Ready for the best gyms in Dang, Vegas got me again. Every visit a different way.

Here’s what happened this time…

My first stop in Vegas…Walmart for groceries, of course, to buy all the stuff that US customs wouldn’t let me bring from Canada.

This list was good, but there was a fatal flaw in one of my decisions…check out my Travel Grocery List here and then discover my big rookie mistake:

- Vitamin C
- almond butter
- whole grain bread
- almonds
- pistachios
- broccoli
- baby carrots
- one red pepper
- apples
- 3 bottles of water

(I’m sure mine was the only room in Vegas with a head of
broccoli in the ice bucket. Ha.)

I didn’t check the almond butter label and realized the next
morning – AFTER I ate two sandwiches – that it had sugar and
hydrogenated oil added.

The version I wanted to buy would have simply contained
almonds, and that’s it.

Ironically, the almond butter was chosen after I looked at
the label for a jar of peanut butter that had both of those
nasty ingredients.

Unfortunately, my mind ‘automatically’ put the almond butter
in the safe category, but I forgot that nutrition companies
always have to mess with a good thing.

The lesson:

If you’re confused about nutrition and need help reading
labels, getting recipes, and putting together a fat loss meal

Nutrition is the key to success with fat loss, but it also
helps you reduce stress.

fruits and vegetables – and you’re bound to like something.

If you aren’t already eating apples, try one today and see
how it helps fill you up because it contains a lot of soluble
fiber called pectin.

And then add a new vegetable to your dinner.

Simple little changes like that add up to healthy habits over
a long life.

That’s the way to eat at home and on the road.

Speaking of which, I have a flight to catch…heading on to

Nutrition is more important than exercise for fat loss,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

…the small, but effective, gym in the Mandalay Bay. This
was the 9th Vegas hotel gym I’ve used (so the list is now top
9, not just 7), and I’ve ranked them for both strength
workouts and TT fat loss training.

1) Palazzo
2) Monte Carlo
3) Luxor
4) Hard Rock – has bench press but no squat rack
5) Aria – no squat rack
6) Mandalay Bay – no squat rack
7) Bellagio – no squat rack
8] MGM – no squat rack
9) Planet Hollywood – no squat rack

1) Aria – just because it’s a beautiful gym
2) Palazzo
3) Monte Carlo
4) Luxor
5) Mandalay Bay
6) Hard Rock
7) Bellagio
8] MGM
9) Planet Hollywood

Then plan your meals and lose fat while eating
real delicious food…not junk or the 4 foods
Isabel will show you to avoid.

Yesterday I heard from one of my good buddies from college. He was one of the first athletes to do interval training with me on the “back 40″ at McMaster University way back in 1997.

He’s currently using my TT Metabolic Resistance Training program but he emailed yesterday morning looking for a simple nutrition plan to go with it.

At first I thought about recommending Isabel De Los Rios’ Diet Solution Program to him, but I know that even though it is the most similar plan to how I eat, there’s no way he has time to read through it (since he works 10 hours a day and has 2 little kids and a great wife to get home to each night).

So I started writing…and planning…and came up with this fat burning meal plan for him. And when I was done, I realized it might be the last diet article I ever need to write. Hopefully it will answer all of your questions…if not, ask away in the comments section below.

First, the rules:

1) For fat loss, men need 1800-2200 calories while women need 1500-1800. These are generalizations, I know, so what I recommend is using a site like Fitday.com to find out how much you are eating per day now. Then, provided you aren’t currently gaining weight, simply subtract 10-20% of that number to get your fat loss calorie goal. If you are gaining weight, you’ll obviously need to subtract more. Finding the right calorie number takes a little trial and error, but shouldn’t take more than a week.

2) Choose the eating pattern that fits your daily schedule. If you don’t get breaks at work, eat 3 larger meals. If you like the 3 meals and 2-3 snacks route, you can use that. Research suggests that meal frequency is not as important as bodybuilding magazines make it out to be…however, for some folks, the increased frequency works best. Again, a little trial and error on your part will be required.

3) When all else fails, eat more fruits and vegetables.

4) When in doubt, avoid eating foods from a bag or a box.

5) Only eat when you are truly hungry, not bored. Write down all the obstacles to this plan, then write down TWO solutions for every obstacle. Always have more solutions than problems (a good lesson to teach our kids and share with our co-workers).

