Day 1 of 7: The Foundations of Fat-Burning, Part 1
Welcome to Day 1 of your Personal Fat Loss Certification Course! Before we begin I would like to cover a few of the ground rules for Course participation.
First, this is not an official certification. It should not be used as a resumé item for a fitness or nutrition position. It carries no weight in the fitness or nutrition profession.
That is not our goal.
Our goal is to become personally certified for fat loss.
What do I mean by that?
I want you to become your own fat loss expert. Granted, there’s only so much we can cover in seven days and three emails. But over the duration of the Personal Fat Loss Certification Course you will probably learn more about yourself — about personal nutrition, fat loss, muscle gain, body composition, and motivation — than most people learn in a college course. I should know: I took them.
Here is your Personal Fat Loss Certification Course schedule for the next 7 days:
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Day 1: The Foundations of Fat-Burning, Part 1
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Day 2: The Foundations of Fat-Burning, Part 2
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Day 3: Is Rapid Fat Loss Possible?
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Day 4: The Truth About Supplements
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Day 5: The Six Types of Exercise For Ultimate Body-Shaping
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Day 6: Myths And Facts About Muscle
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Day 7: Framing Your Mind For Success!
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BONUS: Your Radical Fat Loss Blueprint book and Supplement Kit Discount!
Next, this is by no means the “one and only source” for all your nutrition and exercise needs. Throughout the Course I will be recommending further reading from a variety of sources.
Finally, at the end of this Course, you should be prepared to:
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Make an investment in your SELF — physically, mentally and financially — to do whatever it takes in order to begin living the lean, healthy and energetic life you deserve…
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Be prepared to dive head-long into a 21-day fast-start fat loss program without the fear of “yo-yo dieting” and with total preparation for a lifestyle program designed to keep the weight loss going…
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And to share this Personal Fat Loss Certification Course with your friends and family if you find it beneficial!
One final note: The quizzes that come at the end of each day’s lesson are not optional. Consider them mandatory. However, we are on the honor system here. If you take the quiz and do not pass it, feel free to hit the back-space button on your browser and look over the answers you missed. Each quiz will have the correct answers at the bottom (after you take the quiz). Ideally, I would like you to have a perfect score before proceeding to the next day’s lesson. At the end of the Course, I will have done all I can do to ensure you are well-prepared to venture into Radical Fat Loss as well as Lifestyle Fat Loss programs.
If that sounds reasonable, let’s get started!
The Foundations of Fat-Burning, Part 1
There is probably more confusion about the subject of nutrition than any other subject in the world, save perhaps religion and politics! And rightfully so. There are over 100,000 books on nutrition; most of them based on low-diet protocols, “doctor-created” diets that were designed primarily for massive book sales, and the few diets that actually work.
At the heart of nutrition we have five major players:
1. Macronutrients
2. Calories
3. Fiber
4. Water
5. Supplementation
Let’s cover each in detail.
Macronutrients
A macronutrient is a nutrient that the body requires in moderate to large amounts in order to sustain itself. There are three primary macronutrients: Protein, Carbohydrate, and Fat. Alcohol was at one time considered a macronutrient, but it is not essential for survival (contrary to some people’s opinion) and thus no longer classified as such.
Both protein and carbohydrate contain 4 calories per gram, while fat contains 9 calories per gram. This means that fats are more calorically dense. However, they are also more satiating, or filling, so there is a tendency to eat less fat than protein and carbohydrate. You may hear the term “high-fat diet” a lot, but in reality very few diets are higher in fat than in proteins and carbohydrates combined. A high-fat diet is generally considered to be one with anything over 30% of your total caloric intake coming from fats, although I have used much higher-fat diets for athletic purposes (as high as 65%).
Fat is nothing to fear. Fat does not make you fat. Fat does not cause heart disease. But fats should be watched simply because they can be served in teaspoons and tablespoons. As a general rule of thumb, it is wise to watch anything you can eat by the tablespoon, including fats and carbohydrates like sugar, flour and so on. This is overly simplistic, but quite practical in day-to-day fat loss. It’s hard to overeat chicken breasts, carrots and broccoli, but quite easy to add needless calories to each with teaspoons or tablespoons of sugar, butter, and oils.
