# People on keto diets, I read a book by Tom Venuto titled Burn the fat feed the muscle



## j1mmytt (Jan 12, 2011)

this book has made me a bit scepticle about the keto diet as he mentions ketogenic diets and how they do not incourage fat loss  there are a few other bits where he talks about high fat diets....... I have highlighted one part at the bottom.

Is some of this Bull?

*BURN THE FAT*

*FEED THE MUSCLE*
​


*Fat Burning Secrets of the World's Best*

*Bodybuilders & Fitness Models*
​
*By Tom Venuto*


​
*Chapter 9: Good Fats Vs. Bad Fats:*



*"The fact is that some fats are absolutely required for health, while others are*

*detrimental. Some fats heal, and other fats kill. A substantial amount (15-20%) of our*

*calories should come from fat."*
​


- Udo Erasmus, Ph.D., the world's #1 authority on fats and oils and author of "Fats

That Heal, Fats That Kill."
​


*"Unfortunately for the much maligned lipid, fats and oils have been lumped together*

*
in the minds of most bodybuilders as having the same properties, with the result of*

*
bodybuilders trying to avoid ALL fats and oils for fear of adding body fat and looking*

*
like the Pillsbury dough boy. Well, I am here to tell you that fats have gotten a bad rap.*

*
There are some good fats and there are some bad fats. The difference between the two*

*
is substantial and of great importance."*
​
*
*



- Will Brink, author of "Priming the Anabolic Environment"
​


*The missing link discovered: A small dose of "healthy fats"*
​
*
*



In the last chapter, I revealed how, after a long period of practically zero fat

dieting, I took my results to a higher level with one small change to my diet - I added

more fat. But it wasn't just any fat. Dr. Udo Erasmus, the world's #1 expert on dietary

fats, says there are "Fats that heal" and "Fats that kill." Adding the wrong kind of fats can

increase your blood cholesterol, clog your arteries, increase fat storage and wreak total

havoc in your body. Adding the right kind of fats can increase your energy, increase fat

burning, increase muscle-building hormones, increase your strength, improve insulin

function, improve your skin texture and strengthen your joints. With benefits like these,

"good fats" sound like some kind of wonder drug, and in many respects, the effects are
​


almost "drug-like." Surprisingly, these miraculous benefits can be obtained simply by

eating small amounts of foods or oils rich in the healthy "good fats."
​


*Fats made simple*
​
*
*



Most books on nutrition give a long discussion on the chemistry of fatty acids.

They are filled with charts of fat molecules and talk of hydrogen, carbon, bonds, double

bonds, methyl groups and carboxyl groups. Although I personally have a keen interest in

nutritional biochemistry, I've always found that any time I started discussing this
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complicated scientific stuff in detail with my clients, they started dozing off or they just

sat there, jaw agape, face expressionless in a blank stare like a deer caught in headlights.

That's why I decided the best approach to a chapter on fats in a manual on

practical fat loss techniques would be to skip all but the most basic and essential

chemistry, to discuss fats in layman's terms and stick to practical suggestions and

guidelines: Eat this, don't eat that, eat a little of this, never eat that, etc. I'm sure you'll be

glad I did, and by the time you finish reading this chapter, you'll know exactly (1) Why all

fats are not the same, (2) What kind of fats you should eat, (3) What kinds of fats you

should never eat and (4) How much fat to eat for optimal results. You'll also learn about

an essential fatty acid supplement that is one of the few products I recommend and

wholeheartedly endorse. So without further ado, let's "chew the fat!"
​


*The era of fat phobia has ended*
​
*
*



The first time I ever picked up a barbell was in 1983 - right in the heart of the "fat

phobia era." During the 80s and early 90s, the magazines, television and nearly all the

media pounded the message into our brains that fat was bad. No distinction was made

between types of fats - the message was black and white; "Fat is unhealthy and fat makes

you fat."

This spawned an entire industry of fat-free foods such as cakes, cookies, candy,

ice cream, yogurt, frozen dinners, lunch meats and nearly every other food you can think

of. This was the age of the fat-free Snackwell cookies and Entenmanns cakes, and almost

all of us partook of these deliciously sweet and seemingly guilt-free goodies. We ate them

without fear because we believed it was okay since the label said "FAT FREE!"

Even though the consumption of dietary fat decreased dramatically over the past

two decades, a very strange thing happened: The incidence of obesity and health

problems continued to rise through the 80s into the 90s and it still hasn't stopped.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there was a 61% increase in the

prevalence of obesity between 1991 and 2000. Today, there are more overweight people

than ever before - 100 million, to be exact! Heart disease, diabetes and cancer are still

three of the biggest killers and it seems there's no end in sight to these epidemics.