NOTE: Even though I list “protein shakes” a lot here, there’s no need to use more than 2 servings per day (1 serving = 1 scoop). Protein shakes are:

a) Convenient

b) Filling

c) A better choice than most other things

But they are not magic or mandatory…just an option.

Look for a pure whey protein – giving you 20g protein per serving and less than 2g carbs. Mix it with 1 cup unsweetened almond breeze(because it has less than half the calories of a cup of milk).

For specific brands, I’ve partnered with Prograde Protein, and it’s the kind I buy for my mom.

Now for your fat burning meal plan.

Breakfast:

Option #1 – Eggs (i.e. a 2-4 egg omelet with spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, onions, and even asparagus – choose a couple). Have an apple on the side. Drink some Green Tea (coffee is fine too) and water. You might want to supplement with fish oil and vitamin C. Those are the two supplements I take every day for health – I don’t expect fat loss from ANY supplement.

Option #2 – Protein shake + 1-2 oz almonds + piece of fruit

Mid-morning Snack

Option #1 - Almonds + piece of fruit + Green Tea + water

Option #2 – Protein shake + cut up vegetables and hummus + Green Tea + water

Lunch

Option #1 – Big salad with grilled chicken or salmon

Option #2 – Grilled chicken on whole grain bread plus cut up vegetables and hummus

Option #3 – Go to a Freshii restaurant for lunch – one of my best friends, Kam Singh, owns the Freshii at the Heartland Town center in Mississauga, so I want to give him some free publicity because it really is the freshest, healthiest “fast food” option out there — if you go, tell him ol’ CB sent ya.

Mid-afternoon Snack

Option #1 – 1oz raw nuts + small piece dark chocolate

Option #2 – Banana with almond butter

Option #3 – One of the morning snacks

Dinner

Option #1 – 6oz steak + all the vegetables you want (minimize eliminate starchy carbs most daysof the week)

Option #2 – Chicken or Salmon with all the vegetables you want

Option #3 – Quinoa with vegetables (I eat this 3x’s per week)…and if you don’t eat meat, here’s your vegetarian meal plan.

By the way, if you want a glass of wine at dinner, go for it (but just one glass).

However, realize that when choosing treats, you have to pick your poison…you can’t have wine, bread, a giant potato and dessert – and still expect to lose fat.

Choose one of those extras, keep it to one serving – to limit it to under 200 calories, savor it, and enjoy the rest of the meal and the company you are with.

And try not to eat too much food off your kiddo’s plates

Dessert/Evening Snack (if necessary)

Option #1 – Frozen banana (sounds lame, but seriously good) or frozen berries

Option #2 – 1 scoop chocolate protein in 1 cup plain vanilla yogurt with teaspoon almond butter

Option #3 – An apple with 1 teaspoon almond butter

I hope that helps. It’s about as simple as you can get when planning a fat loss diet.

But don’t forget to…

• Drink 2-3 liters of water per day.
• Get to know your condiments…spicy mustards, salsas, no-sugar added tomato sauce, all of these are better than mayo and ketchup.
• Plan out 1-2 reward meals each week…eat what you want, but don’tgo overboard with the portions.

Finally, one of the best things you can do to create order in achaotic life is to create a series of personal philosophies/rules. They solve all of your problems without draining emotional energy. Here are my rules:

=> The 12 Rules I Live By

Please share that link with anyone who you think would benefit. I believe it’s one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever written.
Thanks,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

I spent about 90 minutes late Monday afternoon reading a book called, “Get the Life You Want”, by Dr. Richard Bandler. He created neuro-linguistic programming, if you know what that is.

Now I’m not even sure why I chose to read this book. I just randomly picked it off the shelf last week. I wanted something short (so I could get though one of the 65 books I’ve bought from Amazon still waiting to be read).

Maybe it was fate that I chose this one, because it has powerful, powerful lessons for you and me.

I mean this book could really, really help you overcome diet problems, stop smoking, start exercising, and even eliminate fears and phobias. But most importantly, it will help you finally succeed with your diet.

You see, Dr. Bandler explains that:

Failure only means you’ve stopped. So we must NEVER stop trying to fix our diet.

