The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscles, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight
by Tom Venuto
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Book Summary Information
Author: Tom VenutoEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-01-08
ISBN: 1583333290
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Avery
Book Reviews of The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscles, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight
Book Review: You'll get rid of ugly, unhealthy body fat and develop beautiful muscle.
Summary: 5 Stars
My first experience with a book written by Tom Venuto was when I read his great ebook, "Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle." That book made a major change in my life and in my health. I wondered then why it was not put in a hardback edition and why Tom didn't write a hardback or even put this terrific ebook in hardback format. He is certainly a good writer and knows how to get his ideas across. But above all, his methods work. I'm living proof.
So, I was delighted to see Tom come out with this new book, "The Body Fat Solution." Tom sent me an advance copy and I read it cover to cover.
Anything Tom writes is worth reading. He knows his stuff and if you follow his advice, you'll lose weight and fat and gain beautiful muscle.
When you've finished the book, you'll know exactly how to break that dreaded plateau that we all hit. Moreover, you'll be glad to know you're not required to count calories. Oh, you do need to take stock and journal what you eat --- for a while. But you don't count every bite you put into your mouth over a long period of time.
First, let me just briefly mention a few negatives.
There were several typos. This was not the author's fault to be sure. It was poor editing and, unfortunately, many books suffer from this today. It used to never happen.
Moreover, the book has no index. While this doesn't matter in some books, it does matter in a book you'll refer to often, such as this one.
For example, I wanted to find out what Tom had to say about calorie counting. I looked for an index so I could quickly locate it. But, it wasn't there. His ebook, on the other hand, is easily searched.
Finally, I took issue with what he considered healthy body fat --- specifically in women. Since I am not an expert in this area, however, I asked several experts for their opinions.
Let me cover this before going on because it's important.
Here's what Tom says is healthy body fat. Allow me to just give the Body Fat Rating Scale for Women for the purposes of this review.
Extremely lean ("ripped") 9-12%
Very lean (excellent) <15%
Lean (good) 16-20%
Average (fair) 21-25%
Below average (poor) 26-30%
Major improvement needed (very poor) 31-40%+
OK. Those are Tom's figures. I asked him how he arrived at them. He said, "Guidelines for recommended body fat percentages can vary somewhat depending on the author, journal or source you cite." (I would have liked to have seen this in the book.)
He adds, "The body fat figures listed on page 248 of the Body Fat Solution are MY charts where I chose those numbers. I based it on 20 years of experience and taking thousands of body fat tests. With my 12 week coaching group alone, I have taken over 7,000 body fat tests."
Next, I asked Laree Draper, wife of former bodybuilder great of the Golden Era, Dave Draper (The Blond Bomber) and a fitness expert in her own right.
She said, "I haven't seen his book, but I'd have to side with Tom on this one. The words "okay" and "allowed" don't really mean healthy, and that's what we're looking for, right? 35 percent is unhealthy, we're sure of that, and my thinking as I get older is I'm more vulnerable to unhealthy elements than I ever was before, so in that sense I think we should be even more vigilant, not allowing a greater margin. Our muscle mass is decreasing as we age, and what we want to do is fight for every ounce instead of letting more body fat to creep up."
So there are two opinions of people from the fitness and bodybuilding community. Still, it's not quite enough for me. As an older woman myself, I'm not comfortable with such low numbers. On the other hand, if they're right, they're right. I repeat, I'm no fitness expert. I'm a writer.
Next, I asked Shelley R. Greeves, wife of Michael Greeves of Hyperstrike online fitness, nutrition and training.
In determining what high body fat is she says, "We believe that over 30% for ages 20-40 for women. It scales up as you age. The recommended body fat healthy range for women 61-79 is 24-36% on our end," she says.
She adds, "We look to Registered Dietitians for our information. It isn't an exact science by any means and is a general guideline. Building muscle as you age is very important as it fuels your metabolism, strengthens your bones, prevents bone loss, and helps to keep your waistline trim and your body fat under control. Getting active, training with weights, eating healthy foods, etc are all part of a big plan to keep you on the right path and the katch Mcardle books (such as sports and exercise nutrition.")
According to perfectbodytoning.com, anything below 21% in any age is too low and the healthy range for most women up to about age 41 is 23-35% and it goes up to 36% for women 61 and up.
