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You can attain your goals or resolutions, but only IF you know how to go about setting them up correctly in the first place. And I’ll give you a few useful pointers to help you get started on the right track…
- Begin with the end in mind. What’s the end result you want to achieve? Do you want to lose weight? Or do you want to drop 1 dress size instead?
- Get specific and be realistic. It’s not enough to just say “I want to lose weight.” How much do you want to lose _exactly_? By when? A better goal is to say “I want to lose 11 pounds in 3 months.” And make sure your goal is realistic. If you want to drop 27 pounds, it’s not realistic to say you want to do that within the next 7 days, not to mention that it’s not healthy to do that! Or if you’ve been putting on the weight slowly over the last 10 years, it’s not quite realistic to say you want to go back to your weight 10 years ago within a month.
- Break it down into smaller and easier “baby steps.” Let’s say you want to lose 20 pounds. That seems like an insurmountable task, but it becomes easier to manage if you look at it as losing an average of 1 pound per week, over a course of 20 weeks. Now’s that manageable! For you to lose a pound a week, you only need to create a calorie deficit of about 500 calories per day by controlling your diet and increasing your amount of exercises.
- Okay, now for the big “secret” — the missing key to achieving your goals: Write down your “Why” i.e. what are you doing this for? Most people skip this step, and it’s a primary reason why they never seem to achieve their goals. It’s absolutely critical for you to write down the reasons why you want to achieve each specific goal. For example, if the goal is to “lose 20 pounds in 6 months,” write down why you want to lose that weight. And here’s another tip: Make it “personal and emotional.” The more “emotional” the reason, the more likely you’ll be driven towards the goal. So, let’s say you’ve got kids. An example of a good “reason why” is “I know being overweight is a leading cause of many health problems — I will lose the 20 pounds and get healthier so that I will not be a burden to my children, and be able to stay healthy long enough to attend my daughter’s wedding and be there to carry my grandchildren.” Assuming all these things are important to you, of course. But I’m sure you get the picture.
- “Write it down and put it up!” It’s usually not good enough to just think of the goals in your head. You need to write down all your specific goals and the “reasons why,” and then paste it up where you will look at it every day. Don’t write it down on a notebook and chuck that inside the drawer. Instead, paste it up on your dressing table mirror, or anywhere else that is in plain sight. Remember, “out of sight, out of mind!”
- Do not be too ambitious. Aim for a loss of 1-2 pounds per week, at the max! Losing more than that amount is bad for you. And it’ll most probably be caused by a loss of water and/or muscle, rather than your unwanted excess body fat.
- Be realistic and “go with the flow.” The pounds didn’t come on overnight, so don’t expect them to disappear in a jiffy too. And sometimes the weight loss isn’t as fast (or as much) as planned. But don’t get stressed out, because stress will only add on the pounds. It’s important that you don’t think of the weight loss process as “all or nothing.” Instead, think of it as “slowly but surely.” The weight may go up a little sometimes, but if you stick to your plan, you’ll still be delighted at the end of the year!
Watch Video Below

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“Who are you Caleb? Give us some credentials, like for example, you’re a personal trainer, or a doctor etc. To me you’re just some dude talking out of his ass. Do you know what would happen if someone got physically affected from your “training program”? What’s more incredible, people actually respond to you. I guess morons attract morons, and in a world of morons, lawsuits don’t exist, therefore you continue your “know-it-all” rant. Get some training in the subject. Physical trainers and everyone else that gave their lives for this subject not only will be disappointed, they’d be pissed; I bet is they see you on the street they’d beat the crap out of you for being so fuucking ignorant.”

I nearly spit out my coffee reading this today! Made me smile

First off, I want to clear this up right now …

I’m NOT a doctor. I’m NOT a personal trainer. I’m NOT a nutritionist or dietician. And I do NOT have a degree in anything. But here’s the thing …

I’m An Expert In Whatever I Choose To Be An Expert In!

Why?

Because I CHOSE to be an expert in one or more areas. I don’t need a degree, a certificate, or anything else to tell me “OK, now you’re an expert, you can proceed”

(Pay attention, you could shortcut YEARS off your path to success if you listen to this advice … or … you could continue being a sheeple (sheep + people, get it?) because you’re following THEIR rules)

Here’s how the process works:

1. I’d like to become an expert in “Subject XYZ”: …
2. Learn or DO more than 99% of other people in “Subject XYZ” …
3. You are now an expert and can share your expertise for fun or profit …

That’s it.

