Sterling Advice

9 Months in Baños, Ecuador

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:03:00 +0000

Finding Nemo

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 18:31:00 +0000

How to Have an Extra $10,000 for Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 14:49:00 +0000

Skydiving and Cliff Jumping in New Zealand

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 06:19:00 +0000

Watch my kids cliff jump at 'Little Thailand' in Queenstown, New Zealand and watch the WHOLE family skydive courtesy of NZone Skydive...including my fearless 6-year old daughter!

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 03:31:00 +0000

PurdyJourneys.com: Follow my family's journey across the world. Currently in Indonesia.

Our family skydives in New Zealand

Sterling Purdy featured in the new Tony Horton book: 11 Laws That Will Change Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Sat, 12 Jul 2014 16:15:00 +0000

Tony Horton released a new book in February 2014. Tony Horton: 11 Laws That Will Change Your Life.

Under the 'Consistency' Law I was featured after meeting up with Tony on the beaches of Southern California in what turned out to be a 5-hour workout! Loads of fun and success couldn't happen to a better human being, Tony Horton.

If you are looking for simplistic inspiration and direction to change your fitness life, this book is for you!!

Enjoy!

Embracing Hope Ethiopia Event

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 20:22:00 +0000

Embracing Hope Ethiopia Event

We are hosting an EHE event for our friends, The Shannons.

Where: Nashville, TN
When: Saturday August 16 @ 6PM
Contact: Sterling Purdy
Contact info: sterlingpurdy@gmail.com

I'm attaching an informational page & 2 links that tell more about EHE and what The Shannons have been building in Ethiopia for 4+ years. Their selfless work is helping many families find their way out of poverty and have provided an avenue for hope.

EHE is in the middle of an expansion, where it will grow by 50% and add 66 new kids to the program. It’s an exciting time! At the event, we’ll have photos available of kids who need sponsors, and will have the technology available for people to sign up to sponsor families at the event.

We'll also have handcrafts made by moms who are a part of EHE as well as jewelry, baskets, and ornaments made by moms. We'll also have EHE T-shirts. ALL will directly benefit EHE and the families of Kore in Ethiopia.

Please also feel free to pass this on to anyone. Please let us know if you’ll be attending or if you’d like to contribute to the Shannons in any way. Private message your email and I’ll include on an evite list as well.

Thanks to all in advance!

VIDEO: What does EHE do?

EHE Website

A Systematic Review of Intermittent Fasting

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 15:03:00 +0000

Below is a thorough review of the beneficial effects of Intermittent Fasting (IF). Once again, IF proves to be one of the best ways to reduce calories, rid body fat, and improve overall health including positive effects on glucose metabolism.

As discussed here before, IF coupled with short, high-intensity workouts has a synergistic effect when the goal is ridding body fat in a highly efficient manner.

Enjoy!

Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Human & Animal Health - A Systematic Review

Sprinting and Fasting

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:19:00 +0000

Below is GREAT (as usual) insight from Mark Sission on eating after an intense sprinting workout and intermittent fasting.

These are tried and true methods that I've personally used.

Enjoy!

Refueling after a sprint working and Fasting for a caloric deficit

Ribbon?!

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 15:25:00 +0000

Bob: "Who? Who does not want to wear the ribbon?"
— Seinfeld Quotes (@seinlanguage) March 23, 2013

9 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 15:25:00 +0000

Here's a beautiful article by Mark Sisson:

9 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

P90X2 is here!

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:35:00 +0000

If you're a P90X graduate, it's time for P90X2!

Even if you've not completed P90X, P90X2 is the 'upgraded' version that will absolutely get you in the best shape of your life!

Get it here now!

If You're Wondering Where I've Been...

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Sun, 15 May 2011 14:54:00 +0000

As you may have noticed, I've been 'absent' for some time. To set you at ease, I've not begun a lavish career in fast-food or fitness gadgets like 'the shake weight'. I have, however, been on the back-end of a long journey of adoption.