If collectively, we all cut the fat out of our diets in the 80s and 90s, then how

could it be that we continued to get fatter and our health deteriorated? Part of the answer

is so glaringly obvious it's almost embarrassing:

"FAT FREE" DOESN'T MEAN SUGAR FREE OR CALORIE FREE!
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What's happened over the past two decades is that many people cut out the fat,

and simply replaced it with refined sugar. Even foods that always were fat free all of a

sudden started sporting new labels that proudly proclaimed "NO FAT!" A food can say

"fat free" on the label and be 100% sugar! If you eat a lot of sugar or if you eat more

calories than you burn, it doesn't matter how little dietary fat you eat - you're still going

to get fat!

Saturated and processed fats are bad enough, but in my opinion, sugar and

processed carbohydrates are more responsible for disease and obesity in our society today

than any other single factor. Replacing fat with sugar is going from the frying pan into the

fire. It's only when you're eating a mildly calorie restricted diet that's low in refined

sugar and low in the bad fats that your body fat will finally begin to drop.
​


*Eating more sugar while dropping the fat creates a whole new problem*
​
*
*



When people began dropping the fat out of their diets, they created a whole new

problem - their blood sugar and insulin levels went through the roof! Without fat, there's

nothing to slow the absorption of carbohydrates into the bloodstream. The result is a huge

blood sugar and insulin spike. One of the secrets of fat loss is insulin management. A

seesaw cycle of blood sugar and insulin ups and downs contributes to fat storage and a

variety of diseases. Eating fat-free, high sugar food makes this up and down cycle worse

and can eventually create a diabetes-like condition in the body.
​


*Why a zero fat or very low fat diet is no good*
​
*
*



In the last chapter we defined a very low fat diet as anything under 10% of the

total calories from fat. On 2400 calories per day, that's 26 grams per day or less. On a fat

loss diet of 1500 calories, 10% is only 16 grams of fat per day. I've frequently consulted

with clients who were so proud that they only ate 10 or 15 grams of fat per day. A few

even boasted with glee to be eating almost zero grams! Ironically, they came to me

because they weren't losing any fat. By teaching them not to lump all fats together in one

category and instead to separate the good fats from the bad, eating the good ones in small

quantities, presto - like magic, the results started coming. An added bonus was improved

energy and much better workouts.
​


*Why you should always eat a little "good fat"*
​
*
*



Fat phobia has been so deeply ingrained into the consciousnesses of most people,

it's important that the reasons why you should eat a little good fat are clearly explained.
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1. A zero fat or very low fat diet puts you into the starvation zone

Low calories and skipping meals aren't the only things that send you into

"survival mode." When dietary fat intake is reduced to less than 10% of total daily

calories, this also sets off the starvation alarm.

2. A zero fat or very low fat diet causes large fluctuations in blood sugar

Fat slows down the release of carbohydrates into the bloodstream. When large

amounts of simple and refined carbohydrates are eaten alone, they shoot rapidly into the

bloodstream, creating a large spike in blood sugar.

3. A zero fat or very low fat diet causes greater insulin release

When your blood sugar spikes, your pancreas releases a lot of insulin to bring

blood sugar back down to normal. Moderate amounts of insulin are necessary (and

anabolic). Large amounts or insulin are lipogenic (cause fat storage) and anti-lipolyic

(prevent fat release).

4. A zero fat or very low fat diet causes hormonally related hunger and cravings

You can have more willpower than a celibate monk in the Playboy mansion, but if

you get hormonally induced hunger, you won't to be able to fight it. Whenever there's an

unusually large blood sugar spike, it's a law of nature that there must be an equal or

greater valley. This blood sugar valley, known as hypoglycemia, is the cause of those

intense, almost irresistible cravings that send you frantically to the nearest Baskin

Robbins or Krispy Kreme store.

5. A zero or very low fat diet reduces testosterone

Low dietary fat levels are correlated with low testosterone levels. For someone

trying to become leaner and more muscular, this spells disaster.

6. A zero or very low fat diet can be deficient in essential fatty acids

Clinical fatty acid deficiencies are rare, but if you intentionally try to remove most

of the fat from your diet, you could come up short of the "optimal" levels. Essential fatty

acid (EFA) deficiency can impair fat burning, reduce your energy and cause a whole host

of other problems. You'll learn more about EFA's in upcoming sections.
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*Ignore the high fat diet "cult"*
​
*
*



Zero fat is definitely not the answer. Now let's talk about the opposite end of the

spectrum - the high fat diet. In the weight loss and bodybuilding world, there is a small

"cult" of high fat advocates who insist that a very high fat diet (40-70% of your calories)

is the ultimate method of losing fat, building muscle and improving athletic performance.

Why anyone would fall for such tripe is beyond me, but it's probably because it sounds so

off the edge, unusual and controversial. Any diet that sounds "new" and controversial,

combined with a ton of marketing is bound to catch people's attention because of its

uniqueness.

