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!
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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 theiTunes 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
Check out this video where Mike answers 50 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!
Is it a Weight Cut or Weight Loss? What’s the Difference?
by Mike Dolce
Lady Gaga's infamous meat dress
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?
Me at 280 lbs. and me at 195 lbs. and 5% body fat
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.”
Just the word GOAL invokes a destination. Whether it be an end zone, a mountain top or a smaller dress size, we all know what a goal should be.
The problem I come across more often than not is that people have loose goals. They kid themselves by pretending to have set a goal, when really they just have a wish.
“I want to lose weight,” is the most common but often goes no farther than that statement.
When confronted with this person I always ask, “How much exactly? What deadline have you set?? Let me see your action steps to get there.”
Very rarely is my first question answered and almost never are my second two even considered.
This is when I switch into COACH MODE and make sure my friend has a clear set plan before walking away, which can sometimes be inconvenient because I am often recognized as being the ‘diet guy’ in coffee shops, gyms, malls and for some reason ALWAYS at the movie theatre. My wife usually looks at me with a smile, knowing we are now going to miss the opening credits of the new Disney movie, while I attempt to change the course of my new friend’s life. STEP 1
Set a clearly defined goal.
“I WILL (not want to) lose 40 lbs.”
Now you have a very clear picture of your exact destination. There is no confusion here. STEP 2
“I WILL lose 40 lbs. in 120 days.”
Now you have a specific timeline. No more circling the drain, waiting to begin. The clock is now ticking. STEP 3
“I WILL lose 40 lbs. in 120 days by following these ACTION STEPS.”
– Read ‘The Dolce Diet: Living Lean’ and create my own lifestyle approach to weight-loss using the principles, recipes and exercise programs that Mike has already laid out, most suited to my own ability, goals and medical background.
–Be consistent. For the next 120 days (and rest of my life) I will dedicate myself to achieving this goal and hold myself 100% accountable. Regardless of what unexpected trial or tribulation may come up in my life, I will continue on with my goal until I have found success.
–Create a support system. This may be your family, friends, team, coworkers or online community. I have started such a community at MYDolceDiet.com for all of us to support, motivate and inspire each other as we all travel toward our own unique goals. Pro-athletes, bikini models, lawyers, students, moms, law enforcement professionals and many others from all walks of life are members and the community is thriving!
–Begin TODAY! There is no better time like the present. Don’t push it off until Monday. Start now, as best you can, and continue making improvements the first few days. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t gone grocery shopping yet, or have a trip scheduled. Begin moving toward your goal immediately and constantly work to improve your situation as you go. Start NOW!!!
The Action Steps above are general but apply to each of you. I also instruct my students to sit down at a quiet table with a notebook they have purchased specifically for this project and write down everything. Your goals, a more complete version of these steps with greater detail as it relates to your specific situation, write your daily bodyweight, progress at the gym, frustrations, successes and so on. This book becomes your own training partner, support system, cherished friend and annoying cheerleader reminding you of how far you have come.
Ultimately, you know everything I have said above. I did not break new ground in this post and that was not my intention.
My GOAL here was to get you accountable and for you to START RIGHT NOW!!!
Check me out on Twitter @TheDolceDiet or on Facebook/TheDolceDiet and post your thoughts, comments, questions, photos and videos as you move closer to achieving your goals with the hashtag #DolceDietGOALS and I will follow your progress and help you stay on track.
Let’s do this together! -Mike
“Even a soul submerged in sleep
is hard at work.”
― Heraclitus, 530 BCE
Hi guys!
Mike and his American Staffordshire Terrier, Zoey.
I’m sitting on a plane, flying over the Nevada desert on my way home from an amazing two-day seminar I conducted for a private group in Southern California.
We actually spent quite a bit of time discussing the need for proper sleep. The higher your quality of sleep, the faster your fat loss and muscle growth.
Sleep is when our bodies finally have a chance to repair and regenerate from all the hard training.
I function my best with 9 hours of sleep and if you think that makes me lazy, you should see what I accomplish in the 15 hours that I’m awake!!!
In fact, I always had trouble getting rid of that last little bit of belly fat when I was ‘only’ sleeping 7 hours per night, even though my diet and training was perfect.
As soon as I bumped it up to 9 hours, the fat fell off, the muscle piled on, and I was much more effective in business and at home.
As we age, we tend to sleep less. This means our body is not repairing and regenerating tissue at a rate necessary to outpace aging.
It is also not building bones and muscles, and in fact, our strength and skeletal fortitude begin to weaken and become frail. How many 80-year-olds do you see walking around that look like a good breeze could blow them away? That wasn’t the case 30 or 40 years ago when they were exiting the prime of their lives.
It is my opinion that time does not age us, our habits do. Habits are very much responsible for our level of health.
I call this your biological age. How old are your cells? How healthy? How vibrant? How efficient?
Think of your cells as a work force at a major manufacturing plant. Each cell is primed and excited, working at a thunderous pace with smiles on their little cell faces as they hum along completing their duties.
Now picture those same workers with beer bellies and cigarettes sticking out of their mouths. How hard do you think they’ll be working? How happy will they be? Do you think the quality of their work may suffer?
What happens if some of them stop showing up for work? A few per day, and then soon entire departments with special objectives, and lastly, the whole plant shuts down.
I prefer to constantly bring in fresh new workers in the way of vital nutrients, proper rest and big smiles to all those around me.
This is why I always say that THE DOLCE DIET is not a diet, but a lifestyle.
Most people think about losing weight and they only think about food and maybe some form of exercise. Rarely does one think about rest and recuperation.
Here is a great website that makes sleep scheduling very easy: Sleepyti.me
Try it and let me know what you think!
October 12, 2012 – Watch and listen as Mike Dolce takes calls and answers questions from around the world and around the Web on MMAJunkie Radio! The recorded LIVE stream is here! Watch (and learn!) now!
Mike Dolce on MMA Junkie Radio Part 1
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Mike Dolce on MMA Junkie Radio Part 2
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169 LBS FOR DUANE BANG LUDWIG IN UFC ON FUEL TV WEIGHINS
Congratulations Duane BANG Ludwig for weighing in at 169 lbs. for his UFC on Fuel TV 5 welterweight fight against Che Mills! Duane dropped from 194 to 169 in 5 days while eating 5 meals per day! How? The Dolce Diet: Living Lean, The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded and NO sauna! Watch UFC on Fuel TV 5 LIVE Saturday, September 29 at 4pm/1pm PST.
Just the word GOAL invokes a destination. Whether it be an end zone, a mountain top or a smaller dress size, we all know what a goal should be.
169 LBS FOR DUANE BANG LUDWIG IN UFC ON FUEL TV WEIGHINS