The FASTEST fat loss system EVER developed

2 things for you today:

One... apparently we had a lot of questions come in yesterday about the 1,000-Calorie Challenge and whether or not it's only for advanced trainees or is suited for beginners  - the answer is YES, it can be perfectly suited to beginners as well!

In fact, the entire 1st phase of the program was specifically created to take you from 300 calorie beginner workouts all the way to full blown 1,000+ calorie advanced workouts in 4 weeks or LESS.

That's actually the reason the program was created - to provide a solution that will progress exercisers as fast as possible to the goal of being able to DO workouts that burn massive calories and fat.

And as a reminder, you can still save $50 on the 1,000-Calorie Challenge program right now during the pre-sale at the below page:

==> http://tinyurl.com/1000-calorie-challenge4u


One other thing we have for you is a short article from Joel explaining one of the methods they use in the 1,000 Calorie Challenge to help you rapidly progress and lose fat fast:


1 Unique Strategy to Go from "Beginner" to Advanced - FAST
By Joel Marion -- co-creator of the 1000-Calorie Challenge


You see, while your level of fitness may not currently be in a place where you can jump right in to doing 1,000 calorie workouts, we can get you there in as little as four weeks--and that's for ENTRY LEVEL trainees.

Been training for a while? We'll get you there in 2 weeks.

It all comes down to utilizing a system that will progress you from burning 300 calories to 450 calories to 600 calories to 800 calories to 1,000 calories in NO time, and that's what we've developed with Strategic Set Progression and R-Quattro techology.

What is Strategic Set Progression?

Well, it's just ONE of the methods we use to push you toward the 1,000 calorie goal FAST, and it goes a little something like this:

In week 1, we start with workouts that implement standard sets in which you rest between each exercise.

Then, on week 2, we move to supersets in which you are alternating back and forth between two exercises with minimal rest.

During week 3 we up the ante even further by switching to tri-sets in which 3 exercises are paired together back-to-back-to-back.

How bout week four? Well, that's where we move from tri-sets to 4-exercise Giant Sets.

And finally, for the 1,000 Calorie workouts, we move on to strategically designed 10-exercise Insane Circuits.

Frankly, by combining brand new R-Quattro technology with Strategic Set Progression, your body fat doesn't stand a chance.

To learn more about R-Quattro technology and 2 MORE methods for burning fat and calories fast, see below:

==> http://tinyurl.com/1000-calorie-challenge4u

So, if you're thinking "I might not be ready for this", that's the EXACT reason we created this program - to GET you ready faster than anything else ever could.

Beyond that, blasting away up to 3 pounds or more of PURE fat EVERY week is pretty cool, too :)

Thanks for your time today...  Enjoy the program!

5 Minutes a Day for Sexy Abs

Slim 'n Sexy At Any Age

5 Minutes a Day for Sexy Abs

It's not too late to get sexy, defined abs this summer. All you need is 5 minutes a day to be on your way to that toned midsection you crave. She even shows you what to do with those 5 minutes!

"I just want sexy abs..." Well you can have them, but it takes a very special workout.

The fastest way to get the stomach of your dreams is by working your ABS six days a week, but -- and this is very key -- you need to be doing something different for your abs every time you work them!

My super-ab workout only takes about 5 minutes a day; in 3 short weeks you'll start seeing definition and hardness you never dreamed of. In 3 months, "Call security!" The guys will be drooling over your tight and toned tummy!

They used to call me the stomach pooch queen. No matter how thin I got, it seemed as if my stomach bulged out... especially that lower "pooch" part But look at me now at 64. The photo at right is me! No touch-up work here, folks. That's me and that's my belly!

What is the secret?

The stomach muscles get used to a workout rather quickly, since they are at the center of your body and are working all day anyway to balance the weight you carry around. They need extreme variety to tone up.

The answer? No matter what you are doing for the rest of your body, do ABS exercises six days a week BUT WITH A DIFFERENT ROUTINE EACH DAY.

Monday you could do giant sets with crunches, leg-raises and knee-ins, with no rests, doing 15 reps of each exercise. Go back and forth until you've done them three times.

Tuesday you could do the bicycle, the knee-raised crunch and the leg raised crunch, repeating it three times, doing 15 repetitions each.

Wednesday you could do two stomach exercises, only this time do them very slowly. In this case it would not matter if ... you repeated some of the exercises above as long as they were in a different order. For example, you could do the knee-in and the crunch -- 15 reps each, going back and forth three times, without resting, but very slowly –- on the count of 1, 2, 3, 4 on the up, and 1, 2, 3, 4 on the down.

Thursday do another group of two exercises. Only this time go faster and do different exercises... and so on. Until you've done six days a week with a different routine each day.

Here is a sample abs workout day.

Do one very slow set for both of them, 10 repetitions each, then without stopping do a much faster set for both of them this time doing 15 repetitions each. This will take you less than 5 minutes!

Side oblique reach.

Start: Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your arms straight at your sides.

Movement: Leaning toward your right extend your fingers toward your ankles -– or until you cannot go any further. Flex your side abdominals and return to start. Repeat for the other side. Do 10-15 reps and repeat for the other side.

Ceiling reach crunch.

Start: Lie flat on your back. Raise your legs to so that they are perpendicular to the floor.

Movement: Raise yourself off the floor using your stomach muscles as you extend your arms forward reaching towards your toes. Flex your entire abdominal area. Return to start. Repeat until you have done 10-15 reps.

If you really want great ABS for the new year, make sure you do abs six days a week and do a different routine each day!

Burn Fat More Easily

Adding lean muscle to your body -- through strength training and cardiovascular activity -- and limbering up your body with stretching can help burn fat, reduce stress, improve health, and decrease waist size, all without bulking you up to the size of a Miami condo.

And trust us, it doesn't take that long to accomplish. Here's what you need to do:

Every day

•    Walk. For 30 minutes. No matter what. No excuses. It doesn't matter if you do this all at once or break it up into as many as three shorter sessions. The weather stinks? Just do this walking workout at home.
Tally up your successes with this walking tracker.

•    Stretch. Once your body is warm (after walking, for instance), stretch for 5 minutes to help elongate your muscles.

Three times a week (once you've mastered walking every day)
•    Do the 20-minute workout. The only equipment you need is your body. And
o    Choose your level:
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced

The Benefits of a Weight Loss Dietary Supplement

The benefits of a weight loss dietary supplement in the world of bodybuilding are huge. Bodybuilding, after all, isn't about gaining weight - it's about losing body fat and building lean muscle mass. Therefore, the benefits of a weight loss dietary supplement for bodybuilding should be obvious.

Unfortunately, not all weight loss dietary supplements are created equally. Some are absolute junk. Others are absolutely dangerous over the long term, and only one comes out an absolute winner. That one is called creatine.

There are 'experts' who suggest that creatine does not help one to lose weight. Science has proven them wrong - time and time again - and in most cases, they are touting the benefits of a different weight loss supplement. One must question whether they are experts on bodybuilding or weight loss, or experts on selling products related to weight loss or bodybuilding.