Those are pretty much the same figures I get from Greeves.
Those are also the figures provided by Tanita Scales who get the body fat ratings from NIH/WHO BMI Guidelines as reported by Gallagher, et al, at NY Obesity Research Center.
OK. So, let's take this further. Do older women actually "need" more body fat or is it harmful to have these small amounts? And why do I care? I care because I am an older women. I can't make my needs fit a twenty year old template and many women reading a book like this are not spring chicks. The baby boomers are getting up there and beginning to spread in places that didn't used to spread.
But, that doesn't mean this book was written for older women or even for women or any specific age. That's why I'd be more comfortable if the body fat requirements were set more toward age and not a one-size-fits-all chart.
Allow me to press on just a bit more.
"From American Journal of Public Health
Associations Between Body Composition, Anthropometry and Mortality in Women of Age 65 and Older
Posted 05/16/2007
Chantal Matkin Dolan, PhD, MPH; Helena Kraemer, PhD; Warren Browner, MD, MPH; Kristine Ensrud, MD, MPH; Jennifer L. Kelsey, PhD
Author Information
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Objectives: We examined the relation between measures of body size and mortality in a predominantly White cohort of 8029 women aged 65 years and older who were participating in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures.
Methods: Body composition measures (fat and lean mass and percentage body fat) were calculated by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Anthropometric measures were body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) and waist circumference.
Results: During 8 years of follow-up, there were 945 deaths. Mortality was lowest among women in the middle of the distribution of each body size measure. For BMI, the lowest mortality rates were in the range 24.6 to 29.8 kg/m2. The U-shaped relations were seen throughout the age ranges included in this study and were not attributable to smoking or measures of preexisting illness. Body composition measures were not better predictors of mortality than BMI or waist girth.
Conclusions: Our results do not support applying the National Institutes of Health categorization of BMI from 25 to 29.9 kg/m2 as overweight in older women, because women with BMIs in this range had the lowest mortality.
Introduction
More than 50% of the US adult population is overweight or obese according to the criteria of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).[1] The NHLBI expert panel defined overweight as body mass index (BMI; weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) from 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m[2] and obesity as BMI=30.0 kg/m2.[1] However, applying a single set of cutpoints to define overweight and obesity in different age groups may not be appropriate. Several studies have suggested that the relative risk of mortality associated with increased BMI is greater among younger women than older women.[2-7]
The shape of the relation between BMI and mortality is also controversial. One large prospective study showed a positive linear association between BMI and mortality in women aged 30 to 55 years who had been followed for 16 years[8]; several other studies of women at various ages have reported a U-shaped relation,[2,5,9-18] which indicates an elevated mortality risk among those with low BMI and those with high BMI. Some evidence suggests that this nonlinear association may be the result of not controlling for confounding by smoking or preexisting illness,[19] but other studies have observed a U-shaped distribution even when adjusting for these variables.[5,9,10,12-16]
We used data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, a large prospective cohort study of predominantly White women aged 65 years and older, to examine the relation between measures of obesity and mortality during an 8-year-average follow-up period. Body composition was measured directly by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) as well as by traditional measures of adiposity, including BMI and waist circumference.
A 20 year study of Americans ages 55 to 74 found the lowest mortality rates among people with BMIs from 25 to 30, which is overweight according to federal standards but may be just right for seniors. This according to Dr. Edward L. Schneider, a specialist in senior health.
Of course, that discussion is more about BMI than body fat. But, it speaks to the problem nonetheless.
Not to beleaguer this issue further, studies show that older women need more body fat to protect them from osteoporosis and to give them a better chance of survival if illness besets them. I would not be surprised if the same is true for men.
I bring up these issues only to show that there is more than one body of science on this important subject and you, the reader, must determine for yourself what is right for you.
With that said, I can tell you that if you read this book and follow the advice that Tom offers, you will lose weight, keep it off and become healthy.
To be sure, we should lift weights and eat well all of our lives in order to enjoy a high quality of life and to feel strong and well. Moreover, lifting weights gives us functional strength for everyday needs.
Using our muscles and building them as much as we can is, without a doubt, critical to each of us. Young and old. Moreover, the way we eat can help us feel youthful and be well. It can help us from being over fat at any age. This book should be your daily guide.
