“Do I have to give up bread & rice to lose fat?” is one of the most common nutrition questions I get.

So today we’re going to cover “grains and fat loss” with the help of my friend & nutrition expert, Isabel De Los Rios.

Now I know most of you are being told that you can’t eat any grains, but Isabel will surprise you.

And at the end of today’s lesson, I’ll tell you what I think…

But first, what does Isabel say? Well, she wants us to know:

1) Not all carbs are the same but you don’t need to go low-carb

The good news is that there are plenty of healthy carbohydrate and grain options that fit into your fat burning meal plans.

2) Brown Rice is good for fat loss meals, but white rice isn’t.

Now you probably knew that…so let’s get more specific…

Isabel says the reason why white rice is bad news for fat loss is because the healthy bran layer and the germ are removed. So you lose the fiber and are just left with the starch.

And you and I both know that without the fiber, even eating a huge bowl of white rice can still leave you hungry.

So that’s the BIG problem with ALL processed carbohydrates, from white bread to white pasta to potatoes without the skin. You lose the fiber and are left with the starch, and you stay hungry and get hungry faster.

3) So the #1 rule is to keep the fiber in your grain choices.

“Fiber helps you to feel full for a longer period of time and if you are not hungry and feel satisfied, it’s much easier to stick to your healthy eating than if you are starving all day,” Isabel says.

Plus, Isabel adds, “Fiber also helps to control blood sugar fluctuations and as you’ve learned in my nutrition book, the secret to weight loss is keeping your blood sugar and your insulin under control all day long.”

4) What types of rice does Isabel recommend?

i) Basmati Rice

Isabel says brown basmati rice might even be better than regular long grain brown rice.

ii) Black Rice

Cultivated in Asia, this rice is typically sold as an unmilled rice, meaning the fiber-rich black husks of the rice are not
removed, making black rice very high in fiber.

(This one is a staple in the TT Kitchen! One of my favorite winter meals is vegetarian chili and black rice on a Sunday afternoon while watching football. – CB)

iii) Jasmine

Of course, Isabel recommends the brown version.

5) Now for the big question – how much rice should you eat?

Isabel says, “a ½ cup to a cup of brown rice is a great carbohydrate choice in your lunch or dinner alongside a tasty protein (maybe some wild fish) and some yummy vegetables (possibly some sautéed spinach).”

************************************

Craig here again…

Perfect info. Thank you Isabel.

Now you’ll notice Isabel really only had a chance to cover rice and basic carbohydrate recommendations…there’s just not enough time or room to do everything else.

She didn’t get a chance to cover quinoa – the high protein grain – and some of the other lesser known, delicious grains that you can eat on a fat burning meal plan.

I highly recommend Isabel’s program. I promise it will work for you to help you lose stubborn belly fat.

(By the way, Isabel just had a baby and within weeks she was back to her old clothes…it’s amazing what you can do with the right nutrition…check out her site for a picture of her and her baby.)

Click here for Isabel’s website

In conclusion…

The bottom line is this:

The #1 rule is to keep the fiber in your grain choices.

And that’s what I do…sticking to brown rice pasta, black rice, and even my flax meal bread.

Combined with my meal plan built on the fat loss foundation of raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts, it’s impossible for me to get fat. My body will always be lean.

And you can have a lean body – while eating grains – too.

Just use Isabel’s meal plans.

And just say no to low carb,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

This week you’ll discover 10 tips to eat healthy for cheap, but I also must warn you that I have a lot of politically incorrect inspiration and motivation to give you…

But first, let’s start with reality.

The reality is that everyone makes  mistakes with their diet.

So there will be times you mess up…and that’s cool, as long as you learn from it. Just get back on track as soon as possible.

This call is full of motivation and kick-butt mindset tips…

=> Click here to listen to the call…

Let’s kick off with Kekich Credo #7

“You’re successful when you like who and what you are. Success includes achievement…while choosing and directing your own activities. It means enjoying intimate relationships and loving what you do in life.”

I say…”Success is not just a number on a scale. Success is living with energy and happily making healthy choices. When you choose to eat healthy and exercise instead of watching TV, that is achievement….

“This will help you love life and the people around you more. The PROCESS is often just as important as the physical progress…A body transformation cannot happen without a mental transformation as well.”

And now, our fat loss tips.

Monday – March 8th

Transformation Tip of the Week:

5 tough questions to ask yourself today if you are struggling:

1) Why do you continue to make short term decisions that ruin your chances of long-term success?

2) Why do you continue to eat junk when you want to lose fat?

3) Why do you watch so much TV when you know you should be exercising?

