Fat loss 4 idiots is now the #1 Clickbank weightloss product. I still don’t understand why? So in honor of their latest achievement, here is my post on Calorie Shifting again. You can do it on your own if you really want to without paying $35 (unless you want to pay me for this article )

I recently received an email from an obvious online marketer promoting the wildly popular fat loss 4 idiots diet program, which is based on the theory of calorie shifting. I didn’t bite but I’ll admit the promises are very enticing.

Claims like “Lose 9 pounds every 11 days” always spark my interest and curiosity. So I wanted to share my thoughts, research on calorie shifting and how it is done. (without you paying $39 for it)

What is Calorie Shifting

Calorie shifting is a method of eating that involves you having 4 meals a day and following a meal plan with foods that supposedly burn fat more effectively (mostly high protein foods and very little vegetables) That is how the commercial programs do it anyway.

You are constantly changing the total amount of calories you eat in any given day, “shifting” your calories up by 400 one day and then down by 300 the next day and so on.

Things to Note Before Starting a Calorie Shifting Plan

Below is an example of a typical calorie shifting plan. In order for this to work there are a few things you should note before you can see the 9 pounds in 11 days claim.

1.) You should establish a calorie baseline that your body has become accustomed to for at least 21-28 days. For this example it is assumed that a daily calorie intake of 2000 calories or very close to it has been maintained.

2.) Your current diet should be pretty bad already. If you have been eating well (lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats and whole grains), exercising regularly and getting plenty of recovery time this most likely won’t work for you. This is something the programs don’t mention as they assume you are already in bad shape to begin with.

A Calorie Shifting Plan Example

Day 1 -1700 Calories
Day 2 -2200 Calories
Day 3 -1600 Calories
Day 4 -2300 Calories
Day 5 -1900 Calories
Day 6 -2500 Calories
Day 7 -1700 Calories
Day 8 -2100 Calories
Day 9 -1500 Calories
Day 10 -2200 Calories
Day 11 -1600 Calories

Notice the up and down swings in the total daily calories. This is designed to confuse your body’s metabolism and supposedly burn more calories.

Is Calorie Shifting Effective?

For some people this can actually be an effective short term plan. But just like any other diet program/ plan it all depends on the individual as everyone’s metabolism is different.

Just be clear that once you return to your normal eating patterns you will most likely regain some of the weight.

Do I Recommend Calorie Shifting?

If you are looking to make a lifestyle change and improve your overall health then I don’t think a calorie shifting plan is the right way to start. These plans exclude many fruits and veggies which I think are essential to your health.

The other thing I dislike about calorie shifting plans is that they require no exercise. I understand that many people hate to exercise and this “no exercise claim” can seem appealing but trust me when I say that food alone is not enough. Please don’t discount the benefits of regular exercise.

Keep in mind that this is calorie shifting as I understand it and there are many variations in the calorie shifting theories and programs.

What is your opinion of Calorie shifting?

Ok I’ve been negelcting this site and my readers for the past month, as you can see from a total of 0 posts in April. So to make up for it I am giving you the chance to win 1 of 2 copies of Tommy Europe’s 10lb shred ebook and access for 1 year to his new membership site Tommyeurope.tv

Tommy Europe is the trainer and star of the Last 10 pounds bootcamp and bulging brides. Two great shows that help people get back into shape. He is a former CFL football player and certified personal trainer from Canada.

I’ve read the book myself and It’s really good. There are 30 pages of high quality exercises that you can do either at the gym or home. The book includes a 4 week workout plan that will help you drop the weight quickly.

It’s not all about the workouts Tommy also has the diet aspect covered which includes a 7 day meal plan designed by the Maria Thomas the women that creates all the meal plans for the last 10 pounds bootcamp contestants.

How To Win

Winning should be fairly easy. You can enter 2 ways:

1. Leave a comment for one entry (I will be contacting the winners by email).

2. Write a post about this contest, the last 10 pounds bootcamp, or Tommy Europe and link back to weightlossweapons.com for 5 entries.

This will be a short contest with the winners being chosen on May 11th using random.org

Good Luck!!

As I consider all the workout routines available, it is difficult to decide which is best for me. I am sure you have the same problem. So, I decided to compare two different programs – ChaLEAN Extreme vs. Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer. Both programs are created by Beachbody.

ChaLEAN Extreme uses circuit training techniques and shifts the workout’s focus from cardio to weight training – lifting heavy weights in 3 phases. Tony Horton’s program is a super stacking technique using resistance bands. Stacking is combining fat-burning cardio, total-body toning/sculpting, and ab workouts into the same movements.