That said, oils — especially oils high in omega 3 fatty acids — are a very healthy way to satiate yourself and add needed fats to your diet. Excellent sources of omega 3 fats include fish oil, krill oil, olive oil, and foods like salmon and white albacore tuna. A good rule of thumb is this: The higher your fat intake, the lower your carbohydrate intake should be. Both are sources of fuel for the body; fats a long-burning source and carbohydrates a faster-burning source. The body can process both efficiently for fuel, but when combined they can create a bit of a problem when it comes to fat loss. Think of it as putting two different types of fuel into a race car. While mixtures of fuels are used in race cars, usually one type of fuel is dominant. The same goes for fats and carbohydrates. Decrease one as you increase the other.
The question is, which one?
Over the past twenty years of studying nutrition, I have found that by and large carbohydrates of any starchy variety cause most people the majority of problems when it comes to health and weight loss. While some people can lose weight efficiently eating “healthy” starches such as brown rice, yams, and so forth, many still suffer from gas and bloating when consuming these foods in quantity. And many people simply cannot eat them in quantity without adding body fat.
I am one of those individuals. Therefore, I lean toward a lower carb, higher healthy fat, higher protein diet.
Here’s how you can tell if you are a carb-burner or a fat-burner:
1. Do you feel bloated, gassy, or sleepy after eating a higher-carb meal, even if the meal contains healthy carbohydrates?
2. Do you feel more energy after decreasing carbs for 3-4 days and replacing them with healthy fats and proteins?
3. Does your blood pressure or cholesterol levels increase on higher-carbohydrate diets?
4. Are you naturally on the heavy side and find it difficult to lose body fat even on a restricted-calorie diet that includes ample carbs?
5. Do you suffer from skin conditions such as acne, dry skin, or rashes?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you may find that a lower-carb, higher-fat, higher-protein diet will work best for your fat loss objectives. Generally this means your healthy fat intake from animal proteins and/or oils should be about 30-40% of your diet. Protein should be 40%, and carbs in the form of vegetables, and with a few “bouts” of starch (on “Feed Days” as I call them) should round out your profile.
If you are not carb-sensitive, then you can consume a greater proportion of healthy, unrefined carbohydrates in your diet without any difficulties and should aim at keeping your dietary fat below 25%. Protein should still be around 35-40%, and carbohydrates should round out your profile.
Macronutrients should always be staggered to prevent your body from becoming too accustomed to the same dietary intake. Eating the same foods every day can lead to food allergies in some people and, if calories are kept the same, a slowing of the metabolic rate due to a decrease in the thyroid hormone T4.
This is a concept we will cover in the next section: Calories.
Calories
What “is” a calorie, anyway? It’s a word that causes fear in the minds of millions… but a calorie is merely a unit of heat. It’s a measurement of heat; specifically, the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius. Pretty harmless when you look at it that way!
What this means for you and your Personal Fat Loss is simply this: More energy and more body heat = fewer calories left over.
Think of calories as money. Let’s say you have $50 a day allotted to spend. Most days you spend about $50; some days you spend a bit more, some a bit less. And that’s exactly what you want to be doing. But let’s say that for a week or two you spend $20 or $30 more every day. What happens to your financial health? It tanks quickly! That’s because there are not enough resources to “fuel” your increased spending.
Your “resources” when it comes to calories include…
1. Exercise
2. Caloric Restriction
3. Thermogenesis, or Increased Body Heat
4. Hormonal Optimization
The more of these you have, the more you can “spend” and still end up in the rich house. Make sense?
Let’s look at each…
Exercise
Obviously exercise burns calories due to increased energy expenditure. However, this does not necessarily mean you are burning FAT calories. Think about it: Your body has multiple sources of fuel. Blood sugar, glycogen (stored sugar in the muscles and liver), body fat (the preferred source for us!), muscle (the NON-preferred source), amino acids, ketones (byproducts of fatty acid breakdown, seen mostly during low-carb dieting)… you get the picture?
So how do we make sure exercise burns mostly fat?
Our first rule of thumb when it comes to exercise is to build lean muscle tissue. This does not mean that you have to become a “bodybuilder” … merely that you need to add muscle to your body in order to burn more calories at rest. Muscle burns about 15 calories per pound just sitting around! Just think about that. If you add just 10 pounds of muscle and remove 10 pounds of non-calorie-burning fat, you’ve just increased your calorie expenditure by 150 calories per day doing nothing at all. The interesting thing is when you USE that extra muscle, which of course you will, during exercise, THEN the calories per pound of lean muscle jump to upwards of 50 per pound, or 500 additional calories burned off just by adding 10 pounds of lean tissue. The vast majority of these calories come from fat, especially at night while you sleep.