We must keep at it and persevere, always looking for that diet that is going to work for us – because ONE diet WILL work for you.

As Dr. Bandler wrote, “The more you move in the right direction, the more you move towards success, the better you’ll feel. You need to make the things that you want to do into second nature habits.

He also agreed with something I’ve been saying for years, which is that all diets work.

But Dr. Bandler said it a little more eloquently:

“Almost all diets work if you STAY on them. The key is to build habits that allow you to stick. Focus on building positive habits rather than thinking about the negatives of the diet.”

“The trick is to look into the future and say, ‘I am going to fall off my diet ten times, and each time I fall of it, I am going to become more determined to get back on it and do it even more.”

If you never give up looking for the diet that will work, then I guarantee you will have a 100% success rate.

It’s only when you quit that you fail.

So here’s what you need to do.

1) You must never, ever, EVER give up.

2) You need to keep trying new nutrition methods.

3) You need to use every trick in the book to stick with it.

4) You need to focus on building positive habits EVERY day, because the more you move to success the better you’ll feel.

5) Get started with this 3-point proven plan to triple your fat loss

To your success,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

Let’s end the diet vs exercise fat loss debate with some research, shall we?

Of course, we know that diet is more important, but how much more effective is it? You’ll find out in this week’s research review.

But first…

Congratulations to all who participated in Transformation Contest #10. Sunday, May 1st, starts a new contest. There are 4 categories, and we added an extra 6- week mini bonus contest. You can find rules for the 11th  Transformation Contest can be found here

=> www.TransformationContest.com/rules.

For more details…

Click here to listen to this week’s coaching call…

Let’s get started with…

Monday, May 2nd – Transformation Tip of the Week

“Nobody gets old by surprise.” – Kekich Credo #84……Listen, 12 weeks is just 0.3% of a 75 year life…why not commit to making the next 12 weeks the best 12 weeks of your life? Plan, prepare, and take action. You can make dramatic changes in just a fraction of your lifespan.

Training Tips – Workout C from my current 4-week program

Box Jump (3×2)
Sumo Deadlift
KB Swing (3×30)
BB Split Squat (4×12)
Stability Ball Plank (4×30)

Tuesday -  Get 30 minutes of fun activity

Now grab a Green Tea and do this week’s research review.

Reference: Obesity. 2011 Apr 14. Effect of Diet and Exercise, Alone or Combined, on Weight and Body Composition in Overweight-to-Obese Postmenopausal Women.

Researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine studied 439 obese women (58 years old, 47% fat) for 12 months in 1 of 4 conditions.

1)    Diet – reduced calorie, low fat
2)    Exercise – 45 minutes x 5 days per week of cardio
3)    Diet plus exercise
4)    Control

Results: First, amazing 91% retention – 399 women finished.

1.    Diet – -8.5%
2.    Exercise – -2.4%
3.    Diet plus exercise -10.8%
4.    Control – -0.8%

Among postmenopausal women, lifestyle-change involving diet, exercise, or both combined over 1 year improves body weight and adiposity, with the greatest change arising from the combined intervention.

Bottom Line: Brad Pilon and I both agreed that fat loss comes down to the classic equation that your “calories out”  must be greater than your “calories in”.

Use his program to develop CONTROL and POWER over food (rather than food controlling you) and use the Turbulence Training programs to burn calories in short, fun, fast, and effective workouts you can do at home.

Wednesday Workout Tip – Workout D of my 4-Week Program

This program is perfect for traveling.

DB 1-Arm Shoulder Press

dumbbell row

Chin-up
OH Squat
DB Row
Triceps Extensions
DB RDR

Trainer Thursday – Do 30 minutes of fun activity…

Timed Bodyweight Intervals Rule. These might be the main reason the TT for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks program works so well. For example, have your clients do 20 seconds of bodyweight squats, then rest 10 seconds in the bottom position of the squat. Repeat 8 times. Fire in the quads.

Facebook Friday - I’m doing a lot of QnA sessions over on Facebook at www.TurbulenceTrainingFanpage.com

Question:  How can I get motivated?

Answer: Internal Motivation is Essential

Then I shared another motivational workout secret for fat loss…and I told the TT audience that they must find a personal challenge to help them stick  to their workouts. From the Bodyweight 500 to the 12-week Transformation Contest, these types of challenges and internal competitions are what drive some of the great TT fat loss success stories.

