Tag: build muscle fast

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CREATINE a practical guide

Those of you familiar with my writings are well aware of the fact that I am strongly in support of intelligent training methods. In this article, I give this advocacy a unique twist and discuss whether it is possible to train for intelligence. Research has shown that a person’s cognitive capacity may remain acute far into advanced age, if practiced throughout life. In a sense, this result suggests that a person’s “mental fitness” improves with training. And since, nutritional supplements plays a big role in modern athletics, this issue also begs the question whether nutritional supplementation may also help maintain mental fitness. In this respect, a pivotal study recently appeared in the scientific press that examined the effects of creatine supplementation on human intelligence (1). This study might change the way you think…

Brain Energetics

As for any activity we undertake, thought requires energy-or should, in any case. In fact, thinking takes lots of energy. On a per weight basis, the brain is one of the body’s highest energy consumers. Although representing only 2% of our total body mass, the brain consumes nearly one quarter of our entire energy resources. The disproportionate amount of energy consumed by our brains is reflected by the fact that the head is generally warmer than the body core temperature; this gives an entire new meaning to the phrase “hot head”, doesn’t it.

Any thought we abstract, any sensation we perceive, or any action we initiate, is encoded by electrical impulses that literally flow throughout our nervous systems. However, unlike the electrical currents that flow through the wires in our homes and that are carried by negatively charged electrons (a part of an atom), the electrical impulses that propagate through our nerve cells, or neurons, are largely mediated by positively charged atoms that, interestingly enough, lack electrons. Such charged atoms are known as ions, nothing more than atoms with an incomplete number of electrons in their outer shell. Electrical currents (carried by positive ions) literally flow through our neurons relaying information from brain to target, and back again.

A neuronal impulse is initiated with the flow of positively charged sodium ions into a neuron. This influx of sodium ions causes a localized accumulation of positive charges near their point of entry at the neuronal membrane. To relieve this buildup of positive charges, potassium ions (also positively charged) respond by flowing outward, since like charges repel each other. This instantaneous switch in ionic polarity can be likened to a spark that rapidly spreads along the entire length of the nerve cell. Obviously, this situation cannot continue forever, otherwise all of the sodium ions would end up on the inside the neuron and all the potassium ions on the outside. Indeed, after a flurry of electrical activity the relative distribution of sodium and potassium (near the membrane) nearly reverses. In order for brain activity to continue, therefore, these ions need to be actively placed back onto their appropriate sides of the membrane. This process is energetically very expensive.

The molecular pumps that are responsible for situating sodium and potassium back to their respective sides of the neuronal membrane are called ATPases; obviously, since they rely on ATP to function. In fact, maintaining these pumps active is the greatest sink of energy in the brain. As in muscle, however, ATP is often limiting. Also analogous to the muscular situation is the fact that phosphocreatine (PCr) is what assures a steady supply of ATP to the cell. PCr thus keeps these ATPases pumping sodium and potassium back into their respective compartments, thereby allowing continual neuronal activity. Figuratively speaking, phosphocreatine keeps us thinking.

So, what does this have to do with creatine?

Recall that PCr is the energized form of creatine that is present within the cell. When we supplement with creatine, what we are in actuality doing is increasing the PCr content of the cell. Therefore, at least in theory, creatine supplementation should influence how well we think under pressure. Food for thought, so to speak. One recent study, furthermore, showed that mice deficient in the enzyme that creates PCr from creatine, creatine kinase, are slower at learning a water maze (2). In other words, the mice with lower levels of PCr erred more often and generally spent more time in the water. The stage was thus set for human studies…

Does creatine supplementation influence mental acuity in humans?

This was the question asked by a recent study conducted at the Universities of Sydney and Macquarie, Australia.

Study Design:

The study examined the effect of creatine supplementation (5 grams/day for six weeks) on the ability to perform two cognitive tests, the Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPMs) and Weschler Auditory Backward Digit Span (BDS). These tasks are designed to test non-verbal intelligence (IQ) and verbal memory capacity (short-term memory), respectively.

The authors of the study also chose 45 vegetarians and vegans as experimental subjects. This group of individuals was specifically chosen since their dietary intake of creatine, which was negligible, would not interfere with the amount of creatine administered during the course of the study.

