My BIG workout mistake

I did something on Wedensday that I thought I would never do.

I finally broke down and ordered a set of kettlebells from dragondoor.com

This wouldn't seem like a big deal except for the fact that two years ago I wrote an article for grrlAthlete.com stating that I didn't see why Kettlebells were becoming so popular.

Truth be told, I had picked a pair up, played around with them a bit, developed the opinion that while they were fun, they were expensive and most of the exercises you can do with a kettlebell
you could also do with a dumbbell.

So I boldly stated that I thought they were overrated.

Then one day I met coach Adam Steer. He was in Toronto for some seminars so we hooked up for some coffee and to chat about the fitness business.

Adam was a good guy who I considered to be very bright...while we were chatting and drinking coffee he mentioned that he really likes using Kettlebells...I thought to myself, "Kettlebells? Well, they're still not for me"

Then while at a series of meetings in Florida I met Chris Lopez of fitandbusydad.com

After some discussion I realized that Chris was also a big fan of kettlebells.

Now both Adam and Chris are very bright people, and I consider both of these individuals to be the type of people who don't just jump on an exercise fad simply because it is popular.

So I thought to myself, maybe kettlebells could be useful, but still, how much different could they be from dumbbells?

It was during my summer vacation that I finally changed my mind.

I was up at my cottage relaxing with my family and taking a week off from work. It was a week of sunny weather and great times.

It just so happened that Craig Ballantyne was renting my in-laws cottage (which was just down the road from where I was) during that same week.

One day during my vacation I called Craig to see what he was doing (Alright, I was looking for someone to go get ice cream with me...I know, I know...I have issues)

When I asked Craig what he was dong he said "Kettlebell workout" To which I responded, "You're doing a Kettlebell workout INSIDE the cottage"

"Yep" is what Craig said.

I could only imagine the look on my mother in-law's face if she found out Craig was swinging around a 70 pound kettlebell in her cottage, so after some discussion I convinced him to bring over his Kettlebells so I could give them a try (and get him out of the cottage).

About 5 minutes later a black lab came bounding onto my dock, quickly followed by Craig, who was carrying a big black kettlebell. I took it into the water and heaved it around a bit, did some kettlebell swings, some snatches and some shot-put style throws.

And you know what? I was having a TON OF FUN. And it was a very challenging workout too.

Yes many of these exercises could have been done with dumbbells, but it is DEFINITELY not the same. The handle is different and the feel is different.

So, I am not afraid to admit when I am wrong, and in the case of kettlebells I was WRONG.

They are fun, extremely sturdy, versatile and portable, which makes them a perfect tool for a demanding and intense workout.

So today I took the plunge and ordered the set of 3 kettle bells. Yes, they were expensive, but I bought them from DragonDoor.com, so I know they are high quality, and I know they are going to last me a LIFETIME.

My plan is to incorporate a couple of kettlebell workouts into my weekly routine.

It will be a great way to keep things fresh and new, and will allow me to get in some extra workouts at home or at my office when things get a little too busy for me to make it to the gym.

And remember, it is my opinion that the best fat burning workout is one that forces your body to maintain or build muscle, and kettlebell training will definitely do this for you.

BP

PS- When I met Chris Lopez back in Florida I agreed to do an audio interview for his site fitandbusydad.com. As a thank you, Chris sent me his program. All I can say is WOW. I really like Chris's approach (and if you haven't noticed this is something I RARELY say about workout programs).

This is a great workout that can be done at home that incorporates Kettlebells and my favorite piece of exercise equipment - Blast Straps.

If you are looking for an effective fat burning resistance training workout, then you need to check out Chris's Fit and busy dad workout.

Chris's philosophy is that as a parent you need an effective workout that doesn't take up a lot of time. My opinion is that even if you aren't a parent, this program will obviously work amazingly well for anyone who needs a workout that can be done quickly and
done almost anywhere.

BP

Super Muffins

Here is another one of my favorite recipes that involved turning a whole bunch of fruits and vegetables into something a little more portable.

You are going to need:

• 1/2 package Quaker instant oatmeal muffin mix
• 1 egg
• cinnamon
• vanilla extract
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 sweet potato
• 1/2 pepper squash
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• couple mango slivers
• 1 steamed zucchini
• Muffin tray
• Oven
  

What you need to do:


1. preheat your oven

2. take the zucchini, squash, sweet potato, mango, applesauce and banana and stick them all together in a blender.

3. Puree the heck out of them until they are one even consistency (think baby food)

4. Pour the muffin mix into a BIG mixing bowl, add one egg, and flavor with vanilla and cinnamon to taste.

5. Add your puree to the Muffin mix, substituting it for the water, stir like crazy.

6. (Optional step) I like to add quaker one minute oats to oatmeal my muffins up a bit...oh yeah, and a whole package of chocolate chips doesn't hurt either!

7. Pour your mix into the muffin trays and bake for 18-20 minutes.

8. (Another optional step) Let the muffins cool for 5-10 minutes before eating...or skip directly to step 9.

9. Eat the muffins.

I hope you enjoy!

BP

What's Missing from Fast Food

I'm going to start this week off by giving out a million dollar idea..and I'm going to do it for free.

So here it goes..if you are in new product development at a fast food restaurant...pay attention.

One of the major things that is missing from fast food are herbs and spices. Almost every fast food place I've ever visited has relied almost exclusively on salt, sugar and sauces to flavor their food (which consequently is why most of their food is actually devoid of flavor).

It's time to switch it up....Imagine being at your local sub shop and being able to garnish your sub with not only the typical lettuce, onions and tomatoes, but with some actual herbs as well...

"Let's see, I'll have some green peppers, onions, black olives, some fresh basil leaves, sliced tomatoes, some parsley, some cucumbers and, oh what the heck, I'll try some cilantro"

This would be a refreshing change from the otherwise boring monotony that is fast food.

I might have exaggerated with the whole 'million dollar idea thing', but you never know, cutting edge customer service like this would definitely make me a repeat customer.

BP

PS- I'm getting great feedback about the Eat Stop Eat Advanced Audio files. If you are the type of person who needs to know the hardcore science behind a theory, then the audio files are perfect for you..you can check them out at www.eatstopeat.com/advanced

Is fasting one day per week good for your health?

I received an email the other day that asked me to comment on a recent article about fasting and toxin removal.

Toxins and toxin removal are a fairly hot topic right now, and they are also something that I admittedly know very little about.

Truth be told, I would never consider myself an expert on the toxin removal side of fasting.

However, this particular article was attempting to use some scientific principles to prove that fasting for only one day is not beneficial, and that you need to fast for long periods of time to get a 'cleansing effect'.

So while I really don't understand the idea of "cleansing", I would like to comment on the scientific rational in this particular article.

Here are the basic arguments of this article:

1. Your body begins to eliminate large quantities of toxins only after it begins to burn your fat reserves at a rapid rate.

• My Comment - We'll accept this is a fact for the purpose of this article. Keep in mind that I really do not know what toxins are, or if this statement is actually correct, but in order for me to comment on the actual science, we will accept this as true.
  

2. Your body only starts burning fat after the 2nd or 3rd day of a water-only fast.

• My Comment - This is factually incorrect. Not only does your body start burning significantly more fat in the beginning hours of a fast, but the greatest change in fat burning happen during the first 18-24 hours of a fast.

