Musings:
"If at any point during a diet, (that works) on any day, your face isn't dripping with sweat, then you aren't doing it right."
"No matter how fast you run, how far, how fit you think you may be, there will always be that little voice in the back of your head that says 'you can stop now, it's okay, you've done enough' I make it my life's quest to personally kick the crap out of that voice on a daily basis."
"At any, if not several, points during your diet people will try to tempt you from your path. It will not be their loss, but yours, if you stray. People are happy to flaunt temptation when it is not at their own risk - don't let it be at yours."
Nothing is achieved overnight - losing weight is a gradual process, how gradual isn't up to you, but your own body. It is within your will power to know when your body has had enough, it is the wisdom within you that listens, and knows when to say stop. Here is what I have found to be, by far, the most effective diet I have ever been on, and is literally life changing. (No, I'm not selling anything)
Calorie counting is a simple process. The average male, (and when I say average, and when statistics say 'average' they don't mean the average obese person, they mean the average physically fit, average weight person which I'm guessing isn't you, or you wouldn't be reading this) is supposed to burn around 2,000 calories per day. This doesn't include walking, running for the bus, etc. That is by just being there, and being you. However - this is a very generalised number, and there are websites where you can type in your height, weight, activity levels and it will calculate just how much you burn off already.
Now, I'm explaining this because you need to know your numbers. Calories - How much you burn / How much you consume. These need to be balanced against each other. The rule is if you burn more calories than you eat - you will lose weight. How much weight is based on the 500 rule - if you consume 2,000 calories - but burn 2,500 - you will be -500, which means you will theoretically burn off 1lb every three days. Burn off -500 consistently for a week, and you will lose 2lbs per week. This is, more or less, a proven theory.
But now it comes down to your diet. And this is where people become unstuck, because, believe or not, no one wants to give up their favourite food. And you don't have to, in some cases. However here are some major NO NO's when it comes to a diet, and I know you won't like it.
1) Butter. Butter is basically fat in a tub, and even if you get the 'low fat' butter, it is still high in fat. So I recommend cut this out altogether.
2) Chippy chips. In the average portion of chips, there are over 1,000 calories. Chips also mainly consist of carbohydrates and fat, with very, very little protein or positive nutrients. If you want to get fit - you need to drop these.
3) Alcohol. This is the big one. The only reason I didn't put this as number 1 was because I didn't want to put you off right from the get go. Experts say that the only thing worse than drinking alcohol on a diet is eating pure fat from a tin. (Yes, imagine that every time you pick up a pint) It is also proven to slow down metabolism, which means you will burn off those calories a lot slower, turning your whole 'dieting regime' upside down. And - believe this or not - it also concentrates on two areas of the body, the stomach and the face, due to it's high sugar content. If you ever see a beer monster with a hugely rounded face, you know why. Google 'chubby face alcohol' if you don't believe me.
4) Bread. This isn't something you have to cut out (I wasn't able to) however it is something you need to keep a watch on enormously. Carbohydrates are the ultimate diet killer if had in excess, and bread is the number 1 enemy. Don't switch to brown bread, because there is barely a difference in calories or nutrition. Switch to wholegrain, seeded bread - a lot healthier and a significant drop in calories.
5) Sugar. Don't do it. And don't fall into the myth that brown sugar is healthier than white, because it isn't. It's exactly the same sugar, but essentially, has been left in the oven longer. Some reports have shown that it's actually worse for you than white. So there's that thrown out of the window.
6) Crisps. We all saw this one coming. Next time you pick up a bag of crisps check the calorie content on those suckers - the average pack of walkers contains from 150-250 calories per pack. They also contain around 11g of fat. The average male should only consume 50-60g of fat per day. Still worth picking up a bag?
7) Fast Food/Takeaways - Another one that should be at number 1, but I'm putting it down here so you put more thought into this one. In a regular portion of McDonalds fries, there are over 500 calories. Try to fit that into a diet. Fast Food companies know what get you hooked - sugar. And they pour it in by the bucket load. Ask any McDonalds, KFC, Burger King employee whether they think the food is good and watch them cringe. If you were to see what they put in there, it'd put you off forever. All Fast Food also come high in salt content - another one to avoid. Too much salt is bad for blood pressure, the heart - and cause an unwanted series of problems, the least of which weight gain. Don't do it.