This study consisted of a placebo-controlled, cross-over design. This simply means that each subject served as his own control scenario. Subjects either took creatine or placebo (maltodextrin) for six weeks before performing one of the mental tests (week 6). They then washed out for another six weeks in order that their creatine levels should return to baseline (week 12). Supplementation then commenced anew (six more weeks) using the opposite supplementing condition. During the 18th week they then repeated the same test under the influence of the second supplementing condition. The entire cycle repeated after a washout of another six weeks with the other mental task. Therefore, each subject took each test twice, once under the influence of creatine and once under the influence of placebo.

Study Results:

Subjects who were administered creatine exhibited improved short-term memory and were also better able to problem solve under pressure of time. Specifically, the creatine group was better able to repeat back long sequences of numbers from memory (BDS). Creatine subjects were on average able to repeat back 1-2 more integers than placebo counterparts. Their general IQ scores were also higher than the placebo group (RAPMs). Quoting directly from the manuscript: “Supplementation with creatine significantly increased intelligence compared with placebo”.

Take Home:

So, should you take a teaspoon of creatine before your next all-nighter? Although “thought provoking”, it’s still too early to say. Not all thought processes are alike. This study does seem to suggest, however, that creatine may help with complicated computational tasks.

Who knows, in the future taking a swig of creatine before a cram session may be an accepted practice among university students.

Scientific References

1. Rae, C., Digney, A .L., McEwan, S.R. & Bates, T.C. (September 2003) Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves cognitive performance; a placebo-controlled, double-blind cross-over trial. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London – Biological Sciences. Volume 270(1529): pages 2147-2150.

2. Jost, C. R., Van Der Zee C. E., In’t Zandt H. J., Oerlemans F., Verheij M., Streijger F., Fransen J., Heerschap A., Cools A. R. & Wieringa B. (May 2002) Creatine kinase B-driven energy transfer in the brain is important for habituation and spatial learning behaviour, mossy fibre field size and determination of seizure susceptibility. European Journal Neuroscience Volume 15 (10): pages 1692-706.

 

This article was written by Dr. Alfredo Franco-Obregón, research scientist, author, and owner of the Creatine Information Center and NSN Publishing.

Dr. Alfredo Franco-Obregón has had over 20 years of in depth research experience in major laboratories world-wide. His principal scientific interest is the understanding of the cellular mechanisms leading to muscle cell death.

Dr. Franco-Obregón is also the author of Creatine: A practical guide.  Creatine: A practical guide clearly teaches you how to best combine exercise, nutrition, and intelligent creatine use for optimal muscle growth, improved athletic performance, and overall good health. Find out more about this must-read book.

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Creatine: The Next Great Antioxidant?

Muscle damage is a natural consequence of exercise. A small amount of muscle damage is not a terrible thing and, in fact, is necessary to stimulate new muscle growth. If, on the other hand, the amount of damage you inflict upon your muscles with exercise exceeds their capacity to repair and rebuild, then you’re in big trouble. You then have a scenario of net muscle breakdown, otherwise known as catabolism. Situating yourself in a catabolic holding pattern by continually overdoing it in the weight room will eventually lead to overall loses in muscle mass and diminished athletic performance. This article focuses one aspect of overtraining and how to minimize its effects.

Two principal forms of muscle damage arise from physical exertion:

The first is mechanical and occurs immediately. In response to the physical stress of exercise, your muscles and associated capillary beds become slightly damaged. These microscopic foci of damage may then prime a robust phase of increased micro-vascularization and new muscle growth (aka, anabolism). That is, conditions permitting, capillary beds will reform to increase blood flow and new muscle tissue will be laid down to replace damaged tissue. The end result, increased blood flow to larger, more efficiently, working muscles. If, on the other hand, the initial amount of damage is too great or insufficient time is given for your muscles to fully recover from the insult, you will lose strength and mass!

The second form of muscle damage is a downstream consequence of the first and is, in actuality, the initiation of the rebuilding process discussed previously. This form of muscle damage results from reactive molecular species produced in response to strenuous exercise, but that exert their degenerative effects a few days later.