Again, science has proven over and over again that an increase in creatine helps to burn fat, while increasing your ability to gain lean muscle mass - which is exactly what you want when you are trying to sculpt the perfect body.

When you saturate your body with creatine, a proven weight loss dietary supplement among many other beneficial things, something miraculous happens. First, your muscles start to attract water. This makes the muscles bigger - bigger muscles need more energy, but because you haven't increased the size of your organs, such as your stomach, you aren't eating any more than you normally would. When this happens, the muscles start using your stores of body fat for the extra energy that they require. 

With this bit of information, any woman who does not want to bulk up may run screaming from creatine. However, you really shouldn't. While the muscles get bigger - they only get slightly bigger, and if you paid attention, you noticed that they got bigger due to the fact that the cells are filling up with water. You can think of this like water weight, which eventually falls off. The muscles will eventually decrease back to their normal size without continued usage (after you've lost the fat that you wish to lose).

For bodybuilders, however, this could be considered a problem. It isn't though. Unlike a woman who is trying to lose weight - and not trying to bulk up - you are trying to bulk up. When you drench your muscles with creatine, not only are you getting the weight loss dietary supplement benefits of creatine, but you are also enabling your muscles to work harder and longer during your workouts - which means that despite the muscle 'water weight,' you are still actually building muscle.

When it comes to creatine as a weight loss dietary supplement, whether you are trying to build muscle or not makes no difference - everybody wins.

BURN THE FAT Q & A WITH TOM VENUTO

BURN THE FAT Q & A WITH TOM VENUTO
http://www.BurnTheFat.com
http://www.BurnTheFat.Com/innercircle
-----------------------------------------

QUESTION:

Hi Tom, I'm 4 foot 11 and now weigh 46 kg with 22% Body fat. I am doing 4 weight training sessions and 6 cardio sessions/wk.

The cardio usually fasted, on a treadmill doing 4-5 degree incline walking at 6.8km/h for 40 min and 5-10 min cool down. It says for my weight I burn 362 cals. I'm not sure what i burn with weight training, it takes about 40 min to complete.

I have created my food plan for the week and I'm thinking of doing a 30% deficit which brings me to approx 1280 calories daily.

I wanted to change something (reduce calories) because I haven't had any results for 2 weeks now and I don't think I can fit in anymore cardio sessions. I'm also planning to use your carb cycling approach, using
the 3 low/ 1 high day rotation.

My question: Do I need to eat at or above my maintenance calories to make the refeed/high day effective or is ok if I'm about 150 cals short? I find it hard to eat all the food.

The fat is coming off really slow. Reading about other people's body fat loss in your Inner Circle success stories (I'm a member), is inspiring, but also a little discouraging as mine is so slow.

Also, with the bodyfat scales, why is the BF% reading always higher, in my case anyway, compared to the Accumeasure calipers, which i still havent mastered yet?

ANSWER:

One thing to keep in mind is that at 4' 11" and 46 kg, you have fairly low calorie needs.

You may have heard (or, heh, realized), that it's more difficult for women to lose fat than men. Immediately most people think it must be estrogen or hormonal issues. But perhaps the biggest factor is NOT hormones, but the simple fact that women are usually smaller and lighter than men.

When you have a smaller body, you have lower calorie needs. When you have lower calorie needs, your relative deficit (20%, 30% etc) gives you a smaller absolute deficit and therefore you lose fat more slowly than someone who is larger and can create a large deficit more easily.

For example, if my TDEE is 3300 calories a day (Im 5' 8" and moderately to very active), then a 20% deficit is 660 calories, which brings me to 2640 calories a day. On paper, that will give me about 1.3 lbs of wt loss per week, rather painlessly, I might add.

If I bumped my calorie burn up or decreased my intake by another 340 a day, that's enough to give me a 2 lbs per week wt loss.

That's hardly a starvation diet (Ahhh the joys of being a man). For smaller women, the math equation is very different.

If your total daily energy expenditure is only 1970 calories, even at a VERY high exercise level, then a 20% deficit for you is only 394 calories which would put you at 1576 calories a day for (on paper) only 8/10th of a lb of fat loss/wk.

If you pursued your plan to take a more aggressive calorie deficit of 30%, that puts you at a 591 calorie deficit which would now drop you down to only 1382 calories/day.

That's starting to get fairly low in calories. However, you would still have a fairly small calorie deficit. In fact, I
I would get to eat almost twice as many calories as you and I'd still get almost twice the weekly rate of fat loss!

What this all means is that women who are petite or have a small body size are going to lose fat more slowly than larger women and much more slowly than men, so you cannot compare yourself to them.

It's great to be inspired by our success stories, but if you're looking for someone to model yourself after, choose one of our success stories of someone your body size and wt, rather than the folks who started 100 lbs overweight and were therefore easily dropping 3 lbs a week.

ONE POUND a week of fat loss is much more in line with a realistic goal for someone your body size. Overweight people can lose it faster. You are already 22% body fat at only 46 kg. (so look on the bright side - you are NOT overweight - you are simply working on getting even leaner than you already are).

The numbers of your plan look to be in the ballpark and your strategy makes sense. You simply need to be extremely consistent with your nutrition over time.

Suggestion #1: Weigh and measure all your food any time you feel you are stuck at a plateau, just to be sure. When your calorie expenditure is on the low side, you don't have much margin for error.

Suggestion #2:  Take your body comp measurements with a grain of salt, esp if you are using Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) scales (they are a bit wonky) and remember that body comp testing is seldom perfect. Pay attention to your circumference measurements, how your clothes fit and how you look in the mirror and in photos as well.

Suggestion #3: You might actually want to take fewer refeeds -once a week instead of every 4th day, or even just once every 10-14 days, so you can get a larger weekly deficit. To answer your question, yes it is ok if your 150 cals short on high carb days if you are full (be happy that you are full - many people have to deal with constant hunger when the calories get low)

Suggestion #4: You may want to take 2 or 3 of your long cardios on the treadmill and switch them to intense intervals or ANY other type of activity that has potential to burn more than 362 calories for an hour's investment of time, or perhaps that equivalent calorie burn in less time. No need to add more days of cardio or more time - get the most out of the time you are already spending.

Suggestion #5: If you do intervals, don't make the workout too brief (ignore the advertisements for those "4 minute miracle" workouts, etc etc), or you may burn fewer calories than you were before! In fact, you might even try the method where you do HIIT for 15-20 min, then continue for another 30-40 at slow to medium
intensity. Increasing total calories burned should be your focus

Dropping only ONE pound per week (or less) may seem excruciatingly slow, but it's actually the same type of thing I do. As a bodybuilder, I go from lean to extremely lean when I diet and I don't expect more than a pound a week during contest cuts.

You are in a similar situation, even if not competing. Even if you get a half a pound a week fat loss, if you get that progress every week, that's what you're looking for - steady progress - even if slow.