To add - Takeaways. Next time you order a takeaway, do me a favour and google search the calories content of everything you eat. Whether it's Chinese, Indian, etc their food is often drenched in oil and fat, so the average meal is going to be around 2,000 calories. And watch out for the starters - they are the worst. People have the idea that Chinese is good for you - and that is true to a degree, because TRADITIONAL chinese is, however they don't make it that way over here, and that is why when you order a chinese, it is typically very unhealthy. There are some places that serve traditionally made Chinese food - but they are a rarity.
8) Milk. Again, not something you have to cut out completely, but it is something that has a high fat content and you need to watch. Never drink whole milk - I am telling you this for your own good. Stay completely away from it. Switch to skimmed and consume in measured amounts.
9) Red meat. Now, this isn't something you can fault for protein - again it's the fat content. Good ideas for a change around is to buy weight watchers no fat bacon - have it with a few eggs for breakfast (no yolk, 80% less calories) and some cottage cheese. Delish! If you need your sausages, go vegan.
10) Soft drinks. Fizzy drinks - stay away from them. The odd one every now and again isn't bad, and you can get away with it. But drink in very small amounts. Have a sipp of someone's coke when they aren't looking if you need your 'fix' but try to cut them out. Milkshakes are another one, but this time, don't even sip them. The sugar content is astronomical.
11) Ice cream. On it's own? No. With syrup? Give up your diet right now. It's over.
Okay, now here comes the good stuff. What SHOULD you eat? Well, here's my list, though you may not agree, these are foods I hardly ever ate to begin with, but had to change to to drastically change my diet. A lot of it is Weight Watchers, and to be honest they are a life saver when it comes to calories.
Breakfast (Different days vary, don't have them all at once!)
Organic Eggs without Yolk
Fatless Bacon (Weight Watchers)
Cottage Cheese
Organic Banana
Porridge with blueberries (This is to be had once a week max and in a small portion, it is highish in calories)
Any kind of low calorie fruit (I tend to avoid apples, high calories)
Yoghurt (Weight Watchers fruit yoghurts)
Main Meals
Brown Rice (With anything)
Chicken (Best served boiled, eliminates all fat)
Weight Watchers Meals, examples:
Chicken Tikka Masala
Tomatoe and Basil Chicken
Sweet Chilli Chicken
Best serve with 100g Seeded Whole Grain Baguette (Small portion)
Any kind of Salad (Try to throw tomatoes in there, very healthy)
Mediterranean Soup (If you have a blender, make your own and throw in every vegetable under the sun)
Most types of Fish (Salmon and Sardines are best)
P.S DO NOT microwave your food, it is v unhealthy and counterproductive, as it eliminates most of the minerals.
Snacks
Fruit Yoghurts
Fruit
Almonds (Super food)
Spinach (Super food)
Snack Bars (Myprotein.com do some great ones, Weight Watchers also do some good ones)
For a snack anything that is low in calories and healthy, I would approve.
Drinks
Pure bottled Water (I drink Evian, low fluoride content as I am a conspiracy theorist freak)
Green Tea (Helps with Weight loss)
Smoothie - I've had these and they are amazing if done right. Just throw in every fruit under the sun (Though try to keep the overall sum under 400 calories) and enjoy the energy boost.
Exercise - Here's my regime though you will all have different techniques and different strong points. Like some of you may be good at jogging, others lifting etc. As a starter I consistently kept to working off 200 calories a day - this is easily manageable and although it doesn't sound like enough, when combined with a good diet it will work as good as anything. Here's some ideas:
Cycling (3-4 miles usually around 200 cals)
Walking (A bit less than cycling but still good)
Jogging (A great motivator, a lap around the park will give you over 200 cals burned)
Sports (Any kind of sport is a good burner, try some squash for amazing effects)
Swimming (30 mins depending on your pace will burn 100-220 cals)
My regime (This is on a normal day, without going out of my way for a sport, swimming, cycling or anything like that)
12 mins Treadmill - 100 cals (This can be done as jogging, walking, cycling)
100 Sit ups - Amazing toner. Again this is me personally - I've always had a tough stomach and can do sit ups (when fit, I almost died doing 20 my first go) relatively easily. Oh and these are VERY easy to be done incorrectly, try getting a sit up machine, they are around 20 quid at Argos and you just rest your hands on it and sit up. Simple but effective.
