However, if you follow the money… you can see that many of the “sources” of your information have too much to lose ($) by providing you with anything else.

This is especially true with obesity.  Here is a great article by Tom Venuto.  Remember, my comments are in [brackets]. 

Did You Inherit Fat Genes: The Truth About Biology And Body Fat
By Tom Venuto 

“Battle Your Biology? Fat Chance,” proclaimed a headline recently in the health section of the New York Post newspaper. Quoting new research and citing psychologists, dietitians and physicians, the article says that more and more evidence proves that your weight is genetically determined, and if you’re fat, “it’s not your fault.” “We’ve known for a while that genes – more than environment and behavior – explain obesity” argues Dr. James Rosen, an eating disorder specialist and professor at the University of Vermont.

[Alas, if you have "cancer" genes, you don't want to smoke to awaken them, right?]

While genetics are definitely a factor, believing you are destined to be overweight for life because you’ve inherited “fat genes” is the most disempowering and self-defeating attitude you could ever adopt. The only way you’ll lose weight permanently is to accept total responsibility for yourself and acknowledge the fact that you have the power to change, regardless what mother nature has given you to work with.

[In my experience, "Failure to Launch" plays the largest role in overweight people]

There’s no denying that heredity plays a major role in how difficult it will be for you to lose fat. You inherited a body type, a predetermined number of fat cells, a metabolic rate and body chemistry just as you inherited your eye color and hair color. In the 1930’s, Harvard psychologist Dr. William H. Sheldon developed a classification system for these different body types called “somatotyping.” While there are no absolutes, Sheldon identified three basic somatotypes: ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs.

Ectomorphs are the lean, lanky types. They are usually very thin and bony, with fast metabolisms and extremely low body fat. An ectomorph can eat like a horse without gaining an ounce. Mesomorphs are the “genetically gifted.” They are lean, muscular and naturally athletic. Mesomorphs lose fat and gain muscle with ease. Endomorphs are the “fat retainers.” Characterized by round features, excess body fat and large joints (”big bones”), endomorphs usually have great difficulty in losing body fat. They have slow metabolisms, they are often carbohydrate sensitive, they gain fat quickly if they eat poorly or don’t exercise, and they lose fat slowly – even on a healthy diet.

[But all is not lost for those in this catagory]

The tendency of endomorphs to store fat easily can be partly attributed to metabolic problems. For example, endomorphs often metabolize carbohydrates inefficiently. Normal people can eat lots of carbohydrates – up to 60% of their total calories – and they still stay lean. Endomorphs produce too much insulin when they eat carbohydrates and this leads to increased fat storage and difficulty in losing existing fat. This condition is known as “insulin resistance” or “Syndrome X.”

[Don't jump on the "low carb" diet yet, though...]

Scientists claim that the tendency to gain weight easily may also be due to chemical imbalances in the brain that cause people to overeat. Researchers at Johns Hopkins recently announced the discovery a compound called C75 that blocks an appetite-regulating hormone in the hypothalamus. In mice injected with the substance, 30 percent more weight was lost because the drug caused the mice to eat less. More research is planned to develop a similar appetite-suppressing drug for humans. Unlike Xenical, which blocks fat absorption in the intestine, this new drug would affect the brain’s chemistry so that people feel full sooner.

[This sounds a lot like what hoodia does]

Many physicians and health professionals consider these metabolic disorders and chemical imbalances as genetically transmitted “diseases” that require medical treatment. “Obesity is a disease and should be treated like one” says Jackie Newgent, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association . This idea should be viewed with a great deal of suspicion however, because weight loss is potentially the biggest market in the world for drug sales.

[Follow the money... and you understand]

According to Justin Gillis, a staff writer for the Washington Post, more than 45 companies worldwide are trying to develop new obesity drugs, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Gillis writes, “In world where a blockbuster drug is worth $1 billion a year in sales, analysts give $5 billion as the low estimate for sales of an important obesity drug. If a company developed a truly safe, effective weight loss drug, and sold it for $3 a day to one quarter of the 97 million American adults estimated to be overweight, sales would exceed $26 billion a year in this country alone.”