After a 2.5 year process, we were finally able to bring home our first adopted child to add to our family of 6. She is from Ethiopia and she's beautiful. As part of that process, we've traveled back & forth to Ethiopia on various mission and humanitarian/medical aid trips. If you've never traveled to help in a 3rd world country, I'd encourage you to do so. You'll soon realize that your problems are not problems, but simple mole hills compared to what 2/3 of the world deals with on a daily basis. AND you can be part of the solution.

Until next time...

Below is a video that shows 2 of the 3 projects that we are a part of:

The City of Addis - A short documentary from Session 7 Media on Vimeo.

Potatoes: Good or Bad?

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:30:00 +0000

My good friend, Mark Sisson, sums up potatoe consumption with this thorough review. I'm a fan of potatoes (white potatoes in this case) and its cousin, the yam. I'm especially fond of the 2 related tubers when carb cycling during a lean down period.

Enjoy!

Until next time...

Top 10 Fasting Myths

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:30:00 +0000

Here's a great post debunking myths about fasting.

Until next time...

REVISIT: P90X: What's all the fuss about?

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 17:26:00 +0000

P90X has grown to massive proportions even since this original post in 2009. Have questions about P90X? Shoot me a comment or email. It's a challenge - Will you accept it? Summer is the time to commit to a high-quality, high-intensity workout like P90X! -Sterling

Original Article:

By now you've seen P90X everywhere. You've seen it on TV at all times of day. You've seen it plastered on web page after web page. You've seen it on QVC. And certainly you've heard of it by word of mouth. Chances are that you know someone that is an active P90Xer, has tried P90X, is about to try P90X, or at the very least...you've had someone ask you, "Have you heard about this P90X? What is it?" So you get the point. P90X has reached tipping point levels. So what's all the fuss about?

What is P90X?

P90X was created by Tony Horton, a fitness expert and celebrity trainer. He assembled a team of people including experts (including himself) in the fields of weightlifting, bodyweight exercise, muscle development, fat loss, yoga, pilates, cardiovascular exercise, and nutrition to develop a compehensive program that would promote fat loss accompanied by moderate gains in lean muscle. It was developed to be a '90-Day' program.

It includes 13 instructional DVD's, a detailed breakdown of all exercises in a P90X booklet, and a nutrition guide. The DVD's include: introductory DVD, chest & back, plyometrics, shoulders & arms, yoga x, legs & back, kenpo x, x stretch, core synergistics, chest-shoulders-triceps, back & biceps, cardio x, and ab ripper x. Its premise is muscle confusion; a concept that theorizes that if you constantly keep the muscles guessing, then your progress and gains in strength and muscle growth will not plateau. The key is consistency, intensity, and continuing to increase in weight (in weightlifting exercises).

There are lots of pull-ups, push-ups, squats and lunges in P90X. Whenever someone asks me for a brief description of P90X I'll respond, "pull-ups, push-ups, squats, and lunges". And ask any fitness guru and they will tell you that you can get in great shape with only those 4 exercises if you 'bring it' with intensity and consistency.

Does it work?

Yes. I'm a testament to P90X's legitamacy. It's not a get quick, take a pill, no-work fix. P90X is an intense, difficult program. It will push you to dig deep and work hard. If you eat right, and maintain consistency you will see results...guaranteed. As we've talked about before, you cannot out work a bad diet when it comes to weight loss, specifically fat loss. So if you use P90X to get in shape and don't eat right, you'll get in shape but may not reach your fat loss goals.

Who should use it?

Anyone looking to get in shape, lose fat, and build muscle should use P90X as a base fitness program. I say 'base fitness program' because I think P90X is a great start. Once you've used P90X to establish a baseline of fitness you can modify P90X and use other workouts like turbulence training to vary your workouts and keep things fun. If you are starting from a baseline of extreme out-of-shapeness, there's no need to fret. You can skip exercises and modify P90X to fit your current needs. Just keep pushing yourself to get to a point where you can do all the exercises and keep up. Trust me you'll get there.