As I mentioned earlier in this manual, it's easy to overlook the fundamentals and

disregard common sense in our quest for some esoteric magical formula. Frankly, there

are some really stupid things being said about nutrition these days and eating high fats

(especially saturated and processed fats) is one of them. The high fat diet is totally

without scientific or practical basis. It's a marketing scheme. They've taken the idea,

"You have to eat fat to lose fat," which is true, to its extreme. Unfortunately, these

hucksters have done so at the expense of many people's health and appearance.

The high fat diet cult will try to convert you with arguments that sound very

convincing. They'll cite scientific studies. They'll say it's the reason the Bulgarian

weightlifters achieved world dominance in Olympic lifting. They'll say the metabolic

state of ketosis is the #1 secret to fat loss. They'll even say top bodybuilders are using it

to get more ripped than ever, and surely, some pro bodybuilder will accept money to have

his picture used in the ad -even though he's never even tried a high fat diet!

Proponents of high fat diets such as the Atkins Diet claim that saturated fats are

not bad for you. They frequently cite the Eskimos as an example. Eskimos, living in an

arctic climate, do not have ready access to fresh fruits, vegetables and grains, so their diet

is composed mostly of meat and fat - about 60% fat to be exact - yet they are perfectly

healthy.

What the high fat advocates fail to mention is that a very large portion of the fats

eaten by the Eskimos come from fish, whale blubber and other unprocessed fats. The

omega 3 fatty acids probably had a cardio-protective effect, which prevented the Eskimos

from having a high incidence of disease. This is nothing like the high fat diets of modern

Americans, which allow processed fatty meats, hydrogenated oils, baked goods, fried

foods, supermarket oils and other highly processed fats.
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The link between saturated fat and disease is very well documented. However,

eating the right amounts of cardio-protective EFAs seems to counter balance some of the

negative effects of saturated fats. If you optimize your intake of the good omega 3 and

omega 6 fats, then you can use moderate amounts of saturated fats without fear. Leaving

small amounts of saturated fats in your diet, such as some lean red meat (preferably grassfed)

and/or one or two egg yolks per day (instead of throwing all the yolks away), is not

only permissible, it can actually be beneficial. Still, it's not wise to eat a lot of saturated

fat, nor should you eat a large portion of your total calories from fat - especially if you're

eating a mixed diet that also contains ample amounts of carbohydrates.
​


*Why a high fat diet is no good*
​
*
*



Even though there are major differences in the various types of fats, you should

almost always keep your overall fat intake relatively low (30% or less, preferably closer

to 20%). There are eight primary reasons why:

1. Fat is more calorie dense than any other source of calories.
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After reading chapter six on calories, you now understand that to lose body fat you

have to eat fewer calories than you burn each day. One problem with fats is they are

more calorie dense than any other food. Each gram of fat contains 9 calories, while each

gram of carbohydrate or protein contains only 4 calories. Since each gram of fat

contains more than twice the calories, this means eating fat makes it more likely that

you'll eat too many calories. Quite simply, a high fat diet is a high calorie diet, and a

high calorie diet is a fat storing diet. There are differences between the various types of

fats, but ALL fats contain 9 calories per gram. So if you want to lose body fat, you'll

need to reduce your total fats in general in order to keep your calories down.

2. Fats have the lowest thermic effect of all foods

Fats are stored more easily as body fat than protein or carbohydrate because they

have the lowest thermic effect of any food. Recall that the thermic effect refers to the

amount of energy required to digest and utilize each food. Protein has the highest thermic

effect - nearly 30%. Fats have the lowest thermic effect - only 3%. When you eat lean

protein foods, 30% of the calories are burned off just to digest and absorb them. When

you eat fatty foods, only 3% of the calories are burned off during digestion and

absorption.
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3. Saturated and processed fats (trans-fatty acids) cause serious health problems.

Certain types of fats, especially the saturated fats and trans fats, are bad for your

health. According to Dr. Erasmus, "Degenerative diseases that involve fats prematurely

kill over two-thirds of the people living in affluent, industrialized nations." Saturated fats

have been linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and too many other problems to list.

4. A high fat diet doesn't leave room for enough protein or carbohydrates

High fat diets are often promoted as effective ways of increasing anabolic

hormones and controlling fat storing hormones, resulting in increased muscle mass and

decreased body fat. The problem with this approach is that eating large quantities of fat

doesn't allow enough room within your daily calorie allotment for a sufficient quantity of

protein or carbohydrate. Any diet that leans excessively towards one macronutrient is not

a balanced diet and will never produce optimal results.

