Fat 2 Fit Radio

In the feature section this week, we take a look at support and weight loss. This topic was chosen because of an e-mail from listener Karen. The support group comes in many different shapes and forms. With the Internet, you could be a part of a support group and never meet the people you are supporting, or the ones that are supporting you. We take a look at all the ways you can get support. We also discuss what a support group looks like and how they can help you in your weight loss endeavors. Lastly, we discuss being accountable to others when you are part of a support group. In the e-mail this week, we field a question from Alex in Mexico City.  He is returning to martial arts and wants to catch up physically.  He also wants to know which types of workouts can benefit those practicing martial arts.  Also Paolo wrote in asking about gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time.  If he's in a calorie deficit, can he still put on muscle? On the Web Report, Jeff has an interesting article on the book The Joy of Cooking. It's been around for a long time, but it's kept up with the world's thirst for bigger portions. Russ has another article on dangers of drinking sodas and other beverages with artificial sweeteners. He also shares a personal, shocking revelation about Diet Coke. Links Mentioned in the Show: Joy of Cooking, or Joy of Obesity Artificial sweetener linked to weight gain Social media as a weight loss tool Support in Weight Loss Recipe of the Week: Cinnamon Pumpkin Protein Muffin Homework: The homework this week is a very specific task. Find someone who has helped you with your fitness goals and thank them. This person could be immediately obvious to you or this person may not even realize that they have helped you out. They might have made a comment that you look good in some new clothing, or simply noticed that you have lost some weight. If something like that has helped to motivate you, they have supported you even if they were unaware. If you say to someone "thanks for noticing I lost 5 lbs, that has really kept me going to the gym", they will keep supporting you and its a win-win situation. Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

How about another book review? This show in the feature section, we talk about the book Eat This Not That. It's premise is simple. Eat the foods on the left hand side of the book, and avoid the foods on the right hand side of the book. But, there's more to the book than just pretty pictures of so-so foods. Russ gives his review of the book. In the e-mails this week, Nicole writes in. She's trying to not "scarf down everything in sight". Also we received two e-mails with seemingly different problems. David and Laura both had large weight swings, one down 2 1/2 pounds, the other up 2 1/2 pounds. They're looking for answers. On the Web Report, Jeff found an article from the New England Journal of Medicine. They did a long term study on 811 obese patients. They were put on some of the different diets that you've probably tried. Low carb, low fat, high protein, etc. The findings may surprise you. Russ has an article about how losing weight may be the best thing for you if you develop Type 2 Diabetes. Possibly better than insulin therapy. Also in this episode, victory. What does victory smell like? Listen in and find out. Links Mentioned in the Show: Weight loss more effective than intense insulin therapy What's the best diet? Eating less food. (Time) Comparison of weight loss diets (NEJM) Recipe of the Week: Zucchini Hummus from listener Lybbe Homework: This week's homework has to do with goal clothing. When you lose some fat and want to show off to your friends or family, you don't plop down a scale and weigh yourself in front of them - you wear smaller clothing that shows off your smaller size. I know that 99% of our listeners will have a shirt or a pair of pants that is just a little too tight or uncomfortable to fit into right now. Use that clothing as another means to keep yourself motivated. Try it on on a weekly basis to really see your progress, but don't go to extremes. If you have a 44 inch waist, don't keep trying on a pair of pants with a 30 inch waist. Use some clothing that you want to fit into in 12 weeks, so maybe try a 42 or 40 inch waist. Keep this up until you reach your final goal clothing sizes. Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

