I see you took a few months to write me back and a lengthy response at that.

From everything you wrote, I see we’ll just have to “agree to disagree” for the most part.

I believe in your ideaology of “eating clean”, OK…we agree, I don’t agree with you justifying your health and fitness business and your expertise without having the CREDENTIALS.

At leasat be transparent, put the NASM-PT or other degrees, modalities, training, college degrees, etc….in your BIO.

BTW, if you are expired on any NASM or other groups certs, you cannot say you are certified….I double checked this with NASM, NSCA, and ASCSM…the top three NCCA accredited groups.

Now the “how you are doing it” comes from all the BS fitness marketing, upsales, backend sales, etc…that folks are being taught at all the seminars these days.

I just wish you and others who say how qualified you are, STATE IT in you bio, show the public you are transparent, but more importantly, you value education….you do value education right?

You spent money on all the various workships, seminars, certs, etc…right? Then put it in your bio, website, etc…

Lastly, correct me if I am wrong, but in the UK, do doctors and lawyers have to be Board Certified or Pass a Bar Exam? Then why shouldn’t folks that deal with the human body or nutrition like trainers are doing, why shouldn’t we have to have a DEGREE or be Board Certified?

That is what is wrong with our fitness industry, no regulation and we should be with no questions asked…..are you going to tell me next any doctor or lawyer can practice based on all their knowlege from reading, seminars, workshops, or years in the trenches of doing???? HELL NO you can’t man, it’s just not right what you and others who are obviously good at what you do, are denouncing the importance of getting a REAL DEGREE in Exercise Sciences or Nutrition.

Many of guys you know, like Eric Cressey, Todd Durkin, Mike Boyle, Alan Aragon, Alwyn Cosgrove (From UK, right?), and the list goes on, these guys weren’t too proud or had the desire to get their degree. I just wondered after all your years of experience and military, why you didn’t or feel it’s not the right way to do it in our industry.

You get the last word and good luck with your future endeavors.

Regards,

Tom

Thanks for your comments my friend, whilst I don’t actually agree with much of what you said, I respect your opinion and your right to it.

I’ll answer some of your specific points if I may?

“I have checked out much of what you have done over the years and I have to say, “Very Impressive”, but at what cost.

I’m unclear about what you mean “at what cost?” I’ve not been indicated or implicated in causing harm to a single one of the 140,000 people that have passed through my Elimination Diet plan nor those who’ve been under my guidance as a coach nor those who have learned from me on courses so I’m unclear as to the reference about cost.

You see Dax, I don’t live abroad or in London like you, I live in the USA, where things in our life do need to be REGULATED, why?…..SAFETY TO THE CONSUMER.

Actually, the UK is a very regulated country in terms of health claims, more so than the US in fact. This difference, I guess, is that at this stage we’re a good bit less litigious, yet anything that would cause harm to the consumer would be pounced on as readily, if not more so if the EU get involved, that they would be in the US.

Now, I say this because you and many folks in the heatlh and fitness industry think you can sell a seminar with no accredidation, write a book, but yet have no actual academic credentials or really be a certified nutritionist or registered dietician.

To be fair, this is true of EVERY area and one of the great things afforded us all in democratic nations where those of us with ideas that are unique, different and even at odds with mainstream views are ALLOWED to share those views with those who wish to read them. Remember, degrees in nutrition and dietetics are very new comparative to other areas of medicine yet we’ve been eating as a species for millenia, no?

Of course not! Mine neither, it was blatantly obvious what foods were natural, wholesome and nutritious and what didn’t deserve a place on your plate, right?

You can continue to do FITNESS MARKETING or SELF PROMOTE yourself, but yet, you have all these ideas from things you have read on areas of the human body, nutrition, exercise physiology, but yet you believe according to your website and FAQ’s, that you don’t feel your methodologies need to be accredited or be approved for CEC’s or CEU’s to such reputable groups like NSCA, ACSM, or NASM,

Actually, I was one of the first NASM-PES’s in Europe but whilst I respect them and the other groups you mention, it’s worth noting that each of these organisations are not government bodies, but fitness accreditation BUSINESSES that make money from fitness marketing and self-promotion of their own ideas around each of their own philosophies and that in many areas these same certification agencies and many, many more that could be added to your list DISAGREE on many areas of training, programming and nutrition. I know this as I’ve studied their materials and courses extensively throughout my career.

I don’t see how my approach is any different. I have beliefs about nutrition that I feel strongly about and invite those with similar views to learn more about them. If they feel as you do then they are not forced to adopt them into their modus operandi any more than they’re forced to adopt ANY.

Is any of your nutritional guidance in Elimination Diet every been submitted for publication in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Journal of Nutrition (JN), or with the folks at the American Society for Nutrition? You haven’t.

Actually, there are many studies on the effects of foods chronicled in the journals you speak of. None by me, of course, yet I’ve neve claimed to be the author of any study yet, neither are the 99% of degree certified nutritionists and dieticians out there either. As you know, degree level education is merely the expression and interpretation of previously published works that form the basis of the core curriculum of any nutrition course offered by any university. Degree students are not expected to conduct true nutritional research as much as they are required to read from texts that the university feel are essential to their study.

