Moar Lies 3

Fat Loss Lie #9: "Exercise is not necessary... all you need is a diet"


The Truth About The Diet Versus Exercise Debate
Yes, you CAN lose weight by cutting calories. But as you learned in the first part of this course ("the starvation diet lie"), there is danger in using very low calorie diets; you almost always re-gain weight that's lost with highly restrictive diets.
Some people use calorie restriction out of necessity. For example, I know some wheelchair-bound individuals who lost weight with calorie restriction alone. I also know some people who were very obese and had orthopedic problems (making exercise difficult at first), who chose to get started only with dietary restriction, then they added the exercise later. They also lost weight.
However, for able-bodied people, dieting is the absolute WORST way to lose weight.
Two Ways To Create A Calorie Deficit And Lose The Fat
As you learned in part 5 on calories, to lose fat, you need a calorie deficit. However, there's more than one way to create a calorie deficit. One is to decrease the amount of calories you consume (eat less). The other is to increase the amount of calories you burn (exercise more).
Of the two ways, burning the calories with increased activity is the superior method. Or, you can also combine the two - eat a little less, and exercise more.
Paradoxical as it seems, the most effective approach of all is to eat more and exercise more (as long as you still keep your calorie deficit). The combination of nutrition + weight training + cardio training results in a turbo-charged metabolism and a GREAT body!

Moar Lies 2

Top 10 reasons why exercising ("burn"), not dieting ("starve"), is the superior method of losing body fat:

The most effective fat-burning programs in the world always contain two types of exercise - weight training and cardiovascular training. The reasons to include both could go on for pages, but here are the top 10:
1. Exercise increases your metabolism.
2. Exercise creates a caloric deficit without triggering starvation mode. 
3. Exercise helps you sleep better and manage stress better.
4. Exercise (strength training) tells your body to keep muscle. Dieting causes muscle loss. 
5. Exercise increases bone density.
6. Exercise helps prevent diabetes, control blood sugar, and improve insulin sensitivity.
7. Exercise improves cardiovascular health.
8. Exercise improves mood, helps relieve depression and increases self esteem
9. Exercise increasese mobility and quality of life as you get older
10. Exercise helps you keep the weight off long term.
The Science Behind Burning More, Not Eating Less
The role of energy expenditure in weight loss (diet vs exercise) is still the subject of controversy. For years I've been a strong advocate of weight training and cardiovascular training to "burn the fat" instead of just cutting calories. Take a look at some of the research-proven benefits of the "burn more" approach and see for yourself:
“Strength training may have greater implications than initially proposed for decreasing body fat and sustaining fat free mass. Research suggests that adding exercise programs to dietary restriction can promote more favourable changes in body composition than diet or physical activity on its own.” 
-Stiegler, Sports Medicine, 2006
“Treatments relying only on energy restriction commonly cause substantial loss of lean tissue…” - Walberg, Sports Med, 1989:
“Increasing daily activity and regular exercise plays an important role in weight maintenance due to an impact on daily energy expenditure and a direct enhancement of insulin sensitivity.”
- Astrup, Int J Vitam Nutr res, 76:4, 2006”
“Physical activity is a critical factor for successful body weight regulation. Physical activity facilitates weight maintenance through direct energy expenditure and improved physical fitness.”
- Saris, Int J Obes relat Metab Disord, 1998:
“Reduced energy expenditure appears to facilitate weight gain in individuals susceptible to obesity."
- Saltzman, Nutr rev, 1995:

