Dear friends,

This is a very important message, so I sincerely hope you have a little time to read this.

It has been a blessing for me as CEO of Natural Physiques to grow this business and touch the lives of so many people. This reward is greater than anything else I may have received during this time.

This Christmas, our family was blessed with the gift of an opportunity for me to start a new project that I also believe will have a tremendous impact on others as well as our own lives.

Where am I going? I'll be managing technology for a new company that was founded by individuals I know very well and respect. I call this the opportunity to be "The Apprentice" because I'll get to build this new business with some very amazing individuals, and this knowledge will help me in the future with taking fitness projects to another level.

Here's a press release with some information about the company I am going to, and the individual I am so excited about working with:

Unfortunately, it also means I would no longer have time to maintain and grow this site.

Rather than simply let it go, and leave everyone in the dark, I made the decision to seek out someone with a passion like my own who I felt comfortable could take the torch and continue to provide quality, honest information.

That person is someone I've known quite some time and he gladly accepted the responsibility. In fact, he already maintains a site very close to my own philosophy and beliefs, and it just happened to be a perfect fit.

We are in a transition stage now, but I want to introduce you to the new owner of Natural Physiques.

Please meet Jim Foster, who also runs the Diet Blog:

I'm passionate about diet, nutrition, and fitness - and have enjoyed reading Jeremy's material over the years and putting it into practice - I certainly carry round a lot less fat than I used to! So it's quite exciting to be able to take over Jeremy's project from here. His site is a goldmine of useful information.

Most of my spare time is spent writing for Diet Blog. This blog has grown and grown - with over 1,000 articles and an active community of readers. Diet Blog was recently chosen by Forbes Magazine as Best of the Web in the health blog category. The site provides cutting-edge links and commentary about all facets of fat loss - everything from body image, health, diets to the latest exercise techniques. A daily newsletter is available.

On a personal note, I am 34 years old, and married with two young children.

My wife is training to be a powerlifter, and enters her first novice competition in March of this year. Not bad for a woman who was obese as a teenager, followed by 9 turbulent years whilst alternating between anorexia and bulimia. She has finally learned how to maintain her weight whilst still enjoying her food. We have a homegym
setup in our garage which gets plenty of use.

Thanks, Jim! As you can see, he is like me: not someone born into fitness or just trying to make a quick buck, but really someone who has chosen this as a passion and
way to express himself in life.

I do hope you'll welcome Jim with open arms.

A few quick notes:

Your privacy is 100% protected, as per our privacy statement. We did not rent, sell, nor transfer any of your information to the new owner. If you wish to continue to receive updates, you will need to subscribe using Jim's subscribe box at: Diet-Blog.com

I will work with him during the transition to answer any questions you might have.

The site name will remain the same.

If you wish to contact me, please take note of my new e-mail address:

weightlossexpert [at] bodybuilders.com

The affiliate program has been discontinued.

However, we are negotiating the sale of the rights to produce our products with another vendor. We will coordinate with Jim to send a message when that is done. This is another company we've done business with and trust, and they are looking to continue to sell our CDs. We will notify all affiliates of the new details of the new affiliate program when that information becomes available.

I will retain rights to my book, Lose Fat Not Faith, and it will continue to be available for sale at Amazon.com.

Thank you once again and I appreciate you.

Warmly,

It's time for another information packed update!

How are we doing so far?

Make sure you step over to our sister podcast, Weight Loss the Healthy Way and sign up for the audios (there is a link in the upper right to do it straight through iTunes if you have the software). For the first time ever, we will be sharing excerpts from the Lose Fat, Not Faith 5-CD set (entire, unedited tracks) to assist you with your weight loss journey. Our hope is that if you find value in the information we are sharing for free, you will consider supporting us by investing in the set.

Part of the reason we want to share this material is so that you can "try before you buy." For example, if you're not sure if our Lose Fat, Not Faith book is right for you, you can search on specific terms and read sample pages. We are also going to share more audio to help you make a decision. It's important to know the truth and not fall for gimmicks.

This article promises to help, and even offers reviews of popular weight loss programs, such as Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, Weight Watchers, The Zone Diet, The South Beach Diet, and more.