I’m more than happy to read their studies though and have subscriptions to most of the relevant journals in health, medicine, dietetics, nutrition, endocrinology and neurology as well as an extensive (and expensive!) library of over £30,000 worth of study material that I have actually read and continue to update my knowledge daily through several hours of study each day.

I don’t see any record of you having any graduate level degree in Nutrition or Exercise Science. You have been a soldier, are well versed and well read in areas of health and fitness and have some great ideas, but once again, it’s all about self promotion, getting published in fitness magazines, doing the seminar circuit, running a successful personal training studio(s), selling your eProducts or services, but there comes a time Dax that when you deal with the human body, just like a doctor, therapist, chiropractor, etc…you have to have not only certifications, but some sort of academic background, experience, when dealing with an unregulated topic such as NUTRTION or EXERCISE SCIENCE.

No, you don’t SEE any of that and you only see the part of my career where I work with the public and the profession but you’d be mistaken if you think I don’t understand the human body or exercise science. I’ve studied Exercise Science, am a trained therapist in many different types of manual therapy and have lectured to doctors, physios, chiropractors, osteopaths and yes, even nutritionists on the various modalities I enjoy and employ as a coach in my day to day work. In fact, Tom, I work MORE as an educator than I do as a 1:1 coach and so I have a fair idea of how the body works… I think that if my knowledge of the body was simply a figment of my marketing imagination that I would well and truly be caught out by now given the number of people that have been through my courses

If you are going to sell books on exercise to the ultimate consumer, you either better have the credentials, experience, or both.

As I explained, credentials are only of value if you value them, Tom. Most degree-certified nutritionists and dieticians are still working from the food pyramid, employing the calories in vs calories out paradigm and allowing foods with colourings, flavourings etc as part of the food intake of their clients as long as they are below calorie threshold. This is not a credential criteria I have any affinity for. I think, however that 140,000 plus VERY satisfied people and hundreds of fitness professionals who are using my protocol to get thousands upon thousands more people great results are a fair indicator of experience, no?

But, with NUTRITION, all the Elmination Diet, Cookbooks, etc….that you put out as a Personal Trainer, is a very slippery slope, because you are NOT CERTIFIED or do you have a PhD, MS in Nutrtion nor are you Board Certified in the same manner Dieticians have to be registered in the USA….anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, but if something goes wrong, you ass will have some major legal issues.

Thanks for the warning, though I think that a lawsuit based upon being told NOT to eat chemically enhanced, denatured, processed crap is hardly likely to qualify as a risky venture, do you? Seriously?

With all of the crazy super-low calorie, ‘drink your calories’, ‘eat only this kind of food’ diets on the market that you could maybe take issue with, the advice of ’stop eating crap’ seems a strange one to choose for your attack, my friend

Trainers shoud stick to being trainers and should give guidance on basic dietary habits or eating, but technically, a trainer should request clients seek advice from a Registered Dietician or Certified Nutritionist.

ED is pretty basic… don’t eat crap

This is why our Fitness Industry is fucked up and trainers are trying to sell books, eProducts, etc… on how to lose weight and dieting, but they are not qualified to do so.

Like I stated at the beginning, I mean no disrespect, but I want you to think about what you are doing. I have been around the fitness game since late 80’s early 90’s and seen many ideaolgies on health, fitness, and nutrition come and go.

I’m unclear as to what you mean by “think about what you are doing” Tom. Are you suggesting that the idea of eating clean, nutritious food is NOT sound and that I should instead tell my clients to eat what they want as long as it falls into the calories model espoused by the certification agencies you mentioned? If so, I respectfully decline. I don’t think that clean eating will be a ‘come and go’ concept in nutrition… though it IS becoming rarer these days.

The bottom line is our industry NEEDS TO BE REGULATED so not every swinging joe or jane is training with credentials or giving out dietary and nutritional advice with qualifications or credentials as well.

The public is gullible and naive to what you and I know, so it’s our job to be ETHICAL and not just come up with some brand new way to exercise or lose weight to make a buck….we owe it to the public to do what’s right all the time and if our ass is too lazy to get the degree, stay qualified with certs or get CEC’s and CEU’s as required by the NCCA and governing agenices, then we don’t belong in this industry, you and I included. Think about what I have said Dax from a stranger who believes in your ideas, but not in the way you are doing it, OK?

I’m confused here Tom, you tell me that you’re not trying to offend me (and actually, I’m not) but you highlight the fact that we’re supposed to be ethical (which I agree with) in a way that suggests that I’m… not.

