Lose Weight USA

Body Recomposition: Transforming From Fat to Muscle
by Tom Venuto of www.burnthefat.com

Weight loss contests, especially the Biggest Loser, where obese people drop insane amounts of body weight - like 10, 15 or even 20 lbs in a week - have become extremely popular. Many people say they get incredibly inspired and motivated watching these huge weight losses take place right before their eyes. I agree that fitness contests are a powerful motivational catalyst. But I also believe that there are some fatal flaws in contests that encourage rapid “weight loss.” That’s why I finally decided to host my own body transformation contest - the “Burn The Fat Challenge”…

But Our Contest Was NOTHING Like The Biggest Loser…

Our fitness contest is different because it’s a body composition transformation contest - not just a “weight loss” contest.

If you’re not hip to what “body composition” means, then the results of our first contest (2009) are going to blow your mind: Josh Ketter, the men’s champ, and Ryan Cochrane, one of the top finalists, only lost one pound.

You might be thinking, “what kind of weird body transformation contest were you running where the winner and the finalists only drop a pound?”

Well, it might seem weird if you thought success at body transformation ONLY meant dropping large amounts of weight on the scale, but…

What About The Difference Between Fat Loss and Weight Loss?

What if you gain muscle while losing weight? Think about this - if you gain muscle in a weight loss contest, you get penalized, right? But shouldn’t you be REWARDED for gaining muscle as well as burning fat? Wouldn’t that be the ultimate prize?

That’s the fatal flaw of “weight loss” contests: Most people are obsessed with scale weight but don’t pay any attention to their body composition - the all-important fat-to-muscle ratio.

Of course, some of the contestants in our last Burn The Fat Challenge contest DID drop a lot of weight - 14, 19, even 26 lbs in only 7 weeks. In our upcoming 98 day challenge those amounts could be double that. But the person who drops the most pounds is not necessarily voted the winner in the Burn The Fat Challenge.

Some contestants became winners because they made astonishing improvements in their muscle to fat ratio, even though they didn’t lose much weight.

For example, Josh lost LESS than a pound because the solid new muscle weight replaced the fat weight. As you can see from his photos, he looks leaner AND more muscular, but the scale hardly changed at all!

How Gaining LEAN Muscle While Losing Fat Helps Women Get Fit, Sexy and Bikini-Ready…

The Burn the Fat System works for women too, and replacing fat with muscle is EXACTLY what most women need, but aren’t getting, because most women are worried about getting “bulky.”

Women who don’t train for more muscle are making a BIG mistake! What most women don’t realize is that if you strip off fat AT THE SAME TIME as you put on lean muscle, you don’t get bulky - you get strong and sexy!

The idea that women who gain muscle will look bulky or masculine is completely false (except for women who take anabolic steroid drugs, and I would NEVER recommend that!)

Take a look at Sarah’s before and after photos below. She gained an astonishing 7 pounds of muscle during the last Burn the Fat challenge contest. Her body transformation pics put to rest the idea that women get bulky from gaining muscle. They also reveal why the scale can play tricks on you…

Take note especially of the muscle Sarah added to her shoulders and arms (did you know that adding muscle to the side of the deltoids/shoulders creates an “optical illusion” of a smaller waist? It’s one of the tricks of figure girls, fitness models and bodybuilders).

Look at at the numbers too: She actually GAINED a pound of bodyweight according to the scale, increasing from 119 to 120 pounds, BUT her body fat decreased from 19% to a ripped 12.6%.

That’s a 7.9 pound GAIN in lean body mass and a 7 pound loss of body fat!

Bulky? Manly? I don’t think so!

This is what burning the fat and feeding the muscle can do for the female figure!

These results are definitely not typical. Most people don’t lose 7 pounds of fat weight and replace it with 7 pounds of muscle weight in 7 weeks. More typical results might be 1-2 pounds per week of fat lost (7-14 pounds in 7 weeks) and, if you do everything right, 2 or 3 pounds of muscle gained at the same time.

However, these body composition transformations do show what is possible with hard work, a goal, support and accountability.

3 Things You Must Know To Make Body Transformations Like These

My fat burning programs have helped dozens of men and women lose over 100 pounds, and up to as much as 256 pounds. I’ve published their success stories on the Burn The Fat Website, in the burn the fat newsletter and in our famous success story interviews at the Burn The Fat Inner Circle.

Why then, did I show you the success stories above, where there was virtually no “weight loss”, instead of 100+ pound massive weight loss stories - the kind so popular on TV shows today?

There are 3 major reasons:
1. I wanted you to see real-world proof that it IS possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time…
2. I wanted you to realize the difference between weight loss and fat loss…
3. I wanted you to finally give up the notion that weight loss is the only goal that matters

You may have a lot of weight to lose (body fat), but weight loss is not all there is to a body transformation.