5. Saturated fats reduce insulin sensitivity

Insulin sensitivity refers to the responsiveness of your muscles to insulin. Insulin

carries the sugar into the muscles for energy and glycogen storage. It also carries the

amino acids into the muscles for growth and repair. When you have poor insulin

sensitivity, it's like insulin is standing outside with protein and carbs, knocking on the

muscle cell's door, but the muscle cell won't let the insulin bring the carbs or protein

(aminos) inside. So blood sugar continues to build up, and you release even more insulin

to try to get the nutrients into the cells. Not only are the high insulin levels disastrous to

your fat loss efforts, severe insulin sensitivity is essentially an early stage of diabetes.

6. Dietary fat gets stored more easily as fat than any other nutrient

Dietary fats DO get stored as body fat more readily than other types of

macronutrients. This isn't just due to the high calories, it's because the process of

converting dietary fat into body fat is chemically very easy. Body fat is made of glycerol

and fatty acids. Dietary fat is made of glycerol and fatty acids. There's no costly energy

conversion that has to take place. This makes dietary fat very easy to store. Too much of

anything gets stored as fat, but foods such as lean proteins and complex carbohydrates

must go thorough a metabolically costly process to be converted into body fat.
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7. Dietary fat is not an efficient fuel source for high intensity muscular work

Muscle glycogen is the primary and preferred fuel for high intensity weight

training. Fats are the primary fuel source during prolonged aerobic exercise, but fats do

not fuel high intensity weight training. If you're eating high fats at the expense of

complex carbohydrates, your glycogen levels will diminish or be completely depleted and

your training will suffer. The high fat diet cultists will attempt to persuade you that

dietary fat in the absence of carbohydrate will become the primary fuel source. They are

often fond of saying, "There's no such thing as an essential carbohydrate, but there are

essential fats and essential amino acids." The truth is, carbohydrates ARE essential for

high-powered anaerobic workouts in the weight room. Ask any bodybuilder who has been

on a very low carbohydrate diet; when no carbohydrates are eaten, their energy goes down

the toilet.

8. Large amounts of dietary fat do not assist muscle growth

The high fat cult says fats are anabolic, referring to the fact that fats are necessary

for normal muscle building hormone levels. An extremely low fat diet suppresses

anabolic hormones such as testosterone - that much is true. They fail to mention that only
​


small amounts of essential fats are needed for anabolic hormone release. When the fat in

the diet is high, it's actually non-anabolic. Here's why:

When fat is high and carbohydrates are very low, there's nothing to stimulate a

moderate insulin release. Fat has very little effect on insulin. In order to drive the amino

acids into the muscle cells where they can be used for muscle growth, a moderate release

of insulin is necessary, and only carbohydrates produce enough insulin release to shuttle

those amino acids into your muscle cells. It's ironic, but so-called "anabolic" high fat

diets are anything but muscle promoting.
​


*Good fats have a different molecular structure than bad fats*
​
*
*



So now you know why the two extreme approaches - very high fat or very low fat

are not effective. You're now ready to start learning exactly which types of fats you

should be eating, and which you should avoid. To choose your fats properly, you need to

understand the differences between them. This is where a little bit of chemistry is

involved. I'll keep it as simple as possible - I promise!

There are three types of fatty acids, some helpful, some harmful. Every fat or oil

consists of a combination of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Saturated fats in general are harmful and raise blood cholesterol. Polyunsaturated and
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monounsaturated fats, on the other hand, tend to lower levels of blood cholesterol and

contain healthy essential fatty acids (EFA's) such as omega 3's and omega 6's.

Now for the boring chemistry part: (And if you're a biochemist, please don't

flame me, this is a simplified model just to get a point across).

Fats are made up of chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms linked together. A fatty

acid molecule is made of a carbon backbone, like this:

C - C - C - C

With me so far? Good. Now, attached to the carbon backbone are hydrogen atoms, like

this:

H H H H

1 1 1 1

H - C - C - C - C - H

1 1 1 1

H H H H

How saturated a fat is depends on whether there are any spaces left on the carbon

chain. If all the carbons have a hydrogen attached to them, the fat is saturated. If there are

any carbons that aren't hitched up to Hydrogen, then the fat is unsaturated.

H H

1 1

H - C - C = C - C - H

1 1 1 1

H H H OH

See how those two carbons in the middle don't have a hydrogen atom attached to

them? That's what makes a fat unsaturated - the carbons are not saturated with hydrogen,

or as some nutritionists like to say, "There are empty seats on the bus."