Remember, if you remove 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle you may weigh the same… but you will look completely different. Your body will start to take on a more ‘toned’ appearance with more shape, women will see those sexy curves in the right places, and so on.
The other thing we must do to ensure we burn mostly fat is to exercise under our lactate threshold most of the time. The lactate threshold is the point at which your body starts to build up lactic acid at a faster rate than your body can metabolize it. Lactic acid causes the burning sensation in the muscles when weight training. Obviously this is not a “bad” thing at all. In fact you should feel this sensation…but not for a prolonged period of time. Exercising ‘under’ the lactate threshold, or more simply put at moderate levels of intensity for longer periods of time stresses the aerobic system of the body rather than the anaerobic systems which are emphasized above the lactate threshold. Training under this threshold will allow you to burn mostly body fat, while training above it (intense training like sprinting, running for some people, and so on) burns more blood sugar and glycogen.
The ideal mix is this:
1. Weight train to build muscle. The lactic acid built up in weight training is not prolonged for most trainees, and the vast majority of your sessions will be well under your lactate threshold with only brief periods above it.
2. Long duration moderate intensity cardio work, such as brisk walking, jogging (for those in shape), gliding, and so on to burn mostly fat. This is almost twice as efficient when done in a fasting state as your blood sugar is lower. The body can tap into its fat stores much more rapidly in a fasting state.
3. Brief bouts of high intensity training (over the lactate threshold) for greater calorie-burning power, growth hormone increase (growth hormone helps to burn body fat), and heart health.
Put these three together in this order and you have the greatest 1-2-3 fat-burning knock-out punch there is.
If you want more information on how to train this way specifically, I highly suggest picking my my book 7 Minute Muscle.
If you continue on to receive my free book, “The Radical Fat Loss Blueprint”, you will need 7 Minute Muscle to progress past the 21-day RFLB training and dietary protocol. This is a program that anyone can do in just 7-21 minutes per day, depending on your level of fitness and the body type you desire. Plus you can do it in the gym or right at home!
Pick it up here…
Caloric Restriction
This seems to be a nasty phrase to most of us, and for good reason. The first three letters in “DIET” is… well, “DIE”! The body does not enjoy being deprived, either physically or emotionally, for prolonged periods of time. This is why all diets based on caloric restriction ONLY fail.
So why do we have to deal with all of this excess fat to begin with? Fat is both a necessary and nasty genetic left-over from our earlier days on earth. During prolonged periods of famine, the body adapted by shifting into a mode that holds on to body fat for survival. That is why you store body fat to begin with — for survival.
Originally this was mostly subcutaneous fat, or the “love handles”, the hips, and the more unsightly rolls we see. But eventually throughout modern times the body has adapted to become an even greater fat-storing machine. Now the body stores excess fat internally around the vital organs as well. While this was true in days of old, the body’s adaptation has greatly increased since the onset of higher processed food intake. Our insulin levels, thanks to this processed food, are steadily rising. The result is the need for more fat storage — and that fat storage is called visceral fat. This is fat that’s deposited between the organs and the waistline and chest area.
This fat is KILLER. Literally. Subcutaneous fat may not be super-healthy, and it’s certainly no fun to look at, but it’s nowhere near as dangerous as visceral fat. The proverbial “beer belly” and “pear-shaped figure” is ripe with visceral fat.
However, you absolutely must increase your caloric deficit in order to burn body fat. Here is the challenge: Restrict calories too much and you will shut down your fat loss in its tracks. If you do not crack mentally first (most of us do!) then your body will eventually go into “starvation mode”. Yet, if we do not restrict calories enough, we end up gaining weight.
The answer is caloric staggering. Cycling calories up and down throughout the week so that you end up with a caloric deficit at the end of the week but do so by eating more than you need some days and much less on others. The “starvation mode” does not kick in overnight, and we can use that to our advantage. By reducing calories for a few days and then increasing them for a day or so (this is much more specifically covered in my book The Every Other Day Diet, which you can get below) we fool the metabolism into thinking we are not in famine mode while reaping all the benefits of a lowered-calorie diet.
This approach is also highly conducive to fat loss, hormonal health, muscle gain, and mental sanity. Knowing you can eat more in a day or two works wonders for your mental outlook on a diet. The excess calories when used in combination with macronutrient staggering (eating more protein one day, less the other, etc.) and weight training can produce radical body composition changes in a very short period of time. This is THE secret of the fitness pros.
