Tom Venuto: Burn The Fat Fraud! obvious ripoff, good example of a scam website Not Listed Internet

First off, I agree 100% - Tom Venuto's website is definitely kind of scammy looking. Each page in incredibly long with lots of testimonials and links to click to buy.

That said, as someone who has studied diet and fitness for more than 15 years, Tom's information extremely solid, well grounded, based in science and experience. And I can tell you that easily over 90% of what I've seen out there is pure lies.

Tom's message can be summed up very succintly:

Eat less calories than you expend
Track what you eat and eat sensibly
Exercise (both weight and aerobic) to counteract the effects of eating lower calories
You are on a path toward permanent lifestyle change in terms of how you eat and exercise
Avoid extremes (high protein, high carb, etc.)

In addition he stresses again and again: there aren't any shortcuts to this and you will need to commit yourself and work hard

Now the program that he has built involves setting goals, tracking your progress toward those goals, and how to stay on track.

That doesn't sound very scammy to me. In fact it is the exact sort of advice that pretty much every doctor, health expert, and textbook will give you as well. His angle is that he is devised steps that assist you in building your own custommized program to meet your goals. As I said, I've studied health and fitness for many years. Yes, I found his website off putting at first, but as I started reading some of his materials, I realized that his approach was based on solid fundamentals that I already knew but which were organized around a holistica approach based on tracking your exercise, food intake, body fat %, and working with all the variables to build a customized program that will fit your body and lifestyle.

On the business side, I will add that I have had numerous occaisions to email them with questions regarding a purchase I had made (turns out their emails were going into my spam inbox; my fault). Each time I've emailed their support (or Kyle Battis directly), I've receieved a prompt and helpful reply, always withing a few hours, sometimes in under 30 minutes. My impression is they seem very dedicated to customer support.

They also have very active and helpful user forums (these are subscriptoin based forums; about $10.00 per month) and the community in there is passionate and committed. These are people who are serious about their diet and fitness and it's nice to be able to have a place to talk to like minded invididuals.

I'm not a shill for Tom Venuto; I'm just a regular consumer who has purchased two of his products (Burn the Fat and the Holy Grail) and I've been very impressed with the thoroughness and no nonsense aspect of his approach.

It seems that Curt, the original poster, never went beyond first few pages of the website before posting his rather uninformed opinions. I hope he will actually look a bit deeper and see that despite the rather garish look of the website, Tom Venuto really is the real thing. Curt would you feel better if it were a slick looking website but with the typical "lose 7 pounds in 7 days" types of claims? Tom make none of those types of claims. Personally, I don't expect a natural body builder to be that good at making a slick looking website. I guess this is a good example of the old saying, "You can't judge a book by it's cover".

Keith, San Rafael CA

No updates to this thread in 2 years and then 2 different people post within 2 hours of each other?  These rebuttals are fake.  It's one person posting again and again to try and drown out real criticism.  

The Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle downloadable audio seminars and pdf files are absolutely fantastic.  The first audio seminar is on the psychology of fitness and diet, the second on the basics of nutrition and calories, the third on systems of caloric reduction for weight loss and the fourth systems of caloric intake for muscle growth.  With the audio files come additional pdf files which range from cardio and strength training programs, interviews with body builders, body fat measurement and a chart for measuring your progress.

Though maybe not revolutionary Tom succeeds in compiling the latest data in health and fitness to design his program.  I found it both educational and practical.  I've tried both the Abs Diet and the Atkins Diet and found Toms program worked much better.  I've gained strength and lost 35 lbs.

I'm not sure exactly how this all is a scam?  

Curt I am so embarrassed for you. I honestly can't believe you tried debating with everyone on this topic because ur DEAD wrong. I've read the ebook and found a wealth of info. But I'm not here to go into that I'm actually here to be JUST like you, a child and let you know how utterly stupid you sound. You get on here to make a point fine! Except you rag on the people that reply because its not what you think by calling them morons. I can tell you now champ everyone reading this is thinking your such a wanker. And yes I am being childish name calling because well I can be, I'm not the dipstick who started this thread. Not saying you shouldn't of started it just that you should of excepted the most obvious facts written in replies to you. In a nutshell the moron is you :) only reason I even care to register for a site like this is purely because people that are looking for help need a clear path and not to stumble across fools talking smack like you. And on a finishing note you should upload a pic of yourself so we can all have another laugh mr bodybuilder.

This rip-off report ispure utter nonsense.Based on personal experience with Tom Venuto and Burn the Fat, itis in fact the real deal. I have been a Burn the Fat customer and Burn the Fat Inner Circle (forum) member since March 2010. (It is New Years Day 2011 as of writing this rebuttal.) I used to weigh 410 lbs, and am very proud to say that I am now weighing in at 175 lbs, and getting leaner every week. Granted, I didn't lose ALL of that weight using Burn the Fat, but I hit a sticking point at about 225, and Burn the Fat helped me BUST THROUGH that weight loss plataeu and lose another 50 lbs, and get stronger to boot! I amextremely gratefulto Tom Venuto and Burn the Fat for the positiveaffect he's had on my life. And now my wife is in on it, and losing a butt-load of weight too!!!It is very clear to me, based on what the "rip off report" author has said, that this person has not read Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle. If they had, they wouldn't be making the claims they have. The information in the book is sound, scientifcally based, and frankly, mostly common sense. Common sense examples include informationon whyoneshouldn't buy into the hype of quick fixes for weight loss, such as fad diets, diet pills, etc., and how losing fatis possible for everyone, no matter who you are, though it always takes honest hard work in the gym and the kitchen, disciple and mental fortitude to maintain the lifestyle, and no excuses. Tom provides methods to help you focus on your goals, and gives you the strategies to achieve them. Everyone I know that's tried it has succeeded. Further, Tom does not at any time advocate the use of "supplements and weird diets", not in the sense that the rip-off report author is implying. The dietary guidelines in the Burn the Fat are, in a nutshell, all about eating clean. Just a little research into dietary reccomendations (heck just think back to what you were taught in school!) involve whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and veggies, etc. The only thing one might consider "weird" is that us "burners" tend to be passionate about macronutrient control, such as getting a certain percentage of protein in the diet every 3 hours or so to best benefit muscular growth, etc. However, such dietary regimens have been the staples of body builders and fitness competitors for many, many decades(they are the world's foremost experts in fat loss, since that's basically their job) so is it really all that weird?? Not so much! The only "supplement" that Tom seems to recommend (to my best recollection)is Whey Protein, which isn't a "supplement" in the weird way, but simply a food source that is very rich in protein (Whey is from cow milk, just like cheese... nothing fancy or goofy about it... egg whites are pretty much just as good, and that's heavily promoted too.) So, unless the author of this rip-off report is about to tell the world that clean and healthy eating combined with steady and constructive exercise doesn't produce leaner bodies, then they clearly have not read Tom's material. And if they are trying to say that clean eating and exercise don't matter, then they're full of baloney. Personally, given how much Tom has helped me and my family, I am deeply offended by this poster. In fact, I'm half wondering if their not a disgruntled competitor that's trying to scam people with their weight loss supplements and trying to steer people away from the truth of fat loss - diet and exercise are key. Fortunately, Tom's book is wicked popular and the truth is catching on... and why not? Tom gives you step by step instruction on nutrition and exercise. When one is done with the book, they're a veritable expert on fat loss... so it's worth every penny... even more if you ask me.

I purchased the BFFM manual and am trying to follow it.  I actually got it a few years ago, and unfortunately am one of the "failures" or "losers" or "morons" that have a hard time sticking with things.  I know a difference between try and do, and I'm really good at trying ; ) .  With that said, I personally believe it was well worth the money.  I guess you could tool around the internet and find the same information, but I personally do not want to go from site to site only to read contradicting information.  I think all the information one woud need is in this one manual.

I don't know Tom Venuto (I wouldn't mind knowing him) but I just doubt that this is a ripoff.  Ofcourse he has a product that he'd like to sell, but I don't see the rip-off part of this whatsoever.  I receive emails with newsletters and downloads of lectures about bodybuilding.  I think it's really great.  It's like getting a constant wealth of information, because health can always be improved upon, and there are different little tricks for every kind of body out there.

I don't understand why Curt has dedicated his life and energy into tearing this particular ebook apart.  I'm sure there are actually ebooks out there that are bogus, and they probably do need a smear campaign to stop them, but not this one.

BTW, I found this particular website with this report only because I was curious about what I should have for breakfast.  Yes, strange but true.  I typed in "tom venuto breakfast" on Bing search engine and this was the fourth thing to come up.  Naturually I clicked on it because I was curious how the ebook was a rip-off, and come to find out, this is all about ONE person and his opinions.  To me, this entire report is a ripoff of my time and a very undeserving jab at somebody who is making an honest living. 

All in all, if you are considering purchasing Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle because you don't know what you're doing and you think you are ready and willing to take the plunge into the world of bodybuilding, I highly reccommend it.  However, this is not a book for people that want to turn into a hottie over night.  This is a book for the truly dedicated.  I hope I eventually turn into one myself.  I think if I just truly followed the advice at the beginning reading my goals and affirmations EVERY  DAY , every week, I think I could write this review as a person who this book worked for.  However, I am one that gets sidetracked or that sees results and starts to get lazy.  That's me, and something I have to overcome.  Good luck and ignore Curt.

The Tom Venuto e-book Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle is the most comprehensive book and program I have used.  In the past 3 months, following the principles of the book, I lost 12 pounds.  My brother-in-law is a professor of exercise science at local university who also endorses the principles outlined in Tom Venuto's plan.  Those principles include nutrition, metabolism, calorie counting, body fat measuring, cardio and weight training.  It seems that these are the foundation to most fat loss programs, I'm not sure how that could possibly be a scam.  The e-book was only $15 dollars.

and I'll be honest and let everyone know if it works

Everyone here should spend more time reading the book instead of making outlandish claims about this guy using illegal substances and his book not working.  In my opinion the book is a sound in its principles and offers honesty to people who want to improve the quality of there life. The original poster must have been bored when he started this complaint or a complete idiot. I doubt he read the book because he probably doesn't have $40 dollars, probably read snippets of it online.  The diet I have been following from his book got me from 21% body fat to 15%. So it was well worth my money if your willing to re train yourself to be healthier.

...the first poster stated he followed bodybuilding yet states the info in his e-book is rubbish??? I started getting into kinesiology when I started reading articles on bodybuilding.com. If the OP knew anything about kinesiology and/or bodybuilding he wouldn't have started this thread however I believe the OP has an alternate agenda. I knew about Tom way before he started his e-book being in the bodybuilding world. He just took information he has learned and academically studied throughout his life and put it into one book. I mean EVERYTHING. I go to the book stores quite often and there isn't a book in print that covers all the info in his e-book and there's still a lot more he didn't put in. He should write another one to keep up with the ever changing times and modern advancements in kinesiology/bodybuilding. Anyway, I did buy the e-book way back when and he is offering his new book free of charge to Burn the Fat customers. What scam company gives stuff like that away for free? Another thing I'd like to add is how the OP talked trashed about his e-book but never pointed out anything in the book that was wrong. I think the OP is a registered user of www.bodybuilding.com and got pissed off at his success or is just a child and wanted to hurt someone he acutally knew about. Tom Venuto writes articles and and such on www.bodybuilding.com. Disregard this horrible thread. Go to bodybuilding.com register learn about dieting and bodybuilding and then buy his book. Everything that you've read will come slapping you in the face reading Tom's e-book.

I'm not going to write a long email , the only thing i can say is the book is amazing , i don't care about who Tom Venuto is the only thing important is the content of the book which i found  priceless. 

I purchased Tom Venuto's 300+ page ebook two months ago. I have never EVER seen so much honest, well informed and useful fitness and nutrition information compiled in one source. Tom regularly emails updates and tips at no additional charge...I have over a dozen well-written and insightful emails sent from him that have literally helped me to transform my life.

Not sure what this poster has ever done to come close to being the positive influence Tom is. Don't know why he should expect a "physical address" for BTF, why is that anyones business? Not sure why he thinks "cmon gimme a break" is supposed mean anything concrete to anyone. Not sure why he should accuse someone of using steroids or being a "fraud" without a single shred of proof to back it up. I think that maybe the "pathetic life" is in the mirror at this guys house.

