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At this point, I was cautiously optimistic. I decided to try this idea on others to see if the results could be duplicated. When Gold’s Gym of Wenatchee held its 12-week Get-in-Shape Contest in January 2001, I added apples to the diet (which was then called the “Get Lean” Diet).
The Get-in-Shape Contest
The annual 12-week contest, which I created in 1997, was (and is) a body transformation contest designed to lower body fat while retaining muscle tissue. Although judging is based primarily on visual change from before-and-after pictures, body composition changes are also recorded. As part of the contest, we provided the diet; exercise recommendations; tips on calculating calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and water; and other information pertaining to the program.
Apples and the “Get Lean” Diet
The original “Get Lean” Diet was always a balance of low-GI (see Chapter 7 on glycaemic response) carbohydrates, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and essential fats—with a calorie distribution of 40 per cent carbohydrates, 40 per cent protein, and 20 per cent fat. On this balanced 12-week fitness contest diet, women averaged a body fat loss of 5 to 7 per cent, and men averaged 7 to 10 per cent loss.
In 2001, when apples were added to the “Get Lean” Diet, Gold’s 12-week Get-in-Shape Contest participants experienced record fat losses! Women averaged body fat losses of 7 to 10 per cent, and men averaged losses of 10 to 12 per cent. Not only that, two women broke the “most fat loss” record with 21 per cent body fat loss each! One of those women, who later became a Gold’s Gym National winner, lost a whopping 53 pounds of body fat and gained 10 pounds of muscle!
The following year, one male contestant lost 84 pounds of fat and acquired 19 pounds of lean muscle. Another man lost 85 pounds of fat and gained 26 pounds of lean, calorie-burning muscle (see the success stories in Part V).
Remember, these changes were made in just 12 weeks!
What a bunch of (happy) losers!
We were on a roll and truly excited about what we had accomplished. In the 2002 contest, 346 people lost 6,126 pounds of fat. In 2003, 351 people lost 6,453 pounds of fat! In both of those years five of the ten Gold’s National contest winners hailed from Gold’s Gym of little old Wenatchee, Washington!
What’s the one thing Wenatchee winners all had in common? You guessed it … apples!
But was it really the apples?
After the first year of adding apples, even with all our contest successes, I still had reservations about whether apples were actually what helped these contestants lose more body fat than in years past. But adding apples was the only change we had made in the program.
Actually, I had eaten apples for many years when I was dieting for bodybuilding contests, but I never connected eating apples with losing body fat. In fact, I kind of felt like I was cheating when I ate them during my contest dieting phase—because they tasted so good!
It wasn’t until I had read some of the contestants’ amazing and inspiring personal stories—writing a personal story was a requirement for completion of the contest—that I was finally convinced. There just were too many testimonials naming apples as a major contributor to contestants’ success to be a mere coincidence.
The $500,000 Gold’s Gym Challenge
I became a true believer, and I was not alone. The entire staff at Gold’s Gym in Wenatchee was so strongly convinced that apples were a key to people’s weight-loss efforts that we approached the Washington Apple Commission and Gold’s Gym Corporate about sponsoring a national contest.
Of course, the folks at corporate headquarters were sceptical at first. But with real numbers, testimonials, and real contestants, they signed on to the idea, and the $500,000 Gold’s Gym Challenge was born. At the same time, Gold’s Gym Corporate adopted the Washington apple as “the Official Diet Pill of Gold’s Gym”.
How and why do apples work in fat loss?
I was never hungry. In fact, I had to retrain myself to eat enough. Never tiring of the three apples per day, I had no cravings for sweets. I believe the sweet Fuji apples helped in this area. I looked forward to having my apple as a snack every night! I had more energy and was amazed at how steadily I lost weight. I plan to continue using the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet to maintain my weight.
—Sandi Anderson, age 53, lost 31 pounds of fat and
gained 2 pounds of muscle in 12 weeks
When the Gold’s Gym Challenge began, I started getting a lot of questions about apples, mostly about how they work in fat loss and what research I had to back up the claims of significant fat loss from our contestants.
