Tom Venuto--it all makes sense

I recently signed up for Tom Venuto's "Burn the fat" newsletter and I find it somewhat informative--a lot of the info he gives I am already aware of but there are other ideas and facts that I was not aware of and I have found this to be helpful.

I am considering purchasing the e-book but I don't want to do it if the book is filled with info that I already know about. Does anyone have this e-book and did you find it helpful? What other books/sites can you recommend that gives information on burning fat and building muscle. 

I have the book and it's great.  Filled with information and advice that takes into account your body type and a variety of other factors.  this is not a one approach for all kind of thing.  The science is sound and he's not trying to sell any supplements or other products.  Very worth the investment.

The book is the exact opposite of what people take as fitness gospel around here. It's very good, very informative and helpful. tgpish knows a lot more about the book that I do. Hopefully he'll find this thread

Awesome, awesome book.  Over the past 10 months I've lost almost 60 lbs following the concepts it goes into.  The reasoning and food science in Burn The Fat motivated me to train for and complete 2 triathlons this summer -- I chose to eat really healthy food and move my but like a maniac (well, okay, a maniac within reason) instead of just sitting around and waiting for that ever-so-sought after magic diet pill to appear on the market...

Buy it.  You'll most definitely learn something if you do.

Thanks so much for your help, I will buy the book today.

Has anyone printed out the book and how many pages is it? I have a feeling that if the book is stuck on my computer I won't use it as much as I would if I had a hard copy of the book. 

I printed out the book and put it in a binder.  With the other material you get when you buy the book, the total is close to 400 pages.  I printed it all out at kinkos on 3 hole paper and it cost something in the area of $25. 

wow 341 pages... a lot to digest!

More info about Venuto's e-book here:

http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/459 14.html

Of course it's impossible for me to guess whether you already know everything in it, so ask an answerable question .

In general, there really aren't any "secrets", and all the good info there can be found in any number of other places. But I don't know of any other single source, regardless of price, that covers it all (appropriate nutrition, eating habits, weights, cardio, objective measurement, and motivational techniques), or, for the most part, so clearly.

I may be an oddball in preferring the e-book format over dead-tree (paper): PDF makes it very easy to search, and there's such a mountain of info you'll probably want to search often as months pass.

Does the book provide sample meal plans and sample workouts for women? This is always where I get stuck, I need some kind of basic plan to work off of.

Do I have to order this e-book? is there a paper format?

You get pretty easy to put together meal plans for different goals both for men and women. The #'s are sensible.

Original Post by safina1:

Do I have to order this e-book? is there a paper format?

There is not a paper format for this book. I was considering printing it all out but tgpish gave the suggestion of leaving it on the computer to make it easier to search through. 

 

Thanks guys for all your help!  

Thank you too. That was informative and useful.

oshellybean, it has some example meals and workouts, but it's not a recipe book, neither a book on how to perform exercise.  Instead he's trying to teach you enough about the underlying principles so you can craft your own meal and exercise plans with confidence.

Are you ready for that?   The truth is that everyone needs to become the world's leading expert on themself, and a book like this helps you achieve that.  In contrast, for example, a book full of recipes is an excuse for blaming the author when they don't work for you.  Venuto doesn't accept excuses .

I'm really intrigued by this book after reading this thread, the older thread, and the guy's website (which is quite a lengthy read itself - do you think this guy is hyperactive or something?  Damn!).  I think I'm going to get it, since I've reached the point now where I need to try something new cause I'm getting bored and the weight loss has slowed a lot.

laschndr, go for it!  There's an 8-week money-back guarantee if you're unhappy with it, and I expect (but don't know) that's on the level too.

After losing 50+ pounds, one problem you're facing is that aerobics is less effective for you now:  the lighter you get, the fewer calories aerobics burns if you keep the same routine(s).  Same deal with doing the same aerobics routine for a long time (even if your weight doesn't change, the body learns to do the routine more efficiently = less energy expended = fewer calories burned).

Another danger is that the leaner you get, the more likely calorie deficit is to lead to muscle loss.  From that POV, it's a good thing your weight loss has slowed a lot:  while a 3500 calorie deficit over a week is enough to lose a pound of fat, it could instead account for a nearly 6-pound loss of muscle.  Short of taking (illegal in the USA) drugs, Venuto's e-book covers all the effective ways known to preserve lean tissue, and that's more important for you now than it was 50+ pounds ago.

Thanks, Tim.  I'm going to order the book tomorrow and get to reading.  I'm looking forward to starting something new.  Its always nice to have a change!