Some people are not seriously overweight, but they are seriously unhappy with their bodies.

Whichever is your situation - you want to drop 40, 70 or even 100+ pounds, or if you don’t need to lose a lot of weight but you want to firm-up, lean-out and re-shape how your body looks, here is the perfect chance for you to do it.

We hold two Burn the Fat Body transformation contests per year. Our winter contest (the holiday challenge is only 7 weeks (49 days) long and takes place over the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New year’s Holidays.

We are running another transformation contest over the summer of 2010.

It’s NOT a weight loss contest - it’s a “BODY COMPOSITION TRANSFORMATION CONTEST.”

If you choose to enter and accept this challenge, you will take a “before” photograph of yourself between May 24th and May 30th.

You will also record your body weight AND your ULTRA-IMPORTANT body fat percentage. The body fat test will then tell you how much of your weight is fat and how much is muscle.

You may lose a lot of weight, or you may lose only a little. However, the winners of the Burn the Fat challenge will be chosen based on the following:

1. The improvement in your body as seen in your before photo compared to your after photo.
2. The improvement in your body composition (the fat-to-muscle ratio)
3. The essay you will write about your experience at the end of the 98 day contest.

For full contest details, including information about the grand prize trip to MAUI, click on following link website :

The contest entry deadline is May 30th - mark your calendars now!

Tom Venuto
Author, <>

P.S. Click Here to Register before Sunday, May 30 to get in the best shape of your life and a for a chance to win a trip for two to Maui, Hawaii:

Here are seven steps to create and maintain weight loss

1. Start Small - Think about your current lifestyle, then decide on one or two healthier habits you could add into your life. Remember, they ought to be things you can maintain long-term.

   Perhaps you could begin by simply having a healthy breakfast every day, or maybe you could determine that you will only eat when you’re hungry and when sitting at the dinner table. Whatever you choose, keep your goals small initially, then add to them as you move forward

2. Keep a Journal - This tip has probably been repeated so often that it washes straight over your heard, but it’s a really important one. In fact, many people find it to be the single most important thing that helped them gain control of their weight.

   If you haven’t tried it, perhaps now would be a good time to give recording a go. You’ll want to note down everything you eat, including details of the time, place, cooking methods, and portion size, etc. You could also record your weight weekly in there, and perhaps make a note of any emotional eating, if this is a problem for you too

3. Don’t “Diet” - Don’t you hate the word diet? I know I do! The very term itself has such negative connotations.

   A fancy weight loss diet isn’t necessary for weight loss. In fact, you’d probably do a lot better if you just stopped dieting, and instead focused on eating fresh, whole foods most of the time.

   The problem with maintaining your weight loss on a “diet,” is that most of them don’t teach you what to do after you’ve lost the weight, they’re all about the short-term weight loss.

   Also, be realistic about what you want to achieve. This is something else I’ve noticed again and again in the recent Share posts–people want to lose too much weight too quickly. So, try not to set yourself up for a big fall by saying, “I want to lose 30 pounds in two weeks!” Disappointment will sabotage your weight loss efforts, set realistic goals instead.

4. Try a Portable Motivator - This could be an image of you at your heaviest/lightest/fittest–whatever works best for you.

   The idea is that it will motivate you to continue. So, if you begin to notice your resolve slipping a little pull out your portable motivator, and remind yourself of what you’re aiming for

5. Stick With It - Successful losers will tell you it gets easier with time.

   Studies show that people who have successfully maintained their weight loss for 2-5 years have a much better chance of longer-term success. I know 2-5 years seems like a long time, but weight loss is about change for life, so take it in small baby steps, and you’ll get there.

   According to the The National Weight Control Registry, successful losers have reported engaging in:
   * High levels of physical activity (approximately 1 hour per day)
   * Eating a low-calorie, low-fat diet
   * Eating breakfast regularly
   * Self-monitoring weight
   * Maintaining a consistent eating pattern across weekdays and weekends

6. Address Weight Gain Early - How many times have you started dieting, been doing really well, then all of a sudden–BANG–you’re back to square one. What on earth happened?

   Usually, it’s the result of not monitoring how you’re doing consistently, so you don’t notice things going off a little. To avoid this make sure you keep a consistent check on things, and put the brakes on any weight gain before it gets out of hand again.

7. Take Regular Exercise - Despite Time Magazine’s recent bunk article, the fact remains that those who continue with some kind of exercise routine are much more likely to maintain their weight loss.

Click Here for a free Video Fast Track to Fat Loss for a health and wellness weight loss plan.

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People are always on the lookout for good tips to lose weight. Here are some top of the range, sure to work, tips to aid people in their quest to lose weight.

