Monthly Archive for May, 2011

My 5 best and worst diets – and what I eat

Published on May 26, 2011 in competition, Diet, fat loss, training routines and weight loss. 1 Comment

I often have people ask my opinions on various diet and exercise programs that are available so I thought I’d review a few and let you know my five best, and five worst – and the reasons why. Please bear in mind this is my personal opinion, based on my experience and trying different programs and diets over the years. If you disagree with me that’s ok :)

The 5 Worst Diets:

Cohen’s Diet

The portions are so small they wouldn’t satisfy a fly. They also tell you not to exercise ‘because it may make you binge’ (this *may* be because you are starving). I’ve had a number of clients come to me after ruining their metabolisms via this particular diet. Big thumbs down to this program.

Tony Ferguson/Ann Morgan/Celebrity Slim etc

These are all ‘shake diets’. Generally these are based on eating 1 meal a day, and 2 shakes. Yes, you’ll lose weight if you are only drinking liquid as a meal, but it’s not really going to be sustainable. Something that bothers me is that they make out these shake to be healthy – when in fact sugar is one of the main ingredients.

These next 3 aren’t particularly terrible, but they have flaws and the big one is that they do not contain a resistance training portion as a key part of the program. You can diet all you like, but if you don’t train right, you won’t change your body shape or get that lean, firm look most people are after.

Jenny Craig

JC is mostly packet food so it’s portion controlled – which is necessary for weight loss to occur.  Packet food though is processed food. Not that good for you and not that good for fat loss. It’s also a very expensive way to get your food.  A good thing about this program, and Weight Watchers below, is that they provide support and accountability. I don’t really like how they showcase celebrities who have lost a bit of weight, but still have a whole lot more to go. They are still in the obese/very overweight category.

Weight Watchers

As far as I am aware, WW doesn’t instruct on what types of foods to eat – it is based on a points system and you can eat all your points in junk food if you prefer. This won’t get you the body you want. I believe they may have a new program now that is nutritionally better – you can fill me in if you know about it.

Lite ‘N Easy

Great for convenience, but in my opinion this is not a long term option. How long can you go on getting your food delivered? A big part of successful, long term weight loss and maintenance is the ability to make it a lifestyle. You must learn how to plan in advance and be efficient and effective in the kitchen! It’s really not hard. It is another very expensive option. The food is heavy on the carbs, light on the fat and protein – the old fashioned way of dieting that we know doesn’t work!

**As mentioned, with JC, WW and Lite ‘N Easy there is no strategic exercise component – it’s more about just being a little bit active. While this might be ok for overweight people to lose a few kg, it won’t get you in awesome shape if that’s your aim so keep that in mind. These diets are not designed to be used in conjunction with a challenging exercise program (which is the only way you will get an awesome body!)

Ok so what the BEST programs to consider if you want to really get in great shape. Well firstly it MUST contain a challenging resistance training portion.

My 5 Best Fitness/Fat Loss Programs:

Body Blitz Blueprint for Fat Loss by Sue Heintze

Ok so I’m biased. I wrote the programs. Between Kristin and I we spent the better part of 12 months working on this series of body transformation programs. They are awesome. What else can I say!

We cover nutrition, training, commitment and motivation. This is your blueprint to a new body in just 12 short weeks.

*Here’s a whisper…there is special email about to go out on the Body Blitz Blueprint for Fat Loss system. Next week. Stay tuned.

Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto

http://www.idealbodiesonline.com/burnthefat

An oldie but a goodie! BTFFTM is a very comprehensive e-book about proper nutrition and weight training for fat loss and muscle gain. One of the first books I learned from. This one is a must for every fitness enthusiast’s library. Covers EVERYTHING!

Shapeshifter by Adam Steer and Ryan Murdock

Yet to come! Watch out for this “Body Redesign” program in the next few weeks. I’ve reviewed it. My goodness the guys have gone out of their way to impress with this one. This program incorporates training (all bodyweight exercises, so you don’t even need a gym), nutrition, and lifestyle advice. If you like bells and whistles, awesome graphics, this is a program you’ll love – and get great results with.

WATCH THIS SPACE – I’ll be back with more on this one in a couple of weeks.

Xtreme Fat Loss Diet by Joel Marion

www.idealbodiesonline.com/xtremefatlossdiet

The current rage on the internet. This is a short, 25 day rapid fat loss diet. Being a figure competitor who has used a lot of different strategies when dieting to low body fat levels, I am super impressed with the fat loss strategies Joel uses in this program. The diet cycles in 5 day blocks, each day using a different strategy for a specific result. No doubt, this is the smartest, rapid fat loss diet (and training is included) you will ever see. No wonder it is a bestseller.

