Tag: living lean

Meng posted this series of progression photos on MYDolceDiet.com last June 20, 2012. Below is his most recent blog post. Great job, Meng! Thank you for sharing your story and being an inspiration!
 

1 Year Update by Meng

In Episode 9, Mike describes how he packs his bags for healthy traveling; protein bars; interval training, resistance training, burning body fat, Fartlek training; cleanses; detoxes; working out with a cold; training while sick; weight cutting vs. fat loss, microwaves, as well as Mike Dolce’s coaching role on The Ultimate Fighter Season 17.

The Dolce Diet ® is looking for qualified writers with a professional background in the health and medical sciences.
Each submission should be 500 words on one of the following topics:
How often should I be massaged?
“Will it rejuvenate me or turn me into mush?”
How can oral hygiene affect overall health?
“Can it lead to knockouts? How about heart health?”
How much is enough of chiropractic care?
“Sometimes it feels good, sometimes it makes me worse.”
What is the difference between an MD and a DO?
“I always thought a doctor was a doctor?”
How long should I apply ice to a new injury?
“It seems everyone has a different opinion they swear by.”
What type of health insurance should I buy?
“HMO, PPO, I DON’T KNOW! There are so many options, it’s easier to not have any.
Include an additional 50 word bio introducing yourself and one url to accompany your submission.
Send your submission to thedolcediet@yahoo.com
Not all submissions may be used.
Compensation is publication on one or all of our websites – TheDolceDiet.com, MyDolceDiet.com, TheMikeDolceShow.com – and/or related social media sites i.e. Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Mike Dolce is going to be on MMA Junkie Radio on Friday, Nov. 9. Have a question you’d like Mike to answer on the air? Tweet it to @MMAJunkieGeorge or call in with your questions! Look below for details.
MMAjunkie.com Radio airs from noon to 2 p.m. ET (9-11 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Listen to and watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio, or watch it live on select television markets as part of Fight Now TV.
MMAjunkie.com Radio listener guide:
HOW TO LISTEN: Go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio and choose a streaming option (such as Windows Media Player or Quicktime) to listen to the show live. A countdown clock appears when the show is offline.
HOW TO WATCH (ON WEB): Check out a live webcam of the studio while there. You can also listen to a live audio stream of the show when you activate the video feed.

You asked for it and The Dolce Diet answered! Now you can get all of Mike Dolce’s #1 best selling books PLUS the Dolce Diet Signature T-shirt made famous at weigh-ins around the world in one great package! Introducing The Dolce Diet GOLD PACKAGE!

The GOLD PACKAGE includes The Dolce Diet: LIVING LEAN, The Dolce Diet: LIVING LEAN COOKBOOK, The Dolce Diet: Three Weeks to Shredded and The Dolce Diet Signature T-shirt!

PLUS, for a limited time we’re offering FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING! Begins shipping Nov. 15!

Check out this video where Mike answers over 65 different questions on a variety of topics asked by members of The Dolce Diet Facebook page! Feel free to ask your own question and join in the fun!

LIVING LEAN AND LIVING LEAN COOKBOOK NOW ON ITUNES BRAZIL, MEXICO, NEW ZEALAND AND 15 MORE COUNTRIES!

We’re thrilled to announce #1 bestsellers The Dolce Diet: LIVING LEAN and The Dolce Diet: LIVING LEAN COOKBOOK are now available in 18 additional countries via the iTunes iBookstore!

New sales territories

Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Venezuela

Existing sales territories

Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States
 
 

Is it a Weight Cut or Weight Loss? What’s the Difference?

by Mike Dolce 

I recently received a message from a person who is overweight by 100 lbs. and is looking to make “a weight cut” – of 100 lbs. Let’s be clear. This is not a weight cut. This is weight loss.

The increased popularity of Mixed Martial Arts has the words “weight cut” falling off people’s lips like it’s a trend.  In fact, the weight-cut process walks a very precise, often dangerous line between what is healthy and what is hapless, and should not be taken lightly – pun definitely intended!
I define a weight cut as a temporary reduction of the body’s water volume. Keyword here? TEMPORARY!
A weight cut is something an athlete does for a weight-class delineated competition. This athlete is typically already at a healthy bodyweight with an ideal ratio of lean mass to bodyfat while training for his or her competition.
Weight loss, is something most people pursue in an effort to become healthier, leaner and to create the ability to live a more vibrant, fuller life. Weight loss focuses on the elimination of non-functional weight – the weight that is bogging you down and getting you nowhere! It interferes with our function as a healthy and thriving individual.

