Carb Cycling FAQS and Info!!!!!

[holy ghost]

THIS THREAD IS LONG OVERDUE!!

I will also be discussing body types, ways to combat genetic predispositions, dieting advice, approaches, good foods, Glycemic Index, etc
____________________________


anabolic androgenic steroids+carb cycling=success

This was written by Iron Addict, a Mod on a diff forum
I do not agree with this 100% but premise is good.
Any Qs about Carb Cycling hit me up in this thread.
I have been getting overwhelmed lately with pms
about carb cycling so if you guys have any Qs about
the cycling or dieting problems just shoot in this thread
please, I will invite a few friends to Help
me out too like Tatyana.

_____________________________
"I and Many people here do time carb diets to drop body fat and preserve or build muscle while dieting. As previously stated in my timed carb diet article, no, or low carbohydrate diets with periodic carb ups, and always ensuring post workout carb ups are completed are the best way to get lean while not sacrificing muscle. And if implemented properly, strength and mass will be built while dieting.

The way these diets are typically structured is to have a set amount of days where low or no carbs are consumed unless it is a workout day, and then have specific carb-up periods to replenish glycogen stores, help keep thyroid output high, and give the trainee a break from the low carbs. This keeps performance good and keeps a trainee sane while dieting. Some people though can have a problem with having three to five days with low or no carbs. While I do feel that the standard plan is the best approach to doing this, and the fastest way to drop body fat, I also understand it is not for everybody, and modifications can be used for some of these trainees that won't do it the traditional way.

A typical time carb diet might be four days without carbs (training days get carbs PWO, and a normal meal after) and three days where carbs are consumed. This can be kind of rough on some trainees for various reasons. And some guys just don't have the mental fortitude to go if three to five days without consuming significant quantities of carbs. If they stick with it after approximately a week and a half to two weeks they will find energy levels are fine and performance stays good. But………. getting some people to do the whole two weeks can be difficult. And I have heard every excuse in the world as to why can't be done some very valid some absolutely horrible. I had one guy tell me if he went more than five hours without carbs he would pass out. What I pointed out that it was a miracle that he woke up after sleeping for five hours he backed off on his exaggeration about how bad it made him feel. And the reality is no one no one will pass out after not eating carbs or not eating for five hours. But some people like to be dramatic.

Here are some options for people that won't or don't want to take the traditional approach to a time carb diet:

An every other day timed-carb diet. Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like. On day one you consume low or no carbs. On day two, you have a normal carb day. Repeat process indefinitely. Pretty simple huh? It works, and works well as long as you understand that the rate of fatloss will be half or less than half of a normal timed carb diet. And of course you can play with the ratios indefinitely, so you can do two days no carbs, one day carbs or vice versa.

Another approach, and one that works well for people that tend to be somewhat hypoglycemic is doing a half-day no carb, half-day carb. What works best is consuming carbs in the morning and then having a carb cut-off at a specified time, say two o'clock in the afternoon. After your carb cutoff, no carbs are consumed and the diet consists of protein and fat. This will allow fat to be burned at a more rapid pace than if carbs are consumed during those hours. Of course it is a compromise, but significant amounts of body fat can be lost over time, and it is a pretty comfortable diet to do. That is unless you get visions of ice cream dancing in your head about eight o'clock while watching TV—lol.

Remember low-calorie moderate to high carbohydrate diets will drop scale weight. The problem is, a lot of the weight lost will be muscle because insulin shots down the enzymatic process that allows body fat to be liberated. Insulin control is really what we are after here, no carbs = no insulin= body fat liberated = muscle preserved--simple as that! I hope these options gave you a couple more ideas for those that are hesitant or just don't have the willpower to go too long without their favorite carbs.

Iron Addict"

 

[holy ghost]

Foods That Burn Fat[/B]

This recommended list of “fat-burning foods,” also known in the Burn the Fat,
Feed the Muscle (BFFM) program as “the terrific twelve,” might be the most valuable
resource you’ve ever laid your hands on. Although the possible variety is your food
choices is nearly infinite, these twelve are the staple foods that should make up the
foundation of your program. Variety is important, but these are the foods you can’t
go wrong with and the ones you’ll keep coming back to time after time.

1. Oatmeal


If I could only choose one source of complex, starchy carbohydrates for a fat loss
program, this would be it! Oatmeal is the one carbohydrate food that virtually 100%
of all bodybuilders and fitness models eat on a daily basis. What makes it so great?
Well, although it’s a starchy carbohydrate, oatmeal has a nice balance between
carbs, protein and good fat. A half a cup contains 3 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs
and 5 grams of protein. The low glycemic index, combined with the presence of
protein and fat makes oatmeal a very slowly released carb – exactly what you’re
looking for when you want to get lean.

Make sure you choose the all-natural oats; either old-fashioned oats (such as
Quaker) or the quick oats. Stay away from the sweetened and or flavored oatmeal
packets. Oatmeal is delicious with natural (sugar free) applesauce and cinnamon. Or,
try some crushed walnuts or flaxseeds in your morning oats, which will give your
“porridge” a nice crunchy texture while adding those desirable “good fats” we all
need. For a complete meal, try a couple scoops of Vanilla Praline flavored protein
powder in your oatmeal. If you get tired of oatmeal, there are plenty of other cooked
whole grain cereals in the “oatmeal family.” Look in your local health food store (or a
gourmet supermarket) for barley, wheat, titricale, rye, oat bran and flax cereals (or
a multi grain combination of the above).

2. Yams (and sweet potatoes)

Right behind oatmeal, yams (and sweet potatoes) are probably my second favorite
starchy carbohydrate. Flavorful, all-natural, low in calories, and packed with
nutrients and antioxidants like beta-carotene, it’s no wonder yams are a favorite
carbohydrate among bodybuilders, fitness competitors and health-seekers alike.
According to Brian Rowley, science editor for FLEX magazine, “Bodybuilders use
yams when cutting bodyfat because they are low on the glycemic index. Waxy white

potatoes (boilers) are high on the glycemic index, so they make an excellent
postworkout meal, but nothing compares with a yam the rest of the time.”

Although the glycemic index is a secondary factor when making carb choices on the
BFFM program, if you’re carb sensitive or if you’re on a very strict diet (like a contest
diet), then the glycemic index should be given more weight in your choices. Yams
are one of the best. Sweet potatoes are not exactly the same thing as yams (they’re
slightly higher on the glycemic index), but they’re otherwise similar, which also
makes them good choices for fat burning diets. You can identify a yam by its darker
orange color, pointier ends and unusual sizes/shapes. Combine a yam with a green
veggie, a chicken breast, lean red meat or fish, and you’ve got yourself a perfect fat-
burning, muscle building, metabolism boosting meal.

3. Potatoes (white or red)


Potatoes have earned an undeserved reputation as a food to avoid on a fat loss
program. But think about it; Potatoes meet every criteria of a great carbohydrate:
potatoes are a complex carb. They are all-natural. They contain fiber, vitamins and
minerals. They are filling. They are low in calories. So why do people avoid them?
One reason is because they confuse a dry potato with a loaded potato. Smother a
potato with butter, sour cream and bacon bits and then you’ve got yourself a
fattening, calorie-dense ensemble. Eat it dry or top it with Butter sprinkles, salsa or
your favorite low fat, low calorie topping and you can’t go wrong.

Another reason people might avoid the potato is because they are using the glycemic
index as their primary gauge for choosing carbohydrates. Potatoes are high on the
glycemic index, which means they are absorbed as blood sugar very rapidly. What
most people don’t realize however, is that when you eat your potato as a whole meal
with your favorite lean protein, the glycemic index of the entire meal is much lower.
Most people also don’t realize that some white potatoes are higher in the GI than
others. Baking potatoes are higher in amylose, a slow releasing starch, so the
glycemic index is lower. Russet potatoes are also moderate on the GI. Waxy
potatoes or boilers are high GI foods. If you’re
extremely
carb sensitive or
hypoglycemic, then you might want to eat more yams than white potatoes, but
generally speaking, white potatoes make a superb addition to almost any fat burning
diet. I personally eat white potatoes right up until the day of a bodybuilding contest
and I have no difficulty reaching 3-4% body fat.



4. Brown Rice

Brown rice is another staple food of bodybuilders and you often see the “muscled
ones” chowing down platefuls of rice, both in season and out of season (in smaller
quantities during the “cutting-up” season). Prior to contests, bodybuilders sometimes
reduce the amount of rice (starchy carbs) and add in more green veggies (fibrous
carbs), but rice is a solid year round staple, as long as you keep your calories in
check. Obviously, this means avoiding fried rice or other rice dishes that have added
fat and calories. Steamed or boiled rice is the way to go.

Of the many types of rice, slow-cooked brown rice or basmati rice are your number
one choices. Instant (pre-cooked) rice is fine when you’re in a crunch for time, but
the instant rice digests much more quickly and is processed in the body more like a
simple carbohydrate. The same goes for white rice, especially the sweet variety
that’s usually served in Chinese and Asian restaurants (including sushi rolls). White
rice is the processed version of brown rice. Although it’s still technically a starchy
complex carbohydrate, the white rice burns faster and has been stripped of much of
its nutritional value. When you’re on a very strict fat loss diet, stick with the slow-
cooking brown rice for best results.

5. 100% whole wheat and whole grain products


The “baseline diet” can and should contain a wide variety of bread products with one
condition: They must be made from 100% whole grains (and the label must say,
“100% whole wheat” or “100% whole grain” as the first ingredient). White bread and
anything made out of white flour is not allowed in any quantity on this program
(except the occasional planned “cheat meal”). If you’re particularly carb-sensitive,
then bread – even the whole wheat variety – is one of the first things to go.

A small handful of people – usually one in 200, depending on what source you listen
to – have sensitivity to the gluten in the wheat. Gluten is a protein found in wheat
products and, much like lactose intolerance from dairy products, gluten intolerance
can cause digestive difficulties and bloating in certain individuals. Most competitive
bodybuilders drop out all the pasta and bread products for the 12-16 week dieting
period before a contest, then usually put them back in for off-season maintenance.
On very strict fat loss diets, wheat and bread products are usually eliminated
completely. Generally speaking, however, 100% whole wheat and other whole grains
are perfectly acceptable additions to a healthy diet for long term body composition
control, it just depends on how “strict” you want or need to be with your nutrition.


6. Green fibrous vegetables (broccoli, green beans, asparagus, lettuce, etc)

Fibrous carbs are your number one choice for fat burning carbohydrates. Green
vegetables, also known as fibrous carbs, hardly contain any calories (they have a low
calorie density). It’s virtually impossible to overeat green vegetables. Eat them
liberally and eat more of them late in the day. A diet of green vegetables combined
with lean proteins is one of the best methods of getting lean as quickly as possible.

7. Fresh Fruit


Whole fruits are a fantastic, healthy food suitable for nearly any fat loss program.
Although there are some “guru’s” in the bodybuilding industry who claim, “fruit is
fattening,” this statement is somewhat misleading. It’s true that a diet of mostly
complex carbohydrate will give you better results than a diet of mostly simple
carbohydrates, but that’s not the same thing as saying “fruit is fattening.” Although
fruits are simple carbohydrates, they are natural simple carbohydrates. Most fruits
are low in calories, low in carbohydrate grams (compared to starches) and high in
fiber.

Some fruits such as raisins are extremely calorie dense and best avoided when
you’re on a strict fat loss program and your calorie allotment is small. Fruits like
apples, peaches, grapefruits, and oranges, at only 60-80 calories apiece (or less),
are a great addition to almost any nutritional plan. Just make sure the majority of
your carbohydrates are of the complex type. An all-fruit or mostly fruit diet won’t be
as effective for fat loss as one that is mostly green fibrous carbohydrates with lean
protein.

8. Skim milk & nonfat dairy products


“Dairy products” cover an entire category of foods including milk, cheese, yogurt,
sugar free frozen yogurt, and cottage cheese. To make it on the BFFM “approved”
list, a dairy product must be labeled “fat-free,” “skim,” or 1% lowfat. Whole milk
dairy products are not allowed, as they are high in fat. Even 2% low fat milk is still
37.5% fat by calories.

Dairy products are a “combination food” – they contain carbohydrates and proteins.
Because the protein found in dairy products is high quality, complete protein, a high
protein dairy product can count as an exchange for a protein food. For example, you
could have non-fat cottage cheese as a protein instead of a serving of lean meat.
Non-fat cheese can also boost the protein content of a meal. Yogurt tends to have

less protein than cottage cheese, so a single container of yogurt wouldn’t count as a
full protein serving. In fact, yogurt would count more as a simple carbohydrate
exchange than a protein (although, you could mix in a scoop of protein powder into
your yogurt to make it “high-protein yogurt).

9. Chicken Breast (and Turkey Breast)


Chicken and turkey are probably the number one most popular protein sources
among bodybuilders and fat loss seekers. Remove the skin and get the light meat
found in the breasts. The thighs are higher in fat and calories. Naturally, your poultry
should be broiled, grilled, or roasted and not fried.