• Take this excerpt from a paper published in 1993 by Klein et al:

3. Therefore your body does not experience significant detoxification during the first 12-24 hors of a water-only fast.

• My Comment- So Based on the previous rational this statement is also incorrect.

The bottom line is if the detoxification effects of fasting only happen when your fat burning is increased, then this definitely happens in the first 24 hours of a fast.

BP

PS- If you are interested in learning the full scientific argument behind the benefits of fasting, and want to learn more about the clear-cut scientific proof that you do burn fat while you are fasting then I have some great information that I want to share with you.

Click HERE for more information.

Green Mac and Cheese

I love food.

And while I'm definitely not going to be confused with a great cook, I am not afraid to get creative with my food.

If you know my views on 'Health', you know that I don't really beleive in the idea of healthy foods (within reason).

I'm not a fan of food-like products like most prepackaged foods (or really anything that comes in a box), but when it comes to actually cooking a great meal my goal will always be flavor over function...mostly because I think that all foods have a place in our diet.

Regardless, I love it when I get a chance to get creative and make great tasting food.

Now typically my creativity is extremely simple, but in my never ending quest to create great tasting dishes I occasionally stumble upon something worth sharing, and that some nutrition purists may even consider..gasp..healthy.

Take my Dr. Seuss inspired..Green Mac and Cheese.

What you will need:

• A pot
• Water
  
• some form of pasta (I used Rotini)
• Avocado (I used a full avocado for a serving for two)
• Havarti cheese (about a 1/4 cup grated)
• Butter (teaspoon, just to keep the pasta separated)
• Whole Milk (quick dribble at the end)
• Spring Onions (be liberal with these, they make everything awesome!)
• Dill (to taste)
• Chicken (optional)

Quick an easy instructions

1. Boil some salted water in a pot..when the water is boiling at a roll drop in your pasta..let it cook for 10-12 minutes.
2. Once your pasta is nice and tender, drain it, add some butter, and then throw it back into the pot.
3. Add 1 nicely mushed up Avocado (yes, 'mushed up' is the technical term)
4. Stir like crazy.
5. Add the Havarti, Dill and Spring onions and a little salt and pepper
6. keep on stirring.
7. Add the sliced up chicken (cook it first).
8. pour in a little milk until you get your desired level of creaminess.

and tada - quick and easy, Green Mac and Cheese!

Like I said - It's not going to win any awards, but its fun, simple and tasty!

BP

(Yep, I broke down a took a picture of my food!)

Eat Stop Eat for Sustainability (More reasons to consider Flexible Intermittent Fasting)

Here's an interesting bit of information I found today on ConfectionaryNews.com

According to an article titled "Eat less to use less fossil fuel, researchers suggest" a scientific study out of Cornell University states that the US food industry uses an estimated 19 per cent of the total energy used in the nation.

This includes non-renewable sources of energy like petroleum and natural gas.

The researchers conducting this trial beleive that it is very important that we find ways to lower this fuel consumption.

So here is a great first suggestion - Consumers (that's us) should simply eat less food.

I know this suggestion is one that the 300 billion dollar food industry will fight against tooth and nail, but there is a sick irony to the fact that many of us are currently trying to find ways to lose weight, while at the very same time the average calorie intake in the US is almost 3800 calories per day.

This is easily 1200 and 1500 more calories than the vast majority of us need in order to stay weight stable.

So if we are eating more than we want to, and these extra calories are not only causing us to put on fat, but are also burdening our economy and our environment, isn't it logical that we should start to explore practical ways to cut back on how much we eat? (Eat Stop Eat anyone?)

Here are some other very interesting points from the article-

• A vegetarian diet containing the same amount of calories as the current American Diet (mostly animal products and processed foods) would require 33 per cent less fossil energy.

• On average, food in the US travels 2400 km (1491 miles) before it is consumed by an American. (How can anything that has been on a truck for 24 hours be considered fresh?)
  

The bottom line is that eating less would help our health, our waistlines, our economy and the environment.

If you want to take it one step further, even a moderate cut back on animal products combined with eating local when you can would do a lot to decrease the burden on the environment and the economy.

The argument for NOT eating less is slowly becoming horribly weak.

We know that starvation mode (or famine mode) is a nutrition myth (I explain the science behind this fact in the first episode of the Eat Stop Eat Advanced Audio files), and we know that eating less will not cause you to lose muscle (Episode 3).

Not only this, but when it comes to a vast majority of the diseases typically associated with Western Culture, many people (myself included) are starting to point the finger of responsibility squarely at overeating. And not overeating one single nutrient, but just overeating in general.

Here's my last point - Ever wonder why in the mainstream media, eating less in an attempt to lose weight has a certain stigma about it, while exercising for weight loss is completely acceptable?

In other words, the mainstream media is cool with the fact you want to lose weight, they just want you to keep eating as much food as possible.

Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but looking at the simple math, if the food industry is a 300 billion dollar industry, certainly a good portion of that money must go into advertising. And since advertising money is what makes the media industry profitable, it wouldn't really make sense to bite the hand that feeds, now would it?

BP

The Great Starvation Experiment

I'm finally back from my business trip to Minneapolis.

It was a productive trip with good people and good food but it was way too much time away from my family.

Since I was in Minnesota, I figured it was a great opportunity to try and do some site seeing.

Specifically - I wanted to see the actual site of the Great Starvation Experiment conducted by Ancel Keys in 1945 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

This study is a favorite of mine. Mostly because of how misunderstood it is by modern day scientists.

I know it had an abundance of flaws in it's design:

• No Control Group
• Subjects were not blinded
• Researchers were not blinded
• Selection Bias
• Not published in a peer reviewed research Journal
• Even the possibility of 'fish-bowl effect'
  

But, despite these large errors, it is still a very telling story of the quest to better understand human physiology in a day-and-age where this was still a very fledgling science (1945).

Truthfully, this was a very poorly conducted calorie restriction study. However, looking past this we can see that the series of "case studies" that make up this trial are a great example of the effects that famine, captivity, depression and social grouping can have on the human body and probably more importantly, the human psyche.

Most importantly- as stated by Dr. Keys himself, this was not a starvation study, the starvation was only a necessary tool so that they could better study rehabilitation from starvation.

So while crude in it's design and conclusions, it still greatly advanced our understanding of the connection between the human psyche and the human body.

I was not able to make it to the football stadium at the University of Minnesota (the site of the experiment was destroyed but apparently there is still some pieces of the lab in a museum on campus) because my schedule was just too tight, however I did make it the local Barnes and Nobel.

I was able to find a book titled "The Great Starvation Experiment" written by Todd Tucker (not to be confused with Tom Tucker, TV anchor man from 'the Family Guy')

This book was published by the University of Minnesota Press - The same publishing company the published the original Ancel Keys Research.

This book is definitely worth a read - Not necessarily for its scientific accuracy (which is impressive at times) but for it's amazing descriptions of the political and social issues of the times.

I managed to get through this book on my flight home, so it's not a difficult read by any means, but and it is worth recommending on its entertaining value alone.

BP

PS- I'm getting lots of great feedback on the new Eat Stop Eat Advanced Audio files! If you are interested in getting an advanced understanding of the science behind the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle, be sure to check out the Eat Stop Eat Advanced package ==> www.EatStopEat.com

Big Eat Stop Eat Announcement

It's my birthday today! It’s true, today I turned the big 3 - 1

A lot has changed for me in the last ten years, and I'm not just talking about growing up and starting a family (after all, most people would argue that I've only actually done ONE of these things).