We don't have a weight loss problem here in America. We know that millions of people are successful in losing weight every year.  The problem is that people can't keep it off.  More than 90% of all people who lose weight end up gaining it all back. Today we have part two of our interview with weight loss expert Tom Venuto.  We discuss his findings and beliefs about how people can be more successful with not only their weight loss, but the most important part which is maintaining their weight loss.  Tom Venuto takes a different approach to long term weight loss than most. He is most concerned with the mental aspect of weight loss. Why do so many people not succeed when they know exactly what they need to do to be successful? What is causing them to not follow through with their diet and exercise plans?  We discuss in detail some of the strategies to overcome these self limiting beliefs and actions that hold people back. We discuss Tom Venuto's first book, "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" which brought Tom into the fitness spotlight with its phenomenal success.  It turns out that this book was very successful for people who could follow all of its advice, but it only attracted a certain type of person.  People who were very interested in measuring and calculating macronutrients and calories had incredible results. We then move on to discuss Tom Venuto's new book, "The Body Fat Solution" which was released in January, 2009.  This book has quickly become a best seller and is geared towards the average out-of-shape person who needs to lose some body fat, but isn't interested in living a perfect athletic lifestyle.  The interesting thing about this book, is that the focus is keeping you on track mentally, so that you can be successful for the long term.  As well, instead of giving you a specific diet program, you learn about the large principles that will allow you to choose a diet plan for yourself. Some of the topics that we discuss related to "The Body Fat Solution" include: - The differences between emotional and physical hunger. - The power of willpower vs beliefs. - How much our genetics really influence our weight. - The most important principles to follow for life-long weight loss success. - Diet supplements and other minutia that people get hung up on. In our email and comments section, we deal with a lengthy email from Julie who has some questions about Weight Watcher's alternatives online, and how to get motivated to exercise after a long day at work. Links Mentioned in the Show: Tom Venuto's Main Website Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle E-Book The Body Fat Solution The Daily Plate online diet and exercise tracker Traineo online diet and exercise tracker (Fat 2 Fit support is also hosted on Traineo) Gyminee online diet and exercise tracker Recipe of the Week Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa Homework: The homework this week is to make sure that you have some sort of success journal where you can keep track of the things that you are recording such as your weight, body fat percentage and measurements. It can be something simple like a small journal, agenda or even a regular calendar that you write on. Even if your progress seems slow on a daily or weekly basis, you can always look back over the weeks and months and see the progress that you have made. Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

Tom Venuto joins us today to discuss Personal Trainers and Personal Training in general. What can you expect out of a personal trainer and how do you find a good one for yourself? Tom Venuto might be the most recognized name on the internet right now as a fitness and weight loss expert. For the last 20 years, he has been involved in virtually every aspect of the fitness and weight loss industry. He has worked as a personal trainer, nutrition consultant, motivation coach, fitness model, health club manager and has written 2 best selling books on fitness and weight loss. In our e-mail and comments section, we received a comment from an Exercise Physiologist named Alex who informed us how to calculate your true maximum heart rate. He dispels the myth of the "220 minus your age" that most people use the estimate their max heart rate. We also heard from Karen who is having more success with her weight loss by eating more food and not being hungry. In our Web Report section, Jeff managed to find America's Worst Food of 2009. Russ found a blog entitled "This is Why You're Fat" that visually shows some of America's most extreme foods. Links Mentioned in the Show: America's Worst Food of 2009 This is Why You're Fat Tom Venuto's Main Website Jeff's before and after pictures that he sent to Tom Venuto Recipe of the Week: Versatile Brown Rice Salad Homework: Do you just want to lose weight, or is your actual goal to be smaller? How many inches have you lost from around your waist, hips, belly, thighs or anything else you care to measure? If you want to be smaller, start measuring this and tracking this - get a measuring tape and start recording. It doesn't really matter exactly what you record, just keep measuring the same places to track your results over time. Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

An encounter on a golf weekend, watching a buddy do burpees caused Jeff to check into the fitness craze called Crossfit.  It's  a stripped down way of exercising that uses simple exercises but they're done in an uber intense fashion.  We give you the skinny on this new workout technique.  Be sure to check out the link below for a video of three woman doing a crossfit workout.  It's eye opening. In the e-mail and comments section this week, we received multiple additions and clarifications to our recent episode on artificial sweeteners.  You can look forward to a couple products in the near future that will be sweetened with Stevia.  In December of 2008, it was approved by the FDA for use as a sweetener.  Also we field an e-mail from Robert in Ohio.  He shares a story of weight loss and of falling off the wagon in a big way.  There are multiple lessons to learn from this one e-mail. Eat sugar to lose weight?  If you were around in the 50's then that was the idea behind an ad campaign for the sugar industry.  And we highlight 3 things you might not know about weight loss, but should. Links Mentioned in the Show: Vintage ad to lose weight with sugar 3 Things I Bet You Didn't Know About Weight Loss Main Crossfit Website Crossfit Video Recipe of the Week: Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies Homework: This week's homework isn't just for this week; hopefully you can incorporate this into the rest of your life from now on. Its called the 2-3 rule and is a rule of thumb regarding taking the stairs or using an elevator. Its very simple, you always walk up 2 flights or walk down 3 flights of stairs instead of taking an elevator. These are the little things that people who live a truly healthy lifestyle do. Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

