| Greg Sushinsky Bodybuilding Fitness, Nutrition & Health |
 |
| Expert: |
Most people who read my articles and e-books know me as a science guy who likes to
quote studies and apply research to everyday problems such as weight loss,
bodybuilding, and other health/fitness related topics. However, sometimes you have to
step back from the science and look at the big picture to help bring people back into focus,
so they can see the forest for the trees, so to speak.
For most people reading this article, finding an effective diet that works most of the time
must seem as complicated as nuclear physics. It’s not, but there are a bewildering
number of choices for diets out there. High fat or no fat? High carbohydrate or no
carbohydrate? Low protein or high protein? To make matters worse, there are a million
variations and combinations to the above diet scenarios to add to the confusion. It seems
endless and causes many people to throw up their hands in frustration and give up. In this
article I will attempt to change all that.
There are some general guidelines, rules of thumb, and ways of viewing a diet program
that will allow you to decide, once and for all, if it’s the right diet for you. You may not always
like what I have to say, and you should be under no illusions this is another quick fix, “lose
100 lbs. in 20 days,” guide of some sort. However, if you are sick and tired of being
confused, tired of taking the weight off only to put it back on, and tired of wondering how to
take the first steps to deciding the right diet for you that will result in permanent weight
loss, then this is the article that could change your life…
Do you need to be a scientist to apply what you will learn here? No. A mind reader or
clairvoyant? No. A nutritionist or medical doctor? Not at all. What you need to be is open-
minded and willing to learn a few key concepts that will allow you to sort through the
confusion.
You will be able to apply what you learn here to any diet you are considering and decide if it
makes sense, once and for all! The process, however, is neither easy nor quick per se,
but I never promised you either of those things… T
his article does not look at specific diets but will teach you to take a logical approach and
apply some common sense to choosing a nutritional plan for life long weight loss. If you
are willing and able to make a paradigm shift, then let’s proceed.
Does your diet pass “The Test”?
What is the number one reason diets fail long term; above all else? The number one
reason is…drum roll…a lack of long term compliance. The numbers don’t lie; the vast
majority of people who lose weight will regain it - and often exceed what they lost. You
knew that already didn’t you?
Yet, what are you doing to avoid it? Here’s another reality check: virtually any diet you pick
which follows the basic concept of “burning” more calories then you consume – the well
accepted “calories in calories out” mantra – will cause you to lose weight. To some
degree, they all work: Atkins-style, no carb diets, low fat high carb diets, all manner of fad
diets - it simply does not matter in the short term.
If your goal is to lose some weight quickly, then pick one and follow it. I guarantee you will
lose some weight. Studies generally find any of the commercial weight loss diets will get
approximately the same amount of weight off after 6 months to a year. For example, a
recent study found the Atkins' Diet, Slim-Fast plan, Weight Watchers Pure Points program,
and Rosemary Conley's Eat Yourself Slim diet, were all equally effective. (1)
Other studies comparing other popular diets have come to essentially the same
conclusions. For example, a study that compared the Atkins diet, the Ornish diet, Weight
Watchers, and The Zone Diet, found them to be essentially the same in their ability to take
weight off after one year. (2)
Recall what I said about the number one reason diets fail, which is a lack of compliance.
The lead researcher of this recent study stated:
“Our trial found that adherence level rather than diet type was the primary predictor of
weight loss”(3)
Translated, it’s not which diet they chose per se, but their ability to actually stick to a diet
that predicted their weight loss success. I can just see the hands going up now, “but Will,
some diets must be better than others, right?” Are some diets better then others?
Absolutely. Some diets are healthier then others, some diets are better at preserving lean
body mass, some diets are better at suppressing appetite – there are many differences
between diets. However, while most of the popular diets will work for taking weight off,
what is abundantly clear is that adhering to the diet is the most important aspect for
keeping the weight off long term.
What is a diet?
A diet is a short term strategy to lose weight. Long term weight loss is the result of an
alteration in lifestyle. We are concerned with life long weight management, not quick fix
weight loss here. I don’t like the term diet, as it represents a short term attempt to lose
weight vs. a change in lifestyle. Want to lose a bunch of weight quickly? Heck, I will give
you the information on how to do that here and now for no charge.