Some of the biggest changes have been in my approach to nutrition, exercise and my definition of health.

I took some time to compare my approach at 21 to my approach now, and I was shocked at the difference. Surprisingly, one of the biggest differences is that I actually feel better now than I did when I was 21!

I’m just as strong as I was over a decade ago, and I may even be a little leaner. And, I definitely have A LOT more energy.

When I was 21, I worked very hard to keep my body fat down around 14-15% while weighing around 185 pounds.

(at 21 working out was my life...it was almost all I ever thought about - I spent months dieting for this photo...and yes, I'm posing like a bodybuilder wannabe)

Nowadays I’m a little lighter (around 176 pounds), and I’m also a little leaner - usually around 10-11% body fat.

(Brier and I, one week before my 31st b-day...I still love working out, but as you can see, my priorities in life have definitely changed.)

In the last ten years lots of other things in my life have changed for the better.

• I started working in the supplement industry (good),
  

• then I left the industry to pursue graduate research (even better).
  

• I also got married to my high school sweetheart.

• and then was blessed with the birth of my little girl (The best).

Another big difference is that these days I am no longer a slave to food and nutrition.

I know you might think of me as the anti-obsessive compulsive eating guy, but back when I was in my early twenties I used to work very hard at making sure I ate the food I needed to keep my body in top condition (or at least the foods I THOUGHT I needed).

I followed all the standard rules.

• I kept an excel spreadsheet that logged every single piece of food that passed by my lips.

• I ate 275 grams of protein per day,

• I only ate small meals

• no saturated fat,

• lots of green tea,

• no fruit, pasta, bread or dairy,

• Lots of sweet potatoes and wild rice (back when I was 21, carbs were not the enemy!)

• with lean meats and fresh veggies at every meal.

When I think back to my early twenties, it's obvious that trying to get lean and stay lean was a full time job, and I took my job very seriously. Now don't get me wrong, I liked the way I looked, and all my hard work definitely gave me some great results. But also used to think that this was the ONLY way to get results.

I used to say things like ‘nutrition is my life’ and ‘food is a fuel, nothing more’ (No joking, I actually used to say that food is only a fuel!)

Now I realize that this way of living was completely unnecessary, and actually hurting me.

Now I know there is a better way.

If I compare my approach to health at 21 to my approach now, it amazing how different they have become.

I’ll be honest with you, I still work out almost every single day. But ever since I realized that I didn’t have to worry about eating ‘healthy’ foods anymore it feels like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Living the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle has taught me that there are no weight-loss foods or fattening foods. Best of all, there are NO foods to avoid.

It is an amazing feeling, and a feeling I want to share with you.

And since today is my birthday and I’ll be getting presents all day long (fingers crossed for new stainless steal pots and pans), I figure it is only fair that I gave YOU a present.

It’s only been a little over a year since Eat Stop Eat was published. Yet in this one year I’ve gained even more knowledge that has further solidified my belief that the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle is the very best (and easiest) way to get the body you want while living a great, stress-free lifestyle.

A lot of this information has come from answering questions from people who have read Eat Stop Eat but have wanted to know more.

Usually these are very interesting and thought-provoking questions that forced me to continually go back over the research and really dig out the details.

Answering these questions has broadened my understanding of Eat Stop Eat and how to effectively use it for weight loss and stress free eating. This truly is an ongoing learning process for me and I want you to know everything that I know. I want you to understand it the way I understand it so you can enjoy a life eating all the foods you love and also loving the way your body looks.

That’s why today I’m launching the Eat Stop Eat Advanced Audio files.

The Eat Stop Eat Advanced Audio Files are a collection of 6 sections detailing the science behind the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle and all the benefits you can expect to enjoy once you start.

These 6 files make up over two hours of in-depth discussion where I do my absolute best to dig even deeper into the science behind Eat Stop Eat. As always, I do my best to put the hard science into terms that are easy to understand.

It’s the perfect way to fast-forward your understanding of the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle and arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make sure you will never fall for another diet or fitness fad that ends up costing you money, time, and effort leaving feeling distraught and guilty when it doesn’t produce the results you want.

So here’s the deal, Not only do you get over 2 hours of Audio but you also get the full transcripts from each advanced session AND you get the original Eat Stop Eat e-book.

I've designed the Eat Stop Eat Advanced package for the type of person who simply wants to know more. Who wants to really understand the science behind fasting, resistance training and working out. And since you are this type of person (after all, you're reading my blog), I designed this package for you.

To check out the new advanced package visit www.EatStopEat.com

BP

What is Healthy?

I've come to the conclusion that 'healthy' is not a thing.

It doesn't come in a breakfast cereal, or in a protein bar, or the latest super food.

It is not a measurement like weight or height. There is no scale you can stand on and say "Hey great! I'm 192 healthy's today".

Healthy is not a certain percentage body fat, and it is not an optimal BMI score.

There is no 'Healthy Index' (although I'm sure some PhD student is busy trying to develop one so we can all conform to a certain diet and certain type of living.)

Even the definition of Health is vague. Health can best be defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.

This definition, which was ratified during the first World Health Assembly and has not been modified since 1948.

I spent a fair amount of time really thinking about this definition. At first it didn't make much sense to me. After all, if health is well-being then how the heck do we define 'well-being'.

After really thinking about this I have come to the conclusion that Healthy is a mindset.

I think healthy is the way you approach life. The way you think about what you eat and how you exercise. It is the decisions you make in life and why you make them.

After all, physical fitness has many different incarnations.

An IronMan athlete is definitely fit, so is an NFL running back. Interestingly, neither one could so the the other's job.

No single diet can make you 'healthy' - Even if that diet is Eat Stop Eat ;)

Healthy is definitely NOT being an obsessive compulsive eater. Nor is it doing workouts you hate because some trainer told you that it's the only way to workout, or the only way to lose fat.

The secret to Healthy is NOT working out less and eating more, and believe it or not, working out more and eating less may not always be healthy either (however for most of us, this one is probably a step in the right direction). It really depends on who you are, where you are at, and what you want to accomplish.

Healthy is finding a way of eating and a way of exercising that you love, that causes you no stress, that doesn't make you injured or sick, and that gives you a body that looks the way you want it to and can do the things you want it to do.

When it comes to being healthy I think the key is finding a balance between doing the things you love and the things you need to do.

I don't believe in fat-loss workouts. I feel best in the gym when I am trying to build muscle. I like my reps low and my rests long. When I do this I actually enjoy my workouts.

I love walking. Yep long slow boring cardio. I don't do it for fat loss, I do it because it helps clear my mind. Walking makes me feel healthy, so I do it.

So here's the point of all this - If your current lifestyle (nutrition program or exercise program) is not giving you the results you want in a way that is enjoyable then it is failing you. It is not healthy.

If you are eating something or doing something you hate, and are only doing it because someone told you it was healthy, maybe it is time to replace it with something you truly enjoy.

It is possible to find a style of eating and exercising that will make you feel healthy, you just have to find it.

BP

Are you Embarrassed by What you Eat?

Here's an interesting email I received this morning:

Hi Brad,

I have a story I need to share with you-

I was at the grocery store this morning when I noticed the lady in front of me was buying a bag of Oreo cookies and a carton of half and half cream. I thought nothing of it, but she must have noticed me looking at her items because she looked up at me with a weird guilty look on her face and quickly remarked that she was having friends over that evening.