Moar Lies

The Lies And Deceptions That Fuel The $50 Billion Weight Loss Machine

With this kind of proof, why is there any debate at all? Well, the biggest reason is because the weight loss industry thrives on novelty. Without “what’s new,” there's no story. People want to hear about some cutting edge new revolutionary pill or unique new diet breakthrough.
The industry also bets on laziness. Exercise is a hard sell because it's perceived as hard work. Advertisers know there's a lazy side hard wired into human nature, so they do everything they can to make their weight loss solutions look quick, easy and painless.
I believe the fact that we need to exercise - for health, quality of life AND for improved body composition - is such a common sense and intuitive conclusion that I find it almost comedic that there's any debate about it at all.
Think about it: What will your body shape look like by dieting without doing any training??? Diet without exercise tends to create a “skinny fat person” - someone with a low body weight but little if any muscle, and the last 10-15 lbs of stubborn fat is left defiantly clinging to your hips, butt, thighs, abs or "love handles!"
Here's what else I believe about exercise vs dieting:
• I believe that the human body is the only machine on the face of the earth that wears out and breaks down from not using it enough
• I believe that much obesity and disease are a direct result of inactivity
• I believe that much of the deterioration that happens as you age is a direct result of a sedentary lifestyle and a loss of muscle
• I believe that cardiovascular exercise + weight training + a small calorie reduction is vastly superior for fat loss purposes than a calorie reduction alone, both in the short and long term
• I believe that calorie restriction alone is a short-sighted and incomplete approach to a complex problem, and it requires a complete change in lifestyle habits to achieve better health, better body composition and results that last
• I believe that everyone who is able-bodied should get some type of physical activity almost every single day
• I believe that anyone who is healthy and physically able should get involved in weight training 3 days per week (up to 4 - 5 times per week for athletes and bodybuilders)
• I believe that anyone healthy and physically able should do at least 3 days per week of vigorous cardiovascular exercise (jogging, brisk walking, treadmills, stairclimbers, ellipticals, aerobics classes, etc), and they may increase their exercise frequency, intensity and or duration if necessary, to accelerate fat loss
• I believe that more people should stop taking their bodies for granted and start appreciating that those wheelchair-bound individuals I mentioned, who would give anything to be able to run or ride a bike
It's tempting to keep looking for some kind of "no-sweat" secret, whether in the form of a special diet technique, a magic fat burning pill or whatever, but in the end, it always, comes back to this: You need a calorie deficit to lose weight... and it's better to burn more calories than to cut more calories.
Exercise - including weight training and cardio training - should be a part of every weight management program and a part of your lifestyle. This is one of the ultimate secrets to fat loss and long term weight control:

