Diet That Works

As I explained earlier, I've spent a bit of time experimenting with different workouts and training techniques.

Something else I've also explored is diet and the healthiest and most effective form I've come across (and still broadly follow) is the GI diet. It's easy, apparently healthy, and has taken me from 210 pounds down to 175 in less than a year. I also feel I managed to increased my strength power and build new muscle at the same time.

It goes like this...

Certain foods convert to sugar and absorb into the system faster than others. Having loads of sugar rushing around your bloodstream is bad and so to compensate for this fast absorption, the body releases insulin, which converts the sugars to fats and stores them. Then the blood sugar levels stabilize.

This increase in blood sugar is usually accompanied by an energy kick, but after the insulin does it's stuff, the blood sugar plummets and leaves you feeling tried, lethargic and with a huge craving for more food.

To stop these spikes of blood sugar and insulin release, dietitians advise only eating food that converts slowly and gradually into sugar. Foods with a low Glycemic Index (GI). Thus providing a slow and steady supply of energy throughout the day.

Here's the general rules that I stick too:

• Avoid refined or processed foods.


• Go for wholegrain breads over white and even wholemeal.


• Don't get hungry. Eat every couple of hours. Even if you don't feel like it. Go for fruit, nuts, anything with a lowish GI.


• Eat a quality cereal breakfast.


• For an extra weight loss kick, eat omlettes for breakfast but remove some or all of the yolks before cooking.


• Get used to brown rice and brown pasta.


• Pasta isn't that bad as some may think. Most people's biggest mistake is they eat too much in a portion. One grabbed handful is enough.


• Only eat potatoes in moderation. Avoid fried potatoes of all kinds.


• Cut down on pasta and potatoes by upping the amount of protein and vegetables in your meals - you'll soon hardly notice the difference.


• Little or no carbs after 4pm.


• Weigh yourself every morning and take note of what you ate the previous day and what the scales are telling you.


• Don't diet. Don't make any changes to your eating habits that you won't be able to keep up forever!


• Don't obsess about weight - thin and light does mean you're healthy and looking good.


• Give yourself two days a week - for me it's Friday and Saturday - and go for it. Eat what you want, when you want! It'll stop any cravings creeping up on you. After a while, you'll get sick of processed junk anyway and will stop wanting it as much.


• Get some protein after exercise and with every meal. It lowers the overall GI level of the meal itself.


• Avoid alcohol, but don't deprive yourself. It is almost indigestible and all the body can do with it is store it as fat. Plus it makes you hungry.

Again, these is only my opinions. I hold no qualifications in this field at all, but it seems to work for me. Thanks for dropping by.

Effective Exercising That Works

As promised then. My take on proper exercise and my attempt to get more people onto the bench press and off the cross-trainer.

I'm not going to list a load of exercises here with specific sets and reps. You can find out what exercise does what from any gym instructor or exercise book.

My point is, aim to do 3 sets of whatever movement you do. Make sure the most you can possibly perform is 7 reps. As soon as you start making 8 and 9, up the weights. After a few weeks at it, up the sets to 5 too.

Train two body parts at a time, choosing combinations from back, chest, legs, biceps and triceps. Work the abs in every session.

Don't train more than 4 days a week. And never work a muscle group that's still sore. So if the triceps are hurting, stay away from pushing exercises.

Take a good protein supplement before and after training, and during the rest-day after exercise. It does make difference.

A session should last no longer than 45 minutes (an hour tops) without rushing. It might not sound long. You might not feel like your working very hard, doing low reps with high weight. That's OK. Just remember - you are eating into your energy stores, not breaking down the muscle and fitness you already have.

NB These are just my opinions based on my own experience. Everyone should consult a qualified expert before exercising.

Workouts That Work.

I love gyms. I've been using them now since I was about ten years old. I've been a member of back street spit n' sawdust boxers' gyms, right up to £1200 p.a. members places, so I feel fairly well qualified to comment.

The one thing that continues to amaze me, is just how few women use free-weights and resistance machines and relentlessly pound away on the C.V stuff for hours on end. I can only assume it's the female fear of becoming muscular and thus "manly".

If this post gets a few hits, I might expand on this a little and include a bit of advice on resistance exercise, based on my own experiences. I definitely believe it's an untapped resources for female gym users. Especially those looking to train smarter not harder. Watch this space.

The Golf Swing.

The title here doesn't really match the content of this entry, but hopefully when it's punched into a few search engines, might get a few hits.

Anyway, as promised, here's an account of how my return to the world of golf went...

To be honest, quite well. As you'd expect, I hit some great shots and some absolutely appalling ones too. Pleasingly though, we did not appear to be the worst three players on the course.

I'm looking forward to next time, as I really enjoyed it and can't wait to get out there practising sometime this week.

Mince Boiling.

It has recently come to my attention that there is a large number of like minded individuals who are commiting unspeakable acts in the name of food preparation. What are they doing? They are boiling mince!

Now I don't know about you, but I feel that the only time meat should be boiled is at Christmas, when getting the turkey giblets ready to give to the dog.

If you as a reader are now saying to yourself, "Well how do you cook it, if you don't boil it?" Don't worry. Help is at hand. Your wandering in the weird wilderness is over.

You fry it gently, in a drop of oil, unitl it all goes brown and is cooked through.

Try it. Trust me. You won't look back. You will be able to hold your head up high once again, without fear or shame. Safe in the knowledge that you are not a mince boiler!

Back in the Swing?

After about ten years of never hitting a golf ball, I've agreed to a round on Saturday at a local course. Apparently once you have a basic swing (which I claim to have) you never lose it. Well let's hope so for the sake of the people living within 50 metres of the course and their beautiful double glazed houses.

Another concern I have, is teeing off in front of in front of a dozen other guys. I'm seriously considering kicking off with a nice safe 5-iron and saving the big guns until well out of sight and harms way. Who knows - this could be first step on the road to sporting stardom. I'll fill you in on how it goes on Sunday. Better get out their and smack a few practise balls.

10th September 2007

Here we go then with Blog no.1. Watch this space!