Also, we’re talking about the real bird here, not the sliced lunch meat you find at
deli’s or pre-packed in supermarkets. Lunch meats are processed proteins. Some
nutritionists call them “fabricated foods” because they are made from a mix and
poured into a mold before being cooked and wrapped. While these are acceptable
occasionally, don’t make them a staple in your regular daily diet. Lunch meats are
loaded with sodium, preservatives, binders, fillers and other nasty chemicals that
you don’t want floating around in your body!

10. Egg whites


The name of the game in fat-burning, muscle-building nutrition is to eat a lean
protein with every meal. With zero fat, egg whites are as lean as lean proteins get.
Egg whites are right up there with chicken breasts as one of the top three lean
proteins of choice for losing fat and gaining muscle. Eggs are a super-high quality
protein. The problem with whole eggs is the high fat and calorie content. Fortunately,
100% of the fat is in the yolk, while the protein is split evenly between the yolk and
the white. This doesn’t mean you have to throw out all your yolks, but it does mean
you should limit your yolks. I’d recommend one yolk for every six whites you eat.
Just crack them open, and separate the yolk from the white using the edge of the
shell. Or, even easier, simply use “Egg Beaters” or another packaged egg white
product. There must be hundreds of ways to make eggs, so use your imagination:
Omelets, frittatas, scrambled, fried (in nonstick spray), over easy, sunnyside up,
hard-boiled or any other way you like them, use egg whites liberally!

11. Fish and shellfish


Many people complain about the lack of variety in a bodybuilding-style fat-burning
diet, which typically has you eating egg whites, tuna and chicken day in, day out.

What most people don’t eat enough of is fish and seafood. By using different types of
fish and shellfish as protein sources, you can add an incredible amount of variety a
well as getting those valuable good fats. Here is just a partial list of fish to consider:
salmon, tuna, haddock, flounder, mackerel, trout, snapper, sea bass, swordfish,
mahi mahi, perch, orange roughy, sole, Halibut, herring cod and catfish.

As with other meats, eat your fish baked, grilled or broiled and avoid fatty, high
calorie sauces and butter. Most fish are very low in fat and high in protein. Some
fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and trout, are high in fat. However,
because fish is so high in Omega 3 fatty acids, these fish can and should be used
liberally. Shellfish have many of the benefits that fish have and it can add some
variety to your diet if you’re getting bored of egg whites and chicken. This category
includes shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, etc. By the way, when you’re eating in
restaurants, fish is a great choice, as long as you make sure there are no hidden bad
fats or extra calories.

12. Lean red meat


Bodybuilders are quite famous for loving their red meat. Many bodybuilders believe
that red meat helps muscle growth, and there may be much truth in that statement.
Red meat is high in protein, B-12, iron and creatine. The problem with most cuts of
red meat is the high fat content. However, not all cuts of red meat are the same. It’s
a mistake to label the entire red meat category as a no-no because of high fat
content. If you carefully choose the leanest cuts possible and keep your portion sizes
small, red meat can be a great addition to a fat burning program. For example, a 6
oz serving of lean, trimmed top round steak has only 9 grams of fat, while a 6 oz of
untrimmed porterhouse has 37 grams of fat (and the 18 oz porterhouse you’re often
served in a steak house has over 100 grams of fat!)

 

[goku_kakarot77]

nice post holy, man you always on top bro

peace

 

[holy ghost]

Foods That Turn To Fat

Part one of this special report listed the twelve foods that “burn fat.” This
second installment in the series will teach you which foods “turn to fat.” One of the
best ways to learn what you should eat is to learn what you shouldn’t eat. Then, by a
process of elimination, you’ll be much more likely to eat the foods that will give you
the best results.

In this report, you’ll discover that the foods that “turn to fat” all tend to have
certain things in common:

X High total calories
X High calorie density per unit of volume
X High total fat
X High in unhealthy saturated and trans fats
X High in refined sugar.
X Low in nutritional value (low nutrient density)
X Flavor enhancers, fillers and other chemicals
X Artificial colors and flavors
X High sodium

It only gets worse. Many of these fat and sugar filled “junk foods” have
negative nutritional value. They subtract from the good you’re doing when you pick
the right foods. For example, anything high in white sugar is going to leach minerals
from your body. None of the foods on this list should ever be eaten as a part of your
regular daily diet. It’s wise to allow yourself one or two cheat meals per week, but
save the “junk foods” on this list for the very occasional cheat day. If and when you
do eat them, make sure you continue to obey the law of calorie balance (too much of
anything gets stored as fat and small amounts of bad foods usually won’t get stored
as fat)

1. Ice Cream


I’m sure a lot of people will be mad at me when they see their beloved ice cream as
number one on the hit list of the foods that turn to fat, but here goes: Ice cream is
Bad news with a capital B! Ice cream is loaded with fat, sugar and way more calories
than you need; an evil fat-storing triad. Not to mention, the artificial colors, artificial
flavors, preservatives, emusifiers and stabilizers.


Now let’s talk about the fat. One cup (that’s a pretty small serving you know),
contains approximately 350 calories and 20 grams of fat – mostly saturated. And
that’s just regular premium vanilla ice cream. A cup of Haagen Dasz Belgian
Chocolate has 660 calories and 36 grams of fat. But that’s nuthin! Ben & Jerrys has
them all beat! A cup of wavy gravy ice cream has 660 calories and …. Gulp…. 48
grams of fat – 20 of them saturated!

There are so many delicious alternatives to ice cream like fruit sorbet or even sugar
free, low fat frozen yogurt, it boggles the mind that more fitness conscious people
don’t make the switch. Are you a Ben & Jerry’s freak? Skip the wavy gravy or
chunky monkey and have the Cherry Garcia Yogurt instead (if you must)… it’s only
340 calories and six grams of fat. Healthy Choice makes a Low fat chocolate mint
chip ice cream with only 200 calories per cup and just four grams of fat. Best of all,
Kemp’s makes a sugar free non fat frozen yogurt that contains only 240 calories and
zero grams of fat. It’s made with skim milk and is sugar free.

You can have your ice cream and eat it too, you just have to watch your portion
sizes, read labels, choose your brand carefully, and go with a reduced fat or even a
fat free version. Usually I hear, “but it just doesn’t taste the same.” Maybe true,
but if regular ice cream is a regular item in your weekly or daily menu, you can rest
assured that a lot of those calories will be turning to fat.

2. Fried Foods


All fried foods are really BAD NEWS! (with all capitals!) Fried foods are harmful in
more ways than one. First of all, they are high in calories and mostly fat. Take a
McDonald’s super size fries, for example. Polish off the whole batch and you’ve got
yourself 610 calories and 29 grams of fat, 10 of them saturated. Large Burger King
hash browns – 390 calories and 25 grams of fat, 15 of them saturated. KFC fried
chicken breast (extra tasty crispy) – one serving alone sets you back 470 calories
and 25 grams of fat.

Second, the type of fat is highly saturated and/or trans fat. Frying destroys essential
fatty acids (EFA’s) by twisting their molecules from the cis-configuration in which
they’re normally found to the unnatural trans shape. To make matters worse,
shortening and margarines have replaced the lard that was traditionally used for
frying. These contain large amounts of chemically altered trans fatty acids to begin
with, so you get a double whammy of artery clogging, health destroying “funny fats.”


According to Udo Erasmus, the world’s foremost expert on fats, there is no such
thing as safe frying. “Safe frying is a contradiction in terms,” says Erasmus. “When
foods turn brown, they have been burned. The nutrients in burned material have
been destroyed. Proteins turn into carcinogenic acrolein. Starches and sugars are
browned through molecular destruction. Fats and oils are turned to smoke by
destruction of fatty acids and glycerol.”

Folks, stay the heck away from anything fried! (By the way, did you know that
“sauté” is the French word for “fry?”)

3. Donuts and pastries


Like ice cream, doughnuts are one of the all time no-no’s when body fat reduction
and good health are your goals. Doughnuts contain that king of fat storing
combinations: refined sugar and saturated fats.

A small plain or powdered donut contains about 170 calories and 10 grams of fat (by
the way, that’s over 50% fat by calories). Your larger donuts contain anywhere from
200 to 420 calories and up to 22 grams of fat – much of it saturated.

The flour in donuts, of course is white flour – stripped of any nutritional value with
no trace of the original whole grain left intact. And heaps and heaps of sugar are
added on top to add insult to injury.

Donuts also contain chemical agents designed to keep them soft, mono and
diglycerides, propylene and glycol mono and diesters, coloring agents including FD &
C yellow, number 5 and preservatives such as BHT and BHA.

If you want a chemical cocktail loaded with fat, sugar and calories, donuts fit the bill
nicely. By the way, did you know they deep-fry those things? And one more thing;
did you know a Cinnabon has 670 calories and 34 grams of fat? Stay away from
Cinnabons, pastries, éclairs and anything else in the “donut family.”

4. White sugar, Candy, Chocolate and sweets


One of the biggest misconceptions in weight loss is that carbohydrates make you fat.
This is an incorrect statement. A correct statement would be; refined carbohydrates
make you fat… and that means white sugar, candy and sweets. Of course, calories
are the bottom line… it’s not necessarily sugar that makes you fat, it’s too many

calories that make you fat. But guess what? Refined carbs are incredibly calorie
dense, making it extremely easy for you to eat too many calories.

Even if you could “get away with” eating sugar because your calories were below
maintenance, you wouldn’t want to. You see, sugar is “empty calories.” No vitamins,
no minerals, no fiber, no nothing… just calories.

Refined sugars wreak havoc with your blood sugar levels and they increase insulin
levels, which can also increase fat storage and prevent stored fat from being
released.

It only gets worse. Nancy Appleton, author of “Lick the sugar habit,” has compiled a
list of over 100 reasons that sugar is disastrous to your health and fitness
endeavors. Here’s a shortened version:

1) Refined sugar can be a contributing factor to gaining body fat
2) Refined sugar can increase the bad LDL cholesterol
3) Refined sugar can decrease the good LDL cholesterol
4) Refined sugar can increase triglycerides
5) Refined sugar can suppress your immune system
6) Refined sugar can deplete your body of important minerals
7) Refined sugar can contribute to the development of numerous types of
cancer
8) Refined sugar can cause hypoglycemia
9) Refined sugar can decrease growth hormone
10) Refined sugar can contribute to diabetes
11) Refined sugar can cause food allergies
12) Refined sugar can increase serum insulin

If you made only one change to your nutritional habits today… that is, to reduce your
sugar intake… the difference in your health, energy levels and body composition
would absolutely blow your mind. Get the sugar out!

5. Soda


It was 1767 when British Scientist Joseph Priestly discovered how to carbonate
water. Quite simply, pressurized carbon dioxide gas is pumped through the liquid
and that’s what creates the bubbly fizz so many people have come to love.


Since then, soft drinks have become a multi-billion dollar industry all around the
world. In fact, Coca Cola is one of the most valuable and recognized brands in the
world. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, the total consumption of
carbonated beverages in 2001 was 10.3 billion cases. The average person
consumes... get a load of this… 55.7 gallons of the fizzy stuff every year. But what’s
good for the cola companies definitely isn’t good for what ails you.

Soft drinks are mostly water, but the amount of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup
used to sweeten regular soda is more than enough to do its share of damage.

We’ve already talked about the ills of sugar, but liquid sugar is even more insidious
when it comes to throwing a wrench in your fat burning machinery. Several studies
have shown that when you consume liquid calories, you tend not to compensate by
cutting back on the food you eat. The result is that you drink excess calories in
addition to all the food you normally eat.

Liquid calories of all types are best avoided on fat burning diets.

6. Fruit “drinks” and other sugar sweetened beverages


Ditto (same as for soda)… don’t drink your calories, especially if they’re full of sugar!
And don’t be fooled by the labels that say, “Contains real fruit juice.” Do your
homework and read the ingredients list. If you see sugar, sucrose, corn syrup or high
fructose corn syrup on the label, STAY AWAY!

7. Bacon, Sausage


Bacon has almost become a standard feature in the typical American breakfast. Too
bad! The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that Bacon and Sausage are
one of the worst foods you could possibly eat. One strip of regular pork bacon has
130 calories and 13 grams of fat, five of them saturated. By the way, that’s 93% fat
by calories – Yikes!

Even if you choose turkey bacon, or a reduced fat bacon, you’d better check the
label carefully. “Reduced fat” doesn’t mean much. If the fat is reduced from 90% fat
to 70% fat or even 50% fat, that’s not much improvement.

Suppose you find a really, honestly lean bacon or bacon substitute. Still not a good
choice. Why? Because it’s a processed food. The same warning that goes for
processed fats and processed carbohydrates go for processed meats. You’re not

eating pure, real pork my friend! You’re eating a “meat product” that contains some
pork in a mix of fillers, sodium, sugar and nitrites that are used to cure the meats.
Stay away from all fatty meats and all processed meats and stick with lean proteins
like chicken breast, turkey, fish and egg whites. Your body will thank you.

8. White bread


The average American eats 54 pounds of bread each year. Most people think bread is
fattening. This is largely due to the popularity of low carb diets. The problem is
they’re eating the wrong kind of bread. White bread is treated in the body the same
way as white sugar. White bread is a refined carbohydrate with no nutritional value.
Whole grain breads (100% wheat, rye, etc) are another story.