For the next 90 to 120 days eat 12 scrambled egg whites, one whole grapefruit, and a
gallon of water twice a a day. You will lose plenty of weight. Will it be healthy? Nope. Will
the weight stay off once you are done with this diet and are then forced to go back to your
“normal” way of eating? Not a chance. Will the weight you lose come from fat or will it be
muscle, water, bone, and (hopefully!) some fat? The point being, there are many diets out
there that are perfectly capable of getting weight off you, but when considering any eating
plan designed to lose weight, you must ask yourself:
“Is this a way of eating I can follow long term?”
Which brings me to my test: I call it the “Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?” Test. I
know, it does not exactly roll off your tongue, but it gets the point across.
The lesson here is: any nutritional plan you pick to lose weight must be part of a lifestyle
change you will be able to follow - in one form or another - forever. That is, if it’s not a way
of eating you can comply with indefinitely, even after you get to your target weight, then it’s
worthless.
Thus, many fad diets you see out there are immediately eliminated, and you don’t have to
worry about them. The question is not whether the diet is effective in the short term, but if
the diet can be followed indefinitely as a lifelong way of eating. Going from “their” way of
eating back to “your” way of eating after you reach your target weight is a recipe for disaster
and the cause of the well established yo-yo dieting syndrome. Bottom line: there are no
short cuts, there is no free lunch, and only a commitment to a lifestyle change is going to
keep the fat off long term. I realize that’s not what most people want to hear, but it’s the
truth, like it or not.
The statistics don’t lie: getting the weight off is not the hardest part, keeping the weight off
is! If you take a close look at the many well known fad/commercial diets out there, and you
are honest with yourself, and apply my test above, you will find most of them no longer
appeal to you as they once did. It also brings me to an example that adds additional clarity:
If you have diet A that will cause the most weight loss in the shortest amount of time but is
unbalanced and essentially impossible to follow long term vs. diet B, which will take the
weight off at a slower pace, but is easier to follow, balanced, healthy, and something you
can comply with year after year, which is superior? If diet A gets 30 lbs off you in 30 days,
but by next year you have gained back all 30 lbs, but diet B gets 20 lbs off you in the next 3
months with another 20 lbs 3 months after that and the weight stays off by the end of that
year, which is the better diet?
If you don’t know the answer to those questions, you have totally missed the point of this
article and the lesson it’s trying to teach you, and are set up for failure. Go back and read
this section again…By default, diet B is superior.
Teach a man to Fish…
A well known Chinese Proverb is;
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a
lifetime.
This expression fits perfectly with the next essential step in how to decide what eating plan
you should follow to lose weight permanently. Will the diet plan you are considering teach
you how to eat long term, or does it spoon-feed you information? Will the diet rely on
special bars, shakes, supplements or pre-made foods they supply?
Let’s do another diet A vs. diet B comparison. Diet A is going to supply you with their foods,
as well as their special drink or bars to eat, and tell you exactly when to eat them. You will
lose – say – 30 lbs in two months. Diet B is going to attempt to help you learn which foods
you should eat, how many calories you need to eat, why you need to eat them, and
generally attempt to help teach you how to eat as part of a total lifestyle change that will
allow you to make informed decisions about your nutrition. Diet B causes a slow steady
weight loss of 8 -10 lbs per month for the next 6 months and the weight stays off because
you now know how to eat properly.
Recall the Chinese proverb. Both diets will assist you to lose weight. Only one diet,
however, will teach you how to be self-reliant after your experience is over. Diet A is easier,
to be sure, and causes faster weight loss than diet B, and diet B takes longer and requires
some thinking and learning on your part. However, when diet A is over, you are right back
where you started and have been given no skills to fish. Diet companies don’t make their
profits by teaching you to fish, they make their money by handing you a fish so you must
rely on them indefinitely or come back to them after you gain all the weight back.
Thus, diet B is superior for allowing you to succeed where other diets failed, with
knowledge gained that you can apply long term. Diet programs that attempt to spoon feed
you a diet without any attempt to teach you how to eat without their help and/or rely on their
shakes, bars, cookies, or pre-made foods, is another diet you can eliminate from your list
of choices.
