Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Good Advice
Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is a 340 page ebook written by natural bodybuilder Tom Venuto. I got hold of the ebook some time ago, and have read it a number of times. During my fat loss phase I probably referred to the book once a week.
Apparently it's been one of the top-selling weight loss ebooks for over a year now, so I thought I'd give my spin on it.
So what's so good about it?
There are loads of weight loss ebooks out there. After a brief search, I found no less than 88 diet ebooks! Over the past few years I have had the opportunity to read a few of these. The reality is - most of these ebooks are crap. Forgive the crudeness but it's true. Many of them are cheaply produced generic diet plans that you might try for a few weeks, and then throw out.
I got hold of Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle (BFFM)after the author sent a copy for me to have a look at. The sheer size of it put me off at first - after all most diet books are formatted in a nice simple quick-to-read style - so as to make them more attractive.
After delving into BFFM I discovered this was quite unlike any other diet book. There are no promises of outstanding breakthroughs or secret methods - just simple facts about fat loss. However the book is anything but simple - there's a lot of science and a lot of reality.
What's in the book?
Everything is covered - nutrition, weight / strength training, cardio, goal-setting, dedication - in fact everything that's needed to reach a fat loss goal. My first few reads were skim reads, but I have found in my journey that I began to read all the details eventually.
What's NOT so good about BFFM?
Like any successful person, the author Tom Venuto has his critics. One person has called him egotistical. However in my emails with Tom, I've found him to be quite helpful and very genuine. But let's face it - to be a bodybuilder you have to have a certain amount of vanity!
The other thing is, BFFM is NOT a quick-fix - nor is it easy. Sounds like typical fat loss really, and BFFM makes no false promises. The program requires motivation. Also I find the concept of getting obsessive over calories, grams, portion size to be tiresome - but it is something you will need to do to get a handle on the amounts of food that work for you.
Some people also accuse Tom of being too zealous in promoting lots and lots of exercise. There certainly is a huge element of cardio training in his advice - BUT - he also talks a lot about finding what is right for you.
What's the nutritional advice about?
BFFM will completely educate you on the core nutrients - carbohydrates, protein, and fats. The appendix provides a number of sample meal plans - but the book is all about teaching you how to eat right, and make your own meal plans. I get frustrated by all the books out there that make absolute claims about weight loss methods. There is no perfect answer as we are all very different, and have to find out what works for us.
It terms of nutrient ratios - I would call BFFM a moderate carb, moderate protein, low-ish fat diet. But there is no strict formula in the book. It's all about finding what works.
The Last Word
Personally I think BFFM is a must-read for anyone who wants to lose fat. Will it be the complete and perfect answer? Of course not! But it will give you all the tools and understanding to seriously transform yourself. In fact, reading BFFM gave me a huge burst of motivation, as for once it actually seemed do-able.
Is this a shameless plug?
I guess it's a plug - but it's not shameless. Many many weight loss programs have been read, reviewed, and even tried. Burn the Fat stands out as one of the best -- and will be for many years to come.
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49 Comments
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Created / Updated: November 7, 2011
RE: Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Good Advice
Thank you for posting your comments (good AND bad)about this ebook.
I purchased it almost a year ago, printed it out (it was HUGE!) and placed it in a very large binder. I think I pulled it out once, dusted off the cover, and returned it back to its resting place.
Being fit for a long time, lately I have been in a rut and out of the gym for over a year. I need to really get my diet back on track - I want to lose 10 pounds. Moreover, I need to get motivated again and need some good advice.
Based on your review, I think I will once again pull out the binder but this time take the time to read it.
I'll let you know the outcome.
-Catherine, New Jersey
ReplyOkay, based on research (and your comments) regarding this ebook, I'm purchasing it tonight, I'm a 27 y/o guy that needs to lose about 56 lbs to meet my goal I am 5'7" and way overweight, I will come back and place comments again after following this book for a month and see if I can as well testified of the content. 1/17/06.
ReplyI bought bffm over a year ago. Of all the "programs" I tried, this one had the greatest effect. The guy is up-front and honest about it (fat loss is simple, but it's not easy!)
Replyhello!!
i am hoping for a miracle.....would anyone out there be kind enough to please please email me a copy of burn fat feed muscle? i know it sounds scabby, but i have sadly $23.50 cents to my name and i am desperate to lose weight.
if there is anyone kind enough, that wouldn't mind please emailing me a copy i would greatly appreciate it.
it would mean the world to me.
please let me know and ill email you and then we can swap email address.
your sincerly, a friend in need
Replytracey x x
Just a quick question... would this be a good book to buy for gaining muscle also... because although i have some fat to lose... once i do that, will this book be able to get me into great shape? Thx a lot
- Tr3
ReplyTrey, yes the book is a primer on the basics of nutrition for increasing muscle mass and dropping body fat. There are also some basic weight-lifting programs.
ReplyCan you please elaborate on the basic weight training programs he has?
Is it like what exercise to do for specific muscle groups for a whole body work out and what groups to work on what days of the week?
Thanks
ReplyHi Trey the III,
Just thought I'd let you know that the answer to your question is answered at the official website's FAQ:
http://www.burnthefat.com/faqs/gaining_muscle.html
That said I haven't got any sort of opinion about this book. Just thought I'd let you know.
ReplyI meant, I CAN'T afford both now.
ReplyJess: BFFM doesn't exactly require you to eat every 3 hours. It just says that you will get better results from smaller meals more often. I like to think of BFFM as a collection of things you can do to accelerate natural fat loss. Just include as many of its suggestions as you can.
Reply"But let's face it – to be a bodybuilder you have to have a certain amount of vanity!"
I think this is an unfair statement or somewhat of a stereotype. First of all, bodybuilding can be a very difficult sport for some. There are many factors involved in building muscle. If you miss even one, you may not make any progress at all. In addition, natural trainers have to deal with the constant worry of overtraining.
Because of this, bodybuilders are forced to learn how to listen to their bodies and listen very carefully. You may see a bodybuilder flexing his biceps or pecs when he's waiting for a bus, but what is he really thinking? Is he just admiring himself, or is he asking his body if he's eating enough, or maybe he has a workout scheduled for today and he's asking his muscles if they're ready for another workout. In my case, I can even ask my body if I remembered to take my multi-vitamin this morning.
Even when you see them posing in the mirror, they might just be looking for imbalances in their physique. For example, I know that my arms are too small with respect to my neck and calves, my shoulders need another inch or two of horizontal width, my lats need more work, etc. It's no different than a tennis player paying attention to every little detail in his serve. I've been in that situation too.
This is not to say though that there are no vain bodybuilders.
ReplyDoes this ebook give the information that one needs to lose weight or is it just a bunch of fluff. I am tried of buying books and just adding them to my collection. Can you shed some light, please. thanks.
ReplyI recommend BFFM to all the visitors to my site as I believe that this book stand apart from all the other diet and weight loss book on the market today.
Replydear concerned fool,
Replyi'll take you up on your offer, i'm a fan of weight loss planes and would like to have a copie.
i have no intentions in creating a black market out of bffm. i just want to read it and try it out.
thanks aggain
Dear concerned fool,
ReplyI have been doing alot of reading about bffm. I too was wondering if you would email me a copy. I really want to read the book and test it out. and i promise it will be for my use only.
Thanks so much, KMD