One of the curses of being human is that we are hard-wired for delusion.  The good news is that not only is it perfectly normal, but our misbeliefs are the very thing that have, in large part, kept us around for many generations.  In any given moment, millions of thoughts pervade our brains, effecting the day-to-day moment-by-moment decisions we make.  We are under the false impression, however that we are beings of pure logic: Whether it’s a decision to play candy crush rather than hit the gym or flip through another top 20 Buzzfeed article rather than chopping up some veggies to take to work, we falter in many ways that effect our productivity, which in turn prevents us from our goals. 

Almost everybody has heard that there’s 3500 calories in a pound of fat, so if you create a negative energy balance of 3500 calories in a week, you lose a pound of weight. Create a negative energy balance of 7000 calories (deficit) in a week and you tip the scale to a two pound weight loss and so on, right? Not so fast…

Rapid fat loss diets claiming you can lose a pound of fat per day are back again. In the past year, I noticed at least four best-sellers that claimed you could lose 7 pounds in 7 days, 10 pounds in 10 days, 14 pounds in 14 days, or even 30 pounds in 30 days. I’m sure there were many more that I missed. The fact that all of these books or programs were best sellers shows that people are buying into it. But can you really lose a pound of fat a day? (FAT, that is, not WEIGHT)…

Suppose I could send a letter back in time. The letter is from the 46-year-old Tom of today, a grizzled veteran, with 25 years in the sport, lifestyle and business of bodybuilding and fitness. The letter is to the 21-year old Tom, a recent college graduate, just won his first competition, enthusiastic, full of dreams, but perhaps not exactly enlightened through experience yet.  With the benefit of hindsight being 20-20, what advice would I give to the younger me?

The themes woven throughout this book – scientific, sustainable, customized and flexible – are a big part of what make The Lean Muscle Diet unique, appealing, effective, and a breath of fresh air. It might sound unbelievable to say that The Lean Muscle Diet shows you how you can eat the foods you love and that eating the foods you prefer is precisely how to get lean and stay lean for life, but that’s exactly what this book delivers – along with the science to back it up.

IIFYM is an acronym for a new diet craze called, “If it Fits Your Macros.” “Macros” of course,  is shorthand for macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates and fats. What does this have to do with Pop Tarts?  Keep reading and you’ll find out.  The spread of IIFYM through the online diet world in the last few years has led to some absolutely epic debates, controversies, and misunderstandings, depending on how different people explain or interpret IIFYM

Admit it. You’re waiting for it—for a pill that fills your being with a river of flowing motivation and the glorious desire to excel. Don’t feel bad. We all are seeking more motivation, some, if not most of the time. And in the absence of motivation, perhaps another cup of coffee or 5-Hour Energy will sustain the illusion long enough to dutifully complete another workout…

Vegetable juice fasting and green smoothie diets have exploded in popularity in the past few years. Everyone from authors to supplement companies to juicer machine companies to personal trainers (who want something else to sell) are cashing in on this hot nutrition craze. But does it live up to the hype? And is it really healthy? In today’s post, Tom Venuto answers these – and many other questions about “the green smoothie diet” and the juice fasting craze…

So, you’ve started doing cardio to burn fat and get in shape. Perhaps you’ve started running every morning or taking a walk on your lunch break. Or maybe you began using the elliptical, stairclimber, or rower at the gym. Maybe you’ve joined a class. But no matter what kind of cardio you do, you’re not seeing the results you want, and you’re not sure why. Well, here are eight of the most common reasons why your cardio workouts may not be working and what you should do about it.

I’ve been asked questions about delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) for years, and lately have received more questions about DOMS than ever, so obviously people are fascinated by this subject and many are concerned about the implications. Some people wonder exactly what causes DOMS, others want to know how to reduce the pain, a few want to know how to avoid it completely and then there are a few “odd ones” who want to know how to get more sore! (Know anyone like that?) In today’s Burn the Fat Blog post, I will answer some of these commonly asked questions about DOMS…