It's entirely possible that you HAVE been making progress, only very slowly. With the way water weight and glycogen levels can fluctuate (and lean mass may increase), a half a pound or pound fat loss in a week could have been easily masked...and therefore, missed. That's one of the drawbacks of going by the scale alone.

Understand the calorie math I explained above and be patient, watching for slow and steady progress, paying special attention to the trend over time on your progress chart.

Keep after it - the persistence will pay, I promise!

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto author of
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle
http://www.BurnTheFat.com

Founder & CEO,
Burn The Fat Inner Circle
http://www.BurnTheFat.Com/innercircle

PS. You can learn about more fat loss strategies (including the details about the carb cycling method) inside my ebook, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle. Learn more and see some of the inspiring before and after success stories at: http://www.BurnTheFat.com

Foods That Burn Fat, Foods That Turn To Fat

Foods That Burn Fat, Foods That Turn to Fat This recommended list of “fat-burning foods,” also known in the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (BFFM) program as “the terrific twelve,” might be the most valuable resource you’ve ever laid your hands on. Although the possible variety is your food choices is nearly infinite, these twelve are the staple foods that should make up the foundation of your program. Variety is important, but these are the foods you can’t go wrong with and the ones you’ll keep coming back to time after time.

1. Oatmeal

If I could only choose one source of complex, starchy carbohydrates for a fat loss program, this would be it! Oatmeal is the one carbohydrate food that virtually 100% of all bodybuilders and fitness models eat on a daily basis. What makes it so great? Well, although it’s a starchy carbohydrate, oatmeal has a nice balance between carbs, protein and good fat.

A half a cup contains 3 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs and 5 grams of protein. The low glycemic index, combined with the presence of protein and fat makes oatmeal a very slowly released carb – exactly what you’re looking for when you want to get lean. Make sure you choose the all-natural oats; either old-fashioned oats (such as Quaker) or the quick oats. Stay away from the sweetened and or flavored oatmeal packets. Oatmeal is delicious with natural (sugar free) applesauce and cinnamon. Or, try some crushed walnuts or flaxseeds in your morning oats, which will give your “porridge” a nice crunchy texture while adding those desirable “good fats” we all need. For a complete meal, try a couple scoops of Vanilla Praline flavored protein powder in your oatmeal. If you get tired of oatmeal, there are plenty of other cooked whole grain cereals in the “oatmeal family.” Look in your local health food store (or a gourmet supermarket) for barley, wheat, titricale, rye, oat bran and flax cereals (or a multi grain combination of the above).

2. Yams (and sweet potatoes) 

Right behind oatmeal, yams (and sweet potatoes) are probably my second favorite starchy carbohydrate. Flavorful, all-natural, low in calories, and packed with nutrients and antioxidants like beta-carotene, it’s no wonder yams are a favorite carbohydrate among bodybuilders, fitness competitors and health-seekers alike. According to Brian Rowley, science editor for FLEX magazine, “Bodybuilders use yams when cutting bodyfat because they are low on the glycemic index. Waxy white potatoes (boilers) are high on the glycemic index, so they make an excellent postworkout meal, but nothing compares with a yam the rest of the time.”

Although the glycemic index is a secondary factor when making carb choices on the BFFM program, if you’re carb sensitive or if you’re on a very strict diet (like a contest diet), then the glycemic index should be given more weight in your choices. Yams are one of the best. Sweet potatoes are not exactly the same thing as yams (they’re slightly higher on the glycemic index), but they’re otherwise similar, which also makes them good choices for fat burning diets. You can identify a yam by its darker orange color, pointier ends and unusual sizes/shapes. Combine a yam with a green veggie, a chicken breast, lean red meat or fish, and you’ve got yourself a perfect fat-loss-for-idiots-diet fat-burning, muscle building, metabolism boosting meal.

3. Potatoes (white or red) 

Potatoes have earned an undeserved reputation as a food to avoid on a fat loss program. But think about it; Potatoes meet every criteria of a great carbohydrate: potatoes are a complex carb. They are all-natural. They contain fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are filling. They are low in calories. So why do people avoid them? One reason is because they confuse a dry potato with a loaded potato. Smother a potato with butter, sour cream and bacon bits and then you’ve got yourself a fattening, calorie-dense ensemble. Eat it dry or top it with Butter sprinkles, salsa or your favorite low fat, low calorie topping and you can’t go wrong. Another reason people might avoid the potato is because they are using the glycemic index as their primary gauge for choosing carbohydrates. Potatoes are high on the glycemic index, which means they are absorbed as blood sugar very rapidly.

What most people don’t realize however, is that when you eat your potato as a whole meal with your favorite lean protein, the glycemic index of the entire meal is much lower. Most people also don’t realize that some white potatoes are higher in the GI than others. Baking potatoes are higher in amylose, a slow releasing starch, so the glycemic index is lower. Russet potatoes are also moderate on the GI. Waxy potatoes or boilers are high GI foods. If you’re extremely carb sensitive or hypoglycemic, then you might want to eat more yams than white potatoes, but generally speaking, white potatoes make a superb addition to almost any fat burning diet. I personally eat white potatoes right up until the day of a bodybuilding contest and I have no difficulty reaching 3-4% body fat.

4. Brown Rice

Brown rice is another staple food of bodybuilders and you often see the “muscled ones” chowing down platefuls of rice, both in season and out of season (in smaller quantities during the “cutting-up” season). Prior to contests, bodybuilders sometimes reduce the amount of rice (starchy carbs) and add in more green veggies (fibrous carbs), but rice is a solid year round staple, as long as you keep your calories in check. Obviously, this means avoiding fried rice or other rice dishes that have added fat and calories. Steamed or boiled rice is the way to go. Of the many types of rice, slow-cooked brown rice or basmati rice are your number one choices. Instant (pre-cooked) rice is fine when you’re in a crunch for time, but the instant rice digests much more quickly and is processed in the body more like a simple carbohydrate. The same goes for white rice, especially the sweet variety that’s usually served in Chinese and Asian restaurants (including sushi rolls). White rice is the processed version of brown rice. Although it’s still technically a starchy complex carbohydrate, the white rice burns faster and has been stripped of much of its nutritional value. When you’re on a very strict fat loss diet, stick with the slow-cooking brown rice for best results.

5. 100% whole wheat and whole grain products

The “baseline diet” can and should contain a wide variety of bread products with one condition: They must be made from 100% whole grains (and the label must say, “100% whole wheat” or “100% whole grain” as the first ingredient). White bread and anything made out of white flour is not allowed in any quantity on this program (except the occasional planned “cheat meal”). If you’re particularly carb-sensitive, then bread – even the whole wheat variety – is one of the first things to go.