The book, In Defense of Food, has been on the New York Time's bestseller list for quite a while.  Jeff has heard quite a lot of good things about it, so over the last few weeks he gave it a thorough read.  Its not really a diet book, its a book that really describes how our society has really messed up everything about food and how to fix it for the average person. Michael Pollen doesn't claim to be an expert, he just wrote this manifesto based on research and what he calls "authority of tradition and common sense".  It's a fairly readable book and it turned out to have a ton of great lines through-out it that really resonated with Jeff. In the e-mail and comments section, Gillian wrote in about your friend and mine, Oprah Winfrey.  She was wondering how Oprah is going to lose weight this time.  In the past she's tried everything under the sun.  We found a clip from the Oprah.com site that explains what Oprah is doing to lose the weight this time.  Just a hint, we were pleasantly surprised.  We also answer an e-mail from listener Kalissa about the unreal weight loss happening on the tv show, The Biggest Loser.  Also, we field an e-mail from AJ who wants to know if running 1000 miles in a year is too much. And finally, two articles on The Web Report.  One calls out the 6 worst diet fads of the year and the other is a list of 5 tips to keep office snacking from derailing your weight loss. Links Mentioned in the Show: Oprah's new diet and exercise plan (video) The Biggest Loser's Nutritionist talks The 6 Worst Diet Fads of the Year Recipe of the Week: Sun Dried Basil Tomato Couscous Extra Recipes: Healthy Superbowl Recipes Homework: Take an inventory of the foods in your kitchen to see how much real food you are eating and how much is just food-like products. Look for the following: any product that has any health claims, lists any ingredients that you can't pronounce or identify, or lists more than 5 ingredients.  What percentage of foods that you eat through-out the day are not really food, but processed food-like substances? Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

What is the difference between Equal, Splenda, Sweet and Low, and Stevia? There's a lot of marketing hype behind these products so it's understandable that there could be some misconceptions about theses products. We go over the differences between them, how much you can safely consume, and offer suggestions as to how you should really be using them if at all. In our e-mail and comments section we answer questions about how to work-out on a budget without much equipment, whether to remove the skin off of chicken before or after cooking, and how to deal with people who try to pressure you to lose weight fast by going on crash diets. Links Mentioned in the Show: 10 exercises you can do with just your body Chicken Brine solution recipe #1 Chicken Brine solution recipe #2 The Science of Weight Loss - Scientific American Does Exercise Matter? - Scientific American Recipe of the Week: Black Bean and Beef Chili Recipe with Cilantro, Lime, and Avocado Salsa Homework: Start a food diary to truly keep track of what you are eating every single day. If you are truly looking for something that will help you lose some lbs, this is guaranteed to help you become more accountable and aware of your eating. In fact, I was not able to find a single nutrition or weight loss study that did not come to the conclusion that keeping an accurate food diary keeps you on track and helps people lose weight for the long term. Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

