Perfect Fitness 'Ab-Carver Pro' has finally launched.

The newest & perhaps most effective home-exercise Ab product to hit the market, called the Ab-Carver Pro that I worked on with Perfect Fitness, (maker of Perfect Push-up & Perfect Pull-up) has finally launched and is now available at Ab-Carver Pro dot com  and via TV infomercial sales, and soon in retail sports' stores.  It looks like a futuristic, yet still simplistic version of the oldie-but-goodie Ab-wheel that you roll out to prone with, yet there's more than meets the eye at first glance:

Longevity & Athletic Performance: Is Intermittent-Fasting the Key Strategy to Achieve Both?

Background: My Training Progression & Evolution: Athlete ~ Model ~ Holistic Health

            As I age into my 40s I’ve witnessed my training & nutrition goals become more ‘holistic’ in nature and evolve through various phases, sometimes back & forth, from basically bodybuilding, to body-sculpting as a professional fitness-model, to training for athletic performance, to now training for holistic health and ‘longevity’.  I’d like to say that I’m getting wiser as I get older, but also I’m trying to stick around a long time too, being the father & coach of two daughters.  Ideally speaking, a truly complete training & nutrition plan should simultaneously and equally improve athletic performance, sculpt an aesthetically appealing physique, and, combat aging and age-related diseases.  If nothing else, to be sure, some kind of exercise every day, ideally outdoors, will go a long way towards accomplishing all of the above.  But if you’re a fitness aficionado there’s way more to this story, depending on what your primary fitness goals are.

For me personally, athletic performance and optimal function used to always trump all else fitness.  However, to be completely candid, there was a period during the peak of my fitness-modeling career when I was booking jobs weekly to include magazine cover-tries, that aesthetics actually trumped all my other training goals.  This amounted to me basically always striving to improve lean-body mass & body composition.  Being that I am a professional model and not a professional athlete, I have no regrets about focusing on aesthetics so much.  Now I’ve become more focused on total holistic-health, maintaining range of motion, and exploring longevity, AKA, anti-aging techniques.  I feel like this is a natural progression and evolution that most athletes will arrive at as they age and begin families.

Longevity & The Athlete's Dietary Conundrum...

Maui Family Vacation:) A surf trip sorta!..

     For the record you can never technically call a family vacation a 'Surf Trip' - and I've known this! Even if the whole family surfs, eventually the wife and kids will demand a break from the constant search...from all the gear...from all the risks taken to score an empty surf break chasing 3rd hand information.  And even IF you score that empty, firing break it still comes with all the unknowns:  Why isn't anybody else out?  Is it sharky?  Is it shallow reef?  Crazy currents?  Private access with ornery locals?  Surfers understand and appreciate that it's not just scoring waves, but it's also the excitement of the search and the cumulative reward of all the small discoveries along the journey...

Coconut palms patch found on the backside of Honolua Bay, Maui's NW corner

   

Abs & Fat Physiology 101: Your Internal Belly-Fat is KILLING you slowly right now...

     Greetings holistic-health and 6-pack Abs enthusiasts!  We have just released chapter 3 of my NEW 'Guide to Athletic Abs!' DVD.  As promised, all 12 minutes of information from yours truly is FREE - absolutely no hidden strings folks, (I've told you, I get compensated via Google Adsense Ads so I don't have to charge you EVER!)  In this chapter I discuss basic Abs & Core physiology and anatomy, then present my original concept of 'Abs-Awareness', and then dive into belly-FAT (not literally!), both subcutaneous and visceral - the former blanketing your 6-pack abs and the latter KILLING you slowly, pumping your mid-section with inflammatory chemicals and setting off a chain of slow-death micro-systemic events.  So what are you waiting for?  Click the 'play' button below on the embedded video or go directly to YouTube on the link below and watch it FREE now, and let me arm you with the information you need to not only improve your lean-body mass and reveal your 6-pack Abs, but also to make you healthier from the inside out and help you live longer!  Direct video link here: Chapter 3: Abs & Fat Physiology 101



Light as a Feather, Stiff as a BOARD - Planking Workout!