Basically, what the medical community is trying to tell you is that if you are overweight, it’s not your fault; you were born fat, so don’t feel guilty – and don’t worry, we have a drug that can “cure” you. Sounds like there’s an ulterior motive at work here, wouldn’t you agree? Before you run to get a prescription for the next “miracle” drug, you’d better wonder whose interests are being served; yours or the pharmaceutical giants.

[A bill was passed a couple of years ago that allows the pharm giants to mainstream advertise their products... thus the reason for the bombardment on TV and magazines]

Besides, drugs can never be the solution if they treat the symptoms and not the cause. Drugs should be considered a last resort for the morbidly obese who have already tried everything else without success and who will face serious health consequences if they don’t lose weight. The editors of obesity.com said it best: “Weight loss drugs do not take the place of diet, exercise, patience, and perseverance.”

[Without treating the source of one's problems, you're only plugging holes... like the little Dutch boy]

“Dieting can be an uphill battle against your genes.” says Post writer Joyce Cohen. Unfortunately, if you’re an endomorph, Cohen is right. Losing weight is definitely easier for some people than for others and that doesn’t seem fair. But that’s the way life is. Life isn’t fair. Let’s be honest; not everyone is going to become an Olympic Gold medallist, a Mr. America or a fitness model. But don’t despair – you are not doomed to live a life of fatness if you don’t have “athletic genes.”

Obesity is the result of many influences. Genetics is only one of them. Like it or not, the primary cause of obesity is your own behavior. Most of the factors that affect body composition are entirely under your control. These factors include how much you eat, what you eat, when you eat, what type of exercise you do, how frequently you exercise, how long you exercise and how hard you exercise.

[So, basically, you're still responsible for you] 

If you have the genetic predisposition towards obesity, you can lose fat like everyone else, you’re just going to have to work harder and longer at it than other people. “There is a genetic component to weight,” Says Dr. Thomas Wadden, a psychologist from Syracuse University, “but no one is destined to be obese. If weight has been a major problem in your family, you may not be able to become as thin as you’d like, but you can lose weight.”

[The same is true with alcoholism.  If your dad is an alcoholic, you know that you have a higher chance of being the same if you go down that road than if he wasn't]

If you find losing weight to be a slow and difficult process, the empowering thing to do is to look at it as asset, because overcoming this obstacle will force you to develop discipline, determination and persistence. These traits will carry over to other areas of your life and make you a stronger person all around. Arnold Schwarzennegger said, “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you overcome hardships, that is strength.”

[Failure is a GOOD thing, people.  Live and learn]

The first thing you must do if you want to lose weight or succeed in any area of your life, is to accept complete responsibility for your situation. In a short but powerful little book called “As Man Thinketh,” the author James Allen wrote, “circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him.” What he meant was that we are not products of our environment or our heredity (our “circumstances”), instead, we products of our own thinking and belief systems.

We create our own circumstances through positive thinking and positive action and we create negative circumstances through negative thinking and lack of action or wrong actions. In other words, we are responsible for where we are, what we have and how our bodies look.

Some people get very angry with me when I tell them this: They say, “Wait a minute. Are you trying to tell me that when bad things happen to me, it’s my own fault? That I brought unemployment, financial hardships, failed relationships, weight gain or even health problems onto myself? Because if that’s what you’re saying, that’s totally unfair!”

[And we've just lost cabin pressure]

Well, my friend, with very few exceptions, (some things really are out of your control) that is exactly what I am saying.

If you refuse to accept the fact that you are 100% responsible for your weight, you will never be successful. When people find themselves in undesirable situations or they aren’t getting the results they want, it’s all too easy to make excuses: It’s my genetics, I have big bones, I have a slow metabolism, I don’t have enough time to exercise, etc. etc., etc. Making excuses is relinquishing control. It is conceding that you a victim of circumstances instead of the creator of your circumstances. Stop blaming and start taking responsibility for your life. Take action! Start working out. Eat better. Do something – do anything – but don’t just sit there on the couch and curse your chromosomes.