Another non-standard show this time.  We received a lot of questions over the last few weeks.  We've hand picked a few that represent a large portion of them. Maybe you had one of the same questions.  Here's a rundown of the questions: James has lost 45 pounds but his weight loss has stalled.  He wants to lose another 10 pounds and is looking for advice to get him there. Jen wants to know what to do when the munchies hit.  She's prepared snacks in advance yet still reaches for the bad snack. Melinda is a private investigator and is doing long surveillance jobs.  These jobs have helped her gain 25 pounds and she's looking some help on healthy snacks and light meals. Andrea writes in with a question about eating and working out.  When is the best time to eat, before or after a workout?  Protein or carbohydrates? We've received a bunch of great suggestions for iPhone and iPod Touch apps.  We run down a few of them. Christine ask about the 7 month couch to 5k program that Russell started oh so long ago.  Unfortunately it doesn't have  a happy ending. And finally, Kim asks a question that you've probably thought of.  Is it better to workout in the morning on an empty stomach or to eat before working those muscles? Links Mentioned in the Show: Burn the Fat Oatmeal Pancakes Healthy Oatmeal Cookies Fat Watch App Weightbot Absolute Fitness LiveStrong My Weightloss Coach Recipe of the Week: Shrimp & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Homework: I know that more than half of you who listened to the goal setting show last week actually didn't set any goals.  If you truly want to succeed this year this is an absolute must.  The homework for this week is to make sure that you will see those goals every single day until they are accomplished.  Write them out on a sticky note and put it on your fridge, put them as the wallpaper on your computer, get a friend or relative to remind you personally every day - whatever it takes so that you can't help but be reminded of your goals. Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

Are you making another New Year's Resolution for 2009?  Could it be you're resolving to lose weight?  If you're one of approximately 90% of Americans making some sort of resolution, then you've come to the right place.  We called this show The Most Important Show of the Year because making goals and resolutions without the proper information will leave you with forgotten resolutions and growing waistlines. This is a stripped down show with no Web Report, recipe of the week or homework.  This show just focuses on goal setting.  We discuss how to set achievable goals, how to follow through with techniques that will make those goals realities. If you're making a New Years Resolution, be sure to head over to the Fat 2 Fit Support site over at Traineo and let everyone know what it is.  A resolution that no ones knows about, never really happened. Links Mentioned in the Show: How To Set Your Last Weight Loss Goal - Ever! Fat 2 Fit Show #13 - New Years Resolutions & Goal Setting Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

One year ago we talked about 10 fitness gifts that you could give yourself.  Perhaps that loved one in your life just didn't know what to give you.  You got slippers instead of running shoes.  Or a Hickory Farms Beef Stick instead of a set of weights.  This time we recommend 10 things that it would be best to avoid.  These are all the things that you should return if you get get them this Christmas. On the e-mail and comment section, Jeff fields a question from Teresa from the US.  She asked about SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder. It's a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter.  Russ tackles a question from Sandra from Australia about workouts in the summer months.  Hyperthermia is the culprit here.  We run down some tips to help you stay safe and help you get a good workout while it's hot and humid out there.  Sweating is a foregone conclusion. The Web Report brings an article from Jeff about Overlooked Fat Loss Factors.  Russ's article discusses the recent news that everyone's favorite yo-yo dieter, Oprah Winfrey, has gained back some weight and is back to 200 lbs. Links Mentioned in the Show: Informercial Abdominal Exercise Machines Walkvest Fat Blocking Pills on Show #6 Electronic Ab Stimulation Detox Kits on Show #8 Overlooked Fat Loss Factors Oprah is fat again Homework: With the holiday season in full swing, here is strategy for surviving all of those parties and dinners.  Simply plan before you attend a party or dinner.  Decide what you are going to eat and how much before you get there.  That just might stop you from being tempted or trying "one of everything" at the dessert table.  Don't just show up and say "I hope I'm not going to blow my diet again" - some basic planning will always help out. Recipe of the Week Wendy's Southwest Taco Salad - The final better bad fast food choice. Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