I strongly recommend Burn The Fat/Feed The Muscle to anyone who is looking for sound advice and not searching for a quick fix. This program is about changing your lifestyle, changing your thinking and becoming positive and optomistic about the future....I know one person who might try reading it before trashing it 

I bought the ebook and used it's information for the last year.  It doesn't promise miracles and it's got all the information to keep the most analytical fitness and nutrition reader happy.

Maybe that info is scattered over the web, so what?  Tom's put it together for $40.

Curt's might now acknowledge that now, why he posted this report to start with is still a mystery.

even if you think he`s a fraud or not on the internet today everyting is free, its called a torrent. i got his book from a friend who didnt buy it and guess what i donated money because even if the material isnt his, he complied it for me and presented it to me in a fashion that makes it useable for the average person. personal opnion and jeliousy aside nothing you guys have said have disproved that what he procailms in the book is false. there is also a disclaimer in the begining you forgot to mention... thats a real big one.

search up tom venuto on you tube you cant fake like video with him the same guys in the picture saying `hey this is tome ventuo and going on about something bodybuilding related``

also you say he is fruad because ``nobody has heard of him`` but the days of the glorious body building celebs are gone. just because you dont know and havent spend the time to find out who he is doesnt mean your right and are aloud to post slander.

american free speech and world free speech are two diffrent things and have leagal ramifications.

and lastly yeah he does want money for his book, tell me one peorson in this world who deosnt want to make money, get of your fu**ing high horse and real he is giving honest information to people and has helped tens of thousands to live a healthier life.

what have you done to make the world a better place...

and im talking to all of the people who posted it as a rip off, its only a rip off if it doesnt do what it says it does and his book goes 110%it gets down to the science of your body  98% of fitness book dont even come close to this book. also as proven by the 20 to 1 people in favor of the book.

next topic.

I believe that Mr. Venutos' business is a Ripoff, and I have read some of his ebook.  There is nothing original in it, he is just regurgitating stuff that has already been printed elsewhere.  In addition he has few credentials to lend validity to his work.  On various websites he claims to have a BS in "exercise science" yet nowhere can I find the name of the school he went to.  This is very suspicious, most authors clearly list their educational accomplishments.  It's entirely possible that he is lying, or that his degree is from an unaccredited school, without the name of a school it's impossible to check this out.  Even if he does have this degree though it doesn't mean a whole lot, many other authors in this field have Masters, or PhDs, from respectable schools, and have done years worth of original research in their field.  I'd be much more inclined to listen to what they have to say than Mr. Venuto.  As others have stated if you try to do research into who this man actually is you will come up empty handed.  Most of the stuff online is related to his website where he is selling stuff.  My personal opinion is that he is much less a credible author and much more of a promoter of his half-baked books.  I have no doubt the he is behind many of the rebuttals here on this website and elsewhere online.  These rebuttals are simply too long and well thought out, and contain details that would be difficult for the average consumer to find on their own.  Since his whole persona is based on the internet I'm quite certain he is aware that this Ripoff Report comes up as the 4th search term in Google and I'm sure that drives him absolutely nuts and I'm sure he's tried to devise ways to rebut this website.  Read it for yourself and come to your own conclusions.

Kurt.
At first I was enraged your comments, but as I read on I was more amused by them...I mean come on. At least read the book and do a little research first!
Everyone was so earnest in their defense but you were resolute! No changing your mind about it. At least you eventually read the book :) I felt it brought you some credibility.

I read it a good while ago. I thought it was great. Since then I completed a Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer Qualification. It was basically all the same stuff. So the information is sound. However now I would consider it a waste FOR ME. Now I'm looking for books to increase my knowledge base. Books that are more in depth.
So I would say the book is great for someone starting out. Who has no knowledge of training and how to maintain a healthy diet in order to lose weight.
Seeing as you didn't like the book. You mentioned that you train and that you haven't seen Tom Venuto anywhere else on the other sources where this information would be readily available. You sound like you know a fair bit about it. I would say that's why you weren't as impressed by it as the other people. You'll have heard it all before! For free!
Especially from this quote of yours....
"There are plenty of free ways to calculate your body mass index, figure you caloric requirements, etc. So don't overeat or undereat, Eat breakfast every morning, meet your nutrional and caloric requirements and and sleep plenty. Meals need to be balanced and nutritious with low bad fat content. Eat lots of veggies..greens to reds, the more colorful the veggies the more variety the better. Eat fruit for snacks. Get plenty fiber. Cheat on one meal once a week, once you start reaching your goals. There you have it, all you need to lose weight and look and feel great. now this report is officially wrapped up."    Basic common sense really. If only everyone had it.

Now the first thing you mention is his website rather than the book itself. I was a bit put off by his website too. I don't particularly like testimonials unless they're from reputable experts in the relevant field. I would prefer the client testimonials to be in the back of the actual book. I didn't have money to be throwing away at the time and I felt I could dig a little and get some free tips myself. Same as you. So I didn't buy the book in the end. I was speaking with a friend of mine who's a trainer about it and he gave it to me. I actually dug it out there to have a look over it before I wrote this.

In my opinion the book does have all that it says on the promo website. Though the page goes on and on though! I get it! The books fabulous!
There's also 3 or 4 more eBooks with it.
After writing that last sentence I can see how you would come to the conclusion that some rebutters could be agents of Mr Venuto ;) so I'll stop there.
Though this page is actually great publicity for it now that so many people have rebutted your claim. Here is another web page full of people praising the book.
The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that perhaps your working for Tom Venuto. After all you started all this!

So, to wrap my rebuttal up. I would say that the burnthefat.com page plugs the book a bit too much. However the page is not a scam. The book isn't a ripoff if your looking for guide to help you loose weight and become healthier overall. So Tom isn't a fraud like you said.
As for him describing all the "weird diets" he described. That means he is someone "who's tried it all" and now has the knowledge and experience to guide other people past his mistakes and onto whats worked for him.
Why shouldn't he make money from sharing his good advice? He does state that there is a lot of confusing information out there. All he wants to do is to give what he knows to help people.
I'm already thinking about what sort of book I'm going to write!!! Help me retire comfortably :)

PS: Please give me a horrible review....I want some free publicity too!!!!!
I'll repost the title when it's done!

The person that wrote this obviously never bought the e-book, or if he/she did - they didn't read it. It sounds to me like they read the testimonials and quit. The first chapter is all about goal-setting and the importance of it. Maybe this is something the OP should look into. Honestly, I enjoyed this book so much that I paid an extra $25 to turn it into a book from an e-book (at Kinko's).

I'm a personal trainer that went to school for fitness/nutrition and have used it countless times as a reference - not only to my own fitness and nutrition regimen, but for my clients as well. That's over 5 years now...maybe even 6.

There is a plethora of knowledge in this book and I can't imagine someone that actually read through it calling it a scam. FYI Curt - this site is for people that know something is a ripoff, not guess.

I guess I'm most upset because I refer this book to everyone - friends, family, clientele, etc. Then when I finally look to see what other people are saying, I come to sites like this with people that never even read the book leaving ridiculous scam reports.

Venuto mentions and reminds people in his book that fitness (and his regimen) is not a quick fix. Scientifically you can only lose 2 pounds of pure fat per week, everything else is water weight or muscle. He mentions this and lays out a schedule suited for women and men alike. For everyone that's interested in this book, don't let someone that's probably looking for a quick solution deter you from your fitness goals. I'm a female (not a bodybuilder) and still find this book more than suiting for my lifestyle. Give it a try - and good luck with your fitness!

Leah

I am a degreed and licensed medical professional with almost twenty years of experience in the field. I have purchased Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle and have read it cover to cover several times. After many years of unhealthy living my weight had gotton out of control. I have since lost 75 lbs over 3 years by following what is outlined in this ebook and my body fat percentage is now in within a healthy range.

This ebook is a concise reference for those who wish to get down to a lower body fat percentage (Body Mass Index is no longer considered accurate and is not recommended as a measurement tool in this ebook). It is a solid reference and well researched. No one said that this information could not be found in other places- because it can. This ebook is different in that it includes information in an organized format all in one volume AND provides the rationale and explanation so that the reader may take this information and apply it to his own situation after gaining an understanding of the material and not just information overload without any rationale.

The individual who reported this as a ripoff has no justification for his actions and should not be deemed credible.

Go to You Tube and check out "is burn the fat feed the muscle good?" a video by yummyfitness.
This kid breaks it down really well. And he shows you the book.
or you can copy and paste

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m4TKZ3wrAs&feature=related

to get there directly.

Not everything with that sales pitch-y look to their web site is a scam. Sometimes it's hidden gold.

Curt I came across your report saying Tom Venuto was a rip off and could NOT disagree with you more....His Burn the Fat and Body Fat Solution book and online material have changed my life !! Im a 46 year old man thats ALWAYS been BIG & FAT and until I read Tom Venuto's material I thought Id ALWAYS be BIG & FAT...

Just 6 weeks ago I purchased Tom Venuto's book Body Fat Solution and Burn the Fat online material and for the first time in 30 years I realized I could do something about my FAT problem. His material covers EVERYTHING from A to Z. Its like a encyclopedia step by step guide on every topic. Plus It helps you put together a daily schedule and exercise routine and diet and goals schedule. It goes over EVERYTHING anyone would NEED to know what to do and NOT to do and How to do it the how to lose weight burn fat eat right and exercise program. Tom even helps you understand what you think and how you see yourself how it effects you. He makes it very simple and easy to understand and After reading the material I had the answer to hundreds of questions and excuses from over the years that STOPPED me from doing anything about my weight. It definitely gave me the solution to a life long problem of being FAT...So how in the world could you claim its a scam ?

Curt So for you to say its a scam couldnt be further from the truth. You must have reacted out of knee jerk impulse to be cynical critical judgemental and jealous...

I've LOST 14 pounds in last 5 weeks and my friends and family are so amazed ..They SEE the change and have told me I look Amazing cause they notice a BIG Difference ...I can see when I look in mirror...my whole body looks like it shrunk atleast 2 inches especially my stomach and legs. And Im eating more now then ever before...I used to eat twice a day with alot of junk and no exercise...Now I have 3 very healthy meals a day with good food and 3 snacks that help me burn fat and I exercise atleast 5 times week....thats another thing Tom has done for me He motivates and inspires me to exercise and keep with the program.

If Tom Venuto is scamming me I wish I was getting scammed like this years ago...
Thats ONLY bad thing I can say about Tom is I didnt get his material or talk to him years ago....I have more energy I have more strength I dont remember last time I felt this good...and noticed it in the mirror

Curt I guess you didnt do much research when you posted your claim that Tom is a scam. He has several websites and blogs and ALOT of good material and reviews that are total opposite to what you claim

here are just a few

http://www.exercisegoals.com/burn-the-fat-review.html

http://www.burnthefatblog.com

http://www.TomnVenuto.com

You must be a very critical cynical person very jealous of others that arent a victim like you...Tom is an expert his years of experience show when you look at him he is excellent example of health and fitness and the fact he has taken time to put in a book and in a website all the material anyone would ever NEED to follow his example and change there life is AMAZING !! Many have benefited from learning from him.

Any millionaire will tell you BEST way for you to become a success is be mentored by a millionaire and if you do what they say and learn from there example you'll get the same results...that applies to every area of life...If you NEED to lose weight and get in shape and get rid of Body Fat one of the Best coaches trainers mentors there are with books and material to back it up is Tom Venuto...

Most scams dont have anything to back it up ...no proof...He is living proof what he says is truth. He not only lives it but everyone that learns from him gets impacted by it...and Tom has atleast 25 body builders and athletes that are experts in health and fitness that promote his material or come up with there own using his material as reference. They all have websites that are linked to Tom's. So I dont know what planet your from Curt BUT that is more than enough proof to show Tom Venuto is NOT A SCAM....and there are thousands of people that have used his material and got great results that will tell you the same

I read on Ripoff Report that Tom Venuto is not an actual bodybuilder, and is only known for marketing his fatburning information.

Actually, he has been competing in bodybuilding since 1989, and has won several titles. He is not prominent at the mainstream competitions because he does not build the outrageous bulk of some, and has never used steroids. He wins in the Natural competitions on the East Coast, as well as being a respected consultant for fitness magazines.

Research a little deeper on the Internet, and you will find his credentials and competition photos. His body is perfect, just not huge enough to be on the front cover as Mr. Olympia, etc.

I've read the articles on his site, and as a specialist in the field of fat loss and eating disorders---and a bodybuilder---I can tell you Venuto seems to have much more knowledge than the average person who talks about weight, food and fitness. He also has a book that is available in the library system.