A small handful of people – usually one in 200, depending on what source you listen to – have sensitivity to the gluten in the wheat. Gluten is a protein found in wheat products and, much like lactose intolerance from dairy products, gluten intolerance can cause digestive difficulties and bloating in certain individuals. Most competitive bodybuilders drop out all the pasta and bread products for the 12-16 week dieting period before a contest, then usually put them back in for off-season maintenance. On very strict fat loss diets, wheat and bread products are usually eliminated completely. Generally speaking, however, 100% whole wheat and other whole grains are perfectly acceptable additions to a healthy diet for long term body composition control, it just depends on how “strict” you want or need to be with your nutrition.

6. Green fibrous vegetables (broccoli, green beans, asparagus, lettuce, etc) 

Fibrous carbs are your number one choice for fat burning carbohydrates. Green vegetables, also known as fibrous carbs, hardly contain any calories (they have a low calorie density). It’s virtually impossible to overeat green vegetables. Eat them liberally and eat more of them late in the day. A diet of green vegetables combined with lean proteins is one of the best methods of getting lean as quickly as possible.

7. Fresh Fruit 

Whole fruits are a fantastic, healthy food suitable for nearly any fat loss program. Although there are some “guru’s” in the bodybuilding industry who claim, “fruit is fattening,” this statement is somewhat misleading. It’s true that a diet of mostly complex carbohydrate will give you better results than a diet of mostly simple carbohydrates, but that’s not the same thing as saying “fruit is fattening.” Although fruits are simple carbohydrates, they are natural simple carbohydrates. Most fruits are low in calories, low in carbohydrate grams (compared to starches) and high in fiber.

Some fruits such as raisins are extremely calorie dense and best avoided when you’re on a strict fat loss program and your calorie allotment is small. Fruits like apples, peaches, grapefruits, and oranges, at only 60-80 calories apiece (or less), are a great addition to almost any nutritional plan. Just make sure the majority of your carbohydrates are of the complex type. An all-fruit or mostly fruit diet won’t be as effective for fat loss as one that is mostly green fibrous carbohydrates with lean protein.

8. Skim milk & nonfat dairy products

“Dairy products” cover an entire category of foods including milk, cheese, yogurt, sugar free frozen yogurt, and cottage cheese. To make it on the BFFM “approved” list, a dairy product must be labeled “fat-free,” “skim,” or 1% lowfat. Whole milk dairy products are not allowed, as they are high in fat. Even 2% low fat milk is still 37.5% fat by calories.

Dairy products are a “combination food” – they contain carbohydrates and proteins. Because the protein found in dairy products is high quality, complete protein, a high protein dairy product can count as an exchange for a protein food. For example, you could have non-fat cottage cheese as a protein instead of a serving of lean meat. Non-fat cheese can also boost the protein content of a meal. Yogurt tends to have less protein than cottage cheese, so a single container of yogurt wouldn’t count as a full protein serving. In fact, yogurt would count more as a simple carbohydrate exchange than a protein (although, you could mix in a scoop of protein powder into your yogurt to make it “high-protein yogurt).

9. Chicken Breast (and Turkey Breast)

Chicken and turkey are probably the number one most popular protein sources among bodybuilders and fat loss seekers. Remove the skin and get the light meat found in the breasts. The thighs are higher in fat and calories. Naturally, your poultry should be broiled, grilled, or roasted and not fried.

Also, we’re talking about the real bird here, not the sliced lunch meat you find at deli’s or pre-packed in supermarkets. Lunch meats are processed proteins. Some nutritionists call them “fabricated foods” because they are made from a mix and poured into a mold before being cooked and wrapped. While these are acceptable occasionally, don’t make them a staple in your regular daily diet. Lunch meats are loaded with sodium, preservatives, binders, fillers and other nasty chemicals that you don’t want floating around in your body!

10. Egg whites 

The name of the game in fat-burning, muscle-building nutrition is to eat a lean protein with every meal. With zero fat, egg whites are as lean as lean proteins get. Egg whites are right up there with chicken breasts as one of the top three lean proteins of choice for losing fat and gaining muscle. Eggs are a super-high quality protein. The problem with whole eggs is the high fat and calorie content. Fortunately, 100% of the fat is in the yolk, while the protein is split evenly between the yolk and the white. This doesn’t mean you have to throw out all your yolks, but it does mean you should limit your yolks. I’d recommend one yolk for every six whites you eat. Just crack them open, and separate the yolk from the white using the edge of the shell. Or, even easier, simply use “Egg Beaters” or another packaged egg white product. There must be hundreds of ways to make eggs, so use your imagination: Omelets, frittatas, scrambled, fried (in nonstick spray), over easy, sunnyside up, hard-boiled or any other way you like them, use egg whites liberally!

11. Fish and shellfish

Many people complain about the lack of variety in a bodybuilding-style fat-burning diet, which typically has you eating egg whites, tuna and chicken day in, day out. What most people don’t eat enough of is fish and seafood. By using different types of fish and shellfish as protein sources, you can add an incredible amount of variety a well as getting those valuable good fats. Here is just a partial list of fish to consider: salmon, tuna, haddock, flounder, mackerel, trout, snapper, sea bass, swordfish, mahi mahi, perch, orange roughy, sole, Halibut, herring cod and catfish.

As with other meats, eat your fish baked, grilled or broiled and avoid fatty, high calorie sauces and butter. Most fish are very low in fat and high in protein. Some fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and trout, are high in fat. However, because fish is so high in Omega 3 fatty acids, these fish can and should be used liberally. Shellfish have many of the benefits that fish have and it can add some variety to your diet if you’re getting bored of egg whites and chicken. This category includes shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, etc. By the way, when you’re eating in restaurants, fish is a great choice, as long as you make sure there are no hidden bad fats or extra calories.

12. Lean red meat 

Bodybuilders are quite famous for loving their red meat. Many bodybuilders believe that red meat helps muscle growth, and there may be much truth in that statement. Red meat is high in protein, B-12, iron and creatine. The problem with most cuts of red meat is the high fat content. However, not all cuts of red meat are the same. It’s a mistake to label the entire red meat category as a no-no because of high fat content. If you carefully choose the leanest cuts possible and keep your portion sizes small, red meat can be a great addition to a fat burning program. For example, a 6 oz serving of lean, trimmed top round steak has only 9 grams of fat, while a 6 oz of untrimmed porterhouse has 37 grams of fat (and the 18 oz porterhouse you’re often served in a steak house has over 100 grams of fat!)

About the Author: Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, personal trainer, gym owner, success coach, freelance writer and author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM): Fat Burning Secrets of the World's Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom has written over 160 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN magazine, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine, Olympian’s News, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise. Tom’s informative and inspiring articles have been featured in literally dozens of websites and e-zines worldwide. You can visit Tom on the web at Fitness Renaissance (www.fitren.com) or www.burnthefat.com. You can subscribe to his monthly E-mail newsletter at www.fitren.com/listserv.cfm

14 STEPS TO FAT LOSS - A Special Report

So many professionals say it, even I do, fat loss is about one thing, energy. Burn more of it than you have and BAM… fat loss. If only it were really that simple. If only those few simple words took into account everything it takes to actually lose fat. The mental aspect of fat loss is beyond complicated, and this is not a psychology 101 class. What I am presenting to you is the 14 steps everyone, no matter what level of knowledge or training they have, should take before they attempt fat loss. Meaning, this isn’t going to tell you how to physically lose fat, it doesn’t even tell you how to mentally lose fat. No, I can’t help you with desire and motivation. This is the foolproof method of the steps you need to start the journey into fat loss. You follow these 14 steps, and I promise you by the end you will achieve fat loss on a level like never before, no matter how advanced you think you are. 