Rising from the ashes …

Following the initial insult of exercise, damaged muscle tissue must be cleared away before rebuilding can commence. This process begins with the leakage of chemical agents from damaged cells that attract specialized cells known as phagocytes (neutrophils and macrophages) to sites of damage. Here, phagocytes accumulate, greatly increase in number, and build an appetite. Next, commences a voracious phase of cell eating, otherwise known as phagocytosis (hence, their name), whereby damaged muscle tissue is literally eaten away. The process of phagocytosis is initiated with the release of agents from macrophages that serve to breakdown, or digest, damaged cells in preparation for absorption. Following the removal of all dead tissue, the stage is then set for new muscle growth. New muscle is formed from the fusion of hundreds of progenitor cells that were previously laying dormant waiting for the appropriate signal to act. From start to finish, this entire process takes about 3-4 days.

Free Radicals

To assist in their removal of dead tissue phagocytes release digestive enzymes, toxins, and, most importantly, Reactive Oxygen Species, or ROS, for short. ROS are produced in the burst of metabolic activity known as a “respiratory burst“. One of the most powerful of ROS produced by phagocytes is the Superoxide Radical. Superoxide greatly weakens the integrity of the muscle membrane causing small tears that allow calcium ions to leak into the muscle cell. It is a rise in intramuscular calcium that activates a class of enzyme known as proteases that cause the muscle cell to disintegrate. Obviously, a small amount of superoxide plays an essential role in the absorption of damaged cells. On the other hand, overproduction of superoxide surpasses its usefulness and can actually be counterproductive as its destructive capacity becomes unleashed without warrant..

Oxidative stress

Exercise also directly produces ROS. That is, independently of neutrophils and macrophages. Normally, most of the oxygen consumed during cell metabolism is converted into water. A small amount of the consumed oxygen (2-4%), however, is converted into superoxide. Given the fact that exercise can increase muscle oxygen consumption by as much as 200-fold, superoxide levels also increase tremendously with intense exercise, easily surpassing the body’s capacity to neutralize it. This gives rise to a dangerous scenario known as oxidative stress, which slows muscle recovery and increases the chances of injury. In fact, some experts believe that the overproduction of ROS may also accelerate the normal aging process as well as eventually lead to states of disease.

Antioxidants

Our bodies possess a natural line of defense against oxidative stress; special molecules known as antioxidants that neutralize ROS. Vitamins A, C and E are examples of vitamins that can act as antioxidants. Vitamin E is a particularly potent antioxidant, since it is able to act in both aqueous (within the cell) and lipid (within membranes) environments, and is hence very effective at protecting our cellular membranes from degradation following oxidative stress. Our bodies also come equipped with their own antioxidant molecular complexes. Some of the most important enzymatic antioxidants are Superoxide Dismutase, Glutathione Peroxidase, and Catalase. Glutathione is one of our principle non-enzymatic antioxidants.

Athletes are now paying closer attention to their antioxidant status in an attempt to better assist muscle recovery. Proactive measures one can take to enhance the body’s capacity to cope with oxidative stress include eating foods rich in antioxidants, supplementing with antioxidant vitamins, limiting alcohol intake, especially following exercise and getting plenty of rest. It now turn’s out that some athletes were improving their antioxidant defenses in a way they hadn’t previously imagined…

Is creatine an antioxidant?

A study was recently released suggesting that creatine might act as a superoxide scavenger in its own right. This would be an additional benefit of creatine, independent of its better-understood capacity to increase ATP availability during exercise. It is thus possible that part of the benefit we obtain from creatine derives from its capacity to act as an antioxidant.

The salient points of the study were as follows:

  1. The creatine levels used in this study were within physiological limits. In other words, the concentrations of creatine found by this study to be effective at scavenging free radicals were comparable to those found within muscle (20-60 mM, for those interested). This gave relevancy to the study.
  2. Creatine, although not as effective as glutathione at neutralizing superoxide, was an effective antioxidant, nonetheless.
  3. Creatine’s ability to neutralize superoxide was measured in a test tube, not in an exercising person. And, although it’s reasonable to assume that creatine should behave similarly within athletes, subtle differences may exist. For all we know, creatine may be an even more efficacious antioxidant inside the body! Only further experimentation will tell.

Take Home

This report indicates that creatine possess’ antioxidant properties and is able to effectively neutralize Superoxide, one of the more insidious free radicals produced by exercise. Since these findings where obtained in a test tube, however, it remains to be shown if creatine has the same antioxidant properties within an exercising person. Although preliminary, this result is surely worth pursuing and has important practical implications for muscle recovery following strenuous exercise.

Scientific References

1. Lawler, J. M., Barnes, W. S., Wu G., Song, W., and Demaree, S. (January 2002) Direct antioxidant properties of creatine. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Volume 290 (1): pages 47-52.