I couldn't get over the fact that this woman had such an overwhelming sense of guilt and shame around eating something that is perceived as 'not good for her' that she felt then need to justify it to a complete stranger. What kind of world are we living in where we are embarrassed about the food we eat?

Ali

If you want a perfect example of the horrible effects of obsessive compulsive eating, then look no further than this email. We should not feel guilty about our food choices. We should be able to enjoy the foods you eat without the fear of being judged. However, this is easier said then done. It is very difficult to prevent the ridiculous social pressure of 'eating healthy' from ruining the experience of eating.

If you are trying to lose weight, a lifetime of skinless chicken breasts and steamed broccoli is not the answer. Simply find a way to eat less, but still eat the foods you love.

BP

PS - Eat Stop Eat is only 80 pages long, but it could easily be over 200 pages. All I would need to do is add in 10 pages that list 'Good Food choices' and 'Bad Food choices', 50 pages on the supplements you should take and 100 pages of recipes showing you how to change normal foods into healthy foods.

Luckily I don't need to do this because weight loss (just like the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle) can be incredibly effective while still being incredibly simple. And, effective nutrition advice does NOT have to include promoting obsessive compulsive eating.

Artificial Colors to Come with a Warning

Just another reason to demand quality from the foods you choose to eat...

The European Parliament has adopted a legislative package that will see products containing any of six artificial colours labelled with a health warning for children.

Foods containing tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), ponceau 4R (E124) and allura red (E129), will have to be labelled "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children".

The scary thing is not that foods with these colorants now carry a warning, it's that these colors have been in our foods for decades.

If the ingredients in a food do not sound like things you would normally find in a kitchen, do not eat that food...it is becoming clear that this may be the best way to make good food choices.

BP

The Price of Eat Stop Eat

About a week a go I received an email from someone who had just bought Eat Stop Eat and was a little unimpressed by the 29.95 dollar price tag.

I knew that once this person had read Eat Stop Eat they would see the value in the book.

Judging by the last email I received, I think I was right...

I tip my hat to you and apologize big time for griping about the price of your book in eBook form.

So as I'm prying egg off my face, and frying up a bit of crow, let me say THANK YOU. Finally, somebody that tells the truth logically, without gimmicks and additional monthly charges or add-ons.

I'm a Registered Nurse and I didn't know this stuff! But I do know how the money-making eat-more marketing machine works and you've just pulled the plug on them! Congratulations!

Eat Stop Eat has worked quickly for me and I feel great. Your book is well worth the price...plus.

I'll keep you posted on my weight loss and health improvement. I've got about 30 pounds to go!
Frances

P.S. Also, just to give you an idea of some of the current trends, as I was searching "lose belly fat" I found a tea that cost over $59 a month; Weight Watchers, for the full-blown online service is $60 a month; and any number of "pills" cost $60 to $80 a month.

With that in mind and the baloney they sell, I hope you blow them out of the water and become a multi-millionaire...if you're not already one.

A great pick me up to start the day!

BP

PS- Just so you know, While Eat Stop Eat is becoming very poplular, 'multi-millionaire' is a little far away ;)

So you think you know bread?

My Cottage Butcher has put in an oven and has started making fresh bread daily.

My favorite so far is the Sour Dough. Which is a very timely admission since new research from the University of Guelph tells us that Sour Dough may be the best choice of bread when it comes to your health.

(Some fresh butter and some locally produced honey and this becomes a perfect snack)

In yet another example of how we can pretty much get research to tell us whatever we want it to, research from Guelph has found that Sour Dough is better than white bread which is better than whole wheat and whole wheat with added barley.

Yep that's right - whole wheat performed the worst...go figure.

So here is my take - Food is food, let's stop obsessing over it. In an insane attempt to label some foods healthy and some food not-healthy we continually come to quick scientific conclusions that get blown out of proportion by the media, become "common knowledge" and then eventually gets disproved.

The result of this is consistently frustration and confusion over what and how we should eat, and an ever increasing trend towards obsessive compulsive eating.

Eat the foods you enjoy, just don't eat too much, and try to eat with as much variety as possible..and try the sour dough, its delicious.

BP

For more information (but not the actual study) follow this link ==> http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2008/07/sourdough_bread.html

The butcher, the baker, the candle stick maker

It's cottage time again, which means I'm hiding out up in Northern Ontario.

I'm spending my days playing with my wife and daughter (she's only one, but man does she love the water), and I'm spending my evenings working on some very exciting new Eat Stop Eat projects.

During the day I have a great routine. I get up early and make breakfast for the family. After breakfast we head into town for groceries.

I love small towns and small town businesses so when we go into town we head straight to the local baker and the local butcher (sorry, no candle stick maker).

Thanks to Eat Stop Eat, I'm no longer afraid of eating carbs, which is perfect because summer wouldn't be the same without fresh baked scones from Don's Bakery.

(Get there early, or they'll be gone)

After we get some scones (and maybe some muffins), we head down the street to the butcher.

I love my butcher (aptly named "The Cottage Butcher"). Any place where you can walk in after being away for the winter and not only do they remember you, they remember your daughter's name is a great place to support.

(Pea-meal bacon, some sirloin, and maybe some lamb)

After groceries we head back to the cottage and spend the day at the dock. At some point during the day I'll get a workout in out-doors using my blast straps and weighted vest.

Then it's back into town for our daily ice cream.

It is a simple routine that is based on eating the foods I like with the people I love.

Now here is my cottage-life realization: I think cravings are artificial. They are a product of advertising.

Maybe a better description is that cravings are a behavior that is learned through convenience and repeat exposures.

I have often wondered, if my all time favorite dessert is creme brule, then how come this isn't what I crave when I get cravings? Why don't I drive the streets late at night, trying to find a restaurant that has great creme brule?

As fun as this sounds, this is just not something that I have ever had the desire to do.

When I am at cottage I am at least an hour away from a Tim Horton's. And if you read my blog then you know that I have issues with Tim Horton's Coffee and Tim Horton's donuts.

These are my major craving weaknesses.

But when I'm up north, no cravings. Not one.

Again, I believe this is because a) there are no Tim Horton's around and b) I have not seen any Tim Horton's commercials or signs for over a week.

The next time you have a craving, think about what you are actually craving. Is it one of your favorite all time treats, or is it something close by that is convenient?

BP

Exercises to Burn Fat

Yesterday was Canada day, a national holiday in Canada celebrated by BBQs, backyard parties and fireworks.

I love Canada day. I even went as far as to turn my Blackberry OFF for the day (which is a HUGE accomplishment for me!)

Even though I was able to turn off my Blackberry, I wasn't able to let go of my most valuable sidekick...my notepad.

Yep, I keep a notepad on me at all times (Moleskin is my brand of choice).

Call me old fashioned, but when ideas spring into my head, nothing makes them more real, more concrete than actually writing them down (typing them out just doesn't do it).

(A perfect combination for a great summer's day)

I took an hour during the day when my little girl was playing in the pool with her grandparents to go through my notebook and read through many of the old notes I have written down this year.

One particular note that stuck out to me was from a lecture I attended for physicians that was headlined by Dr. Stuart Philips from McMaster University.