Let’s break it down:

Decide What You Want To Become An Expert In

For me, I’ve got many areas of my life that I would consider myself an expert in … or … at least an “expert enough” to ask for money in exchange for my talents in the area. But let’s talk about health & fitness (a big part of what this blog is about).

I CHOSE to become an expert in this little arena because I wanted to show others what I’ve learned … correct a lot of misinformation out there (that I knew was B.S. because I had tried it and it didn’t work) … and being the capitilistic pig that I am–I wanted to get paid for my expertise.

How To Become An Expert In Any Subject

1. READ a LOT! If you go grab the top 3-5 books on a subject, and read them all, you’ll be 99% ahead of most others when it comes to ANY subject. For myself, I’ve been reading books, articles, websites, studies, magazines, newsletters, etc since I was 12 years old when it comes to anything related to health & fitness. (That’s actually WAY too much time to wait by the way to claim expert status in a given area, 3 months of intense study like this is usually enough to be ahead of the pack)
2. DO a LOT! There’s the other key, and what I’d consider even more important. Get out there and get your teeth kicked in a bit. Try everything you’ve been reading about. Consider your life as just a big experiment, test your theories, your knowledge and your ideas. (To me, this is MORE the credentials for a real expert than anything else, knowledge included).

And the last step is to simply …

Establish Yourself As An Expert

Don’t wait. You don’t need ANYONE to tell you, “OK, you can be an expert now”.

This is called, “The Magic Of Self Appointment“. And most people will NEVER get this (like our friend Johnny).

You don’t realize it, but you’ve been conditioned from BIRTH by your parents, religions, education systems, government, etc to fit into a nice little spot — acting as a “cog” in society — keeping things running. Things like credentials, degrees, etc are just ways to keep you down from doing what you want with your life.

Seriously, read this article: The Magic Of Self Appointment, here’s a few gems you should consider:

“Realize our school system, government, and industries reward dependency, NOT self-reliance … conformity, NOT innovation … slavery to the status quo, NOT fearless adventure into the unknown.

Aside from the 3Rs, (reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic) what you learn through formalized education is obsolete, outdated knowledge by the time  you learn it. Worse, it is designed to prepare you to become a droid in a large vertically-integrated company or institution the likes of which are disintegrating daily.

The result is the inevitable stunting of your initiative, creativity, and capacity for capitalist thinking. Naturally, you fail to appoint yourself captain of the myriad entrepreneurial opportunities around you. And then you wonder why external appointment eludes you.”

PROOF I Know What I’m Talking About

First of all I’m DOING it.

I followed my three simple steps. I’ve written books and sold them to people in countries all over the world, I’ve got my blog, dozens of websites, I’ve got emails subscribers, and people that actually THANK me for helping them in some form or another.

(Yes, I’m actually helping make the world a better place. I’m actually DOING it. So arguing that the world doesn’t work like this is simply crazy … because … I’m proving it each and every day!)

And I’m only a 20-something year old (getting older every day) guy …

Second, nearly EVERYONE who has ever achieved anything worthwhile … or for the mass benefit of mankind … has used this exact same process (from the same article):

“If you look at some of the most successful people in the world, you’ll see they became that way by taking a very different approach.

… Who told Steve Jobs to drop out of college and appoint himself MESSIANIC LEADER OF STONED GOOFBALL COMPUTER GEEKS EVERYWHERE in a crazy war against centralized computing and its overbearing, power hungry priesthood? A war they ultimately won. Had they not, you probably wouldn’t be reading this.

… Who told Andrew Carnegie — the son of a weaver — who started his career changing spools of thread in a cotton mill twelve hours a day for $1.20 a week that he should appoint himself CAPTAIN OF INDUSTRY?

… Who told Abraham Lincoln that with one year of a backwoods Kentucky education (reading, writing, and ciphering to the rule of three) he was qualified enough to be appointed Postmaster, and then Lawyer, and then Congressman, and then President, and then MILITARY COMMANDER IN CHIEF?

Nobody, that’s who, THEY JUST DID IT!

