The Perect Guide to Losing Weight, and getting generally fitter.
I disagree with a lot of the posts on this forum. Losing weight, as everybody knows, is not easy at all. I was slightly overweight and wanted to lose a lot of weight to improve my running. After 6 weeks of following my diet, it improved hugely. After another 8 weeks I had a major problem, I was losing 2 pounds a week. Yes, muscle loss. I thought this was a problem but it was only the muscle on my arms which were being lost, which is normal as I am a long distance runner. My leg muscles were expanding rapidly and my core (abs + pecs) were expanding - however, they were not bodybuilding, they were becoming useful, not tense muscle which is produced by lifting the heaviest weight in the gym.
If you are concerned about your weight and want to lose it, don't go extreme in the sense of having too much or too less of a food.
If you do a lot of excercise, don't think 'Ah... I did 20 minutes running today, I felt knacckered after that - I am going to eat a mars bar as I probs burnt off all those calories.
OR
'I am a runner, I can eat loads because my body is very efficent and buring calories'.
First one is very wrong, an average jog will burn no more than 200-400 calories if you are a steady jogger.
Second One is even worst: Don't think the more you jog or run, the more calories you burn. Yes this is true, but only in the short term. The longer the distance you do, the more effient your body becomes at using food, and therefore your body will become more effient at burning those calories - i.e. less calories are wasted. this means your meals will get absorbed too much, and you may end up in a weight gain if you are a jogger.
If you want to burn calories well and lose a lot of weight, heres the way:
Breakfast: Your body has just woken up, listen to yourself, listen to your appetitie. If it is poor, then this means don't start stuffing yourself with pancakes heavy in fat. You will get a fatigue effect and your body will hardly absorb it. BREAKFAST is the most important meal of the day, but its rubbish to say 'it should be the largest' to keep you full till lunch.
The best breakfast is a light one: 8:00AM
ProBiotic Drink (Something to have)
Cereal (No more than 250 calories)
200 - 250 ml Fruit Juice (Yes, if you look at the back of a packet of orange juice - high in calories - but as long as good fruit sugar, your body will quickly absorb it and use it well. It will not get converted to fat. As long as you do not increase the portion size.
11:00 AM:
If you are a active person, walks around a lot, or cleans around the house a lot then intake:
200-300 Calories:
Packet of Crips or Cereal Bar (No more than 120 calories)
Low Fat Yogurt
Two portions of fruit
Not Active:
100-150 Calories:
Low Fat Yogurt
Fruit
The crips should be no more than 8g higher in normal fats and no more than 2g of Saturated Fats.
A Low-Fat diet is normally viewed as as little fat as possbile.
- It is stupid to think like this.
People find diets so hard because for that very reason. Fats slow down the digestive system, making it leave the gut longer. This pro-longs the feeling of food in your stomach - great for removing the hunger appetite. Having healthy portions of fats from olive oils, margerines, small portions of cheeses is very good for your heart. Just avoid massive portions of them. SATURATED FATS are a NO NO. This is where people fall it to the fat category.
The italians are considered to be the healthiest in the world. They are not badly overweight - yet they eat hell lots of fats and carbohydrates? There is your proof, the fats they eat are different to what is found in junk food.
Lunch: If running within 2 hours (400-500 Calories)
High Starch Carbs - Low Fats - Low Proteins:
Perfect Meal: Pasta with Garlic and Mushroom Sauce with a hint of tunas
No No Meal: Burger and Chips or High Meat
If you are running within 4 hours, you dont want to eat something high in fats. Macaroni cheese is high in healthy fats, but takes ages to leave the gut - you will feel like hell during the run
Proteins will get wasted as energy unless you manage to get a 80 Carb :25 ratio of it. By doing this you will end up having to low carbs or too high carbs. This is something you also must avoid because you are putting on unnesecarliy calories. You will find that a medium portion of 80 Carb: 25 Protein will equal a hint of proteins.
Pre-Run Snack: 3:50PM
If you are an inexperienced runner, don't drink sports drink - unnesecarlily more calories. Having said that, your sugar levels could be quite low, so a sip may actually help top up your sugar levels.
Post-Run: 5:00PM
If you wish to stimulate muscle growth:
2 Table Spoons of Sweetcorn or 2 Apples/Nectarines
1 Portion of Fish
Your bodys sugars levels are very low. Sweetcorn is high in carbohyrdrates which your body will use and respire quickly. Fish is high in protein (do not worry about the fats).
Note: Do not have protein without the carbohydrates, everybody is different, for me, the protein gets wasted if I do not ingest carbohydrates as your body uses this for energy.
Wait 5 minutes after running. NO MORE NO LESS.
(Post-Jog: 4:20PM )
100 ML Glass of Orange Juice and a Nectarine.
Orange Juice will provide the sugars needed, Necatrine will get rid of your appetitte.
Dinner: 6:00PM (600 Calories MAX)
This is in my opinion a very important meal. A dinner high in starch and healthy fats is the best time to provided the exta food stores for your body needs.
Rice with Lentils, Roast Chicken and Potatoes - Two good examples. Just be general and natrual about it. Avoid regular dishes like Chicken Currys etc.. they are high in fats and will cause a build up.
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Types of running to do to burn lots of calories:
Hill Running:
Running up hills at fast speeds burns a heck of calories.
Fartlek:
Running for long distances but with short burts of increased running speed.
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Avoid: Flat terrain jogs over long distances - do these as resting jogs.
A typical Week:
Monday: Slow Jog - 30 Minutes
Tuesday: Fartlek over 30 minutes
Wednesday: Slow Jog - 20 minutes
Thursday: A set distance of your choice - race it, aim for a pb.
Friday: Hill Training
Saturday and Sunday must be a rest, helps muscle repair.
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Yes this is an incredibly long post. Just remember everybody is different. If you want, do this for 6 weeks and see if it helps. Avoid the one-off chocalate fudge cake. After 6 weeks, your body will be in a healthy state that it will throw away food that does not need to be used. You could then have the odd one off ingest of of a 400 calorie pudding every two weeks or so.
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Have up to 9 hours of sleep - wake up early, not till 11:00. Your body does not digest food like it does during the day.
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I hope this helps. If you have any problems like regular muscle stifness or unsure of injures. Just ask!
Remember - Everybody is different, some will have a down-effect, some will have a good effect. I appreciate questions or criticsizements. This worked for me.