Of course, they left out what we feel is a powerful nutrition solution: our own online nutrition plan.

Online workouts are becoming more popular — one online newspaper shared how you can download workouts to get fit, while another offers the skinny on weight loss websites. One thing we noticed when they compared major programs is that our system is not only less expensive than all but one, but we don't just tackle nutrition. Our online workouts alone would be worth the investment, and we offer workout buddies for free.

Some people are wondering if stretching is really needed. I base my experience on the mentoring from a coach who has prepared professional and elite level athletes for decades. He doesn't need a study to prove his athletes are competitive and injury-free, so I still stand frimly behind our stretching guide.

When getting back to your workouts after the long holiday break, don't push it.

One study shares that obese don't want to lose weight. However, the bulk seemed to be focused on lack of education about the dangers of obesity, rather than the core desire to be overweight.

The good news is that people can change. Just don't set unrealistic expectations, and don't use the genetics excuse.

In other news, seniors find health benefits from exercise and nutrition.

A recent studies shows that a low fat diet can improve diabetes symptoms in as little as a few weeks. Now, I'd like them to repeat the study, and instead of a low-fat diet, use one that focuses on healthy fats.

Finally, I found a very interesting and informative review of the book, "The Hungry Years: Confessions of a Food Addict. It's called "Eat and Run: Why We're So Fat."

Blessed be,

Wow. It's officially a trend: we're all watching our weight in the new year. (Did you think I was talking about the popular program? Nope, any of us to step on the scale and to keep our nutrition and exercise in check are weight watchers). Take a look at this article about how sites experienced a tremendous surge in hits after New Years Resolutions kicked into place! Our site, however, received fairly steady traffic before and after. We hope that will improve as more people take advantage of our workout buddies functionality.

What's new and cool? I'll be working on a new company and venture here shortly. It means that I may not update this blog as often. I've been asked: am I leaving the fitness industry? Heavens, no! I've still got my products, my website, and much more, but I will be focused on building this new business as well. It's in the technology industry.

Speaking of the technology industry, video game buffs can combine their favorite passtime and get fit, too. Check out the video game workouts!

That is one way to keep your resolutions. While many gyms and fitness companies may be excited about the trend that occurs during the New Year, we also face a serious challenge. Those of us concerned about your health who are in this business to make a difference know the key is to help you STAY in the new lifestyle. Statistics say you will more than likely drop off after several weeks or months, and by February, things will be calm because so many weekend warriors are back on the coach and switching to chips and beer from protein bars and water.

You do not have to be a statistic! It's a choice, but one that you can make. Here's some tips on how to keep your New Year's Resolution.

The 2006 New Year is big news to food manufacturers. They are now required to have trans fats reported on their labels. The article gives a great description of what trans fats are. To learn more about fats in general, I suggest the classic Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill. It is an eye-opener!

If you happen to hit a plateau, don't give up! Plateaus are part of the process. We've all faced them at one time or another. So, figure out how to break a plateau. One term to become very familiar with is periodization. It's too complex to get into with this post, but the link will show you a few books that will help out. Another way to bust plateaus is to listen to our Amazing Fat Loss Secrets Revealed CD. This is loaded with tips and techniques to bust plateaus and shed those last few stubborn pounds.

While you might be on a diet this New Year, did you ever consider putting your house on a diet? That's exactly what you will learn to do with the new book, Put Your House on a Diet.

A lot has been said recently about fish. First, you are told they are healthy fats. Then, you're told not to eat them due to mercury content. So, what gives? As with any factor in your nutrition, you have to balance the risks and benefits of eating fish.

Speaking of balance, an often debated topic is soy. I personally have soy every day. It's not my primary source of protein, because I believe in moderation and variety, but I do use soy milk or rice milk or almond milk instead of dairy. A recent study revealed that a soy diet can increase heart disease. I'm sure that anti-soy companies and sites will be all over this.

Before you get too shocked, however, it's important to look at the actual study. You'll find some interesting things.