At first, I was unaware of any research studies that linked apples with weight loss—let alone fat loss! I chose apples originally because of their convenience, their sweet, crunchy texture, and their high fibre content (4 to 5 grams per apple). I had found a few studies linking increased fibre intake to weight loss, because increased fibre intake was associated with decreasing hunger and food intake, but none naming apples as the fibre source.
Recently, a Brazilian study of overweight women compared diets that contained three apples per day, three pears per day, or oat cookies, to determine their respective effects on body weight. The results showed that the women who ate either three apples or three pears per day lost significantly more weight than did the oat cookie group. This study is similar to what we found in our Gold’s Gym contest.
Apples are one of the only fruits that have high amounts of both soluble and insoluble fibre. The soluble fibre, pectin, helps steady your blood sugar. Researcher Kay-Tee Khaw at Cambridge University says, “Pectin turns into a sticky gel as you digest it, keeping your stomach from absorbing the sugar too quickly.” According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, pectin eliminates the urge to eat for up to four hours.
Apples, too, are low on the Glycaemic Index (see Chapter 7), at a rating of 38 (compared with sugar at 70 or maltose at 105). Low-GI foods don’t spike your blood sugar level, making them an ideal appetizer prior to a main meal or a perfect snack between meals.
In a more general sense, a 12-year Harvard study of 74,000 women, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, concluded that those who consumed more fruits and vegetables were 26 per cent less likely to become obese than women who ate fewer fruits and vegetables over the same time period.
Also, many studies have shown that apples can help in other aspects of health, such as preventing heart disease, stroke, and cancer and improving lung function and dental health.
The phenomenal increase in fat loss that thousands of Gold’s Gym clients experienced when they added apples to their diet plans, along with their personal testimonials naming apples as a key component to their success, is a more compelling reason for controlled studies to be done at the scientific level.
Right now, we’ll settle for what works!
Good news for people with Type 2 diabetes
The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet is also used by Gold’s Gym of Wenatchee in other challenges. One of those, the Type 2 Diabetes Challenge, is a six-month program based on a point system. As with the Get-in-Shape Contest, using the same diet and measuring body fat only, the contestants were required to keep food, beverage, medicine, and exercise journals; to test their blood sugar twice a day and blood pressure once a week; and to have pre- and post-challenge lipid (blood fats) profiles, including cholesterol and triglycerides (see Chapter 10), and an A1C test (a measure used to determine long-term blood sugar control). The participants did not have any kidney dysfunction before starting or after finishing the challenge.
The results from the Type 2 Diabetes Challenge showed that the group that ate at least three apples per day lost an average of 19 pounds of body fat. The group that ate only one to two apples per day lost 11 pounds of body fat. The other group, which ate one or no apple per day, lost only 3 pounds of body fat. Overall, the average A1C reading was reduced from 7.5 at the starting point to under 5 (normal range) at the finish.
Similar results were obtained with our six-month Wellness Challenge. The parameters were similar as far as keeping food, beverage, medicine, and exercise journals plus pre- and post-challenge lipid and glucose panels. Again, we saw a correlation between eating three apples a day and the greatest fat loss and a lowering of total cholesterol (mainly LDLs).
Worried about cholesterol? More good news
Most people who had high blood lipids before following the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet experienced dramatic changes in their blood work afterward. Exercise and eating the foods on the plan not only lowered their total cholesterol, LDLs, triglycerides, and blood pressure, but increased their HDLs (good cholesterol).
Here’s a great example. Byron, a 40-year-old male, started with an unhealthy cholesterol level of 211 and triglycerides level of 637. In week 11 of the program, his cholesterol fell to an amazing 97 (the low end of the range) and triglycerides to 51 (normal range)! On top of that, his HDLs improved from a low of 25 to a normal level of 35. With astonishment, his doctor asked if he felt OK and suggested they double-check to make sure the readings were accurate. Byron said he hadn’t felt this good since high school. And yes, the reading was accurate!
Others around the country also noted improvements in their blood work. Richard from Utah lost 36 pounds and lowered his cholesterol from 218 to 152. More important, his LDLs went from 128 to 86 and his triglycerides from 270 to 61. His HDLs increased from 36 to 49.
Scott from Maine lost 83 pounds and lowered his cholesterol from 243 to 125. His LDLs dropped from 133 to 58, and his triglycerides fell from 220 to 55.