Currently $30 off and some great added bonuses with this program until Friday www.idealbodiesonline.com/xtremefatlossdiet

 

Final Phase Fat Loss by John Romaniello

http://www.idealbodiesonline.com/final-pha

Roman (as he’s known) is awesome. Just ask him – he’ll tell you J The thing is, he’s pretty spot on. Not only is he hot to look at, he’s pretty darn smart too. FFFL is a training program based on hormone manipulation and is specially designed to target stubborn fat deposits – be that belly fat or bum and thigh fat.  Hormones such as cortisol, testosterone and estrogen, have a direct effect on where we store fat and how much and how easily we store it. By utilizing different training methods that Roman uses in this program, we can target the particular area that is most troublesome.

There are actually quite a few more really great programs around such as:

The Get Lean Program www.idealbodiesonline.com/getleanprogram

The Diet Solution Program http://www.idealbodiesonline.com/dietsolutionprogram

but thought I would limit it to 5 for today.

“So, Sue, what do YOU eat on a regular day?”

People are always intrigued about what I eat. I often trial new diets and ways of eating so my diet varies at times but I also have my usual staples that I probably will always eat.

At the moment I don’t need to lose any weight – I’m sitting only about 2-3kg off my stage weight and around 13% body fat.  I’ve been experimenting as I am designing a new diet program – it’s based on cleansing and detoxing and includes plenty of antioxidants to fight cellulite, uneven fat deposits, and fights aging.

So I had a ‘lemon/maple smoothie’ which contains lemon juice, pure maple syrup, some Udo’s Oil for essential fatty acids as well as a few fat burning and cleansing spices. So refreshing!

My usual breakfast every day is oats made into porridge, sweetened with some stevia, with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter mixed in, topped with cottage cheese, a drizzle of pure maple syrup and some bran cereal (lots of fibre!).

Later today I had a green smoothie! This was a first for me. I generally can’t stomach green drinks. But this was yummy! It contained spinach, kiwi, banana, apple, whey and a few other things. Thanks to my lovely friend Di for this recipe.

For lunch I had some taco mince with broccoli, sweet potato, pumpkin, avocado and a sprinkle of cheese.

Dinner, well, Damien was in charge and he cooked up schnitzels, mash and veggies. Not my usual fare, but if I were dieting I would have something like a leafy chicken salad with avocado, or a salmon fillet with veggies.

Something you may be interested in – I am actually in the process of writing up my 2009 competition diet. This was my last competition, and I prepared my own diet and training. This is what I looked like (could have been a little leaner).  

*If you are interested in finding out what my exact diet was for this comp, keep an ear out as I will be giving you the opportunity to get hold of this info in the next few weeks.

I hope you enjoyed my (not completely unbiased – however, honest!) reviews!

Sue x

This controversial diet is selling like hot cakes – your questions answered

Published on May 25, 2011 in Diet, fat loss, food, Nutrition Articles and weight loss. 0 Comments

Hey guys. I’ve been inundated with questions about the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet so I thought
I would share my answers to a few of the most common ones.

Firstly, I was remiss in my email yesterday by describing this diet as ‘brand
new’. It’s NOT new – it was released last year and is the BIGGEST selling diet
on the internet. It broke all records when it was launched. Hence me letting
you know about the exciting re-launch happening right now, and for the next 2
days only!

You can still grab the full system at $30 OFF and grab your f.ree bonus
gifts for a little while longer here (bonus coaching call with 3 fat loss
experts ends at 2pm today so be quick to grab that one):

==> www.idealbodiesonline.com/xtremefatlossdiet

Is it worth getting?

In a word – absolutely.  As I have mentioned, I don’t ever recommend anything
that I don’t believe in or that doesn’t interest me in a big way.  The fact is,
you can use this program time and again too.  You can use it to kick start your
fat loss program or to finish it off – if you are a current client we can even
incorporate it into your current program if you’d like!  You will need a more
sustainable plan to follow in between time of course, as this isn’t something
you want to follow for long periods, hence it being a short 25 day program.
And as always, there is a full money back guarantee offered.  So, you can’t go
wrong.

Is this better than X,Y,Z diet that I’m doing at the moment?

There are many, many ways to diet. This diet is a short, very strict diet that should

only be used for short periods. Which is why I suggest it be used in conjunction

with something more sustainable. It will get you great results in a short time

but it’s not something you can do long term.

Is it suitable for vegetarians?

Yes, providing you eat dairy, eggs, cottage cheese, it’s perfect.  It isn’t
suitable for vegans however.

Is it just a cheat meal or a whole day, and are there any restrictions?