Some breads are made from 100% whole grains with all the vitamins, minerals and
fiber left intact. Other breads are all or mostly refined white flour. These breads have
been stripped of most of their nutrients. The milling and grinding of the whole grain
reduces the particle size while increasing the calorie density and turns the whole
grain (a complex carb) into a simple carb that’s no better than pure sugar.

When proponents of low carb programs “flame” dieters for eating “too many
carbohydrates,” what they often fail to mention is that the problem is not
carbohydrates per se; the problem is refined carbohydrates. What most people miss
is the fact that refined carbohydrates include not only white sugar and its derivatives
(like corn syrup), but also white flour as well.

That’s right! This means that anything and everything made from white or enriched
flour is a food that will more readily turn to fat! That includes, cereals, pretzels,
bagels, breads, pitas, crackers and anything else made from white flour. If you’re
not sure whether a food is whole grain or not, simply read the ingredients list on the
label. If the food is whole grain, then the first ingredient will say something like
“100% whole wheat.”

If you want to burn fat, give up the white flour completely and go with the grain –
whole grain that is.

9. Potato Chips, Nachos, Corn Chips


In Robert Kennedy’s book “Rock Hard, Supernutrition for bodybuilders,” he wrote,
“far too high sodium content makes potato chips almost lethal, especially if you are

predisposed to high blood pressure. One popular brand contains 680 milligrams of
salt, compared to the 4 milligrams of sodium one finds in an average baked potato.”

Sodium’s not the only thing chips have against them. Let’s see... we’ve got lots of
calories, tons of fat, flavor additives and the refined oils that are used to fry/cook
these buggers. The potato chip is not even close to the nutritional value of the raw
potato, sodium and fat notwithstanding. The nutritional value that was in the raw
potato has literally been “fried right out.” What’s left is mostly calories from fat from
the refined oil used in the cooking process.

Oh, by the way, Nachos and Dorito-type chips are on the out list too (sorry).

These days you can find fat free potato chips at a health food store, which are
definitely an improvement, but keep one thing in mind: packaged and man made
foods are NEVER as good as foods eaten the way they’re found in nature. Pretzels
are better because you’re losing the fat, but since they’re made from white flour,
pretzels are NOT as big of an improvement over potato chips as many people think
they are.

10. Hot dogs, fast food burgers


Hamburgers and hot dogs are as American as Chevrolet, baseball and apple pie.
Unfortunately, America’s love for fast food has turned it into one of the most obese
and unhealthy countries in the world.

Out of the two, hamburgers are the lesser of the evils (but they’re still pretty evil).
Hot dogs are not pure meat – they are a “meat product” consisting of some meat,
mashed up with fillers, stabilizers, sodium, preservatives, artificial colors and
artificial flavors. They’re a veritable mish-mash of chemicals and additives... a “fake
food” so to speak. A three-ounce regular hot dog has 16 grams of fat – seven of
them saturated.

If you simply must have a hot dog, these days, you can find low fat hot dogs or
turkey dogs by companies such as Healthy Choice. However, keep in mind that all
hot dogs – low fat or not – are processed meats. The same rule that applies to
carbohydrates applies to proteins as well; that is: Natural foods are always better
than refined foods. Stick with natural lean proteins like chicken breast and egg
whites and avoid the refined and processed meats as much as possible.


Hamburgers, while they may be made from real meat, are made from some of the
fattiest meat available. There’s no such thing as “lean ground beef.” Even the leanest
beef is still relatively high in fat. Read the labels and do the math for yourself.

Oh, one last thing…The nitrites used to cure the hot dogs have been linked to cancer.


11. Cookies, cakes, pies

Cookies, cakes and pies fall into the same categories as donuts – fat and sugar
joined at the hip (and they’ll end up on your hips too, if you’re not careful!) Just
because they’re baked and not fried doesn’t mean they’re any better.

Fat and sugar is the worst of all food combinations and they’re both found in
abundance in cookies, cakes and pies. They also harbor untold amounts of
dangerous trans fatty acids.

Save the cake for once a year on your birthday (okay, maybe a slice of pumpkin pie
for thanksgiving). The rest of the year, avoid these like the plague.


12. Sugary breakfast cereals

According to the book “Cerealizing America,” by Scott Bruce and Bill Crawford, The
cereal industry uses 816 million pounds of sugar per year. Americans buy 2.7 billion
packages of breakfast cereal each year. If laid end to end, the empty cereal boxes
from one year's consumption would stretch to the moon and back. 1.3 million
advertisements for cereal aired on American television every year, or more than
twenty-five hours of cereal advertising per day, at a cost of $762 million for air time.
Only automobile manufacturers spend more money on television advertising than the
makers of breakfast cereal.

Most of the boxed cereals found in supermarkets contain large amounts of sugar and
some contain more than 50% sugar (sugar smacks have 53% sugar). Cereal
manufacturers are very clever in their marketing, making many cereals appear much
more healthy than they appear by “fortifying” them with vitamins and minerals. Oh,
lovely – you now have vitamin-fortified sugar!

Before you eat any cereal, read the ingredients list and see how high sugar appears
on the ingredient list. Then check the “Nutrition facts” panel.

There are actually only a small handful of national commercially branded cereals that
are made from whole grains and are sugar free. Shredded Wheat is one. If you shop

at a health food store instead of in your local supermarket, you are much more likely
to find a healthy, whole grain, sugar free (or very low sugar) cereal. But watch out –
some of the health food store boxed cereals are sweetened with fruit juice or
fructose. Although this may be an improvement over refined white sugar, this can
really skyrocket the calories.

Although there are some good boxed cereals available, you may find it interesting
that bodybuilders and fitness models – among the leanest athletes in the world –
almost never eat boxed cereal – even the better brands. Instead, they opt for
unsweetened old fashioned oatmeal (not the flavored, sweetened packets). This
might surprise you, but most commercial breakfasts cereals, with their hidden sugars

 

[holy ghost]

Mastering the fundamentals first

Many weight loss programs start you on the strictest version of their diet possible,
allowing you to gradually “loosen it up” as you get closer to your goal. I suspect the
reason for such crash “quick start” programs is because they don’t want you to get
discouraged with slow fat loss in the beginning. They want to encourage quick weight
loss right from the start so their program appears effective, regardless of what happens in
the long run. However, if permanent fat loss is your goal, then it makes no sense to
attempt going on the strictest, most advanced and most difficult nutrition regimen (such
as a low carbohydrate bodybuilding contest diet), until you already have a “clean” diet
and you understand all the nutrition fundamentals.

The low carbohydrate, high protein diet is an “advanced” technique. Before
moving into “advanced fat loss strategies,” you should be training consistently and you
should have mastered the baseline diet (which I also refer to as “PHASE I” of the BFFM
program). It’s pointless to try to use these advanced carbohydrate-manipulation strategies
unless you’ve mastered the eight fundamentals of the baseline diet:

1. Eating fewer calories than you burn
2. Properly balancing your macronutrient ratios
3. Eating five or six meals per day, properly timed
4. Eating lean proteins with every meal
5. Eating the right types of carbohydrates and avoiding refined sugars
6. Eating low fat and choosing the right types of fat
7. Drinking plenty of water
8. Eating natural, unrefined foods

Have you mastered all these fundamentals yet? If not, the advanced information
in this chapter will do you little good. Get back to the basics first. When you’ve mastered
all the fundamentals and you’re stuck in a rut or when you’re already lean and want to get
even leaner, then using the techniques in this chapter will help you get there.

The truth about low carbohydrate diets

The popularity of low carbohydrate diet programs has given carbohydrates in
general a bad name and caused the widespread misconception that all carbohydrates are
fattening. The truth is that carbohydrates are not fattening and most people don’t need
low carbohydrate diets to get lean.
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
206


Many low carbohydrate programs are based on the assumption that all people are
carbohydrate sensitive or resistant to insulin. My research and experience has proven the
opposite - that most people will lose fat simply by lifting weights, doing cardio, eating
less than they burn and "cleaning up" their diets. In other words, low carbohydrate diets
should be looked at as “last resort” diets or “peaking” diets for special events such as
bodybuilding, fitness competition or photo shoots. A low carbohydrate diet is not for year
round maintenance. It’s a temporary tool for reaching peak condition.

When a low carbohydrate diet is appropriate

Carbohydrate reductions are helpful and effective at certain times and under
certain circumstances for speeding up fat loss. Here are the three situations where low
carbohydrate dieting may be appropriate:

1. For carbohydrate-sensitive endomorph types

From my experience working with thousands of clients, I would estimate that about 70%
-80% of people will lose fat on a baseline diet without carbohydrate restriction. That
leaves 20% to 30% who don't respond well to the conventional high carbohydrate, low fat
approach. Even on a low fat, low calorie diet combined with regular exercise, these
“carbohydrate sensitive” people still have a difficult time getting lean (and they’re often
extremely frustrated with their lack of results despite their honest efforts). For
carbohydrate sensitive people, a reduced carbohydrate diet with more protein and fat may
be the answer.

2. Breaking a plateau

It’s extremely common for dieters to get excellent results for weeks or even months, then
all of a sudden, stop losing body fat completely. That’s because all calorie-restricted diets
eventually have some negative effect on the metabolism. The more severe you diet and
the longer you diet, the greater the metabolic downgrade. This ultimately leads nearly
everyone to a plateau at one time or another. If you’re stuck at a plateau, then restricting
carbohydrates and using the “carbohydrate cycling” method can help break the plateau.

3. Bodybuilding, fitness or figure competition

Low carbohydrate diets are still considered controversial, but almost all bodybuilders and
fitness competitors use them. Some restrict carbohydrates quite severely, others more
moderately, but I don’t know a single successful bodybuilder who doesn’t use at least
some degree of carbohydrate restriction to get ripped for competition. If the low
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
207

carbohydrate diet didn’t work, then you wouldn’t see male bodybuilders peak at 3-5%
body fat and female bodybuilders or fitness competitors at 8-12% body fat. Reduced
carbohydrate diets give you several important metabolic and hormonal advantages that
allow you to get leaner faster than a conventional baseline diet. Bodybuilders have known
this for years and that’s the reason they are able to get so lean, year after year, contest
after contest.

Four advantages of the reduced carbohydrate diet

Low carbohydrate diets have advantages and disadvantages. Although the cons
might seem to outnumber the pros, a decrease in carbohydrate with an increase in protein
can give you some very powerful advantages in fat loss:

(1) Reduced carbohydrate, high protein diets are highly thermic

A diet high in protein with moderate or low carbohydrates speeds up your metabolism
due to the "thermic effect" of protein. Protein has the highest thermic effect of any food
(nearly 30%). For example, if you eat 100 calories of chicken breast, 30 of those calories
are burned off just to digest it! Therefore, the net caloric value is only 70 calories. Too
much of any food will be stored as fat, but due to its high thermic effect, protein is less
likely to be converted to fat than any other food type. When carbohydrates are reduced,
the ratio of protein increases, and the thermic effect of the entire diet is higher.

(2) Reducing carbohydrates and increasing protein controls insulin

Insulin control might be the primary advantage of a reduced carbohydrate diet for fat loss.
Insulin is released the most in response to the consumption of carbohydrates. Fats cause
almost no insulin release and protein causes only a small insulin release. When you
reduce carbohydrates, you reduce insulin output. Moderating insulin by restricting your
carbohydrates can be an effective strategy for losing fat.

(3) Reducing carbohydrates decreases glycogen, forcing your body to use more fat
for fuel.

By reducing your carbohydrate intake, your glycogen stays in a depleted or semi-depleted
state. Although this may compromise your energy and training intensity somewhat, when
done in moderation, this can speed up fat loss because you’re less likely to store
carbohydrates as fat when glycogen is depleted. Carbohydrates must go to glycogen-
starved muscles first before they can be partitioned into fat storage.

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
208

(4) Reducing carbohydrates and increasing protein reduces water retention, giving
you sharper, more detailed muscle definition.

A high carbohydrate diet tends to increase water retention because every gram of
glycogen holds three grams of water. A high protein, low carbohydrate diet has the
opposite effect – it tends to decrease water retention, giving you a more defined look to
your muscles. Bloating and puffiness from water retention is only temporary and should
not be confused with legitimate changes in body composition. However, the improved
muscle definition from the high protein, low carbohydrate diet is another reason this type
of diet is favored by so many bodybuilders and fitness competitors.

Eight disadvantages of the low carbohydrate diet

Before you consider going on a low carbohydrate diet, it’s your responsibility to
know all the cons as well as the pros so you can make an educated decision about whether
this type of program is right for you. (You should also check with your doctor before
making any major changes to your carbohydrate and protein ratios to make sure this type
of diet is appropriate for you).

(1) Very low carbohydrate diets are difficult to stay on.

By their very nature, low carbohydrate diets are restrictive and difficult to follow. On a
very low carbohydrate diet, you are only allowed to eat protein, meat and fat with limited
amounts of low calorie carbohydrates such as lettuce, green vegetables and very small
portions of natural starches. How long do you think you could comfortably stay on this
kind of program? Extremely restrictive diets require tremendous willpower and almost
always set you up for cravings and bingeing. Many people fail simply because they can’t
faithfully stay “on the wagon.”