The reason I bother with this basic chemistry is because you need to realize that

not all fats are the same chemically. Depending on the molecular structure, each fat can

have totally different properties. The molecular structure of saturated fats makes them

"sticky," which makes you more prone to heart attacks and strokes. They also interfere

with insulin function, which is important when you want to lose fat.
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The unsaturated fats have benefits and protective effects. They can improve

insulin function, counteract some of the negative effects of saturated fats (as in the

Eskimo example), increase your energy and help you lose body fat.
​


*Three types of fats - three different molecular structures*
​
*
*



1.Saturated fat

Saturated fats are the most harmful, leading to increased levels of cholesterol in the

blood. They also lack the essential fatty acids you're looking for. Butter, cheese,

chocolate, egg yolk, meat fat, dairy fat, shortening, palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut

oil are all saturated fats. With the exception of the tropical oils (Palm, palm kernel and

coconut), saturated fats are primarily animal fats and for the most part, they tend to be

solid at room temperature.

2. Unsaturated fat (Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated)
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Vegetable fats are mostly poly or mono unsaturated. Polyunsaturated and

monounsaturated fats tend to lower levels of blood cholesterol and contain the healthy

essential fatty acids (EFA's) such as omega 3's and omega 6's. Polyunsaturated fats

include fish, walnuts, pecans, almonds, flax, some salad dressings, soybean oil, sunflower

oil, and safflower oil. Monounsaturated fats include avocados, cashews, peanuts, pecans,

natural peanut butter, olives and olive oil.
​


*Essential fatty acids (EFA's)*
​
*
*



Like other "essential" nutrients such as "essential" amino acids, an essential fatty

acid is one that the body cannot make and must be supplied through the diet. The

monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats contain the essential fats - these are the good

guys. Essential fatty acids are found in all the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats I

mentioned earlier, but some unsaturated fats are higher in EFA's than others.

The two EFA's are

Omega 6 - (linoleic acid or LA)

Omega 3 - (alpha linolenic or LNA)

Most people don't get enough EFA's. People who intentionally restrict fat to very

low levels are often borderline deficient. Although a true clinical EFA deficiency is rare,

a very low fat diet is clearly not going to give you optimal amounts of these beneficial

good fats.
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*The amazing benefits of good fats (EFA's)*
​
*
*



Most people aren't getting optimal amounts of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. The

classic symptom of EFA deficiency is dry, flaky skin. Omega 3's can be provided by food

or with an EFA supplement. Smooth, velvety skin is just one of many benefits of EFA's.

There are at least eleven important function of EFA's in your diet:
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EFA's improve insulin sensitivity
​


EFA's are required for absorption of fat soluble vitamins
​


EFA's are essential for joint health
​


EFA's are required for energy production
​


EFA's are required for Oxygen transfer
​


EFA's maintain cell membrane integrity
​


EFA's suppress cortisol production
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EFA's improve skin texture (dry skin is a classic symptom of EFA deficiency)
​


EFA's are growth promoting
​


EFA's increase metabolic rate
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EFA's help burn fat

The last two on this list probably really got your attention didn't they? In Udo

Erasmus's book Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill, he writes, "At levels above 12 or 15% of

total calories, they increase the rate of metabolic reactions in the body and the increased

rate burns more fat into carbon dioxide, water and energy (heat), resulting in fat burn off

and loss of excess weight."

You might want to go back and read that quote again, because this is huge! There

goes the entire very low fat diet right out the window as a means of fat loss. Although it

only takes a tiny amount of essential fatty acids in the diet to prevent a deficiency,

avoiding a deficiency is not the goal when your interest is losing body fat. Your goal is to

take in the optimal amount that will have fat-reducing and growth-enhancing effects; that

amount is at least 12 to 15%.
​


*Avoid saturated fats as much as possible*
​
*
*



There's never any good reason to include large amounts of saturated fats in your

diet. The only saturated fats you should take in is the small amount that comes in your

chicken breasts and poultry and the small amounts you'll get in the occasional cut of lean

red meat and egg yolk or two. Many bodybuilders shun dairy products completely

because they have a hard time digesting it or it makes them bloated and water retentive.
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Others avoid dairy products because they are high in saturated fats. If you tolerate dairy

products well, you can use them on a fat-reducing program as long as you select non fat

or 1% lowfat sources which contain little or no saturated fat.

Saturated fats should be kept low, but cutting out all the saturated fats isn't

necessary. A lean steak once in a while is A-ok and so is an egg yolk or two, especially if

you're taking in ample quantities of good fats because the good fats have protective

effects that counteract the negative effects of saturated ones. Grass-fed beef has recently

become more popular because it's been discovered that its omega 3 fatty acid content is

high and it has a better omega 3 to omega 6 ratio than grain-fed beef.
​


*Reduce your total fat intake in general*
​
*
*



Keep in mind that every fat or oil gets 100% of its calories from fat. Olive oil for

example, is more healthful than partially hydrogenated oil, but one tablespoon still

derives 100% of its calories from fat. Regardless of whether an oil or fat is healthy or

not, it's still high in calories. A tablespoon of any oil will set you back about 130 calories

and 14 grams of fat.