4) Why do you still do cardio and crunches when they haven’t given you results and they never will?
(See: 7 Reasons NEVER to do crunches again)

5) Why do you hide your goals when you know that support will help you succeed?

Take time to answer those. Identify the obstacles. Plan solutions. Then you’ll succeed!

You have to accept that a little short-term pain will allow you long-term success.

Now for some lower body exercise substitutions:

For Squats –> You can do 1-leg squats, 1-leg bench squats (see photo), bulgurian split squats, split squats, lunges, step-ups, reaching lunges, 1-leg deadlifts, or 1-leg hip extensions. Goblet squats are okay too. DB squats are okay, but usually the grip strength becomes an issue.

For DB Split Squats -> You can do:
- 1-leg lying hip extensions for beginners
- high-rep Bulgarian split squats for advanced
- 1-leg bench squats (see photo)
- high-rep split squats with your front foot elevated 4-6 inches for intermediate
- 1-leg deadlifts
- 1-leg squats onto bench
- deepstep-ups
- reaching lunges
- lunges

We’ll do pushing and pulling exercises later

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

Interesting resistance training weight loss study…

Researchers at the University of Rhode Island foundthat weight training plus diet helps seniors lose almost 9 pounds of fat…while diet-only group lost less than one pound of fat.

In the study, they had 27 overweight and obese older (age 67years) adults separated into 2 groups:

Group 1 followed the 10-week Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension for weight loss diet (DASH, n = 12)

Group 2 followed the DASH Diet plus moderate intensity resistance training (DASH-RT, n = 15).

Results:

Weight Loss – no difference between groups, but the average was over 6.6 pounds of weight loss.
DASH-RT = 3.6kg
DASH = 2kg

Body fat loss – The resistance training PLUS diet group lost about 9 pounds of fat, while the diet-only lost less than 1/2 a pound of fat!

DASH-RT = 4.1kg
DASH = 0.2kg

Lean Mass gains – Only the resistance training group gained lean mass. The diet group LOST lean mass.
DASH-RT = 0.8kg
DASH = -1.4kg

Reference:
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010 Feb 19. Effect of moderate intensity resistance training during weight loss on body composition and physical performance in overweight older adults. Avila JJ, Gutierres JA, Sheehy ME, Lofgren IE, Delmonico MJ.

Wednesday

Another hard question…

During your workout, always be asking yourself if you are doing the BEST that you can.

Are giving extreme focus to the exercise? Even if it is just off-day stretching, are you doing everything you can to get the MOST out of your efforts? And if the choice comes up between “blowing off” the last exercise or sucking it up and sticking to it, make sure you choose wisely.

Pushing exercise substitutions
For DB Chest Presses (of any kind) -> You can do one of these:
- pushups
- close-grip pushups
- decline pushup
- elevated pushups
- off-set pushups
- pushups with your feet on the ball
- pushups with your hands on the ball
- spiderman pushups
- pike pushups
- or possibly the hardest two hand pushup of them all, decline close-grip spiderman pushups

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity

“In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do the next time.” Anthony J. D’Angelo

Friday

Pulling exercise substitutions

For DB Rows -> Using the smith machine, you can do…
- inverted rows
- underhand inverted rows
- inverted rows with your feet on the ball
- inverted rows holding the ends of a towel hung over the bar (advanced grip strength there!)

For DB Rows -> Using the pullup bar, you can do…
- eccentric pull-ups
- regular pull-ups
- sternum pull-ups
- chinups
- side to side pull-ups

In place of bodyweight rows, you can do:
db rows
db elbow-out row
db chest supported row
db rear deltoid raises
stickups/prone stickups/WYTs
band rows
bb rows
seated cable rows

In place of pull-ups and chinups, you can do:
db rows
db pullovers
underhand grip pulldowns (kneeling) – replace chinups
overhand grip pulldowns (kneeling) – replace pull-ups
assisted chinups/pull-ups using machine

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity…

And a quote I like that I’m not apologizing for believing in…

“People are always blaming circumstance for what they are. I do not believe in circumstance. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstance they want and if they can’t find them they make them.” – George Bernard Shaw

It’s not politically correct, but it’s true to me.

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

Now here’s how to eat healthy for cheap:

1) Look for house brands for certain items at the grocery store.
2) Look for coupons both online and local.
3) Try to shop for things that are in season.
4) Grow a garden & prepare things at home (and make your own breads, shakes, hummus)
5) If you shop at food chain stores, wait until the end of the day or evening to shop.  Fresh food prices will drop to prepare for new items for the next day.
6) Eat less meat, buy less expensive (but quality) meat or no meat.  Replace meat with beans.
7) Use portion control when eating dinners at home.  You can get 3-4 meals out of it that way.
8] Plan your meals for the entire week.
9) Buy non-perishable items in bulk whenever possible.
10) If you have a large freezer, you can freeze many items in bulk and freeze foods that can go bad and use them in blender drinks.

