Alli: The Expensive Way to Give Yourself Explosive Diarrhea

You know what makes me sick?

When a product comes out that is so utterly moronic, so completely and thoroughly ridiculous, so clearly and obviously just-plain-wrong, and so bad for you that they have to put millions and millions of marketing hype behind it just to get people to consider trying it.

What makes me even sicker is when people are just plain stupid enough to buy it.

I've often found that something this stupid can only be exposed properly through humor.

Here's a really funny (and eye opening) report on the latest stupid and dangerous diet pill you may have noticed displayed prominently on giant advertising kiosks at Walmart, and other stores. I hate to give these a-holes any kind of mention at all about their "crappy" product, but I'm all about the truth.

Enjoy this, and before you decide to try you-know-what, imagine what it's like to spray pizza oil out of your ass uncontrollably.

NYC Requires Chain Retaurants to Put Calories on Menus

Kudos go out to the New York City Board of Health, and Subway restaurants for continuing to do their part in the battle against obesity, by educating consumers on just how many calories are in all that fast food.

In December of 2006 the New York City Board of Health voted unanimously on a law requiring fast food and large chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards, where consumers can see it when they order. They have made it known that they plan to enforce this law in earnest starting in October 2007, so the restaurant chains have had plenty of time to comply.

Not surprisingly, Subway has become the first to comply with the law. Since the start of their "eat fresh" campaign several years ago, Subway has offered many healthy choices, and have taken pride in their lower fat offerings.

Also not a surprise is that McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Dunkin Donuts and others are refusing to comply with the law, and are trying to fight it in court. It's a despicable that these restaurants are fighting so hard to keep customers in the dark. This is a very sensible law that very simply allows health-conscious people to make an informed decision on what they consume.

Did you know that Wendy's Southwest Taco Salad is 710 calories (370 from fat)? Wait a minute, aren't salads supposed to be "healthy"?

I'm sure lots of folks who commute to NYC and stop in at McDonald's for a fast and easy breakfast might order the "Deluxe Breakfast". I bet none of those folks know that it has 1340 calories - 560 of it pure fat and 200 of it pure sugar? Well they'll know now!

Who hasn't had a tasty Whopper with cheese, medium fries and medium coke from Burger King? Not most people I know. They might have passed if they knew that combo meal had 1320 calories!!!!

Thought you were making a good choice when you passed on Dunkin's glazed donut and got the corn muffin instead. GOTCHA! The muffin has 510 calories, the donut 210. Don't you wish you had known that all these years? Pretty soon you will, at least in New York City.

I ♥ NY!

35 and Stronger than Ever!

I'm very proud of myself this week. Set a new personal strength record with yesterday's leg press set, and wanted to toot my own horn a bit :-)

Equipment: Hammer Strength plate loaded linear leg press machine. Weights include starting weight of 80 lbs (resistance with no plates).

weight x reps
170 x 10
260 x 10
350 x 10
440 x 8
530 x 8
620 x 6
710 x 6
800 x 5
890 x 5
980 x 4
1080 x 4 ***********
530 x 12

Not bad for a guy who only weighs 145! Goes to show that you can do anything.

Long Island's Own Matt Serra: UFC Champion

Congratulations to Matt "The Terror" Serra, on becoming the NEW UFC Welterweight Champion of the World! Matt was a huge underdog going into this fight, but shocked the world with a 1st round TKO of the phenomenal Canadian fighter, Georges St. Pierre.

Yo Adrian, I did it!!!
Matt Serra is a mixed martial arts fighter from right here in Long Island, NY. He's one of the world's top practitioners and teachers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, he's the first ever American to earn a black belt from the legendary Gracie Jiu-Jitsu camp.

If you're looking to get in amazing shape and more traditional fitness methods are not your cup of tea, why not try Jiu Jitsu? Matt and his brother Nick are among the premiere trainers in the country, with two training academies here on Long Island. Go to serrajitsu.com to learn more.

Way to go, Matt!

Supercharge Your Body's Ability to Fight the Flu and Other Viruses

A new study finds that anti-viral flu drugs are losing their effectiveness as influenza viruses adapt, and that new strategies need to be discovered in order to combat a possible global flu pandemic. You can read about the story here.

