Josef in the News… Check me out!

Jimmy Moore did an interview with me recently about 10 Fitness Myths that hold people back from getting the bodies they want (esp. as it pertains to folks on low/lower carb diets).  That is FREE right here to download as a podcast or just to listen to at your computer.

Josef Brandenburg is 2010, Washington, DC  Personal Trainer of the Year Nominee for both Personal Fitness Professional Magazine and The Washington, DC Fitness Association, The DC Fitness Advisor and the Fitness Expert for the PCOS Challenge TV Show. He shows normal people with hectic lives and average genetics how to create the bodies they want in the time they actually have. To find out more about the 7-Day Free Trial click here. You can also pick up a FREE copy of his brand new CD – “Why Eat Less and Exercise More is The Worst Advice Ever” here.

What If Marion Barry Was a Nutritionist? Do What I Say, Not What I Do – But In Reverse

When I lived in LA I hired a nutritionist who worked at The Sports Club LA.  Let’s call her “Pam.”  When I came to Pam I was trying to get just a little bit leaner.  I was in pretty good shape, and had gotten that way by – surprise – eating fewer carbs and more protein, etc.

When she found out that my diet was pretty much devoid of bread and pasta she pretty much flipped and told me that I would never get any leaner with such a low carb intake.  She made a very compelling argument for getting my starch intake in the 6-11 servings per day neighborhood (just like in the food pyramid).  I told her that I thought this would plump me up, but she insisted that I do it her way.

So, I added oatmeal in the morning, whole wheat pasta elsewhere, and brown rice somewhere.  I also cut back on my protein and fat intake because she said they were too high, and that I needed to take in fewer calories.  Results:

#1.  I got fatter
#2.  I got weaker
#3.  My energy went in the toilet
#4.  My eczema came back

My rational mind thought, “this just isn’t working, these carbs are making me fat.”  But my emotional mind thought, “she’s the RD, it your fault that you’re getting fat.”

At some point we were having a conversation and she said, “Oh, I don’t eat carbs” as an offhand remark.

She was in her 40’s and looked fantastic.  I was in my 20’s and looking worse!

Why was she giving me advice that was exactly the opposite of how she lived?

As a dietetics major (to get and RD) I have had similar conversations with many classmates.  On exams, in papers, in class and lab they all espouse high-carb, low-fat diets for everything from weight-loss to diabetes. BUT when it comes to taking care of their own bodies and extra body-fat they mostly blame carbs.

Josef Brandenburg is Washington, DC’s top personal trainer for busy people. He shows normal people with hectic lives and average genetics how to create the bodies they want in the time they actually have. To find out more about the 7-Day Free Trial click here. You can also pick up a copy of his brand new CD – “Why Eat Less and Exercise More is The Worst Advice Ever” here.