As Tom says in the book, ". . . arguably, weight training is more important than aerobic training. Weight training can provide cardiovascular health benefits, but aerobics can't provide strength or muscular development benefits."
He goes into exercise and nutrition. While he shows some free weight exercises, he doesn't show the modifications that some people will require. So be aware of that and modify when necessary. I was pleased that he showed only free weight exercises because free weights are best for getting in shape and they're really all you need.
His advice on nutrition is also spot on and excellent.
When I had lost 15 pounds, I hit a plateau that lasted a couple months. I went to his ebook and quickly found what do do --- eat more! Now, I would not have figured that out on my own.
But his book explained that when you are on low calories for a long time, your body metabolism slows to conserve itself. It adapts. You need to shake it up. I did and the weight started coming off --- much to my surprise.
You'll find this useful information in his new book as well. It's worded differently but very understandable and equally important.
This book is for the average person and not the athlete, bodybuilder, weight lifter or fitness buff.
While his ebook went into more detail, the average person doesn't want all of that. He or she just wants to know how to lose weight and get in shape. This book gives you that information.
Regardless of who we believe on the optimum body fat issue, I personally think that the majority of us are either overweight or obese. We need to lose our belly fat and visceral fat. We may not get six-pack abs and that may not even be healthy for the majority of us.
But we can get our body fat down to a number that allows us to be healthy and gives us a chance at a life without major disease. That's why we need this book.
I have not given these differing views to prove one chart right and another one wrong. I offer them only so you can understand that there is not an agreement among experts on this issue and it's up to you to decide what's best for you.
This book is a classic. Tom is a fitness expert you can believe in. His communication style is excellent and he really cares. If you buy no other weight loss or fitness book this year, buy this one. It's a keeper.
Highly recommended.
-Susanna K. Hutcheson
More The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscles, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight reviews:
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Summary of The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscles, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight
The ultimate plan for permanent weight loss.
The Body Fat Solution is Tom Venuto?s complete program to lose body fat, build muscle?and keep the weight off for good.
By now, we all know that we gain fat when we take in more calories than we burn. But we?re not always rational creatures when it comes to food. Venuto provides a sound plan that will help us put the brakes on overeating by pinpointing the mental roadblocks and emotional eating patterns that are preventing us from losing weight for good. Guiding readers to dig deeper, The Body Fat Solution explores:
· Why it is so difficult to balance calorie output with input
· What prevents people from eating appropriately and exercising more
· The emotional and psychological factors that sabotage Success
Tom Venuto reminds us that calories do count! But The Body Fat Solution is neither super low carb nor super low fat, and he steers clear of demonizing entire food groups. Instead, Venuto shows how to personalize an eating plan that takes into account your unique metabolism and calorie needs. He then presents workout programs to maximize the success of the diet plan that are fast and efficient, enabling you to quickly achieve your goal of replacing fat with lean muscle.
Tapping into his years of training expertise and personal experience, Venuto helps readers change their relationship with food, empowers them to take charge of their lives, and delivers a program that promises dramatic and permanent results.
The Body Fat Solution is Tom Venuto?s complete program to lose body fat, build muscle?and keep the weight off for good.
By now, we all know that we gain fat when we take in more calories than we burn. But we?re not always rational creatures when it comes to food. Venuto provides a sound plan that will help us put the brakes on overeating by pinpointing the mental roadblocks and emotional eating patterns that are preventing us from losing weight for good. Guiding readers to dig deeper, The Body Fat Solution explores:
· Why it is so difficult to balance calorie output with input
· What prevents people from eating appropriately and exercising more
· The emotional and psychological factors that sabotage Success
Tom Venuto reminds us that calories do count! But The Body Fat Solution is neither super low carb nor super low fat, and he steers clear of demonizing entire food groups. Instead, Venuto shows how to personalize an eating plan that takes into account your unique metabolism and calorie needs. He then presents workout programs to maximize the success of the diet plan that are fast and efficient, enabling you to quickly achieve your goal of replacing fat with lean muscle.
Tapping into his years of training expertise and personal experience, Venuto helps readers change their relationship with food, empowers them to take charge of their lives, and delivers a program that promises dramatic and permanent results.
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