When I started P90X 2.5 years ago I could only do 1 or 2 pull-ups and very few push-ups. Now, I'll push out nearly a couple hundred push-ups and about 130 pull-ups in any given workout. If I can do it, you can do it. I was as fat and out-of-shape as anyone who has ever started P90X (or any fitness regimen) and worked my way into great shape and a healthy level of fitness.

Community

We've talked before about the importance of surrounding yourself with other like-minded people. It really helps especially when starting a new program, new 'way-of-life', or anything new. It helps to have community for advice and support. You will get frustrated and have 'bad days' so community if of the upmost importance. P90X offers community message boards and it's a great way to start the program. There are limitless resources available and trust me, they help. Forums such as the one over at MDA are valuable as well.

One Final Note

P90X is sold as a 90-day program. But it doesn't have to be a 90-day program. You can make it a 180-day program or a 4 year program. I've been doing it for over 2.5 years and I've completed 8 rounds of P90X. I love it and it's great for me. I've also modified the workouts and added other workouts during those 2.5 years to fit my needs and change things up. You can do the same. If gaining lots of muscle mass becomes your goal, you can modify it to fit your needs OR change your workouts completely to not even include P90X. It certainly is not the be-all, end-all of fitness and there are plenty of ways to whip yourself into shape. However, P90X is a great place to start and you'll mold yourself into tremendous shape and develop tremendous strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness. Let me know how I can help and what questions I can answer. Bring It!

Until next time...

REVISIT: Where To Start?

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Thu, 20 May 2010 05:00:00 +0000

So you've decided that it's time to make a change. You want to eat better. You want to feel better. You want to look better. You want to improve your life. So where do you start? Let's look at 5 key things to help change your health and fitness future.

#1: Change Your Mindset

This is absolutely crucial. You have to look at everything in a different way. Food, exercise, weightlifting, cardio, priorities; anything that has set you back in the past -- change your thinking about it. Don't think about food as a crutch or something to do while bored. Food is fuel; look at that way. Everything you eat will do one of two things: hurt you or help you.

Will this help me lose weight or gain weight? Will this help my workouts or hinder my workouts? Why am I eating this? If you are overweight, then food is the reason. You can talk about hormones, family history, metabolism...but it all comes down to calories (except in extreme cases). If you eat less calories than your BMR, you will lose weight, more specifically, body fat. If you eat more than your BMR, you will gain weight. Exercise will allow you to eat more (above your BMR) and we'll talk about that in a minute. It's a simple law of thermodynamics. The KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method applies here.

Set simple, realistic, measurable goals. Tom Venuto is a master of goal setting. There is a reason that highly successful people talk about the importance of goal setting; it's not a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. It's also not somoe magical ritual. If you write down your goals, post them in your bathroom & yet do nothing to work toward those goals, then your goal setting doesn't suddenly become some magical wand. Set goals, do the work, expect success.

One last note: get your sleep. We'll have a dedicated post to the importance of sleep in a future post. But for now, just know that not getting sleep will hinder your fat loss goals. Your goal should be 8 hours/night.

#2: Change Your Eating Habits

We've already touched on this above. But it warrants its own bullet point and another mention. We talked about intermittent fasting (IF) last week. IF can be your best friend when changing your eating habits. It is such a useful tool and a great way to cut calories in a very efficient manner. Think about it. If your BMR is 2000 calories and you finish a 24-hour fast with a 500 calorie meal, then you just saved 1500 calories. Theoretically, if you cut 3500 calories per week, you will lose 1 lb per week. In our example, you're 42% there because you've already cut our 1500 calories!