… And the rest is history.”

Here’s the bottom line: keep waiting for others to control your life … tell you what you can or can’t do … how to live, how to act, how to make a living, how to “be” in the world …

… OR … step up, take control of your life and start giving your deepest gift possible to the world. And when you’re thinking about doing it — just DO it — and stop waiting for someone to tell you it’s OK.

(Oh, and when you DO start doing it, and you have people living small lives telling you you should’nt be doing it, just make a blog post out of them, to 1. teach them how life works and 2. make an example out of them.)

My name is Caleb Lee and I’ll be your guide on this journey to “Double Your Gains”

What The Heck Does “Double Your Gains” Mean?!

Well, this site used to be all about doubling your fitness gains … strength gains … fat loss gains … and the like …

But, I got tired of that …

After nearly 2 years and over 300 posts (almost all about fitness, weight loss, and building muscle) … I’ve grown tired of just talking about that.

So the purpose of this site NOW, is to help you “Double Your Gains” in life.

Specifically …

• Double Your Health! Because fitness and health will always be important …
• Double Your Wealth! Because financial health gives you true freedom … and …
• Double Your Lovin’! Because love is all that really matters

So if you’d like to come along on this crazy journey with me — you’re very much invited!

I VALUE You!

It really gets me excited to see how I’m helping people, I love checking comments, seeing interaction on the site, and getting notifications that people signed up to my email newsletter — it REALLY is a blast, so I’d love to have you stick around and keep commenting and reading stuff … because I’ll keep posting it!

Best,

Caleb

P.S. You should sign up to my email newsletter, because I’ll send you a copy of my 83 page ebook, “DoubleYourGains’ 3-5 Strength Training Program” (a $49 value!) absolutely FREE. Here’s just a taste of what you’ll get and what I’ll send you by email…

• Your complete ten step guide to building muscle mass  fast…
• How to build 30 pounds of muscle in just 28 days (best part: you only need to spend a TOTAL of 4 hours in the gym!)..
• How to burn more fat in 12 minutes of cardio than with 60 minutes of “regular” cardio…
• Plus much, MUCH MORE!

Why-you-should-Stop-doing-crunches-and-situps-for-a-flat-stomach

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If you’ve ever heard of the term muscle confusion … or if you’re wondering about the effectiveness of P90x (or similar systems) … then read this, so you save yourself a lot of wasted time and effort when it comes to getting the results you want.

A commenter asked this question:

“I like the idea of a full body workout. I have also have read that one key factor to getting ripped is muscle confusion. After a few weeks, wont your body get used to those 8 exercise you have listed which will then have no affect anymore? Are there more full body exercise i can add in later or a more advanced strength training in order to cut more fat and gain muscle? These are questions i was just curious on, i like all your articles i have read thanks for the help.”

Here’s the (admittedly) long-winded answer …

The Theory Of Muscle Confusion

The idea behind “Muscle Confusion” is this:

“Your muscles and your muscle building/fat loss/strength will stop progressing if you continue using the same exercises in your workout programs”

This sounds correct … and … there is a sliver of truth to this because your muscles do adapt to the demands you put on them … but … it ain’t quite right.

First off …

Strength Does NOT Like Muscle Confusion

First off, if you’re trying to get stronger — you don’t want to “confuse” your muscles.

The commenter asked this:

“Are there more full body exercise i can add in later or a more advanced strength training in order to cut more fat and gain muscle?”

Specifically, if you want to progress in strength on a certain exercise, the best thing you can do is that same exercise — a LOT!

The formula for strength in any one exercise is this:

• Specific Exercise — like a bench press, squat or dead lift
• Done As Often As Possible — 3, 5, even 6 times per week
• As High Tension/Resistance as possible — at 75% of your one rep max in the exercise or above
• While staying as fresh as possible – meaning you don’t want to get fatigued. So low volume training (low reps/sets each workout), but done frequently

So if you’re wanting to get stronger in any one exercise (or in general), you definitely want to NOT confuse your muscles.

What Your Muscles Do Adapt To

The problem with the muscle confusion myth is that P90x and other systems claim you need to always change up your exercise selections and workout routines.

That’s not actually true …

Your muscles WILL adapt, but only to the “volume/load” of your exercises. You could do the same 3 exercises all the time (such as bench press, dead lift, and squats) and just vary the load (how much weight), how many reps/sets, etc … and … you would never really stop gaining strength or muscle.

