I was reading a post by my good friend Scott Tousignant, who publishes the sites, Unstoppable Fat Loss and The Fit Bastard.

He titled his post, "The Lifestyle Approach To Fat Loss Is A Bunch Of Crap!"

He is a very passionate guy and when it comes to fat loss and fitness challenges, I pay attention to what he has to say. That said, I don’t always agree with everything he has to say. To that end we are going to debate this via webcast in early August.

Go there and read it…

Here is the post that he made recently on the Unstoppable fat loss blog.

My initial thoughts to you, then my response to his article…

The funny thing is, we are saying something similar. Maybe even the same thing at times, and this opens up the debate… it’s not one or the other… a Lifestyle plan or fat loss, fitness program, I think it’s both. Particularly because if your lifestyle has gone awry, you must get your lifestyle back on track, before you’re going to be successful in any fat loss or fitness challenge or sustain the results.

We need a lifestyle plan for optimal health, energy and fitness and to live at or near our ideal weight all year round. Once you get really masterful about lifestyle, and have been through enough diet, fat loss and fitness programs, you eventually can change your lifestyle and create new routines for yourself, on the fly, as you get feedback on your ability to perform. Symptoms like weight gain, after all, are the result of overwhelm and exhaustion, for some, fatigue.

But until that point, a lifestyle plan AND either a fat loss or fitness program to challenge yourself will serve your needs. One reinforces the other.

Keep in mind, that Healthy High Achievers don’t view lifestyle in terms of fat loss or fitness "goals". We see our goals as those things we want to achieve in life, business and sport in a healthy way (at or near our ideal weight) and most everything else as an objective in the process. That way, we don’t make more out of fitness and fat loss than they need to be, or obsess. This is a powerful point of view that makes a big difference.

When fat loss and fitness become the goals themselves, this changes.

Here is my response….

I would love to debate this publicly Scott, as I think everyone would benefit from the lifestyle plan / fat loss - fitness program debate, if you are up for it and think it would benefit others as much as I do. By the sound of your article and interview, it sounds like you are.

Hey Scott,

As you may have suspected, it was inevitable that you were going to prompt a debate from me on this one. I think this lifestyle / fat loss program debate is one of THE most important subjects when it comes to developing an elite body… fat loss and fitness, health and success

Glad you got the conversation started here. As a Fit Bastard reader, I wanted to share my thoughts and in the end, what being "unstoppable" means to me.  

"The Lifestyle approach to "fat loss" is a bunch a crap!"

I agree BIG time, and disagree BIG time with that statement, but I think I know where you are going with it…

The truth we share; if you are going to take charge of an out-of-shape body, you have to take things to the next level. You have to challenge yourself to create a new "set point" and go into a period where you raise the bar on the quality of the food you are eating, your activity and training levels. This promotes personal growth and development, fitness and… fat loss. 

Scott, you are one of the best in the business of helping people with fat loss. 

I am the best in the business when it comes developing a health and success promoting lifestyle… getting your lifestyle working for you, not against you by making the lifestyle shifts that make the difference. 

In a Performance Lifestyle, we refer to "Challenge Periods"; if you want to loss weight and significant amounts of it, YOU WILL during a challenge period, not to mention develop new levels of personally powerful, confidence building fitness. It only happens when you challenge yourself.

To that end, that’s why I promote the Fit Bastard, and other select fat loss and fitness programs. I agree with you; as you said we have to mix it up to "challenge our bodies in new and unique ways."   

But you know, overweight is the most obvious symptom of a poor lifestyle so we have to be careful not to discount or cloud the subject of lifestyle one iota.

A poor "Lifestyle" is the reason why someone has to lose significant amounts of weight to begin with.

It depends on what kind of lifestyle you have.

A "traditional lifestyle" causes the overweight condition. If, for example, you are living a life of moderation in everything (which is a failing proposition), you ARE coping out.

The traditional "moderation in everything" lifestyle is an impotent approach to life… when you are all caught up consuming stuff that’s really consuming you and your energy, like junk food and junk TV and so much "convenience" that you don’t have to move your deconditioned body… you look around and you think it’s normal to be that way; it’s not. Don’t get me started! 

But if you live like athletes do, this a very different deal; not to mention a better quality of life.