No, I don't know him. I only heard about him recently. I just don't like dishonest reports on people.

I bought BFFM after I hit a plateau with my own personal trainer. I am still reading BFFM and I think his program is gold. I am only 3/4 through the book and I have learned a lifetime of tips from this book, and making a lot of progress losing body fat without losing muscle. I am 39 years old, and I have gone on many diets and lost weight, both from fat loss and muscle loss. I lost weight in high school, law school, and a few years back. Each time, I starved myself, only to regain the weight later. Tom's program focuses on fast metabolism and avoiding the starvation response which slows down metabolism. I have never taken this approach before, and it's a program I believe I can stick with because I don't have to starve myself. I do not believe what he says is COMMON SENSE, especially since past personal trainers and fitness gurus have recommended opposite approaches, e.g., sustained calorie deficits over a long period of time, protein shakes which are not necessarily good for you because the thermic effect is absent, sustained low carb diets beyond 3 days. The only criticism I have is that the book could have been written with half the number of pages - Tom Venuto likes to write. I didn't start seeing results until I reached the half-way mark. He should appear on Oprah!

I am a regular 25 year old guy from Atlanta, GA. I purchased Tom Venuto's Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Ebook about 2-3 years ago. It is the absolute antithesis of a ripoff. Trimspa, Hydroxycut, Nutrisystem....These are ripoffs when it comes to weight loss and general health. Tom Venuto charges a reasonable price for every piece of information regarding nutrition you could ever ask for. His message is made clear from the first chapter. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS!! He tells you in the first chapter that if you are someone looking for some quick fix to make yourself look better then this book is not for you. He says that unless you have some severe hormonal or glandular disorder then you have nobody to blame but yourself for your physical appearance. He tries to sell you nothing but the notion that you alone are responsible for your health and fitness. Then he gives a thorough and detailed plan on how to lose weight the healthy way. No pills. No expensive diets. It is generally regarded as one of the most complete sources of information regarding nutrition that you will find. The fact that somebody even suggests that this is a ripoff simply infuriates me. If you are ready to roll up your sleeves, follow his advice, and work your butt off then you will find that his book is worth 10 times what he charges. If you want to be lazy and take some magic pill that will somehow make you skinny, then sure, this book is a total ripoff.

After eating chicken wings, pizza and drinking beer for 4 years during undergrad I ballooned to 245 lbs. I purchased his book, followed his advice, worked my tail off and found myself at a ripped 200 pounds. I SPENT NO MONEY OTHER THAN THE PRICE OF HIS BOOK AND A MONTHLY GYM MEMBERSHIP. It took almost a year of strict discipline. BUT IT WORKS. I hope someone generally interested in changing his/her life hasn't read this bogus ripoff report and neglected to look into this program. It's not even a program. It's pure common sense with the explanation behind it. Whoever posted this obviously did absolutely zero research, and the fact that it was allowed on this site is irresponsible. Did you use this product, and felt ripped off? No you didn't. You know why? Because anybody who actually read and followed his advice would agree that it's worth it's weight in gold.

DISCLAIMER: Again I am a regular Jo Schmo from Atlanta who went from borderline obese to the best shape I've ever seen. I am in no way affiliated with Tom Venuto other than the fact that his e-book changed my life.

Many months ago, I made a post about my efforts to figure if Tom was for real or not. I didn't have a conclusive answer, and in the end didn't buy the book as I found information sufficient for my needs elsewhere for free.

Specifically, I got a lot of info at stronglifts.com, and as my focus was more on strength and fitness than bodybuilding, I didn't see value in BFFM.

However, Mehdi (the guy who runs StrongLifts) is someone I trust and respect (you can figure he's for real based on the number of forum postings he's made on his site), and BFFM is one of the products recommended by him - which is good enough for me to consider it legit.

Further, people maintain logs, and you build relationships with a few like minded souls. one such person (his ID is scottymouth) - whose log I have followed - recently wrote a success story about how StrongLifts and BFFM changed his life.

So, while I was a skeptic before, right now I would say the product is legit. I don't know if it's worth the price or not - for me, so far, it isn't, cos bodybuilding is not a priority for me. I haven't checked the Facebook group, but having something like that - where you respond to people - is one of the best ways to establish legitimacy.

/Sifaan

Hi,

I ready the above alert, with much amusement. It appears the person didn't bother to do any research or perhaps is simply a disgruntled competitor.

Here's some facts:

Tom Venuto (or his staff) can be reached on his websites (see list below), including other social networks like Facebook (Group ID: "Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle" ), where Tom openly display his contact information. For example, his postal address (PO Box 5097, Hoboken, NJ, USA) and email (customerservice@burnthefat.com). On facebook, Tom also posts free advice and feedback to the 1,323+ group members.

Websites:
www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/contact.php
www.fitren.com/contact.shtml
www.burnthefat.com/contact/contact.php
www.fitover40.com (partnership)

Tom Venuto can also be found on YouTube, where other people have posted their success stories (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrt5fxAZOE4).

I'm no fitness expert, so I can't say if Tom's the best coach on the net, but from my research Tom Venuto appears 100% legitimate. Don't simply take my word for it. Do your own research :)

Note: All the above details were easily found on the internet, when this post was submitted.

Best wishes,
V. Walker
London

Mr. Venuto from what I read and heard is 100% legit and honest.
And, he has replied to email input, although his time is limited and his services are not free.
It is ashamed that misinformed individuals would have to question someone like Mr. Venuto.
Why not question internet scammer Matt Furey?
Selling bodyweight programs that are free all over the net.
That is someone you should look at.

Curt,

I imagine you don't exercise, and you are a junk-food junkie. People who deny good health practices and condemn the gurus are generally lazy, overweight, jealous of healthy, fit people, and are unhealthy.

Tom Venuto's BFFM is the bible of good health practices. I doesn't get any better than this. He is not selling product like many fitness promoters do. He is as real as it gets and has every right to capitalize on his expertise, knowledge, and experience. He is a leader in the industry, and our sickly, obese nation needs teachers and leaders like Tom Venuto. He's an expert in this field and he lives his talk - look at him!! Thanks to Venuto, many lives have been and will continue to be changed for the better. Many folks will not become slaves to the health care and pharmaceutical industry if they follow his advice. Since I've read the book and all the supporting materials, I'm able to teach others to help themselves improve their lives, avoid disease, and feel good about life in general.

CURT, B4 you condemn Tom Venuto, please read the book and put into practice his advice. Please don't condemn something you know nothing about. You appear ignorant and uneducated, and people will laugh at you. Educate yourself, and when you know all the FACTS and have supporting evidence to back your opinion and findings, then you can pontificat your vitriol. Learn, learn, learn, and learn with an open mind and less anger.

Loyal fan of BFFN

Hello;

With all respect to Curt, who is of course completely entitled to his opinion, I have to disagree with his assessment. BFFM has no place on a consumer warning website. As a former trainer, I have studied the physiological, medical and psychological components of fitness from a wide variety of perspectives. I've read a ridiculous amount of literature, and unfortunately, there is a lot of wacky stuff out there.

It can be very confusing for someone who isn't familiar with the field, and worse, the fitness industry is full of quick-fix, empty promises crooks - I'm the first to admit that. But Tom Venuto is NOT one of them. Even among legitimate authors, walk into a bookstore and you'll see shelf after shelf of fitness and bodybuilding books, most from very qualified folks, many of whom present different if not contradictory philosophies and methods.

That's fine - there's room for different points of view. However, given everything I've learned over the years, my money is on Tom. His book takes a very dense and potentially complicated topic and makes it clear, logical, and, most importantly, doable for everyday people. Like most folks, I'm extremely busy, and I don't have the luxury of wasting my time and energy on anything that isn't effective. [I'd much rather be with my family or doing something useful than busting my butt on efforts that aren't going to get results - who wouldn't?] I've tried a LOT of different things - and the bottom line is, BFFM works. It is absolutely the most comprehensive, effective fitness advice I've found, and I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone.

I am an amateur bodybuilder and fitness enthusiast, and have been dedicated to this lifestyle for the past 7 years. I ordered Tom Venuto's ebook 'Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle' a couple years ago while I was researching the best ways to cut down naturally without sacrificing muscle in the process.

The book is most definitely legit. The author of this 'ripoff report' has obviously never read it, and obviously does not know much about fitness or bodybuilding in general.

Venuto's website does read like too much of a sales pitch, in my opinion. The guy is also trying to make a living selling his information in an internet marketplace overcrowded with crap and false information.

His book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is solid information and worth every penny for someone trying to get on the right track.

Listen, I started reading about this guy some time ago. There is so much out there on the fitness industry and anyone "claiming they know bodybuilding and follow the lifestyle and are too moronic to not know that outlaw ( or whatever term Venutto used) means someone not conforming to the mainstream...but actually trying to help people without pushing their supplements. This dork Curt is a useless tool that came here because he probably is either jealous of the guy or is someone in the fitness industry that does not like Venutto. The guy has written articles on these subjects and even states its all out there..but he puts it into one large resource. Yes it is long but it is filled with useful info on the healthy lifestyle without the crap. Only morons like curt and company were looking for "the Magic" bullet in the readings....as Venutto stated would not be found in the book. And also Curt (schilling maybe?) did you know the darn book is free! Yes..thats right..your whole rambling post about paying and ripoff is useless! How moronic you and your posts are! I got my copy for free! Go to the site and it is there to be downloaded..for free! So stop whinning and go lose some weight or make a real claim. if you want a post on it..go blog somewhere..this is a complaint on fraud site..now that you foolishness is completely exposed...go elsewhere with it. and to the other fool posting on fatties in the south..well..he ended his piece quite nicely by calling himself the biggest idiot..nuff said..Curt..so stupid that you paid for what is free! How does that feel? LOL Need directions for how to push the "get free copy" button? HAHAHAHA

Tom Venuto probably either registered Burnthefat.com after the original owners let it go, or he may have purchased it directly from them. So, what you see on archive.org prior to September 21st, 2002 is totally irrelevant, as there is no evidence from archive.org that Tom Venuto or Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle had any affiliation with the contents of Burnthefat.com prior to that date.

Hi,
Could care a less about venuto, followed link from another web site, however, if you cannot find things on google or other search sites you an find old information no longer posted on the net, copies of old sites no longer running etc at

http://www.archive.org/index.php this is the interenet archive, go to the wayback engine and enter the old web page address or search for the subject.

I have found out about many site scams, changes of scammers motive of operations etc. .

Hope this helps these riducoulous arguements by grown men. And by the way I grew up in california for 18 years, during my career, Lived in NY for 14 years, Florida 1 year, Kansas 1 year, Texas 2 years, Washington state 3 years, Colorado 2 years, Oregon 6 mos, Oklahoma 10 yrs, not to mentioned extened visits to Italy, Japan, France, Korea and Germany, There are FAT PEOPLE EVERYWHERE as well Skinny people too and the RATIOS are about the same everywhere, WE ARE A SEDENTARY SOCIETY-its everywhere.

SO for the ignorant, intolerant person who stated the south is fat. GET A GRIP on the reality of your hatred, YOUR mouth and ignorance is FAT your are part of the SOCIETY that adds to hatred and obnoxious kids. Go get a skinny on that. GOOD luck to the rest.

This report is now officially wrapped up!
I read a copy of this ebook and it was not worth 40 dollars in my opinion. Just like I thought. There are tidbits of helpful hints. Nothing new to me nor will it be to anyone who has dieted and excercised before. Where is all the outlaw information that you can't get anywhere else? This is the main reason I feel ripped off. False
advertisement!

In my opinion this ebook is a ripoff because the information is common sense. Any
weight loss book is going to implement diet and excercise, which when adhered
to, will achieve results. This in no way reflects tom being a bad person or not knowledgeable about excercise. He may have helped some people who knew nothing about weight loss with his ebook. Again, I saw no information that is considered outlaw or information that I couldn't get anywhere but from this book.
This misleads people into believing this venuto knows something they don't.
I never saw any information that I haven't read somewhere else. And this is
why i say its a rip off...I mean 40 dollars for an E-book! RIP! Plus you have
to use your ink and paper to print it out.

I don't think I can be anymore clearer. Of course there are always going to be people that disagree because maybe the information and programs were helpful and worked. Thats fine, but Im am here on ripoffreport to tell people to save their money and spend it elsewhere. 40 DOLLARS is too much for this ebook. And maybe, just maybe, if I saw this in barnes and noble in hardback, it might be a little more believable.

