Sport What diet for my training?

[BeccaW]

I would like to find out what type of diet would be best for me to achieve some fat loss through exercise at the gym.

I do mainly cardio, on the cross-trainer, rowing machine and cycle. I have quite big legs compared to the rest of my body so would like to lose some bulk off them and have a bit of a tummy left over from being pregnant 18 months ago. I am happy with the rest of my body.

Any tips as to whether or not i'm doing the right type of training would be very helpful but mainly I would appreciate some guidance as to which type of diet to adopt, whether low-carb, high-protein etc?

Thanks in advance.

 

[tjl]

Among gym cardio machines, the rower gives you a full body workout, as opposed to the elliptical, stationary bicycle, and treadmill, which give you a mostly lower body workout.

Generally, you cannot "spot reduce" fat in specific parts of your body. E.g. doing leg workouts won't preferentially make the fat in your legs go away faster than fat elsewhere. When you lose (or gain) fat, it will change based on your genetics. Losing fat means eating fewer calories than you use up (base metabolic rate + calories used in activity / exercise).

You may want to add some general strength training to preserve or even gain a little muscle while losing fat. Having as much muscle as possible means more strength, plus muscle burns more calories even at rest, making it easier to keep the fat off. General strength training should include the big muscles like chest and back muscles, not just arms and abs (so-called "beach muscles").

As far as low carb versus low fat versus etc. diets, you may want to look more at the quality of carbs, fats, and protein that you consume, as there are good and bad carbs, and good and bad fats, and protein usually comes with (good or bad) carbs and/or fat. And don't forget to include plenty of vegetables.