Weight Loss and Fitness Online

[ Editor's Note:  Fitness author Jon Benson shared this letter with me and gave me permission to share it with you. ]

Want to be leaner?

Good deal… here’s 5 tips that will help you along…

     TIP 1
     Ditch The Starch

Starches, such as rice, potatoes, some veggies, oats, etc. are often considered “health foods.”

While they can be healthy, they can also pack on stomach bodyfat like crazy if you overdo them.

As you may know, my “Every Other Day Diet” System (EODD) actually encourages you to eat starches and even sweets several days a week to get rid of excess weight:

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej  <– click.

( Some of you may see a survey here on how best to help with your bodyweight goals. )

Well… how does THAT work?

Simple:  Timing is everything.

And we take a “weekly” approach to foods rather than a daily approach. This keeps your metabolism guessing. If your body cannot figure out what you’re up to, fatburning is that much more powerful. And you can get by with eating starches… at least a specific times on specific days.

But if you’re not going to do EODD, then you’ll have to wing it. And the best way to wing it is to simply cut starches out entirely for 4-8 weeks. Then slowly add them back a few days per week.

This is no where near as effective (or as fun) as the EODD method, but it will get you pointed in the right direction.

     TIP 2
     Can The Sodas

This one is really hard for me. I’ve been hooked on diet-soda on and off for years. When I go to get into top shape (like I am now) I have to get rid of the diet-sodas… yes, DIET-sodas. Need I say “real” sodas too? They are loaded with sugar.

Why diet-sodas? A recent study revealed that people who drank diet-sodas actually increased bodyfat when compared to those who drank sugar-sodas. What the… ??

Yep. Your body cannot be fooled by aspartame and chemicals. Sorry, but that’s the truth.

Here’s a personal story:  When I cut out the diet-sodas my bodyfat drops like a rock in a pond of clear water.

And that’s what you need to be drinking:  A quart of pure water per 50 lbs of bodyweight a day.

I mix it with lemon and a bit of Stevia (an herbal sweetener) and make lemonade. It’s wonderful!

     TIP 3
     Stay Hungry

Arnold’s first movie was “Stay Hungry” (well, after “Pumping Iron” that is). You cannot rest on your butt and stay hungry. You cannot think you’ve “arrived” and stay hungry.

It takes a special person to be hungry… and an even greater one to stay that way.

I want you to stay hungry in two ways:  In how you workout and literally… stay a bit hungry before you go to bed. Not “starving”… just a bit hungry.

For your workouts, I have a great solution. If you pick up EODD you’ll get a limited shot at “7 Minute Body”… my combination of “7 Minute Muscle” and “The 7 Minute In-Home Workout” in one book… and for more than half off… but that’s a very limited deal. Gotta have EODD… you’ll need them both…

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej <– click.

( Some of you may see a survey here on how best to help with your bodyweight goals. )

You see, progression — “forced” progression — is the best way to stay hungry. 7 Minute Body forces you to progress without thinking about it. Progression is built into the System.

As far as staying hungry at night? Check with your doctor and if he/she okays it take 500mg of potassium and 1000mg of magnesium/calcium a few hours prior to bed. This helps with the hunger pangs. Also, keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge. If you get really hungry, eat one with half the yolk (toss the other half.) It keeps me full for an hour at least.

     TIP 4
     Cardio Clarity

Hours and hours of cardio a day is not the answer. However, you can do “light” cardio (i.e. brisk walking, or riding the bike at 60% of your max) just to burn off calories. That’s okay… and personally I don’t find it that boring if I’m watching a TV show. It does not interfere with my main fatloss exercise (weight training… YES!) and it burns off about 400 calories an hour.

What does work is early morning fasting cardio… but you only need 9-15 minutes. I explain the GXP Protocol (Modified) in the 7 Minute Body book, available only if you pick up EODD, and you can get it at more than half off:

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej <– click.

( Some of you may see a survey here on how best to help with your bodyweight goals. )

     TIP 5
     Get Raw At Night
 
Raw veggies with your last meal and as a snack will really help your fatburning along. I started with red peppers because they’re sweet. Now I eat virtually every veggie raw at night without thinking about it. Give this a shot. The fatloss is well worth it.

—->  Note From Melanie:  Jon is still giving away “Radical Fatloss Blueprint” along with EODD for a few more days. And he is giving a lucky few the chance to pick up the Supplement-Kit that comes with Radical Fatloss for almost 100 bucks off… the video and details are here:

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej <– click.

Want to know what your real odds are of having a heart attack?

How about a stroke? Diabetes?

Okay, this isn’t sounding like a positive letter… but hang in there. It gets a lot better and more positive.

I was having lunch today with my CPA and my good friend Sherry Strong. Sherry’s upcoming book is a must-read. I will let you know when she’s ready to release it.

Since Sherry has been here visiting me in Dallas I have learned SO much about natural food preparation and what really causes disease.

Our conversation took a turn to “doctor’s tests.” I think most of them are worthless. Some are vital.

It’s important to know the difference.

I’m going to give you the three tests you absolutely must take if you want to help ensure your future health in a moment.

But first, let me give you Sherry’s argument to my third test.