YOU, already have a great "athletic" lifestyle so when you challenge yourself, you’re going from great to even better. That you don’t have to strip off mounds of pounds is because you have a "Lifestyle plan"; a lifestyle approach to fitness… I would think that’s why you are successful at challenging yourself!

So let’s clarify… I think your point is, if you think your going to push to new heights living on a never-ending fat loss or fitness program "for life", that idea IS a bunch of crap. Amen brother! 

That is NOT a successful lifestyle.

But to say that a lifestyle plan or lifestyle approach to fat loss is a bunch of crap, is where I take debate; it depends on what kind of lifestyle you’re living.

BTW, the "purpose" of our lifestyle is not to lose weight. When we change our lifestyle, fat loss is usually a benefit because we’re living better, and this symptom lessens. The point of changing our lifestyle is to achieve our goals more successfully, in a healthier way.  

I for one, do the same thing that you do, which is to challenge myself with a new fitness routine or "program" that raises the bar every couple of months; but "for me" those challenge periods are not back to back, they take place when I’m ready to go to the next level.

Like you, I have a lot more going on in my life than fitness and I don’t need to be ready for the beach all year round or the Olympics for that matter.

My lifestyle is optimized, it is athletic, health and fitness promoting so I can sustain success. It also enables me to maximize the results I can achieve in any challenge period.

I think the reason most people are unsuccessful with  fat loss or fitness programs, of any kind, is because they have poor lifestyles underlying their attempt.  Suffering from overwhelm and exhaustion, for some fatigue, will STOP you in your tracks despite your good intentions and desire to succeed.

No lifestyle plan, means you are STOPPABLE! 

Living non stop on weight loss or fitness program’s and without a successful lifestyle to fall back on, is very challenging.

I know you are not saying don’t have a healthy or successful lifestyle, but I have to debate the "Lifestyle approach" "Lifestyle Plan" semantics in your article, because a lifestyle fitness plan is required if you are going to be successful with fat loss and fitness.

When we don’t have a lifestyle plan or strategy, we ARE relegated to weight loss programs for the rest of our life, which I know is not something you do or advise anyone else does; but that IS what most people are doing.

Our lifestyles, over time, enable us to live at or near our ideal weight… all the time, but the "challenge period" is required to take things to the next level, and we need this from time to time. If getting closer to elite fitness, and a beach body is your objective, bottom line, you have to challenge yourself.

I think that is what you are saying.  Is that right?

I’m saying that if you don’t have a lifestyle reinforcing your health (energy and fitness) and your success, you will hop from program to program and this is a chaise-your-tail way to live and not a true lifestyle, maybe not even an enjoyable one for many. Depending on your lifestyle it can be down right crappy.

What I know to be true about you is different. Let’s clarify.

I for one, even though I live a Performance Lifestyle, don’t want to be challenged non stop. I sometimes need extended periods of the status quo, but because my lifestyle is naturally athletic and based on sound fundamentals, the status quo doesn’t promote significant weight gain.

Sure I’ll gain a few, when I’m not challenging myself, but that’s normal. Weight fluctuates, especially if you factor in time periods of great stress. Stress of the wrong kind, has that affect. I am going through one of those periods right now and I’ve gained some weight, even though I live incredibly well.  

The funny thing is, we are saying something similar. Maybe even the same thing, and this my friend opens up the debate… it’s not one or the other, I think it’s both!

We need a lifestyle plan and fitness / fat loss programs to take things to the next level, that’s what being truly "unstoppable" means to me. 

I would love to debate this publicly Scott, as I think everyone would benefit from the lifestyle plan / fat loss - fitness program debate, if you are up for it and think it would benefit others as much as I do. By the sound of your article and interview, it sounds like you are. 

PS, I could lose a few pounds, so as soon as I’m ready, I think I’m going to challenge myself.

PPS, I’m soon going to put myself through 8 weeks of your  Fit Bastard workouts. Yeah.

John Allen Mollenhauer is the founder Performance Lifestyle Solutions, the better healthier ways to achieve your goals in life, business and sport. As a former worn down workaholic turned healthy high achiever John Allen (aka “JAM”) will teach you how to Live Like a Pro, optimizing your lifestyle the way athletes do. He is the creator of the Healthy High Achiever - Unleash the Full Potential of Your Lifestyle to Perform, Look and Feel Better!