There are plenty of free ways to calculate your body mass index, figure you caloric requirements, etc. So don't overeat or undereat, Eat breakfast every morning, meet your nutrional and caloric requirements. Excercise and sleep plenty. Meals need to be balanced and nutritious with low bad fat content. Eat lots of veggies..greens to reds, the more colorful the veggies, the more variety the better. Eat fruits and nuts for snacks. Get plenty fiber. Cheat on one meal once a week, once you start reaching your goals. And get a check up twice a year. The type of checkup depends on your age. There you have it, all you need to lose weight to look and feel great. What else can be said besides overpriced and overhyped! It doesn't take much to figure out your body type and how to lose weight these days. just trying to help people save a buck!

Since my prior comment was sanitized (and some of the points altered) I need to add a couple of notes.

1. I do not consider bobdy building to be a sport. Oily men in speedos - give me a break!!

2. My closing comment is that if you are lazy and fat before reading this book you will remain the same afterwards. No book is going to help you unless you first decide to help yourself. Once you are motivated, there are tools out there to help you achieve your goals. Turns out this book was one of the tools that helped me.

I am glad this report was posted and reading through it all gave me a good laugh - thanks to one and all.

I was thinking about buying this book last November and this is the only place where I could find anything critical in nature. I did end up buying the book and here are my results and thoughts:

- I have lost 18lbs in 10 weeks following the eating guidelines in the book. I have my own exercise program, so I have not read that section of the book.
- It took me about 3 weeks to establish an eating routine consistent with that described in the book. This takes effort on your own.
- There was stuff about eating that I had heard elsewhere but this did pull stuff together for me. Maybe someone else already knows ALL this stuff - I did not.
- There is a bunch of stuff in here that I could not care less about. I am not a body builder.
- Tom Venuto - don't know who he is and I don't care.

I am glad I got this book - I really wanted to loose weight and this helped me. But this book takes a decent amount of effort to implement. If you are lazy before reading the book you will remain the same afterwards. If you can get enough motivation to make a change this book may help you.

I definitely respect Curt for at least taking the time to read the ebook, but I don't necessarily agree with his assessment of the ebook. He said that the ebook "sucked" but also admitted that is would be useful to someone who doesn't know much about weight loss, which is a huge contradiction.

Additionally, if the ebook does indeed "suck" as Curt so eloquently stated, then that implies that there are much better sources of information on weight loss. As Jim pointed out, Tom Venuto gives the scientific facts about weight loss - virtually everything you need to know about weight loss is in Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle.

As far a comprehensive scientific analysis of what it takes to lose weight is concerned, I don't think there is one single source of information that covers everything BETTER than BFFM. So, to take Curt's stance would mean that every single book ever written on weight loss sucks that contains less information than what Tom Venuto reveals in over 300 pages in BFFM must "really suck".

Yes, you could probably find most of the information in BFFM for free on the internet with hours and hours and hours of research, but if you didn't know anything about weight loss, where would you look? Even if you did find some of the information in BFFM, you would still be missing out on a lot of information revealed in BFFM if you didn't know where to look for. But here is the most important consideration:

What if the information you found through your own research led you to believe that you needed to spend lots of money on weight loss supplements in order to lose weight? Unfortunately, this happens EVERY DAY to HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people who are trying to lose weight, because they ONLY come across information on weight loss supplements. The end result is that they spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars on weight loss supplements and "magic" diet pills that only help them lose weight in their wallets. That's one of the reasons why the weight loss supplement industry is a MULTI BILLION dollar industry - because people believe the "quick and easy" sales pitches these companies make.

On the other hand, if these same people find Tom Venuto's ebook, invest $40, and learn about the real, scientific truth about weight loss, how much is that worth? How much money will these people save on weight loss supplements? Jim lost 40 pounds using the methods outlined in BFFM - and thousands of others have been able to lose a lot more weight than Jim did that as a result of getting their hands on BFFM - can you really put a price tag on that? Ash, who got the ebook for free from one of his friends benefited from it so much that he wants to PAY Tom for it!

But here is the ironic thing: writing rip off reports about good weight loss programs like BFFM is what the weight loss supplement companies want, because they don't like it when guys like Tom Venuto tell the truth. I think Curt should start writing rip off reports on weight loss supplements and diet pills...these are "true" rip offs that Tom Venuto warns people about. I would hope, Curt, that when all is said and done, you will be able to appreciate what Tom Venuto has done to help people lose weight and the lies he has exposed in the process.

it's good to see that Curt's last response is much more reasonable and logical than previous posts ... when you said that the way it's advertised and the way it reads are two different things, i respectfully disagree ... i mentioned before that each of the things he promises are provided ... so for the purposes of informing whoever's reading this, i'd appreciate it if you could state HOW you feel they're different ...

you mentioned that there's no 'outlaw information you can't get anywhere else' ... i can state for certain that there were things in the book that i had never heard anywhere else, which does NOT mean that they couldn't be found elsewhere, i'll give you that ...

i would say that MOST of the information in the book can be found SOMEWHERE online, but i can basically guarantee that finding it all, assimilating the relevant parts, and translating that into effective strategies for your own life takes way more time than 40 bucks is worth ... i don't make very much as a student (21$/hour), but that means it's less than 2 hours worth of work, and if anyone can put together 340 pages of useful info in 2 hours then i will admit i'm wrong about this ... until then, this eBook is worth the money

I purchased the Burn the Fat -Feed the Muscle book by Tom Venuto. Whether his credentials are valid or not is irrelevent. The material he presents in his book is pure science and fact arranged and presented in a way that can absolutely acheive the results that it claims. The material presented is not his opinion, nor a specific program, and it cannot be debated. Since he is presenting facts, how can he be portrayed as a scammer? It was very annoying to see such a post. I lost 40 lbs and am currently maintaining a healthy lifestyle based on many lessons learned in this book. That same information can be found all over the intertnet, but BFFM is a sole source container of that information, presented in a coherent manner.

I dont understand why one has to argue so much with (Curt) the creator of this complaint because everything he says just doesnt make sense.

As to conclude:
It is a fact that when for once a good and natural body builder, somebody like Tom Venuto, goes on and writes a VERY USEFUL E-book to tell everyone not to use sugar pills and other stupid "gain muscle" and "weigth loss" products, he is going to have himself lots of enemies in a 30$ Billion/year fitness industry.

For all the users:
If you ever want to know something is a rip off or not, its just a matter of searching the name of that person or product in Rip off Report or google (adding the word Scam or Rip off beside it) and seeing how many complaints and results you can find. If its only a few, then its either a competitor/enemy of that business (like "Curt" above) or just one customer having a bad luck with the company.


I for one have read the book in its entirety and still read all of Tom Venuto's articles and recommend it to all my friends in or out of gym. Although I got a for free copy of the book from my friend, but after I finished reading it I actually want to now purchase it (not that I need another copy but just out of conceious to pay Tom what he deserves for the efforts he put in his book) as it has helped me learn so muchhh about fitness and diet which I have put into practice and I'm seeing results.

On a final note: In this day and age, honest and truthful bodybuilders like Tom Venuto who just out of principal dont accept other companies offers to mislead people are rare.

Tom Venuto is a man of principal and a true natural body builder.

hi everybody! i've read everybody's comment on this website and i decided it was just about time i start talking about this tom venuto issue that has been on my mind for a few good months now.
i am going to make a point that curt is right: keith is a moron, and a world class one, too. unfortunately for curt, it is for an entirely different reason than he thinks.
here goes.
my name is george and i'm a fitness enthusiast. i've been active in the field for about 15 years, and although i'm no fitness guru, i do know a thing or two. i was trained by champions, trained friends and family in my own right and even done translations for foreign versions of Flex magazine. but first and foremost trained hard and read everything that i came accross.
and this is how i learned about Burn the Fat and this Venuto person who wrote it. i've been reading it, the reviews, other Tom Venuto articles and most of all, thought of it all and tried to put together the pieces of this puzzle.
here's my conclusion:

1 is this guy trying to make money?- obviously! he made a website with "order now" flashers all over it.

2 is he real? probably not. the only pictures of him you can find on the whole www are those on his website and the sites endorsing him. no fan club, no fitness competition website pictures. you would expect wikipedia to at least mention him, but the search yields 0 results. who is actually writing these articles and e-books? haven't got a clue


that's as much as i could think of the person. he is shy and he tries to make a living. but hey, aren't we all? so, then, what's wrong with that?


on the other hand, here's my take on the content of his writings.


whoever the hell wrote these things, i can't find one goddam thing wrong with them. from a scientific point of view, they're exaclty what i've been told by professionals my entire life, and exactly what has worked on me for 15 years. if i ever wrote a book, that's eveactly what it would say. like it or not, whoever wrote this stuff knew very well what they were talking about.

as for his overall message, it's common sense.

don't go chasing quick results?
there's no such thing as spot reduction?
most suppplements out there are garbage and they're gonna kill you?
don't waste your money on gizmos and pills advertized on tv as miracle makers?
it is all about the way you live, nothing else, nothing more?
think fat loss, not weight loss?

try as i might, i cannot see one darn thing wrong with these statements. it's all common sense.

furthermore, keith, you say tom has refused money for pill endorsements. that's irrelevant. what's relevant is that-again- try as i might, i couldn't find any link between this individual and any pill or gizmo out there. in other words, he shuns everything but diet and exercise. that says it all.

curt- you said it's common knowledge that fitness is about what you eat and how you exercise, and you shouldn't have to pay money to hear this again. and it's true. but, wait, what DO you eat? and how DO you exercise? these, my dear friend, are just the questions, not the answers. and i believe this is what the Venuto person, or whoever the hell he or she is, is trying to accomplish.

and curt, let me ask you this, especially since you're from the south, and we all know how the south works. i mean, americans are 66% percent obese or so, but that's by adding 34% lean people in the civilised part of the country. which makes the south entirely obese. so, let me ask you, if things were that easy and nobody needed to know What to eat and How to exercise, how come everybody looks like a freak where you're at?

in other words, dear curt, your comments show that either you have no idea what's inside the e-book, no idea about fitness, or both. why do you grace us with your opinions, then, is beyond me. this is calling yourself a, yes, you've guessed, a moron, and one bigger then china.

as for keith, my dear friend, the only reason why you're moron is for bothering to elighten what cannot be enlightened. otherwise you're a fine chap.

which brings us to the biggest moron of us all: ladies and gentlemen, i give you, ME! :)

Welp, I read a copy of this ebook and it sucked in my opinion. Just like I thought. There are tidbits of helpful hints. Nothing new to me nor will it be to anyone who has dieted and excercised before. Where is all the outlaw information that you can't get anywhere else? I can't get into detail, so take it from me, who knew it just by the over the top advertising, I know how to call em.

In my opinion this ebook is not a scam waiting to happen, but now a ripoff. This in no way reflects tom being a bad person or not knowledgeable about excercise. He may have helped some people who knew nothing about weight loss with his ebook. But the way this book is advertised and the way it read are two different things, in my opinion, take that for what it's worth.

I don't think I can be anymore clearer. Of course there are always going to be people that disagree because maybe the information and programs were helpful and worked. Thats fine, but Im am here on ripoffreport to tell people to save their money and spend it elsewhere. The thing is, any weight loss book is going to mix diet and excercise which will yield some type of result.

There are plenty of free ways to calculate your body mass index, figure you caloric requirements, etc. So don't overeat or undereat, Eat breakfast every morning, meet your nutrional and caloric requirements and excercise and sleep plenty. Meals need to be balanced and nutritious with low bad fat content. Eat lots of veggies..greens to reds, the more colorful the veggies the more variety the better. Eat fruit for snacks. Get plenty fiber. Cheat on one meal once a week, once you start reaching your goals. There you have it, all you need to lose weight and look and feel great. now this report is officially wrapped up.

Ok, it looks like we can wrap this up.

For anyone still reading, I hope you can see what has happened. Curt believes that Tom Venuto's sales website is a good example of a scam website. He has not ordered the book, so these are impressions based on limited information. I and many others have actually used the website to order the book, and have been very impressed, and can say for certain that it's not a scam. So take our opinions and Curt's opinion for what they're worth.

Curt, I wish you well. I hope in the future you won't post rip-off reports about products you haven't ordered, and I hope someday you decide to try it out and buy the eBook. You will not be disappointed.

