Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle system work?

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jillebean60
jillebean60 Posts: 78 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone tried Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" system? Is it doable? Too involved? Too restrictive? Easy to understand and follow? I would like to incorporate his ideas of increasing metabolism and burning fat while using MFP to keep track of everything. Just don't want to pay for yet more tips that will waste my time and $$ in the long run. Any input from users would be appreciated.

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  • MrsSassyPants
    MrsSassyPants Posts: 223 Member
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    I do not know. Wish I could help. I've noticed a lot of people increasing their protein. The idea is to retain muscle while losing fat. Most workouts are accompanied by a diet plan. I have found that swimming is my best friend and a good eating plan is my lover. So with that said....weight loss and exercise take time and commitment. There really isn't a short cut that would work for me. The diet and exercise BUSINESS is brutal. They're all competing for your money. On the other hand there are many programs that work. Be honest. Ask yourself is this something I will like and is it something I can do? I have found success (small as it is) doing what I love. Swimming and riding.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    I bought the e-book. While I'm not adhering *exactly* to his program, he offers a lot of good information. It's a lot more about diet and nutrition than it is about working out, although he does lay out the principles you need for weight training and cardio. His program is doable and fairly simple, and he lays it all out very well. It's not a dogmatic "Eat 40.2375% carbs, 33.1416% protein and 25.555% fat" type of thing - he explains several different dietary approaches and makes suggestions as to when to use/try them. He also discusses how to break plateaus and more advanced dietary approaches when you're shooting for ultimate leanness (carb cycling, etc.)

    He doesn't offer "shortcuts" or pimp supplements - he tells you straight up that there's no substitute for discipline and hard work, no "magic pill" that will do the job. He's a competitive natural bodybuilder, so his information is based on hands-on, "real world" stuff that has worked for him and a lot of other physique athletes.

    All in all, I don't regret spending the money. I've definitely wasted money (and time reading) on diet/fitness books that were a lot worse!
  • jillebean60
    jillebean60 Posts: 78 Member
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    Thank you both for the input! In the end, this whole business is based on consistently putting in the effort and being aware of input/output. I'm curious about what food combos increase metabolism and increase fat burning potential. Jury is still out on buying this ebook. My checkbook says no, my mind says let's check it out ;)
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    Tom Venuto is pretty sharp, I have the ebook. Upping my calories does not work and I feel the ebook and ideas apply more to men than women.

    I'd look at his print book as well, it is different but has a lot of good insight.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Tom Venuto is pretty sharp, I have the ebook. Upping my calories does not work and I feel the ebook and ideas apply more to men than women.

    I'd look at his print book as well, it is different but has a lot of good insight.
    I'd probably second that idea. I haven't read The Body Fat Solution so I can't offer a first-hand review, but it does seem like it's geared more toward the "average person" and their diet. BFFM is geared more toward athletes and bodybuilders.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    I don't have the ebook but I'm subscribed to his blogs & newsletters. From what I see, I think he does make sense.I'm following what he says there especially the carb cycling.
    Tom Venuto is pretty sharp, I have the ebook. Upping my calories does not work and I feel the ebook and ideas apply more to men than women.
    I don't think so. There are lots of women in the Inner Circle & also I've seen the stories & the pictures of many women who are following his program. Upping calories works very well when you lift weights since you'll be needing extra calories for muscle repair & muscle maintenance.
  • polo571
    polo571 Posts: 708 Member
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    It was a great read and very honest and straight forward. I really like his theory and simplicity and challenge people to make your own decisions. I really like it.
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    I don't have the ebook but I'm subscribed to his blogs & newsletters. From what I see, I think he does make sense.I'm following what he says there especially the carb cycling.
    Tom Venuto is pretty sharp, I have the ebook. Upping my calories does not work and I feel the ebook and ideas apply more to men than women.
    I don't think so. There are lots of women in the Inner Circle & also I've seen the stories & the pictures of many women who are following his program. Upping calories works very well when you lift weights since you'll be needing extra calories for muscle repair & muscle maintenance.

    That is just my personal experience as a woman who lifts and knows others who lift. Everyone is different though.
  • GreenEyedLefty
    GreenEyedLefty Posts: 12 Member
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    I bought BFFM a few years ago but didn't start closely reading it until now. Bottom line, there is a lot of work that needs to happen *before* you change your diet and exercise program. Setting goals and reasonable expectations... getting your mind right... crunching numbers... laying the ground work before you plan your meals or pick up a weight. The goal-setting chapters alone are worth the price of the book, IMO. Good luck!
  • AEDeb
    AEDeb Posts: 14 Member
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    I've had the e-book since 2006, but started taking it seriously last November. This is my second contest that I'm in and although I'm not "winning" per say, I have lost 9 lbs since then with a fat loss of over 11 lbs and a muscle gain of nearly 2 lbs. It's very slow for me compared to the men, and yes, it takes lots of discipline and hard work, but I find that MFP helps tremendously in tracking my food and exercise. According to the formulas, I'm supposed to be at 1800 calories, but I slowly lose weight at about 1600 so it's a matter of trying it and after watching all the numbers consistently, tweaking it to make it work for each individual. I did a lot of yo-yo dieting in the past years so I spent a year of normalizing my intake before I started this. Yes, I paid initially for the e-book, but it's much cheaper than any diet program and it allows you to join the contests for free (two each year). I'm also part of the Inner Circle so I have access to tons of info and great encouragement from others. It's good and using it with MFP, which I also rave about, is definitely working for me.

    AE Deb

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