Therefore, you should try to reduce the amount of fats and oils you consume in

general if fat loss is your goal. Otherwise, you are much more likely to exceed your daily

calorie limits. If you eat macadamia nuts, walnut, cashews or peanuts as your favorite

snack every time you watch TV, you could be hundreds - even thousands of calories over

your optimal fat burning level! Nuts contain good fats, but watch those calories!

There are now many lower-calorie substitutes for conventional fats such as Butter

Buds, Molly Mc Butter, "low calorie butter flavored sprays", fat-free butter spreads,

cooking spray, fat-free dressings, and so on. These can add some flavor to your food

without overdoing the calories. Using cooking spray is much better than throwing oil in

your fry pan because it would take a 15 second spray to equal 1 tablespoon of oil
​


*Hydrogenation, partial hydrogenation and trans fatty acids, the "phantom fat"*
​
*
*



Oils are by nature, extremely unstable substances that go rancid very quickly upon

exposure to light and air. "Hydrogenation" and "partial hydrogenation" are processes that

food manufacturers use to prolong the shelf life of their products and to make cheap

spreadable products such as margarine. Dr. Erasmus calls hydrogenated oils "a

manufacturers dream: an unspoilable substance that lasts forever."
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Unfortunately, the process of hydrogenation makes an unsaturated fat such as

vegetable oil take on the dangerous properties of saturated fats. Hydrogenated oils are

"processed fats" the same way that white flour is a "processed carbohydrate."

Partially hydrogenated oils contain large amounts of chemically altered fats

known as trans fatty acids. Some nutritionists like to call them "funny foods." Partial

hydrogenation is what turns oils into spreadable margarines and makes the oils more

stable. They also make baked goods moist and flaky. The Center for Science in the Public

Interest calls trans fats "the phantom fat" because it's not required that they be listed on

food labels; they're" invisible," so to speak, thus the "phantom" moniker.
​


*What foods contain trans fatty acids?*
​
*
*



Hydrogenated oils and trans fatty acids are primarily found in margarines and

spreads, baked goods and fried foods. Food manufacturers get real sneaky when it comes

to trans fats, because they aren't required to list them on their labels. They can say things

like "no cholesterol," or "low saturated fat" yet their product is loaded with harmful trans

fats. Many people switched from butter to margarine thinking they were doing good by

avoiding the saturated fat in the butter. What they missed was that the margarine was full

of the "phantom" trans fats! Here is a partial list of foods to watch out for:

Fried foods (Fried chicken, French fries, fried onion rings, tater tots, etc)

Cookies

Crackers

Biscuits

Frostings

Pies

Pastries

Frostings

Doughnuts

Corn chips

Taco shells

Shortening

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils

Refined vegetable oils

Baked goods (Croutons, crackers, cookies, cakes, breads)

Margarine
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*What trans fatty acids can do to you*
​
*
*



Trans fatty acids are very dangerous. They cause numerous health problems

including heart disease and possibly even cancer. They certainly don't help you get any

leaner and may hinder the fat-burning process in more ways than one. The trans fatty

acids in hydrogenated oil are believed to raise bad blood cholesterol (LDL) even more

than saturated fats. Dr. Erasmus once said, "If you see the "H" word on the label, get the

"H" out of there!"
​


*10 destructive effects of trans fats:*
​
*
*



• Trans fat decreases insulin sensitivity
​


• Trans fat increases insulin response to glucose
​


• Trans fat hampers immune system function
​


• Trans fat raises the "bad" LDL cholesterol in your bloodstream
​


• Trans fat lowers HDL (good) cholesterol
​


• Trans fat increases blood triglycerides
​


• Trans fat interferes with your liver's detoxification processes
​


• Trans fat may cause cancer
​


• Trans fat interferes with EFA functions
​


• Trans fat makes your platelets stickier
​


*How much fat you should eat every day: What the mainstream "experts" say*
​
*
*



Most conventional medical, health, and nutrition organizations including the

National Research Council and the National Academy of the Sciences, recommend that

for good health and weight control, you keep your fat intake below 30% of your total

calories. The only reason that 30% of daily calories has been set as the standard guideline

for fat consumption is because it's less than what the average American currently

consumes. Thirty percent is not necessarily the ideal amount for optimizing fat loss,

muscle gain, and physical performance just because the mainstream experts say so.
​


*What the world's leanest natural bodybuilders do*
​
*
*



Your best results for fat loss will come from following a low fat, but not a fat free

diet. Based on my own research and observations, I believe (And so do almost all the top

natural bodybuilders in the world), that you should limit your total daily fat intake to

about 20% of your daily calories and not less than 15% of total daily calories.
​


Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC

http://www.fitren.com 170​


If you were to selectively pick your fats very carefully, a diet as high as 25-30%

fat wouldn't necessarily be a bad idea either. Lean proteins and complex carbohydrates

are more thermic than fats, which would favor a lower fat intake. What's even more

important than the number of fat grams or the percentage of calories from fat is the type
​


of fat you eat.
​


*How food manufacturers are getting away with murder by lying to you on nutrition*

*
labels and how you can determine how much fat is **really **in your food using the "Fat*

*
Formula"*
​
*
*



Hiding or failing to mention trans fats isn't the only dirty trick food manufacturers

are using. Many foods being marketed as "low fat" are actually very high in fat when you

analyze the percentage of calories from fat. Food companies frequently try to pull the

wool over your eyes and fool you into eating high fat foods by listing the percentage of fat

by weight or volume. Another deceptive trick is making serving sizes extremely small,

which makes a food appear as if it were low in fat.

By reading nutrition labels and using the following formula, you can calculate

what percentage of the calories in a food come from fat or even how much of your total

daily diet is derived from fat.

Read the "Nutrition Facts" panel on the food label. Make it a regular habit. Look

up the number of total calories and the number of grams from fat. Then multiply the

number of grams of fat in a food item by 9 to find the number of fat calories. (There are 9

calories in a gram of fat). Then divide that number by the total number of calories in the

food to find the *percentage of calories from fat *in that food.

Example 1:

Low fat 2% milk, 1 cup

120 calories, 8g protein, 11g carbs, 5g fat. FAT % LISTED BY VOLUME!

5 grams of fat X 9 = 45 calories from fat

45 divided by 120 total calories = 37.5% fat

Example 2:

"Low fat" ham, 1 slice

20 calories, 1g fat. LOW NUMBER OF FAT GRAMS

1 gram of fat X 9 = 9 calories from fat REFLECTS VERY SMALL

9 divided by 20 total calories = 45% fat SERVING SIZE!
​


Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC

http://www.fitren.com 171​


Example 3:

"Low fat" 92% lean ground beef, 3 oz

120 calories, 6g fat. FAT % LISTED BY WEIGHT!

6 gram of fat X 9 = 54 calories from fat

54 fat calories divided by 120 total calories = 45% fat
​


*Flaxseed oil - one of the few supplements you can't go wrong with*
​
*
*



Many people believe that fish is the richest source of EFA's. However, Flax has

about twice as many Omega 3's as fish. Fresh Flaxseed oil is one of the best ways you

can ensure that you meet your EFA requirements. You can get Flaxseed oil from any

good health food store. One tablespoon a day is a fantastic way to get your EFA's

although some people use as many as 3-5 tablespoons per day, depending on their caloric

needs and the amount of carbohydrates they use in their diet.

The only disadvantage of using pure flaxseed oil is that the ratio of Omega 3 fatty

acids to Omega 6 fatty acids is 4 to 1. Most people's diets are low in Omega 3 and high in

Omega 6. Exclusive use of flaxseed oil over the long term can actually cause a deficiency

in Omega 6. Dr. Erasmus came up with a solution by developing an oil blend which

contains flax along with several other nutritionally rich oils including sunflower, sesame,

rice bran, oat bran and evening primrose oils. This blend is called "Udo's Choice" and it

is available in most health food stores or from the Flora company (1-800-446-2110 or
​
*http://www.florainc.com**). *You can also make your own "oil blend" by mixing three

parts flax with one part sunflower oil.

When I recommend flaxseed oil or an oil blend containing flaxseed oil, my clients

often ask me if they can eat whole flaxseeds instead of oil and sprinkle them in their

oatmeal or cereal. The answer is yes, however you must grind them and eat the freshly

ground flaxseeds or you won't absorb them. The seeds will pass right through your

digestive tract. A regular coffee grinder will work just fine.
​


*Practical suggestions for fat intake*
​
*
*



Ok, now that you're an expert on fatty acids and you know which ones are good

and which ones are bad, let's talk about some practical, real-world suggestions for

managing the fat in your diet.
​


Reduce fats in general; Always eat a low fat diet.
​


Don't cut your fat too low and avoid diets that call for zero fat or very low fat

(10% or less).
​


Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC

http://www.fitren.com 172​


Include a minimum 15-20% of total calories from fat.
​


Experiment with higher fat: (20 to 30% "good" fats) when your carbs are low to

moderate (30-40% carbs or less). Never raise your fats when your carbs are high

because this is a fat-storing combination.
​


Take 1 tbsp of flax or "Udo's Choice" oil blend for EFA's ("Udo's Choice" is

available from the Flora company 1-800-446-2110 or at your local health food

store.)
​


Don't be afraid of fatty fish like salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, eel or herring.