That’s a fact jack. Power lifters do it all the time.

Granted there are different systems out there for building strength, even within power lifting, there are ones that make use of many different “accessory” exercises (Westside for example) … but … a large majority of a LOT of people have always stuck wit the basic “bread n butter” exercises and varied the load/volume over time to keep seeing gains.

Here’s the other thing …

Getting Ripped Has Nothing To Do With Muscle Confusion

The commenter asked this:

“I have also have read that one key factor to getting ripped is muscle confusion. After a few weeks, wont your body get used to those 8 exercise you have listed which will then have no affect anymore?”

Getting ripped comes down to

1. Building some strength, which increases “residual muscle tone”
2. And eating less calories than you burn.
3. Or burning more calories than you eat.

Of numbers 2 and 3, number 3 — trying to burn more calories than you’re eating is actually the HARDEST way to get ripped.

It’s much easier to NOT eat an extra 500 calories than it is to try and “work off” or “burn off” those 500 calories in the gym.

So the premise of using a system like p90x is kind of flawed from the beginning …

The idea is that the workouts are so metabolically demanding (because they change all the time, never giving your body time to adapt) that you burn more fat.

Basically trying to “out work” the dinner table.

That’s fine and all, but there are easier ways (just eat less).

Here’s a big point most people don’t realize …

Why P90x And Other “Muscle Confusion” Routines Work

Whenever the topic of P90x or some other workout routine comes up that’s sold through infomercials or to the mass market, I hear people say …

“Yeah, that works! I know this guy … “

Umm duh. EVERYTHING works.

All you have to do is work it.

Here’ s the thing: you take someone who normally eats like crap, sits on the couch all day and watches movies and you get him to whip out his credit card and buy P90x. Then when it arrives, if he buys a pullup bar, dumbbells and all theother equipment he needs, then gets off his butt and does the program 6 DAYS A WEEK and follows the nutrition guide, it’s GONNA WORK!

Because you’re doing SOMETHING. That’s the key. You’re no longer just getting fatter — you’re working out 6 days a week and eating better than before.

Makes sense don’t it?

It’s not exactly the “magic” of muscle confusion that’s getting your ripped in 90 days … it’s the “magic” of “getting off your ass and doing something productive” (which I’m sure confuses your atrophied gluteous muscles too!)

Here’s The Bottom Line On Muscle Confusion

• Your body does adapt to certain exercises and become more efficient at doing certain motor patterns.
• Instead of changing patterns/exercises, it’s easier to just change the volume/load/sets/reps/speed/etc of specific exercises (less injury chance because you can do those exercises with better technique, keeps your options down, no confusion about what to do, etc)
• If you WANT to change exercises because you’re bored, that MAY be a good idea. It’s usually not. A LOT of people will change their routine so often that they never get ANY results. I say stick with a basic routine for continued progress and vary your “accessory” exercises or metabolic conditioning exercises (different types of interval training, etc).
• The key to getting ripped is building muscle strength, a little size, and making sure you’re in a calorie deficit most of the time. You can do that by working out more or eating less. Eating less is MUCH easier.

Keep all this in mind the next time someone tells you that you need to “confuse” your muscles … do p90x … or something else to get ripped.

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DIABESITY:

– NOUN:

Having prediabetes or diabetes or at high-risk for this disease and also obese.

As you probably know the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in charge of teaching Americans how to eat for good health. Their website states:

“The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion was created within the U.S. Department of Agriculture on December 1, 1994, and reports to the Office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. CNPP’s mission is to improve the health of Americans by developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers.” (emphasis mine)

That’s right:

They’re supposed to use SCIENTIFIC research to improve the health of Americans … keep that in mind …

In 2010, they released their “Dietary Guidelines For Americans”, here is the advice they give (from the executive summary of their paper):

• “On average, Americans of all ages consume too few vegetables, fruits, high-fiber whole grains, low-fat milk and milk products, and seafood and they eat too much added sugars, solid fats, refined grains, and sodium.”
• Shift food intake patterns to a more plant-based diet that emphasizes vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. In addition, increase the intake of seafood and fat-free and low-fat milk and milk products and consume only moderate amounts of lean meats, poultry, and eggs.
• Significantly reduce intake of foods containing added sugars and solid fats because these dietary components contribute excess calories and few, if any, nutrients. In addition, reduce sodium intake and lower intake of refined grains, especially refined grains that are coupled with added sugar, solid fat, and sodium.”