Keith et al, good on you for stepping up and taking the time to clarify the nature of the situation. I hope future readers will now see a more realistic picture of purchaser's impressions of the eBook.

Ok, it looks like we can wrap this up.

For anyone still reading, I hope you can see what has happened. Curt believes that Tom Venuto's sales website is a good example of a scam website. He has not ordered the book, so these are impressions based on limited information. I and many others have actually used the website to order the book, and have been very impressed, and can say for certain that it's not a scam. So take our opinions and Curt's opinion for what they're worth.

Curt, I wish you well. I hope in the future you won't post rip-off reports about products you haven't ordered, and I hope someday you decide to try it out and buy the eBook. You will not be disappointed.

Keith et al, good on you for stepping up and taking the time to clarify the nature of the situation. I hope future readers will now see a more realistic picture of purchaser's impressions of the eBook.

Ok, it looks like we can wrap this up.

For anyone still reading, I hope you can see what has happened. Curt believes that Tom Venuto's sales website is a good example of a scam website. He has not ordered the book, so these are impressions based on limited information. I and many others have actually used the website to order the book, and have been very impressed, and can say for certain that it's not a scam. So take our opinions and Curt's opinion for what they're worth.

Curt, I wish you well. I hope in the future you won't post rip-off reports about products you haven't ordered, and I hope someday you decide to try it out and buy the eBook. You will not be disappointed.

Keith et al, good on you for stepping up and taking the time to clarify the nature of the situation. I hope future readers will now see a more realistic picture of purchaser's impressions of the eBook.

My gut tells me, after reading a bunch of crap on this novice outlaw supposed
natural bodybuilder that this is a ripoff waiting to happen. I guess some people
are that stupid. I never read a post that long, so just stop arguing. You can't win me over. No one else cares. Venuto's website is in my opinion a good example of a
scam website. refer to my original post to continue this sentence.

Hi Curt, thanks for your response. I'll address each of your points in order to ensure I don't miss anything.

You said: "Just because a novice outlaw bodybuilder wins runner up in a contest and is a personal trainer with a license that is about to expire, doesn't mean he is an expert on weight loss."

Well the first thing you say is that he's a novice. The following is taken directly from his website:

"I have a BSc. degree in exercise science, I'm a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (NSCA-CPT). I'm a member of the International Society for Sports Nutrition (ISSN), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Strength And Conditioning Association (NSCA). I'm a competitive bodybuilder and I've won three state and three regional championships. I've even gone as far as 2nd place in the Mr. Natural USA and 2nd in the Mr. Natural North America contests."

And later he states: "I've competed in 28 bodybuilding competitions and never at over 4.5% body fat."

This does not sound to me like a novice. He states earlier that he's been doing it for 14 years, so experience is not in question. He has won state championships and placed well in national championships, so I am totally unclear on how you can call him a novice. If you can explain that to me, I would appreciate it so I could see it from your point of view.

Another point you make is that he's an outlaw bodybuilder. It seems to me like you're taking that term in a different way than Tom intended on his website. If you read further down on the sales site, you'll see that he states:

"Why You are Unlikely to Get This Information Anywhere Else...

First, you have to track down an elite and successful competitor who has the necessary level of knowledge and experience (good luck). Even if you can, MOST OF THEM WON'T REVEAL THEIR SECRETS TO YOU!

You see, physique athletes are highly secretive by nature. If they told you how they got "ripped" for competitions, that would be like a football team giving away their playbook! Face it - this type of nutrition information is hard to come by."

I believe this is what he means when he says he is an outlaw bodybuilder. He is an outlaw in the sense that, unlike most bodybuilders, he is willing to share his experience and let others know all the things he has learned after so long in the business. He re-iterates this in the eBook itself, stating that many in the fitness world may not like it, but he believes it's the best way to get the information out to people, as he no longer has time for many personal training sessions etc. GRANTED he is doing it for a profit, I totally acknowledge that. Anyway this is what I believe he meant when he calls himself an outlaw bodybuilder, if you can generate any evidence to support your view of his usage, I would really appreciate it. One last thought on this, he said it on his own sales site. In fact, it's the FIRST WORD in the text of the pitch. If he really were an outlaw or there was any negative connotation to it at all, why would he include it and make it a focal point? That doesn't make any sense to me.

Finally you mentioned how these credentials don't make him an expert on fat loss. Below are links to pictures of Tom during competitions:

http://www.buildingbodies.ca/images/Tomnpc.jpg

http://www.burnthefat.com/img/natural_bodybuilder_tom_venuto_most_muscular.jpg

This may be a subjective thing, but I seriously doubt you can look at those pictures and say he doesn't know anything about fat loss. As stated before, he has all the education and work experience to give him the knowledge, and not only that, he has done the training himself and reduced his body fat to under 4%. How can you say he's not an expert on fat loss? Again, if you could explain your position on this, I'd greatly appreciate your perspective.

Next you said: "See my original post and read it carefully."

Ok. In your original post you state that you think his website 'is a ripoff waiting to happen because of its advertising content'. I'm assuming you're talking about tomvenuto.com. I am not sure why you're surprised by the advertising content. Why else would he put up a website? It has many sections, some to display his credentials, some to sell his products, some to sell other products that he believes in, some to answer questions for free. It includes a knowledge base of frequently asked questions that he answers, so it is not a site strictly for advertising, but I agree that's the main purpose of the site. So what? Does that mean bestbuy.com is a ripoff because of its advertising content? Most would say it's not a ripoff because you get what you pay for, and the same is true with Tom Venuto's eBook. Perhaps I've misunderstood your opinion on this, if so please explain what you mean, I'm interested to hear it.

Next you say that when you search for his name all you find are his website and review sites that have nothing but positive things to say about him. That's fair, I basically agree. However this doesn't make him a scam artist. Keith (above) very clearly indicated that Tom has published many articles elsewhere on the web, it is not like he has come out of nowhere. Furthermore, do you think it's a coincidence that no review site has said anything bad about his program? Try searching 'Atkins diet' at Google, and the third result is a website dedicated to pointing out the flaws in that diet system. Why is it that no such site/review exists for Tom's system? It's been around for 5 years now (around since 2003), you would think that someone would've read the book and discovered it was a scam and put the word out to save other people the money. Your report is the only negative review I've ever heard about the eBook, but the problem is that you haven't read the eBook, so I don't believe you are in a position to warn others about it. It would be fair for you to say 'I've seen his website, I don't trust his credentials, and I'm sketchy on ordering his eBook because of this experience". That would be truthful. But for you to say that it is a ripoff and a good example of a scam website is untruthful, because you haven't discovered for yourself whether or not these things are true. If I've missed something and you're able to explain how it is you can make these statements without actually ordering the product, then by all means please let me know, I am always willing to learn and get closer to the truth.

In addressing your point about a physical address, Keith has already shown that he is registered with the BBB and has a physical address, that is enough to disprove that point. However it is also worth noting that the site is an Internet-based business, where no physical materials are ever exchanged. The book is sent online, the money is sent online, there is no logical reason for Tom to post a physical address. Logically, he gives users a space (under 'Contact') to contact him for whatever reason, and has even provided a web-based interface which is quicker than using an email client.

Next you seem to express disbelief at how he would try supplements and 'weird diets', but not try steroids. I do not find this hard to believe, as you seem to. I know personally I would never use steroids, regardless of the moral/ethical implications, I know there are potentially severe negative side effects, it's just not worth it for me. Tom clearly has the same opinion on it. How is this so hard to believe? Also it should be noted that athletes at 'natural' bodybuilding competitions are of course tested for steroid use. How can it be that Tom has competed 28 times and used steroids but never been tested positive for steroid use?

Next you say that you follow the sport of bodybuilding and have never heard of or seen Tom Venuto. That's fair, I had never heard of him before last year either. Keith demonstrated that he is well-known and published in a variety of online articles and magazines. The fact that you and I hadn't heard of him does not prove he is a fraud or that he doesn't know anything about fat loss, all it proves is that neither of us had read his articles or heard about him in competition.

You then say that it is the most obvious ripoff website you have ever seen, you express your disdain for the testimonials and Tom's discussion of his life as it relates to bodybuilding. Again, I believe you can't state it's a ripoff website unless you or someone you know gets ripped off, I've made that point enough times. If you don't enjoy the testimonials or Tom's story, that's fair. To be honest I felt the website went a little long too. Unfortunately this has nothing to do with whether or not it is a scam. If you can bridge that gap and explain to me how they are connected, please do so as I would like to understand this point.

You then say that the stuff he promises is way over the top, if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is, and so on. I have explained in my previous post that I can honestly say he provides everything he promises in the website sales pitch. In fact, having read the book and knowing it well, I recognize all the things he promises as the headings in the book. How do you think he came up with the list of things to promise? He just went through the book and listed each of the things he explains. Given the fact that I have read the book, and you have not, I believe I am able to say with more authority that he provides what he promises. If you read the book and can explain to me how he hasn't done so, then I'd be all for hearing about it.

You conclude by saying you really don't think it'll be a problem because Tom is so obviously a fraud. I feel that sufficient evidence has been put forth to show he is not a fraud. His education, bodybuilding experience, and contribution to the bodybuilding knowledge base online all demonstrate that he is not a fraud. If you are able to explain, taking these things into consideration, how he is a fraud, then by all means, please do.

So now you can see I've read your first post carefully, the next thing you said in your last post was: "I think your a liar as well. How did you know about this post? Why would you respond?"

I explained my position and motivation pretty clearly, I have no reason to lie whatsover, it would do me no good. Given my position, could you explain to me how it would be beneficial for me to lie? I don't understand your take on that. Next, that's a fair question (about how I knew about this post) with an easy answer. After having read the eBook and many of Tom's online articles, I was interested to see what else he had posted online, because the quality of the advice he gives is so high. So I searched for Tom Venuto at Google, and this report was on the first page of the results. If you try that search right now, you will see that this report is result number 10. Given the title of the result, I was very interested to read it, because it was the first piece of negative commentary I had ever encountered about Tom Venuto. So this explains how I knew about this report. Your last question is why I would respond, this is also a fair question. I explained my motivation in my first post, when I said that although I won't come into any monetary benefits by responding, I still wanted to because I hoped it would bring everyone involved closer to the truth. The truth of the matter is that because I recommend the eBook, I would be happy to see more people read it and improve their lives as a result. So when I see something online that seems to mistakenly judge the product in a negative way, my instinct is to present my side of the story and come to understand why someone feels differently about it. This is why I responded, and why I am so persistent in asking you to explain your opinions, so we and everyone reading can better understand the situation.

The next thing you say is: "I mean if the overpriced ebook works so well you'd think that would speak for itself."

According to Tom's site, the eBook "is rated by Clickbank.com as the #1 fitness e-book and the #1 diet e-book on the Internet, with users in 134 countries". It seems to me that the sales results speak for themselves. The irony behind your statement is that you're not letting the book speak for itself, because you haven't read it! In addition, I don't believe you're in any position to call it overpriced, since you haven't read the book, you have no way of gauging its worth. How can you compare something you've never seen to a dollar value? Please make this more clear, as I don't understand how you're able to do this.

Finally, you say "This just seems like damage control to me." I have made my position and association to Tom very clear. I've also made it clear that my aim is to come closer to the truth of the matter. My motivation is not to make Tom look better, it's to present an accurate picture of the eBook and its author. Again I ask, given my position, why would it benefit me to do 'damage control'? This is another point of yours I don't understand.

Again, thanks for replying, I hope to hear from you soon.

Curt, you said:

"Okay, lsosa54, you go on and on about tom and his supposed accomplishments.
You even say you finally bought the book, but you only scanned it. So from a
mere scan of the book your going to boast about it? Sorry, your rebuttal has been
discredited"

So Curt, if you are going to discredit lsosa45 because he has merely "scanned" Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, then what does that say about your whole post, since you haven't read it OR even scanned it? I guess that means your argument has been discredited. You have absolutely no credibility...that's what everyone who has read this post has been trying to tell you.

Your last post seems to indicate you don't think Tom is qualified to teach people about weight loss. It should be noted that Tom has a bachelors degree in Exercise Science, he has been a personal trainer, his articles have appeared in numerous bodybuilding publications both offline and online, he has numerous certifications, has written over 200 articles online, and he did write an ebook with over 300 pages of rock solid information on weight loss! These are just a few of his credentials...what are your credentials, Curt?