Amongst my notes I found the following quote scribbled down:

"It is remarkably hard to increase exercise and decrease body weight."

which when translated to normal non-PhD talk means:

"It is really hard to lose weight by simply increasing the amount of exercise that you do."

How true.

Believe it or not, most research trials examining the weight loss caused by very low calories diets, found that adding exercise did little to increase weight loss.

The diets seemed to do all the work.

Take for instance the research conducted by Donnelly et al. that was published in 1991.

69 obese women were put on an extreme 520 Calorie per diet.

These women were then divided into 4 groups

Group 1 did not exercise
Group 2 did endurance exercise for 60 minutes 4 days per week.
Group 3 did strength training 4 days per week
Group 4 did strength training AND endurance exercises 4 days per week

At the end of the 90 days research trial all 4 groups lost a mind blowing amount of bodyweight, averaging over 40 pounds of weight loss!

(Once again proving that anyone who says “It is impossible to lose weight by dramatically reducing your calories.” has absolutely NO IDEA what they are talking about!)

The interesting finding was that there were no differences between the four groups in terms of the amount of weight or body fat that was lost.

This is despite the massive amounts of exercising that group 4 was doing every single week!

This conclusion has been found over and over again in published research.

Donnelly et al. did a second trial that was published in 1993 showing that weight training could increase muscle size while women followed an 800 calorie per day diet, but it could not increase weight or fat loss.

Similar results were found by Kraemer in 1997, Bryner in 1999 and Janssen in 2002, just to name few examples.

The truth is that if you have your diet in order and are following a diet program that allows you to decrease your caloric intake it will cause you to lose weight.

Adding 'calorie burning exercises' does not seem to increase this weight loss, but adding strength training can preserve or even help increase the size of your muscles while you are dieting.

So if you are one of those people who spends countless hours in the gym, pushing themselves as hard as they can but are not seeing results, maybe its time to change your approach.

Eat for fat loss, workout to preserve (or even increase) the size of your muscles.

You can easily accomplish this by following the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle of Flexible Intermittent Fasting and strength training.

If you spend your energy in the right places, weight loss can be easy.

BP

PS- While all of these research papers used extremely low calorie diets and showed impressive weight loss, you absolutely do not need to be this restrictive.

I would never recommend this type of low calorie diet, especially since simply fasting once or twice a week can cause great fat loss, while still allowing you to live a normal live and enjoying great tasting food.

After all, a great diet is all about quality of life while dieting ;)

Fasting for Detox

Today I'm doing a pure fast.

What's a pure fast you ask?

Well, I have received a number of emails asking my opinion on various detox diets. Since my area of expertise is definitely NOT in the area of detoxification, I took the weekend to review some of the literature.

I wasn't able to find any support for consuming massive amounts of fiber, lemon juice, or weird spices and their ability to 'detox' your body. In fact, what I've found suggests that (depending on how you describe 'detox') the best detox diet possible is, you guessed it, fasting.

If you are trying to detoxify your body then you one of the best things you can do is simply give your body sometime without any food, allowing your own repair systems some free-time to get their work done.

A typical Eat Stop Eat style 24 hour fast will already give you some great detox benefits.

However, I'm going to go once step further and say that a pure fast is the absolute best detox diet. Especially if you think beyond the traditional GI cleanse and think about an actually total body cleanse, including the removal and repair of damaged proteins, lipids, and other cellular structures from your body (a process that kicks into high gear when you are fasting).

A pure fast is where you only drink water, tea and black coffee during your fast. No diet pop, No artificial sweeteners in your tea and coffee and no gum.

So if you really want to be strict about it, you can take an Eat Stop Eat fast and every once in a while turn it into a pure fast where you can fast without food or additives like artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners.

This allows your body ample time to remove and replace damaged tissues and cells without having to deal with the digestion of any new foods, or possible complications that might occur due to chemicals like aspartame*.

*note: I didn't find any conclusive evidence that aspartame negatively effects the detox effects of a fast, I'm simply suggesting the 'why chance it approach'

I don't think you need to be this strict with your fasting all the time. So since I am currently fasting about once every five days, I'm going to make every other fast a pure fast just to try it out.

I'll let you now how it goes.

BP

The Smell of Coffee

Alright, I know this is animal research, but it is still pretty cool for all you coffee lovers out there.

Turns out even the smell of coffee can help get you going in the morning.

You can learn more here ==>

Coffee Smells Great

BP

3 Things I have learned from my little girl

1. If you have sensitive skin that gets dry and itch really easily, nothing beats baby body wash.

Forget the overly-scented florescent blue 'manly' body washes, for me it's Johnson's Head-to-Toe or nothing.

(Great for sensitive skin)

2. If you have curly hair (and I mean REALLY curly hair), pretty much any shampoo is going to strip it and cause to frizz.

If I use the wrong shampoo I end up looking like Will Farrel from Semi Pro.

(NOT the author of Eat Stop Eat)

My hair relief comes from (once again) stealing from my one year old daughter. Nothing beats Baby Shampoo if you have curly hair. Seriously. Give it a try.

(Great for curls)

3. I'm sure any parent will agree that when you are shopping for baby food, you pay little attention to the exact ratio of protein to carbs in the food. You don't examine foods and try to guess whether the protein is slow release or fast release, and I doubt you'd go looking for baby formula with extra added green tea extract.

Nope, the obsessive compulsive nutritionism approach to food goes out the window when you are dealing with little ones.

Instead, you fret over quality. You want food without anything 'added' that shouldn't be added. You want food made from ingredients you recognize.

I go out of my way to avoid baby oatmeal with extra 'stabilizers', or yogurt with thickening agents. It is quality above everything else when dealing with very young children.

In fact, this is where I developed my theory of eating for quality (see the post HERE).

What I beleive to be the optimal way to approach eating, was actually developed during a rather stressful Daddy-anxiety attack while grocery shopping and trying to find yogurt made from whole milk as opposed to 'modified milk ingredients'

(Check out how she goes for the really, really big piece)

So the nutrition advice for today is feed your self the way you would feed a baby..just without the mess

BP

Eat Stop Eat Q n' A's

I thought today I would share some of the latest emails I have received about Eat Stop Eat. I typically end up answering about 20-30 per day, so these are just a random 'sampling'

____________________________________________________________________

Brad -

Eat Stop Eat is expensive. I am having to buy smaller clothes every 4 weeks. :)

I am down 15lbs since February. My weight loss and being healthier rules are simple.

Follow Eat Stop Eat.
Eat healthier.
Workout full body 15 to 30 minutes per day.

The weight Just seems to be melting off. Thirty more pounds and I will be lighter
than I have been in 10 years. That is my goal for end of year!

Thanks!
David

Hi David,

Thanks for the great email! And, congratulations on the great success to date.

I love that you've got the Eat Stop Eat philosophy nailed down so perfectly.

I can't wait for you to hit your goal!

Brad

____________________________________________________________



Hi -

I like the "sound" of the eat stop eat program but.. what happens when one goes off the program after losing weight? Do they continue fasting? Aren't they going to gain the weight back since there aren't restrictions on their diet per say?

Thanks,

Claudia

Hi Claudia,

It is nice to meet you and thank you for the email.

If you stop fasting all together and go right back to your old way of eating, you will eventually gain weight, until you hit the weight that your old amount of eating supports.

I know it is depressing, but each an everyone of us has our own internal balance, where a certain amount of food will make us weigh a certain amount. If you increase or decrease the amount of food you eat, then you will either gain or lose weight.