They recommend a more plant-based diet … ok … I’ll admit most people could eat some more veggies … but they also tell you to increase the amount of seafood and fat-free and low-fat milk and milk products … AND … consume less lean meats, poultry and eggs.

Also, they claim “high-fiber whole grains” are good for you … but … is that true?

Is a low protein, and low fat diet REALLY the way to optimum health?

Are these dietary guidelines working for anyone?

Let’s examine the REAL evidence shall we?

From 1988 to 2000’s — Fat Eating Goes Down — Obesity & Diabetes Goes Up

My man Dr. Jonny Bowden makes some EXCELLENT observations in the video below, in particular their are two graphs at 1:03 mins that you should pay special attention to!

The United States now has over 2/3 of it’s population as OBESE!

And we’re eating MORE low-fat food … and I would argue … LESS high-quality protein than ever.

Does Eating Low-Fat, Low-Protein, High-Fiber/Whole Grain Carbs Help?

No. Not at all, look at this graph …

Here’s Dr. Bowden’s complete video for you to watch:

Are You Going to THINK For Yourself?

Obviously: everything the USDA is telling you is WRONG.

It’s not based on science. It’s not even based on “common sense”.

It WILL make you fat.

It WILL put you at risk for obesity related diseases like Diabetes.

And you WILL feel like crap and not enjoy the food you’re eating.

So what’s the answer?

How Should You REALLY Eat For Health?

It was simple really …

Our ancestors were primarily hunter-gatherer types of people.

If you couldn’t gather it from the woods/ground … or … you couldn’t catch/kill it … then you didn’t eat it. You also didn’t have access to food 24/7. Sometimes you would have to go without food for almost 24 hours or so, and when you did get a good kill — you sat down and ate it and enjoyed it and relaxed.

Whether we were designed to function most optimally this way … or … our bodies adapted to it — researchers aren’t sure, but it’s the way we function most optimally and in the highest health.

And we Americans ate pretty well and functioned pretty well and were pretty health “back in the day” before the USDA got a hold of the food economy and began poisoning minds with their “advice”.

Check out this short article from my main man, Dr. Al Sears:

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Don’t Discard Centuries of Nutrition Wisdom

My dad was health conscious in an old-fashioned way. He practiced holistic health care before it had a name. He knew how to keep himself lean and muscular without much effort.

He would beat all the neighbors at parties in push-up contests. Women would steal glances at his biceps and men would marvel at his feats of strength. Many people probably assumed it was good genes. Yet, I believe it was about life choices.

Our culture has been critical of the health choices of our fathers. They have become politically incorrect – even taboo. Yet, before you throw away these centuries of wisdom, let’s re-examine them in light of today’s science.

Dad never lifted a weight in his life. He did rounds of push-ups, pull-ups and crunches. He said his diet of raw eggs, wild game and spicy food would “make a man out of you.” Most tips he got from his father and older brothers. They were their own men’s club. He passed these health tips down to me and now I want to share them with you.

Eat Wild Game, Grass-Fed Meat

My dad was a hunter. We always had rabbit, squirrel and quail – and occasionally deer or wild boar. He claimed that eating meat could make you strong and “put hair on your chest.”

I never took this literally until decades later, when I found research that red meat is the best source of muscle building creatine, provides the highest concentration of heart-fueling CoQ10 and increases testosterone levels.

As testosterone drops, men lose body hair. As testosterone rises, men experience increases in body hair in a masculine distribution. You were right, Dad; meat really does put hair on your chest.

The meat we ate was either wild game or from nearby farms. The majority of the meat we eat today comes from commercial farms. Farmers feed the cattle grain, animal by-products, and synthetic hormones and antibiotics.1

Feedlot cattle do not eat what nature intended them to eat. As a result, the cattle often have a difficult time digesting the starch and get sick or die. To combat the disorders caused by a starchy diet, farmers inject the animals with antibiotics.