By the way, why do you keep calling Tom Venuto a "novice" when he has been COMPETING in bodybuilding for 18 years? How many contest have you competed in, and how many of those have you won or even placed in? Why don't you fly to New Jersey, and go head to head with Tom in a bodybuilding contest - make sure to post pictures here so that we can see how you do against a "novice" bodybuilder.

If you don't want to buy Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle, read it, and apply it to your training routines to see if you can reduce your body fat and increase your muscle mass, fine. Of course, until you do, every single word you have said about his program WHICH YOU HAVE NOT READ is discredited. Period.

At least read his free ebook called "Skyrocket Your Fat Loss Success", which is a transcript of an interview he had with hypnotherapist Tom Nicoli, who appeared on Dateline NBC's Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge. Anyone reading this report can download it for free at: www.freefatlossebook.com

Curt, you said:

"Okay, lsosa54, you go on and on about tom and his supposed accomplishments.
You even say you finally bought the book, but you only scanned it. So from a
mere scan of the book your going to boast about it? Sorry, your rebuttal has been
discredited"

So Curt, if you are going to discredit lsosa45 because he has merely "scanned" Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, then what does that say about your whole post, since you haven't read it OR even scanned it? I guess that means your argument has been discredited. You have absolutely no credibility...that's what everyone who has read this post has been trying to tell you.

Your last post seems to indicate you don't think Tom is qualified to teach people about weight loss. It should be noted that Tom has a bachelors degree in Exercise Science, he has been a personal trainer, his articles have appeared in numerous bodybuilding publications both offline and online, he has numerous certifications, has written over 200 articles online, and he did write an ebook with over 300 pages of rock solid information on weight loss! These are just a few of his credentials...what are your credentials, Curt?

By the way, why do you keep calling Tom Venuto a "novice" when he has been COMPETING in bodybuilding for 18 years? How many contest have you competed in, and how many of those have you won or even placed in? Why don't you fly to New Jersey, and go head to head with Tom in a bodybuilding contest - make sure to post pictures here so that we can see how you do against a "novice" bodybuilder.

If you don't want to buy Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle, read it, and apply it to your training routines to see if you can reduce your body fat and increase your muscle mass, fine. Of course, until you do, every single word you have said about his program WHICH YOU HAVE NOT READ is discredited. Period.

At least read his free ebook called "Skyrocket Your Fat Loss Success", which is a transcript of an interview he had with hypnotherapist Tom Nicoli, who appeared on Dateline NBC's Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge. Anyone reading this report can download it for free at: www.freefatlossebook.com

Just because a novice outlaw
bodybuilder wins runner up in a contest and is a personal trainer with a license that is about to expire, doesn't mean he is an expert on weight loss. See my original post and read it carefully. I think your a liar as well. How did you know
about this post? Why would you respond? I mean if the overpriced ebook works
so well you'd think that would speak for itself. This just seems like damage control to me.

First let me introduce myself. My name is Jeff R. and I'm a University of Waterloo Civil Engineering student. I live in Waterloo, Ontario, and work for an engineering firm in Waterloo (on co-op between school terms). I am not, and have not ever been employed by Tom Venuto, or any company with which he is affiliated. In fact, I've never been paid by anyone in the health and fitness industry, for any reason, ever. I have never spoken with Tom Venuto or communicated with him in any way. I have never even been to New York! I have no financial motivation to provide negative OR positive comments about Tom OR his work. The reason I'm posting is to offer my opinion and hopefully bring everyone involved closer to the truth.

Although I'm tempted to grant your request, Curt, and give you a copy of the eBook, so that you could read it and have a greater knowledge base to form your opinions, I believe doing so would be illegal as it is not meant to be distributed for free.

I'll start with my purchase/experience with the eBook etc. I was not looking for an eBook at the time, but rather looking for free tips online for losing fat and gaining lean muscle. After visiting a number of sites etc, I found one author who highly recommended BFFM. After reading Tom's site, and various reviews of the book etc, I decided to give it a try, especially since he gave a full-refund money-back guarantee.

I have read the book in its entirety, and have read many parts of the book several times. I did not 'scan' it or quickly read it, I know it quite well at this point.

I'm not sure where to start in my comments about the eBook itself, but since Curt's claim is that it's a scam, I will first state that I firmly believe it is NOT a scam. If you pay the purchase price, you get an eBook, exactly as described, and with all of the information promised. Since you're given what you're promised for the price quoted, I can immediately say it's not a scam. In addition, the quality of the information easily surpassed what I was expecting. To be completely honest, it is the opposite of a scam to me, I believe you get much more than $40 worth of knowledge in this book. It is 340 pages in length, and is not a 'summary' or set of guidelines for weight management, it is a hefty volume of useful information. It covers all areas of weight management, including weight training, aerobic exercise, goal setting and especially nutrition/body function.

On the topic of steroid use, I can say for certain that nowhere in the text does Tom admit to using steroids, or even suggest that he might have. In fact he does the opposite, he states that he is a life-long natural bodybuilder and has never taken any steroids. In addition, he repeatedly emphasizes the ability of natural bodybuilders to maintain large amounts of lean muscle whilst decreasing body fat, and suggests that the reader do the same. He never suggests taking steroids, but rather describes the undesirable side effects of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

In addressing your comment "If it sounds too good to be true, it is", I refer back to my earlier comments about the eBook. As mentioned, he not only met my expectations (based on reading his sales website), he surpassed them. I should state (further to earlier comments by Keith and others) that at no point does Tom describe information in his book as a magic/quick/easy way to achieve your fitness goals. On the contrary, he states on multiple occasions that the only way to achieve these goals is with hard work and dedication. I hope I will not come under fire for this but in the interests of uncovering the truth about Tom and his work I'm going to post a quote from the eBook.

---------------------------------

"I'm probably the only person in the industry who will tell you losing fat is not easy! The reason no one else wants to tell you this is because quick, easy, overnight and effortless are more marketable. Hard work, blood, sweat and tears are not marketable hard work scares people away.

Well, if you're scared by hard work, then this program is not for you. Losing fat is simple but it's definitely not easy there's a big difference between the two. Simple means that something is uncomplicated. Easy implies that something can be achieved with little or no effort. Losing fat is mostly just a matter of exercising more and eating a little less. Nothing complicated there. But easy? Not a chance. Despite what most advertisements for diets and nutrition products would lead you to believe, there is no such thing as "quick and easy fat loss."

---------------------------------

That comes from page 11 of the eBook, in the 'Introduction'. He makes it clear from the beginning that he advocates hard work to achieve results. I can also say that at no point in the book does he deviate from this stance. He states on multiple occasions that there are no shortcuts in weight management.

Finally, since it was mentioned earlier, I'm happy to give my progress. Since reading the eBook, and taking into account all of the information provided, I have decreased my body fat percentage from 10% to 7%, I have lost almost 6 pounds of pure fat, and I have gained almost 4 pounds of muscle (lean body mass), in only 5 weeks.

Further to Curt's point about Tom admitting to taking supplements, this is TRUE. Tom has stated in his online articles that he uses creatine monohydrate, and uses protein powders on occasion for convenience. However, as stated earlier, he has not admitted to using steroids. Furthermore, creatine and protein supplementation are basically a given in the natural bodybuilding world, in fact creatine is not a banned substance in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NFL, NCAA or the Olympic games. It is a naturally occuring substance in the body, found in red meats and other sources, and is supplemented for additional energy during strenuous work. I have no less respect for Tom knowing that he supplements with creatine. If you do, that's your prerogative, but at least now the record has been set straight.

Ok that should do it. I think it's fairly obvious that I am definitely an advocate of BFFM as a product, and I have no problems with Tom as a person or a businessman. From what I can tell, he is an honest guy who clearly knows his stuff, and I have benefited from that knowledge. I'm not sure there's much else to say.

Curt, if you have any questions whatsoever for me, I'd be happy to answer them in another post. I will bookmark this site and come back to check on it. I genuinely hope that, whether or not you buy the book etc, you at least refrain from slandering Tom and this eBook. I am all for stating facts (as you can tell from my post), but making statements without a factual basis is dishonest, and ironically closer to a 'scam' than anything I've experienced from Tom Venuto.

Okay, lsosa54, you go on and on about tom and his supposed accomplishments.

You even say you finally bought the book, but you only scanned it. So from a

mere scan of the book your going to boast about it? Sorry, your rebuttal has been

discredited and dismissed as advertisement(schilling). Now, for jpsmuscle,

you are a liar. Venuto admits to taking all kinds of supplements, so why are you

here saying he doesn't even take aspirin. I don't believe you know him on

a personal level and I retract nothing. I do believe this report is working since

people(probably Venuto himself) are trying to unsuccessfully argue that this

40 dollar rip off ebook is legit. I mean come on, an ebook that costs 40 dollars?

what a ripoff.

People don't need a novice outlaw bodybuilder telling them how to lose weight.

Losing weight is easy, just excercise and watch what you eat..Darn, I should

write an ebook and make sure the advertisement is longer than the ebook and

call myself an outlaw bodybuilder. I'd make millions at the kitchen table..LOL!

Why doesn't someone send me a free copy so i can post the sh*tty ebook?

Okay, lsosa54, you go on and on about tom and his supposed accomplishments.

You even say you finally bought the book, but you only scanned it. So from a

mere scan of the book your going to boast about it? Sorry, your rebuttal has been

discredited and dismissed as advertisement(schilling). Now, for jpsmuscle,

you are a liar. Venuto admits to taking all kinds of supplements, so why are you

here saying he doesn't even take aspirin. I don't believe you know him on

a personal level and I retract nothing. I do believe this report is working since

people(probably Venuto himself) are trying to unsuccessfully argue that this

40 dollar rip off ebook is legit. I mean come on, an ebook that costs 40 dollars?

what a ripoff.

People don't need a novice outlaw bodybuilder telling them how to lose weight.

Losing weight is easy, just excercise and watch what you eat..Darn, I should

write an ebook and make sure the advertisement is longer than the ebook and

call myself an outlaw bodybuilder. I'd make millions at the kitchen table..LOL!

Why doesn't someone send me a free copy so i can post the sh*tty ebook?

Okay, lsosa54, you go on and on about tom and his supposed accomplishments.

You even say you finally bought the book, but you only scanned it. So from a

mere scan of the book your going to boast about it? Sorry, your rebuttal has been

discredited and dismissed as advertisement(schilling). Now, for jpsmuscle,

you are a liar. Venuto admits to taking all kinds of supplements, so why are you

here saying he doesn't even take aspirin. I don't believe you know him on

a personal level and I retract nothing. I do believe this report is working since

people(probably Venuto himself) are trying to unsuccessfully argue that this

40 dollar rip off ebook is legit. I mean come on, an ebook that costs 40 dollars?

what a ripoff.

People don't need a novice outlaw bodybuilder telling them how to lose weight.

Losing weight is easy, just excercise and watch what you eat..Darn, I should

write an ebook and make sure the advertisement is longer than the ebook and

call myself an outlaw bodybuilder. I'd make millions at the kitchen table..LOL!

Why doesn't someone send me a free copy so i can post the sh*tty ebook?

Okay, lsosa54, you go on and on about tom and his supposed accomplishments.

You even say you finally bought the book, but you only scanned it. So from a

mere scan of the book your going to boast about it? Sorry, your rebuttal has been

discredited and dismissed as advertisement(schilling). Now, for jpsmuscle,

you are a liar. Venuto admits to taking all kinds of supplements, so why are you

here saying he doesn't even take aspirin. I don't believe you know him on

a personal level and I retract nothing. I do believe this report is working since

people(probably Venuto himself) are trying to unsuccessfully argue that this

40 dollar rip off ebook is legit. I mean come on, an ebook that costs 40 dollars?

what a ripoff.

People don't need a novice outlaw bodybuilder telling them how to lose weight.

Losing weight is easy, just excercise and watch what you eat..Darn, I should

write an ebook and make sure the advertisement is longer than the ebook and

call myself an outlaw bodybuilder. I'd make millions at the kitchen table..LOL!

Why doesn't someone send me a free copy so i can post the sh*tty ebook?

I'm from New Jersey as well and I know Tom Venuto personally. He is a stand up guy. I will tell you something else Curt. Tom is the most natural guy i have ever met. He doesnt even take supplements. He doesnt even take aspirin! I bet you a thousand bucks Tom will take a steroid test any day and be cleaner than anyone. And I agree with Lsosa from north bergen - Curt, your false steroid use accusations are libellous. I hope toms lawyers track you down and have a field day with you. You're entitled to your opinion if you dont like the way someones sales website looks, but your (uneducated) opinion is the only thing you are entitled to. You dont know tom, you havent read his book, you havent experienced his customer service, so you can go ahead and post your retraction and apology now.