Not only are you cutting calories, but you are allowing your body a rest from the fed state and allowing your body to use your fat stores for energy. Your body is most effective in burning body fat for energy betweeen the 16-hour and 24-hour mark of a fast. Anything beyond 30 hours diminishes in its return of effectiveness. With that said, remarkably, I've had some of my best workouts after a 36-hour fast. IF is your friend.

Plan your meals around protein. Great protein choices: chicken, beef, buffalo, fish, eggs, and cottage cheese. Whole proteins digest slowly (keeping you fuller longer) and minimize a rise in insulin. Secondary to protein, your meal should consists of other whole foods including vegetables and fruits. Eat all the salad and fibrous veggies that you want to. They are not only good for you and contain massive amounts of vitamis and minerals, but they fill you up. Throw in some fruit to satisfy that sweet craving. Some of my favorite fruits: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and apples.

Hunger is a response to hormonal signals in the body. Some of those signals are learned. For example, if your body is used to eating breakfast every morning at 7 AM and you decide to fast for the first time, you will probably be pretty dang hungry around 10 AM. Most of that response is learned. Ghrelin is a key hormone that drives hunger. It stimulates and initiates hunger and becomes entrained to 'normal' meal times. So if you normally eat breakfast at 7AM, then you'll be hungry at 7AM. Based on research, ghrelin peaks for about 1 hour. Make it through that first hour of intense hunger and you'll be fine. As you change your eating times and habits, ghrelin will change along with you. The body is an amazingly smart and adaptive machine.

#3: Exercise Now

You've changed your eating habits and your mindset. Strike now. Don't wait to lose some weight and then start exercising. Do it all at one time. You'll feel better physically and mentally. And you'll get visible results quicker. I believe the best way to start exercising is to find a base program that is already laid out for you. You'll get a million different views on how to start and the best exercises to start with, but again KISS. Find a program and do it. Once you've hit your stride and are comfortable with where you are, then you can start adjusting the details.

When losing weight, you can never out-exercise a bad diet so food is 95% of the battle. But, again exercise will help both physically and mentally and you'll get a metabolism boost. Plus, when you exercise it will make you want to eat the right foods. You'll find that when you don't exercise, you tend to stray away from good foods and eat crap. If ever you are going to eat stuff like processed carbs and sugar, the time to do it is after an intense workout, but for some reason we eat better foods when we are working hard. I'm not saying that exercise is a license for making poor food choices, but something in our mind allows us to stray when we don't exercise -- our ability to rationalize bad decisions is something we all do. While on the topic: if you make some poor choices then just move on -- it won't kill you. And sometimes we just need a break. Allow yourself to live. That piece of Georgia pecan pie that I ate last night is not going to kill me. I just don't make a habit of it and you shouldn't either.

#4: Find a Support Group

The best way to stay motivated, especially during those times of frustration is finding other like-minded people. Also find people that look like you want to look. If you want to look like a body builder, then read articles written by body builders. If you want to look like a fitness model or have a slender, fit, beach body, then read about the workouts and foods that allow people to look like sleder, fit, and lean.

There are literally millions of message boards out in internet world. Find a fitness board. Ask questions, ask for help, and help others. It's invaluable to achieving your goals. Most are free, but there are some good ones that you can pay a yearly fee to join and they are well worth the money. A free forum that I frequent is over at MDA. There's a lot of knowledegable people over at MDA and they don't get much better than Mark Sisson. He's ripped and wants to help people live a better life.

#5: Have Fun

You are not going to stick with something if it's not fun. That's the main reason that you've got to find a program that is right for you. I don't think it gets much better than P90X. It is a great place to start and you can create your own workouts from this solid base of fitness. There are lots of fun, different, out-of-the-box 'programs' out there.

If you need to change-up your workout, then change it up. Go for a jog, ride your bike, run sprints, jump on a trampoline, go for a swim. Just have fun. When it starts getting old, just change it up. Now on the flip side of things, you will have days that you just don't feel like working out. Do yourself a favor -- just do it. I guarantee you will feel better as you begin to progress through your workout. When you are finished with your workout, you'll be so glad that you made yourself do it. Trust me.