It’s a cheat DAY (5 of them in total, yay!), and there are no restrictions
other than you don’t stuff yourself so full that you feel sick.  It’s really
important you DO eat plenty (and in particular, carbs and fat), to make this
work.

You mention fast days, that sounds a bit scary?

Yes it does a little, but, because of the strategic make up of the program, you
will find the fasting days relatively easy.  You just need to make sure you
have had a decent cheat day the day prior, and that you drink plenty of water.
I’ve actually got a great alternative if you feel you can’t do the fast day in
its entirety. Simply email me after you’ve purchased and checked it all out.

Are there supplements involved?

Yes, there are some supplements – staples such as a good protein powder (which
you should already have in your cupboard anyway) and some BCAA’s so you don’t
lose muscle. I’ve actually typed up a list of alternative supplements that you
can buy in Australia (as the supplements recommended in XFLD are American).

If you have a different question, don’t hesitate to reply to this email and ask
me personally!

Check out this article for a further taste:

———————————

Synergistic Diet & Exercise for RIDICULOUSLY Fast Fat Loss
By Joel Marion, CISSN, NSCA-CPT

Most people treat their diet and exercise programs as two separate entities –
Totally WRONG if you’re looking to lose fat at the fastest possible rate.

You see, if you can learn how to use the most effective exercise strategies to
“mirror” the goals of your diet each day (while mixing up dietary approaches to
yield specific hormonal and metabolic benefits in the most effective manner
possible) you can literally take your results from “okay” to OUT OF THIS WORLD.

That’s what I call SYNERGY. Diet and exercise working *together* in a very
smart, strategic way to yield the fastest fat loss results possible.

Now, my above explanation may have sounded a bit complicated, so I’ll give you
a quick example. Let’s take, for instance, the day after a Cheat Day—you know,
those days where you get to eat WHATEVER you want on the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet
(which just so happen to occur every 5th day).

www.idealbodiesonline.com/xtremefatlossdiet <——- Save $30 and get your
f.ree bonus gifts

Cheat Days save your metabolism and actually allow you to lose fat faster week
after week by increasing levels of important fat burning hormones within the
body. Not to mention, they’re a heck of a lot of fun.

So, the day after a Cheat Day, the overall goals are as follows:

1. Create a large caloric deficit (to burn as many calories as possible and
take advantage of the fact that our bodies are now “primed” to burn fat as a
result of the Cheat Day)

2. Deplete maxed-out glycogen stores (carbohydrate energy stores within the
body) caused by the high carb and fat content of the Cheat Day

3. Exhaust ALL energy systems to satisfy #1 and #2 while burning additional fat
calories to boot

To accomplish these three goals, we’ll use a series of dietary and supplemental
strategies to do exactly that while using *exercise* strategies that accomplish
the SAME goals, for example:

1. Strategic lactic acid based workouts to burn massive calories and glycogen
while stimulating the release of important fat burning hormones that further
increase lipolysis (fat burning)

2. Strategic energy systems work that contain both anaerobic
“carbohydrate-burning” and aerobic “fat-burning” components.

Combining those types of exercise with dietary strategies that accomplish the
same goals leads to a ridiculous fat burning effect.

Essentially, when you set up things this way, you’re tackling your goals via
both diet AND exercise. That’s like going after your financial goals via
landing a job with a kick-butt income coupled with smart investing. One feeds
the other for synergistic results.

And you know what? The above is just ONE example. Within the Xtreme Fat Loss
Diet we have FIVE different “types” of diet days (all with slightly different
goals) and a very specific exercise strategy to use on each that has led to
some of the fastest fat loss results we’ve ever recorded to date with our
clients.

Make no mistake, working WITH your diet, hand in hand, through exercise that
*mirrors* the goals of each diet strategy can literally DOUBLE your results
beyond just “working hard” on each day.

The synergy of strategy never ceases to amaze me, and we reveal it all in the
Xtreme Fat Loss Diet. In fact, it’s the ONLY reason people have consistently
lost up to 25 pounds in just 25 days using the full-on 25 day system.

Bottom line, if you want to lose fat FAST, you’ve got to be SMART in your
approach. Enjoy!

———————————

So, when you start combining smart, specific strategies like that, rapid fat
loss starts to sound a LOT more realistic! And it IS. In fact, those are the
REAL results from real users of the program, not some hyped up marketing claim.

You can check out the testimonials and get $30 OFF but the promo ends very
soon so make your way over to the below link now:

==> www.idealbodiesonline.com/xtremefatlossdiet

And get ready to lose some serious fat…very, very fast!