Media Tricks

How The News Media Distorts, Exagerrates And Lies To You

A recent New York Times story headline said, "Genes Take Charge, And Diets Fall By The Wayside." A similar headline in the New York Post said, "Battle Your Biology? Fat Chance!"
These and other articles like them claim that more and more evidence is proving that if you're overweight, "it's not your fault" and that genes - more than environment and behavior - explain obesity.
I say, "complete, unadulterated journalistic GARBAGE!"
Media stories like these often take legitimate statistics about genetic obesity completely out of context and blow them out of proportion to make for sensational news.
They also make the common and devastating mistake of encouraging people to cast blame for their health anywhere but on themselves. Many of these types of stories are also based on ulterior motives.
Even worse, believing that "It's not your fault" is one of the biggest lies told in the weight loss industry and one of the most damaging beliefs you could ever have. In fact, the ONLY way you can ever become successful at achieving and maintaining your ideal weight is by accepting responsibility.
What The Research Really Says About Obesity And Your Genes
Make no mistake, there IS a genetic component to obesity. According to the latest research from the Human Genomics Project, you may inherit body fat tendencies just as you inherited your height, eye color or hair color. The tendency may range from slight predisposition to full blown genetic obesity.
In the 1990's, obesity researchers identified the OB (obesity) gene and mapped it to chromosome #7. Studies following a large number of twins and families have also helped to establish a link between obesity and heredity.
However, scientists say that severe mutations in the obesity gene are rare in humans (so mouse studies are largely irrelevant) and doubt has been raised concerning high genetic probability for obesity. ("Full blown" genetic obesity affects only about 5% of obese individuals!)
Therefore, claiming that genetics are more important than behavior and lifestyle is completely false.
Other Genetic Influences... Your Body Type And Metabolic Type
Other theories of genetic individuality discuss inherited body types, metabolic rate and body chemistry . In the 1930's, Harvard psychologist Dr. William H. Sheldon developed a classification system for different body types called "somatotyping":
Ectomorphs are the lean, lanky types. They are usually very thin and bony, with fast metabolisms and extremely low body fat. An ectomorph can seemingly eat like a horse without gaining an ounce.
Mesomorphs are the "genetically gifted." They are lean, muscular and naturally athletic. Mesomorphs lose fat and gain muscle with ease.
Endomorphs are the "fat retainers." Characterized by round features, excess body fat and large joints ("big bones"), endomorphs usually have difficulty in losing body fat and they tend to gain fat quickly if they eat poorly or don't exercise.
In addition to inherited body type ("somatotype"), individuals may also inherit certain metabolic types. Some people metabolize carbohydrates inefficiently and do not regulate blood sugar efficiently. They tend to produce too much insulin when they eat concentrated or fast-absorbing carbs, and or to be insulin resistant. This makes it more difficult to release stored body fat and puts them at risk for a variety of health problems. This condition is known as "Syndrome X" or "metabolic syndrome."
The $26 Billion Conspiracy Behind The Lies
Some doctors and researchers, such as those quoted in the newspaper stories, consider these obesity-stimulating conditions to be genetically transmitted "diseases" that require medical treatment. In a few isolated cases, obesity clearly is a genetic disorder. However, these cases are rare, so this idea of obesity as a "disease" should be viewed with a great deal of caution and suspicion, because weight loss is potentially the biggest market in the world for drug sales.
According to Justin Gillis, a staff writer for the Washington Post, more than 45 companies worldwide are trying to develop new obesity drugs, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Gillis writes:
"In world where a blockbuster drug is worth $1 billion a year in sales, analysts give $5 billion as the low estimate for sales of an important obesity drug. If a company developed a truly safe, effective weight loss drug, and sold it for $3 a day to one quarter of the 100+ million American adults estimated to be overweight, sales would exceed $26 billion a year in this country alone."
If obesity is classified as a (genetically inherited) "disease", that means more prescriptions will be written
Listen, if anyone ever tells you that "It's not your fault... you were born fat, so don't feel guilty... and don't worry, we have a drug that can help," be cautious and question whose interests are being served; yours or the pharmaceutical giants.
The Truth About Heredity And Body Fat
Losing weight does seem easier for some people than for others. In fact, researchers say that there is a segment of the population that appears to be "genetically resistant to obesity." That doesn't seem fair, but that's the way life is. Let's be honest; not everyone has the genetics to become a top-ranking pro bodybuilder or to become an Olympic Gold medallist.
But you are NOT doomed to live a life of fatness if you don't have "athletic genes." Everyone can improve their body shape and fitness level beyond where it is today.
Body fat is the result of many influences. Genetics is only one of them and as little as 25% the causes are genetic/biological in nature. According To Dr. Claude Bouchard of the Human genomics Laboratory in Baton Rouge, LA, there are several certainties about the TRUE causes of obesity. He suggests the following contributing factors:
(1) physical environment
(2) social environment
(3) behavior
(4) biology
This means that 75% of your results are dictated by lifestyle and behavior factors and only 25% by biology. Accodring to Dr. Bouchard, "The obesity epidemic that we are facing today has developed only over the past 50 years and cannot be explained by changes in our genome."
And The Truth About Personal Responsibility That Will Set You FREE!
Like it or not, the condition of your body today is primarily a result of your own lifestyle, behavior and mindset (psychology). But that's great news, because it means most of the factors that affect your body fat levels are entirely under your control. These factors include how much you eat, what you eat, when you eat, who you eat with, how many sedentary activities you engage in, what type of exercise you do, how frequently you exercise, how long you exercise and how hard you exercise
Your first step if you want to achieve and maintain your perfect weight, is to accept 100% responsibility for your weight and your health. When the going gets tough, it’s easy to blame and make excuses. But blaming genetics is a convenient excuse for not taking continuous action. It's also giving away your power and conceding that you a victim rather than a creator of your life.
If you're a frustrated "endomorph" or if you feel like dieting is an uphill battle against your genes, PLEASE do NOT chalk it up to "bad genetics," and do NOT blame your weight on your chromosomes! YOU are responsible and YOU are in control! Dr. Thomas Wadden, a psychologist from Syracuse University, says, "There IS a genetic component to your weight, but NO ONE is destined to be obese."
Above all else, do NOT quit! The universe always bows to persistence. The empowering approach is to see your physical challenges as assets, because overcoming obstacles forces you to develop discipline, determination and character. These traits will carry over to other areas of your life and make you a stronger person.
As Arnold Schwarzennegger once said, "Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you overcome hardships, that is strength.

