Weight Loss Products

I'm often asked what ratio of calories or types of foods are key for how to get ripped. I actually consume a variety of foods and have tried various ratios. What I've found to be the most important is calories, and understanding how to adjust them based on your metabolism. This is where the DietPower software truly delivers.


In November of 2000, I flew to Evansville, Indiana for an inaugural charity event. The concept was very original. We lifted weights, summed the amount lifted, and added it for a grand "event total." The pledges we collected were donated to charity. There were weight-lifters who flew in from all over the country, but these were not competitive bodybuilders. Most of them were ordinary people who had found something extraordinary in changing their lives through physique transformation.

Superstars of Weight Lifting

It was at this event that I met two people, Scott Nelson and Harry "Hank" Johnson, Jr. who I considered to be "super stars." This is because they were former champions of a competition I was also entering. These guys were honest, giving, and down-to-earth. When I asked them how they got so lean for their photo shoots, without pause, Scott opened his lap top and showed me the "secret" - a software program:

How to Get Ripped

That was 4 years ago, and to this day, I am a faithful user of this program. There simply is no easier way for me to get ripped! Now, don't get me wrong. Leaning down to low body fat is not easy - not by any stretch of the imagination. I certainly owe a lot to my initial coach, David Greenwalt, for teaching me "the ropes" when it came to reaching ultra low body fat (and I recommend his services today to anyone who is struggling with losing those last few pounds that seem to be the most stubborn).

Using this software is certainly not the only way to accomplish a shredded physique. It works great by providing a "calorie budget" for each day, offering more flexibility to eat what you want. I am comfortable having an occasional slice of pizza or scoop of ice cream because I can track those calories and keep my program aligned with my goals. Let me explain how!

Let's Begin

When you first load DietPower, you are asked a number of questions (height, weight, pregnant, smoke, etc.) At this point, the software is no better than a set of equations or a calculator you might find online. Once you begin using it, however, the true power begins to unfold. Each day, you log all of the foods you consume.

Logging Food

Click Here For a Sample Screen
(Click on the log to see the full-sized images). In the first example, I enter the information for a favorite splurge meal - soy ice cream I eat occasionally. The built-in database contains thousands of foods, so it is rare that I have to actually key in a new item. What is great, though, is how the data is stored, and any time I return to that food, it will be in the database, waiting for me.

To the Breakdown

Click Here for a Sample Screen
After you enter the foods, you can see your breakdown for the day. You can monitor several nutrients. While the software comes pre-configured with recommended allowances (called Personal Daily Allowances) you can easily customize them to fit your own needs.

The Calorie Bank

In the example posted, I ate some pizza and ice cream, so the fat and sodium are through the roof. The software, however, will track how many calories I went "over" my budget, and put this in what is called a calorie bank. When the bank is negative, I know I have to eat less or exercise more (preferably a combination of the two) in order to make up for the extra food. If the calorie bank is positive, it means I still have calories that I can add to my meals.

Drinking Enough

In the example, I have not done a good job of tracking my water intake. The software allows you to set your own levels for water as well, and you can base it on the level of activity performed throughout the day. While I do enjoy tracking my water from time to time, I gauge my water intake by drinking enough to have 2 or 3 clear urinations per day. That might be too much information for you, but I wanted to share that philosophy.

Getting a Good Weight Routine

I also log my exercise activity. Here is where the software truly shines. By the way, if you are having trouble finding a good exercise routine, I suggest purchasing The Men's Health Book of Muscle, which is absolutely loaded with routines. Ian King is someone I have admired for a quite some time, and in this book he has truly created a dictionary of workouts for people with different needs, schedules, and abilities. You have my personal "thumbs up" that this book is high-quality and jam-packed with useful information - you should see what Ian's routines have done for me!

Setting a Weight Goal

When I first set up my profile, I entered a weight goal.
Click Here to See My Weight Goal
In the picture, you can see clearly what my goal is and how I should be losing weight to reach it. The red line is my actual weight - I am actually losing weight a bit faster than I would like (wouldn't more people enjoy having that "problem"!). In the graph, the blue line represents the theoretical path to my goal, and the green line is what my weight would be if I continued to lose at the current rate.