This is why most people use eat stop eat twice per week to lose weight, then once per week to maintain their new weight, while still being able to enjoy great tasting foods.

Both my wife and I have been following this lifestyle for almost 2 years now, and I can tell you there is a great sense of relief knowing that I can have cake for father's day, and not worry about putting on weight, because I know that when I fast on Tuesday it will all "even out".

I hope this answer helps,

Brad

____________________________________________________________________


Hi Brad!

Thanks a million for the really quick and helpful response!

I’ve got another question that is probably going to be a very stupid question but what about hypoglycaemia?

We’ve always been told that it’s caused by a lack of glucose in your blood and that’s why you feel dizzy and faint and you should have something high in fast-release sugar to get better. Is there a way to get past this nauseous feeling without breaking the fast or is it simply a symptom of withdrawal from the “sugar drug”?

Hi Cami,

I hope your first fast went well!

Great timing with your question. I just finished reading a paper titled "Effect of fasting on young adults who have symptoms of hypoglycemia in the absence of frequent meals".

In this paper the researchers found that in a group of healthy young subjects a 24 hour fast did not cause blood sugar to dip below 3.5 mmol/L. Meaning that during the entire fast, blood sugar slowly lowered itself, but remained at normal non-hypolgycemic levels.

Here are some examples of a similar experiment that I conducted on myself..

http://nutritionhelp.blogspot.com/2008/01/fasting-and-exercise.html
http://nutritionhelp.blogspot.com/2008/01/fasting-for-weight-loss-and.html

I also just recently reviewed a paper on glucose metabolism that was examining subjects who had a history of what they considered to be hypoglycemic episodes. During the study these subjects never had any periods of documented hypoglycemia, even when the supposed symptoms of hypoglycemia were present. The researchers concluded that they felt the symptoms were related to anxiety over not eating, as opposed to hypoglycemia.

I hope this answer helps.

Brad

____________________________________________________________________



Hi Brad,

It's Jennifer checking in.

I thought you might enjoy a visual as to what I have accomplished with Eat-Stop-Eat. I have said it before in my numerous emails, this program has been the best and easiest eating plan I have used to date. I am now maintaining my goal weight with one fast per week. I enjoy my favorite foods, within reason, and it is effortless. It is just amazing that I lost fat and didn't feel like I was dieting. Plus, I truly do enjoy the fasts. I get so much accomplished, for example, writing this email because I am so pleased with your program.

Thanks again!
Jennifer in Austria

PS. These photos were taken about 12 weeks apart AND the second one was taken about 15 weeks from the red bikini beginning. I am getting visible abs!

Hi Jennifer,

Its great to hear from you again. Your pictures blew me away! you've done such an amazing job. I don't think you are 'getting' visible abs, you definitely HAVE visible abs.

WOW!

It is emails like this that make all the work worth while..thank you so much.

Brad

(I wish I could share the pictures with you, but I don’t think that would be fair to Jennifer)

____________________________________________________________________

I hope these Q n A's have answered some of your questions about Eat Stop Eat.

BP

Let them eat cake (and Ice-cream too)

I'm back from a busy weekend of cake, more cake and ice cream.

I came out of this weekend with 2 new pieces of knowledge:

1. I am in complete denial that my little girl could already be 1 year old,
   
2. I gained some really cool knowledge about ice cream that I want to share with you.

Ice cream is a perfect of example of my theory that we should only ever eat quality food. If we demand quality great-tasting food, I beleive that ultimately this food will not only taste better, but also be better for us (AND, since there is way less quality food out there then there is crappy food-like products, we end up eating less - which is a good thing).

When it comes to ice cream, I beleive that Haagen Dazs is pretty much the cream of the crop. In the ice cream world Haagan Dazs is the premium brand. It tastes great, but you also pay a lot of money for it.

In fact, it is so expensive that on Friday, when I was out buying ice cream for Brier's first birthday party, I by-passed the Haagen Dazs and went right for the less expensive stuff.

Then, I got curious.

I read the ingredients on the less expensive stuff...this was what was in the vanilla flavor:

Milk Ingredients, Modified Milk Ingredients, Sugar, Glucose, Mono and Diglycerides, Locust Bean Gum, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Natural and Artificial Flavours.

Now to compare, this is what is in the vanilla flavor from Haagen Dazs:

Cream, Skim Milk, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Natural Vanilla.

I'm sure you can spot the differences.

• 11 ingredients versus 5
• Ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen versus some things that don't even sound like food.
• Cream as the first ingredient in ice-cream, versus milk ingredients
  

So it becomes apparent pretty quickly that the premium ice-cream has food ingredients, while the cheaper ice-cream as food-like ingredients.

But, what about Calories?

Well, the Haagan Dazs KILLS the cheaper ice cream, providing 270 Calories versus 120 Calories per half cup. So if you are watching what you eat and trying to lose weight, this is where it gets interesting.

After all, we all know that a tablespoon full of the good stuff is way more satisfying then an entire bowl of the cheap stuff..but why is that?

Well, The next time you buy ice-cream, look at how it is sold..Ice-cream is not sold by weight, it is sold by volume. So you will buy 2 quarts of ice-cream, not 2 pounds of ice-cream.

And herein lies the mystery of premium quality ice-cream.

The small 500 ml container of Haagen Dazs weighs almost as much as a entire quart of one of the cheaper products.

Haagen Dazs ice-cream is very calorie dense because it contains much less air than the cheaper brands, which is why it does not need all of the extra stabilizers that the cheaper ice-cream contains (Mono and Diglycerides, Locust Bean Gum, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan).

The cheaper brands try to get as much air into their ice-cream as possible so that they can fill a big container with less product, ultimately saving money.

So by sticking to your guns and only eating the premium stuff, you end up eating a lot less additives, you get a better tasting product, made from real food ingredients and you get roughly the same calories PER GRAM, with a whole lot more satisfaction.

Demand quality in the foods you eat, and you will end up eating a lot more food and a lot less food-like products. You will also end up eating less often, so even if the quality stuff has more calories, it should all even out in the end.

BP

PS- If you don't think you can lose weight while still enjoying cake and ice-cream at summer birthday parties then you need to check out Eat Stop Eat.

Happy Father's Day

Happy father's day to all my fellow Dad's and especially the Daddy bloggers out there!

BP

PS- For all you busy dad's out there, check out my friend Chris Lopez's blog "The fit and busy dad blog" at www.fitandbusydad.blogspot.com

How do you measure up?

I found this interesting graph on the New York Times website...You can click the image to make it bigger.


I really don't know how to explain this article except that you should definitely read it to find out whether or not Japan would consider you "Metabo"

You can read the article here ==> Japan Measures Millions

BP

You Don't Make Friends with Salad

Right about now my little brother is killing himself laughing.

As a Simpson's affectionado, I bet he immediately realized that I just quoted the Simpson's in the title for this post.

And while watching the Simpson's family form a Conga line and sing this song to mock Lisa for becoming a vegetarian was entertaining, salads are no laughing matter.

Most salads are wolves in sheep's clothing.

Let me explain..

Almost every big restaurant chain makes the nutritional profile of their meals available on the internet.

I highly recommend you do some surfing and check out the calorie content of some of the salads that are available at your favorite restaurants...of course, do it on your lunch break if you are at work...no slacking ;)

You will probably be surprised when you find that most salad entres have just as much IF NOT MORE calories than many of the traditional entres (the main meals salads, not the appetizers).