There are significant steps you can take to boost your immune response. I'm not talking about drinking a fizzy herbal beverage when you feel like you might be getting sick. I am talking about significant immune system boosting, at the cellular level, backed by real science. I'm talking about strategies that actually work. If you read my article on Glutathione, you know what I'm talking about.

Why are babies and the elderly most susceptible to deadly viruses? Well, babies do not have a fully developed immune system until somewhere around two years old - but on the bright side, they've got nowhere to go but up! But for those of us in our late twenties and beyond, the effects of age, stressors, free-radical damage, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise all add up to a decline in our bodies immune response.

But it doesn't have to be that way. A Penn State University study done in 2002 showed that some well-nourished older women, age 60 to 80, have immune systems that function at levels close to those of women age 20 to 40 years. Studies also show that proper exercise increases your immune response and protects your body from colds and infections. So there's part of the solution right there. This is common sense that we already know: Eating right and exercising leads to better health.

Avoiding toxins in our environment as well in our diet is also a key to better immune response. Unfortunately, we have little control over the air we breathe and the content of many of the foods available in our local supermarket and restaurants.

We hear lots of talk about antioxidants these days. Seems like every food product out there claims to be "rich" in them. Antioxidants are well-documented to play vital roles in health maintenance and disease prevention. Of the many antioxidants you may have heard of, five are absolutely crucial to our health and longevity. Without the big five, the rest are virtually useless.

Vitamins E and C are two major antioxidants that are abundant in our diets, although research shows that a daily multivitamin really helps even for those who practice healthy eating. But did you know that there are three antioxidants that are absolutely critical to our health that we simply can not get enough of from the foods we eat? They are Coenzyme Q-10, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and most importantly, Glutathione.

Co-enzyme Q10 is not only important in the mitochondria for energy production, it is also needed as part of the intracellular anti-oxidant cascade. It is abundant in the heart, liver and immune cells.

Apha Lipoic Acid helps in recycling the anti-oxidant vitamins, while being a powerful anti-oxidant itself. It is needed for the recycling of glutathione, which is the most important intra-cellular anti-oxidant.

Glutathione is the cell's master anti-oxidant. It is also a very powerful immune-booster and detoxifier, that is abundant in liver and lung cells. It is produced within the cells by ingesting its component amino acids, most importantly bonded cysteine, which is rare in our diets. Because of its crucial role as the main conductor of the intra-cellular anti-oxidant cascade, it is in fact the most important anti-oxidant to fight cancer, as well as combating degenerative chronic diseases and aging. Lymphocytes, cells vital for your immune response, depend on Glutathione for their proper function and replication.

Supplementation to boost these key antioxidants is readily available, and does not require a prescription. Coenzyme Q10 (I use the 'Q-Gel' kind) and Alpha Lipoic Acid (as R-ALA) can be found at your local vitamin or health food stores. Bonded Cysteine for raising Glutathione can be found here. Immunocal is the only supplement clinically proven to raise intracellular Glutathione levels and has a ton of real science to back it.

So to sum it up, here's how to superboost your immune system:
1) eat right
2) exercise
3) avoid toxins as much as possible
4) supplement to ensure high levels of the 5 key antioxidants

Feel free to contact Positive Charge Fitness anytime if you'd like more information on how to incorporate any of these four steps into your lifestyle.

Exercise Shown to Boost Brainpower, May Fight Alzheimer's

Last week, in a landmark paper, researchers announced that they had coaxed the human brain into growing new nerve cells, a process that for decades had been thought impossible, simply by putting subjects on a three-month aerobic-workout regimen. Other scientists have found that vigorous exercise can cause older nerve cells to form dense, interconnected webs that make the brain run faster and more efficiently. And there are clues that physical activity can stave off the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease, ADHD and other cognitive disorders. No matter your age, it seems, a strong, active body is crucial for building a strong, active mind.

That is from the current edition of Newsweek, the cover story in fact. It's so exciting to see more and more scientific proof supporting the countless health benefits of exercise.

In addition to the unprecedented research findings above, here are some other highlights from the article:

• A University of Illinois study showed that on the whole, more physically fit subjects scored consistently higher scores on math and reading tests than their less fit counterparts.
• New brain scanning technologies and new discoveries in biochemistry show that muscle contractions cause a protein called IGF-1 to be released into the bloodstream then directly into the brain, where it induces the brain to produce BDNF, an important chemical. With more BDNF available, the brain's nerve cells start to branch out, join together and communicate with each other in new ways.
• Active adults have less inflammation in the brain. They also have fewer minor strokes that can impair cognition without the person even knowing.
• At schools in Naperville, Ill., students with poor verbal skills recently started taking gym class immediately before reading class. Their report cards are already looking better.
• Early studies suggest that people who exercise at least a few times a week tend to develop Alzheimer's less often and later than their more sedentary counterparts.