I'm from New Jersey as well and I know Tom Venuto personally. He is a stand up guy. I will tell you something else Curt. Tom is the most natural guy i have ever met. He doesnt even take supplements. He doesnt even take aspirin! I bet you a thousand bucks Tom will take a steroid test any day and be cleaner than anyone. And I agree with Lsosa from north bergen - Curt, your false steroid use accusations are libellous. I hope toms lawyers track you down and have a field day with you. You're entitled to your opinion if you dont like the way someones sales website looks, but your (uneducated) opinion is the only thing you are entitled to. You dont know tom, you havent read his book, you havent experienced his customer service, so you can go ahead and post your retraction and apology now.

I'm from New Jersey as well and I know Tom Venuto personally. He is a stand up guy. I will tell you something else Curt. Tom is the most natural guy i have ever met. He doesnt even take supplements. He doesnt even take aspirin! I bet you a thousand bucks Tom will take a steroid test any day and be cleaner than anyone. And I agree with Lsosa from north bergen - Curt, your false steroid use accusations are libellous. I hope toms lawyers track you down and have a field day with you. You're entitled to your opinion if you dont like the way someones sales website looks, but your (uneducated) opinion is the only thing you are entitled to. You dont know tom, you havent read his book, you havent experienced his customer service, so you can go ahead and post your retraction and apology now.

As background, I'm 53 years old, looking to get back in shape, played 3 sports in school. I've never been a bodybuilder and do not aspire to be one and even when I played football back in my day (1970's), weights were not a huge part of our training. For hoops and baseball, we didn't even see the weight room.

Let's keep in mind that we're talking about a $40 e book here and not some weight loss gimmick that might cost hundreds or thousands of $.

1-I subscribed to Tom's free email newsletter over a year ago. I hate scams as much as anyone else and my thought was that a few months of newsletters would give me a feel for whether he was all salesmanship or whether he was promoting a reasonable program. I also subscribed to other similar newsletters to see where the hype and baloney was as these newsletters tend to be sales hooks.

In the year plus I've received the Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle email newsletter, I can honestly say I have NOT been "sold to". Tom has recommended a few things on occasion but has not "hard sold" or really hyped anything either produced by himself or another company. He has given what in my opinion is solid information that anyone could use and I have no problem with being reminded that yes, his book is for sale, with additional weight loss information.

I CAN NOT say that about the other "weight loss" or "get back in shape newsletters" that I subscribed to and in some cases, I noticed that when nothing was purchased from these companies after awhile, the newsletters stopped. If only true spam would work that way!

2-About a month ago, I figured a year was enough to tell me that Tom was a legit guy and I was ready to buy the book. Keep in mind again, that we're only talking $40 here. I did check this site as I had checked it on other known ripoffs before, and came across this thread. I have to say, you can't really find anything non-anecdotal on Tom by searching the web but this thread is the only negative I had ever found on Tom, so it did give me cause for concern.

I figured I would email his company with the concern before I bought the book and did so to their general customer service email, linking to this thread. Here's the IMPRESSIVE part:

Not only did I get a return email from their customer service that my question was being passed on for review and that they would get an answer back to me BUT, I already had a response from Tom Venuto on his personal email BEFORE his customer service responded, and they responded impressively within hours.

3-I won't get into the details of Tom's response (dated 01-22-2008), but it was professional and explained his side of the case. He even offered to meet with me if I would go work out with him at his local gym, which is not far from my home, so I could get a feel for whether he was legit or not.

Here are a couple of links Tom sent that might be informational:

http://www.burnthefat.com/faqs/what_are_your_credentials.html

http://www.burnthefat.com/tom_venuto_bodybuilding_competitions.html

A direct quote from Tom's email response to me on him competing:

"RE: Mr. natural USA. I never said I
won. I said runner up - it was the ANPPC
This was back in 1995

I have a photo of me onstage at that show here
(3rd picture from bottom)
http://www.burnthefat.com/tom_venuto_bodybuilding_competitions.html
( I can send you pictures of the trophy if you want to see it
I still have it)

Like internet groups, sports organizations come
and go. The ANPPC is no longer around and
the natural usa is no longer held by that organization.
it was promoted for many many years by felix
corona in tarrytown new york.

Ive been competing a very long time - 28 competitions
I compete mostly in the NPC now, but will consider
the INBF natural federatation in the future."

4-I came across a member of a Yahoo group I belong to which is about trading music who had used Tom's program and here's what he said. A bunch of folks had gone off topic and were discussing the power of the mind and positive thiniking and this came out of the clear blue regarding Tom's book. I won't disclose the member's id for privacy:

Can You Think Yourself Thin? 08-05-2007, 10:42 PM

ps: i used that burnthefat guide to lose 7% bodyfat in 2 months. it WORKS!

Last edited by xxxxxxxxxxxx : 08-06-2007 at 11:28 PM.

5-Here are a couple of points on the Yahoo groups directly from Tom's response. I was in on the conversion of the Yahoo mailing lists, so to speak, to the Yahoo Groups format back in 2001. I probably belong to 20 Yahoo Groups now, a good deal of them related to rock music collecting and trading. I would say based on my experience, what Tom states is quite reasonable:

"the main yahoo group closed down
last year. Reason: anyone can start
a yahoo group. And whoever started
it can close it. I wasnt the owner of that
yahoo group so I had no control
over it whasoever. There is still an
active group BFFM for women,
but I am also not the owner of
that one either.

A fan started the main BFFM yahoo group
and it became a burden
once there were thousands of members
and so many posts to moderate on her own
so she closed it. Its as simple as that
(and yahoo would not let me take over
because of their rules)"

6-Based on Tom's immediate response and the recommendation from the member of one of my Yahoo Groups, I bought the book. I have only scanned it once and need to really spend time with it BUT I will be using it to start my road back to getting in shape TODAY. It will not be a walk in the park but nothing worthwhile is.

From my scan, I can WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMEND Tom's book and program to all. It is not easy but nothing worthwhile is. It may not be what one ants to hear but it is something Tom's has NEVER strayed from in his newsletters or advertisements: THE ONLY WAY TO LOSE FAT IS BY CREATING A CALORIC DEFICIT. As someone who lost 91 lbs in 2 years as a soph and junior in college, trust me, it's the only way. It's not easy, it can be very frustrating, but it will work. The information in Tom's program will be of great assistance - I wish I had had it back in the day - I might have lost those 91 lbs quicker.

7-I don't want to now close this as a commercial for Tom's program but I'm sold. I want to thank Keith form Omaha and Sifaan fro Sri Lanka for making me pause to investigate further and contacting Tom's customer service so I can gather more info. As a corporate employee and high level manager since 1977, my decision making process tends to be fairly logical.

As to Curt from Arkansas, I don't know who you are or what your agenda is, but you have NO BASIS for your comments, no matter what words you use to express them. If you're ever in the NYC area, contact me and maybe we'll meet with Tom so he can present his side of the story.

Tom should not be forced to pay for some corporate advocacy program on this site to defend himself from your statements, which border on libel implying the use of steroids. Dude, focus your energies on something positive. Tom provides excellent value for your $40 - he would agree with what you say that "eating right and exercising" is the way. We all know it but with the obesity levels in this country, how many of us focus on it?! And when we do focus, we do the instant gratification stuff: the South Beach Diet or the latest craze, which never works long term.

His information gives you a realistic long term plan and helps you to execute it, which is the key!

Again, there are NO OTHER negative comments regarding Tom anywhere else and with this post, I rest my case. I need to start getting in shape and I'm not looking forward to the first few weeks of it!

If no one is reading it, then why are there over 1000 people in the BFFM women's group?

Curt, here is your argument:

"I think Tom Venuto is a scammer because I think Tom Venuto is a scammer."

What does that prove?

Like I said, if you won't read it, and if you won't take my word for it, at least listen to what others are saying about it.

For example, here is a weight loss forum, with an ENTIRE SECTION on Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle - people in this forum discuss different aspects of BFFM:

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/forums/forum44/

Here is another weight loss forum, where one person asks whether or not anyone has tried BFFM, and several different people gave their responses:

http://www.bodyforlife-tracker.com/weight_loss_forums/viewthread.cfm?f=4&t=2345

Here is another one - again, multiple people responded to someone who was asking about BFFM:

http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/45914.html

If BFFM is a scam, how come not ONE person said it was a scam?

Here is a challenge for you Curt. Search the internet and see if you can find anyone who has downloaded BFFM and said it was a scam. If it was a scam, you'd have plenty of people saying, "don't buy it!"

Here's another challenge for you Curt:

I'll buy you a copy of BFFM!

You said you were a body builder. I don't know what kind of shape you are in, but I imagine you are in pretty good shape. I bet that if you read BFFM and apply it to your training routines and diet, you will be able to reduce your body fat percentage and get into even better shape.

So that's my challenge. Are you up for it?

Keith, im not reading it..period. I've said all im going to say and now it's up to the readers. I'm sure no one is reading this because they don't know who tom venuto
is and it's too difficult to find information on venuto because he is a scam. Good
luck with your workouts Keith. would you mind posting a picture of your results
from reading tom venuto stupid e book. Cmon keith it's been years..give it up!

You made some valid points, but I want to address each one.

1. I'm glad that you were able to find the certification information on Tom Venuto. It shows that he's qualified to write an ebook on weight loss.

2. The Yahoo group you mentioned no longer exists...and the reason I know that is because I had previously signed up for it at the time I made my initial responses. I don't know why the group is no longer available, but I suspect spam is the reason - one of the things I noticed is that some people posted a lot of advertisements, and these advertisements get delivered to your Yahoo email inbox. I don't KNOW if that is why the group isn't there any more, but that is my best guess - the group moderators probably just got sick of the spam and decided to delete the group. However, I would like to mention that the Yahoo Women's BFFM group has over 1,000 members.

3. At the time of my initial post, I wasn't able to find a lof of the same information you were trying to confirm. This doesn't mean, however, that fraud is involved - these are smaller contest that don't get a lot of attention, unlike "Mr Olimpia" and and other bodybuilding competitions where most (if not all) of the competitors are drugged up.

I did, however, find a picture from one of Tom's websites from the 2005 NPC South Jersey Bodybuilding competition - and you can see the banner in the background - I have no reason to believe the photo was "doctored". Also, if you look the comments on the website, you can see how Tom interracts with his readers - this isn't fraud.

You can view the photo at http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/news/tom_venuto_october_15th_bodybuilding_competition_details_and_photos.php

There is one more thing I want to mention. If Tom wanted to rip people off, you would see that from inside Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle. Here is why I say that:

Tom tells you the truth - that weight loss takes time and effort, and isn't about taking a "magic" weight loss pill. He tells people that they need to eat right and exercise - and that the supplement companies will rip them off. If he was a scam artist, he could easily rake in thousands of dollars by telling his readers that they need to take supplements to lose weight - and he could then find find a weight loss supplement affiliate program that he could sell through his ebook and websites - he never does that, not even once!

I have read BFFM, and I learned a lot from it - and I can tell you that Tom is anything BUT a scammer, and I think you'd come to the same conclusion if you read it.

I have some doubts about the validity of the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle program.

Here are results of 3 steps I have taken to try and verify the information:

1. Tom Venuto lists two accreditations - Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) - http://www.nsca-cc.org.
The NSCA (via their website) offer a verification service. I entered Tom Venuto's details (I had to dig elsewhere to locate a physical address) and received a reply that Tom Venuto holds both certifications valid until Dec. 31st 2008. (Thereafter, he needs to renew the certification for a further 3 years).
This tends to indicate that Tom is qualified at what he does.

2. Tom talks of a Yahoo group BFFM - With thousands of members, etc. (and the implication is that they can't all be lying about it). However, Yahoo only gives a BFFM group with few (38 as of time of writing) members, and created on Jan. 4 2008. So, if there was a group with "thousands of members", it no longer exists.
This tends to indicate some cover-up... unless there is a valid explanation why the old group was closed.

3. Tom lists some awards that he has won - I have tried googling for them, but have not been able to find a website of a named bodybuilding competition (e.g. Mr. Natural USA) to see if they have a list of past winners.
This tends to indicate some kind of fraud - shouldn't any self-respecting body building competition have its own website?