(2) Weight/fat re-gain is almost inevitable

If you lose weight on a very low carbohydrate diet, the odds of keeping the weight off are
overwhelmingly against you. The lower you drop your carbohydrates, the more your body
will rebound when carbohydrates are re-introduced. I’ve seen amateur bodybuilders gain
30 lbs in a matter of days after a contest because they went on a carbohydrate and fat
binge after a four-month zero carbohydrate diet. Transitions onto and off of low
carbohydrate diets must be carefully planned and gradual.

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
209

(3) Very low carbohydrate diets can be unbalanced and lacking in essential
nutrients.

It's never healthy to remove entire food groups from your diet for a long period of time.
The healthiest diet is one that has balance between protein, carbohydrates and fats and
includes a wide variety of foods, not an overemphasis on one food or food group.

(4) Very low carbohydrate diets may be unhealthy.

Many low carbohydrate diets suggest eating large amounts of fat, including saturated fats.
In the absence of carbohydrates, you can eat fat with protein and still lose weight, but it's
never smart to eat large amounts of saturated or highly processed fats. If heart disease or
health problems run in your family, you're asking for serious trouble. Furthermore, a high
fat diet is never as effective as a low to moderate fat diet because of its lower thermic
effect.

5) Very low carbohydrate diets can cause your energy levels to crash.

You can increase fat loss by restricting carbohydrates, but your energy levels and
performance are going to drop if you cut them too much. That’s why virtually 100% of
elite athletes follow moderately high carbohydrate diets, regardless of whether their sport
is anaerobic or aerobic in nature (Bodybuilders are an exception because their ultimate
goal is cosmetic appearance, not physical performance). Because carbohydrates are your
body’s preferred energy source, the more you reduce your carbohydrates, the less energy
you will have. If your workout intensity suffers, your results will suffer.

6) The weight loss on a very low carbohydrate diet can be deceiving.

Much of the weight loss on a low carbohydrate diet is muscle and water. Five pound per
week losses are common, but if you distinguish between the types of weight lost, these
results are often quite negative. For example, if one pound is fat, two pounds is water and
two pounds is muscle, your five-pound weight loss doesn’t look so good after all. Your
goal should always be fat loss, never weight loss.

7) Low carbohydrate levels affect your mood and mental state.

The low carbohydrate diet is infamous for producing “brain fog” because your brain and
central nervous system function almost exclusively on glucose. When you deprive
yourself of carbohydrates for any prolonged period of time, you will often become tired,
weak, moody, irritable and an all around grouchy S.O.B.! Just ask anyone who has ever
gone on a strict low carbohydrate diet (or anyone who has lived with a low carb dieter),
and they’ll tell you – a severe low carbohydrate diet can cause a “Jeckyl and Hyde” effect.
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
210


8) Low carbohydrate diets may cause muscle loss

When glycogen stores are severely depleted through dietary restriction, your body can
also burn protein for energy, converting muscle tissue into glucose through a process
called gluconeogenesis. Carbohydrates have a protein-sparing effect – they help ensure
that you don’t burn up muscle for energy. (Unfortunately, if your carbohydrates are too
high, they also have a fat-sparing effect because when carbohydrates are plentiful, you
tend to burn more carbohydrate for energy). Advocates of ketogenic and very low
carbohydrate diets claim that the very nature of the ketogenic diet prevents muscle loss. In
the real world, I have never observed this even once! Extremely strict very low
carbohydrate diets invariably cause muscle to be lost along with the fat.

Why do low carbohydrate diet proponents talk so much about “ketosis?”

The goal of some very low carbohydrate diets is to produce the metabolic state
known as ketosis. In the absence of carbohydrate, fats burn incompletely, causing by
products called ketone bodies to accumulate in the bloodstream. Being in ketosis is a
sure-fire indicator that your body has been forced to run on fat for fuel. That’s why
achieving ketosis is the primary goal of so many low carbohydrate diets.

Ketosis can occur when your carbohydrates are dropped below 100 grams,
although most people don’t stay in ketosis until carbohydrates go below 30-70 grams a
day. Ketosis can be detected with a urine test. Paper strips called “ketostix” are dipped in
the urine and when they change to a certain color, this indicates you’ve achieved a
ketogenic state.

The “high carb gurus” often argue that ketogenic diets are dangerous and
unhealthy. Ketogenic diets might be dangerous, depending on the parameters of the diet
and a person’s health status, but no sweeping conclusions can be made about their safety
because the research is inconclusive. Many people have stayed on ketogenic diets for
months or even years without complications – including epileptics who use ketogenic
diets to treat their condition.

Whether or not ketogenic diets are unhealthy is uncertain, but the real reason you
should avoid them is because ketosis is not a requirement to burn fat. Only a calorie
deficit is necessary to burn fat. Ketogenic diets are extremely strict and nutritionally
unbalanced. They are what you could call “extreme measures.” It’s an irrevocable law
that the more “extreme” a nutrition program is, the greater the side effects will be and the
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
211

more difficult the diet will be to stay on. (Imagine trying to stay on a diet that only allows
you a few cups of salad or veggies and nothing but fat and protein for the rest of the day.)

It’s simply not necessary to remove all your carbohydrates or go into ketosis to
accelerate fat loss. A moderate reduction in carbohydrates is often all it takes to help to
control blood sugar and insulin better. It’s really just a matter of balancing carbohydrates
with protein instead of eating mostly carbohydrates and small amounts of protein.
Bodybuilders have been doing this for decades, but the mainstream has been very slow in
catching on.

 

[holy ghost]

The moderate carbohydrate, high protein diet for carbohydrate sensitive
endomorphs

How many grams of carbohydrates you should eat for optimal fat loss depends a
lot on your body type. Some people have the genetics to “get away with” eating bagels,
bread, pasta and other high carbohydrate foods all day long, and as long as their calories
are in a deficit, they lose fat without difficulty. Other people seem to be doing everything
right, but they lose fat very slowly or sometimes not at all – even with a calorie deficit!
This is extremely frustrating to many people.

If you’re a carbohydrate-sensitive, slow metabolism, endomorph type, you will get
better results with a decrease in your percentage of carbohydrates. A 10% – 15%
reduction in carbohydrates with a corresponding increase in the percentage of protein and
good fats can sometimes work wonders in losing “stubborn body fat.” The adjusted ratios
might look something like this:


The Maximum Fat Burning Diet (“Phase II”)
Moderate Carbs, High Protein
40% carbohydrates
40% protein
20% fat.

These ratios can have a 5% float in either direction. For example, if the
carbohydrates were 45% and the protein 35%, the results would be similar. Forty percent
carbohydrates would not be considered a “low” carbohydrate diet by most people’s
standards; rather it’s “moderate” in carbohydrates. However, even this moderate
reduction is often enough to make a substantial difference for those who are carbohydrate
sensitive. (By the way, you may have noticed that with one small shift – adding 10% to
the fat and subtracting 10% from the protein, turns this into a 40-30-30 “Zone” diet. In
fact, the Zone ratios are very similar to the BFFM Phase II Maximum Fat-Burning Diet.
The BFFM moderate carbohydrate diet is simply higher in protein, which is what most
bodybuilders prefer.)

In some circumstances, (as during a “competition diet”), larger reductions in
carbohydrates may be called for, but there is a definite point of diminishing returns. This
point is not the same for everyone, and will require a certain degree of experimentation.
You’ll definitely know it when you reach your “critical level,” because as soon as you’ve
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
213

dropped your carbohydrates too much, all the side effects I mentioned earlier will begin to
become more apparent. Even for the serious bodybuilder or fitness competitor preparing
for a contest, my recommendation is that 25-30% of total daily calories is the lowest you
should ever go. You always need some carbohydrates.


Sample moderate carbohydrate menu
Meal 1 – 7:00 am: oatmeal, whey protein, grapefruit
Meal 2 – 9:30 am: whole wheat bread, egg white omelet with pepper, onion, tomato
Meal 3 – 12:30 pm: Brown Rice, chicken breast, broccoli
Meal 4 – 3:30 pm: Sweet potato, chicken breast, green beans1/2 tbsp flax oil
Meal 5 – 6:00 pm: Salmon, asparagus
Meal 6 – 8:30 pm: mixed green salad, olive oil & vinegar dressing, tuna fish

Notice how the carbohydrate tapering method has been used here: there are no
starchy carbohydrates in meals five or six (after 3:30 pm). The result is an almost
automatic reduction of carbohydrates to about 40% of total calories. Meals one through
four all contain a lean protein, and a starchy carbohydrate.

The low carbohydrate, very high protein diet for bodybuilding and fitness
competition

For very brief periods, bodybuilders often decrease their carbohydrates to only
about 25% of their total calories. This is considered a “low carbohydrate” diet and is
PHASE III in the BFFM program. This type of program would only be appropriate for an
extreme endomorph or a competitive physique athlete (That’s why it’s often called a
“competition diet.”)

The Competition Diet (Phase III)

Low carbohydrate, very high protein
25-30% carbohydrates
50% protein
20-25% fat.

For the average male, the phase III competition diet is about 150 to 200 grams of
carbohydrates per day. For the average female, the carbohydrate intake is about 90 to 130
grams. This is just enough carbohydrate to stay alert and fuel high intensity workouts. A
larger drop would be overkill.

The protein intake is often extremely high for large and highly active individuals -
as high as 300 to 375 grams per day for men and 180 to 220 grams for women. This
usually works out to about 1.5 to 2.0 grams per pound of body weight. Most people –
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
214

except the world’s best bodybuilders, of course – would argue that this is far too much
protein, which it probably is if you stayed at this level all the time. However, if you
reduce your carbohydrates to 25-30% of your total calories and you don’t increase your
protein and or fat to compensate, your calorie deficit will be too large. Whenever the
calorie deficit is too big, you trigger the starvation mode. If you’re uncomfortable with the
idea of consuming this much protein, then you’ll have to make up the difference in
calories with essential fats (for example, 30% carbohydrate, 30% fat, 40% protein).

Keep in mind that the extremely high protein levels are temporary and they
shouldn’t be maintained for more than 12-16 weeks prior to the contest or photo shoot.
Afterwards, you would gradually shift back to a baseline diet with more carbohydrates
and less protein for maintenance.


Sample low carbohydrate menu
Meal 1 – 7:00 am: oatmeal, 2 scoops whey protein
Meal 2 – 9:30 am: oatmeal, egg white omelet with pepper, onion, tomato
Meal 3 – 12:30 pm: small serving brown rice, top round steak, broccoli
Meal 4 – 3:30 pm: Chicken breast, green beans, 1 tbsp flax oil
Meal 5 – 6:00 pm: Salmon, asparagus
Meal 6 – 8:30 pm: mixed green salad, olive oil & vinegar dressing, tuna fish

This menu also uses the carbohydrate tapering method, only in this case, the
starchy carbohydrates are cut off after 12:30 pm. Meals one through three have a lean
protein and a starchy carbohydrates while meals three through six contain only lean
proteins and fibrous carbohydrates. In addition, the serving sizes of the starchy
carbohydrates in the first three meals has been reduced

3:1 Carbohydrate “Cycling” – The Most Effective Fat Burning Technique EVER!

A low to moderate carbohydrate and high protein diet will cause much faster fat
loss than a high carbohydrate diet. However, it may seem like the disadvantages
outweigh the benefits. Fortunately, there’s a solution to these problems and it’s called
“carbohydrate cycling.” Some people refer to carbohydrate cycling as “zig-zag” dieting,
“Hi-low” dieting, “carbing-up” or carbohydrate “re-feeding.”

Regardless of what you name it, carbohydrate cycling is probably the most
powerful fat burning strategy on the planet. Nothing else even comes close. It is the
ONLY guaranteed way to outwit the body’s starvation response when calories and
carbohydrates are low. Not only do you avoid a negative response, but you also invoke
many positive responses that do not occur when holding your carbohydrates and calories
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
215

at the same low level day in and day out. That’s the main problem with conventional low
carbohydrate diets – they suggest that you drop your carbohydrates and keep them low.
What I am suggesting is that you drop your carbohydrates for a few days, then increase
them again before your body figures out what the heck is going on!

Carbohydrate cycling has been a well-kept secret of bodybuilders and fitness
models for decades, but anyone can use it to accelerate fat loss or break a plateau. The
beauty of this method is that it allows you to get all the fat loss benefits of low
carbohydrate dieting without the low carbohydrate side effects. Most important, it keeps

 

[holy ghost]

High days and Low Days

Carbohydrate cycling is based on the concept of rotating low carbohydrate days
with high carbohydrate days instead of keeping carbohydrates low all the time. Every
fourth day your glycogen levels are restored with a “carb load” or “high carb day” (also
known as “high day”). Your energy stays up, your muscles fill out and tighten and your
metabolic rate gets a boost as if you squirted lighter fluid on a dwindling fire.

The high day also makes your entire diet easier to stick with because no matter
how difficult it is to get through those three low days, you have a “high day” to look
forward to (Believe me, eating all those yummy carbs after three days without them is like
getting a “high!”). The “high day” also bypasses all the side effects. You get noticeably
leaner with every three-day low carbohydrate cycle as your body dips deeply into stored
body fat without the carbohydrates readily available for fuel. Surprisingly, you may even
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
216

continue to get leaner even on the high carbohydrate days because of the boost in
metabolic rate.

