Course Overview

So many diets, so little time. Cut through the clutter and get the skinny on how to effectively change your body composition using proven methods. This course presents the latest scientific research on how to lose weight and improve health through diet and exercise, debunking common misconceptions along the way.

Led by Professor Michael Ormsbee, an expert in sports sciences and nutrition, this course provides step-by-step guidance suitable for all fitness levels. You will learn about the intricate relationship between diet, exercise, and body composition while gaining insights on how to effectively set and achieve your health goals.

Course Lessons

1. Body Composition: Managing Our Expectations

Understand the latest from performance nutrition, learn to set personal body composition goals, and gain insights backed by scientific research.

Duration: 33 min

2. A Healthier Way to Measure Body Composition

Discover why measuring your fat-to-muscle ratio is more important than just tracking your weight and learn how to assess it accurately.

Duration: 37 min

3. How Food Is Digested and Absorbed

Learn about the digestion process and nutrient absorption, and understand how to maximize the benefits of your diet through exercise.

Duration: 32 min

4. Nutritional Needs and Cellular Function

Explore how the nutrients from food influence bodily functions at a cellular level, helping you to understand your body’s needs better.

Duration: 33 min

5. Bioenergetics: Converting Food to Energy

Examine the processes that convert food into usable energy and how it relates to your overall metabolism.

Duration: 31 min

6. Carbohydrates: Composition, Storage, and Use

Learn about the role of carbohydrates in health and performance, including best practices for timing and consumption.

Duration: 31 min

7. Fat: Not the Nutritional Bad Guy

Debunk myths surrounding dietary fat and learn why incorporating certain fats is beneficial for health and body composition.

Duration: 33 min

8. Protein’s Critical Role in Body Composition

Discover the importance of protein in bodily functions and learn how to incorporate high-biological-value proteins into your diet.

Duration: 30 min

9. High-Protein Diets and Anabolic Resistance

Evaluate the benefits and risks of high-protein diets and understand how much protein you actually need to support your health.

Duration: 35 min

10. Critical Micronutrients and Water

Learn about the importance of vitamins, minerals, and water in maintaining health and the consequences of deficiencies.

Duration: 35 min

11. Food Labeling and Nutritional Choices

Understand how to read food labels effectively to make more informed dietary choices.

Duration: 35 min

12. Nutrient Timing and Frequency

Explore the impact of meal timing on body composition and determine what meal frequency works best for you.

Duration: 33 min

13. Nighttime Eating

Examine the myth that nighttime eating leads to weight gain and learn about its effects on muscle protein synthesis.

Duration: 27 min

14. Evaluating Dietary Supplements

Investigate whether dietary supplements can safely and effectively help you reach your fitness goals.

Duration: 34 min

15. Energy Balance and Weight Control

Learn about achieving energy balance and adjusting your caloric intake for desired body composition.

Duration: 35 min

16. The Caloric Cost of Exercise

Discover how exercise influences caloric expenditure and strategies to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine.

Duration: 31 min

17. Exercise for Fat Loss

Identify scientifically proven exercise strategies for effective fat loss and how to implement them in your fitness program.

Duration: 37 min

18. Exercise for Healthy Muscle Mass

Understand how to combat sarcopenia and maintain muscle mass through effective exercise strategies, regardless of age.

Duration: 31 min

19. Hormones and Body Composition

Explore how hormones like insulin and cortisol affect body composition and learn about their relationships to health.

Duration: 31 min

20. Novel Ways to Change Body Composition

Investigate alternative methods to support weight loss and optimal body composition, from environmental factors to dietary choices.

Duration: 30 min

21. Nutrition and Exercise: Special Needs

Learn tailored nutritional guidance for vegetarians, children, and older adults to meet their unique health needs.

Duration: 33 min

22. Set Point Theory and the Last Five Pounds

Discover how to influence your body’s set point for weight and strategies to break through plateaus.

Duration: 28 min

23. Choosing Your Nutrition Plan

Get help navigating the many dietary options available and start with a focus on minimally processed foods.

Duration: 30 min

24. Motivation to Change Your Body Composition

Identify small, manageable changes to implement in your nutrition and exercise to achieve your goals.

Duration: 33 min