Read Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle. Until you have read it, your opinions mean nothing...

I read one of your other Rip Off Reports about "Millions at the Kitchen Table", and like me, you felt it was a total waste of money because it was a sales pitch ( I read it too and got a refund).

The difference between what you said about that book and what you are saying about Burn The Fat Feed The Musckle is that you actually READ Millions at the Kitchen Table, and were able to make an informed opinion about.

I honestly think your opinion would change about Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle is you would read it. At least check out the Yahoo groups about Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle (BFFM) - two of them are listed below - one is a BFFM Christian group and the other is a BFFM women's group:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/christian_bffm/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/BFFM4Women/

Again, I know your intention is to warn people about what you THINK is a scam...but that simply isn't the case. If you won't take my word for it, at least do a little investigating and see what others are saying about it.

Keith, your a hilarious moron, I will give you that!

Its been a long time since I first posted this report and here you are months later really defending this nobody. You didn't address any of my questions in the previous reports and you like to take things out of context.

You seriously want me to go to a forum thread to get accurate information about the scam I am reporting. and you include a paragraph of pure
advertisment, which means someone was paid to say good things about that product. No one is fooled by you keith or are you really tom venuto. You also threaten me with a lawsuit! whatver moron! I have said all i have to say about this nobody and if you want to go on and on. go right ahead moron! the fact that you keep harping on how good his ebook is makes you look like a schiller. And indeed you are that! thanks, keith, for confirming that this Ebook is indeed a scam. NUFF SAID!

Curt, please stop the name calling tactics - they do not give any credibility to your arguments.

You still have not provided evidence that Tom Venuto is a fraud.

I've tried to warn you that what you are saying could result in a lawsuit against you, since you are slandering Tom Venuto...without any evidence - and without examining his product, but you won't listen. Since you won't listen to me, I provided a forum post where people obviously think Tom Venuto has written a good ebook...but you seem set in your mind that Tom Venuto is "all about" scamming people. You would think that bodybuilding.com would not allow Tom to write for them if they truly thought he was scamming people.

I'm all for reporting scams, but I'm against people making false accusations without proof, and without making an effort to look further into the evidence. Tom is the last person that is going to scam people - and you would know that if you read his ebook.

Since you don't seem to want to even view the forum thread I quoted, I'm going to quote part of it for you here - consider what the first response was to the question of whether or not Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is worth the money:

"I bought it a year ago and I thought it was good. He just cuts through all of the crap that's our there. He does say in the beginning that if you are expecting to hear some "miracle" solution, a way to lose alot of weight in a week, then don't bother reading the book. He says that if you want to see changes, you have to work hard. He definitely doesn't sugar coat anything which is why I liked it. The very first chapter is all about goal setting which is so important. He also talks about endo/ecto/mesomorph body types and really does a good job helping to taylor things to you individually. He tells you how to figure out how many calories you should be eating to maintain/lose weight/fat. I find myself going back to it alot."

If that doesn't say it all, I don't know what does...

Curt, please stop the name calling tactics - they do not give any credibility to your arguments.

You still have not provided evidence that Tom Venuto is a fraud.

I've tried to warn you that what you are saying could result in a lawsuit against you, since you are slandering Tom Venuto...without any evidence - and without examining his product, but you won't listen. Since you won't listen to me, I provided a forum post where people obviously think Tom Venuto has written a good ebook...but you seem set in your mind that Tom Venuto is "all about" scamming people. You would think that bodybuilding.com would not allow Tom to write for them if they truly thought he was scamming people.

I'm all for reporting scams, but I'm against people making false accusations without proof, and without making an effort to look further into the evidence. Tom is the last person that is going to scam people - and you would know that if you read his ebook.

Since you don't seem to want to even view the forum thread I quoted, I'm going to quote part of it for you here - consider what the first response was to the question of whether or not Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is worth the money:

"I bought it a year ago and I thought it was good. He just cuts through all of the crap that's our there. He does say in the beginning that if you are expecting to hear some "miracle" solution, a way to lose alot of weight in a week, then don't bother reading the book. He says that if you want to see changes, you have to work hard. He definitely doesn't sugar coat anything which is why I liked it. The very first chapter is all about goal setting which is so important. He also talks about endo/ecto/mesomorph body types and really does a good job helping to taylor things to you individually. He tells you how to figure out how many calories you should be eating to maintain/lose weight/fat. I find myself going back to it alot."

If that doesn't say it all, I don't know what does...

Curt, please stop the name calling tactics - they do not give any credibility to your arguments.

You still have not provided evidence that Tom Venuto is a fraud.

I've tried to warn you that what you are saying could result in a lawsuit against you, since you are slandering Tom Venuto...without any evidence - and without examining his product, but you won't listen. Since you won't listen to me, I provided a forum post where people obviously think Tom Venuto has written a good ebook...but you seem set in your mind that Tom Venuto is "all about" scamming people. You would think that bodybuilding.com would not allow Tom to write for them if they truly thought he was scamming people.

I'm all for reporting scams, but I'm against people making false accusations without proof, and without making an effort to look further into the evidence. Tom is the last person that is going to scam people - and you would know that if you read his ebook.

Since you don't seem to want to even view the forum thread I quoted, I'm going to quote part of it for you here - consider what the first response was to the question of whether or not Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is worth the money:

"I bought it a year ago and I thought it was good. He just cuts through all of the crap that's our there. He does say in the beginning that if you are expecting to hear some "miracle" solution, a way to lose alot of weight in a week, then don't bother reading the book. He says that if you want to see changes, you have to work hard. He definitely doesn't sugar coat anything which is why I liked it. The very first chapter is all about goal setting which is so important. He also talks about endo/ecto/mesomorph body types and really does a good job helping to taylor things to you individually. He tells you how to figure out how many calories you should be eating to maintain/lose weight/fat. I find myself going back to it alot."

If that doesn't say it all, I don't know what does...

I would call anyone who is trying to get me to invest money in the ripoff I am reporting a
MORON! Yes, keith this is what you want me to do and so I call you a moron...Truth hurts!

I think people get the gyst of this ripoff, so I will leave it to the people. Of course, I don't think many people read anything by this unknown supposed natural bodybuilder tom whats his face,
so it's not like he is making much money anyway.
As for you keith, the way you argue with me makes me think you are his butt buddy. You really like this guy tom venuto don't you?
You seem to know so many facts about him and we all of course "BELIEVE YOU."

Another thing that really makes me laugh about your last rebuttal keith, is that you want me to
go to other websites to find information on this guy tom venuto..when tommy boy has his own website. Why do i need to go to so much trouble to find this guys address? Another thing is I come to ripoffreport.com NOT THE BBB. I don't trust the BBB anymore. I TRUST THIS! Still don't know how tom venuto boasts about being an outlaw bodybuilder like its a good thing.


Oh, and keith, I am a bodybuilder, I am gaining weight...another red flad indicating your a moron!

RMEMBER:DON'T LET EM GET AWAY REPORT THEM ON

RIPOFFREPORT.com

Here are several points I would like to bring up concerning your response:

1. How many body builders have you personally talked to who have never heard of Tom Venuto?

2. Even if you HAD talked to a bunch of budybuilders who had never heard of Tom Venuto, would that alone prove he is a fraud?

3. If the first two points I just made didn't convince you that your logic is faulty, please visit BodyBuilding.com. Click on the box on the left and enter the "Supersite", and then, type in "Tom Venuto" in the search box. You will find 47 results for Tom Venuto, many of which are VERY INFORMATIVE articles on bodybuildingand and fitness. Apparently, if there are any bodybuilders out there who have visited BodyBuilding.com, then chances are, they HAVE "heard of" and learned from Tom Venuto.

4. If you visit the link to the Better Business Bereau, you will find a phyical address to Tom Venuto's company. Furthermore, just because Tom doesn't list an address or phone number on his website doesn't mean he is a fraud - but he does provide a way for you to contact him.

5. You are making the false assumption that only people who promote Tom's ebook give good reviews of it. Please see the following forum posts from people who aren't promoting Tom's ebook:

whfn.com/board/showthread.php?t=1052

6. Just because Tom calls himslef an "outlaw bodybuilder" doesn't mean he is a steroid user. In fact, he is a natural bodybuilder - and promotes a healthy, drug free lifestyle in his ebook - you took his statement out of context and said that,

"An outlaw bodybuilder is one who cannot compete because of illegal steroid use in my book. And this is what tom venuto admits..."

This is a false statement - Tom NEVER admits to being a steroid user and NEVER encourages anyone to use illegal drugs.

7. Finally, I'd like to respond to the statements you make below:

"I am sick of vague and uninformative, or overly promising ads. This is what Tom venuto is all about! I am glad to see a moron respond to my initial report."

You call me a "moron" because I defend Tom Venuto, yet all you are doing in your attacks on Tom Venuto is telling people you think Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle is a scam, even though you do not have one shred of evidence to support your argument. YOU HAVEN'T EVEN READ his ebook and critically analyzed it - you just tell people what you think ABOUT HIS WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM based on the sales copy of his web page and a couple of other circumstancial factors which do not have any merit to them.

Once again, I challenge you to read his ebook and try his program, and if you haven't lost any weight, then perhaps your arguments will have some merit. However, please be advised that if you do this, you might lose some weight and feel foolish...and come back here and say how wrong you were. This is a CHALLENGE and not an INSULT. If you are not willing to do this, please stop calling Tom Venuto a fraud, and please do not call anyone who defends Tom Venuto a moron...

Keith your obviously on Tom Venutos payroll. You offer your opinion on the quality of some guy named Tom Venuto's Ebook of which Tom Venuto is not qualified to write. I have read Tom's articles and visited his website and thats what made me write this rip-off report.

An outlaw bodybuilder is one who cannot compete because of illegal steroid use in my book. And this is what tom venuto admits..that he is an outlaw bodybuilder.

When has the term outlaw ever been used as a good thing? Answer:never ,unless you are trying to be vague and uninformative about an ebook called burn the fat, feed the muscle!

Oh and Keith how would you know that tom refused money to write about supplements? I seriously doubt that and besides I wouldn't write anything about anything for 1000 dollars..lol!

Keith you offer no evidence to the contrary. All you do is offer your opinion and praise. I offer examples. For instance, who is tom venuto and why does he claim to be an outlaw bodybuilder, when no bodybuilders have ever heard of him? How come when i do a search for tom venuto, nothing but his websites and review websites, scams in themselves, come up. NO ONE KNOWS WHO THIS SUPPOSED OUTLAW BODYBUILDER IS AND NOW HE SELLS SOME EBOOK ON THE TOPIC! Also tom venuto's website is a good example in itself of one to avoid. It doesn't have a toll free number for customer service, there is no physical address.
the telltale scam flags are going up! All tom does is tell a long long story about his supposed life and trials with dieting. And Tom tries it all, except steriods..yeah right!
There is nothing hard to figure out about weight loss...you eat right and excercise..THATS IT!
I am sick of ebooks being written by any joe blow and sold for money like they are experts on the subject. I am sick of vague and uninformative, or overly promising ads. This is what Tom venuto is all about! I am glad to see a moron respond to my initial report. It took you long enough to issue a rebuttal and I relish in the idea that my ripoffreport may have saved some innocent people some money. I also delight in the fact that I could be putting some unknown supposed outlaw bodybuilder out of business!
I stand by my initial report and your rebuttal keith really just confirms it...let readers be the judge! remember if it sounds to good to be true it is...DON'T LET EM GET AWAY WITH IT..REPORT IT ON RIPOFFREPORT.COM

I have read Tom Venuto's Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, and it is a very good ebook on weight loss and fitness. He is definately not a fraud, and if you don't think Tom Venuto knows what he is talking about, I would suggest visiting his blog or reading some of the articles he has posted online on fitness and weight loss.

Tom has actually REFUSED over $1,000 to write in publications about specific supplements he believes are a rip off, and he makes an effort to educate his readers on all of the misleading weight loss hype out there.

I would HIGHLY suggest reading his ebook and appologizing for your comments. If you do not want to read his ebook, then I would still suggest appologizing for your comments anyway unless you can present some kind of proof that he is indeed a fraud - because you are slandering him, which can have some serious legal repercussions involved.

Bottom line: be careful about accusing someone of being a fraud without SOME KIND of evidence - you cannot judge a man's character on your hunches or suspissions alone. Otherwise, you are slandering someone, and you have unjustly accused Tom Venuto of being a fraud - he is far from it.