Talk soon,

Sue

PS – Don’t forget – as a valued subscriber, you receive an EXTRA SPECIAL BONUS
from me and Ideal Bodies Online.

If you order the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet through any link in this email, we will
give you absolutely f.ree, your choice of our 200 page recipe book, the Lean
Body Gourmet Cookbook or, a 6 week workout, the Dumbbell Power Workout for Fast
Fat Loss. This e-cookbook has a retail value of $29.95 and the workout is not
usually for sale but as my valued subscriber, if you purchase the Xtreme Fat
Loss Diet system through any of the links in this email, it’s yours, f.ree.

Here’s what to do to claim your f.ree gift:

• Purchase Xtreme Fat Loss diet below or at any of the links in this email (if
you purchase via anyone else’s email you will not be eligible!)

www.idealbodiesonline.com/xtremefatlossdiet

• Wait for your Clickbank email receipt
• Email your receipt immediately to sue @ idealbodiesonline.com (remove the
spaces in the email address before sending!) and note your choice of f.ree gift
• Wait for your gift! (Please allow 48 hours)

LATE MAIL: New bonus added!

Joel is giving everyone who purchases XFLD, The Fastest Fat Loss Week EVER, a 1-week program strategically designed to have you shed as much body fat as humanly possible in just 7 days (of course while still being safe and without the pointless rebound weight gain).

Yes, you heard that correctly: SUSTAINABLE results of up to 10+ lbs in a single week.

Bonuses galore. What are you waiting for!!!

Is a low carb diet sustainable?

Published on May 18, 2011 in Articles, food, Nutrition Articles and weight loss. 2 Comments

With the low carb diet craze all the rage these days, one important question to ask is: “Is a low carb diet sustainable?” Can you lose weight and keep it off once you go off a low carb diet?

The quick answer to this question is no. However, don’t stop reading now. As with any successful diet out there, the idea is to turn the diet into a lifestyle of healthy eating. So, as with low calorie or low fat diets, in order to sustain the amazing weight loss achieved on a low carb diet, the dieter must turn the diet into a lifestyle once the excess weight is gone. So, the long answer is yes, a relatively low carb diet is sustainable – and desirable, for long term leanness.

Let’s explore this thought further by examining what happens to the body on a very low carb diet. When you stop ingesting carbs your body enters what is called ketosis. Ketosis is when your body is actually using fat for fuel instead of sugar. This state is the very reason why you have rapid weight loss on a very low carb diet. It’s also the reason why your brain gets fuzzy – glucose (what carbs are broken down to in the blood stream) is the preferred fuel source for your brain!

The other benefit to a low carb diet is the fact that the body isn’t losing muscle providing you are getting enough protein and overall calories - and that you are lifting weights/doing some form of challenging resistance training. Protein is essential for building and maintaining muscle tone and so is exercise, which is why a low carb diet is great for burning fat and keeping muscle. If you do reduce your carbs you may need to increase your good fats (omega 3, 6, 9) intake to boost your overall calories.

As with any diet, it’s very important to not deprive yourself of essential nutrients like calcium, fibre and protein. Calcium is pretty easy to get on a low carb diet through cheese, cottage cheese and canned sardines or salmon. Protein is also very easy to get from lean meats, eggs, cottage cheese and whey protein. Fibre is probably the most difficult nutrient to obtain from a low carb diet, but you can incorporate some carbs such as brown rice, oatmeal, berries and legumes.

If your diet is low in carbs and calories it is really important you do include a carbohydrate ‘refeed’ as such, so your body does not adapt to the very low carb regime, and, so that the carbs you do ingest are used to refill muscle glycogen stores, meaning faster muscle recovery and growth and more energy. Besides, a very low carb diet can get mighty boring in a hurry and a refeed is something to really look forward to!

Once you reach your desired leanness and you’re ready to begin increasing your carb intake, it’s important to do so slowly. The day you hit your goal, you don’t want to run out for a big bowl of pasta and a tub of ice cream. However, you can allow yourself some treats once in a while, but as with any diet, if you want to maintain your new weight, you must continue to eat healthily and exercise regularly.

Body Blitz Blueprint for Fat Loss is a nutrition plan that is low enough in carbs to achieve fat loss, but contains some carbs to facilitate brain energy, faster muscle recovery and growth, and very importantly, to make your diet interesting! The timing of your carbohydrates is equally as important as is how much and what type you eat too. And, remember how I wrote about the importance of refeeding – Body Blitz Blueprint for Fat Loss also teaches you why it’s important to your fat loss results that you do have treats occasionally!  

If you haven’t seen it yet, you can have a look here:

Body Blitz Blueprint for Fat Loss <— Transform Your Body in 12 Weeks!