Step 1: Acceptance 

This is without a doubt the most important step. I know what you are thinking “um yeah I know okay, I am fat, what more do you want from me?!” No, don’t just accept that you are overweight, accept that it’s your doing that you are overweight. See we like to blame our excess weight on things like depression, work, being busy, getting comfortable in life, etc. The truth is at all times you are aware of what, how much, and when you are eating. So unless you have been living under a rock, (sorry family in phone commercial) then you know that food is part of what contributes to weight gain. In fact, unless you have a medical condition, it is the only contribution to weight gain. Accepting that the fate of your body lies in what you eat is the first and most important step you can take in your fat loss journey. 

Step 2: Voice Change 

Now that you have accepted that you are responsible for what you have done and are still doing, its time to admit the need for change. This isn’t about actual change, this is about voicing that the change is going to occur. The instant you accept that you are ready for change you have to voice it in some shape or form. Write it down, youtube it, whatever, but open up the world to it, swallow your pride and make your need of change known. 

Step 3: Plan Action 

This is just like before, this isn’t time for action, this is time to plan it. If you jump in right now where is that going to get you? You need to get a plan together on how to put this change into effect. Skipping this step alone is where most people go wrong. They accept and voice they have a problem and then they just jump into trying to fix it without really planning the next step. If you really want to change, you need to plan how it is going to come about. How are you going to go from one step to the next with out coordinating the steps to make? 

The next few steps revolve around education, how are you going to get that education? Computer, teacher, or what about a trainer? If you decide you want to join a gym, plan on how to find the best gym, what questions to ask, and feel out if you are comfortable with the workers there. Don’t ever go into any step blindly, always have a plan. 

Step 4: Learn nutrition 

Remember how we discussed that food is what ultimately makes you lose or gain weight? How much do you know about what you eat? Do you know if the last meal you had was made up of more fat, protein, or carbs? What about how much you need to eat for your body, and your activity level? Nutrition is 80% of the battle in fat loss, learn it and you will conquer a big chunk of the battle. A great way to do that is to pick the right materials to learn from. I wrote an “easy to follow” guide that teaches you the basics called “The Fat Loss Troubleshoot”. It not only gives you the nutrition information that you need to know but also gives links to even more sources. 

Step 5: Learn Training 

The average person’s idea of a workout is a sad thing. This isn’t entirely their fault. The media in all sources perpetuate myths about training left and right. While losing fat is about energy, (and diet is key) understand that training makes things go smoother and faster. This isn’t about being a cardio bunny or about grabbing magazine/book to read while working out on a machine, and I can 100% say that the “Glute Master” should NOT be in your program. I can say what should be in your program are full body movements, aggressive aerobic training, and most importantly progression with every workout. The more you learn about training, the fewer mistakes you are likely to make, meaning better results and less chance of injury. 

Step 6: Learn Everything Else 

There is more to nutrition than just understanding what you should and shouldn’t be eating. You need to know HOW to cook the food you are eating too. Learn everything you can and make your new goal engulf you life. Learn about cooking, the shoes you need to buy, and the different equipment you can use. Research the people you are getting your “facts” from. Investigate everything! Take nothing as gospel in fitness after reading just one study, or person’s point of view. When you have a question, take the time to find the answer. LEARN and when you are done with that, learn some more. 

Step 7: Plan Your Days 

Before you start to plan food and working out, you need to plan your actual days out. You know the drill, start on MONDAY! If you didn’t know Monday’s hold secret keys to the universe in form of psychological and physical change…not really but you can think that if you want. It doesn’t matter when you start, just commit to actually doing it. First you need to plan out the things in your life that you can’t change. Then you can open up other slots for negotiations. For example, you can’t help or change when you have to work, but you can set up your TIVO to record the new episode of “Lost”. If you know you need at least an hour to relax before bed, take that time to watch the show, instead of trying to fit in a workout. Planning has become a lost art, you should become a master of it. 

Step 8: Plan Your Workouts 

After you have figured out where you have breathing room, it is time to throw your workout in. There is not one magical time of the day that is best to work out. You figure out what works best for you. If you like to get it done and don’t want to think about it for the rest of the day then maybe a morning workout is for you. If you want to take the stresses of your job out on the treadmill then the 5:30 rush maybe your style. If you hate a crowd and hate mornings then perhaps you are a pre-bed lifter. All have pros and cons, don’t let that guide you, just go with what pops out at you and plan it. My schedule can be kind of crazy, I have to take what I can get. My days can be morning one day, evening another, or a quick lunch workout break. If I plan well, I can always fit in my workout. I MAKE TIME for it so it gets done. 

Step 9: Plan Your Meals 

If a client tells me they didn’t have a choice in what they had to eat, I say “No, you didn’t have a plan.” Always have a meal plan, always have a back up, never give yourself the excuse of having to grab something. If you end up in that position it is because you are not committed and don’t care to make a real change, simple as that. Now don’t get mad, you can plan the fun cheats to eat along with the good foods! When you plan the naughty foods you don’t end up eating a stale peanut butter cracker and thinking “great, I just blew my diet for that!” With the right planning you can set up your program with treats thrown in between all that solid nutrition you are going to be having. It doesn’t just stop there either. Plan your cooking and your meals step by step. Leave no stone unturned in your nutrition program so you can know exactly what you are taking into your body. Never guess and never settle, because your body deserves better than that. Once you do this, all of a sudden you realize you are on autopilot and it won't seem so hard anymore. 

Step 10: Pick a Weekly Weakness 

This one is really important because everything in fat loss is about progress. Progress in your workouts, nutrition, and in actual fat loss is all important. Inside every fat loss trainee is a mound of skills balanced out with a mound of weakness. Every week you take it upon yourself to pick out one of those weaknesses and attack it head on. For example, maybe your workout program is great and your nutrients are all set up and you are getting what you need but your food tastes like crap because you can’t cook. ATTACK that weakness. Have the week devoted to learning how to cook. If a week isn't enough do it for two or three weeks, just attack that weakness until it becomes strength. When that is done you move on to the next one until you are a pillar of strength, and the only thing weak in you is your selection of needed improvement. 

Step 11: Purge 

Get rid of your old life in every way. Don’t hang on to food because it would be a waste and it needs to be eaten. That kind of thinking just makes you put off really starting the program. The world is going to surround you with constant temptation, so you need to have your home be your safe ground. If it isn't in your home, you can't eat it! While you are at it, don’t keep big baggy clothes that you feel comfortable in. You aren’t going to be using them anymore so chuck it. Remember you can’t return to something that isn’t there. 