So Now What?

Get started today. Make a commitment and execute a plan to change your fitness and health future. Your personal and business life will improve. You will think better and get more things done.

Will you make the change?

Vacation Notice

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:20:00 +0000

I'll be on vacation and won't be posting until the week of May 24. Life has been very active and busy so I've not been able to post lately.

I just wanted to let you know that I'm alive and well.

Until next time...

Intermittent Fasting and The Holy Grail

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:43:00 +0000

Today is the 2nd to last day to get Tom Venuto's 'The Holy Grail' FOR FREE. This $47 value is guaranteed to work if you follow Tom's advice and detailed plan.

The Holy Grail

But I am here to tell you how to make Tom's program even better and more efficient...

The answer: Intermittent Fasting (IF)

You can read about IF in past posts on Sterling Advice:

Until next time...

Meal Idea: Rosemary Grilled Chicken with Squash & Zucchini Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Sat, 08 May 2010 11:00:00 +0000

I wasn't starving tonight so I cooked a very light and full-of-flavor dinner. The grilled chicken was well complimented by a light, raw squash & zucchini salad (for lack of a better term).

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast (1/2 pound)
Rosemary, thyme, Tony Chachere's, onion powder, garlic powder, black peper
1 raw squash, chopped
1 raw zucchini, chopped
2 slices of red onion, chopped
A handful of fresh cilantro
A squeeze of fresh lemon
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 TBSP red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard

Directions:

Chicken

Season chicken generously with spices. Use fresh rosemary and thyme if available.
Grill chicken

Squash & Zucchini salad

Chop squash and zucchini into small pieces
Chop cilantro and red onion and add to mixture
In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, and mustard
Add 'dressing' to veggie mixture
Squeeze lemon juice in veggie mixture and stir
Add Tony's to taste

Note: After I cut my grilled chicken into smaller pieces, I tossed the chicken with 1 TBSP of BBQ sauce (a mere 25 extra calories and 6 carbs).
Enjoy!

Calories: About 300

Macronutrient Breakdown: 62% protein, 21% carbs, 18% fat

Video: Richard Nikoley interviews Mark Sisson

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Thu, 06 May 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Below is an interview with Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint. The interview is conducted by Richard Nikoley of Free The Animal.

It's a great interview about how Mark's business & experience came about to bring to fruition The Primal Blueprint. Thanks to Richard for making the video interview embeddable.

Until next time...

Barefoot Running: Legit or Crazy?

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:28:00 +0000

Until about 2 years ago, I had never heard of barefoot running. I mean, seriously? I'm not talking about kids running in the yard barefoot. I'm talking full-fledged running on a football field, soccer field, open grassy areas, or pavement. Huh?

Picture this: you are driving around town and as you are waiting for a red light to turn green, you glance to your right and you see a guy running...barefoot. 'What the...' you say out loud. Must be some crazy hippie...

So is barefoot running just some fad? Is it something that's been brought to the forefront lately by fitness blogs, websites, and major newspapers only to fade away with time? I don't think so. And here's the reason why: It's good for you.

Bare-footing strengthens muscles in the foot and lower legs, helps your body reconnect with your foot's 'senses', improves balance, and takes the impact off of the knees and hips -- all of which are NOT helped, in fact worsened, by shoes with extra cushioning and shock-absorbing technology. In a study published earlier this year by a Harvard biologist, it was found that footwear alters the normal form and function of the foot. Think about it and it makes total and complete sense. Modern footwear has altered our body's ability to properly respond to stimuli and make needed adjustments (tiny as they may be) because the foot cannot sense what is going as it's sheltered from its environment.