      Light as a feather, stiff as a board!...It's time to PLANK!  Planking has great exercise VALUE because not only does it involve your entire core, but also you can plank anywhere - no gym required!  Perhaps no other single exercise strengthens your entire core as effectively as planking, recruiting your rectus-abs, transversus-abs, obliques, hips, lower-back and more.  But before you yawn out of boredom or claim you've "been there and done that in yoga class", check out my video below where I demonstrate at least 12 different variations of the plank, beginning with the most basic, to more advanced.  Towards the end I even incorporate weights, stability ball and suspension straps!  While not intended to be a sole workout in and of itself, at least now you will have plenty of planking options to refer to during your other functional & core workouts.  And if you happen to be a surfer, this will really help your 'pop-up', when you go from prone to standing in one move!  So check it out below the jumppbreak!...

...and here is the video direct link via youtube: Plank Variations with Max Wettstein Video

Guest on Radio Talk Show: 'Get Six Pack Abs with Max Wettstein & Coach Wess by Essentially Fit | Blog Talk Radio'

I was recently a guest on the radio talk show, 'Essentially Fit', hosted by Wess Murray. Link to hear the interview: Get Six Pack Abs with Max Wettstein and Coach Wess 08/21 by Essentially Fit | Blog Talk Radio

Wow - 2 blog posts from Max in ONE WEEK!  Sorry to bombard your inbox!

Sincerely,
Max

Heavy Bag Workout with Max Wettstein - NEW Video!

     I had taken some time off from producing my own fitness videos although I did co-produce my new 'Athletic ABS!' series with Gregory Mantell, which is still being released one chapter at a time, FREE via his YouTube channel.  But my own YouTube channel subscribers have been screaming for more fitness videos from me and some have about given up on me!  I've been busy being a family man, coaching my daughter and producing her sk8 & surf media, plus I needed a 'creativity break', and with already over 130 videos completely produced & edited by me, I had already covered just about every type of workout there was! ...Well not really, since there are INFINITE ways to workout, but you get the point!  Well anyway I'm BACK, this time with my 'Heavy Bag Workout' !  It's a good one, full of my best energy and highest motivational level!  I have been training on this heavy bag since December, but wanted to do it right so I waited a while to make a video.

Chapter 2 'NUTRITION' of my Guide to Athletic ABS! DVD

...featuring Chelsea Cruz, Chapter 2 'Nutrition' of my NEW Guide to Athletic ABS! DVD is now avail and FREE via YouTube so check it out!  (Edited by & co-produced with Gregory Mantell).  See how and what I typically eat, and the most common supplements I use!  Yes, that's correct - I'm not making you buy anything this time around...we're releasing all 5 chapters free monthly.  Exercise chapter was first and ABS Physiology 101 will be released next!  So here is the link, and I have also embedded the video below the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idN1b7Ddf-I

Salt of the Earth

Despite dabbling with (inherently vain & narcissistic) modeling for the past 12 years, I've always had a innate repulsion to pretentious, elitist, flashy people.  Hence I never was willing to move to Hollywood, never willing to give up my (Blue-Collar) occupation as an airline pilot to pursue the talent industry full time and still drive an old, dirty Toyota pick-up littered with dog hair.  So I had an absolute blast producing this 'Salt-of'-the-Earth' series of photos.  I'm not claiming to be so humble or down to Earth, but it is a characteristic that I've always been drawn too.  If nothing else it was a fun, family project and got us out exploring off-the-beaten-path shot-locations.  And yes, I make fun of people who drive BMWs or Range-Rovers too haha!

Max Wettstein's Guide to ATHLETIC ABS! DVD Chapter 1: The Exercises

...Now avail for viewing & sharing FREE via YouTube...featuring Chelsea Cruz...we have just released Chapter 1, of my NEW 'Guide to Athletic ABS!' DVD, The Exercises.  10 minutes of nothing but the effective exercises that I use to strengthen & sculpt my lean ABS & core, in HD.  We decided that FREE is better and that you like FREE stuff, and that folks like to watch media on their tablets & smart-phones and not on a DVD player, so that's why we went straight to YouTube with this production.  It will be available for iTunes download soon.  And here it is embedded in my blog...

...and the direct link to the YouTube video here: Max Wettstein's Guide to Athletic ABS!: Exercises

     There are 4 more chapters coming, released monthly to include Nutrition, Abs-Physiology, Abs-Awareness & Making Fitness Fun, all featuring Chelsea Cruz as well, so stay tuned!  Big thanks to Gregory Mantell for producing!  You can also always go to my Abs & Core web page (also FREE), at http://www.onestopabsshop.com/ anytime for my complete body of work in this area, to include reducing internal belly-fat, Syndrome-X & Metabolic Syndrome.  I have done more research in this field of flattening bellies and reducing internal, visceral-fat & inflammation than anybody else you know, I assure you, and it's all posted for FREE.  Why?  Because that is how I roll - Life has been good to me and I'm paying it forward!