 

This article was written by Dr. Alfredo Franco-Obregón, research scientist, author, and owner of the Creatine Information Center and NSN Publishing.

Dr. Alfredo Franco-Obregón has had over 20 years of in depth research experience in major laboratories world-wide. His principal scientific interest is the understanding of the cellular mechanisms leading to muscle cell death.

Dr. Franco-Obregón is also the author of Creatine: A practical guide. Creatine: A practical guide clearly teaches you how to best combine exercise, nutrition, and intelligent creatine use for optimal muscle growth, improved athletic performance, and overall good health. Find out more about this must-read book.

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The Great Cook Book Sale

We just secured a special deal on large number of cook books, which we are offering to you as a reader of this blog for highly reduced price. The numbers for each eBook so if you like anyone of them make sure your order your copy fast as once we sell out we may not be able to order more in. all eBooks are available for straight download after ordering. you can view ebooks here http://healthandfitness.wizit.co.nz/cookbooks/mainpage.html

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Why Ab Machines Can Never Give You a Slimmer Waistline…

Ab Machines are not the answer to a slimmer waistline.

Ab machines are being advertised everywhere these days, but they are most commonly advertised on late night infomercials.

These infomercials are largely aimed at tricking the public to believe that they can “flatten” their stomach by doing a few ab exercises each day.

You’ve seen the infomercials – so you know what we’re talking about.

These infomercials usually have a bunch of super-healthy fitness models walking around with perfect abs — and they tell you that they owe their great looking abs to whatever “ab machine” that they’re trying to sell to you.

These fitness models usually have a “smile” on their face as they demonstrate the ab machine for you, and they do this so that you’ll believe that it’s “fun and easy” to use their ab machine.

However, what these super-healthy fitness models don’t tell you is that they had great looking abs even before they used an ab machine.

Most of those fitness models were born with super-lean bodies, and this means that they would have great looking abs no matter what.

THE TRUTH ABOUT AB MACHINES

The truth is that ab machines do work to strengthen your ab muscles, but that’s all they do.  They strengthen your ab muscles, but they do not make your waistline slimmer — see the difference?

Ab machines cannot make your stomach THINNER or SLIMMER – they can only make your ab muscles STRONGER.

You see, even if you have the strongest ab muscles in the world, it’s still possible to have a huge waist at the same time.

In fact, just look at football players for a perfect example of this. Football players have some of the strongest ab muscles on the planet (you could almost hit their stomach with a sledgehammer and not hurt them) —- but yet they are also some of the most overweight athletes on the planet.

This is because they have super strong ab muscles, but those ab muscles are buried beneath layers of fat tissue.

This fact PROVES that ab machines will only give you stronger abs, but they won’t give you a SLIMMER STOMACH.

If you want a thinner waistline then you must lose the fat tissue which is sitting on top of your stomach muscles, and the only way to do that is to follow a good dieting plan.

You must remember that you can make your abs super strong and firm, and yet you can still have tons of fat tissue sitting on top of your stomach which prevents your ab muscles from being seen.  

This is the “truth” which ab machine makers don’t want you to know when you’re watching their fitness models on TV.   The truth is that you need to begin a diet to lose the fat which is sitting on top of your ab muscles, since only then will you get a slimmer waistline.

To begin losing weight fast (and to get a slimmer waistline) we recommend using the new Fat Burning Diet from Fat Loss 4 Idiots. This is a brand new type of diet never seen before.

You can begin this new diet right here.

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South Beach Diet and the Atkins Low Carb Plan.

Our Review:

The Atkins Low Carb Diet is based on eating very few carbs, and this is especially true during “Phase 1”.  We believe that it’s one of the strictest low carb diets on the market, especially during “Phase 1”. 

There is no mistaking this program for anything other than a very strict low carb plan, since it only allows 80 carb calories per day during the first phase (20 grams of net carbs is approximately 80 carb calories per day)……..and that’s less carbs than you’ll find in a large apple, since even a large apple has slightly more carbs than that. 

Phase 1 of the Atkins Diet is now listed as ‘optional’ — but even if Phase 1 is skipped we still believe that the overall carb limitations make it a very strict low carb diet. 

This program is probably not for the faint of heart, since only truly committed dieters will probably be able to withstand Phase 1 of this program.

What about the South Beach Diet?