The percentage of livestock that is salmonella resistant to five different antibiotics has increased from less than one percent in 1980 to 34 percent in 1996.2 The numbers continue to rise. A growing body of evidence incriminates feedlot growth hormones as a risk factor for gastrointestinal cancers.3

How can you follow this tradition? Eat wild game and grass-fed beef. You can find these products at the grocery store if you ask and you can order them online. The prices are a bit higher, but the health benefits are substantial. Grass-fed beef and wild game is higher in omega-3, CoQ10, beta-carotene and vitamin E.

This reduces your risk of heart disease, certain cancers, depression, high blood pressure, and diabetes. What’s more, grass-fed beef is five times higher in CLA than in feedlot beef. CLA helps convert fat to lean muscle. 4

Spicy Foods Protect Your Heart

Dad was fond of the spicy foods that nutritionists have been telling us to avoid. He grew a variety of his own peppers and dosed much of the food he ate with hot pepper sauces. He said they were good for your heart. He also enjoyed daring me to eat them.

It turns out that many spicy foods contain powerful antioxidants that protect against heart disease. Plants in the pepper family contain capsaicin, which has been shown to speed up your metabolism and your ability to burn calories.5

Dad’s love of hot sauce may have helped him stay lean. If you like spices and peppers, don’t be afraid to throw some in your next meal.

Drink a Raw Egg Daily

Right after his nightly set of push-ups, Dad drank a raw egg. He said his father would take one directly from the chicken coup, punch a hole in it with his pocketknife, put it to his lips and suck it down.  He thought it was important for me to learn this technique but usually we would break it into a glass. The eggs we bought in those days came right from the farm.

Dad always said that eggs were the perfect food, but they were better if eaten raw. I don’t know how he knew this, but after devoting my life to natural nutrition and health, I couldn’t agree more.

Eggs are the only food known to man to have a protein quality rating of 100. They have every amino acid you need in exactly the ratios you need them. The white has every B vitamin and the yolk has every fat-soluble vitamin. They are an excellent source of essential fatty acids, and the hard-to-get brain and heart nutrients DHA and CoQ10.

Eating eggs raw maintains their chemical make-up. When you cook eggs, the protein is denatured, the B vitamins decrease, and it may destroy the DHA. Raw eggs are additionally much easier for your body to absorb. A raw egg is absorbed in 30 minutes while it takes about 4 hours to digest cooked eggs. In addition, eating eggs raw saves time. You don’t have to clean pots or pans.

The risk of salmonella poisoning is very unlikely from consuming raw eggs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 0.00003% of eggs in the U.S. have salmonella.6 I have eaten raw eggs for 40 years and have never suffered. However, you lesson your chances even more by purchasing organic eggs.

My dad’s diet of meat, raw eggs and spicy food helped him stay strong and masculine, burn fat, feel great and still enjoy his life.

People assumed that he spent hours a day lifting weights and controlled his habits like a nun. He didn’t.

However, he taught me a reverence for health and diligence to my own body that I will never forget. I share his story as an example that I hope helps you take action to promote wellness in your own life.
____________________
1. Cordain L et al. (2002). “Fatty acid analysis of wild ruminant tissues: evolutionary implications for reducing diet-related chronic disease.” European Journal Clinical Nutrition.
2. Robinson, Jo (2000). Why Grassfed is Best! The Surprising Benefits of Grassfed Meet, Eggs, and Dairy Products. Washington: Vashon Island Press
3.  Epstein, SS (1996). “Unlabeled milk from cows treated with biosynthetic growth hormones: A case of regulatory abdication.” International Journal of Health Services, 26: 173-185.
4. Rule D.C. (2002). “Comparison of muscle fatty acid profiles and cholesterol concentrations of bison, beef cattle, elk, and chicken.” Journal of Animal Science, 80: 1202-1211.
5. Hot peppers help control weight. Yoshioka M., et al. Br J Nutr 1999 Aug;82(2): 115-23
6. Hope BK, Baker R, Edel ED, Hogue AT, Schlosser WD, Whiting R, McDowell RM, Morales RA. (2002) An overview of the Salmonella enteritidis risk assessment for shell eggs and egg products. PubMed Risk Anal:203-18

Common Sense Saves The Day

What happened to common-sense diet and health advice like our grandfathers use to practice?

Like our ancestors survived on?