Read the full article on Newsweek.com

Get paid to lose weight

Kudos to some American companies that are starting to see the importance of having physically fitter employees. This is great news, courtesy of MSN Money...

Get paid to lose weight
By Melinda Fulmer

In an attempt to hold down spiraling health-care costs, many companies are paying employees to lose weight or get in better shape. Employers are doling out bonuses, insurance discounts, vacation days and even gift cards.

Read the rest of this article on MSN Money

UFC Legend Randy Couture is 43 ... And In Way Better Shape Than Guys Half His Age (How Does He Do It?)

UPDATED 3/25/2009: Now with Video!

I recently had the amazing opportunity to attend a seminar conducted by UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture. I was also lucky enough to have the best seat in the house - directly in front of the champ himself. Technically, he wasn't champ at the time... The seminar took place at the Arnold Fitness Weekend in Columbus, Ohio. It was the day before UFC 68 - where the 43 year-old Couture, fresh out of retirement, would completely dominate the 6'8", 270 lb Tim Sylvia to become champ. The guy really is an amazing athlete and competitor. Even at 43, he's in world class shape. So how does he do it? Well Randy was kind enough to share several elements of his training regimen. In this post I'm going to share with you one of those elements, the Metabolic Conditioning routine.

Randy Couture speaks at Arnold Fitness Weekend 2007
"Metabolic conditioning" is a method of strength training that adequately taxes both the body's musculature and cardiovascular system. This allows an athlete to train for both cardiovascular and strength endurance without sacrificing muscle. Here's Randy Couture's metabolic conditioning routine:

What you need:
A stopwatch or timer, a barbell, some plates, and a place to stand. (dumbbells may be substituted)

Exercises in this routine:
1) Bent-Over Row
2) Upright Row
3) Military Press
4) Good Morning
5) Lunge Squat (Left and Right)
6) Squat + Push Press (I'll try to get pics up)
From a starting squat position with the bar resting on your shoulders, squat down to "basement." As you begin, drive upward and push the weight up off the shoulders such that at the top of the squat the bar is locked-out overhead. With the bar locked out, lower the weight to your shoulders but do so in a seamless-fashion so you immediately drop into low squat position.
7) Romanian Deadlift

How much weight to use:
Find your 10 rep max for the Upright Row using strict form. This will be the final weight used. For set 1, use about 70% of the final weight. For set 2, use about 85% of the final weight. For sets 3-6 use the full final weight.

The routine:
Stand in front of the bar loaded with 70% of your final weight. Start timing. Grab the bar and perform the following in succession, with no rest between exercises:
10 x Bent over row
10 x Upright row
10 x Military Press
10 x Good Morning
10 x Lunge Squat Left
10 x Lunge Squat Right
10 x Squat + Push Press
10 x Romanian Deadlift

That's set one finished. 80 total reps. No rest.

Now change the weights. For set 2 we use 85% of the final weight. Only rest as much as is absolutely necessary - you'll know by how you feel. Repeat the above.

Now bring the bar up to its final weight. Perform 4 more sets. Again, only rest as much as is necessary between sets.

When you've completed all 6 sets, stop the timer and record your time.

Next time try to beat your previous time, but always be careful to keep your form as strict as possible to avoid injury.



Notes:
Depending on your current level of conditioning, you may want to start with a goal of three or four complete sets, instead of the full six sets. Once you are able to complete that without puking ;) add the fifth, then the sixth...

Randy does this routine twice a week. He also shared with us his twice-a-week plyometric routine, and his twice-a-week cardio interval routine. Six workouts a week for conditioning - that's in addition to his MMA-specific training which he also works on six days a week.

Thanks to bodybuilding.com for the exercise demonstrations.

"Starvation Idiots" And More Of Their Idiotic "Studies"

You may have read one of the many articles that were released recently reporting about a study by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Some of the news pieces were entitled "No need to diet and exercise to lose weight" or "Exercise Doesn't Matter For Weight Loss".