The South Beach diet is also a fairly strict low carb program (especially during the first phase)…..though perhaps not as strict as the Atkins program.

…But it’s our opinion that the South Beach plan is too strict (limits carbs too much) to be practical for everyday dieters — especially during phase 1 with the severely reduced carbs and other rules forbidding many foods.

For example, we’ve observed that the higher carb foods (on the South Beach menu) are severely limited in portions during the first phase of the diet — and this prevents a normal amount of carbs from being eaten during the first phase.  

In fact, most of the foods which dieters are allowed to eat in “unlimited portions” (during phase 1) are protein foods and super-low-calorie vegetables.

For example, the South Beach menu allows unlimited lettuce during phase 1 — but yet it limits the portions of “tomatoes” and “onions” and “peanuts”. 

Additionally, the “sweet snacks” which are allowed on the South Beach menu are limited to a mere 75 calories per day during phase 1.  

So even though the South Beach plan allows “sweet snacks” — they are severely limited to just 75 calories per day……..and that’s less calories than a single large cookie contains. 

So although the South Beach program is not as strict as the Atkins diet, it’s our opinion that both diets are fairly strict low carb programs — and we believe that both plans will be fairly difficult to follow for average dieters who are not truly committed, especially during Phase 1.

Also…….both of these diets seem to have no “end” in sight — since both the Atkins plan and the South Beach diet never allow dieters to return to a normal carb lifestyle (where carbs don’t have to be closely watched). 

Both of these diets do gradually allow more and more carbs to be eaten as time goes by of course (as time goes by the rules are relaxed a bit), but even after 6 months dieters are still told to watch their carb intake to some degree each day, and both diets seem to require a lifetime commitment of some sort.

So it’s a permanent lifestyle change which is required by these diets, and many dieters may find it difficult to never be able to enjoy their favorite carb-filled restaurant meals (which can be eaten completely “as served”, and without any restrictions).

So overall we think that both diets are not very practical for average dieters who are not 100% committed to making huge sacrifices for the long term, since we believe that many people will find it difficult to modify their entire lifestyle permanently.   We therefore recommend against using the South Beach and Atkins programs for most people, for the reasons outlined above.

End of Review.

We’ve created a new Fat Burning Diet which is called the Idiot Proof Diet, and it has no specific limits on portions (it also allows 3 cheat days every 11 days where anything can be eaten, making the diet more practical for everyday dieters). 

Thousands of people are losing weight each week using this new diet.

You can begin using this new diet right here.

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The way to cure Obesity is not always by lowering your Daily Calories, and here’s why…

Haven’t you ever wondered why some people are naturally overweight while other people can remain skinny while eating twice as much?

The truth is that your total “daily calories” is not the deciding factor in whether you’re overweight or skinny.

You see, there are 3 main types of calories that you can eat each day. 

First, there is protein… 

Next, there are carbohydrates (carbs)… 

And finally there are fat calories…

The truth is that your body doesn’t pay attention to how many daily calories are eaten, but rather your body pays attention to how much of EACH TYPE of calorie that you consume.

For example, if you eat too many sugar based calories (sugar is common in fat free foods) then your body won’t be able to use all of those sugar calories, and the excess calories will be stored as fat tissue.

This can happen even if you didn’t eat very many daily calories, because if you eat too many “wrong” calories then you’ll get fat.  This is why many obese people remain overweight their whole lives even though they eat less than some of their skinny friends and family members.

…And it doesn’t have to be this way, because even though it’s true that some people have slower metabolisms (and suffer from obesity) they can still get just as skinny as their friends if they just learn to EAT THE RIGHT TYPES OF CALORIES EACH DAY.

You see, your body needs protein, carbs and fat calories too.  Your body needs all 3 types of calories, but it does not need them all in the same proportions at every meal.

Certain types of fat calories can speed up weight loss believe it or not, while other types of “fat free foods” will actually make you overweight if you eat them too often.

Why else do you think that losing weight is so difficult?  Why else do you think that our society is suffering from a serious obesity problem which is getting worse?

It’s because the ANSWER to weight loss is the OPPOSITE of what most people think.  Most average people have been brought up to believe that eating “fat” is bad and that eating “fat free foods” is healthy.

That may “seem” logical at first, but in reality the opposite is often true.  Eating “fat” does not automatically turn to fat tissue on your body, and eating “fat free” does not automatically cause weight loss to happen either.