Men and women back then were thinner and had better looking bodies … Less diseased … MORE fertile/virile (men are losing fertility with each generation) … and … just overall healthier.

Even sadder: people born and grew up this way, healthy, virile, loving life … after trusting doctors and the “establishment” with their LIVES … are now sick, unhealthy, and barely hanging on to their pharmaceutically “enhanced” lives for many disease/risk factors that are MADE UP.

When instead they should be doing what they did all along.

But their trust is in the wrong place.

So the choice is up to you — are you going to think for yourself — ignore the “rules” — and choose to be healthier?

Or are you going to turn into just another diabesity statistic?

Some Simple Tips On How To Eat For Maximum Health (and Weight Loss)

If you’re looking for some more tips on how to eat, or what foods to AVOID eating, to get and maintain a lean body for life (with maximal health), you should watch the video I put together below:

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Recently, I got this comment on the blog:

“Please everyone, the first part of this diet plan is ridiculous! Never fast for 16 or 20 hours, because your body will not burn fat for energy, it will go into a catabolic state in which it burns your muscle because its saving your fat because it believes it is being starved. You will go so far backwards if you ever go almost an entire day without eating.”

Lets examine what this guy is saying, shall we?

Perhaps I am totally wrong, and maybe fasting is somehow dangerous or will cause your body to burn muscle or will cause you to “go so far backwards” on your journey to health?

Let’s examine the SCIENTIFIC evidence …

When You Fast, Does Your Body Burn Fat OR Muscle?

The comment states:

“Never fast for 16 or 20 hours, because your body will not burn fat for energy, it will go into a catabolic state in which it burns your muscle”

Is this true?

Well, it depends on two things:

1. How long you’re fasting and
2. What you’re DOING while fasting.

In a SHORT fast — such as 16-24 hours — unlike what clueless people (like our commenter) want you to believe — your body will NOT burn muscle.

Instead it will first burn the stored glycogen in your muscles, and then fat, and LASTLY muscle.

Second, if you’re doing some form of exercise — resistance/strength training — during the fast — then your body is “smart” enough to know that it needs to keep your lean muscle and get rid of fat instead.

There was a study where they took a group of men, decreased their calorie intake by 1,000 calories per day and also had them do weight-training 3x per week.

The result? They lost up to 20 pounds of body fat and kept all their muscle mass.

(Rice B, Janssen I, Hudson, R, Ross R. Effects of aerobic or resistance exercise and/or diet on glucose tolerance and plasma insulin levels in obese men. Diabetes Care 1999; 22: 684-691)

As I’ve also mentioned before, a study was done as long as 12 weeks where people were on a VERY low calorie diet. Only 800, liquid, calories per day! But because these people were doing weight training 3x per week (a form of resistance training) – these people kept all their muscle mass.

(Bryner RW, Ullrich IH, Sauers J, Donley D, Hornsby G, Kolar M, et al. Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate. J Am Coll Nutr. 1999;18:115-21.)

Lastly, while there are no well-designed studies at this time that test subjects to see if fasting causes muscle loss, my friendMartin from LeanGains.com posted a great summary about this myth that fasting causes muscle loss (backed up with science, as per usual and emphasis mine  also like usual):

“Only in prolonged fasting does protein catabolism become an issue. This happens when stored liver glycogen becomes depleted. In order to maintain blood glucose, conversion of amino acids into glucose must occur (DNG: de novo glucogenesis). This happens gradually and if amino acids are not available from food, protein must be taken from bodily stores such as muscle. Cahill looked at the contribution of amino acids to DNG after a 100 gram glucose load. He found that amino acids from muscle contributed 50% to glucose maintenance after 16 hours and almost 100% after 28 hours (when stored liver glycogen was fully depleted). Obviously, for someone who eats a high protein meal before fasting, this is a moot point as you will have plenty of aminos available from food during the fast.”

Basically as long as you’re eating a decent amount of protein every 24 hours — you’re gonna be absolutely fine — no muscle loss.

When You Fast, Does Your Body “Save” Fat?

The comment also states that when you fast, your body is “saving your fat” …. is this true?

Let me answer this question, by asking YOU a question:

WHY does your body store fat?

For ENERGY in case you ever stop feeding yourself.