After 48 shows of weight loss advice and information, we decided to clearly lay out our top 5 core beliefs about successful weight loss and living a healthy lifestyle.  When we offer advice or answer listener questions, we always fall back to these core beliefs.  Many times we are tempted to give the quick solutions that might have dramatic results in the short term, but these beliefs keep us on track. Our philosophy is all about changing your life so that you will never, ever go on a diet again. In the Web Report, Jeff discusses an article about the possibility that obesity may be contagious. Russ talks about a study which shows that post workout snacks may do more harm than good. Don’t forget that you can subscribe to the show for free by e-mail or by RSS. Check out the Subscribe page for more information or just check out the upper right-hand side of the web site. Homework: Start thinking about your New Year's resolutions and goals. We are doing a show in a few weeks on how to set powerful goals that you can achieve next year. You don't have to wait for New Years to set goals, but since everyone seems to at new years, we are going to give you a lot of help. In the next couple of weeks, start looking for areas in your life that you are dissatisfied with, then start coming up with a list of possible goals that are measurable on a daily or weekly basis. The bigger the list, the better. We will narrow these down later. And one last thing, you can't just say your goal is to lose weight. Start listing specific goals that will help you achieve weight loss if that is the area that you want to improve. For example, taking four 30 minute walks per week, taking a lunch from home at least 3 days per week, or like one of mine last year was to eat an apple every day. Links Mentioned in the Show: Canadian Olympic Torch Relay Is Obesity Contagious? Snacking After Workouts Obesity System Influence Chart Goals and History The Full Obesity System Influence Diagram Recipe of the Week El Pollo Loco, White Meat Meal, Breast (no skin), wing, salad (no chips or cheese), veggies, (2) tortillas & avocado salsa and pico de gallo. 552 calories total, but w/o tortillas 371!! Check out their nutritional calculator Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

Back in December 2007, Jeff made a post asking listeners and members of the Fat 2 Fit Radio group on Traineo to  introduce themselves  to the group.  This show, the finale for Season 2, is the result. Instead of a regular show, we spotlight members of the group.  There are some amazing stories that you have to hear.  They share their weight loss goals, their health problems and more importantly some share some inspirational weight loss success stories.  To give you a taste of what this episode is about, here's the forum entry for Paula Russell: Hi there, I'm Paula and live in Brisbane on the east coast of Oz. This is my first post and this is my journey so far... About 2 years ago, 270lbs, extremely depressed and getting pretty sick I was pushed by a friend to sort myself out. I took the brave decision to get a personal trainer and I have never looked back...well, occasionally! Ive now lost nearly 70lbs but I've been stuck here on an extended plateau for quite a while now, hence I reaching out here for a bit of moral support. Food is a constant battle for me. I am an absolute gym junkie. Currently I go to boot camp 3 mornings a week, have PT twice, go to yoga and love to road run (I know it sounds extreme but I love it and it has completely changed my life). Once I am down to my goal health (I don't say goal weight as I am more concerned with fitness and size). I just don't understand why, when I work so hard with exercise I just cant get a grip on my eating?! I know what to eat and how often etc. but its almost like I go off into a different world sometimes. I want to do this so badly...this is why I am here. On a happier note, I absolutely love F2F radio and it is a true inspiration to me...thanks guys, never stop as the amount you are helping to change peoples lives is immeasurable. I've just bought myself a Garmin forerunner watch after hearing it mentioned on the podcast and am really excited about that. Looking forward to being part of this community. Paula xxx Isn't that amazing?   My favorite part of Paula's post is the part about "goal health".  Everyone on the forums is in a similar place in their weight loss as you.  Some are starting, some have reached their goal, but it's a safe place to share and ask questions no matter where your are on your weight loss journey.  Head on over to Fat2Fit Support.com and join today.  There are almost 300 members and the number of members and great information each member contributes keeps growing every day. As this is the Season Finale, we're going to be taking a couple weeks off to do some retooling of the show.  Look for some subtle changes in the next show and here on the website. Don’t forget that you can subscribe to the show for free by e-mail or by RSS.  Check out the Subscribe page for more information or just check out the upper right-hand side of the web site.