Big Fat Lie!

THE BIG FAT LIE: "You need supplements or fat burners to get lean"

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EPHEDRA AND EPHEDRINE - THERMOGENIC "FAT BURNERS"

The most popular of the "fat burner" supplements ever on the market were no doubt ephedra or ephedrine-based products, which hit the shelves in 1993.

Ephedrine was immensely popular because there was actually some good scientific evidence showing that it had measurable fat burning effects.

You could also “feel” it… you got an “energy buzz.”

Ephedrine is a drug derived from a plant (a Chinese herb) called ephedra (also known as ma huang). It is similar in chemical structure to amphetamines and works as a "beta-adrenergic agonist" - which means, in plain English, that it's a thermogenic (metabolism- stimulating) agent that helps with the release of stored body fat.

So if it worked, why did it get banned by the FDA and taken off the market in April of 2004?

Well, there were clearly some political and financial agendas involved, But the reason given to the public was concern about adverse affects and safety.

To this day, the decision to remove ephedrine from the market is still controversial because the research was mixed on whether the risks were severe enough to warrant the ban.

PROBABLY SAFE WHEN TAKEN AS DIRECTED, BUT...

Although the FDA had 80 ephedrine related deaths and 1400 adverse effect complaints on file, including strokes, coronaries and seizures, the fact is, when compared to deaths caused by prescription drugs and other over the counter drugs like aspirin, ephedra actually appeared fairly safe when used as directed by healthy individuals and not abused.

However, one huge downside of ephedrine that was not often mentioned by the pro-ephedrine camp is that stimulant-based fat burners can be highly addictive. Addiction leads to improper use or abuse.

In the early and mid 1990's, I used ephedra products myself because they were legal, over the counter and at the time, they were not banned from the natural bodybuilding competitions I participated in.

Research be damned, I never believed that these pills helped me all that much with fat loss.

But what I did notice was the "rocket-engine" stimulant boost - the buzz, The pounding heart rate, the increased physical energy, and the amplified mental focus and workout "intensity."

At the height of the craze, 12 to 17 million people were using ephedra and no doubt, many of them were hooked on what was essentially a mild form of legal speed.

These products were being abused en masse as “pick me ups.” Students were popping these pills to stay awake and study all night. Partiers were doing the same. So were truck drivers.

Like any addictive habit, it's difficult to stop. When you first go cold turkey, you crash emotionally and physically and your workouts suffer as your crutch has been taken away. I suppose it's a lot like trying to kick the booze or cigarette habit. You go through withdrawal.

WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN

Your body is too smart for short term quick fixes to ever work because your body will always fight back to maintain a natural balance or “homeostasis.”

For every artificial peak or high you create, there will be an equal or greater valley or low point.

If you over-stimulate, your body can respond by slowing down your natural metabolic rate to compensate. As a result, when you stop using the stimulant, your metabolism is slower than ever and you gain back any weight you lost and more.

This often prompts you to go back on the stimulants and the vicious cycle of stimulant addiction continues. Some experts say that long term use can even lead to adrenal burnout.

So even if there aren’t any serious coronary or health risks from proper use, there is the risk of irresponsible use and the risk of addiction and dependency on "fake energy." just remember, what goes up, must come down. If you borrow energy you will eventually have to pay it back.

EPHEDRA FREE FAT BURNERS

When the FDA finally pulled the plug on ephedra, supplement companies scrambled like crazed maniacs to come out with "ephedra-free" formulas for their "fat burners" as they anticipated the imminent doom of their multi-million dollar cash cows.

The ads proclaimed,

"More powerful than ephedrine-based fat burners!"

"The next generation of thermogenic technology!"

The great irony is that most of the fat burners currently on the Market today are completely worthless. At best they provide a watered down, unproven substitute for ephedrine and a slight buzz (most are loaded with caffeine).

Or, they may provide some mild appetite suppression. But NONE of these so called “next generation fat burners" are the “miracles” that the advertisements say they are.