Functional Vs. Non-Functional Weight

If you weigh 195 lbs. at 20 percent body fat you have 39 lbs. of body fat and 156 lbs. of muscle, bones, skin and organs, or functional weight.
At 20 percent body fat you have no idea what your abs look like and are at a high risk factor for heart disease, diabetes and early death.
Now, if you weigh 195 lbs. at 10 percent body fat, you look absolutely amazing. You only have 19.5 lbs. of nonfunctional fat, most of which is insulation from the environment, protects your joints and ligaments and serves as readily usable energy.  You also have 175.5 lbs. of functional bodyweight, which is quite a lot compared to the chubbier version of yourself.
How different is 20 lbs. of muscle?  I like to tell people to picture a 16 oz. steak sitting on your dinner plate.  Now multiply that by 20 and stick them all over your body like Lady Gaga’s meat dress.  Yes, 20 lbs. of lean muscle is quite substantial.
What does 20 lbs. of body fat look like? A great visual would be to fill up two entire gallon milk jugs of butter and cottage cheese, plus another two liter soda bottle of the same and pour it in a backpack, or better yet a REALLY BIG fanny pack sloshing around your hips!  How would it feel slugging around that load of lard???
For the average man, we should maintain body-fat levels at approximately 10 percent.  I don’t care if you are happy being 12 percent or you say, “I’m too old to be lower than 15 percent,”  – that is your preference. You can drive around in a ’89 Honda Accord with low miles, but have you seen that new Cadillac CTS Coupe?!
Professional athletes should be around 7 percent for competition purposes. With my athletes, I make sure they are at 7 percent body fat three weeks before competition so we can increase their calories as competition nears. In essence, we feed them onto the scale.
The last couple pounds, (or dozen pounds depending on the athlete), is simply a matter of adjusting electrolytes, stimulating their metabolism and managing their digestive environment.  A much simpler way of putting this is to feed them familiar, nutrient dense, easy to absorb foods, at even intervals, but not so much to slow digestion, in fact, just enough to speed it up.
Ladies, you should aim for 20 percent body fat as your daily walk around weight and closer to 16 percent for most higher levels of athletics.
This means the average 130 lb. woman at 20 percent body fat would hold 26 lbs. of non-functional body fat and 104 lbs. of functional lean mass weight.
That same female, if she were a competitive athlete, would best be suited in the vicinity of 16 percent body fat, would carry 20.8 lbs. of non-functional body fat and 109.2 lbs. of functional lean mass weight.

What does all this mean for the average individual?

It means, do you really want to look your best or are you going to be happy with just looking a little better, which is fine but it is well below your potential.
Let’s face it, life is much more enjoyable with your clothes off! Before you drag this article into the gutter, I’m referring to the confidence you feel when you walk into a room with a tight waistline hidden behind your little black dress or form-fitting suit.
Who doesn’t want to be the first one in the pool with zero reservations about pulling off your shirt?

Why wouldn’t you want to keep the lights on when you are, umm, getting undressed?
The point is, aim for your best, enjoy where you are but always strive to do better.
Take it from me. I used to weigh 280 lbs. while training as a power lifter. This was my choice, and even though my ego was constantly gratified with bigger numbers on the barbell and trophies on my mantle, I hated the feeling of my belly sitting on my belt as I drove in my truck.
Once I decided to change my goals and purse a longevity-based lifestyle, I immediately began to love myself. I had enormous energy, a much improved sense of self and also the confidence of setting a goal and seeing it all the way through to the end.
Above, is a picture of the new me at 195 lbs. at 5 percent body fat, and the old me who once weighed 280 lbs. at 22 percent body fat!
Many of us, myself included, must be focused on fat loss and functional bodyweight. Not “cutting weight.”
 
