talk about, and even myself in the past, about the genetically gifted. Let me explain briefly who that is and why chances are if you are reading this that you are not one of them.

Who we dub “gifted” is the guy with the six-pack abs who just chugged down loads of beer after killing off a 16’ inch pizza. The girl who can eat a burger and fry combo and never gain a pound of fat and has a perky bum. They don’t kill them selves in the gym, yet they are cut and lean and have a general good bit of strength. The men have healthy testosterone levels and a statue like look and the women are bouncing with estrogen features and good beauty. They are the people you hate, they are the gifted.

The reason you hate them may not be the area you think.

They don’t have fast metabolisms, they don’t burn fat faster, this isn’t about being a mesmomorph or about having a hot mommy and daddy…well that could help actually but the point is that it isn’t about how they break down what they eat so much as understanding the fuel they need. The genetically gifted merely understand one thing by INSTINCT that you do not. They understand naturally when they are in a positive or negative energy state and they eat/feed accordingly.

That’s it.

That is what it means to be genetically gifted. You simply understand the energy needs of your body naturally without having to test out activity level, exercise, caloric timing, carb sensitivity, all that crap that the average person doesn’t need to know about. All they really need to know, all you really need to know or do is listen to your body.

Can this function of “hearing” what your body needs be disrupted by a faulty communications system. Yes, it can very much. Can fast acting refined sugars give you a false sense of alarm in this feed system and throw of your internal sensors if you are genetically predisposed to not listening well to your body? Yes. This is where Taubes gets it right, but again he is missing the bigger picture. The problem of fat gain is still excess energy, period. It does not matter what is wrong with your system, it does not matter how bad your system functions, it is still excess energy that is the blame.

Let me explain further.

Let us say that your body should by all accounts need 2000 calories a day to stay the weight you are. That is SHOULD by all accounts because of height, weight, age, etc burn 2000 calories a day. You take some online quiz and it tells you that yes, 2000 calories a day is your limit. Well what if it is really 1800 calories a day you are burning? That is a 20lb gain in 1 year if you ate at 2000 calories a day. Are you getting the picture yet Taubes? It is not as complicated as some study in the deep reaches of Africa may suggest.

Now what slows metabolic rates? This is a whole other story, this is where all the fun stuff comes in from hormone dysfunction to thyroid problems and more. IF and let me state that most don’t, but IF you have a problem then your energy expenditure and burning system is off and your energy level is very low. This could mean that you think 2000 calories is your burn level but in reality it is 800 calories, now this is a extreme, extreme case but if so then that is a gain of 125lbs in 1 year if you consume that 2000 calories a day. So if you have a metabolic dysfunction then yes you can eat the same amount as that of a lean person but still gain weight. How often does someone ACTUALLY have one of these metabolic dysfunctions? It is very rare.

The True Killer of Fat Loss

I make the big bucks not because I am some all amazing guru, not because I understand how a carbohydrate breaks down in the body, not because I understand leptin and hormone production, but because I convince people to go to their local Target and pick up a digital food scale and finally take into account and get hit in the face with how much they eat in a day. That my friends is how come I make the big bucks, that is why I have earned the title of “There is no one I can’t get to lose fat”. I hold people accountable for what it is they put in their mouth.

I want you to take a look at the video below for a rude awakening of the difference that it makes to just measure your food by digital scale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

So you can see that it is the high starch, full fat items and your personal denial that bring about the worse miss-measure of your caloric intake. Just that being off, if taken into account over a year, is 34lbs of finger pointing fat gain.

Why Protein is Never the Victim of a Lynch Mob

The reason protein is never the victim of a witch hunt style attack is very simple. If you are choosing lean proteins like chicken, turkey, or egg whites how much can you really mess it up? If you are off by a few grams with protein its nothing, its chump changes in calories. Same thing goes for something like broccoli or spinach. These are very low calorically dense foods, any smart health professional knows that by putting you on a high protein/high veg diet just up their chance of getting you to succeed in your fat loss journey, not because of magical thermic processes and not because carbs are the ultimate of evil. It is because it’s hard for you to mess it up! As a society we lack really basic common sense.

I have reason to believe that Taubes is smart enough to know better and it is this reason alone why I get angry at this book because no matter how you slice it (no carb pun intended) fat loss success always rests in the land of energy in and out. You may not like your in and out, your in and out may have a dysfunction, but that is how the carb finger pointing crumbles my friends.

