Stubborn Fat Loss - ReviewI have just been reading a new book - The Stubborn Fat Solution - by Lyle McDonald which deals with getting rid of stubborn fat and I wanted to put a brief review on the blog.
Summary
This is a really good book and a relatively easy read given the variety and depth of science that is explained. It makes sense too, and in fact it fits with some of the studies to which I've referred previously - especially this one: "Cardio" - burn more fat by doing your weights first and also Sprints increase fat mobilisation
What is it?
The 93 pages do what the title says. The book presents a strategy, in fact a set of training protocols, for getting rid of stubborn fat. It is a typical Lyle McDonald book in that he teaches you some basic biochemistry: what is fat, what it does, how you burn it, the role of hormones etc etc, then - on the basis of this science - he proposes a solution. I love this approach - it is how I like to learn. Yes, he tells you what to do, but he justifies it with some rigorous science (there are 9 pages of references at the end of the book).
Read this and you will learn a lot about fat and exercise. In fact that may be the most useful thing about this book - it is a primer on fat. If you absorb the information in the book you will be able to make sense of a lot of the research out there and also identify some of the bogus dietary and exercise prescriptions that are promoted.
The Approach
As I hinted above this is not about dieting - it is a set of training protocols that could be employed on different diets. Lyle' s original Stubborn Fat Protocol 1.0 can be found on the internet e.g. here. This book presents 4 new protocols that take these ideas much further on the basis - as I have said - of a lot of research.
Who is it for?
Lyle says the following :
the information in the Subborn Fat Solution is only for lean dieters. Men should be at 10-12% bodyfat and women at 16-17% beore they need the information. As well the STubborn Fat Solution is NOT a specific diet. Rather, it is a set of integrated training protcools that can be used with your current diet and training programs to strip stubborn fat.
I think that that means you should be starting to see your abs before you apply these protocols. This is "icing on the cake".
What do I think?
I am very impressed by this book. It is challenging, thought provoking and exciting - I'm looking forward to trying out the protocols
I have learned a lot already and need to go back over the book now and really think through what it says.
Many of the things I post here show my sympathy with the typical low carb approach to diet - I think it makes sense for lots of reasons. While not denying the role of insulin in driving fat Lyle also explains that there are other important hormones and metabolic issues that need to be considered, from the blood flow to the fat in various parts of your body to the potential action of acylation-stimulating protein (ASP)..... Sometimes - as Emma points out - there is more to it than simply cutting carbs.
How to get it
You can buy the book via this link. (Service is good - it took about 7 days to get here - Scotland - from the states)
4 comments:
Chris,
Have you ever read "Body Opus" by Duchainne? I was curious to see if there are any similarities to it as that is a pretty good essential read on fat loss. Also were you talking about weights before cardio when done in the same session? As anaerobic only burns glycogen and protein, and aerobic only burns glycogen and fat?
Mike
I've not read Body Opus, but I've Lyle McDonald's diary of his experience on the diet and also the Ultimate Diet 2.0 by Lyle which he says builds on Duchaine's Ultimate Diet.
The study I referred to talked about weights then cardio.
Use the link I gave or Google Stubborn Fat Protocol and you will see the way Lyle proposes. It is about using the intervals to release the and and the cardio to burn it.
Thanks Chris, I'll take a look. Kind of like sounds also like DeVany's approach with intervals and then go do something for an hour lower intensity like hiking or play basketball. Body Opus is a good read, although doing the BB approach is no longer anything I want to be a part of as it is way too centered around meals in tupperware and cardio machines. Funny how I have found my best fat loss with IF and just living the active lifestyle with no set plan. More fun now!
So where is the proof that these fat loss protocols work any better than traditional fat loss methods? The author should have done a controlled study to see if his protocols actually produce more fat loss in stubborn areas than regular cardio, diet, etc. If his work was submitted to a reputable scientific journal it would be rejected immediately since he has not proven any incremental benefit over and above traditional methods.
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