Eating salmon at least twice a week is highly recommended.
​


Don't be afraid of nuts, seeds, avocados, olives or natural peanut butter provided

you stay within your calorie limits.
​


Avoid trans fats like the plague - recognize the trans fats by avoiding foods with

"partially hydrogenated," or vegetable shortening on the labels. Also stay away

from margarine and deep fried foods and high fat baked goods. Remember Dr.

Erasmus's advice about what to do when you see "Hydrogenated" on the label.
​


If anyone tells you a very high fat diet improves athletic performance, helps you

get leaner or helps you gain more muscle, just ignore them - it's a gimmick!
​


Avoid most supermarket oils. These are to fats what refined white flour is to

carbohydrates (Empty, processed junk food calories). The exception is extra virgin

olive oil, an unprocessed, monounsaturated fat.
​


Salad dressings with Olive oil or canola oil are ok within your calorie limits.
​


Avoid any type of fried food. Fried foods are on the BANNED list of foods you

should never, ever eat!
​


Use a non-stick spray instead of coating your pans with oil - you'll get less

calories and less fat.
​


Limit butter (Saturated fat) and consider eliminating it completely. Butter is less

damaging than processed oils or trans fats, but since it doesn't provide EFA's, it's

like "empty calories" and you're using up your allotment of daily calories with

something that could be better.
​


Avoid margarine completely (Trans fats)
​


If you want butter flavor, use butter sprinkles or butter flavor spray. If you must
​


use margarine or butter, use a "diet" or "light" tub variety (Example: Promise

Ultra Fat-free, Fleischmann's squeezable, Weight Watcher's extra light spread,

etc - these are essentially, "watered-down" margarines.
​


*Conclusion*
​
*
*



Small amounts of the right fats are good for your health, they help you gain

muscle and they help you lose fat more easily. Zero fat or very low fat is not the answer.
​


Copyright 2003, Fitness Renaissance, LLC

http://www.fitren.com 173​


*High fat diets (over 30%) are not the answer either (that rules out the Atkins diet, and any*

*other diets that promote ketosis for weight loss).*

The optimal dietary fat intake is probably between 15% and 25% of total calories.

If your fat intake falls somewhere in this range, and you're eating the right kinds of fats,

you'll be in good shape.

If you're interested in learning more on the subject of fats, I highly endorse and

recommend the book, Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill by Dr. Udo Erasmus. Almost

anything you read in the magazines about fat these days dealing with the subject of

nutrition for bodybuilding or fat loss is based on the research of Dr. Erasmus. Although

there's some heavy chemistry in this book, it's worth the effort to study it and it will
​
enhance your education beyond anything else on the subject.


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## Fat (Jan 2, 2010)

I lose a lot of bf on Keto.


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## lxm (Jul 26, 2011)

Me too + I didnt read all that.


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## j1mmytt (Jan 12, 2011)

Dont think il ever do keto again, my stomach was a disaster for 3 months afterwards completely bloated accompanied with serious indigestion and gas.


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## RowRow (Nov 17, 2011)

Never had a problem with keto. Loose fat that's it.

Carb up days were immense.


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

If I do it again I'll eat way more fat that was my mistake, also it'll be healthy fats not mostly bad, carb ups are a bit mad for me once I eat the carbs I'm sh!ttin loads then Sunday comes and you feel mint


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## Pictor (Jan 10, 2011)

Great read that mate, very interesting...

Reps :thumbup1:


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## Superhorse (May 29, 2011)

Tom Venuto is good as so is that book.

His follow up The Holy Grail has an outstanding breakdown of carb cycling.


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## Nickthegreek (Jan 27, 2011)

This book is outstanding! I have a copy also!


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Skim read it but everything written is scientifically true, even if the language makes some of it sound more extreme than most studies. The only thing I consider important that he didn't mention is that there are some genetic differences relating to proteins in the liver which significantly influence the relationship a person has with high carb diets and high fat diets... there definitely are such things as carb sensitive and fat sensitive people, and they both respond differently in respect of disease risk and rate of fat storage/loss on unbalanced macro diets.

In respect of ketosis and very low carb diets specifically, in short term monitored trials they do generally tend to slightly outperform higher carb diets for fat loss by a few lbs over 2-3 months, and show greater total weight loss (extra fluid, glycogen and a little muscle lost too)... but studies show very strongly that at the six month point and beyond there is no total or continuing fat loss advantage to low carb at all compared to high carb calorie restricted diets.

That said, it does mean that for a short intense burst of fat loss dropping carbs can be very effective, especially if you are carb sensitive, but don't expect miracles. Simple thing to do is experiment with multiple dietary approaches and find the one that works best for you... and don't listen to anyone who says only one kind of diet can possibly work as, genetic differences aside, when done properly most diet plans that are at least semi sensible basically yield identical long-term results overall, even if they progress at different rates initially.


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