My favorite Salad at Boston Pizza has over 1,000 Calories! The salad I like at Kelsey's has over 800!

The bottom line is that a lot foods get a halo around them because they are 'healthy'. When you hear people complaining that they "eat like a bird" but still can't lose weight...typically this is because they are assuming some foods are healthy and low calorie, when in fact they are not.

Quick quiz, if you were to order a snack at Starbucks, which of these options has the least amount of calories

a) The blueberry Oat Bar
b) The Banana Loaf
c) The Espresso Brownie
d) The Multi-Grain Bagel

The answer is C) The Espresso Brownie.

Watch for wolves in sheep's clothing when you are eating at restaurants and fast food places. These days the 'healthy' option isn't always the best option.

BP

PS - Here is a great email that I received form Denise...

I just wanted to let you know that I've had real success with Eat Stop Eat in just a short time. I've lost 10 pounds since April by fasting 1-2 days a week. On top of that i've increased weights in my deadlifts and kettlebell training as well as increased in pullups. I plan on continuing the Eat Stop Eat program forever. -Denise

I love the fact that she is losing weight AND getting stronger! Keep up the great work Denise!

Why Traditional Diet and Exercise are Mediocre at Best

Traditional diets and exercise plans are mediocre at best when it comes to helping us lose weight. But don't blame the diets, and don't blame the exercise either.

After all, it's our extremely poor ability to estimate how many calories we burn and how many calories we eat that is their downfall.

Take this study as an example.

Women exercised on a treadmill until they burned a set number of calories (the researchers new what the number was, but the women did not). After they were done exercising the women were asked to guess how many calories they burned during the workout.

Shockingly, the researchers found that the women overestimated how many calories they burned by 300 to 400%!

If you find this surprising, it gets better.

After exercising the women were then instructed to go into another room where there was a buffet set up. The women were instructed to try to eat the same amount of calories that they had just burned during the workout.

The subjects ate double to triple the amount of calories that they had previously burned during exercise!

And this is just one study. Research consistently shows that we are very poor at estimating calories. We constantly overestimate how many we burn working out, and underestimate how many we eat.

When left to eat as we please, our mind and body will try and convince us to overcompensate and eat more than we need.

This is why diet and exercise often fail for so many people. If we overestimate how many calories we burn during exercise, and underestimate how many calories we eat AFTER exercise, we could very easily end up in a positive calorie balance after each and every workout if we are not careful.

This is why I like the Eat Stop Eat method of fasting for weight loss so much. Simply, you don't need to count ANYTHING. This means you have absolutely no chance of messing up your diet with faulty calorie counting.

BP

The Cause of Obesity in North America

I think it's time to let you in on a little secret.

I don't think fat causes obesity. I also don't think it sugar either. The same goes for high fructose corn syrup and soda pop.

In fact, when it comes to the being overweight I think all of these things are only the tools that make us heavy, they are not the cause.

In my opinion, the single leading cause of obesity is this - We have all been taught to not be discriminating when it comes to what we eat.

Think about it. If I offered you a watch for 2 bucks that was made by "Rolecks" would you buy it from me? Would you wear it and show it to all your friends? How about if I offered you a 10 dollar "Goochi" purse? You'd probably laugh at me and walk away, right?

We may turn our noses up at cheap imitation clothes and accessories, but we have no problems accepting cheap imitation food.

Seriously, a 99 cent burger? An 8.99 Lunch special steak that is tough and tasteless? Where did we learn this complete lack of eating class?

We have taste buds for a reason. Their purpose is to allow us to discriminate between good food and bad food. Fresh or Spoiled. Ripe or Rotten. Yet over the last 100 years, the food industry has figured out how to trick us into thinking bad things taste good.

The right pictures, the right colors, the right wrapper and the right massive levels of sweet and salt. That's all it takes to completely blind our taste buds.

If you have ever had a chocolate flavored protein shake ask yourself 'did it actually taste like a "rich and creamy" chocolate shake?'

I sampled a protein shake last night.

I went to the store and picked out the one brand that said it was the 5 time award winner for best tasting product.

I took it home, mixed it exactly as instructed. At first taste, it was fine. But when I really truly tasted it do you know what I tasted?

I tasted sweet. Sweet combined with aluminum, tin, and the unmistakable zing of artificial sweeteners.

It did not taste good at all.

My coffee this morning tasted exactly like it always does. When I stopped and actually TASTED my coffee I realized it was horrible. I can't even describe what it tasted like, but it wasn't coffee and it wasn't good. I drank it anyways. Why?

As I am writing this I am eating a "Caramelt" chocolate bar (In the name of research of course!). It doesn't taste like caramel, chocolate, or for that matter fresh.

It tastes sweet, waxy and preserved.

I have eaten good chocolate before, the kind that is rich and melts in your mouth. This was NOT good chocolate. It was artificial. It was imitation chocolate.

We eat this horrible imitation food on a daily basis. Worse, we eat way more of it than we want to.

This is why I beleive that our loss of ability to discriminate between good foods and bad foods is the root cause of obesity.

Forget inactivity, sugar or saturated fat. It is the simple fact that the food industry has figured out how to fool our taste buds into thinking that every piece of food that is made available to us
tastes good and is desirable - THIS is what is causing all of us to become heavier than we want to be.

But it's not just our taste buds that have been fooled.

Our brains have been tricked too. We now eat for 'nutrition'. We eat because we just finished our workout. We eat to get some protein, or vitamin C, or any other new and popular nutrient that just might save our life. And worse of all, we eat because some health expert told us if we don't eat, we'll get fat.

So we are actually guilt-tripped into eating bad tasting food. So we accept imitation food, because we are led to beleive that eating something is better than eating nothing.

The alternative, is to be a discriminating eater. Be a connoisseur of food. Be picky and only eat good tasting food. If good food isn't available, you don't have to eat (if you've read Eat Stop Eat, you know that we can easily go 24 hours without eating, with nothing but good consequences).

Pay good money for good food, but eat less often. Stop and think about just how fun that could be. By eating less, and eating less often, you can allow yourself to eat good foods. And not just dessert, but everything. Every single piece of food you put in your mouth could actually be full of rich flavor.

A well made creme brule will always, always taste better than any fast food treat. Real ice cream will always taste better than imitation frozen milk ingredients. A good steak is better than a cheap one. Fresh strawberries are better than frozen.

Sure it is more expensive, but you pay for quality. And, if you are eating less, you really won't be paying more for food in the long run.

Don't worry about the fat content or sugar content or how much phytochemicals are in the foods you eat. By being picky you will eat less, and eating less is far more important to your health then the percentage of a nutrient in your foods.

Plus, by eating better tasting foods, you will almost always be eating healthier foods.

By increasing your expectations of your food, and aiming for quality and flavor, overeating will never be an issue.

Most importantly, don't be afraid to eat less and eat less often, especially if the trade off is truly enjoying the foods you eat.

BP

The Set Point Theory and your Weight

In the last couple days I have read a number of articles from the Health section of the New York Times that were written by author Gina Kolata of "Rethinking Thin" fame.

The first article dealt with the possibility of the human body having a weight set-point that is tightly regulated.

According to the article 'For the Overweight, Bad Advice by the Spoonful',

"Scientists now believe that each individual has a genetically determined weight range spanning perhaps 30 pounds".