Additionally, running shoes force a runner to heal strike (rear-foot strike) as opposed to a natural, fore-foot strike that carries much less impact and collision of foot to ground. Below is an excerpt from the aforementioned study in Nature:

Evidence that barefoot and minimally shod runners avoid RFS strikes with high-impact collisions may have public health implications. The average runner strikes the ground 600 times per kilometre, making runners prone to repetitive stress injuries6–8. The incidence of such injuries has remained considerable for 30 years despite technological advancements that providemore cushioning and motion control in shoes designed for heel–toe running27–29. Although cushioned, high-heeled running shoes are comfortable, they limit proprioception and make it easier for runners to land on their heels. Furthermore, many running shoes have arch supports and stiffened soles that may lead to weaker foot muscles, reducing arch strength. This weakness contributes to excessive pronation and places greater demands on the plantar fascia, which may cause plantar fasciitis. Although there are anecdotal reports of reduced injuries in barefoot populations30, controlled prospective studies are needed to test the hypothesis that individuals who do not predominantly RFS either barefoot or in minimal footwear, as the foot apparently evolved to do, have reduced injury rates. (Vol 463|28 January 2010 doi:10.1038/nature08723)

Further analysis showed:

Kinematic and kinetic analyses show that even on hard surfaces, barefoot runners who fore-foot strike generate smaller collision forces than shod rear-foot strikers. This difference results primarily from a more plantarflexed foot at landing and more ankle compliance during impact, decreasing the effective mass of the body that collides with the ground.

I started barefoot running about a year ago. Technically, I'm not barefoot running because I wear my Vibram Five Fingers when I run on the road. But I am. My five fingers just protect my soles and toes and I've not 'worked up' to running completely barefoot...YET!

I'm not a 'big runner'. Most of my running is limited to sprints once or twice per week with (1) 5k per week. I am beginning to train for a 10K in July and wouldn't dream of buying another pair of running shoes. Why? Because even as little as I've run in the past, my knees and lower back would hurt after running. Could I chalk it up to improper form and inexperience? Sure. BUT, after starting to run 'barefoot' in my VFF's, the pain that I used to feel in my knees and the after-effects on my lower back and hips (infrequent) disappeared. This coupled with my personal study of foot strike, collision impact AND the testimony of 1000's of barefoot runners who run A LOT, makes me feel pretty confident that by bare-footing is much better for me, my feet, and my body than paying $120 to run in a pair of shoes that invoke damage rather than offer protection.

Until next time...

Meal Idea: Filet Mignon, Spinach with Cream Sauce & Cottage Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Sat, 01 May 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Pretty much everyone enjoys a tenderloin filet mignon (unless your a vegetarian). I thought I'd share a delicious meal that I whipped up for you to enjoy.

Ingredients:

Tenderloin Filet Mignon (I used a 7.3 oz filet/.45 lbs/206 grams)
A bag of spinach (142 grams)
1 small onion
2 TBSP butter
4 TBSP heavy whipping cream
4 cloves minced garlic
Parmesan cheesed, zested (about 20 grams)
Salt, pepper, other spices

Directions:

Season steak to your liking 6-8 hours in advance of cooking. Stick back in fridge.
Remove steak from fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.
Chop onion and add to 1/2 TBSP butter -- sauté
In a separate small sauce pan, melt 1.5 TBSP butter, then add heavy cream, parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and black pepper to taste -- simmer.
Throw steak on grill. For an average filet, 5 mins of each side will achieve medium rare (cook to your liking).
Add bag of spinach to onion and cook down until spinach is wilted. Season to taste (I like Tony Chachere's)
Take steak off grill and cover for 5 mins. This allows steak juice to re-absorb back into the steak and maintain incredible flavor.
Putting it all together:

Place spinach on plate
Spoon 1/2 cream sauce over spinach.
Place steak on spinach and sauce. Spoon remaining cream sauce over steak.
Serve with 1/2 cup cottage cheese.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:
Calories - 965
Protein - 68.9 grams
Carb - 27.1
Fat - 65.5

How To Get Fat and How To Lose Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:55:00 +0000

Sometimes it is incredibly frustrating to see people on the internet and on fitness boards constantly try to defy the law of thermodynamics. 'Calories don't count' is a term I often read 'You'll go into starvation mode' is a phrase I'll often hear when suggesting to cut calories to lose weight or when I suggest one to embark on a IF regimen.