Diet plans that offer weight loss by drinking their product for several meals followed by a
“sensible dinner;” diets that allow you to eat their special cookies for most meals along
with their pre-planned menu; or diets that attempt to have you eating their bars, drink, or
pre-made meals, are of the diet A variety covered above. They’re easy to follow but
destined for failure, long term. They all fail the “Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?”
test, unless you really think you can eat cookies and shakes for the rest of your
life…Bottom line here is, if the nutritional approach you use to lose weight, be it from a
book, a class, a clinic, or an e-book, does not teach you how to eat, it’s a loser for long
term weight loss and it should be avoided.
References
(1) Truby H, et al. Randomised controlled trial of four commercial weight loss
programmes in the UK: initial findings from the BBC "diet trials" BMJ 2006;332:1309-1314
(3 June),
(2) Michael D., et al, Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets
for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction. A Randomized Trial. JAMA. 2005;293:
43-53.
(3) Comparison of Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction—Reply.
Michael Dansinger. JAMA. 2005;293:1590-1591.
go to page 2
To Will Brink titles
quote studies and apply research to everyday problems such as weight loss,
bodybuilding, and other health/fitness related topics. However, sometimes you have to
step back from the science and look at the big picture to help bring people back into focus,
so they can see the forest for the trees, so to speak.
For most people reading this article, finding an effective diet that works most of the time
must seem as complicated as nuclear physics. It’s not, but there are a bewildering
number of choices for diets out there. High fat or no fat? High carbohydrate or no
carbohydrate? Low protein or high protein? To make matters worse, there are a million
variations and combinations to the above diet scenarios to add to the confusion. It seems
endless and causes many people to throw up their hands in frustration and give up. In this
article I will attempt to change all that.
There are some general guidelines, rules of thumb, and ways of viewing a diet program
that will allow you to decide, once and for all, if it’s the right diet for you. You may not always
like what I have to say, and you should be under no illusions this is another quick fix, “lose
100 lbs. in 20 days,” guide of some sort. However, if you are sick and tired of being
confused, tired of taking the weight off only to put it back on, and tired of wondering how to
take the first steps to deciding the right diet for you that will result in permanent weight
loss, then this is the article that could change your life…
Do you need to be a scientist to apply what you will learn here? No. A mind reader or
clairvoyant? No. A nutritionist or medical doctor? Not at all. What you need to be is open-
minded and willing to learn a few key concepts that will allow you to sort through the
confusion.
You will be able to apply what you learn here to any diet you are considering and decide if it
makes sense, once and for all! The process, however, is neither easy nor quick per se,
but I never promised you either of those things… T
his article does not look at specific diets but will teach you to take a logical approach and
apply some common sense to choosing a nutritional plan for life long weight loss. If you
are willing and able to make a paradigm shift, then let’s proceed.
Does your diet pass “The Test”?
What is the number one reason diets fail long term; above all else? The number one
reason is…drum roll…a lack of long term compliance. The numbers don’t lie; the vast
majority of people who lose weight will regain it - and often exceed what they lost. You
knew that already didn’t you?
Yet, what are you doing to avoid it? Here’s another reality check: virtually any diet you pick
which follows the basic concept of “burning” more calories then you consume – the well
accepted “calories in calories out” mantra – will cause you to lose weight. To some
degree, they all work: Atkins-style, no carb diets, low fat high carb diets, all manner of fad
diets - it simply does not matter in the short term.
If your goal is to lose some weight quickly, then pick one and follow it. I guarantee you will
lose some weight. Studies generally find any of the commercial weight loss diets will get
approximately the same amount of weight off after 6 months to a year. For example, a
recent study found the Atkins' Diet, Slim-Fast plan, Weight Watchers Pure Points program,
and Rosemary Conley's Eat Yourself Slim diet, were all equally effective. (1)
Other studies comparing other popular diets have come to essentially the same
conclusions. For example, a study that compared the Atkins diet, the Ornish diet, Weight
Watchers, and The Zone Diet, found them to be essentially the same in their ability to take
weight off after one year. (2)
Recall what I said about the number one reason diets fail, which is a lack of compliance.