Both the study itself and the way its findings have been presented in the media are misleading. I wanted to expose the half truths that are right now being presented as facts. My problems with the study are expressed in the following email I wrote to the lead researcher:

I recently read your study entitled “Effect of calorie restriction with or without exercise on body composition and fat distribution” and much of the subsequent reporting on various news outlets about the study.

Although it may not have been your intent, you have done a great disservice to the public. Your study is was in part meant to determine the effect of “exercise” on weight loss, fat loss and body composition. Yet your definition for what qualifies as exercise is not at all representative of what today’s public at large accepts as exercise, nor representative of what the fitness industry has long preached to attain the goals of fat loss and improved body composition.

It is well known that concern for lean muscle mass is equal to concern for a caloric deficit in the quest to lose body fat. And concern for muscle as it pertains to exercise is the most important factor in changing body composition (body fat to lean tissue ratio). In other words, exercise designed to induce muscle hypertrophy (resistance exercise) is the most important factor in a program of exercise designed to change a person’s ratio of body fat to total body weight.

It is also well known that the addition of lean body mass raises a person’s Basal Metabolic Rate – the ability to burn calories even at rest.

So why did your study not include exercise designed to increase lean muscle mass, knowing how crucial it is to a regimen designed to improve body composition? And worse why did you not represent your study as what it was - a study of aerobic activity, not of “exercise” as today’s fitness industry and public at large defines it?

For a subject who wanted to improve their body composition, lower their body fat percentage, and improve their ability to keep fat off, no educated exercise physiologist or certified fitness trainer would have simply prescribed - “Treadmill, exercise bike, stairmaster … your choice.” But that’s what you did, and you didn’t make it a point represent it that way.

The public at large is simply not going to read the full report. They’re going to read what the news reports about it. And what the news is reporting about it that “exercise” is no more effective at changing body composition than simply reducing caloric intake. This is not true! Resistance exercise, designed to induce lean muscle gains in combination with a caloric deficit does change body composition! aerobic activity alone (your version of “exercise”) does not!

Age and inactivity result in lean muscle loss. So does excessive aerobic exercise without any resistance exercise. Lean muscle loss results in a lowered metabolic rate. Lowered metabolic rate means it is harder to keep the fat off. This means continually declining calorie restriction in order to keep pace. This is not the way to healthy, long term fat loss. Yet the way you are representing your findings will simply encourage the public to restrict calories more and exercise less.

I assume that you and your colleagues are all very smart people. So I have to also assume that you are not ignorant of resistance exercise and its benefits. I can only surmise that your design of this study and reporting of its findings was meant to mislead the public.

After all, it is the mission of your organization to promote nutrition and preventative medicine, not exercise. People who have been empowered by a true fitness lifestyle, (one that stresses aerobic activity, proper nutrition AND concern for muscle), have less need for medicines. They have healthier body compositions and less need for calorie restrictive diets (or nutritionists for that matter).

I’m sickened. If you have any conscience at all, you’ll re-release your findings to the press and entitle it “Effect of calorie restriction with or without aerobic exercise on body composition and fat distribution”, and furthermore add the word “aerobic” before every instance of the word “exercise”. That is the true nature of your study.

I am encouraging all fitness professionals to respond at once through the various media outlets to put this study in its proper perspective. The way it has been reported on this far will have detrimental effects to the health of the public at large.

Exercise Helps Prevent Breast Cancer

Exercise may help prevent breast cancer, and help those who do get it cope, two new studies show.

The first study, based on interviews with 15,000 women, shows that women who get more than six hours of strenuous exercise a week, and have no family history of breast cancer, may be 23% less likely to develop the disease than women who don't exercise at all.

The second study shows a 12-week group exercise program may boost mood and physical function in women with early-stage breast cancer.

The researchers don't promise exercise will prevent breast cancer, or blame breast cancer on a lack of exercise. Many factors affect cancer risk.

But, they do report exercise appeared to have benefits in protecting against cancer for women of all ages.

Full article on WebMD

Lose 27 lbs Playing Video Games? Wiiiiiiiiiii

Video games no longer contribute to fatness and laziness! Well, at least not if your video game of choice is the Nintendo Wii!

A new study by Liverpool John Moores University found that regular use of the new Nintendo Wii video game console could help burn up to 27 lbs a year!

