BinderFitness

First off, I want to state that both of you have some very valid points. The majority of clients I've seen in my nine years as a fitness professional average 1-2 meals a day (including snacks.) So to ask them to eat 6-8 meals a day is very challenging. However, asking a person to go from 2 to 4 or 3 to 5 is a big step in the right direction, and we can work from there. As of 2012, nearly 70% of our population is considered overweight, and half of that 70% is considered obese. By 2020, it's estimated that 70% of Americans will be obese and the same percentage will have diabetes. People try multiple diets to lose weight. Medifast, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Hcg, NutriSystems, following the old school method of 'calories in vs calories out'.....they're all diets. If any of them had significant scientific proof, why are there so many? Why do people go from one to another? And why do most people start a 2nd diet at a heavier weight than the first, original diet? Diets restrict calories and needed nutrients. And simply eating more protein isn't the end-all problem solver. I can provide research on how a person will not absorb specific types of protein if they're lacking specific vitamins/minerals. Calories in vs out is based on the law of thermodynamics, discovered by Sir Isaac Newton. Basically if a person burns 2,000 cal/day and they consume 1,500/day, they'll be at a 500 calorie deficit and will lose 1 lb/week (3500 cal +/- equals 1 lb gained/lost.) However, simply following this formula rarely works long-term. If a person consumes 1500 calories of chicken breasts only, or licorice, or 1 meal at McDonalds, they will not get consistent results. And they won't feel good, sustain energy, and keep cravings/mood swings under control. Teaching a person blood sugar stabilization allows a person to eat a good percentage of the foods they enjoy...just in the right portions and percentages. For instance, Elmer would do great at a 40% protein, 35% carbohydrate and 25% fat ratio. This would be, for example, 40g protein, 35g carbs and 11g fat per meal, adding up to 400 calories. Do this 5-6 times and you're definitely on the right track. The body knows if it's being restricted in calories in general. And it knows if you have a chicken breast for lunch and miss the healthy fat and carbohydrates. Same thing if you eat a bag of chips for lunch and miss your protein and healthy fat. One of you mentioned "carbs are not a required nutrient..period." Let me ask you a question. How many servings of fruits/vegetables do you get per day? Zero? Four? Twelve? Fruits & veggies are carbohydrates, and are absolutely essential from a macro, micro and phyto-nutrient standpoint. Do you know the majority of disease we suffer from, as part of the Western Society, is due to malnutrition and inflammation? Free radicals form from virtually everything we encounter (environmental pollution, stress, smoking, and even working out/breathing itself.) The only way to rid the body of cell-damaging free radicals is to consume antioxidants consistently (at least every 8-12 hours). And antioxidants are in fruits & vegetables. If you've ever heard of Mark MacDonald, I would definitely check his info. out. He has the following credentials: Owns over 400 Venice Nutrition Centers across the country, is the spokesperson for CNN nutrition segments, is a spokesperson for American Diabetes Association, and is the author of his best-selling book "Body Confidence." And he's a friend/colleague of mine. In summary, I've played golf for some 20 years. And I know the swing/mechanics pretty well. But I wouldn't think I could teach someone every aspect of playing golf. One of you or both of you are club pro's. That's your field of expertise. However, the majority of information you've mentioned is 'out there' is outdated. Both the best and the worst thing about the internet is you can find whatever you want. If a person isn't focusing on blood sugar stabilization and eating small, consistent and well-balanced meals, they're choosing an old method, and may see some results for awhile. But the track record of repeated diets and roller-coaster weight gain and loss proves my main point.

I'm unsure as to where your info. is coming from that debunks my suggestions. If your point is one can lose weight by means other than stable blood sugar & eating small, consistent, equal and balanced meals like 500 k/cal per day on hcg or 1000 on Medifast, then I understand. But you also grasp the concept that Elmer's metabolism will suffer with his calories being too low. To be in a constant anabolic state/positive nitrogen state allowing for lean muscle gain, or at least in a neutral state while losing bodyfat, it is the smartest, safest and most effective method. Everyone has a busy schedule, which is incredibly understandable. My job, as a nutrition expert, is to show people how to make those meals work for them in their crazy & demanding schedules. It can be done.

Personally I know you can find much better alternatives than Medifast. As a fitness trainer, who specializes in golf specific fitness training and nutrition, I'd be happy to go over a few ideas. For starters, Medifast is known to be extremely low in calories overall. The majority of the foods are processed, and the recommendations for calories per meal and for the day are too low. Will you lose weight? Yes. Did your wife lose weight? Sure. But let me ask you this..out of that 20 lbs, how much of it was bodyfat and how much was lean muscle tissue? The problem with Medifast, Hcg, WW, etc are that the calories are very restrictive and get people initial results. But the programs are very hard to stick with, and during the weight loss phase, one typically loses a substantial amount of lean muscle tissue. Each lb. of muscle you lose, you burn approx. 30 calories less/day doing the same activity. This makes it very hard to keep the weight off long-term. The most successful way I've found, utilized myself, and have recommended to clients, family and friends is to learn how to stabilize your blood sugar. This formula is based on human physiology. If your blood sugar is stable (between 80-120 mg/dl), you're in a state of homeostatis, where you have the ability to maintain/build muscle, along with burn bodyfat. If your blood sugar spikes, you store fat. If it drops, you will burn muscle. The more stable you are 24/7, the better. Does this mean you cut out all your carbs? No. It does mean that you should be eating 6-8 small meals throughout the day, every 2-3 hrs. And all meals & snacks are the same amounts of calories..no big meals and small snacks. This also means we should be consuming protein, healthy carbohydrates and fat at EACH MEAL. This allows us to minimize our cravings, maximize our energy, build/maintain muscle and lose fat. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and is really a very easy concept to grasp and take advantage of. Please inbox me if you have any further questions. I'm located in the Portland, OR area if anyone locally is interested in finding out more face to face, as well. Mark

Great job Dave on the workouts. Have you tried working back & biceps together, and chest & triceps or chest, shoulders and triceps together on separate days? A push vs pull routine is very beneficial, and allows prime moving and synergistic muscles to work together and rest together. I've been a fitness professional for about 9 years and am actually certified as a golf fitness specialist. If you or anyone have any questions regarding how to incorporate a golf specific training program, please feel free to send me a message! Mark