The main difference is obvious from the name: Tony Horton 10 Minute Trainer. It consists of 4 workouts – total body, lower body, cardio, and yoga flex. Each lasts 10 minutes. Plus you get a bonus abs routine as a free gift. Chalene extreme comes with 15 workouts on 6 DVD’s, including 2 starter workouts to teach you form, 3 burn circuit workouts, 3 push circuit workouts, 3 lean circuit workouts, and 2 ab routines. Each workout is 30-45 minutes in length.

Both programs come with tools and Beachbody offers 24hr/7day a week support. ChaLEAN Extreme includes a guide book, body fat tester, and thigh toner band. Weights and additional resistance bands need to be purchase separately. Tony Horton’s program includes a resistance band kit, customized workout calendar, guidebook and Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Meals.

Each program offer a 30 day money back guarantee, plus free gifts you keep even if you return the program. The gifts with Tony Horton’s program are a bonus abs routine, On-the-Go Workout cards, and the 10-day lean jean plan. With ChaLEAN Extreme, the gifts are Fat-Burning Food Guide, Extreme Motivation Audio CD, “Healthy Eats”, and a Kitchen Makeover DVD.

Customer reviews and success stories revealed more differences. Customers liked Chalene’s personality and appreciated reminders to keep proper form and to work at your own pace. They loved her encouragement and felt she made working out fun. One customer completed the workouts despite his arthritis because of the tips provided to protect your knees and back. No particular comments were given on Tony Horton’s personality.

Fit people and out of shape people found both programs challenging and experience success when they consistently worked out. In ChaLEAN Extreme, people generally noticed a difference in 2-3 weeks as they lost weight and increased their strength. On Tony Horton’s program, customers reported significant weight loss and a decrease pant size in just over a month.

One customer owns over 300 workout programs and declared ChaLEAN the best program. Never boring was another reoccurring comment regarding ChaLEAN Extreme. People felt they could stick with the program.

Customers of the 10 Minute Trainer were pleasantly surprised to be sweating by the end of the workout. One customer commented they were done with the workout before they could talk themselves out of it. Even fit users felt the burn and were sore in the beginning. Several customers felt they pushed themselves too hard or hurt themselves trying to stretch the resistance bands as far as the girl in the video. They cautioned others to build up to that level.

ChaLEAN Extreme’s price is 3 payments of $39.95 plus $19.95 in shipping for a total of $139.80. Tony Horton’s program is 2 payments of $39.95 plus $9.95 shipping for a total of $89.85.

AND THE WINNER IS … well, that depends on your goals and personality. The success pictures for ChaLEAN Extreme show more muscles and definition, but the workouts are longer and you provide your own weights. In my opinion, this program is better for people serious about weight loss and fitness. For people ready to put in time and money to achieve more muscular results. Tony Horton’s program is ideal for people with limited time, those unwilling to invest money into a program, or those wishing to lose weight without caring about muscle definition.

No matter which workout routine you choose, the most important step is taking action. Both programs will get you results if you follow them. So, choose one and get started!

Written by Healthy New Age, the natural health blog and website.

This is just a quick post to let you know that I saw p90X on sale at Walmart today. I have been receiving a lot of emails and traffic from people wanting to get p90X but don’t really want to buy it online.

I did a little digging on prices and Walmart is the lowest by far. This is for the complete p90x set nutrition guide, calendar, workout logs, and DVD’s. They are offering it for $119.97 Canadian. I would imagine that it would be somewhere around the $99 mark in the states.

Amazon.com is selling it for $179 ($214 CAD) US. I’m not sure why they sell so many at this price???

Beachbody.com The creators of this product are selling it for 3 payments of $39.95 plus $19.95 shipping and handling. That’s a total of $139.80 US ($167 CAD)

Showcase (sells “as seen on TV” products) They have P90X displayed right when you walk in the front entrance of the store with a big $149.99 CAD (Canadian Dollars) price tag on it. I mentioned that Walmart had them beat on the price by $30 and the sales lady said they would be lower the price to compete. When I said “but you’re not going to match it are you?” she gave me a dirty look.

If you have ever been waiting for p90x to go on sale now would be the time to get it. I’ll be posting this deal on debtslaying.com as well. One final note, the price tags at Walmart do say limited quantity purchase while supplies last. So go get it already.

Edit – I have seen ads online offering P90X at $70 and under, please be aware that you are not getting the complete and proper P90X system. Those are usually copies and are made with very poor quality. Amazon.com uses third party vendors for their P90X supply and quite a few people have complained about the quality as well. Stick with either Walmart (great price and return policy) or Beachbody.com directly.