How does a nice big juicy hamburger sound right now?  How about a double? Triple? Could you eat a quadruple burger right now?  That burger has a name; it's called a Quadruple Bypass and it's served by the focus of this week's show.  The Heart Attack Grill is a restaurant that dares you to eat horribly by serving gigantic burger patties each weighing in at 1/2 pound along side fries that are cooked in pure lard.  Add to that the option of having a caffeine rich Jolt cola to wash it all down.  It's a heart attack waiting to happen.  And if the food doesn't do it to you, all the waitresses wear sexy nurse outfits. In the e-mail section this week, we field a question from John Sanderson about calories.  We also discuss clothing to wear during running and walking in response to Trevor's question on the Fat 2 Fit Support forum. Finally we give Jim Borman some advice on delicious snack foods that aren't popcorn or celery sticks. The Web Report consists of an inspirational article that Jeff found about a guy that lost 265 lbs. over 2 years and is keeping it off.  Russ finds a list of the 11 worst foods that you should avoid. Don’t forget that you can subscribe to the show for free by e-mail or by RSS.  Check out the Subscribe page for more information or just check out the upper right-hand side of the web site. Homework: Halloween has just passed.  Everybody probably had a few extra treats, so it is now time to hide them out of sight so that they won't tempt you or actually throw them out so that you don't end up eating them all.  Once you have done that, this weeks homework is to replace those temptations with healthy ones. The goal here is to have 2 or 3 healthy alternatives for those emergencies when you are hungry or even for time like when you are watching a movie and just looking for something to snack on.  Having a snack once and while doesn't have to destroy your calorie goals for the day if you plan a bit ahead. Links Mentioned in the Show: 11 Worst foods to avoid Man sheds 265 pounds Heart Attack Grill Recipe of the Week Egg McMuffin from McDonald's Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

When you cook a meal at home, what do you do to ensure that it's a healthy meal? How do you make sure that it's low calorie? On this episode, we discuss cooking with weight loss in mind. The topics include what types of foods to choose, how to cook your food, what kitchen equipment to cook with and portion sizes.  These are all things to think about when cooking for weight loss. Teresa calls in to the voice mail line issuing us a food challenge.  She is looking for a lunch that she can take along on business trips instead of eating the usual lunch fare of salads, wraps and sandwiches.    I don't know if we rose to the challenge, but maybe you can give your opinion in the comments.  John wrote in asking about trimming just 200 calories off his daily intake.  By doing this he's looking to lose 25 lbs. In the Web Report this week, Jeff has an article on what it takes to be "effortlessly thin".  Russ is getting an iPhone and finds a small write up on an application called Weightbot that records your weight.  Look for a review of this application soon. Don't forget that you can subscribe to the show for free by e-mail or by RSS.  Check out the Subscribe page for more information or just check out the upper right-hand side of the web site. Links Mentioned in the Show: Burn the Fat Oatmeal Pancakes Video of Oatmeal Pancakes Another version of Oatmeal Pancakes Healthy Oatmeal Cookies 10 Secrets of the Effortlessly Thin Weightbot Iphone App Michi's Ladder Recipe of the Week Black Forest Ham Sandwich from Subway Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

You could call it a weight loss intervention. You may call it helpful advice. Either way, in this week's show Jeff grills Russ on why his weight loss has come to an almost screeching halt. After many months of successful weight loss, the pounds have stopped coming off. They talk about what causes weight loss plateaus and how to get past them. In the e-mail and comment section of the show we answer two questions about calories and high fructose corn syrup.  Rick writes in and asks about doubling the number of calories he eats at breakfast.  Colorful Kimbo has heard differing opinions on whether high fructose corn syrup is good for you.  What do you think? In the Web Report, Jeff walks us through an article explaining what the most popular male cover model on Men's Health Magazine eats on a daily basis.  It's one of those perfect diets that everyone should strive to eat.  One of the recipes will probably make it as a Recipe of the Week.  Russ talk about the Trikke.  It's a vehicle that will get you from point A to point B while burning some serious calories at the same time.  A neighbor of Russ' rides a Trikke around the local school doing laps and he has lost 20 lbs. If you aren't subscribed to the show via RSS, there is a new way to subscribe...by e-mail.  Enter your e-mail address in the box at the top of the page at Fat 2 Fit Radio and you'll get an e-mail notification that a new show is available and ready to be downloaded.  You'll also get the content of the show notes in the e-mail. Links Mentioned in the Show: Eat like a male cover model Workout on a Trikke Movie: King Corn Recipe of the Week: Slow Cooker Fajitas Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.