First, rats aren't humans, so findings there aren't necessarily going to correlate to your life. Second, in the study, the diet was almost all soy — soy protein, soymeal for carbohydrates, soybean oils, etc. This isn't how you would eat your soy, is it? You'd probably have it along with other balanced meals. Some other interesting points: most anti-soy people point out the dangers of special chemicals in soy, specifically daidzein and genistein. In this study, these chemicals were added to a non-soy diet to expose how much of a role they played. In the results, it turns out, not much of a role at all. It's also interesting to note that the animals on the casein diet, as opposed to soy, had heavier weight (and higher body fat, so it's not just more muscle they were putting on).

We'll have to keep watching this but until a study comes out that looks at the practical impact of soy in the diet, i.e. what happens when we have the occassional soy bar or a glass of soy milk every day, it's going to be tough to draw real world conclusions. I've been using soy almost daily for over five years and am not aware of any adverse health effects.

In other news, some people question whether obesity is really a risk. The premise is that the risks have been inflated by people who run health and wellness businesses focused on weight loss to promote their products and services. There are a few good points in the article: for example, the classifications are based on false presumptions about body fat. Our president is considered "overweight" and Arnold Schwarzenegger "obese" by BMI (body mass index) standards (check out ourBody Mass Index (BMI) calculator. The other point is that the real issues are diet and exercise, not weight. Some people with a heavy weight who eat healthy and exercise are fine. The thing is, most of the time obesity is the result of poor diet and/or lack of exercise. But what happens if you do these and are still classified as overweight? Is it really an issue? Perhaps not.

One good reason to drop the weight is that you might live longer.

Here's an interesting thought about Intelligent Nutrition or how the study of evolution impacts how we view nutrition today.

I found a great article about hyped nutrition claims. Did you know that some foods that claim to be whole wheat are really junk foods? There's plenty of tricks in the industry, so consumer beware. Educate yourself by reading Food Labels 101.

Finally, what's a great way to pursue fitness in the 2006 New Year? How about having your own home gym? Read our article about home gyms by Kyle Battis. He is the author of an eBook called Home Gym Secrets.

Also, don't forget to check out the iPod Workouts!

Blessed be,

Several posts ago, I mentioned something very innovative that my former coach David Greenwalt was doing (by the way, I am no longer accepting one-on-one personal coaching clients, and David Greenwalt is my number one recommendation as someone else to consider). These were iPod Workouts and are really starting to get quite popular. Check out what David has to offer.

If you are a big iTunes fan, don't forget that you can add our very own podcast with just one click.

Thanks to another satisfied reader of Lose Fat, Not Faith for posting a great review at Amazon.com.

We would love your opinion about everything we do: honest, good or bad, or anything in between. Something no one has yet done is review our site. Won't you take a moment to share those thoughts?

Here's some tips to punch up nutrition for breakfast.

Can you live your way thin?

Are you one of those people who always has to have snacks and other foods late at night? If so, you're not alone. However, a recent study links late-night eating with obesity. What remains to be seen is whether it is the timing of the eating that contributes to obesity, or the mindset of obesity that contributes to the late-night eating!

Prevention is always the best cure, so hop on these tips to help your children avoid childhood obesity.

Learn more about selenium. Vitamins and minerals are amazing. Did you know that Vitamin C deficiency can hinder weight loss? That's news to me, but I always get enough Vitamin C in the multivitamins that I take.

Can hypnosis help you lose weight? Check out the article, then read our own interview about fat loss with hypnosis.

A lot of popular diet books and plans blame carbohydrates for obesity. We (us fitness professionals) have been saying it's not the carbs, it's the processed and refined foods including refined carbohydrates. Fruit, veggies, whole grains, and other quality carbs are fine! Now we've got a study to back it up! Hey, this doesn't mean low-carb plans don't work or are wrong, it just means that it's not as simple as "carb, bad."

Saturated fats are the bad guys, right? I've argued that it's not so simple. Heck, it's taken over a decade for people to figure out that unsaturated fats are fine in moderation, just read Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill (1993). Believe it or not, your body does require some saturated fats. For most people, getting these in the diet isn't a problem. But did you know there are different types of saturated fats as well, and some have actually been shown not to impact and even possibly lower cholesterol? It's very interesting... here's more on why saturated fats aren't so evil.

Blessed be,

Wow!