If you don’t have internal motivation, there is nothing even the world’s greatest motivator can do for you. That’s why you need to try all of the TT challenge workouts to find the one that clicks with you.

Great question…please ask yours at: www.TurbulenceTrainingFanpage.com

Social Support Saturday! 30 minutes of fun activity…

“People will do almost anything to stay in their comfort zones. If you want to accomplish anything, get out of your comfort zone. Strive to increase order and discipline in your life. Discipline usually means doing the opposite of what you feel like doing.” – Kekich Credo #1

Everything you do takes you closer to OR farther away from your goals. Think about that before each and every decision you make.

Sunday – Plan, Shop & Prepare

Research shows that food journaling helps with weight loss, so make a note of how much you eat (Hollis, JF, Am J Prev Med 35:118, 2008).

Brad Pilon has said the secret to success on a fast was staying busy. He wants you to ask yourself, are you eating out of TRUE hunger or out of tired old habits? That’s another No-BS secret about fat loss nutrition.

We all – and I mean everyone, including me – eat too much food that we don’t count toward our daily calorie intake. Find the hidden calories in your  diet, eliminate them, and you’ll get through any fat loss plateau.

Next week!
•    Training Tips – Men’s Health workouts from me
•    Research – More fat loss nutrition studies

Happy Easter everyone, make sure to enjoy a reward meal and some family time, and if you fall off track, don’t fret, just get back on track ASAP. We have some interesting weight loss diet and website research to review this week.

For motivation, check out the contest winners at www.TransformationContest.com

Click here to listen to the call…

Let’s get started with…

Monday, April 25th – Transformation Tip of the Week –

Responsibility Rules – Each of us is personally responsible for the results we get…”Once you accept how hard it is to lose fat, then it becomes simple and easy.” Who they associate with and what they truly believe about themselves are two of the most important factors in their success, and I showed them examples of men and women of all ages and backgrounds who overcame great obstacles to lose fat. If other people can do it, so can YOU!

Training Tips – My Current Workout A (of a 4-Day Per Week Program)

Reg Squat (5-3-1 program from Jim Wendler)
Box Jump or Pistol (6×3)
Split Squat (4×8)
Glute-Ham Raise (2xMax-1)

Tuesday - Get 30 minutes of fun activity – now grab a Green Tea and do this week’s research review.

Reference: ACE FitnessMatters

The study involved 10 men and women between the ages of 29-46 who performed a typical kettlebell workout by doing kettlebell swinging and lift exercises to a certain rhythm during a 20-minute period. All were experienced with the use of kettlebells.

The participants’ fitness levels were measured before and during the workout by measuring heart rate, oxygen consumption, and blood lactate.

The results showed that the average participant burned about 20 calories per minute during the kettlebell workout, which equates to 400 calories during a typical 20-minute kettlebell workout.

Researchers say that’s equivalent to running a six-minute mile or cross-country skiing uphill at a fast pace. They credit the rapid calorie burn to the interval training format of kettlebell workouts.

In addition, the researchers write that the participants achieved exercise heart rate and maximum oxygen uptake, suggesting that kettlebells provide a more intense workout than standard weight lifting.

“This is good news for people who are looking for a very good resistance-training workout that will also help them lose weight,” says researcher Chad Schnettler, MS, also of the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse Exercise and Health Program, in the report.

“For people who may not have a lot of time, and need to get in a workout as quickly as possible, kettlebells definitely provide that.”

Wednesday Workout Tip – My Workout B

Football Bar Foam Press (5-3-1 program – check out the Football Bar at www.elitefts.com)
T-Bar Row (4×12-15)
DB Incline (3×8-12)
UH Seated Row (3×8-12)
BW Triceps (3×6-12)

Trainer Thursday -  Do 30 minutes of fun activity…

At a recent TT seminar, nutrition expert Brad Pilon exposed the truth about metabolism boosting foods. He showed research that no food or supplement could possibly increase your metabolic rate enough to have any long-term impact on your fat loss. The harsh truth is that we need to focus more on eating less and avoiding mindless eating. A little “handful” of food here and a nibble of food there adds up to just enough calories to keep us at a weight loss plateau. So I challenge you to take a good, hard look at your daily eating habits and see if you are justifying unnecessary calories that will shut down your fat loss.