Step 12: Go Shopping 

So you have got the plan for what you need to workout, and you have the foods you are going to eat written down. But then you realize you need a brand new notebook to keep track of your progress. Yes it is time to go shopping! Truly the most fun part of getting into shape is buying all the goods that go along with it. Workout gear, cooking supplies, food to replace what you have purged, notepads, software, whatever… just go buy it and have the best time doing it because you are starting your new journey. Some people run into a problem spending money on themselves, to that I say remember this is your body, you only have one. 

Step 13: Set Up Support 

You have got everything together now, but one of the most important aspects to keeping it up, accountability. Be it your husband, kids, friends, strangers, or a message board just make sure you have not only a shoulder to lean on, but also someone to keep you accountable. Sometimes we give up on ourselves; even the strongest of people just aren’t enough for themselves. So prepare yourself for that, have a core of people that you don’t want to disappoint. Let’s face it, as much as it may be hard to believe sometimes the average person really cares about what others think. We really care if we let someone down. If you have that kind of guilt and burden then great, use it! Turn it into something positive for yourself and set up a system of support that gives you a hug when you want one and a kick in the rear when you need one. 

Step 14: Start Your Engines 


It’s time! You are all ready to go. You have nothing holding you back now. Your workout plans are set up, your meals are all laid out, and you even sprung for that special Tupperware and cooler so that you are never left without a choice. Now it is time to apply it. It is going to be weird at first, change always does. Hey but you have been prepping for this change so long. You have been doing this for days now and look at all you have gotten done! Seems a little silly to turn back now doesn’t it? You have no clothes; you have all this healthy food, new cook books, a gym membership, workout gear, even on of those ipods. You practically took a study course on nutrition and can design your own training program. Now all you have to do is take eh about 40 mins at most a day and apply the workout. Maybe another 20-30 minutes. to heat up your meals because you set aside a bulk cooking day on Sunday that covered half of your meals for the week. You are all set to go, all you have to do is put it in action. Somehow, someway you woke up and you weren’t just trying to lose fat anymore, you woke up and found you. 

Burn More Fat With Ephedrine and Ephedra

If Laura Fraser, the Good Houskeeping writer who recently surveyed the most popular natural diet aids, 1 wanted to be objective about ephedra, she could have looked up the word in a Chinese dictionary. Ephedra, roughly translates to “astringent” and “yellow.” Instead, Fraser likes another definition for the Chinese herb: “legalized speed.” Mainstream America has discovered a better, nonprescription fat-burning pill than the recently withdrawn dexfenfluramine (Redux), but a barrage of government-sponsored misinformation—paid for by our tax dollars—is contradicting 75 years of scientific research, not to mention 5,000 years of safe use in Chinese medicine! It’s time to set the record straight, starting with giving credit where credit is due: The man who turned on the American public to this thermogenic health food is Paul Delia, a bodybuilder and gym owner from Pascagoula, Mississippi, who’s also the owner of the supplement company AST Research.

Coulda Been Kazabol

“Matter of fact, I wasn’t thinking about thermogenesis,” Paul said. “I just wanted to be kick-ass strong in the gym, but I didn’t wanna go fruitcake with amphetamine use, so I started looking into the body’s closest thing: adrenaline. I stumbled onto ephedrine back in ’87. I read that it was a milder but longer-lasting form of adrenaline, the body’s numero-uno fright, flight or fight hormone. So I asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) how I could sell ephedrine, which was an over-the counter asthma medicine at the time. What a pain! The label had to have specific words, in a type that was a certain size. I even had to have an FDA-approved label glued on—and it had to be bombproof so it wouldn’t fall off. I was determined, though, and Dymetadrine 25 was launched.”

The problem with over-the-counter, refined ephedrine, is that you can’t stack just anything in the tablet with it, unless you get an FDA approval for the combination, like the ephedrine-and-theophylline combinations in Bronkaid and Primatene tablets. Right after AST’s Dymetadrine 25 sales started shooting through the roof, Cybergenics put out an herbal capsule stack containing ephedra, the unrefined—and, more important, unregulated— herb stacked with caffeine and called it Cyber- Blast. Before then I’d thought that all Cybergenics products were crap, but I had to admit that Cyber-Blast was pretty good. It was a sneaky way of stacking ephedrine and caffeine without the FDA’s butting in—and keep in mind that up to this point nobody had yet mentioned fat burning. I knew that many health food stores were reluctant to sell pure ephedrine, and even Cyber-Blast looked too drug like for them; so in 1992 Next Nutrition’s David Jenkins and I resurrected my 10-year-old Ultimate Orange and called it “Tang With a Bang.”

In the ’80s hardcore bodybuilders had this maxim: Real bodybuilders don’t read—let alone believe—scientific research. It was very hard to look things up back then—before at-home Internet Medline access. We had to go to the medical libraries and pour over hundreds of bound volumes called Index Medicus—and all we found out was that “Steroids don’t work.” If I’d been really on the ball back then, I would have known about the extensive history and refinement of the ephedrine and-caffeine theromogenic stack, but I was a know-it-all, a dumbshit. Rather than discuss the research in the haphazard way I discovered it, here’s a chronological outline of the scientific developments regarding ephedra and ephedrine.

It’s Not Some Pinko-Commie Plot

Ephedrine is a white, refined nonprescription drug. Ephedra is a soot-colored herbal, and there are numerous ephedra varieties—about 40—that are grown in many desert like climates. In America we have a variant called Ephedra nevadensis, also known as Mormon tea. Unrefined ephedra has two distinct isomers, lephedrine and d-pseudoephedrine. For example, the Chinese mahuang (Ephedra sinica) is mostly l-ephedrine. Mormon tea, though, is mostly the much-less-stimulating d-pseudoephedrine. So, when you buy the herbal variety, you get some pseudoephedrine with your ephedrine. The ephedrine alkaloid (2-methylamino-1-phenyl-1-propanol) was introduced in the Western medical community in 1923.2,3 As its potency is about 85 percent that of the body’s noradenaline (in itself a weak adenaline), people tried ephedrine for a host of illnesses over the years: asthma, heart block, narcolepsy, depression, hypotension4 and some forms of insulin-induced edema.5 At present the approved use of ephedrine is for mild asthma.

Dr. Eriksen, a general practitioner working in the small town, had noticed that many of his asthmatic patients had reduced appetites when they used a triple stack of ephedrine, caffeine and Phenobarbital.

Hamlet’s Hometown Hits the Big Time!

The first instance of ephedrine being used as a weight-loss drug took place in Ellsinore, Denmark, in 1972.6 Dr. Eriksen, a general practitioner working in the small town, had noticed that many of his asthmatic patients

had reduced appetites when they used a triple stack of ephedrine, caffeine and Phenobarbital. The narcotic was included to quell the jitters—or it was a canny business move aimed at hooking the patients into buying more. By 1977, 70,000 people were taking the so-called Ellsinore pill. That same year the Danish government issued a “cease prescribing” warning to all doctors about the product after a number of skin rashes, attributed to the Phenobarbital. were reported.