20 Press Ups - This is again, me personally. I didn't want to lose the weight and also lose ALL of my muscle, so a lot of my exercises are focused on arms to keep my muscle but lose it off my stomach with cardio.
Weights - A good one for stomach toning, though I don't know the official name, is where you bend over forwards and lift both weights up either side of you. Uses the stomach muscles like crazy.
Shadow boxing - This really gets you going. When you get into it the sweat falls off like butter. Try sequences - jab jab, right hook, left uppercut. And alternate. Speed up and slow down, it's a great burner.
All of that takes just under an hour to do a day. As your fitness levels get higher, and your diet gets better, you will become quicker and stronger, and improve your times. On the diet that I am on, within a week you will see results. This one is also an important factor and a lot of people don't do it - KEEP A DIARY.
I have Excel on my computer and list it as 'Calorie Counter' in this I work by a 5 day routine - in which I enter absolutely everything I eat and drink and the calories, and then the exercise I do in that day. This is absolutely ESSENTIAL when you do this, to keep track of everything you do and the weight you gain/lose. On your spreadsheet you should have:
Weight - Taken in the morning, Digital scales best
Calories Consumed - Details of the food, and calories
Exercise - All the different exercises and the calories burned
Day Total - This is the difference of your exercise against your calories burned
5 Day Total/Average - Add all the calories together for the 5 day period, note it, then divide by 5. This is your daily average. Try to hit targets and improve each week.
Noting everything you do is the best way to keep track and stay on schedule. Personally I don't know how anyone gets by, by just 'guessing' but that's just me. This is my way to lose weight. In the first two weeks I lost 1.25 stone. Keep it up and your level of weight loss WILL slow, but if your rate of exercises increases, you will have no problems. A radical change IS needed to lose weight, but the information and the possibility is all there for you to lose weight if you want to.
"If at any point during a diet, (that works) on any day, your face isn't dripping with sweat, then you aren't doing it right."
"No matter how fast you run, how far, how fit you think you may be, there will always be that little voice in the back of your head that says 'you can stop now, it's okay, you've done enough' I make it my life's quest to personally kick the crap out of that voice on a daily basis."
"At any, if not several, points during your diet people will try to tempt you from your path. It will not be their loss, but yours, if you stray. People are happy to flaunt temptation when it is not at their own risk - don't let it be at yours."
Nothing is achieved overnight - losing weight is a gradual process, how gradual isn't up to you, but your own body. It is within your will power to know when your body has had enough, it is the wisdom within you that listens, and knows when to say stop. Here is what I have found to be, by far, the most effective diet I have ever been on, and is literally life changing. (No, I'm not selling anything)
Calorie counting is a simple process. The average male, (and when I say average, and when statistics say 'average' they don't mean the average obese person, they mean the average physically fit, average weight person which I'm guessing isn't you, or you wouldn't be reading this) is supposed to burn around 2,000 calories per day. This doesn't include walking, running for the bus, etc. That is by just being there, and being you. However - this is a very generalised number, and there are websites where you can type in your height, weight, activity levels and it will calculate just how much you burn off already.
Now, I'm explaining this because you need to know your numbers. Calories - How much you burn / How much you consume. These need to be balanced against each other. The rule is if you burn more calories than you eat - you will lose weight. How much weight is based on the 500 rule - if you consume 2,000 calories - but burn 2,500 - you will be -500, which means you will theoretically burn off 1lb every three days. Burn off -500 consistently for a week, and you will lose 2lbs per week. This is, more or less, a proven theory.
But now it comes down to your diet. And this is where people become unstuck, because, believe or not, no one wants to give up their favourite food. And you don't have to, in some cases. However here are some major NO NO's when it comes to a diet, and I know you won't like it.
1) Butter. Butter is basically fat in a tub, and even if you get the 'low fat' butter, it is still high in fat. So I recommend cut this out altogether.