Remember: Better to pay your grocer than your doctor!

Next week!
TT Workout – More interval training research & exercise substitutions
Weekly Research Review – The best way to measure your fat loss
Nutrition – The latest new foods in my diet

We’re gonna have a little fun in this week’s fat loss guide.

I’m in Miami this weekend at a trainer’s seminar, but I’ll be back in time to watch Canada vs USA in hockey…and in the spirit of the Olympics, I’m giving you the Winter Olympics workout. You’ll love it…lots of fun.

Also, the countdown to TT for Abs DVDs is on…my first ever “Follow Along Workout DVD” program will be released on March 1st…coming soon!

=> Click here to listen to this week’s podcast

And  now for your fat loss guide…

Monday – Feb 22nd

Transformation Tip of the Week:

You are where you are right now because of your past choices, and there are only two options: Accept it or Change it. Your choice. There are things we can do TODAY that will make us leaner, fitter, happier, sexier, healthier and wealthier. Let’s TAKE ACTION and do them.

And now for…The Winter Olympics Workout

The Winter Olympics are the hottest event in the world right now, and this is a special workout for you so that you can join in the excitement.

We’ll start with the Moguls Warmup.

I chose the moguls for warm-up, because that’s where the skiers do all those crazy moves and look really mobile. One of the coolest events, for sure.

1. Jumping Jacks – 20 reps
2. Duck Unders – 6 reps per side
(You’ll step to the side squat down and duck under as you move)
3. Stickups – 10 reps
4. Seal Jumps – 20 reps
(These are like jumping jacks, but cross your arms in front of you)
5. Pushups -10 reps
(Let’s pretend you wiped out so you have to do pushups to get back up)

Next, we move into the first event…

The Ski Jump
Do a 10 second hold in the bottom of squat and then do a vertical jump.
Repeat 3 times, then move to…

The Downhill Ski Race
1 Long Jump
10 Bodyweight Squats
1 Long Jump
6 Walking Diagonal Lunges per side
1 Long Jump
20-30 second squat hold in bottom position
Repeat 3 times.

Next up, we move to Speed Skating Strength Training

1. Skater Jumps or Lateral Lunges – 8 reps per side
(Beginners must do the lateral lunges)
2. Spiderman Pushups or Elevated Pushups – 8 reps per side
(Let’s pretend we’ve had another wipe-out…so we need to do some pushups to practice getting up)
3. 1-leg Squats or Reverse Lunges – 12 reps per side
(Beginners must do the reverse lunges)

Take a water break here, and then move to more strength training, this time courtesy of a weird sport…Curling.

The Curling Strength Circuit
1. Lunges – 15 reps per side (you can use weights if you want)
2. Spiderman Climbs – 10 reps per side
3. Close-grip Pushups – 20 reps
4. Biceps Curls – 10 reps per side
(Why curls? Because curlers love to drink beer, so you can do
dumbbell curls to practice for post-game beverages)

Take another water break.

Optional: Hockey Strength Circuit (Use dumbbells or kettlebells)

1. Split squat – 8 reps per side
(to build strong skating muscles)
2. 1-Arm Standing Shoulder Press – 8 reps per side
(to practice raising your stick in the air after you score a goal)
3. DB Row – 8 reps per side
(to strengthen your upper body & grip for hockey fights)

Figure Skating Bodyweight Strength Circuit

Now we combine bodyweight exercises for strength and finesse…

1. Reaching Lunge – 10 reps per side
2. 1-Leg RDL – 8 reps per side
3. Pushup or Dip or Overhead Press – 8 reps

Take another water break.

Sliding Sports Circuit (bobsled & luge)

1. Bobsled Push – 20 seconds
(For this, you’ll need a “prowler sled” or a punching bag or weight plate that can be pushed across the floor to simulate the start of the bobsled race…or you could just do a 20 second sprint)

2. Stability Ball Plank or Plank – 45 seconds
(to simulate holding your body in the luge position)

3. Side Planks – 25 seconds per side

Next up, the plain ol’ weird Biathlon (a combination of cross-country skiing and shooting). We’ll modify it so that we do:

1. Shuttle Sprints – 15 seconds
2. Plank – 60 seconds
(to simulate the shooting position)

And if possible, add in some type of skill component to simulate the shooting…maybe shoot some basketball free throws…or shoot a Supersoaker at a target on the wall…no wait, bad idea.