You can learn more about how to apply this principle, which allows you to literally eat your favorite foods while you lose weight, by picking up my book “The Every Other Day Diet” below…
The use of caloric staggering is essential to any diet plan. It keeps T4, or inactive thyroid hormone, elevated. When T4 shuts down from too few calories for too long a period of time, your production of active thyroid hormone, T3, slows down as well. The thyroid gland controls the body’s metabolism and is critical to fat loss. Growth hormone has been shown to increase while exercising on a low-calorie diet, and elevates again after post-exercise re-feeding.
It should also be noted that meal frequency is key to keeping the metabolic rate elevated. Except during times of controlled fasting, it is best to consume smaller meals more frequently, always including some form of complete protein if at all possible. Higher-fat diets allow for less frequent feedings, as fat is satiating. However, if this is your approach, you must consume more protein per feeding than what is normally recommended. Most experts suggest no more than 30 grams of protein per every 3-4 hours. However, several studies have debunked this as pseudoscience, suggesting that the body can process up to 100 grams of protein in one meal if deemed metabolically necessary.
Except during times of intermittent fasting, such as in The Radical Fat Loss Blueprint, I elect to consume slightly higher-fat meals and less frequent feedings (3-4 meals per day) with amino acids rounding out my protein intake. This is more out of convenience than anything else, as I do not believe most people, even bodybuilders, want to eat six-seven times a day for extended periods of time. I know for sure I do not! Nor it is necessary, as evident by my own muscular development.
Do you see how this all fits together? Exercise and nutrition walk hand-in-hand when it comes to fat loss!
But there’s more to the fat-burning equation…. Tomorrow we will cover thermogenesis and hormone optimization, as well as much more.
: : THIS CONCLUDES DAY ONE | TAKE THE QUIZ BELOW TO PROCEED : :
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Tags: 7 Minute Muscle, Every Other Day Diet, Radical Fat Loss Blueprint
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woohoo 15 out of 15… i like the tsp/tbs theory, makes sense :)
thanks, Jon
Great lesson – particularly the info about dietary typing and macronutrient/calorie cycling. And you can’t beat the price. Impressed!
Thanks Kym… glad you liked it. The courses just get more and more detailed over the next six days. ; )
Hey Jon:
This doesn’t relate to this course directly, but while I’ve got you there, could I ask a question?
I’m currently working through your M-Power course, which I am also very happy with. I thought there was a member community for this course, but I can’t seem to locate it via my M-Power account. Am I missing something?
Apologies for asking here, but I haven’t had a reply to the question I submitted via my M-Power account. If this is not appropriate here, please feel free to reply to my mail account.
Cheers
Kym, no problem replying here. M-Power had a spam-bot attack on its forum, so we’re in the process of moving things to a new support site. A lot of changes coming up, and the current members of M-Power are really going to be happy that they enrolled when they did!
Excellent, Jon. Thanks. It’s a great course and I’m looking forward to hanging out with other people taking the trip!
Hi Jon, very interesting information.
I have a few questions…
?Can I eat every 3 hours by distributing the micronutrients allotment throughout the day to prevent starvation mode and achieve caloric deficit at the same time?
?I have a thyroid problem. What must I do to lose bodyfat?
Yes, you can eat every three hours… however on Radical Fat Loss Blueprint you will go through periods where this is not the case with ‘food’ per-se. We use raw nutrients. As for thyroid, check your TSH, T3 and Reverse T3/T4. Do that through blood tests via your doctor. If low, I recommend you asking him/her about Armour Thyroid — and press until you can get it. Great stuff.
Many thanks Jon … from day 1 alone, I’ve learned more useful facts about my body than I did in over 10 years at school!
It’s not just what you say … it’s the way you put it together that makes it all so vlear and useful.
Thanks all!
Hey Jon,
I learned so much from you over the past year and a half. I am able to spend far less time in the gym with incredible results. Morning fasting cardio really took my fat burning efforts to a new level and I am excited to plan to use RFLB in May or June to take it to the next level. I am 45 years old and I feel like I am in the best shape of my life based on using your principles.
Thanks
Thanks so much Steve. I think you’ll really get a boost from RFLB.
Hi Jon,
Really Great idea. People can enjoy learning the Real Deal truth while benefiting and helping spread the word too! Looking forward to more!!
Keep up the Awesome work on spreading the truth Jon, people Are listening.
Bill
Server issues are fixed. Quiz for Day 1 is back online. Please refresh the page and the quiz link will work. Thanks for your patience!