To begin losing weight you must realize this fact and open your mind to a new way of dieting.

If you want to lose weight fast then you must learn to eat foods which have fat burning properties, and these are foods which keep your blood sugar level more stable throughout the day.  

You see, if you eat foods which cause your blood sugar level to spike upwards too sharply then you’ll feel “energetic” for a short while — but then afterwards your blood sugar level will drop way too low and you’ll feel tired and lethargic for the rest of the day.

The higher your blood sugar rises after a meal, then the lower it will drop afterward.  …And when it drops you’ll feel tired and hungry all over again.  This is why obese people often suffer from “highs and lows” in their energy level.  

But if you begin eating fat burning foods (which keep your blood sugar level stable throughout the day) then your energy will be steady all day long, you’ll have plenty of energy and you won’t ever feel tired of lethargic.

Also, when your blood sugar level is kept stable then your body’s natural fat burning engine will begin burning more fat tissue.  That’s why these are called “fat burning foods”.

To learn which fat burning foods you need to eat to begin losing weight, we recommend using our new online diet right here.

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Are Low Carb Diets Good or Bad for Weight Loss Success?

Everybody has heard of “low carb” diets — since they are emerging as the newest trend in dieting.

But do they really work? …And if so, are they the solution to weight loss that everybody is looking for?

We don’t think so, because most low carb diets have several problems which make losing weight very difficult for the “average” dieter.

For example, if you follow the Atkins diet (a popular low carb program) then the restriction on carbs for the first couple weeks is very severe (by almost any standards).

The Atkins program allows just 20 grams of “net carbs” per day during the first phase of the diet (which usually lasts for 2 weeks).

Just to give you an idea of how few carbs that really is – even a large apple has more than 20 grams of “net carbs”.

This low level of carbs is often too severe for the “average” dieter to tolerate for 2 weeks straight, and in fact eating such a low level of carbs can make a person feel “weak” and “miserable” all day long (because your body needs more carbs than that for energy).

Other low carb diets (such as the South Beach Diet) are not quite as severe as the Atkins Plan, but in our opinion even the South Beach Diet is not as easy to follow as it could be.

We believe that a successful diet needs to be easy to follow – because that’s the only way that people will stick to the diet and lose weight.

We believe that diets should not make average people feel “miserable” and “weak” all day long, because if a diet makes people feel miserable and weak then it’s going to be very difficult for average dieters to adhere to such programs.

We’re not saying that all low carb diets are as restrictive as the Atkins Diet is, but we’re saying that most low carb diets are so hard to follow that “average dieters” will probably wind up feeling hungry and weak all day long (which is not a good thing for dieting success in our opinion).

We believe that “low carbs” is not the answer to losing weight, since your body needs a reasonable amount of all 3 types of calories to lose weight consistently (protein, carbs, and fat).

The truth is that your body needs a reasonable amount of protein, carbs and fat calories too.

To lose weight quickly you must eat all 3 types of calories in the right proportions, and that’s why most dieters fail. They fail because nobody knows what the right proportions of calories should be.

To begin losing weight fast we recommend using the new Idiot Proof Diet shown below — since there are no specific “portion limits” at any meal (and dieters can eat as much as they need to at each meal).   Also, unlimited amounts of certain condiments can be eaten with every meal.

This is a brand new type of diet never seen before.

You can begin this new diet right here.

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Why Calorie Counting Doesn’t Work for Weight Loss…

Most people believe that calories are the “enemy”, since eating excess calories leads to excess fat, right?   That’s why most people believe that the fastest way to lose weight is to cut way back on calories each day.

After all, if a dieter is eating 2,500 calories per day and they decide to cut back to 1,500 calories per day – then obviously those extra 1,000 calories have to result in weight loss, right?

Well, actually this is not exactly true.

In fact, if you try to cut your calories too much (via starving yourself and skipping meals) then you’ll quickly reach a dieting “plateau” (a point where the scale refuses to drop any lower no matter how little your are eating).

Firstly, let’s talk about how the average person begins a new diet…

The scenario usually sounds something like this…

One day you look in the mirror and see that your clothes are fitting tighter than normal, and you look more overweight than normal. …And on this day you get “angry” with yourself, you’re angry with what you see in the mirror – and you decide that you’re going to lose weight no matter what it takes.

You are filled with lots of motivation and anger on this day, and you feel determined to do whatever it takes to get slimmer.