Function Vs. Aesthetics: Finding Optimal Balance

     Athletes can't weight-train with the intent to completely blast a certain muscle group to total failure because then they're too damaged & sore to complete their functional workouts properly - Then it becomes like training with an injury at that point.  Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) caused by micro-tears in the muscle fibers due to heavy lifting, peaks up to 36 hours post workout, with full recovery taking up to 72 hours or longer.  That's a long time to have your other workouts or activities negatively affected to some degree.  It should at least cause you or your trainer or coach to pause to consider workout strategy and when it is ideal, if ever, to train to failure.

There's always a training trade-off but there is an optimal balance for all of us. #HolisticAthlete

     I rarely train to total failure in the weight-room: However I always give 100% on the 'court', which becomes a maximum effort workout in itself.  You have to ask yourself, "What is my primary training goal in the weight-room?", because it's always a trade-off:  Gaining muscle-mass or gaining function for your sport?  Aesthetics Vs. Performance?  For me I want to MOVE better & faster - so aesthetics is always secondary goal, but still important given my employment as a fitness-MODEL.

Avatar Max: Your Virtual Workout Trainer now avail via Tablet & Smart Phone!

     I'm the exercise 'avatar' (or model) & trainer for 2 new apps for iPhone & Droid, both smart phone & tablets.  One is FREE & the other is only .99 cents, both avail on iTunes for download.  Over 1100 exercises demonstrated by your's truly in both HD video and .gif animations.  The first is by Fitness Buddy app and the latest one is by Hoist Fitness Systems.  Fitness Buddy app is avail on both Droid & iPhone platforms, while the Hoist Fitness app is currently only avail for iPhone & iPad.  I'm super proud of these workout apps, because I BELIEVE in them:  I helped create the workouts and I made sure to use proper technique on every exercise!  They also provide logs to track all your workout stats & progress - they're really nifty tools, and once they're downloaded you don't even have to be online to use them!  Incidentally, Hoist Fitness Systems happens to be one of my longest running clients, as I have been their primary spokesmodel and exercise consultant for about 7 years now!  Everything they do is first class and cutting edge - they're an industry leader in commercial and home gym equipment!  So what are you waiting for?!...Go ahead and download me and let's train!!

Official Trailer: 'Guide to Athletic ABS!' DVD

     The trailer is released for my 'Guide to Athletic ABS!' DVD - a follow up to the material I brought you 3 years ago in my original Guide to Amazing ABS! DVD.  I partnered with Gregory Mantell Productions for this one and it is all NEW material and better.  How can I claim it's better??  Because during the past 3 years I've become even smarter about sculpting lean Abs, reducing inflammatory apple-shape torsos, reducing internal belly fat, improving body composition, combating Metabolic Syndrome (X), and applying my holistic-method.  So check out the trailer below.  The DVD should be avail by the end of this month and we may also release it for streaming on the internet since nobody really buys DVDs anymore.  We will let you know when and where you can get it!  Big shout-out to my cohost, Mrs. Chelsea Cruz!

Max Wettstein with co-host Chelsea Cruz. Encinitas, CA



Travel Fitness

     As many of you know by now I’m not just a fitness model and trainer, I’m also an airline pilot - A Captain for JetBlue Airways.  I’ve been a pilot for JetBlue for almost 10 years and before that I was a Navy carrier-based pilot for ten years.  In fact my primary career is being a commercial pilot, as it provides the highest standard of living and security for my family.  But what this also means is that I’ve had to become quite smart about staying fit while traveling.  So much so, that I’m the resident fitness advisor to our entire pilot cadre at JetBlue.

Inside the flight deck of a JetBlue Airways Airbus 320

Tim Tadder Photography: 'Uber Athlete Future of Sport' Project

     I had a chance to work with Tim Tadder at his studio in Solana Beach.  He does some pretty sick work!  Believe it or not these shots were taken in his studio.  I love that Tim knows he can give me a call whenever he has any sort of athlete-concept shot he wants to develop.  Not only am I local talent, but that kind of stuff is right up my alley and his too and we're both willing to go to extremes to get THE shot and make it work.  He has shot most of the best & relevant athletes in the world...he's the go-to guy.  To see more of Tim's work go to his online portfolio at http://www.timtadder.com/   Check these sneak-preview shots out he leaked to me:



Perfect Fitness Campaign & Other Updates...