[Don't pass the puck]

So, are you a frustrated “endomorph?” Do you feel like dieting is an uphill battle against your genes? If your answer is “yes,” please don’t just quit and chalk in up to “bad genetics,” and don’t believe that drugs are the answer either – they’re not. Your genetics will largely dictate your athletic ability and how easily you will lose weight. That doesn’t mean you can’t get lean; it only means that you’re going to have to adjust your diet and training to fit your body type and you may have to work harder and be more persistent than the “genetically lucky” ones.

Maybe obesity really should be classified as a genetically inherited “disease.” But frankly, if you have a “disease” that forces you to learn more about exercise and nutrition, to eat nutritious foods, to adopt a healthier lifestyle, to develop a strong work ethic and to become a more persistent person, that sounds like a blessing in disguise to me.

It’s natural…

It’s in high supply…

And it’s inexpensive…

What is it… find out in my latest edition of The Mind Over Body Matter Letter.

==> Hoodia Review

I think you have a good idea on what I’ve said.

I have a page on the main site that I want you to read on diet pills. I’ll show it to you tomorrow.

Should you be?

I almost have to smile… almost…

If you’ve been reading at all, you should have a pretty great idea of what I’m going to say.

Or am I going to throw you for a loop and switch gears?  Maybe this IS a wonder drug.

Aside from the review tomorrow, stay tuned later on today for more article reviews (including my 3 cents) as I slam everything I can get my hands on.

This is the one thing I look forward to all day.

http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2006/07/21/iced_green_tea_the_new_coke.php

In most industries or cultures, innovation and information usually comes from one or two major “players”.  For example, Microsoft and Google seem to dictate the pace in the computer and search engine industry.

Usually, major moves and new technologies can follow these guys.  Therefore, one can logically follow the trends and anticipate the new things that are coming out.

These guys are “herd leaders”.

So the question is… who’s leading the “herd” in the diet and fitness industry.  You see, there’s no clear direction.

In fact, it seems that there is more “spreading” and dilution going on than anything.

No one can come up with a consistent agreement on what works.  So, this naturally asks the question:

“Is the diet and fitness industry just one big propaganda machine?”

Maybe I’ll hook up my horse and carriage and start going town to town with my “miracle weight loss potions” like in the old days.

Maybe the “old days” aren’t really the “old days”

It’s much easier to deceive people using hope than ever… that I am sure of.  The lure of the quick fix is ultra powerful – as evident day the magnitude of consumer debt.

Here is an easy rule of thumb:  ask yourself…

“If I wasn’t in this situation, how would this product/service look to me from the outside”

Scammers work on emotion and desperation… and the fact that no one is “leading the herd”

This site is gonna be a great time.

I was getting so angry at all of the stuff I was reading.  I seriously question whether these people actually believe what they are writing… or is it just a sales pitch.

Diet and fitness is bad enough as it is.  I can’t wait to start posting and creating content for the main site based on

*cardio and aerobic training

*fat blockers

*hypnosis

*cellulite

*low carb diets

*gastric bypass surgery

*negative calorie foods

*”unsafe” diet pills

*”safe” diet pills

And much, much more. 

People, I just scratched the surface today.  The anger’s flowing and I guarantee that this site will have some 500+ pages of pure info… all based on RESEARCH and not HYPE.

Some people are gonna be upset…

Unfortunately, much of this diet and fitess industry is based on the fact that most people can’t get away from equating the two.  Of course, no one in the industry really wants to correct this thinking because doing so would hurt sales.

Just think about how many times you’ve heard how “simple” a new weight loss program is or how “simple” it is to gain muscle mass.  If you notice, most shy away from the word easy.

Face it, losing weight is a simple process in itself… but how many people can claim its easy.

What makes things bad is when people take this “not so easy” simple process and muck it up by creating something that’s inherently more complex.  This usually happens when people start to combine the “simple” steps of more than one “easy” program haphazardly.

But that’s another story in itself.

Moral of the story:

Simple and easy are not synonyms ==> They don’t mean the same thing.

Can they be effective, yes… do people pay attention to the labels when they say “short term”… no.

In fact, even the people that write the articles flaw things.  For example, this next article tells you that the pills are good with a reduced calorie diet and exercise (some “magic” right) and that they should only be taken in the short term.

Then, on his site, he has a place for you to bulk order… okay, what in the hell.

