The question is, do you want to achieve it? You don't need extraordinary measures or a radical diet to do so. You need specific knowledge, a desire to break old habits, and the will (which comes from desire) to do what you set out to do.

You can't win the war on fat with any single weapon. And you definitely cannot win with shortcut tricks like "magic" potions, "miracle machines," dopey diets, or other "cheap hustle" gimmicks.

You can win the war on fat through the correct diet (which is nothing weird like the no carb, no fat, or low protein diets) and an enjoyable amount of exercise. You also need some personal discipline. I could (and someday will) write a book on discipline, as it contributes so much to reducing stress and increasing the value of life.

If you think you can ignore diet and just do a lot of aerobics, your thinking conflicts with reality. You have to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound of fat. That means doing something like 4,500 sit-ups. Literally, an exercise in futility. Be realistic, holistic, consistent, and persistent about this--and you will succeed. Above all, be patient. Below is what you need to know.

We'll cover diet, exercise, and supplementation. Throughout, you'll find yellow tip boxes like the one below. In one of these boxes, you'll learn why I became so devoted to acquiring this knowledge.

Lean does not mean skinny

The Wall Street Journal  ran an article in June, 2002, about the extremely low calorie diet. Proponents of this diet falsely assume that limiting caloric intake to the detriment of healthy tissue will prolong their lives. This is an obviously flawed strategy, and we do not endorse it. These people make the wrong conclusions from laboratory experiments with rodents, but cannot see the evidence of poor health in their own bodies.

Please note these stats:

• At age 65, the average American is too weak to lift a 10-lb vacuum cleaner. My mother's husband, now past that age, can lift me--and I'm not light!
• At age 53, the average American man has 5 pounds of undigested red meat fermenting in his lower bowel. That means cancer.
• Only 30% of the calcium in milk is bio-available. If you can digest it.
• Over 90% of bone fractures among retirees are preventable.
• Over 90% of cancers are preventable.
• Over 99% of adult onset diabetes cases are preventable.
• Adult onset diabetes per capita in America has increased by a factor of 5 since 1960. So has sugar consumption. Comprende?
• The average American watches over 6 hours of television a day, but "can't find time" to exercise.
• Mr. Jack LaLanne has not missed a workout in over 70 years.
• I personally have not missed a workout since 1977 or been sick since 1971 (except for one bout of pigging out that made me "sick" with a total recovery a few hours later).
• 100% of people who are not fit can be fit if they will only decide to do so.
• You can be fit and lean, if you choose to do so.

Diet

I have a real problem with quack diets. See the following pages for detailed information:

• Diets exposed: http://www.supplecity.com/articles/diets/index.htm
• Correct diet information: http://www.supplecity.com/articles/diet.htm
• Good recipes: http://www.supplecity.com/recipes/

Food tips:

1. Portion size counts: you can easily reach the point where it's impossible to burn off excess calories.
2. You don't need to count calories. Just eat small portions. When you get hungry, eat again. But wait at least an hour before eating.
3. Never eat a carbohydrate without a protein and/or fat.
4. The less refined a starch is, the better it is for you.
5. Fat is good for you. However, it is calorie dense--so don't go overboard. Also, damaged fats are really, really, bad. Don't eat them. Margarine and other foods contained hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats are not fit for human consumption. Limit saturated fat intake as much as practical. Make unsaturated (liquid at room temperature) fats a prominent part of your diet.

Exercise

Muscle burns fat, so lifting weights to build muscle helps you burn fat. If you are not familiar with weights, hire a personal trainer for month or so. Most people take a counterproductive approach to their weight training. If you can't afford a trainer, you can find some good insights at www.supplecity.com. If you do buy weights, I recommend an Olympic weight set. It's safer to use than the cheap plastic sets, and you can do more with it. If you don't have much space or money, then a cheap plastic set will do just fine. I had such a set for over 20 years before selling it to someone else.

• Lifting so much weight that you must use leverage or momentum rather than the muscle you are trying to develop.
• Using so little weight that you aren't challenging the muscle.
• Doing too many repetitions. Three sets of 8 to 12 gets great results--don't mess with anything else if you are starting out.
• Resting more than 30 seconds between sets.
• Lifting at angles or along axis that put undue stress on ligaments. Either question the mechanics of what you are doing, or ask a certified trainer to show you. Don't ask the biggest guy at the gym--he may be clueless.
• Not stretching before and after.
• Not having a definite program.
• Working the whole body each time. Go to the gym and look at the folks who do this. 'nuff said.
• Not enough rest. Train no more than 5 days a week.
• Too much rest. Train no less than 3 days a week.

Walking is a great exercise. Do it every day, and you'll raise your metabolic rate. This means you will burn extra calories even while you are sitting in front of your computer or sleeping in your bed! Look at the ways you save calories, and then spend them instead. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park away from the door, instead of up close. Use a pushmower instead of a riding mower. Pay attention to what you do and think of how you can burn more calories while doing it.

