Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

M

mnglamourgirl

Cathlete
I wasn't sure where to post this message, so I apologize if this isn't the right spot. There seems to be a lot of messages/questions about dieting. I'm certainly not an expert, but I just wanted to share with everyone the nutrition plan that worked for me. It's called Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (www.burnthefat.com). Basically, it's a very sensible, no nonsense way to approach to eating. I lost weight on Weight Watchers but plateaued because I wasn't EATING ENOUGH! I figured I was eating about 1200-1400 calories a day. Add in a Cathe workout that burned about 500 calories and I was only netting 700-900 calories!! I learned on BFFM, that my body needs about 2400 calories a day just to SUSTAIN itself - no wonder my body went into starvation mode. Now, my goal is to eat 1800 calories a day, eating very clean, healthy foods. My body has responded quite nicely. Since October, I dropped 4% body fat and over 5 inches overall. I will say that Tom Venuto approaches fitness with a no-excuses, it's-not-going-to-be-easy approach. It does take discipline and commitment to achieve the type of body we want.

BFFM along with Cathe's workouts are truly the best combination of diet and exercise you can find, IMHO.:)

Terri
 
I liked his book also, and his approach to nutrition...healthy, whole foods!

I found him to be very motivating as well!

Congratulations on your success!
 
Terri,

I am very interested in the BFFM program. I am a little hesitant about ordering an ebook with 370 pages. Not sure if my computer can handle the download, and then what, do you print it out or view online? Is there any way to buy a hardcopy? I would appreciate any input you can give on this.

Carolyn
 
Hi Carolyn. I downloaded the book, and then turned right around and uploaded it with a custom print order to Kinko's. They had my book printed and bound within 2 hours. It was a bit pricey, but this is one of those books that is DEFINITELY worth having! HTH

Lorrie

Pain is temporary - quitting lasts forever
Candace Grasso, CC-V-6
 
The download is quite easy because it's all text. I did print it out a chapter at a time double-sided. You can also burn it to a CD. Taking it to Kinkos for them to print is a great idea. I agree, it is well worth the expense!

Terri
 
I'm interested in this book also but can't figure out why he doesn't just go ahead and publish it. Can you gals tell me who the author is?
 
I love this book! I don't believe a hard copy is available.

I copied the book to CD, then took it to Staples where I had it copied, double sided, onto 3-hole punched paper. I put it in a binder. It is well worth the expense.
 
I have seen quite a number of posts on this book and it sounds very interesting. I am actually thinking of purchashing it next year. Is anyone familiar with the South Beach diet ? Can you say if the nutrition of BFFM is similar to that of the South Beach diet... i.e. 3 meals, 2 snacks, "good" carbs like whole grains and other low gylcaemic carbs ?
Does BFFM author actually show you how to calculate your caloric requirement ?

Traci
 
I'm not that familiar with SB, so I'll only speak about BFFM. Yes, Tom Venuto does show you how to calculate your daily caloric requirements. You may be surprised at how much you can really eat! My totaly daily expediture is 2400 calories! To lose weight, I reduce my calories to 1800. The goal is to eat 5x/day, so each meal is approximately 360 calories, which isn't a lot. Each meal consists of a lean protein (i.e. chicken), complex carb (i.e. brown rice) and a fibrous carb (i.e. broccoli). For me, my body responds much better with complex carbs in my diet, especially when I do fasted morning Cathe workouts. Otherwise, I just don't have enough energy to do her workouts. You may be surprised, but foods like yams and red/white potatoes are not only suggested, but encouraged as part of your diet. He does a great job explaining the reasons why.

Terri
 
I emailed Tom about 8 months ago when I wanted to buy the book but didn't want the hassle of printing it out. He offered to send a printed hard copy for $50. I really appreciated that and placed my order right away. It came a few days later, already punched and placed in a 3 ring binder along with bonuses. I thought that was a great deal considering it cost him over $5 to ship it.

Not sure if he's offering that anymore but it might be worth an email. Whatever you do, get it....it's a great book.

JJ
 
Terri,

Thanks for the info... I'll definitely buy the book in Jan. I have been so off in my caloric intake... I have tried 1200 calories while working out 1-3hrs, 6dys/wk and have found that ever so often I get sick for about a week or 2 so I began to wonder if I had been eating enough. Now I know that I hadn't been.
Does it speak about cutting complex carbs out of the diet totally- sort of like an Atkins without the fat though ? Is it "safe" and O.K. to cut out complex carbs and still workout 1-3hrs a day ? What is your opinion ? I don't want lose weight per se but this stubborn layer of abdominal fat.

Traci
 
Hi Traci,

I have BFFM too, and agree it's a great book. So is "Fit Over 40," also with Tom Venuto.

About carbs -- please don't eliminate them completely. You really need the proper amount of healthy, high-complex carbohydrates from the right sources -- especially because you workout a lot. It's super important to keep your insulin levels balanced -- too many carbs cause your insulin level to be too high, and zero carbs will make it too low. When insulin levels are too low you can suffer from fatigue, insomina, depression and bone loss. Another excellent book is called, "The Schwarzbein Principle -- The Truth About Losing Weight, Being Healthy and Feeling Younger," by Diana Schwarzbein, M.D. Excellent information about insulin, fat storage, and staying your healthiest. I love this book, too.

You can see it on Amazon.com and look through the table of contents & index.

HTH,
Marla :)
 
Traci,
I agree with Marla. I would never completely cut out any healthy food group. Tom does suggest "carb cycling" if you want to limit your carbs and really get lean but personally, I would leave that as a last resort. He explains the pros and cons of such a method. I tried it, but I found that my body responds much better with carbs in my diet. However, they must be of the complex, whole grain variety - no white stuff anymore!! I would think that with your workout schedule that you must keep complex carbs in your diet.

I must say that working out 3 hours/day is quite aggressive - are you training for something? You definately need to get the book; he talks a lot about length of training, intensity, etc. I think after reading the book, you might find yourself re-evaluating your nutrition and exercise program! :)

Terri
 
Thanks both Marla and Terri for the great advice.
With regards to exercising 3 hrs/day.... I am not training .... I just get a little obsessive about exercise sometimes when I am on an "exercise high". I am coming from a place where I never exercised at all before and now have discovered the joy of doing so. I seem to be a bit of an extremist and need to find a balance. Plus I really would like that super lean look. Maybe as you said reading the book will help me to put my nutrition and exercise program in the right perspective.

Traci
 
Terri,

Do you find that the bonus books are worth having or just the main
Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle book? Still debating on whether or not to order..

Carolyn
 
Yes, I found all of his books very informative. I didn't think that diet had so much to do with losing weight but his advice, suggestions and knowledge made me realize that it's probably the most important factor!

Terri
 
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