Here you go, enjoy…

Phentermine as an Effective Solution to Keep You Healthy 
By Joseph Jones

[I think the title is quite misleading here]

Every one of us wants to have a beautiful figure and fit body at every stage of our life. But to achieve that we have to always follow a proper balanced diet with a bit of daily exercise. This may not be an easy affair for most of us. On the other hand, it has been also found that in most cases even a balanced daily routine proves to be futile and in that situation majority of us ends up in depression and anxiety. This is not at all a healthy phase and leads the situation from bad to worst.

[sadly enough, the author neglects to tell you that weight loss pills are not for people that have any type of anxiety or depression... it says to on every single label I've ever seen.  He's also starting to infur the diet and exercise aren't necessary]

Be honest with your self and practice self acceptance. Obesity is a serious matter in this 21’s century and you are not alone suffering from it. If you are finding that even a balanced diet and exercise is doing no good, then try adding a diet pill in you daily routine. Phentermine is such a kind of diet pill which is very popular as well as an effective anti obesity diet pill.

[Of course, it's popular in this "magic" pill world.  Also, being honest with yourself most probably means that you aren't exercising enough or are trying "crash" diets... all the while, recking your metabolism]

When combined with a reduced calorie diet and regular physical exercise, Phentermine diet pills can help obsessed people lose weight and stay slim trim. It is an oral prescribed pill and one dose before breakfast is what recommended. It stimulates our central nervous system which increases our heart beat rate and blood pressure invariably decreasing our appetite.

[Okay, the kicker here is the "combined with a reduced calorie diet and regular physical exercise.  Before, we saw that this was the "cure all" for people that couldn't get enough exercise or were having trouble eating right.  Now, we find that this "magic pill" only works if you are eating right and exercising enough.  Plus, increases in resting heartrate and blood pressure can have detrimental effects on obese people, namely because many already have high blood pressure.  Hmmmm]

This diet pill may not give you the shape you want but accept the fact that it can really decrease your weight in a significant manner and make you fit for survival. But it is mandatory that your doctor should know about your health history and prescribed you a dose that is required.

[Now we are backing away from all of the "claims" of great body and saying that we need to focus on the weight loss.  As an aside, many of these pills can help you lose weight... water weight.  They always talk about how much weight you can take off, yet, never reveal how much of that weight it actually FAT.  Most people don't know the difference and get caught up in the scale.]

Clinical trails failed to prove any serious side effects till date. But of course mild side affects like headache, constipation dizziness are common but reversible too.

[Constipation is a clear sign of dehydration ==> water weight loss.  Also, how many clinical trials actually show people taking the pill and not working out at all, because that is what most people end up doing.  That's the trial I want to see - we already know that people can lose weight while taking a diet pill while they eat right and exercise... lets see what the "magic" pill can do otherwise]

Nutrition Or Training – Which Is More Important

By: Tom Venuto

Legendary bodybuilding trainer Vince, “The Iron Guru” Gironda was famous for saying, “Bodybuilding is 80% nutrition!” But is this really true or is it just another fitness and bodybuilding myth passed down like gospel without ever being questioned? Which is really more important, nutrition or training? This IS an interesting question and I believe there is a definite answer:

[he's right about one thing, there are WAY too many myths going around]

The first thing I would say is that you cannot separate nutrition and training. The two work together synergistically and regardless of your goals – gaining muscle, losing fat, athletic conditioning, whatever. You will get less than-optimal or even non-existent results without paying attention to both.

In fact, I like to look at gaining muscle or losing fat in three parts – weight training, cardio training and nutrition – with each part like a leg of a three legged stool. pull ANY one of the legs off the stool, and guess what happens?

[but what if one of the legs break... ahhh, there's an interesting question]

In reality, it’s impossible to put a specific percentage on which is more important – how could we possibly know such a number to the digit?

[Okay, I've thought about this next part and like where he's taking this]

Nutrition and training are both important, but at certain stages of your training progress, I do believe placing more attention on one component over the other can create larger improvements. Let me explain:

If you’re a beginner and you don’t posses nutritional knowledge, then mastering nutrition is far more important than training and should become your number one priority. I say this because improving a poor diet can create rapid, quantum leaps in fat loss and muscle building progress.