     It's been a while since I've posted I know.  First I had my annual JetBlue Airways simulator training & check-ride to prepare for and pass, (my day-job as an airline-pilot is at stake, literally), then I was preparing for shooting with Hoist Fitness Systems and Perfect Fitness.  Hoist Fitness is actually a long-standing client of mine for about 7 years now - they make solid commercial & home-gym equipment and set the industry benchmark.  In fact everybody is always knocking them off, violating their trend-setting patents.  Perfect Fitness is my newest client and I'm super stoked to be working with them!  They make home exercise products and are most famous for their original product, the 'Perfect Push-up'.  Alden Mills, the founder, is a former US Navy SEAL, which makes it even cooler because I'm a former Navy pilot, so we have this unspoken higher level of respect for one another as Navy veterans.

     What I can truthfully say with all sincerity about both of these companies is that their products are not only well-built and of the highest quality materials, but they also WORK as advertised and are effective!  (They are not competitors BTW - lucky for me:)  I can also go on record stating not only am I comfortable endorsing all their respective equipment, but I'm proud to!...Proud to be the 'face' for their brands to whatever degree they choose to use me.  The word 'campaign' is thrown around a lot in the talent industry by us bragging, narcissistic model-types, and I don't even honestly know exactly what it means, but since I've been working with Hoist consistently for 7 years, as their most photographed model, I'm calling that a campaign, haha!  And, kicking off our first shoot to launch their newest (still secret) Ab-exercise product, CEO Alden Mills told me and my co-talent Lauren Collins, that we were the new "poster fitness-evangelists" for Perfect Fitness, so I'm calling this a campaign as well!

Accelerating Post-Workout Recovery Can Blunt Adaptation & Growth

     If you're trying to make long term strength and performance gains in your training then too much emphasis on expediting recovery may actually hinder your progress some experts are now discovering.  For example, taking NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen or applying ice to minimize soreness & inflammation can undermine our body's natural adaptation and repair process, primarily by reducing post-workout prostaglandins which are acute triggers for repair.  Remembering that it is in fact the micro-trauma & tears to our muscle fibers and other soft tissues (and the associated soreness) during intense exercise that actually triggers repair to begin, and the follow-on growth and strength gains, many efforts taken to minimize or expedite this natural, crucial recovery process will hinder or even inhibit long term adaptation & gains.


NEVER give up your Foam Roller!...but remember post-workout soreness is GOOD and the GOAL!



      Of course all recovery efforts aren't bad.  A good night of sleep, proper nutrition, massage, and even some supplements can assist in the body's natural recovery process without interfering or accelerating so much that the adaptation & gains are compromised.  As one gets closer to a competition or race-day, the training can then shift from long-term adaptation to feeling 100% and at their peak potential, so at this phase, all recovery and preparation efforts can be combined and applied.  A practical approach to take may be to treat recovery strategy like training strategy, where you can apply periodization cycles staged up to and around competition or race day:  You can peak your recovery efforts opposite of your heavy training cycle, to force your body to learn to repair and adapt on its own yet still ensure you're fully prepared on race day.

Max Update: Random STUFF I've been up to...

Great interview with Trainer Nikki Espina of reActs Performance: Max Wettstein speaks with reActs Performance! - I share with Nikki my training methods, how I eat, and about coaching my daughter in surfing and skateboarding.

Beach Lifestyle shoot in Carlsbad, CA:

Preventing & Treating Skateboarding Injuries

All athletes are prone to injury.  Skateboarders are no different.  The irony is, many times skaters do not think of themselves as athletes & the classic sense, yet are sometimes more at risk given the ‘extreme’ nature of what they do.  Whether it is airing out of 10’ bowl or ollie-ing a staircase, the penalty for failure at the very least is impacting a very hard surface and coming to an abrupt halt, expressed by Newton’s law of Force = Mass x Acceleration, where the concrete always wins.  Yet many skaters, (who tend to have youth & plenty of ego on their side), do not warm-up, stretch, wear protective equipment, or cross-train with other forms of exercise, in order to improve strength, joint-integrity & flexibility.  No other elite athlete would train or compete with such personal neglect.