But I’m sure you can come up with something. (Safety first!)

And that’s it.

Finish with a water break, cool down, awarding of some gold medals, and closing ceremonies.

If you liked that workout and want more bootcamp workout ideas, check out:

=> Turbulence Training Bootcamps

Enjoy the games!

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

Let’s take a look at the truth about calorie counting.

Researchers looked at 524 men and women in a 2-week study.  All they had to do was estimate how many calories they ate each day. This number was compared to their actual calorie intake, as determined by a proven scientific method.

The results were shocking. On average, the subjects underreported calorie intake by 11% each day.

So if you think that you eat 2000 calories per day, you probably eat 2200 calories per day. That will slow your weight loss fast.

Reference:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 88, No. 2, 324-332, August 2008. The US Department of Agriculture Automated Multiple-Pass Method reduces bias in the collection of energy intakes.

That’s just one reason you need to keep a food journal, and that’s one of the simple nutrition rules from my upcoming “Simple Nutrition” program (you’ll get Simple Nutrition as a bonus with the TT for Abs DVDs).

Finally, after years of requests, I’ve decided to put down my nutrition plan on paper…and I even filmed a DVD in my kitchen of all the food and meals that I make.

You’ll get this as a bonus with TT for Abs.

Why is it called Simple Nutrition?

Because complex programs do NOT work!

Take a look at this study…

Researchers studied how long people were able to stick to a “complex” diet.

They wanted to know if weight loss diet programs fail because they are too complex and dieters forget the rules.

One of the programs studied was Weight Watchers and the researchers found that “perceived rule complexity” was the strongest factor associated with increased risk of quitting.

Reference:
Appetite. Volume 54, Issue 1, February 2010, Pages 37-43.

Bottom line:
Weight Watchers doesn’t work because there are too many rules.  It needs to be simple!

All that points counting and substitutions cause people to quit.

Instead, you need a simple diet.

You need, “Simple Nutrition for Fat Loss”. Coming soon.

Wednesday

In the March 2010 issue of Men’s Health, I found these two important workout tips.

1) The pre-exhaustion bodybuilding technique increases injury risk (p. 42)

That means if you do chest flies before chest presses, you could hurt your shoulder because of a negative change in technique of your chest presses. So forgot that, and stick to TT non-competing supersets.

2) Front pulldowns work your lats the best – so there is no need for behind the neck pulldowns – as the behind the neck version is more strenuous on your rotator cuff muscles.

Of course, ultimately you should be working up to doing chin-ups and pullups, rather than sitting and pulling down.

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity…if you want to do some bodyweight exercises, you could use the warm-up circuit from next month’s, “TT Big6 Circuit”.

Cross Crawl – 8 reps per side
Duck Unders – 6 reps per side ==>
Waiter’s Bow – 12 reps
Plank – 30 second hold
Side Plank – 20 second hold per side
Leg Swings – 15 reps per side
Arm Crosses – 10 reps per side

Friday

And now for the…

…#1 RULE for MEN…

If you are undecided between muscle building or fat loss: When in doubt, ALWAYS gain muscle. You’ll always look better with more muscle.

And for skinny guys, here’s another rule…

You will need to commit to eating properly and it will be harder work than the workouts. Do not underestimate how hard it will be to eat for muscle building.

But if you do it right, you should be able to gain 4 pounds per month on TT2K3, TT2K4, and TT2k5 – or you can move to the TT Meatheads program.

You can easily gain 12 pounds in 3 months but you will have to eat like a maniac. The eating will be harder than the workouts for hardgainer types.

I also recommend reading Jason Ferruggia’s blog for muscle building tips.

Social Support Saturday!
Get 30 minutes of fun activity…and then think about getting more social support.

Remember: You don’t always need to ask the buff person in the gym.  Sometimes someone who is simply 10 pounds lighter than you will have the best tips. Social support from someone who has succeeded after being in your shoes is critical. Stay strong and get stronger from others.

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

When making your list, remember these two interesting findings published in the highly recommended book, “Food Rules”:

A) Eating one pound of Fruits and Vegetables per day reduces your cancer risk by 50%.

B) People who eat meat a few times per week are just as healthy and live just as long as vegetarians. So you don’t have to give up meat, but I wouldn’t recommend eating it 2-3 times per day (of 5 times per day like folks in Chicago).

And remember – if you do eat a lot of meat, insist on top quality.

Next week!