In case you didn't know the Nintendo Wii is a new video game system that requires the players to perform various body movements with the handheld controllers to make the action happen. For instance if your two kids were playing Baseball on the Wii, one of them would have to swing their controller like a baseball bat, while the other would perform a pitching motion. This type of gaming keeps kids moving and buring calories, promoting better health.

Full BBC Article

Happy FIT Tuesday!

Well it's Fit Tuesday once again, and one day closer to Spring!

In case you were not aware, Fit Tuesday (also called Mardi Bonne Santé in the French Quarter of Louisiana) occurs every year on the day before Ash Wednesday. It is a day where people worldwide celebrate fitness and good health by exercising vigorously, eating their recommended daily veggies, drinking plenty of water, and deciding what fattening food or or poor health habit they will give up forever starting at the stroke of midnight (the beginning of Lent.)

It's a big fitness party to which everyone in the world is invited!

Here's two great tips to make your Fit Tuesday hot, hot hot (as in heat energy released by burning calories)!:

1. When you hit the gym today, try out every single different cardio machine for 10 minutes. This makes 40-60 minutes of fat burning exercise seem almost too easy to be true. It also keeps cardio from getting boring - today is a party after all!
2. Tonight when you hit the club or bar (or Bourbon Street), dance 40 minutes for every alcoholic beverage you drink. Why you ask? Well number one, dancing is more fun than drinking AND two, dancing for 40 minutes burns about 200 calories, which is slightly more calories than your average can of beer, glass of wine or martini. So, you burn off that alcohol instead of turning it into gut fat!

How many calories will you exercise off on Fit Tuesday, and what unhealthy habit will you give up forever when the clock hits midnight?

I'm going for 800 and KFC.

Enjoy Fit Tuesday!

11 Natural Ways to Increase Your Metabolism

The higher your metabolic rate, the more efficient your body is at converting food into energy, instead of converting it into body fat! Here are 11 simple ways to boost your metabolism.

1. Eat for what you’ll be doing the next 3-4 hours. Your body will retain less fat for stored energy, because you’re consistently giving it the fuel it required for the immediate task at hand. People burn more calories during the active parts of their day – work, play and exercise! Yet, most people make dinner by far their highest calorie meal of the day, then do nothing afterwards but “wind down” for a few hours and then go to sleep. So are you really burning much of those dinner calories? Of course not! It’s common sense if you think about it.
2. Get some aerobic activity EVERY SINGLE DAY! Walk! Jog! Horse around with your kids! Have sex! Dance! Play ball! Surf! Swim! Bike! I don’t care what it is – just get your heart rate up for at least 20-30 minutes every day. Our bodies are amazing at adapting – it becomes what we do. People that sit on their butt most of the time, have bodies to match!
3. Eat Breakfast! When you skip breakfast, your body slows metabolism down as a protective measure. You haven’t had food in 8-12 hours! How can you expect your metabolism to get going if you’ve given it nothing to metabolize? Food, especially complex carbohydrates, fuels your metabolism.
4. Maintain and tone your muscles through weight training three days per week. Every ounce of lean muscle tissue on your body demands nutrients to sustain itself. In response, your body burns calories faster and stores less calories as fat. Ladies, please don’t worry. Unless you’re on steroids or have unnaturally high testosterone, you are NOT going to look like a bodybuilder. Instead you’ll look like a covergirl for Shape magazine – those girls lift weights. Believe it!
5. Snack smart and snack often! Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains stoke your metabolism, and keep your blood sugar steady. Steady blood sugar prevents you from becoming too hungry, and also keeps you from craving sweets. When you’re too hungry, you are more likely to lose control over what and how much you eat.
6. Purposely do things the hard way. If you’re overweight, then you need to always be looking for easy opportunities to burn calories. Take the far parking space. Choose an after-dinner stroll instead of dessert. Take the stairs. Use a shovel, not a snow blower. Buy a traditional lawnmower, not a self-propelled one. Use a mop or a vacuum, not a darn Roomba!
7. Eat more complex carbohydrates and lean proteins, and reduce fat and sugars. Complex carbs boost your energy and keep your metabolism working hard. Lean protein is used by the body to create muscle, which makes us burn calories at a faster rate – even when we’re sleeping!
8. Keep alcohol to a minimum. Avoid it completely if you can. Alcohol slows your metabolism and raises your appetite simultaneously. Did you know that alcohol has SEVEN calories per gram, almost as much as pure FAT. Many alcoholic drinks are loaded with sugar to boot!
9. Drink .8 ounces of water per pound of bodyweight daily (80 oz if you weigh 100 lbs). Water is required for your liver to effectively metabolize body fat! Carry a bottle of water with you and drink frequently throughout the day. Drink water between meals, not during meals - you’ll digest your food better.
10. Have 8-12 oz of black tea or coffee before aerobic exercise. Every study done on the effects of caffeine during aerobic exercise has shown an increased reliance on body fat for energy when a small amount of caffeine is consumed prior to exercise. Remember; use caffeine sparingly and in small doses. If your body is adapted to regular excessive caffeine use, it will not see the fat burning effect described here!
11. Last but not least… DON’T STARVE YOURSELF! 1200 daily calories for women and 1800 men is a bare minimum just to sustain life function and healthy tissue while at rest (BMR) – not even taking into account the energy it takes to get out of bed and move around (TDEE*)! When you don’t eat enough, your body will find the calories somewhere – it will breakdown your healthy muscle tissue to burn for energy. Less muscle = lower metabolism = you get fatter faster. This is why most people who have gone on very low calorie diets end up being fatter over the long haul.