Pete from Florida lost 53 pounds, lowered his cholesterol from 278 to 176, decreased his LDLs from 180 to 116, and his triglycerides from 309 to 58. His HDLs improved from 36 to 48. Pete’s doctor told him he was a heartbeat away from a heart attack before he started the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet. When his final blood work was done, the doctor couldn’t believe the improvements Pete had made in just 12 weeks!
Who can use this plan?
The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet is useful for most people. My clients consist of women and men of all ages—ranging from 18 to 80—many of whom have adopted the plan for their entire family. Others, who have heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid dysfunction, and Type 2 diabetes, are interested in improving their health and reducing their medications.
As mentioned earlier, people with Type 2 diabetes have been very successful using this plan. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 17 million Americans with Type 2 diabetes, currently termed the “obese disease”. This number has tripled since 1960 and is anticipated to triple again by 2050. By that time, one in three children born in 2000 will have diabetes if people don’t start adopting a healthier lifestyle—meaning healthier eating and more exercise. What’s even more frightening is that the CDC estimates 70 million Americans are currently overweight, including one out of four children! And the numbers are rising in the UK, too, as more and more adults and children are becoming overweight or obese.
What exactly do we mean by “overweight”? That’s a tricky question. I’ll discuss it in the next chapter. The answer may surprise you, and it is one of the things that sets the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet apart from any diet you’ve tried before.
Always check with your doctor before starting a food program, especially if you have had previous health risks.
CHAPTER 2 (#ulink_c1df13b1-3cbe-555d-9f62-22c7039f1e11)
Overweight versus Overfat (#ulink_c1df13b1-3cbe-555d-9f62-22c7039f1e11)
What’s the difference?
Researchers have learned that body fat, instead of weight, is a better predictor of health. High body fat, or “overfat”, is associated with conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and cancer.
Being overfat is more dangerous to your health than being overweight. Traditionally, being overweight has been defined as weighing more than the healthy weight listed for your age and height in a weight table. But that doesn’t account for differences in body composition. For example, athletes are often overweight according to the weight-table standards because of muscle development or large body frame, but they are probably not overfat.
The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet was specifically designed and developed for permanent fat loss and muscle retention (keeping lean muscle tissue). This plan was not necessarily designed for weight loss—at least using the traditional method of measure, the scales. Other measuring techniques to determine progress have been highly effective and motivational. These include girth measurements (waist, hip, and thigh), body composition testing, and body mass index, which we’ll get into later.
The scales tells you only the partial truth
Weighing yourself on bathroom scales tells you next to nothing about how healthy you really are. Gaining or losing a pound doesn’t always mean it’s a pound of fat. In fact, small, frequent shifts in weight typically reflect fluid changes in your body. Your body’s fluid levels vary depending on the amount of salt you eat, your activity level, and hormonal changes. It seems that many people, mainly women, are controlled by the numbers on the scales. If the number goes up, they’re discouraged. If the number goes down, they are motivated and happy. The numbers on the scales do not measure the progress you have made, and they can even be detrimental to your program. Why not break those barriers and get permanent results without the frustration of the scales? The following photos show how people with different body types and levels of body fat, and different degrees of lean muscle can weigh the same.
Males 40–49 years old
All these men weigh 195 pounds!
Females 30–39 years old
All these women weigh 135 pounds!
Get the picture?
Other methods for measuring
Methods of body-fat measuring that should be done by a trained professional include skinfold measurements, infrared interactance, bioelectrical impedance, and underwater weighing. Other methods, such as girth measurements and body mass index (BMI), can be done at home. A BMI reading is based on your height and weight and is just a gauge for determining health risk. This measurement may not be appropriate for athletes or very active people. The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet asks you to chart your girth measurements.
For girth measurements, use a tape measure. Measure the waist at the navel, the hips around the buttocks, and the thighs at their upper part. Every one inch lost from the waist is equal to 4 pounds of body fat (Muscle and Fitness magazine, March 2003). Use the chart in Charting Girth Measurements (#ulink_3a52f2b8-f190-5f8d-935b-dbe333d09e99) to keep track of your girth measurements in inches as you work the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet.