[I have to disagree here a bit... but not how you think. For most people, getting in the habit of exercising helps to set the stage for the person mentally. If they've worked out that day, it makes it much easier to stay on track with their diet. So, I'd say that at the very beginning, concentrating on exercise can have more positive results, if only for mental stability]

For example, if you’ve been skipping meals and only eating 2 times per day, jumping your meal frequency up to 5 or 6 smaller meals a day will transform your physique very rapidly.

If you’re still eating lots of processed fats and refined sugars, cutting them out and replacing them with good fats like the omega threes found in fish and unrefined foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains will make an enormous and noticeable difference in your physique very quickly.

[I definately agree with these two. I've seen it many times]

If your diet is low in protein, simply adding a complete protein food like chicken breast, fish or egg whites at each meal will muscle you up fast.

No matter how hard you train or what type of training routine you’re on, it’s all in vain if you don’t provide yourself with the right nutritional support.

In beginners (or in advanced trainees who are still eating poorly), these changes in diet are more likely to result in great improvements than a change in training.

[Exercise only sets the potential for change, diet and recuperation bring about the actual]

The muscular and nervous systems of a beginner are unaccustomed to exercise. Therefore, just about any training program can cause muscle growth and strength development to occur because it’s all a “shock” to the untrained body.

[...which can lead some people to disappointment because they aren't changing like they were at the beginning]

You can almost always find ways to tweak your nutrition to higher and higher levels, but once you’ve mastered all the nutritional basics, then further improvements in your diet don’t have as great of an impact as those initial important changes…

Eating more than six meals will have minimal effect. Eating more protein ad infinitum won’t help. Once you’re eating low fat, going to zero fat won’t help more – it will probably hurt. If you’re eating a wide variety of foods and taking a good multi vitamin/mineral, then more supplements probably wont help much either. If you’re already eating natural complex carbs and lean proteins every three hours, there’s not too much more you can do other than continue to be consistent day after day…

[and, there have been studies to show that eating more protein than your body can use can be bad for your kidney's. Naturally, if you are exercising hard, your body needs more protein, just don't try to get 600 grams per day]

At this point, as an intermediate or advanced trainee who has the nutrition in place, changes in your training become much more important, relatively speaking. Your training must become downright scientific.

Except for the changes that need to be made between an “off season” muscle growth diet and a “precontest” cutting diet, the diet won’t and can’t change much – it will remain fairly constant.

But you can continue to pump up the intensity of your training and improve the efficiency of your workouts almost without limit. In fact, the more advanced you become, the more crucial training progression and variation becomes because the well-trained body adapts so quickly.

[a favorite phrase of mine: "Unlike the mind, the body works much better when it's confused"]

According to powerlifter Dave Tate, an advanced lifter may adapt to a routine within 1-2 weeks. That’s why elite lifters rotate exercises constantly and use as many as 300 different variations on exercises.

Strength coach Ian King says that unless you’re a beginner, you’ll adapt to any training routine within 3-4 weeks. Coach Charles Poliquin says that you’ll adapt within 5-6 workouts.

[obviously, this area is still up for much debate]

So, to answer the question, while nutrition is ALWAYS critically important, it’s more important to emphasize for the beginner (or the person whose diet is still a “mess”), while training is more important for the advanced person… (in my opinion).

It’s not that nutrition ever ceases to be important, the point is, further improvements in nutrition won’t have as much impact once you already have all the fundamentals in place.

[see also the point of diminishing returns]

Once you’ve mastered nutrition, then it’s all about keeping that nutrition consistent and progressively increasing the efficiency and intensity of your workouts, and mastering the art of planned workout variation, which is also known as “periodization.”

The bottom line: There’s a saying among strength coaches and personal trainers…

“You can’t out-train a lousy diet!”

Copyright 2006 Tom Venuto

Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, nutritionist, natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” You can get info on Tom’s fat burning e-book at http://www.burnthefat.com

——–end article by TV——–

I probably need to start picking a few people that actually don’t know what they are talking about. I’ve pretty much agreed with both authors so far.

Tom’s book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is no joke. It was no mistake that I placed this article here. I wanted you to see exactly how a master approached he craft.

Until next time