Carbohydrate cycling also prevents your body from becoming inefficient at using
carbohydrates for energy. When you cut your carbohydrates out for a long time, your
body begins depending on fat for fuel and it learns how to use fat for fuel more
efficiently. You often hear low carbohydrate diet proponents say that the low
carbohydrate diet turns you into a “fat burner” while a high carbohydrate dieter turns you
into a “sugar burner.” This may be true, but there’s a huge downside to staying on low
carbohydrates all the time and becoming an exclusive “fat burner:” Your body becomes
lazy and inefficient at burning carbohydrates. When you eat them again after a long
absence, your body doesn’t know what to do with them. This is one of the reasons you
will simply blow up overnight and gain weight back the minute you re-introduce
carbohydrates after a long absence. Unless you plan on never eating a carbohydrate ever
again, you’d better think twice about long-term carbohydrate restriction. Low
carbohydrate diets are NOT “lifestyle” programs.

What’s the alternative? Carbohydrate load every fourth day. When you
carbohydrate load a depleted muscle, the carbohydrates are quickly soaked up by the
muscle on that fourth day because the muscles are “hungry” for carbohydrates. By
repeated cycles of depletion and re-loading, your muscles become extremely efficient at
storing carbohydrates as muscle glycogen rather than partitioning them to body fat.

Fine tuning the carbohydrate cycling method

As you get leaner and leaner, you may find that you lose weight too quickly on the
3:1 carbohydrate cycling plan (no kidding!) As you learned in earlier chapters, it’s not a
wise idea to lose more than 1.5 to 2.0 lbs of body weight per week. If you lose more than
two pounds per week, you are much more likely to be losing LBM with the fat.

If you lose lean mass or drop weight too quickly, you should adjust your high to
low day ratio by increasing your carbohydrates (and calories) overall or by keeping your
low days the same and adding more high days. You can do three low carbohydrate days
followed by two or three high carbohydrate days. Taking two or three high days after
three low days will not only help reduce muscle loss, it may allow you to gain small
amounts of muscle as you lose body fat. It’s not uncommon for my clients to lose 18-24
pounds of fat in three months, while gaining three to four pounds of muscle in the same
period while using the is technique.

It’s very difficult to put down one single example of 3:1 carbohydrate cycling as
I’ve described it here and have it apply to everyone. A little bit of experimentation and
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
217

fine tuning will be necessary to discover what amount of carbohydrate works best for
your high and low days. It’s absolutely essential for these types of advanced diets to be
customized.

 

[holy ghost]

No two people are exactly alike.

In the Declaration of Independence, it is written, "All men are created equal."
This truism could be interpreted in different ways depending on the context: If you are
referring – as Thomas Jefferson was - to unalienable rights, such as life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness, then virtually everyone would agree. However, if you’re referring to
physical and metabolic characteristics, then nothing could be further from the truth: It
would be more correct to say that no two people are ever created equal.

There are 6.2 billion people on our planet today and no two are exactly the same.
Just as individuals are born with various eye, hair and skin colors, people have also
inherited different metabolic and physiological characteristics which influence how easily
they can build muscle and lose body fat.

The classic example of metabolic individuality is when two people follow
identical training and nutrition programs and one makes amazing progress while the other
gets no results at all. This proves that no single program could possibly work for
everyone. One of the biggest secrets of permanent fat loss is to develop the ability to
recognize and understand the uniqueness of your physiology and adjust your nutrition and
training accordingly instead of blindly following someone else.
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
77


There are four keys to understanding body types. The first is to learn how to
recognize which is your predominant body type. The second key is to learn how to adjust
your training and nutrition to fit your body type. The third key is to be patient, persistent
and maintain a positive attitude as you work towards your goal. The fourth key is to
assume responsibility for the outcome, for better or worse.

The genetic bell curve

said, “As a part of
Dr. Michael Colgan, author of “Optimum Sports Nutrition”
biochemical individuality, people differ widely in their inherited tendencies to accumulate
body fat.” So true! In the world of bodybuilding and fitness, there are genetically gifted
people who seem to just "touch" the weights and their muscles grow. (These are usually
the same people who eat McDonalds every day and have ripped abs!)

When I was just a beginner in bodybuilding, seeing other people get results more
easily than I did was always very frustrating. I was eating perfectly; pushing, working,
struggling and straining with every bit of energy I could muster for every ounce of muscle
I could get. Then one of these "genetic freaks" would come along and pass right by me,
without even breaking a sweat. To add insult to injury, they were often training
completely wrong and breaking every so-called “rule” in the book. When some of them
took steroids on top of their hereditary gifts, their muscles literally exploded overnight!
This goes to show just how widely people can differ in their ability to gain muscle and
lose fat.

The law of averages dictates that the distribution of body types will always be
statistically predictable. This phenomenon, called “the genetic bell curve,” is very
similar to the distribution of grades among students. 60% of students will receive passing
grades (B’s, C’s and D’s), 20% will fail, and 20% will get A's.

With body types, most people (about 60 % of the population by my estimate) are
“genetically average.” If you fall into this middle category, you will respond well and
predictably to a properly constructed nutrition and exercise regimen. All it takes is
starting and sticking to an exercise program and mastering the fundamental laws of
nutrition. This includes all basic principles such as proper caloric intake, high meal
frequency, balanced nutrient ratios, and smart food choices.

The 20% of the population on the right side of the curve represents the genetically
above average. This lucky group will lose fat very quickly and easily, even if their
nutrition and training isn’t quite perfect. They seem to have more “leeway” (they can “get
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
78

away with” fewer workouts and more cheat days). On the extreme right edge of the curve,
you have the people who can eat chocolate and donuts all day long, they don't work out at
all and they have "six-pack abs.” These are the “genetically gifted,” or as I affectionately
call them, “the genetic freaks.”

The final 20%, located on the left side of the curve, are the genetically below
average. These people have a more difficult time losing fat and will need to work much
harder and be more patient than others. The further to the left side of the genetic bell
curve you are, the more difficult it will be to lose body fat. At the farthest edge, you will
find a tiny handful of people who have an immensely difficult time getting lean. This tiny
group is the “genetically disadvantaged.”

The roll of the genetic dice

There’s no question about it; some people have the genetic card deck stacked
against them, while others were dealt a “royal flush.” You can’t deny that it’s much easier
for some people to lose body fat and develop muscle than it is for others. Nor should you
deny it. An intelligent person will realistically assess their body type to the best of their
ability and then adjust their goal time frame and training protocol accordingly. To do
otherwise would be counterproductive; it would also be denial.

The best approach is “realistic optimism.” Not everyone has the biological raw
material to become a Mr. Universe or a fitness model. Nor does everyone have the
physical gifts to become an Olympic sprinter, a marathon runner, or world-class
swimmer. However, absolutely everyone can improve their physiques from where they
are today. One of your primary goals should be to achieve your own personal best, while
avoiding comparisons to others who may have totally different genetics than you.

The 10 major genetic variables affecting fitness, fat loss, muscle development and
athletic ability

There are 10 major genetic variables that can affect your ability to lose body fat,
develop muscle, increase strength and reach high levels of athletic achievement.
Examining these variables will give you a better understanding of how nutrition and
training can affect each person differently.

1. Basal metabolic rate

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy (number of calories) you burn
at rest just to maintain normal body functions such as breathing, circulation, digestion,
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
79

thinking, etc. Genetically gifted people are like cars that idle too fast. They burn off fuel
even while sitting still. When they become active, they move fast and burn off fuel at an
enormous rate.

2. Number of fat cells

You were born with a predetermined number of fat cells. Some people are born with
more than others. The person born with more fat cells is at a disadvantage compared to
someone with fewer fat cells. Fat cell number can increase throughout life but it cannot
decrease (except through liposuction, which has many potential hazards). Fortunately,
what can change is the size of the fat cells. Even someone with a large number of fat cells
can shrink all of them, thereby becoming dramatically thinner and leaner.

3. Limb lengths

Some people were born with long legs and long arms, others with short legs and short
arms. Your limb length can affect the way your body’s symmetry appears and it can also
affect your strength, athletic prowess and ability to gain muscle mass. Long limbs means
long levers, which can create a mechanical disadvantage when performing certain
exercises. Some people were born with fantastic leverage and that’s why they are
naturally strong.

4. Joint circumferences

People may be either large boned, medium boned or small boned. Many people complain
of being “big-boned,” citing that as a reason they are overweight. Joint size affects the
way your body is shaped, however it has nothing to do with your ability to lose body fat.
The simple test for joint size is to wrap your hand around your opposite wrist. If your
thumb and middle finger overlap, you are small jointed (usually 6-7 inch wrists); if your
thumb and middle finger touch, you are medium jointed (usually 7-8 inch wrists); if your
thumb and middle finger do not touch, you are large jointed (usually 8 inches or more in
wrist circumference).

5. Muscle insertions

The muscles insert onto the same bones in all humans; however, the exact point of
insertion can vary. Even a tiny difference in insertion points can create large increases in
mechanical advantage. This partly explains why certain people are naturally stronger than
others (they have better leverage because their muscle insertion points are further from
the origin points.)
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
80


6. Number of muscle fibers

Like fat cells, you were also born with a pre-determined number of muscle fibers.
Hyperplasia, the process of splitting existing muscle fibers into new fibers, has been
hypothesized but never conclusively proven in humans. If you were born with a large
number of muscle fibers, you will have a greater potential for developing muscle size
than someone with fewer fibers.

7. Muscle fiber type

Within each person’s predetermined number of muscle fibers, there are also different
types of muscle fibers. Some fibers are suited to endurance activities (red or slow-twitch
fibers) while others are suited for strength, power and explosive activities (white or fast
twitch fibers). The differences in each person’s ratio of muscle fibers may explain why
some people make better endurance athletes while others naturally gravitate to strength or
power sports.

8. Digestive capabilities

Some people have highly efficient digestive systems capable of greater absorption and
utilization of nutrients from the digestive tract. The length of the intestinal tract can also
vary by as much as fifteen feet or more among the various body types.

9. Food allergies and insensitivities

Some people are born with or acquire food allergies and sensitivities. Lactose intolerance
(an inability to properly digest dairy products) is a common example. Over the years,
people naturally tend to gravitate towards certain foods while shying away from others.
Some people become vegetarians while others become carnivores simply because of the
way each food or diet makes them feel.

10. Insulin response and sensitivity to carbohydrates

Some people are more carbohydrate sensitive than others. Your level of sensitivity to
carbohydrates will have a direct bearing on your ability to lose body fat, and it’s one of
the most critical factors in determining the correct nutritional strategy for you.
Carbohydrate sensitive individuals who do not adjust their nutrition properly often have
an incredibly difficult time getting lean. Their blood sugar rises rapidly with the
consumption of even small amounts of carbohydrates. This in turn causes the release of
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
81

large amounts of insulin. High concentrations of insulin in the bloodstream are lipogenic
and anti-lipolytic. This means that when excessive insulin is present, you stop releasing
fat from the adipose cells and you go into “fat storage mode.” This explains why one
person can eat a diet high in bread, pasta, potatoes and other carbohydrates and lose body
fat easily, while another person will gain body fat and feel terrible on the same diet.

The importance of understanding variations in body type

Judging from this list of ten genetic variations, it might seem that the only sure-
fire road to athletic prowess or extreme levels of leanness is to “choose the right parents.”
But even if you feel that Mother Nature dealt you a "bad hand," you can take consolation
in the fact that success in fat loss is not determined purely by genetics. Most of the factors
involved in losing fat are entirely under your control.

Success does not always come from holding a good hand of genetic cards, but in
playing a poor hand well. If you’re on the below average side of the genetic bell curve,
then you must accept that getting lean might be a slower process for you than for others.
You’ll also need to meticulously tailor your nutrition and exercise program specifically to
your body, while ignoring what the “genetic freaks” are doing, because anything will
work for them.

No amount of positive thinking or visualizing is ever going to change your
inherent physical characteristics. The good news is that you can achieve fantastic results,
regardless of your genetics, as long as you recognize and understand your body type and
then adopt the proper nutrition and training strategies for your type.

Understanding your body type: The theory of somatotyping

In the 1930s, and 1940s, Dr. William H. Sheldon, a professor from Harvard,
became engrossed with the study of human body types. As a psychologist, it was
Sheldon’s primary intention to discover how body types were related to temperaments
such as introversion and extroversion. As a part of his extensive research on the subject,
which included studying over 4000 photographs and interviewing hundreds of people,
Sheldon developed a classification system for body types known as somatotyping.

Sheldon identified three basic body types: endomorphs, mesomorphs and
ectomorphs. Endomorphs are the "fat retainers." Characterized by roundness, excess
body fat and large joints ("big bones"), endomorphs often have great difficulty in losing
body fat. Mesomorphs are the "genetically gifted." They are lean, muscular and naturally
athletic. Mesomorphs lose fat and gain muscle with ease. Ectomorphs are the lean,
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
82

skinny types. They are usually very thin and bony, with fast metabolisms and extremely
low body fat.

Rating body types

Although there are three basic categories, pure body types are very rare. Few
people are 100% of one body type and 0% of another. Usually there is a mix of two or
even all three types. However, most people will tend to gravitate towards one type
predominantly.