                Most of us skate for fun and couldn't care less about competition or elite performance – this is true.  However, no matter why you skate, getting injured SUCKS, especially if you can’t skateL

The intent here is not to sound preachy.  Skateboarding has always been about non-conforming & expressing individuality, and is certainly not considered a mainstream or conventional sport (though this perspective seems to be rapidly changing in our society).  In fact many of us came to love skateboarding because there are no coaches and no rules or because it was an outlet from ‘normal’ team sports.  Indeed skating is as much an art form as it is a sport.  This is not intended to be a political discussion, or about the obvious protective benefits of wearing helmets and pads – we wouldn’t waste your time!

This is about INCREASING longevity as skater: Taking care of your body & your joints so you can skate longer & pain-free.  Injuries are inevitable if you skate long & hard enough, but you can take steps to prevent most of them, minimize their severity and recover more quickly.  In fact, skating is an amazing full body, functional exercise, and a path to a fitter, healthier mind, body & soul.

What can you do?  Much of it you know already, especially if you ever played other conventional sports.  LISTEN to your body.  Put in the time.  Pay your dues, and your body will love you for it.  Your joints, tendons & ligaments will be STRONG when you need them to:

Physique Star Radio: (2/16/12): Fitness Model Max Wettstein! Plus: Dr. Connelly gets in depth on Creatine!

My latest interview on fitness-modeling as a guest on Physique Star Radio
Physique Star Radio: (2/16/12): Fitness Model Max Wettstein! Plus: Dr. Connelly gets in depth on Creatine!

Surviving a Fitness Infomercial (As the Talent!)

Congratulations!  You’ve booked an infomercial…one of the most publicized and well-paying fitness modeling jobs you can land to include national TV exposure and possibly your gateway to hosting and other promotional gigs!  While a national magazine cover is about the best you can hope for in print media for prestige and exposure, it is still can’t touch the exposure or showcase your physique like film or TV can, and the pay doesn’t even come close to that of an infomercial.  In fact as many of you may have encountered by now a magazine cover may only pay $300!  You’ve worked hard for this moment: training, dieting, networking, auditioning against colleagues at the top of their game, and now finally you’ve booked it!  It is time to enjoy the reward for all your efforts!

                So what then do I mean when I say “SURVIVE” a fitness-infomercial??  I just want to give you a heads-up on what booking an infomercial can encompass: Basically you need to have the entire day blocked out and be prepared for anything and everything the producers want, ESPECIALLY, if you did not book the job through an agency who will negotiate for your rate and limitations, for a fee of 20% of course.  So good on you if you were able to get booked without an agency, but now you’re on your own – you need to know what to expect!

On set with Hoist Fitness Systems where I shot video of about 200 exercises this day with actual weight

How I Landed My First Cover: 'Men's Fitness' Magazine April 2004 Issue

     My very fist cover-try resulted in landing the cover of the April 2004 domestic issue of Men’s Fitness magazine.  I guess I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was kind of unique & remarkable, especially now that Men’s Fitness typically only puts celebrities on their covers.  More commonly, fitness models tend to work their way up to landing a national fitness-magazine cover by appearing on several e-magazine or catalog covers first before they’re even considered for a national magazine cover-try.  Yet there I was, inexperienced and naïve somehow landing Men’s Fitness as my first cover!  Was it because I was a genetic Adonis?  Was I simply lucky?  Was it because I was persistent & a proactive self-promoter?  The answer to all these questions was NO!  Obviously I had the ‘look’ necessary to appear on a fit-mag cover, but so did several thousand other guys.  So what set me apart from all of them?

'Men's Fitness' Magazine (Domestic) April 2004 Issue with Max on the cover shot in a studio in mid-town Manhattan

I Sk8

     What?  A grown-man and father...an airline Captain who skateboards?  A bit juvenile you say?  Not around these parts.  Not around SoCal, especially Encinitas California, perhaps known as the epicenter of vert & transition skating.  Did I mention my neighbors are Tony Hawk, Andy Macdonald & Cara-Beth Burnside?  Did I mention the 2003 X-Games half-pipe sk8 event was held 5 minutes from my house, the same park where Shaun White learned how to skate?  My daughter goes to school with Mike McGill's daughter.  My CPA neighbor gets his mail everyday, barefoot on his skateboard.  When we're not surfing (or working), we're skating.  Did I mention we built a wooden skate-bowl in our backyard?  Yeah, I have a really cool wife, and she skates too.  Skateboarding is pretty much a family affair and a way of life around here.  It certainly doesn't soley define us and we're not that good, but its become a passion that bonds our family together.  Actually I should speak for my self - my daughter is that good, considering her age, and I am her coach.  In fact she is ranked top 12 in the world in women's bowl-skating.  But enough about her...