Lose weight for charity

It is a good idea to lose weight not only for yourself but also to help raise money for charity. This is like a double edge sword, not only are you helping other people by raising money for charity but also the fact that you are will help increase your overall will power. If you fail you will not only be letting yourself down, you will also be letting down the charity. It does help you stay the course.

Lose friend with a friend

Like the first tip this helps you keep accountable. Attempting to lose weight on your own can be quite difficult. Losing weight at the same time as a friend enables both parties to bounce off one another and to keep each other positive.

Write down everything you eat

There is a famous saying that you are what you eat. This is totally true. By writing down everything you eat should help you to stop eating so much of those fatty foods which you know you should be avoiding., like the odd ice cream or donut.

Watch those calories

Before eating any item always check how many calories is in the food as well as the fat content. You may be surprised; even some pasta dishes can have a high calorie count, so watch the sauce.

Exercise

You may not want to read this however exercise is an important part of any weight loss program. It helps burn off the calories and tone up you body. If you are obese as you shed weight you will find your skin becomes lose so it is important to tone it up. Massage can help with this as well.

Click Here for a free Video Fast Track to Fat Loss for a health and wellness weight loss plan.

David Ogden- Helping People Help Themselves
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If you are serious about weight loss, I mean, healthy and permanent weight loss, it is important for you to set realistic goals. Most people have no set goals in mind except that of losing weight very quickly. The quicker they can lose weight, the better. They have no idea of how much time it takes to lose weight healthily.

Diet: These people get attracted to fad diets and weight loss pills that promise the moon. While they end up losing a few pounds, that is not fat loss. With most of the fad diets, you will lose more water and muscles than fat. I am sure you will agree that this is an unhealthy way of losing weight! Moreover, such weight loss is not permanent. Sooner or later you will regain all your ‘lost’ pounds.

One more thing: your aim shouldn’t be to have a body like Jessica Alba or Victoria Beckham; remember that they have money to help them maintain that slim figure, which you probably don’t have.

Moreover, you don’t need to be like them. To become healthy, all you need is to lose enough weight so that you can reach your ideal body weight! To do that, you won’t need to use any fad diets or starve for weeks. All you need to do is to eat right and include the right dose of exercises with it; with this combo, you are sure to lose all those tenacious pounds!

I would suggest that you forget about the word ‘dieting’ and focus on healthy eating instead! For starters, you can replace fizzy drinks and soda with water; this way, you will be able to quench your thirst without getting any fatter. Some people think that soft drinks that come with the ‘low-calorie’ tag are okay. However, this is wrong! Low-calorie soft drinks not only taste bad, but being deprived of fructose, they make you crave for sugar.

You should also replace white flour with whole grain wheat. Whole grain wheat contains little fat. Being rich in protein and fiber, it will help you with weight loss!

Exercises: Speaking of exercises, weight training is one of the best exercises for quick weight loss. Contrary to what women think, not only is this exercise not just for men, it also won’t take away the femininity of women. As a matter of fact, if one wants to build huge muscles like bodybuilders, the presence of a hormone called testosterone is important, which women don’t have. Besides, bodybuilders aren’t able to build muscles just by doing exercises. They also use protein shakes, supplements and steroids to acquire the muscular body.

There are many other benefits of exercises than just weight loss. Exercises will make you more energetic; you get this extra energy by burning your fat deposits. Apart from that, you will also be able to sleep more soundly.

Another way you can benefit from exercises is that they help you build strong lean muscles, improve your immune system and stamina. Exercises also help in improving the tone and appearance of skin, something which most women are obsessed with!

Click Here for a free Video Fast Track to Fat Loss for a health and wellness weight loss plan.

David Ogden- Helping People Help Themselves
Click Here for Free Fitness Analysis and Calculators
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Sonoran Bloom Click Here for FREE sample - New ant-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying drink providing natural pain relief for inflammation and can help you lose weight
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Many people are seeking to lose weight through sensible healthy nutritional regime rather than going for an unhealthy and fad approach, but are unsure on the first move in the weight loss process. Well the best guide for this to use your own common sense.

Most people involved in weight loss program have already gathered enough information to discover what is good for their weight loss .This knowledge enable them to decide whether the food stuff is healthy or not, or can it help in weight loss. This affects their diet.

Generally it all comes to a matter of balance. There are certain things available, usually food stuff that can help you loose those extra pounds and can help you to get in good shape.

Dieticians agree to the fact that including fresh fruits and vegetables, daily in your diet is going to be good for health. If you are not on a low carbohydrate diet Wholegrain food such as rice, Pasta, whole grain bread are accepted to be beneficial in weight loss process and are also healthy food stuff.

Now a days drinking is in focus for those people who wish to achieve good health and are under a weight loss program. In general, high consumption of alcohol is not good for health and cause health problems, but consumption of alcohol in small quantities may not be a bad thing, many say a glass of red wine a day is good for the heart.