The suggestion that I’m doing this to ‘make a buck’ confuses me too. As you know, the ED is a 112-page book that I GIVE AWAY, gratis. Free. In fact, I know of no other coach who’s put so much into a dietary protocol only to give it to the public for zero recompense. The reason I do so is that I believe that this is FUNDAMENTAL nutritional knowledge that every person on the planet SHOULD be taught in schools as it’s essential to our health and survival and so it is a gift as part of my legacy to making what little difference I can to the world during my lifetime. But even if I wanted to charge for it, that should be ok too, no? People have CHOICE Tom, and if they read what I sell and think it’s crap they can say so and ignore what I tell them completely. But given that this is free, I wonder where you’re coming from…

Dax

I am new to your sight, so I will try not to come off rude or disrespectful with what you have been trying to do with your health and fitness career helping folks live a better, cleaner, and more fulfilling life, BUT, I need to cut to the chase of why I came to your sight.

I have checked out much of what you have done over the years and I have to say, “Very Impressive”, but at what cost. You see Dax, I don’t live abroad or in London like you, I live in the USA, where things in our life do need to be REGULATED, why?…..SAFETY TO THE CONSUMER.

Now, I say this because you and many folks in the heatlh and fitness industry think you can sell a seminar with no accredidation, write a book, but yet have no actual academic credentials or really be a certified nutritionist or registered dietician. You can continue to do FITNESS MARKETING or SELF PROMOTE yourself, but yet, you have all these ideas from things you have read on areas of the human body, nutrition, exercise physiology, but yet you believe according to your website and FAQ’s, that you don’t feel your methodologies need to be accredited or be approved for CEC’s or CEU’s to such reputable groups like NSCA, ACSM, or NASM, as well as, is any of your nutritional guidance in Elimination Diet every been submitted for publication in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Journal of Nutrition (JN), or with the folks at the American Society for Nutrition? You haven’t.

I don’t see any record of you having any graduate level degree in Nutrition or Exercise Science. You have been a soldier, are well versed and well read in areas of health and fitness and have some great ideas, but once again, it’s all about self promotion, getting published in fitness magazines, doing the seminar circuit, running a successful personal training studio(s), selling your eProducts or services, but there comes a time Dax that when you deal with the human body, just like a doctor, therapist, chiropractor, etc…you have to have not only certifications, but some sort of academic background, experience, when dealing with an unregulated topic such as NUTRTION or EXERCISE SCIENCE.

If you are going to sell books on exercise to the ultimate consumer, you either better have the credentials, experience, or both.

But, with NUTRITION, all the Elmination Diet, Cookbooks, etc….that you put out as a Personal Trainer, is a very slippery slope, because you are NOT CERTIFIED or do you have a PhD, MS in Nutrtion nor are you Board Certified in the same manner Dieticians have to be registered in the USA….anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, but if something goes wrong, you ass will have some major legal issues.

Trainers shoud stick to being trainers and should give guidance on basic dietary habits or eating, but technically, a trainer should request clients seek advice from a Registered Dietician or Certified Nutritionist.

This is why our Fitness Industry is fucked up and trainers are trying to sell books, eProducts, etc… on how to lose weight and dieting, but they are not qualified to do so.

Like I stated at the beginning, I mean no disrespect, but I want you to think about what you are doing. I have been around the fitness game since late 80’s early 90’s and seen many ideaolgies on health, fitness, and nutrition come and go.

The bottom line is our industry NEEDS TO BE REGULATED so not every swinging joe or jane is training with credentials or giving out dietary and nutritional advice with qualifications or credentials as well.

The public is gullible and naive to what you and I know, so it’s our job to be ETHICAL and not just come up with some brand new way to exercise or lose weight to make a buck….we owe it to the public to do what’s right all the time and if our ass is too lazy to get the degree, stay qualified with certs or get CEC’s and CEU’s as required by the NCCA and governing agenices, then we don’t belong in this industry, you and I included. Think about what I have said Dax from a stranger who believes in your ideas, but not in the way you are doing it, OK?

Sincerely,

Tom

Don’t give up on experimentation, it could change the way you do your job someday.

Anj

You are absolutely correct in saying that a sample size of one person is nowhere near enough to represent the human race. However, I am shocked to hear you chastize this so called “colleagate money sucker” for trying a simple experiement, which just so happened to produce interesting results. Nobody, including the professor, said he was right. Well, maybe CNN did, but that’s a whole other conversation. I studied my fair share of biology in college, and I came to the same conclusion as you: there are many many factors that affect physical human behavior (look at the TCA cycle, oh man). My point is don’t try and put him down for completing research, however rediculous and useless it is. Knowledge is bread by experiment. If anything, put 100 people on his diet! Maybe then we wil learn something. But to simply debunk it is… well… archaic. People will believe what they believe, we aren’t talking about mental human behavior. To say he is somehow having a retroactive efect on the

That’s not the case at all. I respect professor Haub’s knowledge base and dedication to education, however, to make an assumption that one isolated case of ’success’ in a diet is due to the calorific change alone is simply not scientific.

This is a post hoc ergo propter hoc assumption (after, therefore because of) where the effect (weight loss) is put down do one change alone (calorie restriction) where there are other factors that may be responsible such as the vitamin and mineral supplementation etc.

This is not an attack on the good professor. This is about the message delivered by him.

Big difference : )

Dax