Yes, we nutritionists argue sometimes. ; )

I’ll let you decide. But statically it’s far more accurate than any blood test… and get this:

You can do it at home for freee.

So far, are you with me?  Good.

I’m going to go in reverse order, third test to last…

The third test is simply this:

Measure your waistline. Use a tape measure and do not pull it tight. Measure right below the navel.

Write down that number in inches.

Then measure your height out of shoes in inches. Write that down too.

Multiply your waist inches by 2. If that number is greater than your height inches you are FOUR TIMES more likely to have heart disease.

For example, if you have a 36-inch waist and you are 70 inches tall, you are at a much greater risk for heart disease (36 x 2 = 72 which is greater than 70.) However if you have a 34-inch waist and you are 70 inches tall, you risk is far less (34 x 2 = 68 which is less than 70.)

Four times. That’s more predictive than cholesterol tests by far.

And a lot less expensive to boot.

Don’t just read about this test — DO IT. I’ll give you something you can do ABOUT it if you fail this test in a second.

The great news is that this is one factor that is totally within your control.

Test number two:  Know your SED rate. This is an inflammatory marker in the blood.

Test number one:  Know your hsCRP and LP(a) levels. Both of these can be done as one test usually. Both are inflammatory markers as well as key indicators of heart health.

Go to your doctor and ask for these three blood tests. Usually they can be done all at once. Sometimes they are separate, but they are all crucial.

If you are thin and look healthy, listen to this:

You too can be Lance Armstrong or Jim Fixx….and not know it.

Lance and Jim looked like two of the healthiest men on the planet. Lance beat testicular cancer but came within an inch of his life. Jim died after a short jog of a heart attack very young in life.

Looks can be deceiving.

This is Sherry’s argument — and she’s totally correct.

That’s why I give you THREE (well, actually four) TESTS.

You see, it’s virtually impossible to have a normal SED rate, a normal hsCRP level and a normal LP(a) level and be at imminent risk for any of these killer diseases.

Possible, perhaps — but almost not.

So, if you look healthy and feel like a bazillion bucks, you still need to know your levels of these inflammatory markers.

If you are overweight or obese, you totally absolutely MUST do the waist/height test as well as the others.

You see, it goes both ways.

Some obese folks test out okay at the doc’s office. Their cholesterol, blood pressure, and all typical readings are okay. Rarely does a doc run an hsCRP or LP(a). And rarely do they run a SED rate.

See the importance here?

Both the fit and the unfit can be at dire risk and not even know it.

Now, here’s the solution:

A low-inflammatory nutrition and training plan, along with plenty of stress-free time.

I can help you with the first two things.

The third thing — de-stressing — is up to you. You may want to spend 30 minutes a day doing yoga, walking, meditating, praying, or whatever calms your MIND and BODY down.

Check it out:

Lance and Jim were both doing insane amounts of exercise… so much that they demanded insane amounts of high-inflammatory foods. Foods like processed carbohydrates for example.

And they both got sick. One of them died.

My good friend Dr. Steven Chase believes that 85% of cancer is preventable.

Re-read that:  85%.  And he’s an oncologist — a cancer doctor.

And you know heart disease is 95% preventable… or did you?

But all of these killers, especially diabetes, demand a low-insulin, low-inflammatory nutrition and exercise plan.

Lance and Jim had sky-high inflammatory levels from all that exercise. It was literally TOO much exercise.

That’s why so many marathoners die of heart attacks. They eat inflammatory foods and engage in high-stress exercise for too long of a time.

So, what’s the answer?

1. Short workouts that are intense, effective, and enjoyable. Weights and cardio both, or in-home resistance workouts will work fine.

2. Longer “soft” workouts like brisk walking that helps de-stress the body and burn more bodyfat.

3. A nutrition plan that allows for your favorite foods at the RIGHT TIME of the day but also helps you burn bodyfat without activating your body’s stress-producing hormones like cortisol…cool.

Most nutrition plans are stressful. Big mistake. Stress can cause you to hold on to bodyfat. Plus stress causes inflammation.

Most workout plans are either too easy or too intense for too long a period of time. My System is super-short (7-14 minutes a day, plus walks when you can.) This is enough to build all the muscle you need plus burn bodyfat when combined with the nutrition plan.

My System’s nutrition plan is ideal if you are willing to “diet” for a day or two, then enjoy a day of eating “normal” foods.

Hey, no one is perfect. Anyone who has half a brain should know that not very many people (myself included) are willing to do without their favorite foods forever.

That’s silly — and it’s not necessary to burn bodyfat.

In fact, my System ‘demands’ that you eat these foods at certain times TO BURN MORE BODYFAT!

Wild, isn’t it?

It’s the System I’ve used for years.

It’s the combination of two books:

7 Minute Muscle  + Every Other Day Diet
Get them both for one low price…

Go here:

http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/melaniej/oto  <— Helps you pass the tests

Any of my three Upgrade Kits come with both books, a full year of support from me on the Every Other Day Diet group Forum, and so many bonuses I can’t list them all.

This combo is something I am so very proud to share with you.

It’s the ultimate System for lowering bodyfat, increasing lean muscle, lowering insulin, lowering inflammation, and ensuring your health.

Whether you are in shape or obese, this System is one that will work for you.

http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/melaniej/oto <— Helps you pass the tests