• TT Workout – TT 2K5 – An update on a classic
• Weekly Research Review – Amazing intervals vs cardio studio…where you never would think to see intervals used
• Some new foods in my diet & blender drink tips

To your success,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Creator, Turbulence Training

So there I was…on the way to the Superbowl on Sunday afternoon,  having a conversation about fasting and detoxing of all things.

Kind of ironic, considering our destination, no?

Regardless, my friend was arguing about the detoxing benefits of a long 16-day fast, and while I accepted some of his arguments, my biggest “beef” with the entire theory of “detoxing” is this…

It is simply NOT possible to EVER detox your body.

Why?

Because it’s such a vague statement.

What does “detox” mean?

How do you measure “detoxification”?

What do you even define as toxins?

And when do you officially become “detoxed”?

The answer is, “You don’t.”

It’s impossible.

After all, every single second of every day your body produces carbon dioxide, which is a toxin.

And if you have deep belly fat, research shows that this “visceral fat” is constantly releasing inflammatory toxins into your blood.

Every second. And the more fat you have, the more toxic you are.

Plus, every breath you take includes pollutants.

And even the water that you drink may contain “toxins”.

So….what’s the real deal on detoxing?

Listen, while every “expert” is out there arguing about tiny little details and “gurus” are trying to sell you on detoxing so they can sell supplements, the TRUTH is that you really just need to know a few steps to avoid getting toxic in the first place. 

In my opinion, the #1 factor in living a “low toxin life” is simply to keep as much garbage out of your body in the first place, rather than depending on a 3-day, 7-day or even 16-day detox to be healthy.

So what do I do to prevent “toxin build-up” in the first place?

Well, I live the Turbulence Training Lifestyle of course, including my “7 Step Detox Nutrition Plan”:

1) Start each day with a blender drink of berries, spinach or other greens, raw nuts (such as walnuts – rich in healthy fats), and other ingredients packed with antioxidants and healthy fats.

2) For lunch, have a large green salad with spinach, beans, broccoli, peppers, avocado, onions, etc.

3) Eat an organic apple a day. Certain fruits (i.e. apples, peaches, cherries, and strawberries) and vegetables have a higher exposure to pesticides, and you should choose organic when possible.

4) Eat RAW snacks only - of fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

Try using this one simple rule and limit all of your between meal snacks to raw fruit, raw vegetables, and/or raw nuts and I promise you’ll drop the pounds because you’ll be full on a smaller number of calories.

5) Drink Green Tea (2-3 cups) and filtered water (3 liters) instead of beverages that contain calories or chemicals.

6) Limit animal protein intake to only 2 servings per day. On most days, I’ll one of the following: an “after workout” chocolate milk, organic eggs in the morning, or occasionally I’ll have high quality meat at dinner.

You don’t need to be a full vegetarian to live a longer life, but you should probably avoid eating meat 5 times per day, like people in Chicago.

(Hey Chicago, don’t get mad at me for that…it was a born-and-raised Chicago native who told me 5 servings of meat per day was the average Chicago meat consumption.)

7) Minimize or completely eliminate alcohol intake.

While research does show that for men, up to 2 drinks per day may help cardiovascular health (and for women, up to one drink per day), I’m not about to recommend you start drinking.

After all, if you go above those limits, you start to destroy your health…and you risk addiction. Alcohol killed my father, and I don’t want to see the same thing happen to you. Tread cautiously with the booze.

****************************
So that’s it.

By the way, it goes without saying that you should avoid:

- cigarettes
- trans-fats
- excessive amounts of sugar
- refined grains
- and 7-11 nacho cheese

Right?

Of course.

And you should be exercising to lose the belly fat…using proven methods, such as interval training – which is proven to beat long, slow cardio when it comes to burning dangerous belly fat.

Plus, you should be using Turbulence Training resistance supersets to burn more calories and sculpt your body.

If you’ve never used Turbulence Training, you can try it out today for less than the cost of a Superbowl hot dog.

=> Click here to get Turbulence Training for less than 5 bucks

Simply follow those 7 nutrition guidelines and use the short burst TT workouts to cut out as many toxins from your body – without detoxing.

Stay strong,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS – I also believe you should avoid toxic relationships…

…so you need to take a hard look at the people you surround yourself with in life.

Do you have the right work friends?
Are you in the right relationships?
Do you spend enough time with the right family members?

Or are they toxic too?

Remember – you need social support for success in life and in fat loss…so surround yourself with positive people, like the good folks on the TT Member’s forum.

If you need to dump the toxic folks and get positive social support, we’d love to see you on the forum and help you out.