How DietPower Learns Your Metabolism

Remember how I mentioned at first that the guess for your metabolism was simply an equation? Well, that is how things started, but after using the tool for several days, it compared the calories I consumed to my activity levels and how my weight was actually changing. Based on this information, the software is able to compute your actual metabolism! It's actually a straightforward concept. A pound of fat contains 3500 calories.

Let's say you are exercising to burn 400 calories per day, eating 2000 calories a day, and lose one pound in one week. To lose 1 pound would mean you are creating a "shortage" or "deficit" of about 500 calories per day (500 x 7 = 3500). So, take the 2000 you eat, minus the 400 you expend. That equals 1600. Since we know that you are short about 500 calories per day, this means that the calories you would use to maintain your weight would be 1600 + 500. Therefore, your "metabolism" is 2100! Sound complicated? Don't worry about it. The program tracks all of this for you.

Rest assured that it is not going to simply budget a certain number of calories and then forget about you - the software constantly monitors your progress and adjusts not only your metabolic rate, but your calorie budget as well, in order to help you reach your goal.

Self-Learning

Click Here to See the Adjustments
In the image above, you can see how, over a few days, the software slowly nudged my metabolism based on how much I consumed and how my weight was changing. It's that simple! It is virtually impossible not to reach your goal weight using this software. It is uncanny how accurate it can be!

A Full Cycle: The Proof is in the Pudding

Click Here to see My Actual Weight Change
The image above shows a full cycle that I did earlier in the year 2003. You can see how my weight fluctuated during the time period. However, despite this, the software continually adjusted my budget and brought me back on track. I can't imagine getting any closer to the "Bull's Eye" than what this graph shows.

Reality Check - What Worked For Me

Now, was that journey easy? No. I had to discipline myself. Yes, I had the occasional bite of dark chocolate and glass of red wine. But I also ate whole, unprocessed foods, plenty of vegetables and fruits, and trained consistently each and every day. As a result, using my own determination and the software, I was able to get ripped with confidence! I encourage you to read through the journal to see how I did not have to consume large amounts of protein, cut carbs down to nothing, or restrict myself from the occasional treats in order to meet my goals.

Tips for Using Diet Power

When you decide to Try Diet Power FREE for 15 Days, I have a few tips to share, based on my experience with using the software these past 8 years.

• When you first get the software, set a reasonable goal to maintain your weight or drop 1 pound in 1 week. This gives the software time to "learn" your body - I would not jump straight into a program.
• After the first week, set a new weight goal, this time based on your actual goals. I have personally dropped 3 pounds per week using this program, but I consider that aggressive. My calories were at one point very low, and I was doing a ton of cardio. A more practical goal would be to lose around two pounds per week for men and one pound per week for women (sorry, ladies, but your bodies just don't let go of fat at the same rate as men.)
• If you find your weight loss is stalling and the calories are low, it might be time to "reset" your metabolism. Set a new weight goal: maintain your weight for one week. This will automatically bump your calories, without you having to worry about adding fat. Once you have gone a full week at a maintenance level, set yet another goal to begin losing fat at the desired rate once again.
• For particularly stubborn fat loss, try zig-zagging your calories. The software makes this extremely easy. When you over-eat, calories are deducted from your calorie bank. When you under-eat, they are added to it. To zig-zag calories, simply alternate between adding your bodyweight in calories to the calorie bank, then going back and cleaning the bank. For example, if I weigh 200 pounds with a 2000 calorie budget, the first day I might eat 1800 calories. This will put 200 in the bank. The next day, I will eat 2200 calories. This will meet my budget and take away the 200 in the bank. I am still "averaging" my target of 2000 calories, but I am doing it by fluctuating my calories. This keeps my metabolism from slowing down as quickly, and allows for prolonged fat loss.
• If your goal is to gain muscle, set the software to add one pound every one to two weeks. By only adding weight slowly, you ensure that you are adding more quality muscle, instead of simply rapid fat gain.

I highly recommend this for those looking to manage their weight or drop pounds for the summer. Now go out and get shredded!

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