2) Chippy chips. In the average portion of chips, there are over 1,000 calories. Chips also mainly consist of carbohydrates and fat, with very, very little protein or positive nutrients. If you want to get fit - you need to drop these.
3) Alcohol. This is the big one. The only reason I didn't put this as number 1 was because I didn't want to put you off right from the get go. Experts say that the only thing worse than drinking alcohol on a diet is eating pure fat from a tin. (Yes, imagine that every time you pick up a pint) It is also proven to slow down metabolism, which means you will burn off those calories a lot slower, turning your whole 'dieting regime' upside down. And - believe this or not - it also concentrates on two areas of the body, the stomach and the face, due to it's high sugar content. If you ever see a beer monster with a hugely rounded face, you know why. Google 'chubby face alcohol' if you don't believe me.
4) Bread. This isn't something you have to cut out (I wasn't able to) however it is something you need to keep a watch on enormously. Carbohydrates are the ultimate diet killer if had in excess, and bread is the number 1 enemy. Don't switch to brown bread, because there is barely a difference in calories or nutrition. Switch to wholegrain, seeded bread - a lot healthier and a significant drop in calories.
5) Sugar. Don't do it. And don't fall into the myth that brown sugar is healthier than white, because it isn't. It's exactly the same sugar, but essentially, has been left in the oven longer. Some reports have shown that it's actually worse for you than white. So there's that thrown out of the window.
6) Crisps. We all saw this one coming. Next time you pick up a bag of crisps check the calorie content on those suckers - the average pack of walkers contains from 150-250 calories per pack. They also contain around 11g of fat. The average male should only consume 50-60g of fat per day. Still worth picking up a bag?
7) Fast Food/Takeaways - Another one that should be at number 1, but I'm putting it down here so you put more thought into this one. In a regular portion of McDonalds fries, there are over 500 calories. Try to fit that into a diet. Fast Food companies know what get you hooked - sugar. And they pour it in by the bucket load. Ask any McDonalds, KFC, Burger King employee whether they think the food is good and watch them cringe. If you were to see what they put in there, it'd put you off forever. All Fast Food also come high in salt content - another one to avoid. Too much salt is bad for blood pressure, the heart - and cause an unwanted series of problems, the least of which weight gain. Don't do it.
To add - Takeaways. Next time you order a takeaway, do me a favour and google search the calories content of everything you eat. Whether it's Chinese, Indian, etc their food is often drenched in oil and fat, so the average meal is going to be around 2,000 calories. And watch out for the starters - they are the worst. People have the idea that Chinese is good for you - and that is true to a degree, because TRADITIONAL chinese is, however they don't make it that way over here, and that is why when you order a chinese, it is typically very unhealthy. There are some places that serve traditionally made Chinese food - but they are a rarity.
8) Milk. Again, not something you have to cut out completely, but it is something that has a high fat content and you need to watch. Never drink whole milk - I am telling you this for your own good. Stay completely away from it. Switch to skimmed and consume in measured amounts.
9) Red meat. Now, this isn't something you can fault for protein - again it's the fat content. Good ideas for a change around is to buy weight watchers no fat bacon - have it with a few eggs for breakfast (no yolk, 80% less calories) and some cottage cheese. Delish! If you need your sausages, go vegan.
10) Soft drinks. Fizzy drinks - stay away from them. The odd one every now and again isn't bad, and you can get away with it. But drink in very small amounts. Have a sipp of someone's coke when they aren't looking if you need your 'fix' but try to cut them out. Milkshakes are another one, but this time, don't even sip them. The sugar content is astronomical.
11) Ice cream. On it's own? No. With syrup? Give up your diet right now. It's over.
Okay, now here comes the good stuff. What SHOULD you eat? Well, here's my list, though you may not agree, these are foods I hardly ever ate to begin with, but had to change to to drastically change my diet. A lot of it is Weight Watchers, and to be honest they are a life saver when it comes to calories.
Breakfast (Different days vary, don't have them all at once!)