Hi Jon
Cannot access the quiz
Jacqueline/Connie,
Please refresh your browser window. The quiz link is working just fine, but you probably had the window open before we updated the code on the page. Once you refresh your window the link works just fine. Thanks!
Unable to open the quiz this morning :(
Jon, this course is amazing, when will the password for day 2 be sent
Passwords are sent every 24 hours via auto response. Just be sure to set “FIT365 Online” to your white list to ensure you receive them all. Thanks Chris!
Day 2 is not working. It will flash on the screen and then goes to the main login page.
Try it now Sheri!
Cannot open the quiz even after refreshing
Try it now Kelly!
I have done that still no password
Jon, I recieved it thanks, I have a few questions for you. in regards to the dinner feeding during the first week RFLB hardboiled eggs with or without the yok or does it really matter
Thank you Jon. The lesson is fantastic. I passed! On to Day 2 …
Thank you Jon. You are doing awesome work. I really appreciate all your information and inspiration. You are very helpful.
Thanks Jon, it is realy good job keep on:)
Hi. I would like to try the “protein only days” afew days aweek for maximum fat burning like you said. Do you eat just the chicken, turkey, eggs, fish etc.? Can you have veggies at all? Or coffee or tea or just water?
Thanks,
Linda
Always veggies… almost always. Sometimes I just do protein, but veggies never hurt. Coffee and tea are fine.
thanks jon, it is realy good work keep on
I keep having to repeat the Day 1 quiz jon. Wat do i do in order to continue forwards with day 2.. Help please..
Sanz, you need to check your email for Day 2-7. They come by email and passwords are in each email. Hotmail is the issue. Be sure to whitelist me. If you are still having issues after checking your junk folder and spam folder, let me know.
Interesting and fun, thanks!
thanks Jon great info how often should one eat? every 2-3 hr or 4-5 hr should meals always contain protein?
I’ve added that in on Day 1′s Course Hannah. Check it out at the bottom. Thanks for the reminder!
Jon, I can’t get to the quiz of day one. The link brings me back to the sign up/login page.
Just sent you an email about this — please login and then try the quiz link again. We are upgrading some features on the blog and the login/redirect issues are because of that. Hang with us!
Thank you very much! Very impressive. You’re awesome to have offered this!
I had problems with opening day 1 of the course at the start, but thankfully, Jon fixed that.
I will follow the course to the letter.
Thanks Jon.
Not able to print the documents to read on the road or at home. The right hand side of the page doesn’t print. Is this done to protect (c)? Please let me know. Thanks.
Richard,
The docs are set to print, and they are 8.5 x 11, so perhaps you have the printer settings too large? Try reducing the document size… but until now I have not heard of any printing problems. I purposely set the files to be able to print, just not to be altered. Thanks!
Hey Jon,
Thanks for this course.But I have some different question.
I am a Software Quality Analyst working in Mumbai, India in alternate day/night shifts.My weight is 95 KGs at height of 167cms. & age 28.I want to reduce my weight, I am trying evrything but loosing the motivation in single week always.I am not having much salary so can’t afford personal trainning or something costly.
So pls tell me How can I keep motivating myself to reduce my weight? Pls help me.
Many many thanks in advance.
Rahul Kulkarni.
Rahul,
The best advice I can give you is to take all the free content on this site and make positive use out of it. Just reducing your carbs for two days to nothing but vegetables, with adequate to high protein, and then increasing carbs on the third day with slightly lower protein, can do wonders.
Jon
hi, i will check this out. thanks a lot for all your help!
Ok,Jon, I am starting this today. i have lost 10 kg in the last 6 weeks with a low fat-low carb diet. about 1600 Kal a day. i still pump iron and just started Tae-Bo. my energy sucks after my workouts. what do you think, not enough protein?
thanks, kimball wiggins,
hungary
I think when you get to day 4 you’ll really have a grasp on what’s happening Kimball. My guess is not enough ‘fat’. You need fat to burn fat on low-carb diets. Coconut oil may help!
This sounds AWESOME…Can’t wait to get started.
AWESOME!!! I like all the information it gives on nutrition… Great lesson, Jon!!!
Jon,
This concept of exercising below your lactate threshold in order to utilize more fat for fuel than glucose or glycogen just doesn’t make sense to me. Why should it matter at all what substrate the muscles use for fuel? Isn’t it total caloric output that really counts?
Let me explain:
As you stated, weight loss is an energy equation – calories in vs calories out. Simple enough. By exercising more intensly, you will burn many more calories during the exercise session (and afterwards due to increased post exercise oxygen consumption). More calories burned = more fat loss!