In order to more accurately classify people, Sheldon developed a 7-point scale to
determine the degree to which each person held attributes of each body type. The first
number ranks the endomorph component; the second number the mesomorph, and the
third the ectomorph. For example, an extreme endomorph would score 7-1-1:

Endomorph 7
Mesomorph 1
Ectomorph 1

A pure mesomorph such as a world champion bodybuilder who gains muscle
easily and was lean and muscular before ever touching a weight might score 1-7-1:

Endomorph 1
Mesomorph 7
Ectomorph 1

Combination body types

Combination body types are more common than pure body types. For example,
someone who gains muscle easily, but who also tends to gain fat along with the muscle is
an endomorphic mesomorph (endo-mesomorph). This body type is typical of football
linemen, heavyweight wrestlers, shot-putters and many bodybuilders. This is the type of
person with high levels of muscle, but the muscle is often covered with a layer of fat.
Someone with this body type might score 5-6-1:

Endomorph 5
Mesomorph 6
Ectomorph 1

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
83

Another example is the ectomorphic mesomorph (ecto-mesomorph). This is the
type of person without an ounce of fat and with some fairly substantial muscle
development on a tall and linear frame. Basketball players often have ecto-mesomorph
body types. An ecto-meso (think Michael Jordan) might score 1-4-5:

Endomorph 1
Mesomorph 4
Ectomorph 5

Because the lines between body types are obviously quite blurry and somewhat
arbitrarily chosen, the question is, how do you know which is your predominant type?
Let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of each somatotype to better help you
classify yourself.

 

[holy ghost]

The Ectomorph

The ectomorph tends to be tall and skinny with small joints and a small waist.
Ectomorphs are naturally lean and usually never have trouble with excess body fat during
their entire lives. Many ectomorphs can maintain extremely low body fat while doing no
cardiovascular exercise whatsoever. Ectomorphs have overly efficient metabolisms. In
other words, they “waste” excess calories as body heat, so they can often eat whatever
they want without gaining fat. The downside is that ectomorphs also have a very difficult
time gaining muscle.

Ectomorphs usually stay close to the same body weight within a fairly narrow
range. If they have any weight fluctuations, it’s usually in the direction of losing weight,
especially if meals are skipped or caloric intake is too low. When an ectomorph increases
their activity level, they will usually drop body weight and body fat very rapidly –
sometimes too quickly. Excessive cardio is usually counterproductive.

Many ectomorphs begin bodybuilding to fill out their skinny frames. Although
ectomorphs will seldom, if ever, develop the massive muscle thickness of the pure
mesomorph, with persistence and hard work, most can overcome their body type and
build impressive physiques showing excellent muscular definition. However, ectomorphs
will usually lose most of the muscle they gained if they quit training or if they allow their
calories to drop too low for too long. Without proper ectomorph training and nutrition,
they will eventually slide back towards the level of leanness where their body is most
comfortable. It takes lifelong commitment for an ectomorph to keep the muscle and body
weight up.

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
84

Characteristics of the ectomorph

Naturally skinny, wiry
Long limbs, linear
Small joints, small-boned
Small waist, narrow shoulders
Angular, projecting bones
Naturally lean (low levels of body fat without even working out)
Often call themselves "Hardgainers"
Low strength levels prior to starting a training program
Fast metabolism – they burn up everything, even when overeating
Don’t store carbohydrates as fat – high carbohydrate diets are ok
High energy levels
Tendency to be overactive and restless (hyperactive)
Natural born endurance athletes (successful at distance/endurance sports)
Sometimes hard to maintain weight
Extremely hard to gain weight
Sometimes insomniacs
Respond best to low volume, brief, infrequent, high intensity weight training
It takes years of hard weight training and heavy eating to overcome this body type

an ectomorph,
If you're reading this book, the chances are good that you're not
because ectomorphs are the people who lose fat without even trying. However, you may
have a combination body type with a small ectomorph component. For example, some
people have thin, lean lower bodies, with almost all of their body fat stored in the upper
half of the body. Others have small wrists and a light, delicate bone structure, yet they
exhibit all the other features of endomorphy such as extreme carbohydrate sensitivity and
difficulty losing body fat.

Ectomorph training and nutrition strategies

The common complaint of the ectomorph is: "No matter what I eat, I can never
gain weight; I've always been thin and very lean." In bodybuilding, they tend to be the
ripped lightweights and middleweights, rather than the massive heavyweight types.
When they retire from competition, they tend to stay very lean and their muscle mass
usually shrinks down a bit in size. Despite the challenge, many ectomorphs have gone on
to become successful bodybuilders after years of consistent hard training and proper
eating. The following guidelines will help maximize results for the ectomorphic body
type.

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
85

Slow down

Ectomorphs are thin, hyperactive people with fast metabolisms. So the first and most
obvious solution is less activity. Like an engine idling too fast – an ectomorph has to
hold down the brake just to keep from lurching forward. Conservation of nervous energy
is important. Ectomorphs must slow down and relax more.


Get extra sleep

By their nature, ectomorphs tend to require less sleep and often suffer from insomnia.
Because they burn so many calories even while not physically active, it’s important for
ectomorphs to get plenty of quality sleep every night and to do so on a regular schedule.
Taking naps is also helpful.

Reduce stress and worry


Ectomorphs tend to be high strung, stressed and hyperactive. Stress reduction techniques
can help the ectomorph get better results from their nutrition and exercise programs.
Taking up meditation can be especially beneficial. An excellent book about meditation
from a scientific point of view is The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson.

Avoid overtraining

Ectomorphs respond best to brief, high intensity training programs. Daily training and
marathon workouts are incredibly counterproductive. The ectomorph must get in and out
of the gym quickly and allow plenty of recuperation between workouts.


Keep cardio vascular exercise to a minimum

Although there are some people with light, fragile ectomorph bone structures who also
are carrying excess fat, body fat is seldom a problem for the ectomorph. As such, cardio
should be kept to a minimum and done mainly for health reasons. 15-30 minutes a day,
three days a week is usually sufficient.

Keep the calories high and never, ever, ever miss a meal

Ectomorphs need calories - and lots of them. They need to eat high calorie density foods
and use moderate amounts of good fats such as flax oil, nuts, seeds, natural peanut butter
and cold-water fish such as salmon. Skipping meals is the #1 cardinal sin for the
ectomorph.
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
86



Use a diet moderately high in complex carbohydrates

Carbohydrate restriction is an effective fat loss strategy, but since ectomorphs burn up
nearly everything they consume, there’s usually no reason to restrict carbohydrates. Fifty
or even fifty-five percent of total daily calories should come from carbohydrates in the
ectomorph diet with 30% from lean proteins and 15-20% from fats.

Pay attention to food quality

People with ectomorph tendencies quickly discover that they can “get away with” eating
certain foods without ill effects on body composition, so they often do exactly that – eat
anything and everything. However, this is not a wise practice because even an ectomorph
should be concerned with nutrient density and not just calories. Nutrition is not just for
cosmetic improvements; it’s about your health. Never use a muscle-building program as
an excuse to “pig out” on junk food, even if you find you can “get away with it.”
Ectomorphs must think about the nutritional value of everything they eat and about the
effect of food on their health.

The mesomorph (a.k.a. the “genetic freaks”)

Pure mesomorphs are naturally lean and muscular with small waists, broad
shoulders, medium-sized joints and large, round muscle bellies. Mesomorphs are the
typical natural-born athletes and bodybuilders. Most of them were lean and muscular
before they even started working out.

For example, Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson is very mesomorphic (5) with
very muscular arms, shoulders and chest. He also has a moderate ectomorphic component
(4) with small joints and very low body fat. There is no sign of any endomorphy (1)
whatsoever. Johnson would probably score a 1-5-4.

A bodybuilder like Arnold Schwarzenegger is almost pure mesomorph (7) with
low body fat and massive muscles. Because of his height and long limbs, he has a small
ectomorph component (2). He also seemed to get quite bulky in the off-season,
indicating a slight endomorph component as well (2). I would rate Arnold a 2-7-2.

Mesomorphs are the genetically gifted people we all “love to hate” because they
gain muscle and lose fat so easily. These are the people who don’t seem to train or diet
hard at all, yet their bodies respond like crazy.

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
87

Characteristics of the mesomorph

Medium joint circumference
Small waist
Broad/square shoulders
Chest dominates over abdominal area
Naturally lean (low levels of body fat without even working out)
Naturally muscular (muscular before they even started working out)
Naturally strong (strong before they even started working out)
High energy levels
Don’t store carbohydrates as fat – high carbohydrate diets are ok
Highly efficient (fast) metabolism
Controlling body fat is easy
Gaining strength is easy
Gaining muscle is easy
Losing body fat is easy
Responds very quickly to just about any type of training (fast results)
Natural born athlete (successful at strength and power sports)
Top-level professional bodybuilders are often pure mesomorphs

Mesomorph training and nutrition strategy

There’s not much to say about mesomorph training and nutrition. The ironic thing
about mesomorphs is that for many of them it doesn’t matter what they eat or how they
train, they lose body fat and gain muscle anyway!

Yes, we genetically average people envy (hate?) the mesomorphs, but they do
have their downfall: They often have the tendency to coast on their genetics. Because
they get results so easily, they often don’t even train hard. As a result, many of them
never realize their full potential. The gift of good genetics sometimes makes a person
lazy. Often, the less genetically blessed a person is, the more discipline, willpower and
determination they develop, and it’s this desire and drive that propels them to high levels
of physical achievement. Their weakness actually becomes their strength. Of course, a
mesomorph with clear goals and a superior work ethic will always shoot to the top and
quickly become a superstar. Here are two tips for the mesomorph to live by:


Don’t “coast” on your genetics just because you can

Because mesomorphs are so genetically gifted, they often have the tendency to cheat and
skip workouts because they can get away with it and still look good. But just imagine
what they would look like if they applied themselves 100%. If you recognize that you are
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
88

genetically gifted in any sense, then make the most of your gifts - train and eat to the best
of your ability and you could become one of the best in the world in bodybuilding, fitness
or athletics. Even if you’re not a competitor, why shouldn’t you actualize your full
potential and be the best you can possibly be?


Pay attention to food quality

Like the ectomorph, those with mesomorph tendencies quickly discover that they can also
“get away with” eating certain foods without ill effects on body composition, so they
often do exactly that – eat anything and everything. Again, keep in mind that nutrition is
not just about cosmetic improvements; it’s about your health. “Pigging out” just because
you can get away with it is not a wise practice. In the best-case scenario, it will limit your
development. In the worst scenario, it could compromise your health in the long run.

The endomorph

Most people who are working hard but still struggling to lose body fat are
endomorphs. An endomorph is someone with a slow metabolism who is genetically prone
to store fat easily. Endomorphs are usually, but not always, large framed with medium to
large joints.

Endomorphs sometimes have varying degrees of carbohydrate sensitivity and
insulin resistance, so high carbohydrate diets are usually not effective for body fat control.
Processed and refined carbohydrates that contain white sugar and white flour are
especially detrimental and tend to convert to body fat more rapidly in endomorphs. Low
to moderate carbohydrate diets with higher protein usually work best for endomorphs.

While some genetically gifted mesomorphs and ectomorphs can eat whatever they
want and never gain any fat, the endomorph must eat clean and healthy almost all the
time. This requires the development of high levels of nutritional discipline. Endomorphs
are the types who will tend to gain body fat very quickly if they eat too much or if they eat
the wrong types of foods.

Endomorphs cannot “cheat” frequently and get away with it. Their metabolisms
are extremely unforgiving. One or two cheat meals per week seem to be the limit. Poor
daily nutrition habits or frequent cheat days always set them back.

Endomorphs generally have a very difficult time losing fat with diet alone. Even a
nearly perfect diet sometimes won’t work by itself because the endomorph needs the
boost in metabolism that exercise provides.
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
89


A larger quantity of cardio is almost always necessary for the endomorph to lose
body fat. Someone with a low endomorph component may stay lean with little or no
cardio at all. Extreme endomorphs usually need cardio every day before the body fat
begins to come off.

Occasionally, an extreme endomorph (7 on the endomorph scale), will have a
difficult time losing fat even while on a well-constructed training and nutrition program.
Extreme endomorphs sometimes need to restrict carbohydrates drastically (under 100
g./day for women, under 175 g./day for men) before any substantial fat loss occurs. They
may also need to use a carbohydrate cycling approach that rotates high carbohydrate days
with low carbohydrate days in order to stimulate their sluggish metabolisms and prevent
going into starvation mode. Santa Claus is the archetypical endomorph.


