The ONE Thing You Need to Know About Fat Loss Theory

If you wanted to take one point away from The Theory of Fat Loss and one point only, a concept that summarizes in it's entirety what fat loss theory is truly about in terms of exercise, then I would tell you one word... PROGRESSION.

In my previous post, Fat Loss Theory and the Hedgehog Concept, I discuss that there are two types of exercisers, those who are foxes, overwhelmed with the infinite means to the same end, and those who are hedgehogs. The hedgehogs know that to be successful long term with an exercise program, you only need to continue to get better. Simply put, once you stop progressing in the gym, you stop getting results!

In other words... you won't look like this:

... training like this:

The fact that some people still go to the gym and do the same thing they've always done and expect different results is insanity! Take the following example:

Fat Loss Theory: Running and Aerobics (Part 1)

Part 2

It is a widespread belief that aerobic exercise, such as running, is necessary for fat loss. This all got started shortly after Dr. Kenneth Cooper's book Aerobics was published in 1968.

For some reason, aerobic exercise became a widespread phenomenon in the 1970s... and unlike other trends and fads, aerobics had staying power. Interestingly enough, the 1970s was also the time that bodybuilding went mainstream (thank you Arnold).

I could rant about how these two styles of training ruined fitness for decades (and will continue to do so)... however, I will instead take the objective road. Since I've already written about bodybuilding splits not being conducive to fat loss, this series of posts will analyze running/aerobics and their effectiveness as a fat loss tool.

Fasted Cardio (Part 1): The Theory of Fat Loss Counter Point?

Sooner or later, someone was going to call me and my book out. Someone was going to challenge it. Someone was going to say, "Fasted cardio burns fat very effectively and is completed at a very low absolute intensity. Doesn't that contradict the theory of absolute intensity in your book?"

Injury Limits to Fat Loss: The Shoulder (Part 1)

When it comes to training, nothing can derail you faster than a nagging injury. In the past, I have reviewed low back pain as a major limit when it comes to exercise, and I have also reviewed anterior pelvic tilt as a postural limit to exercise. In fact, those are among my most read entries of all time! So, I've decided to continue the trend of discussing posture and injury in hopes that you stay healthy and can keep on training.

Today, I want to touch on shoulder pain, a common complaint among people just getting into a training program.

Your Weight Loss Goals are Incredibly Stupid. (Part 1)

Every New Year, thousands of people make the resolution to lose weight. They want to lose 10, 20, 30 pounds, etc. They sign onto another 12 month gym contract and then they are off to the races. "This year is going to be different!"

After a month or two, well... the drive and motivation has died down. Either the results were not good enough or had begun to slow down. Simply put, once the weight stop coming off, people quit. Why put forth effort if there are no results?

This is a big problem we have in the fitness industry... this focus on numbers... We treat the scale like it is the only thing that matters. If the scale tells us that we haven't lost weight... then we have failed... end of story.

This is why weight loss goals are incredibly stupid. Progress is measured in many ways. The scale should be the least of your concerns. I'm going to tell you something VERY unconventional right now... something very few people will ever even think about saying... If you truly want to be successful in your weight loss program, do not think about weight loss at all! Ignore the scale... at least for now...

The 100 Gram Carb Rule For Fat Loss Awesomeness

I still have to write Part 3 of the P90X critique series (see Part 1 and Part 2), but I stumbled across something today that I had to write about immediately. It is the 100 gram carb cure (click here for the original article), and it might just be one of the best and simplest rules there is to follow that I've ever read about when it comes to losing fat.

If you don't want to click that link to read the entire article, here is my take on it.

The Twinkie Diet is Awesome for Weight Loss

I've written about nutrition before but also know that I am by no means a nutrition expert, but I wanted to comment on something that just came out. Apparently there is this new article on some pseudo- diet study performed by a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University who wanted to show that calorie counting was the only important factor in weight loss. Basically he ate a bunch of Twinkies. The article can be found here. Before I go into detail of why this case study is meaningless, I just want to say one thing. "Really?"

Twinkie Burger

I couldn't think of anything healthier either

Can you Eat Out and Still Lose Weight?

Many people think that when it comes time to changing their diets to burn more fat that they have to stop eating out. Oftentimes this is the deal breaker. People do not like having to give up eating at their favorite restaurants. Those that understand what fat loss dieting is really about, however, realize that eating out is not the enemy and that it can be done intelligently and effectively. Jake "Sausage Link" Skrabacz is one of those people. So today I bring you a guest post (and another small book excerpt) from him with some helpful suggestions for how to manage eating at restaurants when you are dieting.

Cheeseburger, nuggets, and fries pizza

Probably not the most intelligent fat loss diet decision
 

Is Body Mass Correlated With Fat Loss Potential?

When it comes to fat loss, it is important to realize that certain people are better equipped for it than others. Even if we ignore genetics and physiology completely (which I often like to do because few people want me to get that scientific), this is entirely true. One of the main themes in The Theory of Fat Loss is that the more athletic you are and the better in shape you are, the easier it is for you to cut fat (see Strength for one example of this).

On the other side of that spectrum are the people who are not athletic and not in shape... the people who haven't been to a gym in years and who sit around at their computers or at their TV screens and like to eat... in other words, people who, for lack of a better term, are morbidly obese. You will be interested to know that these people will also find it easy to cut fat! In fact, it might be even easier for them than for anyone else!

Is it harder for women to burn fat?

There is a lot of research out there trying to prove that it is harder for women to lose fat or lose weight... whatever you want to call it. The research mostly tries to find genetic and hormonal reasons for why this is true. I am not denying that women store fat more easily than men. I am not denying that existence of chemical reasons for it or practical reasons for it (such as the undeniable fact that women bear children).

However, I think a focus on this sort of research is doing women a disservice. Why give people more excuses for not making positive lifestyle changes. Instead of researching 100 reasons why women are worse at burning fat than men, why not research 100 ways women can burn just as much fat as men? Why focus on the negative and ignore the positive? I have known plenty of women who have lost plenty of weight and who look absolutely fantastic now.

I think the most important reason why women can't lose as much weight as men is because they aren't as strong as men. Please read my post on strength if you don't understand why this is.

Does Strength Matter for Fat Loss?

People often try to burn fat or drop weight with steady state exercise activities. They, for some reason, believe that this is the key to losing weight. There is nothing magical about "aerobic" activity. "Aerobic" simply means "pertaining to oxygen." The aerobic energy system is no more special than the anaerobic energy systems (ATP-CP and glycolysis).

In fact, if you are training the aerobic energy system exclusively, you are not training very intensely. You see, the aerobic energy system is too slow acting to support high intensity activities, and it is high intensity activities that drive fat loss.

Up and Running

This is the official web page for the soon to be released book, The Theory of Fat Loss. If you would like a free excerpt from the book and want to be the first to know when this book will officially be released, enter your first name and email address in the box in the top right corner. Thank you for your interest in The Theory of Fat Loss!