So what’s the first thing you do?

…You begin skipping meals and cutting way back on calories in an attempt to starve yourself thinner, since you’re convinced that calories are the enemy.

Anyway, the above scenario is how you begin your “starvation diet.”

On the first day of dieting you feel so “motivated” to lose weight that you decide to skip breakfast.

Unfortunately, this motivation doesn’t last for long, because after a few hours your hunger begins making you feel weak — because your body is not accustomed to “skipping meals” like this, and your body is not accustomed to being without calories for so long.

Anyway, by the time lunchtime arrives you’re so hungry (and weak) that you feel absolutely miserable — but yet you bravely tell yourself that you can handle this diet (because after all, you certainly don’t want to feel like a quitter).

So you perhaps have a piece of fruit for lunch (or perhaps another small food item instead), since you’re still convinced that you can starve yourself thinner.

Finally, hours later when dinnertime arrives you’re so miserable and hungry that you have a major headache – and this is the moment when you finally begin to realize that starving yourself might not be such a good idea after all.

After this first day of starving yourself you feel horrible, but you’re determined to stick to your diet since you don’t want to be a quitter so soon — so you’ll likely hold out for another few days on this diet.

Or, if you are particularly brave then you may even hold out for a week or two.

However, regardless of how long you actually hold out — you won’t get any slimmer and the final result will still be the same.

You see, even after two weeks of starving yourself you won’t have achieved any serious weight loss at all.  In fact, your body will still look the same when you look in the mirror.

Why is this true?

This is true because most of the weight lost during a “starvation diet” is just water weight, and not real fat loss.

You must remember that any “water weight” lost during a starvation diet will be gained back immediately when you stop dieting and start eating normally again.

Also, whenever you starve yourself you cause a “hidden” factor to come into play…

You see, whenever you starve yourself your body will begin burning fewer calories each day.

For instance, let’s say that you normally eat about 3,,000 calories per day.

….But then you suddenly cut way back on calories — so that you’re now eating only 1,000 calories per day.

Guess what happens?

Even though you’re eating 2,000 fewer calories per day your body will begin burning 2,000 fewer calories per day – so in reality your weight will remain the same even though you’re eating 2,000 fewer calories per day.

When this happens the scale will stop going down regardless of how little you are eating each day, and this is known as a weight loss “plateau.”

This is why most starvation dieters cannot make the scale go down anymore after just two weeks of dieting. They all hit a “plateau” where the scale just refuses to go down any further, no matter how little they are eating each day.

Now you know why you’ve always failed when trying to starve yourself in the past, since it’s just not possible to lose weight by starving yourself.

The truth is that “serious” weight loss can never be achieved by starvation dieting.

Serious weight loss can only be achieved by giving your body the right types of calories at the correct times each day, which is something that we talk about below…

Your body is actually like a big “engine” — and the truth is that your body needs all 3 types of calories (protein, carbs, and fat) to some degree.

To begin losing weight fast we recommend using the new Idiot Proof Diet from Fat Loss 4 Idiots — because it does not require any calorie counting (it’s one of the only diets in the world which forces fast weight loss without the need to count calories).

You can begin this new diet right here.

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The Zone Diet vs. Jenny Craig Weight Loss

Our Review of these 2 programs:

The Zone Diet is based on the theory of 40/30/30 — which means that 40% of calories should be from carbs, 30% from protein, and 30% from fats.  This program was created by Barry Sears……and a well known book was published about this diet called “Enter the Zone”.

So when a dieter eats a meal which is “40/30/30”  — then it’s referred to as a “Zone Favorable” meal.

The author of the Zone Program (Barry Sears) claims that if you make all meals “Zone Favorable” then your body will have reduced insulin levels, which will lead to weight loss and fat burning. 

However, we do not agree that eating a 40/30/30 meal (Zone Favorable meal) is the best way to reduce insulin levels.

Also, another thing to remember is that it can be difficult to follow the Zone Diet because everything must be calculated “precisely” at every meal (and most people will find such calculations very tedious, especially people with busy schedules). 

We believe that average dieters may find this program too difficult to use for any serious length of time, and therefore we do not like the Zone Diet program.

The makers of this diet have even created their own line of Zone Favorable Food products (such as Zone bars, Zone Shakes, and other Zone products for dieters). 