It's the first post in the New Year. How exciting.

I am happy to share that literally hundreds of you have jumped onto our website to check out the free workout buddy program. Thanks... and I look forward to hearing of your success in the coming year!

Some of you might have quit smoking for your New Year's Resolution. If that's the case, congratulations. But as you pursue a healthier you, proceed with caution! Ex-smokers should ease into exercise is the gist of one article.

If you've ever wondered what life is like as a personal trainer, here's one view.

The media is like a big carousel. Stories break, become popular, fade, and then, a few years down the road, get dug up again. While bodybuilders have known for years that slowing down the negative (concentric) portion of a lift can create special responses, those new to the sport may not have heard of this concept. So, once again, welcome to the world of negatives! (Don't worry, they achieve a positive result).

Now that everyone's New Years resolutions include at least one mention fitness, nutrition, or better health, we'll start to see more articles like this one about losing weight. If you really want to get back to the basics, I suggest you first read The Practical Way to Lose Fat (written by me), then read the Seven Keys to Permanent Weight Loss Success (written by me but guided by the common principles developed by people just like you who attended a seminar I hosted last year).

Obesity is not an American phenomenon — it is being felt around the world. Just recently, Scotland's health minister declared that exercise and diet should be at the core of their health policy.

According to a recent survey, I'm speaking to myself. Because while many of you might be clamoring over the changes you'll make this coming year, the survey says most of you won't lift a finger until March. Of course, that doesn't explain why so many people have signed up for their new weight loss buddy account and are posting their goals and getting fit. Who answers these surveys, anyway?

Are you still falling for that old, outdated myth that eggs are bad for you? Eggs are a healthy part of any diet. Still confused? Read this explanation at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Counting calories may seem extreme, but it's a successful strategy for many people. One person takes it to another level by not just counting on calories, but on the foods that have the most "bang for the buck" or nutrients per calorie. Doing this is very easy with our nutrition coach that will guide you to the nutrient-rich foods you like automatically.

When you lose it, keep it off, okay? No, don't look at me like that. I'm serious. You think you're ready, but 90 percent of you (yes, 9 out of 10) will actually not keep the weight off once you lose it. In my experience, this is because you are looking for a diet, pill, thrill, fad, trend, or crazy why to make it happen quickly, instead of taking the time to change your habits. Let's face it — losing weight was your number one resolution this year. So, when the excitement begins to fade, stay focused and remember your self-promise! And jump on board the Get America Fit program to contribute to a Guiness world record with the largest fitness event in history... right in the middle of February, when most people decide to chuck their resolutions and pick up pizza instead!

Forget the craziness. Go with some practical tips to stop the madness in 2006. Read the part about the success journal. Then, feel free to use our success journal that allows you to log your weight, your heart rate, your calories burned, your exercise, sets, reps, and any daily comments you like. Yes, I mean feel free because our online success journal is yours, 100% free (just pick the "Basic plan" — or choose one of the others that are detailed here).

Fitness can be a family affair. I know, because I've been practicing Yoga this year with my wife and daughter. Yoga is just one of many ways you can help improve kids' fitness levels. It really starts with the children.

In fact, for the first time in the past several decades, your children now have less of a chance to live than you. That's right! With all of our medical advances, cures, antibodies, medicines, and other advancements, it turns out that poor nutrition choices are shortening lifespans and negating all of the positives. So, go ahead, have that super-sized hamburger and side of french fries, what's it gonna do ... kill ya? (Yes, it can).

While you're at it, consider taking a healthy pharmaceutical grade multivitamin. To get an idea of how powerful this decision can be, read Ed Orlowski's story. Don't take his word for it... or mine. If you can't afford the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements then read up on how Vitamin D curbs cancer risk and Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Zinc reduce macular degeneration. The list really goes on and on.

Want to give someone a special gift this season? See the little "e-mail icon" at the end of this post? Just click on that to share this entry with someone you know and care about. That will give them the choice to bookmark or subscribe to our blog and share in the information we share diligently to help you and others become your best.

I think I've shared more news than we can bite off and chew in one evening, so I'll wrap this up as our first post in the New Year. Happy New Year! Have a blessed day and until next time,

Warmly,