*Use the Positive Charge TDEE Calculator found on this web page to see what your daily calorie intake should be, then subtract 15% for fat loss or add 15% for muscle gain.

How Great Does it Feel to Finally Get Fit? Ask My Mom!

Dear Jason,

You know how I felt about Personal Training in the beginning, but my mind has been changed.

I am now 55 and been in the throws of menopause for the last 7-8 yrs.
I have had numerous problems along with developing Bi-Lateral Carpal Tunnel, arthritis in my knees,chronic neck pain, and the latest, 15% bone loss in my back. That was noticeable to me when ever I got up from sitting in the car and couldn't straighten out.

When I danced my knees would just slip or go out for a minute. My neck would hurt. I couldn't open jars, lift anything heavy, ride my bike without pain. Even swimming hurt my hands & wrists. Walking or riding up a hill took the breath out of me.

Since you came over to give me a personal training program to follow I am very happy to report...

"I HAVE NONE OF THE PREVIOUS SYMPTOMS."

Now I can even lift weights without my hands and wrists hurting. I have the strength!
I can open the jars and do most everything I did before ,but with no pain!
Remember when I couldn't hold the "Plank" for more than 8 seconds? Now I can hold it for a count of 50!

I rode my bike 12 miles in less than 2 hrs. this week, and although my hands were starting to hurt and stiffen, it didn't last once I finished my ride. No pain!
I can drive my car for longer periods of time and no pain when I get out.

Your training helped me so much in a natural way, without having to go on medications, which just cause more problems.

I am happy and grateful !
Thank you Jason!

You know there are millions of women my age all experiencing the symptoms of menopause. They could really benefit from an easy training program, that could be started right in their own home without a lot of expensive equipment.
They could feel as good as I do!

Love,
Your Mother

TDEE Calculator Online!

Based on my most recent blog posting, How Many Calories Should I Eat Each Day?, I added a TDEE calculator to the Positive Charge Blog permanently. It's on the right side of the page. Remember, once you know how many calories your body is burning on a given day, you can adjust your calorie intake accordingly to achieve your goal of fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance!

How Many Calories Should I Eat Each Day?

If you really want to develop a nutrition plan that works for you, the first step you must take is to determine how many calories your body is burning every 24 hours. We call this number TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Once you know your daily calorie expenditure, you can determine your daily calorie requirement to acheive your specific goal. A safe rule of thumb is to subtract 15-20% from your TDEE for safe fat loss (negative calorie balance), add 15-20% for safe weight gain (positive calorie balance), or for you lucky ones who are already at their ideal weight just use your TDEE calorie number as your daily calorie intake to maintain your physique.

(Remember, though the following formula is highly accurate, it is based on averages. Caloric expenditure and requirements can vary widely; specifically for athletes, extremely active individuals, and people with medical conditions that effect metabolic rate.)

DETERMINE YOUR DAILY CALORIE NEEDS:

1) Determine your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – this is the number of calories your body will burn over 24 hours in a resting state – before factoring in your daily activity level.