The lead researcher of this recent study stated:
“Our trial found that adherence level rather than diet type was the primary predictor of
weight loss”(3)
Translated, it’s not which diet they chose per se, but their ability to actually stick to a diet
that predicted their weight loss success. I can just see the hands going up now, “but Will,
some diets must be better than others, right?” Are some diets better then others?
Absolutely. Some diets are healthier then others, some diets are better at preserving lean
body mass, some diets are better at suppressing appetite – there are many differences
between diets. However, while most of the popular diets will work for taking weight off,
what is abundantly clear is that adhering to the diet is the most important aspect for
keeping the weight off long term.
What is a diet?
A diet is a short term strategy to lose weight. Long term weight loss is the result of an
alteration in lifestyle. We are concerned with life long weight management, not quick fix
weight loss here. I don’t like the term diet, as it represents a short term attempt to lose
weight vs. a change in lifestyle. Want to lose a bunch of weight quickly? Heck, I will give
you the information on how to do that here and now for no charge.
For the next 90 to 120 days eat 12 scrambled egg whites, one whole grapefruit, and a
gallon of water twice a a day. You will lose plenty of weight. Will it be healthy? Nope. Will
the weight stay off once you are done with this diet and are then forced to go back to your
“normal” way of eating? Not a chance. Will the weight you lose come from fat or will it be
muscle, water, bone, and (hopefully!) some fat? The point being, there are many diets out
there that are perfectly capable of getting weight off you, but when considering any eating
plan designed to lose weight, you must ask yourself:
“Is this a way of eating I can follow long term?”
Which brings me to my test: I call it the “Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?” Test. I
know, it does not exactly roll off your tongue, but it gets the point across.
The lesson here is: any nutritional plan you pick to lose weight must be part of a lifestyle
change you will be able to follow - in one form or another - forever. That is, if it’s not a way
of eating you can comply with indefinitely, even after you get to your target weight, then it’s
worthless.
Thus, many fad diets you see out there are immediately eliminated, and you don’t have to
worry about them. The question is not whether the diet is effective in the short term, but if
the diet can be followed indefinitely as a lifelong way of eating. Going from “their” way of
eating back to “your” way of eating after you reach your target weight is a recipe for disaster
and the cause of the well established yo-yo dieting syndrome. Bottom line: there are no
short cuts, there is no free lunch, and only a commitment to a lifestyle change is going to
keep the fat off long term. I realize that’s not what most people want to hear, but it’s the
truth, like it or not.
The statistics don’t lie: getting the weight off is not the hardest part, keeping the weight off
is! If you take a close look at the many well known fad/commercial diets out there, and you
are honest with yourself, and apply my test above, you will find most of them no longer
appeal to you as they once did. It also brings me to an example that adds additional clarity:
If you have diet A that will cause the most weight loss in the shortest amount of time but is
unbalanced and essentially impossible to follow long term vs. diet B, which will take the
weight off at a slower pace, but is easier to follow, balanced, healthy, and something you
can comply with year after year, which is superior? If diet A gets 30 lbs off you in 30 days,
but by next year you have gained back all 30 lbs, but diet B gets 20 lbs off you in the next 3
months with another 20 lbs 3 months after that and the weight stays off by the end of that
year, which is the better diet?
If you don’t know the answer to those questions, you have totally missed the point of this
article and the lesson it’s trying to teach you, and are set up for failure. Go back and read
this section again…By default, diet B is superior.
Teach a man to Fish…
A well known Chinese Proverb is;
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a
lifetime.
This expression fits perfectly with the next essential step in how to decide what eating plan
you should follow to lose weight permanently. Will the diet plan you are considering teach
you how to eat long term, or does it spoon-feed you information? Will the diet rely on
special bars, shakes, supplements or pre-made foods they supply?
Let’s do another diet A vs. diet B comparison. Diet A is going to supply you with their foods,
as well as their special drink or bars to eat, and tell you exactly when to eat them. You will
lose – say – 30 lbs in two months. Diet B is going to attempt to help you learn which foods
you should eat, how many calories you need to eat, why you need to eat them, and
generally attempt to help teach you how to eat as part of a total lifestyle change that will
allow you to make informed decisions about your nutrition. Diet B causes a slow steady
weight loss of 8 -10 lbs per month for the next 6 months and the weight stays off because
you now know how to eat properly.
