Is "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Helpful for Weight Loss?

QUESTION:

Is it permissible to use "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" on the Ultra Fit Program if I want to lose fat and weight?


ANSWER:

John DeFendis, the creator of the ULTRA FIT Nutrition Plan states: "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is not good for you when you are in the success mode of the Ultra Fit Program and going after your weight loss and fat loss goals.

"Every time I have extracted that product from people on their program...the results doubled and they got in better shape easier and faster...

"So, the answer is No...Do not use it if you are looking to make progress."

With this in mind, let's expand on this subject...
It is important to read the ingredients in each product you purchase as well as the Nutritional Values. Crafty mareketers have a tendency to hide certain nutritional, (or should I say "Un-nutritional" values).

Take PAM Spray for instance...The front label states that it has "0" Fat. But, when you look at the ingredients (the small print on the back label)...we learn tlhat it is 100% Oil.

How can a product made of 100% oil be considered "0" fat? Read further on the back label and you'll find that a "serving size" is 1/3 second spray! So, by standards set by the Federal Food and Drug Administration, the amount of PAM in a 1/3 second spray does not have enough fat in it to be considered fat.

Here's the problem: how do you press down the top button and release it within the 1/3 second window? I think it's humanly impossible. Even if you could do this... would you have enough PAM to do any good?

The point here is that with PAM Spray...you can have it sparingly but do not spray the pan too long for it is 1 gram of fat for every second you spray the pan. That can add up fast.

As far as the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter"product...

One of the most frustrating things to me, as a fitness trainer, is to see people who work so hard towards fitness... getting duped by clever marketing tactics. The I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray is one of those things. Now....I'm not suggesting the folks who make that product are liars. They're not. I do think the idea of their product is incredibly deceptive though, due to the fine print.

Did you know that the I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray has zero calories and fat ONLY IF YOU USE 1.25 sprays.

WHAT!? Who does that? If you use any larger portion though.....you're spinning your wheels and not getting the results that you deserve from your workouts and program. And how exactly do you accomplish a .25 spray?

One teaspoon of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter bags 20 calories and 2 grams of fat. Most people never read that fine print. In fact, most folks I know claim to pour it on their rice, pasta, and bread because they truly believe it's a completely fat-free product. Who knows how many thousands of fat calories these poor people have been unknowingly consuming for years? Do you think it's fair and reasonable for them to advertise ZERO CALORIES on the front of the bottle?

When I lecture on fitness I always address this topic, and I can't tell you how many jaws come crashing to the ground when I drop this information bomb. The first looks I get are of shock. The second looks I get are of pure anger. Listeners feel cheated and they have every right to feel that way!

Here's the bottom line: it is important to read the ingredient lists which lists OIL as it's number two ingredient. But I still feel bad for the consumer, because they are led to believe the product is completely fat-free and can be used at leisure.

For more information on this or any other supposed "fat free" products, feel free to email me at fitsherpa@gmail.com

Alli May Not Be Your Ally

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first officially sanctioned weight-loss drug to be sold without a prescription. The drug, Alli, became available last summer and is the lone government approved alternative to other over-the-counter remedies. Currently Americans spend around $1 billion a year on supplements that advertise fast weight loss.

Before jumping on “The Miracle Weight Loss Drug” bandwagon, there are some specifics we should explore in order to keep emotions from overriding rational thought. In other words, the more we know about Alli, the less likely we will be to buy into something that may not deliver the results we are seeking.

Alli is an over-the-counter version of the prescription drug Xenical, which has been on the market since 1999. It is not an appetite suppressant. Instead, it inhibits fat absorption by interfering with the digestive enzymes that convert indigestible triglycerides into digestible free fatty acids. The result is that some fat that might have been used as energy remains in the digestive tract until it is excreted.

Common side effects of this drug include loose and oily stools, fecal urgency, flatulence and incontinence. Dr. Jana Klauer, a weight-loss and nutrition specialist, stated that these side effects had been a deterrent to Xenical as a prescription drug. “I haven’t had much success with it,” Dr. Klauer said, “My patients just don’t like the side effects.” Another drawback is that by blocking fat absorption this drug is also, albeit inadvertently, inhibiting the transport of fat-soluble vitamins.

Is there a place for a drug, like Alli, in the fight against obesity? Perhaps there is, in cases of chronic obesity when it is used along with proper nutrition and exercise. However, when a drug is made available over-the-counter, those looking for a short cut to a better body will try it and possibly abuse it. Also, people who may actually benefit from it will be short-changed, as the guidance of a physician will be nonexistent.

Herein lies the real danger. If people believe a drug will prevent calories from being absorbed, a significant percentage will feel the drug allows for less dietary control. "I can have the extra cheese and sausage if I take my pill" is an inevitable conclusion that many in our overweight population will draw. As long as people seek solutions in a pill, our over-fat population will move farther away from taking responsibility.

What if those who will be tempted to buy into this simply reduced fat intake, instead of relying on a drug? What if they traded some of their saturated fat intake for healthy EFAs? What if they walked an extra mile a day, performed 15 minutes of resistance training, and increased their protein intake by 20%? In other words, what if they decided not to rely on a pill but to live responsibly?

Here’s the bottom line: there are no weight loss drugs that in and of themselves deliver a lean, fit, healthy body. The only places where magic potions work are in fairy tales! For those of us in the real world, lean, fit bodies are forged from sound nutritional habits and progressive exercise.

KILLING TIME IN THE CARDIO CONFESSIONAL

It happens every Monday in every gym across America. No matter what city, no matter what gym, it’s the same old story. People pour through the doors, jump onto a treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike and begin an hour of paying for their nutritional shortcomings of the weekend.

It’s a practice that I call “The Cardio Confessional,” where far too many people have this insane notion that an hour spent spinning their wheels on a cardio machine can somehow absolve them of the excess calories consumed the previous day. These people seem to view exercise as punishment and so with sullen expressions they plod along, like a hamster in its wheel, getting nowhere.

Long slow aerobic training is the biggest practical joke in the fitness world. One would think that after all these years people would wise up and see that this exercise philosophy does not work. Marathon-type cardio sessions for the average overweight person are a prescription for disaster. We may as well tell them to go play in traffic! Of course, that’s basically what we are doing, all the while crushing their joints with excess weight and repetitive pounding, and delivering no real results.

But cardio fits our “more is better” philosophy. One woman once asked, “I started out doing five hours of cardio per week. No results. So I upped it to seven hours per week. Still nothing. Do you suggest I do more?”

No, I would not suggest that she do more. I would suggest that she be reminded of the definition of insanity: the idea that I can do the same thing over and over and eventually get different results!

If you are still inclined to believe that cardio is the be-all-end-all of fat loss solutions, consider the results of two studies conducted within the past year. The first, from Australia, showed that cardio did nothing for female fat loss, while interval training burned belly fat. The second, an American study, showed that even doing 300 hours of traditional long slow cardio in a year resulted in less than six pounds of fat loss in both men and women. That equals less than one-third of an ounce per hour!

There’s a better way. Take a peak in the weight room the next time you’re in the gym. Then compare the bodies there to the bodies on the elliptical. You’ll find the sculpted, lean bodies moving dumbbells and doing push-ups, and the plump “never changing” physiques spinning their tires on the cardio equipment.

If fat loss is your goal, you’ll burn fat, get lean, and boost your metabolism with resistance training. Follow your resistance training with a short interval cardio session that will amplify your fat burn and condition your heart and you’ll find yourself out of the cardio confessional and off to the fat burning races!

If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to contact me at fitsherpa@gmail.com.