If you want to maximize your aerobic benefit for fat-burning purposes, don't pace yourself for a Marathon. Instead, do interval training. For example, run as hard as you can for 2 minutes, walk for 1 minute, run for 2--until you've gone 12 minutes. This will burn more calories than an hour on the treadmill. Not a believer? Just take a look at sprinters. They have lean, beautiful bodies. Long-distance runners rarely look healthy. Results speak louder than words. Listen carefully. Buy the Body for Life book | CD  | Tape for details.

The two keys to beneficial exercise are consistency and change. You must treat exercise time as an appointment. Always keep it. And don't do the same exercises all the time. Change it up every few weeks. A third element is intensity. If you get the first two, however, you can leave intensity for the serious athletes and bodybuilders. Find physical activities and enjoy them. If you don't have a clue about what physical activities you can do, just talk to other people and see what they like to do. Hiking, fly fishing, gardening, and walking your neighbor's dog are all excellent activities that don't cost much. Make sure you have a good pair of walking shoes--nothing exotic required.

Here are some freebies most people neglect, in this time of laziness:

• Mow your lawn with a walking lawnmower
• Shovel your walk and then some
• Rake leaves by hand
• Pick up trash in yards on your block
• Park far, walk long
• Use the stairs, not the elevator
• Plant flowers and tend to them
• Do your own ironing and vacuuming

Supplements

If you're serious about your body, order some HMB and see what it can do for you. I rate this on my list of "must have" supplements. The difference in recovery time is incredible. Glutamine is also helpful for recovery. 

A good multivitamin and plenty of water are critical elements for the lean-bound. To boost fat metabolism, add a tablespoon of canola oil or flaxseed oil (yummy!) to a protein drink in the morning. Add a teaspoon of instant coffee powder or cinnamon to that, and you're burning fat in high gear.

Protein powders are easy enough to find, and the real benefits of this kind vs. that kind don't make as much difference as just getting the protein. The typical athlete needs about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. My own blood tests showed that even this much was barely enough for me. The typical American needs less than half that amount. If you're a serious athlete, don't take their recommendations seriously.

Tricks

Use cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and black pepper frequently (but not the last four hours of your day) to boost your metabolism. Drinking chilled water will cause your body to burn calories to warm the water up. Don't worry about the temperature, though--the biggest benefit is from just drinking the water. At least half a gallon a day is a good start for the average person.

Make sure to eat at 6 small meals a day, rather than one big one. Doing so levels out your insulin and your blood sugar. If you can't forget about that full feeling, eat a big bowl of oat groats. Will fiber help? Sure. But look at the sugar in "fiber supplements" like psyllium husk in brands such as Metamucil. Better to stick with real foods. For a good fiber fix, have a small protein drink (1 cup) and an apple, or slice the apple and spread peanut butter (thinly) on the slices. Be sure you get Smuckers Natural or some other brand that isn't loaded with sugar--read the label. A note on protein drinks--most of these are highly-processed junk food. Read the labels. I use Shaklee products, as well as the ones you'll find here.

I have been studying nutrition and exercise for over 30 years. My initial impetus was that I was a sickly, undersized weakling (as a high school junior, I was 5'4 and less than 100 pounds). Now I am healthy and tall, with a well-muscled, lean physique. If you're already an adult, you can't gain height (other than through posture correction), but you can gain the well-muscled, lean physique

What I say here works, and it agrees with the same medical information now being taught to pharmacists (but not yet to doctors!) and registered dietitians.

Do not assume you can jump into an exercise program just because you read how great it is. Do not make radical changes in your diet overnight, either--going from low-fiber to high fiber causes severe intestinal pain if done too quickly. Unless you are physically active now, ease into any diet/exercise changes. If you review these with your doctor, be aware that the average physician is not well-versed in nutrition. So, make sure your doctor runs your diet plans past a registered nutritionist or pharmacist (or do so yourself). You can cut out sugar immediately, though, so do that right now.

Dietary sites

Exercise sites

URL: http://www.annecollins.com
Title: Anne Collins Diet
Desc: The easy diet for hopeless slimmers

URL: http://www.100-weight-loss-tips.com
Title: 100 Weight Loss Tips
Desc: Over 100 GREAT tips on dieting and weight loss!

URL: http://www.weight-loss-diet-i.com
Title: Weight Loss Diet Information
Desc: Advice on diet, weight loss and nutrition, plus free diet plan.

URL:
http://alldietsource.com/
Title: All Diet Source
Desc: The complete online resource for weight loss and fitness including books, software, videos, online weight loss programs, exercise equipment, nutritional supplements, and articles.

URL: www.bodybuilding-workout.com
Title: Bodybuilding-workout.com
Desc: Tightly themed about bodybuilding workouts, non-commercial.

• All kinds of weight loss resources:
  http://www.weight-loss-i.com/weight_loss_resources.htm: "Weight Loss Information: Diet & Weight Loss Advice on All Weight Issues"
   

• Supplements geared toward leanness: www.supplecity.com