Endomorph characteristics
Naturally high levels of body fat (often overweight)
Usually large boned, large joints, large frame (but not always)
Short, tapering arms and legs
Smooth, round body contours (round or pear shaped body)
Wide waist and hips
Waist dominates over chest
Tendency to always store excess calories as fat (can’t get away with overeating)
Keeping fat off after it is lost is a challenge
Tendency to be sluggish, slow moving and lacking energy
Slow thyroid or other hormone imbalance (sometimes)
Fairly good strength levels
Sensitive to carbohydrates (carbs are easily stored as fat)
Responds better to diets with higher protein and low (or moderate) carbs
Naturally slow metabolic rate/low set point (fewer calories burned at rest)
Falls asleep easily and sleeps deeply
A lot of cardio is necessary to lose weight and body fat
Extremely difficult to lose weight (requires great effort)
Bouts of fatigue and tiredness
Often describe themselves as having a "slow metabolism"
Tendency to gain fat easily as soon as exercise is stopped
Tendency to lose fat slowly, even on a "clean," low fat, low calorie diet.
Often overweight, even though they don't eat very much
Respond best to frequent, even daily, training

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
90

Endomorph training and nutrition strategy

When it comes to fat loss, a well-planned, strategic approach to nutrition and
training is more important for the endomorph than for any other body type. The
endomorph strategy focuses on high levels of activity and extreme levels of discipline and
consistency in nutritional habits. Most endomorphs also need some degree of
carbohydrate restriction with higher protein levels to compensate.


High protein, medium to low carbs

High protein, low to moderate carb diets work best for the endomorph. Endomorphs
usually have varying degrees of carbohydrate sensitivity and insulin resistance. Therefore,
high carbohydrate, low fat diets are usually not effective. Sugar is a major no-no:
Processed and refined carbohydrates that contain white sugar and white flour tend to
convert to body fat very rapidly in endomorphs because of the way they affect the
hormone insulin.


Exercise is an absolute MUST

Endomorphs generally have a very difficult time losing fat with diet alone. Even a close-
to-perfect diet often doesn’t work by itself because the endomorph needs the boost in
metabolism that comes from exercise. The endomorph must do everything in his or her
power to stimulate their metabolism and this means combining good nutrition with
weight training and aerobic training. To diet without exercising means certain failure for
the endomorph.

Large amounts of cardio

Someone with a low endomorph component may stay lean with little or no cardio at all.
Endomorphs need a larger quantity of cardio to lose body fat. Most endomorphs will lose
fat with surprising ease by doing some type of cardio at least 4 – 5 times per week.
Extreme endomorphs usually need cardio every day (seven days per week). All
endomorphs will tend to gain the fat back if they stop doing cardio completely. Often,
they successfully lose weight, but then put it back on if they haven’t made the
commitment to continue exercising for life.

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
91

Get more activity in general

Endomorphs usually (but not always) have a tendency towards relaxing as opposed to
staying constantly in motion. Their natural inclination is usually to kick back in the easy
chair, while their ectomorphic or mesomorphic counterpart might “relax” with a nice 40-
mile bike ride.

The best strategy for the endomorph is to get active and stay active! You have to get
moving! Take up some sports or recreational activities in addition to your regular
workouts in the gym. If you’re an endomorph you should get some type of activity almost
every day.

Make a lifelong commitment to fitness

Endomorphs must commit to a lifelong exercise program and avoid quick fixes or any
short-term approach to fitness. After reaching the long term ultimate body fat and body
weight goal, the endomorph needs to commit to at least three days a week of exercise -
for life – to keep the fat off. This should be done for health reasons anyway, but for the
endomorph, exercise is essential to maintain a desirable body fat ratio. Once you begin,
you must keep going or you will lose your momentum. Every time you stop working out,
you can be sure the body fat will slowly start to creep back on. Long “vacations” from
physical activity are not a good idea. Get your momentum going and keep it going.

Train hard

The basic endomorph disposition is towards taking it easy and relaxing. If you are an
endomorph, you must fight this urge and train with high intensity. You have to push
yourself constantly. Not only must you train almost every day, you must push yourself to
train harder every day and repeatedly beat your own personal best. The best advice for the
endomorph that I’ve ever heard came from a Zen master; Roshi Philip Kapleau. He said,
“Don’t relax your efforts, otherwise it will take you a long time to achieve what you are
after.”

Increase your training frequency

This is important – the endomorph must stay in motion to keep their metabolic engine
revving. Staying still for too long is the death of the endomorph. The boost in resting
metabolism from training doesn’t last long. For someone with a naturally slow
metabolism, the only way to keep it elevated is with a high frequency of training.

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
92

Increase your training duration

Losing fat all boils down to burning calories. You must burn more calories than you
consume each day. The most obvious way to burn more calories is to do your cardio for a
longer duration. 20 minutes is the recommended starting point for effective fat burning,
but for the endomorph, this is seldom enough. 20 minutes is a maintenance workout for
endomorphs. For maximum fat loss I recommend 30-45 minutes of continuous aerobic
activity and in some instances it may be necessary to go as long as 60 minutes until a goal
is achieved. Go back to the 20-minute workouts for maintenance only after you reach
your goal.

Avoid over-sleeping.

Endomorphs should avoid excessive sleep. They should be early risers. The chances are
good that if you’re an endomorph, you are not an early riser and you often have the urge
to hit snooze and go back to sleep. Resist this urge. Getting up early for morning cardio
is one of the best strategies for the endomorph.

Watch Less TV

Any pastimes or hobbies that glue your rear end to a couch are not the preferred option
for an endomorph, especially if you also spend 40 hours or more behind a desk each
week. This means you should replace as much TV watching as possible with physical
recreation or exercise (unless your workout machine is parked in front of the TV and
you're on it).

Use metabolism-stimulating exercise

Weight training exercises that utilize large muscle groups like the back and legs are
extremely effective for stimulating the metabolism and for stimulating the hormones that
increase fat burning. High rep compound leg exercises (squats, lunges, leg presses, etc)
are particularly effective for this purpose. Toning classes, yoga, pilates and similar
activities have some fantastic benefits, but for the endomorph, this type of activity is
NOT the ideal way to lower body fat. Participate in these activities as a supplement to
your regular weights and cardio, but not by themselves.


Always be on the lookout for something to motivate and inspire you.

Endomorphs sometimes lack motivation, especially in the beginning. The solution is to be
on the constant lookout for anything and everything to motivate and inspire you. Read
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
93

biographies. Watch the Olympics, get a training partner, read motivational books, hire a
trainer or personal coach, re-write your goals every single day, or enter a before and after
fitness contest. Stay pumped up and fired up!


Restrict carbohydrates, but never remove them completely

The endomorph nutrition strategy leans towards higher protein (and slightly higher fat)
diet with more moderate carbohydrates (Similar to a "Zone" diet). This is necessary
because most endomorphs tend to be carbohydrate sensitive. People with normal
carbohydrate metabolisms can consume up to 50-60% of their total calories from
carbohydrates and stay lean, while endomorphs will tend to get fat eating this many
carbohydrates.

Keep cheat meals to only once per week

Endomorphs have very unforgiving metabolisms. They cannot “cheat” frequently and get
away with it. One or two cheat meals per week seem to be the limit. Poor daily habits or
frequent cheat days always seem to set them back. Cheat days should be reserved for
special occasions or as well-deserved rewards for a week of great training and nutrition.

Be consistent and persistent

The endomorph loses body fat more slowly than ectomorphs or mesomorphs. Therefore,
endomorphs must be very consistent and diligent in eating and exercise habits 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Going on and off diet and exercise programs will
never
work for the endomorph. Endomorphs will lose body fat just like everyone else, but
it almost always takes a little longer. The results will come, but not without time and
effort. Patience is a virtue all endomorphs must cultivate.

 

[holy ghost]

Why a calorie is not just a calorie

One misconception about fat loss is the conservative scientific view that "a calorie
is just a calorie" and the only thing that matters is calories in versus calories out. If fat
loss were that simple, then you could eat anything you wanted and you would still lose fat
as long as your calories were below maintenance. For example, you could eat nothing but
Hershey's bars and drink nothing but Coca Cola and if you were 100 calories under
maintenance, you'd lose weight. Common sense alone tells you this isn't true.

If a calorie is just a calorie, then three diets at the same calorie level, the first
composed of 100% protein, the second 100% carbohydrates and the third 100% fats,
would all have the same effect on body composition. Believe me, a diet consisting of
100% tuna fish (lean protein) will not have the same effect as a diet consisting of 100%
potato chips (fat and carbohydrate).

Calorie balance is the most important issue in fat loss but there's more to it than
that. Other variables include the thermic effect of food, the effect of each food on
hormones and blood sugar levels and the macronutrient ratios of each meal.

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
138

Calculate your calories first, then split them up into the proper ratios of protein,
carbohydrate and fat

The first step in developing your own custom-tailored fat loss program is to do
your calorie calculations. Only then should you divide up your daily allotment among the
three macronutrients; carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Many authorities suggest
calculating how many grams of protein, carbohydrates and fat you need based on
bodyweight and then the calories will take care of themselves. There's some merit to this
method if the gram recommendations are figured properly for your personal needs, but
the shortcoming of this method is lack of precision; it can only give you a ballpark
estimate.

For example, a common guideline for protein consumption is one gram per pound
of bodyweight. Serious bodybuilders engaged in high-intensity training are often advised
to eat as much as 1.25 to 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight. One gram per pound is an
excellent general guideline for bodybuilding or fat loss programs. The problem with this
method is the same one we discussed with calorie calculations based only on body weight
– it doesn’t account for training and activity levels. Always calculate your calorie needs
FIRST (based on activity, goals, body weight or lean body mass), then once you’ve
figured out your calorie needs, you can divvy them up like you’d slice up a pie.

Dividing your calories into the right ratios can have a profound impact on your
body composition. As in the tuna fish and potato chip example, two diets of equal
calories can have totally different effects; one 2400-calorie diet can get you ripped and
another 2400-calorie diet can get you fat.

The first rule of macronutrient ratios: Always eat proteins and carbohydrates
together

Before we get into specific ratios and percentages, you must first understand the
most basic rule of nutrient ratios: Your diet should never consist primarily of one food
type or one macronutrient type; there must be a proper balance between proteins,
carbohydrates and fats. Without even doing any sophisticated number crunching, you'll
always be in the ballpark simply by having a serving of lean protein and a serving of
complex carbohydrate at every meal. If you frequently eat carbohydrates or proteins by
themselves, your ratios will be "out of balance" and your results will be compromised.

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
139

The myth of "food separating" and why it's not effective for improving body
composition

A common myth in the diet world says that you should never eat certain
carbohydrates and proteins together in the same meal. This diet fad is known as "food
combining" (Actually, it would be more accurately described as "food separating,"
referring to the belief that certain combinations of foods, such as meat and potatoes,
shouldn't be eaten together). Popularized in the 1980's by Judy Mazel's Beverly Hills
Diet, Marilyn and Harvey Diamond's "Fit For Life Diet," and more recently by Don
Lemmon's "Know How" diet, this fad still attracts followers to this day.

Arguments for separating proteins and carbohydrates usually go something like
this: Protein digests in an acidic medium of pepsin (a digestive enzyme) and hydrochloric
acid, while carbohydrates digest in an alkaline medium. Therefore, when protein and
carbohydrates are consumed together, they can’t be fully assimilated, resulting in poor
digestion, incomplete absorption of nutrients and gastrointestinal disturbances. Mazel
went as far as to claim that by eating large quantities of fruit alone, the fruit enzymes
would prevent the calories from being stored as body fat. It’s also been suggested that
poor digestion from improper food combinations will weaken you, sap your energy and
stress your immune system.

These ideas make for excellent book sales, but where this fad diet falls flat on its
face is that it vastly underestimates the power of the human digestive system. There’s no
evidence whatsoever supporting the practice of separating carbohydrate and protein
feedings.

I know several people who say that these programs removed their gastrointestinal
distress and made them “feel” better. However, I don't know a single bodybuilding or
fitness champion who successfully uses "food combining" diets to achieve low body fat
or excellent muscular development (Although there are some who get paid to say they
do). If muscles and low body fat are your goals, then lean proteins and complex
carbohydrates should always be eaten at every meal.

The ultimate meal combination for burning fat and building muscle

On the BFFM program, a meal is not a meal if it doesn't contain a complex
carbohydrate and a lean protein. Occasionally, eating a piece of fruit, a nonfat yogurt, a
cup of cottage cheese, a protein drink, or another carbohydrate or protein all by itself is
fine, but that doesn't count as a full meal, it only counts as a "snack."

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
140

The ultimate meal combination for burning fat is a lean protein, a starchy
carbohydrate and a fibrous carbohydrate eaten together at the same meal

Here are three examples of the "Ultimate meal combination"


Example 1:
Brown Rice (complex carb)
Mixed green salad (complex fibrous carb)
Salmon (lean protein)

Example 2:
Sweet potato (complex carb)
Broccoli (complex fibrous carb)
Chicken breast cutlet (lean protein)

Example 3
:
Oatmeal (complex carbohydrate)
Egg white omelet with one yolk (lean protein)
Grapefruit (natural simple carb – optional)

8 reasons why you must eat lean proteins and complex carbohydrates together at
every meal to maximize fat loss and muscle growth.

To gain muscle and lose fat, it's not only unnecessary to separate carbohydrates
and proteins - it's counterproductive. Here are 8 convincing scientific reasons why. Read
them and then you be the judge of whether you want to eat a meal without your protein
and carbohydrates.

1) To maintain positive nitrogen balance, a state where you are retaining more protein
than you excrete, resulting in a net gain of muscle tissue, you must consume protein
approximately every three hours. Proteins cannot be stored like carbohydrates. This
requires protein feedings with every meal. Eat carbohydrates by themselves without
protein, and your body must break down muscle to get the amino acids it needs (You "eat
up" your own muscle tissue!)