Immediately after I read this I thought of all the examples of people who have gained (or lost) more than 30 pounds.

At the age of 24 I weighted 216 pounds. At the bodybuilding contest I did when I was 28 I weighed 168 pounds, and I currently weigh between 175-180 pounds. That is a range of 48 pounds.

And while it took an extreme amount of eating to get to 216 (I did this on purpose), I also spent most of my late twenties between the weight of 185 and 195 pounds. For the last two years I have weighed between 175-180 pounds, but use fasting to maintain this weight.

So what is my set point?

John Barban, the editor of Eat Stop Eat has another similar story. When I first met John he weighed over 240 pounds. This was the weight he was at for duration of his graduate work.

When he returned from the first year of his PhD, he weighed 187 pounds.

For the three to four years after that he weighed between 220 and 230 pounds. Since he started following Eat Stop Eat almost two years he has weighed around 205 pounds. So this is a range of over 50 pounds.

What is his set point?

The truth is, I beleive there is some validity to the set point theory, but I think it is very ignorant to suggest that this is purely biological (NOTE: this was not Gina Kolata's suggestion, but one that is prevalent).

Biologically, I can see how your lean mass could be relatively fixed. Your height is the best determinant of your lean mass. A 6 foot 8 human being is almost always going to have more lean mass that a person who is 5 foot 3, regardless of any weight training or even drug use.

As another example, an adult man who is 175 pounds at 10% body fat would be very unlikely to ever reach 215 pounds at 10% body fat. However, if that same adult man is who is 175 pounds at 10% could change his lifestyle dramatically enough he could become 215 pounds at 27% body fat.

So just by increasing fat mass, you could easily move outside of a 30 pounds set point.

Now here is where it gets interesting. In another article by Gina, she reported that scientists have shown that:

Every year, whether you are fat or thin, whether you lose weight or gain, 10 percent of your fat cells die. And every year, those cells that die are replaced with new fat cells. The result is that the total number of fat cells in the body remains the same, year after year throughout adulthood. Losing or gaining weight affects only the amount of fat stored in the cells, not the number of cells.

So based on this information I believe that drastic changes in lifestyle can cause drastic changes in weight and body composition. I can see how a set point of 30 pounds would and could apply to lean body mass, and I can also see how changing fat mass can completely blow this 30 pound limit out of the water!

The problem is that for most people, drastic changes in lifestyle are not possible and/or desired.

Your family, where you work, the foods you like, the friends you have, the activities you do, even the shows you watch on TV, all can effect how you eat, what you eat, when you eat and how active you are.

The bottom line is that even though at some point in our lives the amount of fat cells we have may become fixed, and our ability to drastically alter the way our body looks is limited by factors including genetics, height and lifestyle, we can all still get leaner and we can all still add muscle.

BP

How to Eat and Why Eat

After finally finishing Michale Pollen's latest book "In defense of food" and reading a fantastic article by Trisha Gura in this months Scientific American Mind, I think it is time to revisit my one golden rule of eating.

"Eat less but enjoy the foods you eat. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and lots of herbs and spices. And maybe most importantly, spend less time stressing over the types of food you are eating."

I know my grammar could use some work, but this credo still remains as true to me today as it did when I first wrote it over three years ago. In fact, looking at it now, I think the first part is even more important than I ever realized...

"Eat less but enjoy the foods you eat"

Here is my simple suggestion for today. If you ever plan to go on a diet, or change the way you eat, get a pen and paper and simply write the following statement.

"I will eat less, and I will enjoy the foods I eat"

Trying to do the first (Eat less) without the later (enjoying the foods you eat) is what many of us are still doing wrong with our eating habits. Food should be about enjoyment not deprivation.

BP

How to Workout On Eat Stop Eat

There are many personalities in the fitness industry who are promoting the combination of 'fat burning workouts' with 'muscle building' nutrition.

When it comes to improving the way your body looks, I think this a completely backwards approach. Not only do I think it is backwards, but I believe it is highly ineffective.

Here's why:

It is very difficult to lose weight with exercise alone. It doesn't seem to matter if you using long distance running, interval training, high-intensity weight training or any combination of the three.

Despite what people tell you when they are pushing their "ultra fat burning workouts", the simple fact is exercise alone is a very poor stimulus for weight loss. Even if the workouts are metabolically demanding, the effect they have on calorie burning is actually pretty small.

Even the calorie burning that happens after hard workouts is only an extra 8-10 extra Calories per hour, and typically does not last the 24-36 hours that some authors say it does. The research on the benefit of this type of after-exercise metabolism boost is inconclusive at best.

There is also very little proof that any sort of eating style can actually build muscle. Again, I know lots of companies and people who promote certain methods of eating to gain massive amounts of muscle mass, but this just isn't backed by science.

I've been in full research mode now for the last 6 months working on my new book "How much protein?" and let me tell you, I am very disappointed with the lack of evidence that is available for any muscle building diet advice - This even includes ideas as simple as "eat an extra 500 Calories a day to gain muscle". Diet seems to have very little to do with muscle building.

Now, when you put these two concepts together you are in a real messy situation.

You are eating to gain muscle...eating multiple times a day, high protein, a little more calories than 'maintenance' and you are working out to burn fat, doing fancy weight training circuits, combined with cardio intervals, and lots and lots of ab exercises.

Since neither approach is effective, you end up spending a lot of time in the gym, and even more time planning your nutrition and worrying about macro-nutrient ratios and when to take your supplements. despite all of this hard work you still end up seeing very little results.

A much better approach would be to eat for weight loss, and workout to build or maintain muscle.

Research does support the rather simple concept that eating less will cause you lose weight. And that muscle building workouts will preserve muscle mass, even when on very extreme diets, thus ensuring that the weight you lose is from body fat.

This is why Eat Stop Eat involves a combination of fasting and resistance training. It is the combination of the two that leads to optimal fat loss with the least amount of physical or mental work.

So simply, the most ideal way to improve the way your body looks is to-

Eat for weight loss and exercise to build muscle.

It sounds ridiculously simple, but in reality it is very difficult to do. We are constantly bombarded with the latest and greatest new way to burn fat in the gym and it is very easy to get roped into this way of thinking.

The best advice I can give you if you are looking to change the way your body looks is: Keep your workouts simple and geared towards building muscle. Let your diet take care of your fat loss.

To accomplish this you have to follow a couple simple rules:

• Switch from high reps to lower reps (if you have been doing 15-20 rep exercises try increasing the weight and moving to sets of 5-8 reps)
• Remove most isolation exercises from your workout and use total-body multi-muscle movements.
• Get rid of crunches and sit-ups from your workout and spend that time on larger multi-muscle movements.
• Change your workouts frequently
  

And for your diet:

• Find the easiest possible method that allows you to eat less than it takes to maintain your current body weight, and use that method. (I know there are many other diet tips for improving your health, but for weight loss, I feel this is the only one that is truly important)
  

If you are someone who is stuck in the rut of spending hours in the gym every day and trying to eat in a way that supposedly maintains or builds muscle, try switching your approach and see what kind of an amazing difference it can make.

BP

PS- Once you have conquered the mindset of eating for weight loss and exercising for muscle building then adding in additional exercise like intervals or metabolically demanding body weight exercises may speed up the fat burning process, but only if you have the first two steps set into motion.