That the muscles use more glucose and glycogen and less fat during intense exercise DOES NOT mean you’ll lose less fat over time by exercising this way.
Think past the exercise session for a minute. What will happen at your next meal. The carbs convert to glucose and it can only be stored two ways in the body: glycogen and fat. If your glycogen stores are full (because you never depleted them with intense exercise), that glucose will store as fat. So even though low intensity exercise may utilize a higher percentage of fat for fuel, you will store more fat at your next meal.
The bottom line is that higher intensity exercise burns more calories per minute, causes a longer “after burn” and stimulates metabolic processes in you body that result in greater fat loss than low intensity exercise. That’s why the people at the gym walking on the treadmill at 3 mph while reading People magazine stay fat while the bootcamp fitness people get totally ripped.
Hi Tony! Thanks for your input… here’s my answers to your questions:
// Why should it matter at all what substrate the muscles use for fuel? Isn’t it total caloric output that really counts? //
Which do you have more of: Sugar or fat? The only way to increase glucose is dietary…and that creates circular reasoning (or rather, circular biology). More sugar to burn sugar? No. You want to burn fat — as much as possible, as fast as possible. Calories being “all that counts” has been proven wrong in multiple studies, primarily in the Stanford study (It may not have been Stanford… cannot recall and do not have it handy, but you’ll probably know of it) that took people with identical exercise and calorie intake and merely changed the macronutrient profile. Those with the lower carbs lost more weight “and” bodyfat. Another study I do not suggest: Eat nothing but 2,000 calories of cookies versus 2,000 calories of nutritious meals. Sorry, but you have a host of problems here: Insulin levels increase, thus decreasing glucagon and other fat-burning hormones, insulin resistance, thus preventing glucose from re-entering muscle cells, brain cells…and so-forth.
// As you stated, weight loss is an energy equation – calories in vs calories out. Simple enough. //
Actually I said that was ‘not’ the entire equation. While this must a “part” of the equation Tony, it does not sum it up. It’s like saying “2 always = 2″ and not considering negatives. Best analogy I can think of when missing morning coffee… ; )
// By exercising more intensly, you will burn many more calories during the exercise session (and afterwards due to increased post exercise oxygen consumption). More calories burned = more fat loss! //
In theory — but let’s carry this to its logical conclusion:
1. Why do so many people who over-exercise and under-eat hold on to body fat? If this was just calories in vs calories out… well, we know why: Hormones, mental signals of starvation, etc.
2. Let’s just exercise and eat cookies. I say that not in spite, but out of a real-life argument I had in college that ended up in a bet. She lost. ; )
Also, you must read past Day 1, just fyi — you are drawing conclusions a bit early, although I really love your input and your questions. There’s a lot more to the fat-burning story than what’s covered here.
// That the muscles use more glucose and glycogen and less fat during intense exercise DOES NOT mean you’ll lose less fat over time by exercising this way. //
No, it means that you will burn more fat during the event. That’s all that’s suggested. BUT what it also means is that you are training your body not to rely on glucose (i.e. carbohydrate) intake for fuel. Our bodies survived for thousands upon thousands of years on a diet all but devoid of carbohydrate and thrived. Just last week I saw a study on ketogentic diets for Alzheimer’s patients and how the disease in its first stages can be halted in many cases simply by supplying the brain another form of fuel: ketones. That’s because the brain was wired to use this fuel and had to do so for thousands of years simply due to lack.
So, we are WAY beyond session-by-session exercise here Tony. We are into what happens during the long run. Over the long run, your body will adapt to the style of exercise and the types of food it requires. The problem is there are far more health problems AND fat-gain problems associated with high glucose intake than high protein/health fat intake.
// The carbs convert to glucose and it can only be stored two ways in the body: glycogen and fat. If your glycogen stores are full (because you never depleted them with intense exercise)… //
Ah, but you did not. You did not even come close to depleting them during exercise. At most you’ve burned a few hundred grams of stored glycogen unless you just ran a marathon! You can replace this post-exercise (and you should btw… as I said keep reading… ; ) but AFTER that you’ve got a problem. Too much exercise of this nature triggers the brain’s natural skill of forming and predicting patterns. The problem with that is it’s often wrong: Hence bad habits, bad relationships, and so-on. In this case, poor nutrition. Carbs of ‘any’ kind are sought after and become for many of us serious issues. When the brain is trained to form a pattern of using “fat” for fuel, the cycle is broken as there is rarely a need to ingest ‘more’ fat to supply it. The body holds countless thousands of kcals in fat versus a fraction of that in glucose via glycogen.