2) To get the protein (amino acids) into the muscle cells efficiently requires insulin.
Insulin is secreted most readily in response to eating carbohydrates. Therefore, a
moderate (but not over-sized) portion of carbohydrate should be eaten with your protein
to facilitate the uptake of the amino acids into the muscle cell. The exception to this rule
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
141

is when you’re on a "contest diet," and carbohydrates are being restricted (More on
carbohydrate restriction in chapter 12).

3) Eating carbohydrates by themselves, especially the simple variety, causes a rapid
increase in blood sugar. Peaks in blood sugar are always followed by valleys in blood
sugar (also known as "hypoglycemia"). Cravings, hunger and fatigue usually follow. If
you get hunger or bad cravings, it could be because you're eating too many simple
carbohydrates by themselves (Fat-free snack foods, etc.).

4) Quick elevations in blood sugar caused by eating carbohydrates by themselves cause a
large release of insulin to remove the excess glucose from the bloodstream. A slow,
moderate output of insulin is desirable; a large release of insulin is not. High
concentrations of insulin in the bloodstream are lipogenic; they promote the storage of
body fat as well as prevent stored body fat from being mobilized. In the long run, this can
also lead to a diabetes-like condition in those genetically prone to it.

5) The body's stores of muscle glycogen are very limited (Between 300 and 400 grams).
Muscle glycogen is the primary source of energy for weight training. If your glycogen
levels become severely depleted, your training will suffer. Advocates of very low
carbohydrate, high protein, high fat diets claim that your body will learn to function on fat
and protein and they make convincing scientific-sounding arguments to back up their
position. However, if you were to ask any champion bodybuilder how a low carbohydrate
diet affects their training, virtually all of them would tell you that it reduces their energy,
lowers their intensity, and makes it difficult to get a pump. Even on carbohydrate-
restricted programs it's important to get some carbohydrates or your workouts will suffer
badly. If you cut out your carbohydrates completely or separate your protein and
carbohydrate feedings in a food-combining diet, your glycogen stores will be
compromised. You need a slow and moderate, but steady flow of complex carbohydrates
throughout the day. Eating too many carbohydrates at once can cause fat storage, so the
ideal way to consume them is in moderate portions at every meal.

6) Protein eaten with every meal slows the digestion of the carbohydrates, resulting in
steadier blood sugar and energy levels and a more moderate output of insulin - without
the ups and downs of eating carbohydrates by themselves.

7) Eating fiber-containing carbohydrates at every meal slows the digestion of the
carbohydrates, resulting in a steadier blood sugar level and more moderate insulin output.


Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
142

8) Eating protein at every meal enhances the thermic effect, which helps to speed up your
metabolic rate. A meal consisting of only carbohydrate is less thermic than one
containing a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate. A meal or snack that’s high in fat
without protein is the least thermic of all (sugar and fat, i.e., doughnuts, pastries, potato
chips, etc.).

What are "macronutrient ratios?"

We’re now ready to get into the nitty gritty of macronutrient ratios (Also called
"nutrient ratios"). The first thing you should know is that nutrient ratios simply refer to
the percentage of your total daily calories that come from protein, carbohydrate and fat.
For example, 60-30-10 or 40-30-30 are nutrient ratios. A nutrient ratio of 30% protein on
2400 calories per day would be 720 calories of protein (.30% protein X 2400 calories =
720 protein calories).

Developing nutrition plans based on ratios of protein, carbohydrates and fats has
been practiced for decades among bodybuilders. However, it wasn't until 1995 that
nutrient ratios gained widespread attention from the public with the release of a book by
Dr. Barry Sears called "The Zone." This book made “meal ratios” household words
because the entire Zone program is based on the nutrient ratio of 40% carbohydrate, 30%
protein and 30% fat (or "40-30-30"). By following the 40-30-30 ratios, Dr. Sears claimed
you would lose weight, gain muscle, improve athletic performance and cure a whole host
of diseases and health problems.

Two valuable lessons you can learn from the Zone Diet - even though 40-30-30
got thumbs down from most mainstream health and nutrition organizations

Despite its popularity and best-seller status, the Zone Diet has some serious
shortcomings. The biggest flaw of the Zone program as Dr. Sears prescribed it in his 1995
book, is dangerously low calories. The Zone is basically just another very low calorie
diet. That’s why Zone dieters often run into to the same pitfall that every other low
calorie dieter succumbs to - the starvation mode.

Suppose you weigh 175 lbs. and your body fat is 10%. That means you have 17.5
lbs. of fat and your lean body mass (LBM) is 157.5 lbs. If you work out five times per
week for one hour, then according to Dr. Sears, you should consume .8 grams of protein
per lb. of LBM. That's an "activity factor” of .8 X 157.5 (LBM), which equals 126 grams
of protein.

There are four calories in each gram of protein, so that's 504 calories from protein
or 30% of your total calories. Your fats should also be 30% of your total calories. 504 fat
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
143

calories, divided by nine calories per fat gram equals 56 grams of fat. Your carbohydrates
should be slightly higher, about 40% of your total calories, or 672 carbohydrate calories.
There are four calories in each gram of carbohydrate so that's 168 grams of carbohydrates.
Add up all these calories and you get 1680 calories for the day:

Zone diet recommendations for a 175-pound moderately active man:
Carbs: 672 calories = 168 grams = 40% of total calories
Protein: 504 calories = 126 grams = 30% of total calories
Fat: 504 calories = 56 grams = 30% of total calories
Total: 1680 calories

1680 calories is too low for a moderately active man. The protein
recommendations fall short as well: 126 grams of protein is plenty for a couch potato, but
not enough to support a program with cardio and high intensity weight training. Will you
lose weight on 1680 calories? Sure - but it won't be long before the starvation mode kicks
in.

As a whole, the Zone program was denounced by nearly every mainstream health
and nutrition organization in the world, including the American Dietetic Association, the
Mayo Clinic, the American College of Sports Medicine, the Center for Science in the
Public Interest, and many others. However, you can learn some important things from the
Zone by reading it selectively, plucking out the useful tidbits and throwing away the rest.

The Zone made two particularly important contributions to modern trends in
nutrition that have shifted the predominant thinking about fat loss in the bodybuilding and
weight loss world since 1995.

First, The Zone brought to the public's attention the importance of having a good
balance between proteins, carbohydrates and fats instead of being heavily slanted towards
mostly carbohydrate at the expense of protein and fat - a big mistake in our day and age of
"fat phobia" and “high carbohydrate mania.” It also pointed out the dangers of eating
large amounts of processed carbohydrates such as white breads, white pastas, fat free
snack foods and baked goods.

The second important point made by the Zone program was the idea of always
combining a lean protein and complex carbohydrate food at every meal. This is probably
one of the most important aspects of a nutrition program designed for improving body
composition, because it helps to control the hormones responsible for fat storage and it
provides a steady flow of amino acids from protein foods for muscle growth and
maintenance.
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
144


No single ratio is "the best" and no single ratio will work for everyone 100% of the
time

Many dieters are tempted to believe that there is one perfect or "magical" ratio
that will be the answer to all their body fat problems. Contrary to what some "diet gurus"
would like you to believe, there is no single best ratio.
No ratio has any "magical" fat-burning or muscle-building properties. No ratio will override the law of calorie balance. Any impact nutrient ratios have
on your body fat level is minimal compared to the effect that calorie levels have
on body composition. No nutrient ratio will prevent you from going into starvation mode if your calories
are too low. No nutrient ratio will prevent you from accumulating body fat if your calories are
too high. No nutrient ratio will allow you to gain muscle if your calories are too low. No single nutrient ratio will work for everyone. Optimal nutrient ratios depend on
goals and differences in body types and carbohydrate sensitivity.

Calories are always the most important factor in fat loss and the first factor you
should consider. Only then can you accurately calculate the optimal ratios of protein,
carbohydrate and fat specifically for your unique needs.

Any program that suggests only one ratio for everyone is completely ignoring the
concept of nutritional individuality. Clearly, your ratios must be customized, but as you
will learn shortly, there is a sensible place where everyone can start.

Basic definitions of high, low and moderate macronutrient percentages

Drawing a rigid line between ratios is difficult, but for the purposes of our
discussions in the BFFM program, let's clarify what we mean when we're talking about
high, medium and low carbohydrate, macronutrient percentages.

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
145

Carbohydrate definitions:
Very high carb = 65- 70% +
High carb = 55-60%
Moderate carb = 40-50%
Low carb = 25-35%
Very low carb (ketogenic) = about 5-15% or 30-70 grams per day


Protein definitions:
Very high protein = 41-50%+
High protein = 31-40%
Moderate protein = 25-30%
Low protein = 15-24%
Very low protein = less than 15%

Fat definitions:

Very high fat = 40% +
High fat = 30%-39%
Moderate fat = 20-29%
Low fat = 10-19%
Very low fat = less than 10%

With such a wide range in each category, how do you know what percentage is
best? One tip is to avoid the extremes. Extremely low or extremely high ratios of
anything are usually not the best approach. There are exceptions of course: Competitive
bodybuilders sometimes jack up their protein sky-high to as much as 40-50% for short
periods before contests.

Some endurance athletes perform best on very high carbohydrate intakes of 60-
70% of their total calories. Carbohydrate sensitive people sometimes have no choice but
lower carbohydrate intake to 30% or less of their total calories. These cases are the
exceptions rather than the rule, however. Moderate to high complex carbohydrate, with
moderate protein and low fat is generally the best approach. Modifications can then be
made to this baseline as your needs require.

Popular approaches to nutrient ratios

Before we talk about your starting point or "baseline" ratios, let’s take a look at
some of the nutrient ratios that popular diet programs recommend.

Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
146

High carbohydrate, very low fat

In the 80s and 90s, most diet programs called for very low fat, low protein and
extremely high carbohydrate. The Pritkin diet, which recommended 70% carbohydrate,
20% protein and 10% fat, is one example. Other programs falling into this category are
the Dean Ornish’s "Eat More Weigh Less" program, Robert Hass's "Eat to Win" and
vegetarianism.

If the right types of carbohydrates are eaten, this is probably a healthy way to eat,
but it's so lopsided in favor of carbohydrates, you can't really say it’s "balanced" and this
approach definitely isn't for everyone. When it comes to shifting body composition from
fat to muscle, many people simply don't respond well to high carbohydrates, no matter
how carefully they are chosen. Very high carbohydrate, low fat diets are also a bit light on
essential fats, and the protein levels are too low to support serious weight training. Some
extremely carbohydrate-sensitive people actually see increases in cholesterol and
triglycerides when their carbs are too high.

Very low carbohydrate /high fat, high protein

On the other end of the spectrum you have the very high fat, high protein, very
low carbohydrate diets. The Atkin's Diet is the most popular. Others include Protein
Power, The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, Sugar Busters, The Ketogenic diet, The Anabolic
Diet and a whole host of other programs that impose strict regulations on the amount of
carbohydrate you can eat.

The basic assumption of the very low carbohydrate approach is that carbohydrates
cause fat storage because they increase insulin production. Insulin is portrayed as an evil
fat-storing monster that makes everything you eat turn into fat. The objective of these
programs is to control insulin by cutting out carbohydrates and this will supposedly cause
rapid body fat loss.

There is some truth in these arguments, but unfortunately, the information has
been distorted and taken to extremes. Contrary to what certain diet "gurus" tell you,
carbohydrates are not fattening. What's fattening is eating more calories than your body
can use at one time. Insulin can be a double-edged sword, but insulin control can be easily
achieved without extreme measures.

It's true that some people lose weight more quickly on a very low carbohydrate
diet, but that's not the same thing as saying carbohydrates are fattening. It's also true that
Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC http://www.fitren.com
147

almost every bodybuilder or fitness competitor uses some variation of the low
carbohydrate diet to prepare for competitions.

Very low carbohydrate diets work almost all of the time for all body types. The
problem is they also fail to keep body fat off permanently almost all of the time. It's
nearly impossible to stay on low carbohydrates for a long time (nor can I figure out why
you would want to). It’s also up for debate whether the very high saturated fat levels
allowed in these programs are healthy or not.

Most people will lose fat simply by adding a regular exercise routine to their
schedule and by "cleaning up" their diets. A “clean" diet means you’ve mastered all the
nutritional basics like eating small frequent meals, controlling portion sizes, cutting down
on saturated fats, avoiding sugar, drinking plenty of water and eating lean protein at every
meal.

Moderate carbohydrate restriction will usually speed up fat loss, but a very low
carbohydrate diet is not the ultimate answer to permanent fat loss. At worst it’s unhealthy
and causes muscle loss. At best it’s a temporary tool that should only be used for short
periods for specific fat loss goals (such as preparing for bodybuilding competition).

The flaw in the very low carbohydrate approach is the assumption that everyone is
carbohydrate sensitive. According to my research, I estimate that only 20% - 30% of the
population is carbohydrate sensitive and only a fraction of that 20%-30% is seriously
carbohydrate sensitive. The best way to look at very low carbohydrate /high fat/high
protein diets is as a last resort for those with extreme difficulty losing fat the conventional
way.