Some are so blinded and myopic that they believe that low-fat is the ONLY way to lose weight or that low-carb is the ONLY way to lose weight. I'm here to tell you it is all about calories.

People who eat a diet low in fat to lose weight (a fad that has thankfully been reduced to a few) are eating less calories because they've cut the macronutrient with the most calories (more than double that of carbs and protein), but they usually 'starve'. Those who embark on a low-carb or low-carb & high-fat diet lose weight because they are EATING FEWER calories. Studies have shown that protein is highly satiating and protein and fat together are even more so.

Now I'm not hear to bash a low-carb lifestyle, because that is generally how I live. In fact, I'm a big supporter of Mark Sisson and The Primal Blueprint. I believe eating primally is the healthiest way to eat. A diet that is full of protein, fat, veggies, and fruit is the healthiest option. It's devoid of overindulgence in processed fats and processed carbohydrates that have lead to the obesity, diabetes, and CV disease epidemic in our country. Eating whole foods is how we were meant to eat.

However, when believing in a way of life becomes so myopic (take notice internet board groupies) that you start to deny that calories don't matter...you've gone too far and you lose credibility. People on the internet suggesting that calories don't matter are WRONG. Do not listen to them or you will stay fat. You'll also never achieve low body fat levels if that is your goal.

Listen to experts like Tom Venuto, Lyle McDonald, and Martin Berkhan. These guys are considered experts in the fitness and fat loss world. Each will tell you that a low-carb diet works beautifully to help rid fat and achieve lower body fat levels. BUT each will tell you that in the end, it's about calories. Listen to a guy like Mark Sisson who will tell you to eat a diet rich in protein, fat, veggies, and fruits and he'll also tell you that if you eat too many calories -- you will not lose weight. Oh and not to mention, ALL of these guys will tell you that you need to get off the couch and exercise.

With all that said, I'm linking below some great articles for you to sink your teeth into. Folks, if you want to lose weight -- you've got to eat few calories. Eat McDonald's for all I care, but you've got to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. Eat lots of protein, moderate amounts of fat, lots of veggies, and moderate amounts of fruit. Limit processed carbohydrates and completely avoid processed trans fats and oils rich in omega-6's.

AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE TRYING TO 'HELP' PEOPLE:

STOP TELLING THEM THAT CALORIES DON'T MATTER BECAUSE THEY DO!

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/how-we-get-fat.html

http://fitnessblackbook.com/diet-tips/martin-berkhan-scorch-through-your-fat-loss-plateau/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-context-of-calories/

http://www.maxcondition.com/page.php?11

http://burnthefat.com

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/all-diets-work-the-importance-of-calories.html

Comparing Diets: Part 1
Comparing Diets: Part 2
Comparing Diets: Part 3
Comparing Diets: Part 4

Until next time...

Meal Idea: Egg Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Sterling Purdy) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 17:41:00 +0000

Here's a quick meal idea for your weekend. It's high in protein and fat with limited carbs coming from fresh veggies.

Egg Casserole:
6 Eggs
Chopped squash & zucchini (about 200 grams)
2 TBSP heavy whipping cream
Chopped mushrooms (about 100 grams)
Chopped onions (1 small onion/about 200 grams)
1/4 cup of your favorite cheese
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of butter
Seasonings of your choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325-350
Butter a small baking or casserole dish
Chop all veggies and set aside
Beat eggs and cream together
Mix eggs with chopped veggies
Add cheese and mix
Add seasonings and mix
Pour into pre-buttered dish
Bake @ 325-350 for about 40 minutes or until the middle is firm

Enjoy!

Until next time...