But of course, such products cost much more than “average food” costs……so many average dieters may discover that buying such products is not economical for them.  This is yet one more reason why we do not recommend using this program.

The Jenny Craig weight loss program is a bit more traditional and simple in our opinion, though it probably costs a bit too much for the average person (it’s also a little too basic in its principles, in our opinion).

This entire diet seems to be based on eating fewer calories while exercising more, which is a very old concept.  With Jenny Craig you get assigned your own weight loss expert (nutrition counselor) who will help to keep you motivated each week so that you’ll remain on the diet.

This is possible because Jenny Craig has many weight loss centers throughout the world, and if dieters live close to a facility then they can choose to meet with a nutrition consultant “in person”.   Or, if dieters do not live near a facility then they can choose to meet with their nutrition counselor “via telephone” each week.

…But regardless of whether you meet with your nutrition consultant via telephone or in person — you’ll still have to buy Jenny Craig’s expensive “pre-packaged” meals.  That’s the downside of this diet program in our opinion, since you have to continually buy Jenny’s pre-packaged meals (which are fairly expensive when compared to normal meals).

From everything we’ve seen these pre-packaged meals seem to be lower calorie versions of normal meals, so they don’t seem to be anything too earth shattering or special (from our perspective). 

So with Jenny Craig you’ll basically be eating fewer calories (smaller portioned meals) and exercising more while meeting weekly with a nutrition counselor (who will keep you motivated so that you don’t quit the diet).

Plus, don’t forget that you’ll be required to buy Jenny Craig’s pre-packaged food every single week — which can be expensive over time.  

So overall we don’t think that it’s smart to use the Jenny Craig program, since any diet that requires you to continually spend money for “special meals” is not a good choice in our opinion.

When we compare the Zone Diet to Jenny Craig we find that both programs have too many negative qualities to recommend — though the Zone Program is probably just a tad better in our opinion. 

But overall we strongly recommend against both of these weight loss programs.

END OF REVIEW.

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The Truth About Food Portions and Daily Calorie Limits…

Two of the most frequently asked questions from dieters are:

“How big should my food portions be?”

“How many calories should I eat each day in order to lose weight fast?”

Many fad diets have attempted to set calorie guidelines which are based on “bodyweight & height” (and sometimes they factor in “activity level” also).

Most weight loss counselors operate using these same types of daily calorie guidelines too.

In other words, most weight loss counselors instruct people to follow a specific “daily calorie limit” which is based on their weight & height (and sometimes their activity level is factored in too). 

For example, some weight loss counselors may tell you to eat 2,000 calories per day if you weigh a certain amount (and if you describe yourself as “active”).

But this is a RIDICULOUS way to try and lose weight, and we’ll explain why below.

The truth is that it’s quite ridiculous to follow a specific calorie limit each day, since every person has a different metabolism level.  

You cannot judge your metabolism by your activity level either, since there are plenty of people with higher activity levels but who are overweight nonetheless (due to a slower than normal metabolism).

For example, if you take 2 people who weigh 165 lbs and who have the same activity level each day, then there is no guarantee that their metabolisms will be operating at the same general level.  In fact, it’s quite possible that one person’s metabolism will be nearly twice as fast as the other person’s metabolism.

Also, there is another reason why following a specific “daily caloric guideline” is a waste of time.

You see, your body doesn’t burn calories on a “per day” basis, your body burns calories on a “per meal” basis.  Your body doesn’t burn calories based on what time the sun rises and sets, it burns calories throughout the day as you eat them.

This means that following some arbitrary “daily caloric guideline” is not going to make you any thinner, since you must actually learn to spread out your daily food across more than 3 meals per day in order to lose weight fast.

To speed up your metabolism you must eat more often, not less often.  You must eat more than 3 meals per day, and you must not follow some arbitrary caloric guideline each day.   Also, it’s quite easy to figure out how big your food portions need to be when trying to lose weight, and it has nothing to do with counting calories.

In fact, people who count calories usually fail at weight loss, and that’s because counting calories doesn’t work.  We have created a way to choose your food portions at each meal which doesn’t involve counting calories, and you can learn about our new dieting method below.

In fact, that’s why our new Online Diet Generator creates an 11 Day Menu which allows you to eat more than 3 meals per day — and it also allows you to eat until you feel satisfied (no specific calorie limits are needed).

…And this is why our diet is so effective at forcing fast weight loss for thousands of new dieters each month.
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