Bodybuilding industry columnist Will Brink put it this way,

"The explosion of ephedrine-free weight loss products was more a function of market pressure vs being based on any science. Claims by some companies that their new ephedrine-free "fat burners" were equivalent to or even superior to EC based products was wishful thinking and marketing-driven BS."

But it didn’t matter. Consumers had been hoodwinked with the classic bait and switch. The ephedrine was gone from the formulas, but the brand names remained the same.

STAGGERING BILLION DOLLAR FORTUNES IN FAT BURNERS AND DIET PILLS

In the last year before ephedra was banned, sales had skyrocketed to $1.25 BILLION DOLLARS, according to the Nutrition Business Journal.

The money still continues to pour in at a staggering rate today. To say that money is the main motivation behind the push for diet pills and a fat burners would be the understatement of the century.

Most people who aggressively recommend "fat burning" pills of any kind are profiting from their sale and it's hard to get unbiased information when so much money is at stake.

THE TRUTH: A LEAN BODY DOES NOT COME IN A PILL

It's a common misconception that you can't reach your fat loss goals unless you take some kind of "fat burner" supplement.

It's also a common misconception that you can pop a pill and get dramatic results like you see on TV and in the magazine ads.

The results you see in the ads for fat burners are persuasive, but before and after testimonials are NOT proof that diet pills were responsible for those results.

Not all before and afters are bogus, of course. But many of the legitimate photos are "not typical" and represent the best possible case scenarios, after extremely intense training and strict nutritional regimens.

As for many “miraculous transformations,” the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) And state attorney general’s offices have been exposing them for what they really are… set-ups and outright fakes!

In January of 2007, four diet pill companies you have definitely heard of were sued by the FTC and ordered to pay $25 million in fines.

The reasons: False advertising and no evidence to back up their claims.

San Diego Attorney Todd Macaluso took sworn depositions from several Diet pill before and after models. According to a story in the San Diego Tribune by Penni Crabtree, Los Angeles bodybuilder Mike Piacentino Swore under oath that he was paid to stop working out and to eat ice cream and donuts to fatten him up three weeks in advance of his “before” photo shoot. Then he used his bodybuilding expertise to get back in his usual top shape.

According to an ABC 20/20 expose’, fitness model Marla Duncan said In advertisements that she lost 35 lbs with the help of a popular fat burner pill. However, Jay Nixon, the Missouri Attorney General, found out that Duncan had recently been pregnant and given birth. The “before” photo was taken shortly afterwards. The fat burner pill company settled the case out of court for $100,000 while denying any wrongdoing.

Will you ever look at before and after photos the same again? Do you really want to keep forking over your money to these companies?

AN INTERESTING END TO THE FAT BURNER SAGA…

Diet pills and fat burners are nothing but quick fixes. Every one of them.

Even if they help in the short term, they don’t help in the long term because you are only treating symptoms. Body fat is a symptom of a complex problem with multiple causes including unhealthy lifestyle, poor nutrition, lack of activity and even mental factors like subconscious self-sabotage and emotional eating.

The true solution to any problem, including body fat, is to find the causes and treat them.

After using them for a few years in the 1990's, and after a lot of research, self-experimentation and personal reflection, I made the decision to dump "fat burning" and "pre workout stimulant" pills down the toilet forever. I then decided that I would no longer recommend these products to my readers and clients.

Since then, I've continued my training with no fat burners whatsoever. There has been NO difference in my results and I’ve gone on to win numerous bodybuilding titles.

As a natural bodybuilder today, I routinely reach 4% body fat for competitions and maintain my body fat at around 9% all year, using my own system of natural nutrition and training - NO DRUGS, NO PILLS and NO FAT BURNERS!

I find the obsession so many people have with taking a pill to lose weight both perplexing and troubling at the same time, especially when you consider that fat loss can be achieved naturally, so simply and predictably with nutrition and exercise methods such as what I teach in my Burn The Fat Program

Spending big money, sometimes $40 to $50 a bottle or even more on pills is even more baffling to me when you consider that even if you get some small fat burning effect from the supplements, it's nothing you couldn’t get from another week or two of dieting and exercising!

Think about it.

I recommend you take a pass on "fat burner" pills and supplements and learn how to burn fat the way mother nature intended – through proper nutrition, by building more muscle, and by increasing your activity level to burn more calories.