     ...Why am I so ADDICTED to skating?...and yes I meant addicted:  Skating is FUN and it is full-body, functional fitness that involves the 'FLOW' psychological factor, meaning it keeps one completely immersed in the 'present moment' as it challenges just enough to heighten one's awareness & focus while still preserving fun-factor and triggering a massive surge of reward neurotransmitter dopamine.  Dopamine is the same neurotransmitter released when one indulges in chocolate or to be more explicit & literal, when cocaine is snorted, which triggers an instant flood of dopamine...lasting for about 30 minutes. 

Holistic Health 101: 12 Holistic Health Tips

     Holistic does not imply religion.  It simply means treating your body as a whole physical, spiritual, psychological entity and approaching your health from all these aspects with equal attention and nurturing.  It means welcoming all healthy living philosophies & strategies, as to learn from all of them, take what works best, and blend them into your own lifestyle.  It also means taking care of yourself and being your own and greatest healthcare advocate!  I certainly did not invent the holistic ideology, but my family & I have been making an effort to incorporate holistic concepts into our lifestyle and we have noticed a positive difference, from less illness to how we manage stress!  And it turns out that a holistic-health lifestyle will also promote longevity & ideal body composition – optimal leanness and therefore an aesthetically appealing physique!

     I have compiled a short list of 12 things you can do daily to incorporate a holistic method into your life.  Some will seem very simple & even common sense.  In fact you may already be doing many of these little acts, but all combined they are powerful!  This list is by no means all inclusive and this is not an exact science, but rather an ideology.  Remember too, that this list spans all holistic-lifestyle aspects to include physical, psychological & spiritual.  Feel free to add to this list and tailor it to your needs – it is a process of constant evolution and awareness for all of us.  It’s a journey.

 In no particular order:

Learn Something From Your Kids: Get Outside & PLAY!

...Learn how to be active and PLAY again!  Learn how to get out of your chair, get off the sidelines and truly move your body for sport and FUN again.  Get out there and join your kids and get more involved at their level.  What's the alternative?...Continue to stiffen up, atrophy and LOSE what you're not using.  Bond with your kids.  Maybe its a bit much to ask you to actually play their respective sport with them, so how about getting more involved by coaching or assisting their practices?  Or helping them build a tree house or a BMX track in the backyard?  Teach them how to plant a garden or do yard work together - chores rock!  What's that?...You bond with your children by playing VIDEO GAMES??

Beach Lifestyle: Inherently Healthy:)

     Taking a break this week from PURELY FITNESS...

     I owe the beach a lot.  My family & I have built a lifestyle around it and it is a part of who we are, whether we're surfing, looking for shells, enjoying a sunset, tossing a frisbee or bumping the volleyball.  The waves we surf in the ocean inspire us when we 'surf' on land.  The beach is inherently holistic-healthy and is Mother Nature at her finest.  And now my daughter Bryce & I have formed a very special bond as I coach her in surfing - she now loves the beach and ocean experience - where the dolphins play among us!  Enjoy these photos that really share a lot about my love of the ocean, my life & my fitness-style:)

Out for 2012: FAD Diets. IN for 2012: HEALTHY Eating!

     Welcome to 2012 and if you made a resolution for this new year, all the best to sticking with it!  The good folks often ask me about the latest brand-'X' diet they're thinking about trying - Atkins, Zone, Paleo, SouthBeach, BiggestLoser, etc - and I wonder what new, trendy diet 2012 will bring.  While many have had lasting weight-loss success with these commercial, mass-marketed diets, hopefully what they also end up taking away is how to simply eat HEALTHY and make independent smart food choices.  Once you discover the concept of healthy eating and to think for your self, you realize that it becomes a lifestyle and that becoming leaner & healthier is not an exact science or one-size-fits-all plan.