Facebook Friday

I’m doing a lot of QnA sessions over on Facebook at www.TurbulenceTrainingFanpage.com

Question: Any last thoughts for Helping Women looking to drop Body Fat and Tone their Body?

Answer: Just trust me. I know my answers aren’t politically correct, telling you that cardio is a waste of time, and that yes, you do need to be strict with your diet. “But if you accept that fat loss is difficult, that’s when it becomes simple!” Because if you accept it is difficult, you realize that shortcuts don’t work and that you don’t deserve success you haven’t earned. It’s not your fault that you are in this fat loss mess, but if you work hard and follow the TT Nutrition Guidelines, you will succeed!

Question: What would your exercise splits look like if you could only work upper body for about a month. I had ankle surgery and am working with a therapist on that, but am cleared to return to training- upper body only with light bicycle riding for the time being.

Answer: I’d train twice a week. Workout A – Chest presses plus rows. Workout B – Shoulder presses, delts, etc. + Chins or Pullups, etc. Maybe a bonus fun session of Workout C- arms.

Great question…please ask yours at: www.TurbulenceTrainingFanpage.com

Social Support Saturday -  30 minutes of fun activity…

Internet Weight Loss -J Med Internet Res. 2010 Jul 27;12(3):e29. Associations of internet website use with weight change in a long-term weight loss maintenance program.

Researchers from Kaiser Permanente in Portland compared two long-term weight-maintenance interventions in 348 subjects (>60% women)
a)    a personal contact arm
b)    an Internet arm

Against a no-treatment control after an initial six-month Phase I weight loss program where they had lost at least 4 kilograms in an initial 20-week group-based, behavioral weight-loss program.

The Internet arm focused on use of an interactive website for support of long-term weight maintenance by logging in weekly…the website contained features that encouraged setting short-term goals, creating action plans, and reinforcing self-management habits. The website also included motivational modules, daily tips, and tailored messages. Based on log-in and weight-entry frequency, we divided participants into three website use categories: consistent, some, and minimal.

RESULTS:

Participants in the consistent user group (n = 212) were more likely to be older (P = .002), other than African American (P = .02), and more educated (P = .01).

Minimal website users (n = 75) were significantly more likely to have attended fewer Phase I sessions (P = .001) and had a higher initial body mass index (BMI) (P < .001).

Variables most associated with less weight regain included:

Number of log-ins (P = .001)
minutes on the website (P < .001)
number of weight entries (P = .002)
number of exercise entries (P < .001)
sessions with additional use of website features after weight entry (P = .002).

CONCLUSION:

Participants defined as consistent website users of an interactive behavioral website designed to promote maintenance of weight loss were more successful at maintaining long-term weight loss.

Sunday – Plan, Shop & Prepare 30 minutes activity and plan, shop, & prepare

Carbohydrate Controversy – Should you eat all of your carbs at night diet?

Obesity. 2011 Apr 7. Greater Weight Loss and Hormonal Changes After 6 Months Diet With Carbohydrates Eaten Mostly at Dinner. Sofer S, Eliraz A, Kaplan S, Voet H, Fink G, Kima T, Madar Z.

Israeli researchers…studied the effect of a low-calorie diet with carbohydrates eaten mostly at dinner 78 obese police officers were randomly assigned to:

a)    experimental (carbohydrates eaten mostly at dinner)
b)    control weight loss diets for 6 months.

Results:

• Greater weight loss, abdominal circumference, and body fat mass reductions were observed in the
  experimental diet in comparison to controls.
• Hunger scores were lower and health improvements (from cholesterol to blood sugar) were found in the carbs at night group compared to controls.

Conclusion: A simple dietary manipulation of carbohydrate distribution appears to have additional benefits when compared to a conventional weight loss diet in individuals suffering from obesity. It might also be beneficial for individuals suffering from insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome.

Further research is required to confirm and clarify the mechanisms by which this relatively simple diet approach enhances satiety, leads to better anthropometric outcomes, and achieves improved metabolic response, compared to a more conventional dietary approach.

Next week!
•    Training Tips – My New Workout – Part 2
•    Research Review – Diet vs Exercise