A lot of nutritionists think that spring water is good for health and a few of them think that water can also be helpful to those who are concerned of weight loss. Few people are in a favor of drinking water before their meal which can give them an edge over their hunger and allows them to have small meals without even thinking that they didn’t had enough. Lean meat and fish are also a group of food that, if taken occasionally can be beneficial to weight loss and health. Also pulses, seeds and a few dieticians advise nuts as beneficial.

There are food that are not advised by dieticians as they does not support weight loss, such as sugar products such as pastries, chocolates, many fried and deep fried food such as French fries. Although a limited amount of olive oil is suggested by health professionals. It is not only the food that you eat but also the way in which you eat, like skipping of meals has a negative effect on your health and weight loss process. A lot of people skip their meals especially their breakfast and many health experts recommend that this in not a way to achieve weight loss and neither it is a healthy way to start your day. Sometimes people eat less than what their body needs which hampers body health and neither it helps in weight loss because instead of burning extra calories body start burning muscles tissues which is not good for health. In general it is a matter of reasonable knowledge and a good sense of what food are effective in weight loss and should be eaten regularly, and what are not so healthy and should be eaten occasionally.

To have an effective weight loss it is always recommended that with a balanced diet exercise is also important. Exercise helps to gain muscles which in turn can burn fast that elevate the weight loss process.

Click Here for a free Video Fast Track to Fat Loss for a health and wellness weight loss plan.

David Ogden- Helping People Help Themselves
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Here are some basic diet tips which together with exercise will help you reduce your weight

1- Incorporate a lot of fiber (at least 25 g a day) - Great sources include whole fruits, vegetables, Fiber One cereal, oatmeal, whole grain bread.

2 - Drink LOTS of water – I drink to quench thirst; I don’t force myself to drink a certain amount. But I do try to get as much as I can, of course living in the tropics means I need to keep well hydrated.

3 - Eat lean sources of protein - I favor eggs, extra lean ground turkey, skinless chicken breasts, low-sodium deli turkey, but avoid fish as I do not like it.

4 - Avoid high-fructose corn syrup - This stuff has made it’s way into almost everything over the last couple decades. Everything from ketchup to bagels to frozen pizza contains HFCS.

5 - Avoid hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils - These are trans-fats. They do nothing but increase the shelf-life of foods. *TIP: Many packaged foods that claim to be “Trans-Fat Free” often still contain some hydrogenated oils!

6 -Be a label reader - I take my time to read the labels on every packaged item I buy at the store. *TIP: The first 3 ingredients on the label make up the bulk of the product.

Click Here for a free Video Fast Track to Fat Loss for a health and wellness weight loss plan.

David Ogden- Helping People Help Themselves
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Our metabolism’s primary task is to nourish our brains. We need healthy neurotransmitters to help us curb craving, ease depression, and deal with stress that lead to weight gain. Balancing our natural brain chemistry has a calming effect and allows us to feel a sense of well being and safety. There are many natural health care products to help balance brain chemistry, e.g. essential fatty acids, natural depression relief products, natural products to increase serotonin, and more. When our brain feels well and safe, it is prone to change our metabolism from calorie saving to calorie burning.

Our bodies were designed to move and be active. Movement requires muscle activity. Muscle activity uses the glycogen supply found in our muscles. When this glycogen supply stored in our muscles is used, our body is forced to use stored fat as an energy source. Using this stored fat through movement and exercise, results in natural weight loss. There is no reason for us to become athletes to accomplish natural weight loss. Low impact exercise like swimming, walking, etc, can be done slowly and without strain. In order to lose real weight rather than "water weight", it is important to drink extra amounts of water when exercising. Drinking more water will also help our digestive system and metabolism to use and eliminate extra weight.

Remember, the first objective, accomplished through natural weight loss, is to improve our physical and emotional health. This involves having a healthy digestive system, a healthy emotional system and a healthy nutritional system. We can build these healthy systems with natural vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, natural digestive aid, pain relief aid, natural sleep aids, natural emotional and mood aids, essential fatty acids and many more helpful natural health care products. We need to concentrate on improving our general health, feeling good, and living well through natural weight loss, rather than constantly comparing ourselves to someone else’s idea about appearance from some magazine. Physical and emotional health is primary. Appearance may be important to us, but it is secondary. Through natural weight loss, we can live well and live long.

Click Here for a free Video Fast Track to Fat Loss for a health and wellness weight loss plan.

David Ogden- Helping People Help Themselves
Click Here for Free Fitness Analysis and Calculators
Click Here to Contact Us
TriVita Health and Wellness
Sonoran Bloom Click Here for FREE sample - New ant-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying drink providing natural pain relief for inflammation
phone 1-386-308-1956 After 6PM EST
Skype seadogs11