Organic Eggs without Yolk
Fatless Bacon (Weight Watchers)
Cottage Cheese
Organic Banana
Porridge with blueberries (This is to be had once a week max and in a small portion, it is highish in calories)
Any kind of low calorie fruit (I tend to avoid apples, high calories)
Yoghurt (Weight Watchers fruit yoghurts)
Main Meals
Brown Rice (With anything)
Chicken (Best served boiled, eliminates all fat)
Weight Watchers Meals, examples:
Chicken Tikka Masala
Tomatoe and Basil Chicken
Sweet Chilli Chicken
Best serve with 100g Seeded Whole Grain Baguette (Small portion)
Any kind of Salad (Try to throw tomatoes in there, very healthy)
Mediterranean Soup (If you have a blender, make your own and throw in every vegetable under the sun)
Most types of Fish (Salmon and Sardines are best)
P.S DO NOT microwave your food, it is v unhealthy and counterproductive, as it eliminates most of the minerals.
Snacks
Fruit Yoghurts
Fruit
Almonds (Super food)
Spinach (Super food)
Snack Bars (Myprotein.com do some great ones, Weight Watchers also do some good ones)
For a snack anything that is low in calories and healthy, I would approve.
Drinks
Pure bottled Water (I drink Evian, low fluoride content as I am a conspiracy theorist freak)
Green Tea (Helps with Weight loss)
Smoothie - I've had these and they are amazing if done right. Just throw in every fruit under the sun (Though try to keep the overall sum under 400 calories) and enjoy the energy boost.
Exercise - Here's my regime though you will all have different techniques and different strong points. Like some of you may be good at jogging, others lifting etc. As a starter I consistently kept to working off 200 calories a day - this is easily manageable and although it doesn't sound like enough, when combined with a good diet it will work as good as anything. Here's some ideas:
Cycling (3-4 miles usually around 200 cals)
Walking (A bit less than cycling but still good)
Jogging (A great motivator, a lap around the park will give you over 200 cals burned)
Sports (Any kind of sport is a good burner, try some squash for amazing effects)
Swimming (30 mins depending on your pace will burn 100-220 cals)
My regime (This is on a normal day, without going out of my way for a sport, swimming, cycling or anything like that)
12 mins Treadmill - 100 cals (This can be done as jogging, walking, cycling)
100 Sit ups - Amazing toner. Again this is me personally - I've always had a tough stomach and can do sit ups (when fit, I almost died doing 20 my first go) relatively easily. Oh and these are VERY easy to be done incorrectly, try getting a sit up machine, they are around 20 quid at Argos and you just rest your hands on it and sit up. Simple but effective.
20 Press Ups - This is again, me personally. I didn't want to lose the weight and also lose ALL of my muscle, so a lot of my exercises are focused on arms to keep my muscle but lose it off my stomach with cardio.
Weights - A good one for stomach toning, though I don't know the official name, is where you bend over forwards and lift both weights up either side of you. Uses the stomach muscles like crazy.
Shadow boxing - This really gets you going. When you get into it the sweat falls off like butter. Try sequences - jab jab, right hook, left uppercut. And alternate. Speed up and slow down, it's a great burner.
All of that takes just under an hour to do a day. As your fitness levels get higher, and your diet gets better, you will become quicker and stronger, and improve your times. On the diet that I am on, within a week you will see results. This one is also an important factor and a lot of people don't do it - KEEP A DIARY.
I have Excel on my computer and list it as 'Calorie Counter' in this I work by a 5 day routine - in which I enter absolutely everything I eat and drink and the calories, and then the exercise I do in that day. This is absolutely ESSENTIAL when you do this, to keep track of everything you do and the weight you gain/lose. On your spreadsheet you should have:
Weight - Taken in the morning, Digital scales best
Calories Consumed - Details of the food, and calories
Exercise - All the different exercises and the calories burned
Day Total - This is the difference of your exercise against your calories burned
5 Day Total/Average - Add all the calories together for the 5 day period, note it, then divide by 5. This is your daily average. Try to hit targets and improve each week.
Noting everything you do is the best way to keep track and stay on schedule. Personally I don't know how anyone gets by, by just 'guessing' but that's just me. This is my way to lose weight. In the first two weeks I lost 1.25 stone. Keep it up and your level of weight loss WILL slow, but if your rate of exercises increases, you will have no problems. A radical change IS needed to lose weight, but the information and the possibility is all there for you to lose weight if you want to.