Let us also not ignore the fact that eating low carb or keto for a long-term basis can do real damage to that hormone and information system that you need to start listening too. It is safe to say that while Taubes and many of his followers and believers want to crucify the use of carbohydrates they do not make clear that extremes on both ends are bad. This is likely to cause worse problems for those who bodies will force them back to eating carbs but now due to absence will have poor enzyme and hormone production. THUMBS UP for that one!

Hunger And Exercise

One of the funniest aspects of the book is Taubes take on exercise and his observation with the fact that exercise increases hunger. Well…um yeah your point being? Exercise is going to increase your caloric deficit, meaning it is going to start you on the track towards burning your stored fuel sources. This is without a doubt going to cause you to be hungry. What you do with that hunger is up to you. If you are in need of losing fat then you decide if you are going to feed that hunger or not. This is will power, simple as that. Perhaps you are ungifted into having a lot of it or you are just apathetic and really don’t want to change, that isn’t my concern and again not relevant to the science of fat loss.

You don’t eat, you get hungry. You exercise, you get hungry. You don’t hydrate yourself enough and it send signals of thirst that are confused for hunger signals. See most of the time you are reading thirsty as hungry. Again you just aren’t gifted enough to know how to read your body. At a point you will (if the body is functioning correctly) start to send out peptide signals that silence the hunger pangs. It is much like those who try to quit smoking, you have to hold out on the 10-15 min stabs of cravings and then you will be fine. Again this is your choice, your fate, it is in your hands. Eating oatmeal or a rice krispy treat isn’t going to do much to change this either way.

The Final Conclusion: Good Taubes, Bad Taubes

• If you are looking for a resource to try and help prove that you are the 1%, then this book is for you!
• If you are looking for a resource to help back up why the government has it all wrong and not shockingly is trying to manipulate you, the general public, then this book is for you!
• If you are looking to learn endless study story after study story about why the “nutritional pyramid” is on crack, then this book is for you!
• If you are looking for another source to blame something other than yourself for why you aren’t losing fat, then this book is for you!
• Finally, if you are looking to have a ride on the hate the carb train even though time and again study after study has shown that diet on high carbs can cause you to lose weight if in a caloric deficit but still carbs are evil then you have found your literal best friend!

Sorry folks, the simple truth is and will always be this…

Excess calories cause fat gain.

I may even hit at a Part 3, 4 and even more. For now this is as simple as it gets and as complicated as it should get.

Good Calories, Bad Calories: Idiots Guide to Carbohydrates

2007-12-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

*This article pissed so many people off that I may have burned some publishing bridges, so I am putting it here because hey, my blog and I can do what I want with it*

I remember a not to long ago I caught the movie remake of Born Yesterday with Melanie Griffin and Don Johnson on TV. If not aware the movie is a tale of a "dumb" girl trying to smarten herself up so that she can stand along side her shady loads of wealth businessman (John Goodman) of a boyfriend. Goodman has brought them to Washington with dreams of putting in his pocket even more wealth and hopefully not in just currency but in dirty politicians. This is to be fiction correct….

Don Johnson job is to tutor Griffin and one of her first assignments is to read Alexis DeTocqueville's "DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA". The purpose of Griffin reading the book is it is expressed that if you can get through the book and understand it then you have to be, by some men's judgment, an intelligent person.

What amuses me most about the movie is when she starts to read the book she chooses to discuss the book with a local Washington radio personality, if memory serves. Radio or not this women is a who's who, a highly vocal critique, a mind to be reckoned with by the eyes of most politicians on capital hill. Griffin expresses her reading of Tocque and asks her “what her favorite part was”? The woman tosses aside the question in this manner of 'what kind of simpleton are you?’ ‘To think it is the kind of book to have a favorite part’. Griffin shoots back with her favorite part and the women is left speechless and states that and I am paraphrasing here, that "no one has actually read Democracy In America, they just say they have".

So the end point here of course is the "dumb" girl accomplishes a literary feat of reading and understanding an American classic that those who should understand it don't. It also presents the fact that intelligence is really pretty relevant and in the eyes of the judger.

I bring this all up, my long intro about a flop of a mid 90's movie, because I feel that Good Calories, Bad Calories is one such book. At 460 pages plus100 pages of notes and a bibliography, this isn't a hard read persea but a long read. It is full of thought provoking material and opinions that stretch outside the norm. Am I saying it is a new American classic? Absolute not, not even close, not one bit but in a way yes, yes it is.

It shouldn't be a classic because it is a masterpiece of truth. It shouldn’t be a classic because it breaks some new ground and hits upon this world never before traveled. It shouldn't be a classic because it's the clever, exciting, or gripping!