Do you know your body fat percentage? If yes, use formula B for the most accurate BMR result. If no, use formula A. (if you are obese or very muscular, formula B is best for you, so find out your bodyfat %)

A. For Men:
Your BMR = 66 + (13.7 X your bodyweight in kg) + (5 X your height in cm) - (6.8 X your age in years)

For Women:
Your BMR = 655 + (9.6 X your bodyweight in kg) + (1.8 X your height in cm) - (4.7 X your age in years)

B. For Men and Women:
Your lean bodyweight = your total body weight – (your total bodyweight X your bodyfat percentage)

Your BMR = 370 + (21.6 X your lean bodyweight in kg)

Multiply inches by 2.54 to get centimeters
Divide lbs by 2.2 to get kilograms

2) Now multiply your BMR by one of the following numbers from the following chart to determine your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE):

1.2 .......... You are Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job)
1.375 .......... You are Lightly active (light exercise or sport)
1.55 .......... You are Moderately active (moderate exercise or sports)
1.725 .......... You are Very active (intense exercise or sports)
1.9 .......... You are Extremely active (intense exercise of more than 2 hours, two-a-day workouts, intense exercise plus a physically demanding job)

3) Adjust your TDEE according to your goal.

LOSE FAT:
You need to create a SAFE negative calorie balance. It is well known that cutting calories too much slows down the metabolic rate, and causes loss of lean mass, so the question is how much should you cut? The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levels never drop below 1200 calories per day for women or 1800 per day for men. Even these calorie levels are extremely low. Reducing calories by 15-20% below your TDEE is a good place to start.

GAIN MUSCLE:
To gain lean bodyweight, you have to take in more calories than you burn, PLUS be participating in a proper resistance-training program designed to induce creation of new muscle tissue. Add an additional 15 - 20% onto your TDEE to find your recommended intake for muscle gain. Of course, of these extra calories, give your body the right nutrients to build muscle with, namely lean protein and fresh vegetables.

4) Make incremental, safe adjustments to your calorie consumption
Never make huge jumps in your caloric intake. Whatever you’ve been consuming on a regular basis, your body has become used to it. To suddenly jump 1000 calories in either direction can screw up your energy levels, cause rapid fat gain and a host of other problems. If your current intake does not match up with your newly discovered TDEE/Calorie Requirement, you’ll have to gradually adjust to get to that point. Add or subtract 200-300 weekly to get your body safely acclimated to your new calorie intake.

Don't Get Scammed by False Weight Loss Promises

If you do not know whether or not to believe a weight-loss or nutrition claim, check it out! The Federal Trade Commission (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wgtloss.html) has information on deceptive weight-loss advertising claims. Even more about false weight-loss claims can be found at Quackwatch.org.

You can also find out more about nutrition and weight loss by talking with a registered dietitian. To find a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association (www.eatright.org).

Binging is the most prevalent U.S. eating disorder.

Binge eating is the most common eating disorder in the United States. This is according to the results of a Harvard University Medical School study that were published on Thursday.

The study defined binge eating as "bouts of uncontrolled eating, well past the point of being full, that occur at least twice a week."

Binge eating is normally accompanied by a variety of emotional symptoms. Is is well known that depression is a major factor in causing binge eating, and that binge eating immediately results in feelings of shame, guilt and self-loathing. It is an awful, vicious cycle these people are trapped in.

I think there's another culprit we can place some blame on for this trend. I'm talking about fad diets: Liquid only diets, no carb diets, supplemented fasts, and other crash diets are rampant, and they are killing people. Most of these diets recommend such low calorie intake that the body must cannibalize its own healthy tissue just to sustain proper organ function. It is this breakdown of healthy tissue that causes most dieters to ultimately wind up fatter (and more depressed) then ever in the long run.

In addition, these ultra low calorie diets can result in frequent states of low blood sugar. This of course causes intense cravings which can clearly lead to just the type of eating binges described here.

One of my clients once told me that he "did best on 1200 calories". This is the daily intake that Jenny Craig had him on. This was a 5' 10", 185 pound man! (If you can't understand my shock and disgust upon hearing this, then you really need to read up on healthy nutrition.) I quickly reminded him that he had ended up fatter not too long after stopping Jenny Craig's "diet".

Too many people in this country are not learning the simple truth about how to eat for healthy fat loss, and if they are, too many of them are choosing to follow the false promises of the diet profiteers. We have to do more as fitness professionals to educate our fellow man.