Recall the Chinese proverb. Both diets will assist you to lose weight. Only one diet,
however, will teach you how to be self-reliant after your experience is over. Diet A is easier,
to be sure, and causes faster weight loss than diet B, and diet B takes longer and requires
some thinking and learning on your part. However, when diet A is over, you are right back
where you started and have been given no skills to fish. Diet companies don’t make their
profits by teaching you to fish, they make their money by handing you a fish so you must
rely on them indefinitely or come back to them after you gain all the weight back.
Thus, diet B is superior for allowing you to succeed where other diets failed, with
knowledge gained that you can apply long term. Diet programs that attempt to spoon feed
you a diet without any attempt to teach you how to eat without their help and/or rely on their
shakes, bars, cookies, or pre-made foods, is another diet you can eliminate from your list
of choices.
Diet plans that offer weight loss by drinking their product for several meals followed by a
“sensible dinner;” diets that allow you to eat their special cookies for most meals along
with their pre-planned menu; or diets that attempt to have you eating their bars, drink, or
pre-made meals, are of the diet A variety covered above. They’re easy to follow but
destined for failure, long term. They all fail the “Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?”
test, unless you really think you can eat cookies and shakes for the rest of your
life…Bottom line here is, if the nutritional approach you use to lose weight, be it from a
book, a class, a clinic, or an e-book, does not teach you how to eat, it’s a loser for long
term weight loss and it should be avoided.
References
(1) Truby H, et al. Randomised controlled trial of four commercial weight loss
programmes in the UK: initial findings from the BBC "diet trials" BMJ 2006;332:1309-1314
(3 June),
(2) Michael D., et al, Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets
for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction. A Randomized Trial. JAMA. 2005;293:
43-53.
(3) Comparison of Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction—Reply.
Michael Dansinger. JAMA. 2005;293:1590-1591.
go to page 2
To Will Brink titles
| with Will Brink |
About the Author - William D. Brink
Will Brink has over 15 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant,
to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been
extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the
natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical
companies.
His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle
Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness,
Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse,
Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
Will was a former high level trainer with a rep for getting Olympic athletes, bodybuilders
and fitness stars into shape and has gained a reputation for being a no "BS" industry
insider who's not afraid to reveal the lies and hype found in the fat loss , muscle building &
supplement industry.
He has been co author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in
peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in JAMA.
William has been invited to lecture on the benefits of weight training and nutrition at
conventions and symposiums around the U.S. and Canada, and has appeared on
numerous radio and television programs.
He is the author, of Bodybuilding Revealed which teaches you how to gain solid muscle
mass drug free and Fat Loss Revealed. which reveals exactly how to get lean , ripped and
healthy completely naturally. Both e-books come with access to his private forums and
numerous tools to aid you in either endeavor.
Find out more at Bodybuilding Revealed or Fat Loss Revealed.
Will Brink has over 15 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant,
to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been
extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the
natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical
companies.
His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle
Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness,
Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse,
Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
Will was a former high level trainer with a rep for getting Olympic athletes, bodybuilders
and fitness stars into shape and has gained a reputation for being a no "BS" industry
insider who's not afraid to reveal the lies and hype found in the fat loss , muscle building &
supplement industry.
He has been co author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in
peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in JAMA.
William has been invited to lecture on the benefits of weight training and nutrition at
conventions and symposiums around the U.S. and Canada, and has appeared on
numerous radio and television programs.
He is the author, of Bodybuilding Revealed which teaches you how to gain solid muscle
mass drug free and Fat Loss Revealed. which reveals exactly how to get lean , ripped and
healthy completely naturally. Both e-books come with access to his private forums and
numerous tools to aid you in either endeavor.
Find out more at Bodybuilding Revealed or Fat Loss Revealed.
The Big Picture of Permanent Weight Loss
By Will Brink
page 1 of 2
By Will Brink
page 1 of 2
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