It should be considered an American classic because just like most of Americans we can say it so wrong and do so much bad in such a short format. It is a classic example of just another guy with a one sided point of view, a cherry picker. Our society would not be what it is if not for the classic cherry picker.

Okay so I ruffled your feathers. Before I rip apart Taubes for what he did wrong, and there is a lot to pick apart, please allow me to point out what he did right. At the same time this is precisely why this book angers me so much because Taubes, by his own account, if he would have just read his own book, should have known better.

If the book was called “Good Studies, Bad Studies”, and Taube would have stuck to giving it to the government and companies for their complete unethical method of changing our society based on some very sketchy rulings and findings then I would be standing beside Taubes patting him on the back for a work well done. Not that it is anything new anyway, but certainly a great collection of material that shows how full of holes or research and guidelines in this country are.

This book was incredibly well written and easy to follow, especially considering the topics of information. If any of you have ever actually tried to read studies you know that they are a headache even for the smartest of individuals. Studies really are written like stereo instruction or much like I imagine the “Handbook for the Recently Deceased”. It is really a different language, a geek one. The average person, with a lot of effort, could understand but will unlikely take the time to do so.

To compile this information into a book for the average Joe to understand, to explain to them these technical things in this manner, he really did a top-notch job. He also didn't skimp on the references or notes. This man did not just draw up some opinions here, he dug and read and dug and read some more. There are 100 pages alone of just notes and references, which is why I really want to shake him and just say "Gary, you have been staring at this big boat for hours but still can’t tell me the color of it". Perhaps there will be a 2nd edition and those mistakes will be rectified as there is little to no reference on exercise physiology, and here in lies one of the big problems, the other of course is the witch hunt on carbohydrates. It was so close to being a masterpiece, but just in classic American form, he messes it all up. Again, an American classic.

(End Part 1)

4.95....4 dollars and 95 cents

2007-12-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

That is all you have to pay for a trial month to Dan Grants Degrees of Change Monthly Audio Series.

http://www.dangrantfitness.com/mp3offer.html

I just did a interview with Dan and you can look at his blog here to see a little bit of what we covered.

Dan Grant's Fitness Blog

This isn't a affiliate link I mean what I would make 1.50 anyway right;) Dan is just a real good guy, has a great passion to help people, and is now officially my states neighbor.

Welcome to the south Dan...lord help you.

Sneak Preview-Metabolic Repair

2007-11-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

Like I promised here is the sneak preview to my upcoming release...

The Metabolic Repair Manual

Sample Chapter

Supermarkets Want You Fat!

2007-11-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

Didn't think I was going to stop at the last one did ya?

Turkey Day Tips

2007-11-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

What is inside?

Tips for visiting or giving the dinner.
Turkey Day Bootcamp!
Favorite leftover recipe.

Best of all, download it now!

Turkey Day Tips

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Two things for you to know and understand

2007-11-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

#1-People really miss the point on things.

For the video...

-"Hey fatty" is a inside joke, I am not making fun of fat people, but I do make fun of stupid people that take themselves to seriously.
-I am not running a center for the OCD. This video was to go and show you have even using measuring cups you could be off in calories so imagine if you aren't. It is merely a wake up call.
-The song in the video is Air-Alpha Beta Gaga
-I have received hilarious hate mail, all I can say is the insults have been really imaginative, so thank you for the creativity and next time don't use your work email address especially those of you are that are nurses Chicago Saint Joseph Hospital ;)
-If you find yourself angered by a video that tell you to stop blaming everyone and everything else for fat loss and tells people to take some accountability than you can mail you complaints to me personally.

#2-For some reason before I sign into blogger everything is in a difference lang no matter what I change and it's weird.

Shocking Fat Loss Tip!

2007-11-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

SHARE IT!

Last Chance to get in on H.E.L.L.

2007-11-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

That's right it is over people!

I figure when better to end then on Daylight savings time. If you have been waiting or putting it off, act now because after today the page will only be to download the free program.

Also until further notice after this weekend I am not taking on any more online clients. The ones I have are it so if you were looking for some one-on-one get in now while you can.

You can email me at info @ avidityfitness.net

Coming soon to a blog near you!

2007-10-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

-A complete and in depth review of Good Calories/Bad Calories
-Shocking Video of me and a food scale!
-Downloads and Articles sure to make you jump up and down with glee.
-My Rehab program and how I am losing fat by diet, general activity, and isolation training.
-Success stories of the first two rounds of H.E.L.L. Clients and the countdown to the offers end...and it really is.
-Last but not least....

The unveiling of the page for my new ebook, The Metabolic Repair Manual.

Stay Tuned!