Dissin’ Doc Eriksen

The revival of ephedrine and caffeine as an obesity-fighting drug has been an unusually long and cautious process, considering there are numerous studies from 1923 onward showing the effects of ephedrine and methylxanthines (caffeine and theophylline) on bronchial dilation in humans. Even Dr. Eriksen didn’t make the connection that ephedrine and caffeine formed a thermogenic compound that increased energy expenditure. He thought it was simply an appetite suppressant. It wasn’t until 1981 that a traditional research study “proved” that ephedrine with caffeine reduced appetite.6 Before that academia stalled the research, invoking the infamous NIH clause: Not-Invented-Here. Poor Doc Eriksen was the Rodney Dangerfield of the fat-loss field.

Bat-Man (No, Not the Pedophile in the Comic Books)

From the late ’70s the research was showing that ephedrine causes energy expenditure in various laboratory animals, but it took about nine years for human studies to tart appearing.7,2,8,9 Obscuring the central issue was a debate that was going on at the same time about the existence in humans of brown adipose tissue (BAT), which is a heat regulator in many mammals. Some of the initial research was incorrect in showing that humans had BAT between their shoulder blades, as the heat increase that appeared to take place was due to increased blood flow. Humans do have a small amount of BAT surrounding their kidneys, 10 but its thermogenic effect on the whole body is small.

When scientists agreed that ephedrine was thermogenic in humans, they still had no firm recommendations of ephedrine dosage. Some studies showed the best thermogenic response at the lowest dosage, 10 milligrams.2 Others showed that 20 milligrams created no increase in heat.

They tried other ratios but discovered that 20 milligrams of ephedrine gets a maximal thermogenic effect with 200 milligrams of caffeine. Note that those were the amounts used in the ’92 study.

If It Works for Asthma…

You’d think that a scientist would have thought of the obvious sooner: If ephedrine and caffeine combinations work well together in treating asthma, they should be similarly effective for thermogenic benefits. Caffeine is thermogenic at the higher dosages, 11,12,13,5 so the ephedrine and caffeine stack should have at least an additive thermogenic effect. 14,15,16,17,9,18 It was only in 1992 that a team of Danish researchers established the ideal synergistic ratio of ephedrine to caffeine at 1-to-10.2 They tried other ratios but discovered that 20 milligrams of ephedrine gets a maximal thermogenic effect with 200 milligrams of caffeine. Note that those were the amounts used in the ’92 study. Many bodybuilders tend to double the dose to 40 milligrams and 400 milligrams, but there’s no evidence that the greater amounts cause a greater energy expenditure. Then, again, some people do it that way because they like it.

The ECA Stack Is Iffy

Methylxanthines weren’t the only substances that showed promise when they were stacked with ephedrine. There was also aspirin. The studies are wildly conflicting on that subject.19,20 An initial study in the ’80s showed a doubled thermogenic response in obese women, but another similar experiment showed no enhanced effect in lean women. What’s more, although many of the popular herbal ephedrine stacks include the aspirin precursor white willow bark, there are no published studies showing that ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin are any better than ephedrine and caffeine alone.

Although many of the popular herbal ephedrine stacks include the aspirin precursor white willow bark, there are no published studies showing that ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin are any better than ephedrine and caffeine alone.

So What’s the Damn Problem?

If ephedrine has been around for so many years, and the research shows it to be effective and safe for weight loss, why is it that Good Housekeeping and the FDA have a vendetta against the ephedrine-and caffeine stack? Many doctors like to say that it’s dangerous, but they’re the same doctors who embraced dexfenfluramine, even though the published research showed that ephedrine and caffeine was not only more thermogenic but was longer lasting as well (50 weeks vs. Redux’s six-month-only effects).10 I don’t usually cast stones, but we wouldn’t have an ephedrine problem if Herbal Ecstasy hadn’t become so popular.

When ephedrine was used only by asthmatics, truck drivers, athletes and dieters, it was pretty much below the horizon of public scrutiny, but the Herbal-X variants appealed to the worst possible segment of the population: adolescents. Many teenagers have a veneer of invulnerability, especially if a powerful stimulant is declared to be “all natural” and so, presumably, safe. Teenagers plus natural high equals abuse plus emergency room visits. Although I’m no friend of the FDA, I feel that the agency could have moved faster against those Herbal-X-type products, the way it did when the herbal fen-phens hit the market.

The FDA can’t ban ephedrine outright, but it can control the claims made on the labels. The agency has been threatening to take control of herbal ephedra—calling for a maximum dose of eight milligrams, not allowing it to be combined with additional stimulants and requiring with a label warning that users should take no more than three doses a day. The way the FDA arrived at those doses is not, obviously, based on any published research. Fortunately, at this point ephedrine-and-caffeine stack is still here.

How Ephedrine Really Works

If you didn’t have a sympathetic nervous system, which branches off your middle spinal column, ephedrine wouldn’t work. No matter, as you’d be dead anyway. The sympathetic nervous system controls all those automatic bodily functions you don’t think about: heart rate, respiration, perspiration, even bowel movements. One of the more interesting aspects of the sympathetic nerves is what they do when you eat too many carbohydrates. Beyond the digestion energy and glucose being converted into either glycogen or triglyceride, some of the extra calories are burned off as heat.22,7,8 It’s the thermogenic effect of carbohydrates— though, technically, it’s insulin that trips the thermogenic switch. The sympathetic nerves secrete a milder form of adrenaline called noradrenaline, which needs hormone receptors to work. The receptors in question are called andrenergic receptors, and the human body has two main types and a number of further subdivisions: alpha (1 and 2) and beta (1, 2, 3, and 4).

In animals, switching on the beta-receptors with noradrenaline via insulin burns excess fat calories in beta-1, -2 and -3 receptors, especiallyin the BAT areas. Humans, having very little BAT, mostly burn glucose and glycogen in skeletal muscle and the liver in something called the Cori cycle, in which carb calories are converted to lactate, and recycled back into glucose and glycogen in the liver.23,10 Ephedrine was originally thought to be simply a stimulator of noradrenaline secretion from the sympathetic nerves. Further research showed that it also acted directly on the andrenergic receptors—mostly the betas but with some alpha effects as well. Ephedrine’s span of activity is about six hours. Although a water-insoluble alkaloid in its natural state, it’s modified with a hydrochloride

or sulfate salt in the refined forms for faster absorption. Herbal ephedras take longer to reach the bloodstream. The odd thing is that ephedrine is considered a fat burner, but it does that by using up the glucose and the glycogen in the skeletal muscle and liver. Only an insignificant amount of direct fat burning occurs in the BAT around the kidneys. Ephedrine actually raises both blood glucose and insulin.24 Most low calorie diets can cause increased nitrogen excretion, but just the opposite happens when you add ephedrine to the low-calorie equation. The effects are similar to those of growth hormone or people on a low-calorie diet: It makes the body rely on fat calories without sacrificing amino acids in the muscle for glucose production.