// The bottom line is that higher intensity exercise burns more calories per minute, causes a longer “after burn” and stimulates metabolic processes in you body that result in greater fat loss than low intensity exercise. That’s why the people at the gym walking on the treadmill at 3 mph while reading People magazine stay fat while the bootcamp fitness people get totally ripped. //
This is why you combine exercise strategically while taking into account the psychological triggers that most fitness pros either neglect or are simply not aware are present. Of course, you train hard…but how often? For how long? How much is enough? I explain that over the course. But you also train in the low lactate threshold zone to foster fat loss during exercise (another pattern-forming issue) and recovery — something not covered here.
As for your last statement: Explain me.
Explain Clarence Bass, who despite having a diet higher in carbs than I suggest (works for him) is beyond “ripped” at well past 70 and does 90% of his cardio in the form of a brisk walk?
Explain every bodybuilder prior to 1975 for that matter! Very few ever bothered with cardio. Gironda was famous for tossing people out of his gym who even bothered with it. They used (as I do) density training, intense but short training intervals, and diet to burn fat … not intense cardio, which can (as you know) burn muscle tissue just as quickly unless your nutrition is spot-on.
Sorry, but I cannot follow you on that one. There is absolutely zero evidence to support the fact that your conclusions result in A vs B. In reality, I know many people in boot camps and who run marathons who are downright obese. They will stay that way until the stop over-taxing the nervous system and retraining the body how to process fuel. I’ve seen this happen more times than I can count. Of course you see the cardio folks who never burn fat — but are they busting their ass in the gym with resistance training PRIOR to that cardio session? Hardly. Are their diets lower in starch and higher in veggies and protein than the standard diet? Hardly.
Too many factors Tony — and this is why fitness is not an easy 1+1=2 equation.
Hope this helps to clarify, and I look forward to your replies on the future lessons.
Jon
hi jon your topics are really very intresting – but i still have a problem that i am not loosing fat although i am exercising 4 -5 times mixing cardio with strength exercise weekly and on a low carb diet waiting for ur advice thanks
Doudy,
I suggest you try what I recommend after the 7 days. If you look at the results others are having here: http://tinyurl.com/rflb-results you’ll see that there’s a lot of folks out there with stubborn fat losing weight on this plan. Thanks.
Jon, I completed Day1 and Quiz successfully. I did not receive Day2 or Day3 emails but then received the rest of the course (Day4 – Day7). I would like to have Day2 and Day3 before moving on with the rest. Would you please resend Day2 and Day3 emails or at least the links and passwords? Thank-you…
Steve, if you will notice at the top of each page are the links to the days before (just in case of such emergencies, as Foghorn Leghorn used to say… ; )
Just go to Day 4 and you can get to Days 2 and 3 no prob.
Jon,
Can you please provide me with any of the studies you mentioned that states consuming 100 grams of protein in one meal can be processed “if deemed metabolically necessary.” Thanks!
Check out http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/the-protein-book. Lyle’s book contains dozens of studies on this very subject. I do not have it here with me otherwise I’d quote some for you. Also, check out study re: Polish weightlifters (Nutr. Metabolism 12:259-274). Half the athletes were still in negative nitrogen balance even while consuming 250% of the RDA suggested protein intake.
Wicked stuff man… That is very well explained and pretty much covers all the bases.
I also like a method of zig-zagging/staggering carbs by eating starchy carbs on workout days (weight training days) when the body really needs the extra energy, and then more fibrous/water based carbs on “off” or light days.
Regards, Clayton
Personal Trainer | Adelaide, Australia
Thanks Clayton! Gets even better… : ) Appreciate the kind feedback.
Jon, i know this things too good, i want something shocking that i dont know already! Got anything?
Nastase, you’re on day 1… hang in there… each day is more progressive.
Hi Jon, I HAVE ONE QUESTION…Iam currently doing the 29wks upsidedown training with vince…just started…will this affect my training.I knows notting about gym and training so everything is new and i don’t want to mess up.will this be to much or confusing?
Hi Suzanna,
Absolutely not — this is primarily dietary. You will have to pause upside-down training for 21 days, but Vince himself loves the RFLB system. Thanks!
Hi Jon: this absolutely great Day-1 teaching is so powerful, that it immediately triggered me to purchase both 7MM & EODD and commit to actually doing it.Great inspiration; thank you!