Charting Girth Measurements
Calculating Body Mass Index (BMI)
To determine BMI, use the following formula (or use the free calculator at nhlbisupport.com/bmi):
Weight (pounds) ÷ Height (inches)
× 703 = BMI
If your BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9, your weight is not likely to have a major effect on your health. If your BMI is 25 or more, talk to your GP about the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet.
Is it time to act?
The health questionnaire in Is your health at risk? (#ulink_b732a6f3-80b6-50a7-991c-723905f62e1a) is a screening tool to help you assess your physical activity and nutrition habits. Whether you find that you’re at high risk of becoming overfat or not, answering the questions may increase your awareness about your current habits. If you have decided that you could stand some improvement, try simply changing one of your undesirable food or activity habits instead of focusing on the scales. Use The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet for guidance. You will be amazed at how easily the fat will come off when you make even small changes, such as eating an apple before every meal.
Is your health at risk?
• Do you eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day?
• Are you physically active at least 30 minutes per day, seven days per week?
• Do you eat fewer than three deep-fried foods per week?
• Is your waist measurement under 35 inches for a female? Under 40 inches for a male?
• Is your BMI under 25?
• Do you consider yourself at a healthy body fat level?
• Does your family history show healthy body weights without obesity?
If you can answer yes to most of these questions, you’re probably not at high risk of developing overfat-related diseases. If you answered no to at least three of the questions, your chances are greater for developing overfat-related diseases.
This is not a medically proven questionnaire to determine the risk of becoming overfat. It is used exclusively as a screening technique for increasing health awareness.
In the next chapter, we’ll look at other factors that determine if you’ll become overfat, and we’ll see how the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet can make a big difference.
CHAPTER 3 (#ulink_e481cb09-ddb4-5cba-856c-c720f49b4981)
Genetics and Obesity (#ulink_e481cb09-ddb4-5cba-856c-c720f49b4981)
Were we born to be fat?
Genetics play a role in your body type and how you store fat. Yet other factors greatly influence your risk of being fat or overfat—factors that you can change or prevent.
The big fat facts of life
Fact one: we can’t always blame our parents. Yes, our genes affect the rate at which our body accumulates fat and where the fat is stored. And, yes, a family history of obesity does increase our chances of becoming obese (overfat) by about 30 per cent, and of course our family affected our eating habits and activity levels when we were children. But we have 70 per cent control over how healthy and fit we are as adults—what we do to take control is up to us.
Fact two: No matter who we are, we all have an unlimited potential to make new fat cells, which means we all risk obesity and obesity-related diseases if we continue to overeat and under-exercise.
So now’s the time to start making changes. The thousands of people who have followed the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet have come from a variety of backgrounds. Most everyone who stuck with the plan has seen great results.
The difference between boys and girls
Have you ever wondered why men seem to lose weight at the drop of a hat and women seem to have more of a struggle? Or why building muscle seems to come naturally to guys but takes longer for us gals? Does “you are what you eat” ring a bell?
In my 20 years of experience in the health and fitness industry, I have observed that men and women have different preferences, which may influence how they lose body fat. When it comes to food preferences, for example, men tend to choose protein over carbohydrates. In terms of exercise, they go for the weight training every time—with as little cardiovascular training as possible.
My women clients, on the other hand, prefer carbohydrates over protein, and they choose walking for weight loss (cardiovascular training) instead of weight training.
Are you connecting the dots?
Muscle, fat, and metabolism
Because of their higher muscle mass, men tend to burn 10 to 20 per cent more calories than do women (who have higher levels of body fat). Think about this: 1 pound of muscle tissue burns 40 to 60 calories per day whereas 1 pound of fat tissue burns a measly 2 calories per day. No wonder these guys lose weight so easily. Their higher muscle mass endows them with a higher metabolic rate. But ladies, you can change all that by adding some muscle mass through weight training!
Use it or lose it!
As you age, if you do not use your muscles, you’ll lose them. The muscle tissue shrinks, resulting in lower metabolism and an inability to burn calories. Starting around age 25, you lose about 1 per cent of muscle every year, which results in a reduction of metabolism. So let’s do the maths.
Key Points from Part I
• Try to see the big picture. Having a balanced eating and exercise plan will help you become a fit, self-confident, full-of-life person.