So when you STOP feeding yourself, your body STARTS using stored fat.

It’s  that simple: it’s the way your body was designed to work.

To think that your body will “save” fat if you stop eating for 24 hours or less is ridiculous.

Again, my main man Martin from LeanGains.com (because he has the patience to rebut all-comers with real science and hunting down the appropriate studies, unlike me, I’d rather just yell at you) has the following to say about how your metabolism actually INCREASES during a short-term fast (short-term in this case is up to 60 hours — WAY more than either I or Martin recommend, which proves the point even more):

“Looking at the numerous studies I’ve read, the earliest evidence for lowered metabolic rate in response to fasting occurred after 60 hours (-8% in resting metabolic rate). Other studies show metabolic rate is not impacted until 72-96 hours have passed (George Cahill has contributed a lot on this topic).

Seemingly paradoxical, metabolic rate is actually increased in short-term fasting. For some concrete numbers, studies have shown an increase of 3.6% – 10% after 36-48 hours (Mansell PI, et al, and Zauner C, et al). This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. Epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline/noradrenaline) sharpens the mind and makes us want to move around. Desirable traits that encouraged us to seek for food, or for the hunter to kill his prey, increasing survival. At some point, after several days of no eating, this benefit would confer no benefit to survival and probably would have done more harm than good; instead, an adaptation that favored conservation of energy turned out to be advantageous. Thus metabolic rate is increased in short-term fasting (up to 60 hours).”

Add to the fact that fasting automatically cuts your calories for the fasting days/hours … and … that your metabolic rate is increased and you have a pretty good recipe for fat loss … NOT … “saving fat”.

What’s more, as you’re about to see you can lose a LOT of fat by not eating.

The ULTIMATE proof of all these points is coming up …

How Long Can You SAFELY Go Without Eating? And How Much Fat Can You Lose?

It was 1968 — the year before the summer of love (I don’t know this because I was there, but that’s what I’m told).

A 27 year old man was VERY obese … extremely overweight … he weighed a whopping 450lbs!

He went on a medically supervised fast.

Here’s what he did:

• Drank water
• Took vitamins
• Did not eat or drink anything else.

He Fasted For 1 year and 2 weeks — 54 weeks — 382 days!

The questions are:

• Did this man burn fat for energy? The energy to survive was coming from SOMEWHERE, he didn’t eat ANYTHING for over a year …
• Did he go into a completely “catabolic” state where he burnt muscle… instead of … fat? I’d say there was some muscle loss after an ENTIRE year of no food … BUT … he burnt MOSTLY fat (otherwise, he would be dead because your body will not function without muscle).
• Why did he burn mostly fat? Because he was 450lbs — severely overweight — and fat is stored energy that gets used when you stop eating (or aren’t eating enough)

This is just common sense!

And what were the total results?

He Lost 275 Pounds!

Now, here’s the point in the argument where people like our commenter will say something like:

“You will go so far backwards if you ever go almost an entire day without eating …”

Which is an attempt to say:

“sure he lost all that weight, but it probably ruined his metabolism, and his body was so catabolic, he lost too much muscle mass, and he’ll regain all that weight back, blah blah blah”

Well, here’s what you should know:

The fast took place in 1968 and the paper wasn’t published until 1973. At that time, he had gained back only 6 lbs.

You can read the full abstract here, where it states:

“A 27-year-old male patient fasted under supervision for 382 days and has subsequently maintained his normal weight.”

Also, and just as importantly, the abstract of the study says this:

“Prolonged fasting in this patient had no ill-effects.”

So What’s The Bottom Line?

Don’t believe “bro science”.

What is Bro Science?

It’s when people repeat “facts” about health, diet and fitness that they keep hearing  … without … ever examining the evidence for themselves.

Don’t believe the hype!

• Short fasts WILL primarily burn fat for energy
• Short fasts will NOT make your body eat all its muscle
• Fasting does NOT make your body “save fat”
• Short, smart, fasting will NOT make you “go backwards” in your weight loss goals
• 24 hr or less fasting is a piece of cake compared to what your body is capable of

All that being said, here’s my disclaimer:

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE do NOT go without food or water for that long without medical supervision. I would never recommend a fast longer than 24 hours. You don’t NEED to do that to lose weight, or be healthy, or for any other reason.