If you’re beginning your weight-loss journey and would like more information about my methods, please check out The Dolce Diet: LIVING LEAN, available in paperback and eBook at Amazon, Amazon UK,  iTunes, Barnes & Noble and The Book Depository.

by Food 4 Abs
Product Type: Diet and Exercise Book. Also includes recipes and workout plans of top athletes.
Main Goal/Purpose: Lose fat, improve your health, improve strength and conditioning.
Required Experience: None – GREAT for beginners and people who need to lose fat. Advanced trainees could benefit if they’re bored and looking to change things up.
Overview: Mike Dolce is an ex-MMA Fighter. He now acts as nutrition consultant and coach to some of the top guys in the business. This book details the principles, foods, and fat loss strategies he uses with his athletes.
Rating: 4 STARS

Mike Dolce: Living Lean Review

If you’re a member of any fitness or nutrition forums, chances are you’ve already heard about the Dolce Diet. Same goes if you’re on twitter and actively follow fitness or nutrition authors. It would be a somewhat harsh to call it the ‘latest craze’ in the health and fitness industry, given the ‘fad diet’ connotations that come with that title, but it’s certainly nearing it.

Let’s start by clearing that up; this is no fad diet.

Yes, it’s getting widespread coverage across the internet – google it and you’ll find dozens of glowing reviews, references, and before and after transformations – but its a solid program from a top coach. It’s also a print book, so if you’re a little apprehensive of purchasing ebooks over the internet, you can order it from Amazon and it’ll be in your hands the next day.
What’s so special about The Dolce Diet: Living Lean?
This diet is implemented by many of the top UFC fighters and has received an insane amount of mainstream praise – TV, twitter, online reviews, print reviews – it’s been hard to avoid. So if you’re one of those people who need to see that a diet plan has worked before, and want evidence of it, just take a look at some of the top UFC fighters as its been used by many of them. It’s hard to find a better endorsement than the top MMA fighters for your diet – they require strength, extreme leanness, and lots of energy.
I had two initial concerns before I read the diet and implemented it myself; firstly that since it was used by athletes who train and fight for a living it would be VERY hard for a ‘normal guy’ with a full-time job to implement into his lifestyle, and secondly, since Mike Dolce is charging his clients a fortune, surely he wouldn’t give the ‘normal guy’ all the information he uses with his rich clients in a $30 book.
I can dispel both of the above concerns for you. The book reads well and demonstrates how you can fit the meals into your lifestyle, it really shouldn’t be any harder to fit the dolce diet meals into your lifestyle than what you’re currently eating! In terms of the eating plan, it’s probably most similar to the Paleo Diet, however on the dolce diet you will still get some room for manouvere with occassional burgers, and yummy pancakes!
So will it help me lose fat? Should I get it?
If your primary goal is fat loss then this is a great resource to have. Follow the plan and the weight drops off quickly. In fact, I used the Dolce Diet for a cutting phase and certainly noticed that the fat came off a lot quicker than usual. It’s rare in that this book that can be applied by those who are already lean to get them super-ripped, while its also a great book if you’re fat and looking to lose a few pounds.
Energy levels of the diet were very good, this is probably attributable to high levels of vegetables and fruits you’ll be eating on the plan. It’s certainly a lot better than an ‘atkins’ type plan in this regard. I was also able to go about my daily routine and workouts with ease. Most of my lifts stayed the same, however I did notice good strength increases in chest and shoulder exercises, adding about 10lbs to my bench press in 4 weeks.
The Dolce Diet is surprisingly easy to follow, even if you’re normally a real diet slacker! That’s one of the most important points when releasing a diet to the general public. In my experience in this industry, when constructing a diet for super-motivated gym veterans who’ve been training for years they’ll put themselves through hell for some incremental physique improvement, on the flip side of the coin, many non-gym goers aren’t prepared to make minor sacrifices for massive benefits to their health, appearance and lifestyle.
Mike Dolce provides a brilliantly told story too, doing a great job in keeping the reader interested and motivated throughout. So if you really hate reading books on fitness and nutrition, don’t worry, it’s honestly an intriguing read. Mr Dolce recounts his experiences working with top MMA fighters, proving an insight into the world of top athletes.
So, if you’re a seasoned gym vet and been training ten years, or you’re new to all of this and just looking to lose some fat and improve your health, this is a rewarding book. You know that you’re getting a plan that works, has great backing, and most importantly – is easy to follow. I would recommend this to anyone. A must have.

Be sure to check out Status Fitness Magazine’s exclusive interview with Mike Dolce in this month’s issue! On newsstands now!