Gators Won Big Time

At the tailgate we crushed some serious food…biscuits with sausage gravy, beef short ribs, sausages, burgers, bacon, eggs, 3 kinds of potatoes, parfait, apple pie, key lime pie, and some other stuff that I can’t remember the name of.

The point is at a tailgate it was perfectly fine to eat all of these foods and everyone was enjoying themselves.

But some of those same foods could be items that other people would literally be afraid to eat. I think some people are actually afraid of certain foods imagining that they can really do some sort of ‘damage’ to your body.

This is a misplaced fear directed a a specific food instead of a specific amount of food.

I’ve already mentioned the concept of toxic calories, and I think that the bigger danger to your longevity and health isn’t a particular food but too much total food.

The negative effects of eating excessive carbs, or excessive fat, or excessive sugar are very real, but they require you to be in a total calorie excess as well.

In other words, sugar and fat are perfectly fine to eat if you’re not over doing it with your total calories.

Most of the commentators on the evils of sugar or ‘simple carbs’ or saturated fat typically leave out the specific question ‘how much’.

More often than not you get a complex sounding (but highly over simplified) explanation of what they think the body is doing when you eat sugar or fat, and then tell you never to eat them again.

The concept of total calories or dose is rarely discussed and the cult of eating ‘healthy food’ instead of a ‘healthy AMOUNT of food’ continues.

In my opinion the best thing you can do for the look and health of your body is get a handle on your total number of calories. Once you’ve got that under control you can mix and match combination’s of food as you wish until you’ve got a routine that satisfies your appetite and your body image ideals.

JB

I experienced real Texas BBQ (brisket, pork and beef ribs)…and my first chicken fried chicken (it was a toss up between this and chicken fried steak)

Brisket, Pork Ribs and Beef Ribs...SO DAMN GOOD!

One thing I can say for sure is that I’d likely be 300lbs if I lived here for any length of time…I simply wouldn’t be able to resist going for BBQ every day!

(I’m sure if I grew up here I would have learned to eat all the food around here without wanting to overdo it as much as I did after eating it for the first time this weekend).

Being at an event like this conference definitely changes the eating opportunities and patterns from my regular daily routine. There is complimentary breakfast and snacks as well as lunch and dinner networking meetings/opportunities that cannot be passed up and frankly I don’t want to pass up.

There were so many eating opportunities that I knew I’d probably go over my calorie needs on one or two of the days so I simply use the bookend diet hack technique to make sure I don’t gain any weight (going low calorie the day before I leaving and the day after returning)

The point is that it’s much easier to eat at a calorie deficit when you’re at home in your regular routine. Might as well keep it tight and the calories low before and after your trip/event and give yourself the freedom to have a bit more when you’re there.

That way you can partake in all the eating events that are likely going to happen without having to restrain yourself or feel like you’re missing out.

John

He said he takes about 14-16 weeks to get ready for a show. He starts at around 2200 calories per day and finishes around 1600 calories per day in the final weeks (and just to let you know, this guy is well over 300lbs and 6’5)

By the end of his contest prep he cuts down to about 240lbs including a water depletion.

It takes dieting AND exercise to get this lean

Now this is where the interesting part comes in.

He cuts his calories down to about 1600 per day and does 1 weight training session and two ‘cardio’ sessions per day at the end of his preparation.

I did a bit of quick math and figured out that he likely burns all 1600 calories off during his 3 workouts each day. In other words, he is effectively burning off all his daily calories.

This is an example of the extreme measures bodybuilders (and fitness competitors) will go to in order to burn off every last ounce of visible bodyfat from their frame (including using some powerful stimulants to keep their appetite at bay)

3 workouts per day might sound like alot to you but it really isn’t. He will typically break it up into an hour morning walk (perhaps inclined on a treadmill for some added work) then an afternoon workout with weights, and finally another walk later in the evening.

That’s about 3 hours of working out (two of them for weight loss one of them for muscle building)

This extra exercise for weight loss can only provide a significant benefit if he keeps his calories in control.

In other words, if he wasn’t monitoring his calories he could easily replace all the energy he burned during each ‘cardio’ session by eating a bit more food at each meal.

The more you exercise the more likely you will get hungry and the more tempted you will be to overeat (or at least eat more than you were planning)

The treadmill can help if you're careful with your calorie intake

This is the catch 22 with exercise for weight loss. You’ll burn more calories and lost more weight faster if you add in extra exercise, BUT you’ll also be tempted to eat more food as you increase the amount of exercise you do.

So you’ve got to keep the calories you  eat in control if you want to see the full benefit from adding in extra ‘cardio’ sessions.

The point is exercise for weight loss can be effective IF and only IF you’ve got a handle on your calories.

John

Every bit counts no Matter how Small.

So how do you  lose weight?

Simple, you need to create an energy deficit. In other words, consume less energy than you spend and you’re body has no choice but to burn some bodyfat (after all that’s what it’s there for in the first place).

So how do you create an energy deficit?

1) The easiest is to eat less calories than you burn. This means less calories than your BMR or your daily energy expenditure. Sadly for most people their BMR accounts for all the daily calories burned. (the other things that can burn calories are purposeful exercise and lifestyle activity)

2) Increase your lifestyle activity level. But this only works if you don’t compensate by eating more calories. This is actually tougher than it seems. Most people who have a busier or more active day just end up eating more and erase any weight loss benefit from being more active.

3) Do more exercise (or start exercising). This is different from lifestyle activity because exercise is usually for shorter periods of time and at higher intensity. Again this only works if you don’t compensate by eating more calories.

4) Take a supplement, or coffee, or green tea, or anything that you think will help you stick to your weight loss program. This is likely more of a placebo effect than anything, but going through the ritual of taking a vitamin supplement or a workout supplement might just make it all seem more real and keep you focused.

I have a friend who is successfully losing weight and he takes a different mix of supplements and vitamins every day.

The Ritual of Taking Supplements Might Be More Important than what's in Them.

He doesn’t really care what they’re supposed to do, but the ritual of taking them reminds him to stay on track with his eating and so far he’s doing great dropping 3-5 pounds per week for the past 9 weeks. (can’t say anything he’s doing isn’t working!)

The point is anything that can help you stay on track and focused on your weight loss goal is worth doing. If it means having a special coffee or tea twice a day then go for it. If you think you’d rather have a post workout shake and it helps you avoid overeating in the evening then the post workout shake might be critical to your success.

You’re the only person who knows your weaknesses and barriers when it comes to exercise, weight loss and eating. So once you find a system and ritual that works for you stick with it.

Real weight loss success comes from consistency, and consistency is usually rooted in rituals that make you feel good about the process and that remind you to stay on course.

John

Guess How Many Calories Are In This Pizza

This is a personal sized ‘Chicken Pizza’ that my friend Becky Osterhout (Venus Index model and fitness competitor) made for me.

Tomorrow I’ll have a video up showing you exactly how she made it, but for today I just want you to guess at how many calories you think are in this pizza?

The pizza is about 5 inches in diameter (just in case you can’t tell from the pic)

I’ll be revealing the actual calorie count in tomorrows video.

John