Ephedrine’s span of activity is about six hours. Although a water in soluble alkaloid in its natural state, it’s modified with a hydrochloride or sulfate salt in the refined forms for faster absorption. Herbal ephedras take longer to reach the bloodstream.

Where Does Caffeine Fit In?

The body has built-in regulating mechanisms so that noradrenaline secreted from the sympathetic nerves is modulated in its effect. Methylxanthines all seem to work on one of the energy precursors in the cells, cyclic andenosine-monophosphate (cAMP), in conjunction with the increase in cAMP due to the effect of noradrenaline on the beta-2 receptors. There was a debate over the years as to what the primary action of the methylxanthines are: They either block adenosine or inhibit phoshodiesterase (PDE), the enzyme that degrades the phosphate in cAMP. Caffeine has both effects, but PDE turned out to be the primary substance that intensifies ephedrine’s thermogenic effect.

Chemists have produced better caffeines that have greater PDE inhabitation (the most promising is enprofylline), which doesn’t influence heart rate as much, but none of the methylxanthine derivatives have been approved yet. Other substances, like forskolin, can potentiate ephedrine, forskolin has a greater adenosine-blocking effect while affecting the heart more.24

What About Aspirin?

The transient autocrine hormones called prostaglandins can, in some cases, inhibit the release of noradrenaline. As mentioned above, some obese women respond dramatically to aspirin stacked with the ephedrine in studies, while less obese women didn’t fare as well. You don’t have to wait for further studies to find out what works for you. Once you’ve established a consistent body temperature rise with ephedrine and caffeine (a $6 digital mouth thermometer will give you the info nicely), you can try adding 300 milligrams of aspirin and see if your body temperature shows an increase from the previous ephedrine and-caffeine elevation.

Thyroid hormone is elevated after about four weeks of chronic ephedrine use. Get this, however: After 12 weeks of ephedrine use thyroid hormone is lower than normal—but thermogenesis is greater than it was during the initial metabolic rise.

The Really Weird Stuff About Ephedrine

The andrenergic receptors are distributed through most cells and organs in the body. At times the beta stimulation from ephedrine can actually increase some hormones. For example, thyroid hormone is elevated after about four weeks of chronic ephedrine use. Get this, however: After 12 weeks of ephedrine use thyroid hormone is lower than nor- mal—but thermogenesis is greater than it was during the initial metabolic rise. What the hell is happening? Eventually, many of the beta-1 and beta-2 receptors will resist the ephedrine and noradrenaline stimulation, but the body won’t freeze you solid. when beta-1s and beta-2s are down regulated, another thermogenic receptor increases. When that odd effect was reported in humans in 1995, the researchers assumed it was the fat-burning beta-3 receptor.26 Recently, however, the beta-3 premise was discounted when the human-specific beta-4 receptor was discovered.

More Information

Studies have shown that only caffeine–and none of its metabolites, the chief one being paraxanthine—is thermogenic with ephedrine. What’s more, research shows that part of the grapefruit rind called naringin puts off the breakdown of caffeine to paraxanthine—and grapefruit blossomed are even better—so some ephedra stacks have that additive.

One of the chief drawbacks to most low-calorie diets is the reduction of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the so-called good cholesterol. Adding ephedrine to a low-calorie diet restores HDL to near normal levels.

The DEA Plays Hardball

The United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) doesn’t like ephedrine. Technically, a smart criminal chemist can make ephedrine into amphetamine. To thwart that, many of the refined ephedrines contain another ingredient that makes them almost impossible to convert: guaifenesin (a mucous-expeller, yuck!). Since the summer of 1997 the DEA has required that all interstate shippers of ephedrine register with the agency. A health food store doesn’t need a DEA license to sell ephedrine for in-store sales, but anyone who wants to sell it to out-of state customers via mail order has to have that license. the punch line is, the DEA stopped the issuing licenses after August ’97.

One of the chief drawbacks to most low calorie diets is the reduction of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the so-called good cholesterol. Adding ephedrine to a low-calorie diet restores HDL to near normal levels.

Worst-Case Scenario

What will happen if the FDA gets every one of its proposed regulations governing ephedra approved? Will products like Ultimate Orange or Twinlab’s Ripped Fuel become illegal? Not to worry: There are plenty of other naturally occurring compounds just as potent as ephedrine and caffeine—or more so.

What About Herbal Fen-Phen?

In essence, the various herbal fen-phens are in the spirit of the original Ellsinore pill: two stimulants (ephedra and caffeine) with a mild antidepressant (Saint-John’s-wort). While there’s no research showing that the antidepressant makes a stack more thermogenic, over stimulation caused by the ephedrine and caffeine is a very valid complaint from many users. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the anti-anxiety herbs like red ginseng didn’t turn out to be a better choice.

Bottom Line: The Best Ephedra Stack, Bar None

Here are some tip for finding a good product.

1) Read the label thoroughly. Ephedras can vary in potency. Multiply the total ephedra per does by the potency percentage to determine the amount of active ephedrine (335 milligrams of raw ephedra times 6 percent gives you 20 milligrams of active ephedrine). The ideal does for the thermogenic effect is to take about 20 milligrams three times a day, or every six hours. If you use more, you may get a better workout due to more contractile force in the muscles, but you won’t necessarily get a better thermogenic effect.

2) The caffeine dose should be 10 times the ephedrine dose. You’ll have to do the same arithmetic to arrive at the active caffeine content. The two chief sources of herbal caffeine are kola nut and guarana.

3) Once you establish a consistent body temperature elevation with ephedrine and caffeine, you can try 300 milligrams of aspirin to see if you get a further thermal enhancement.

4) Refined naringin is not generally available. If you want to try a grapefruit juice chaser, the more bitter the better.

5) Take the product continuously for a while—don’t stop for a while. Ephedrine-caffeine thermogenesis is better at 12 weeks and is still significant at week 50! If the animal-based research holds true, down regulating the beta-1 and beta-2 receptors creates more true fat-burning receptors in the body.

6) The ephedrine-and-caffeine combination has proven unusually safe over the years. Some individuals who are prone to cardiac ailments, hypertension and other medical conditions should stay away from all stimulants. Yes, strokes and heart attacks have occurred while people were using ephedrine—and some cases the victims were seemingly healthy individuals. It appears to be a random occurrence. One case of death from stroke involved a man who used 10 to 20 25-milligram ephedrine tablets a day for 23 years, while another fatality occurred with a healthy 15-year-old football player.

Just remember that herbs and plants are potent drugs. Bodybuilders and dieters have access to a vast unregulated pharmacy called a health food store; however, the drugs are only safe when used with caution and common sense. But don’t wait for the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.

Once you establish a consistent body temperature elevation with ephedrine and caffeine, you can try 300 milligrams of aspirin to see if you get a further thermal enhancement.