However, now that i finished reading both 7MM & EODD, i am terribly confused about the “ideal mix”. in your above writings,you define the following:
“The ideal mix is this:
1. Weight train to build muscle…
2. Long duration moderate intensity cardio work…
3. Brief bouts of high intensity training …
Put these three together in this order and you have the greatest 1-2-3 fat-burning knock-out punch there is.”
In contrast,your 7MM & EODD books suggest the GXP protocol as post-workout, and the LDMI brisk walking in the morning, hence it leads to a different order, basically switching the order between HISD & LDMI, and recommending LDMI to a much later time.
Pardon my confusion, but i have few questions:
1. if i can make the time either way, which of the two is the ideal mix?
2. if my primary goal is accelerated growth of muscle mass, and losing fat is only an aesthetic consideration:
(a) is there a specific ideal mix?
(b) given this specific goal, do you recommend that i ALWAYS separate the LDMI exercise? in other words: i am losing substantial muscle mass during the long brisk walk?
Hi Ivon,
Happy to address this question, but please post it on the jonbensonfitness.com support forum. I try to keep this blog support-free. Thanks!
Hey Jon. Excellent work – I have learned heaps from your information. I am curious about one thing though. When on lower carb days will taking simple carbs with protein right after weight training ruin the whole day. Or, is this the only time I can go simple carbs without a problem?
Hi Dimitri,
That’s a complex question, no pun intended. Of course I know the reason and the theory behind simple carbs post-workout, but I would also posit that most people should not be training to that degree of glycogen depletion if trying to lose body fat, except perhaps on rare occasions. What I do is save my hardest workouts for my refeed days, drain the glycogen as much as possible, then enjoy. On other days, I don’t sweat it that much. I’ll have maybe 10 grams of sugar (simple sugars is fine) post-workout, but that’s about it.
Congratulations! Excelent work.
I’d never really understood about the calories that “extra” muscles “burn”, now I got it. xD
Thanks a lot!!!
Jon,
I passed the first day test yesterday morning with 100%! Lots of great info. I never got the day 2 email. I’ve checked my junkmail and nothing there either. Help?
Tim
Hi Tim! Good deal, glad you like it.
You absolutely must white list “Jon Benson” and “Fit365 Online”. Add them to your address book and “okay to get email” list so you can get all the emails.
I’ll send you an email with Day 2′s link and password. Thanks!
Jon, Still no email!
Tim, there’s a problem with “ford.com” accepting my emails. You will have to email me: jon at jvprofitcenter dot com, when whitelist me in order to receive anything.
Thanks Jon, I loved reading all your information. I have learned so much. I have struggled to keep weight off all my adult life. Will let you know how I go on your plan. I feel excited about your program, that’s the first time I’ve ever felt that for a weight loss program!!!
Im New here and have never tried this i weigh over 245lbs im 26 with one child whom is 8 going on 9 she my life just cant do as much as id like w her.. im married, and am a stay at home mom i can not have anymore children plz help me.
Jon,
I’m a 42 year-old man who has always been in good shape. Three and a half years ago we adopted a child and with that came resonsibilities that didn’t allow me to get into the gym as much. Just yesterday, we were in the backyard running around chasing our puppy and I was winded and had to “sit it out” for a few. Jon, I want to get rid of the lower belly fat I’ve accumulated and want to be around a long time for my family and have fun for years to come. I’m considering your EODD and imagine this would augment that well. I’ve been getting to the gym a bit more since my daughter is in a pre-school program three days a week and I’m putting in the effort…I just think I could use a hand.
Thanks,-Joe A.
Dear Joh I am difinately ready to receive the free Hypnosis Course’ I have have a colostomy and have had it re fashioned 3 times..I keep developing large hernias. My first op was in 2007, next 2009 next 2010. the last time i developed 2 hernias and now after my operation in January 2010 I have again 2 hernias. I have tried and tried to loose weight, I know that if my weight goes down I have a better chance of more hernias forming. I also have arthritis badly and a few other medical problems, as well as the hernias that make it difficult to exercise. I am at my wits end…I only put my weight on after my Hysterectomy. I have had 10 children my eldest 49 my youngest 27,was born when I was 41yea rs old. I only weighed 80 Kg when I gave birth to my twins that weighed 7lb & 7lb 4oz and have always been mindful of my diet and yet here I am, 94 kg and I just stay between there. I feel Hypnosis would work for me and hope that you will help me …..Barb