Nutrition: Fuel for Life – Think Balance!

It’s amazing what you can eat! Obviously – because most foods simply taste so good. The truth is, as long as you’re practicing regular physical exercise, it is incredible what you can get away with.

I enjoy life and I love my food. However, I just can’t eat whatever and whenever I want it. If I did, I’d be even bigger. Years ago I wasn’t paying much attention to what I ate. I suppose a combination of being young(er), working a desk job, my naturally huge appetite, work stresses, and the fact I used to go out drinking as if I was still at University didn’t help. The end result was that I didn’t like the way I looked and felt most of the time. So I changed it. And so can you! I lost over 25 kilograms in less than 6 months. If you’ve been following my blog until now, you don’t need me to tell you about in society well documented health implications of being overweight and the benefits of looking and feeling good.

Would you like to change the way you look and feel great by making a couple of minor lifestyle adjustments? Perfect, you’re in the right place.

I mentioned in my previous post titled How Often Should I Train, in order to adjust our physical appearance we need to assess three life aspects: Exercise, Nutrition and Rest. One other factor (this is not to be underestimated) is how well we balance those. Think Balance!

There are more exercise routines coming up on this blog soon so be sure to check in soon. Today, let’s focus on our diets. I want to start off with the good news. You do NOT need to starve yourself of your favourite foods! I’m no friend of famous diets such as the Atkins Diet, the Raw Food Diet Plan, the 1,200 Calorie Diet, Caveman Diet Plan, Hollywood Cookie Diet, etc. Yes, they work short term but these diets are simply not sustainable. So, rather than cutting out the things we enjoy, let’s simply monitor and adjust our overall intake. Ask yourself, do you like chocolate? If yes, eat it, in moderation and enjoy every last bite of it. Do you like savoury sweets like crisps? If so, then indulge every now and again and in moderation but especially after you’ve been good for a while. Just completed 5 days of sticking to the 6 rules posted in my post titled Adjusting Your Lifestyle? Reward yourself for that – have a donut. Go on! I want you to! Enjoy the all taste and flavours. But do not binge eat and consume 5, 10 or 15 Crispy Cremes Dunkin’ Donuts. And remember – afterward that one it’s straight back to the 6 rules.

If you are the type of person that can’t stop after 1 you must do three things. (1) Don’t shop for bad foods you know you will eat. (2) Never hide food in the home. It doesn’t work. You hid it. You know where it is. You will find it and you will eat it. Don’t bring it home in the first place. (3) Remember, everything you consume has an effect on your body (Rule #1 @ Adjusting Your Lifestyle). That one donut isn’t good for you. But 15 of them are incredibly bad for you. Your liver needs to work through all that sugar, saturated fat and sodium contents. Think Balance! If you really can’t stop, hit the emergency break. Drink a pint of cold water as fast as you can and restrain yourself for a further 5 minutes. The hunger feeling will pass. By the way, feel free to repeat this process as often as hunger cravings outside of meal times appear. Never diet – make lifestyle changes.

One thing is for sure … You’ll end up on one of the above mentioned diets with the best intentions. And you will see short term results. But it will only last for a few weeks or months if you’re really determined. Eventually, you will crumble and give in to what you’ve deprived yourself of for so long. The way these diets are built you set yourself up for failure. Always Think Balance!

Before going into more detail on what you can eat and what you should not eat in huge amounts, it’s important to understand the various food groups, what they do for you, and where they can be found:

-          Carbohydrates (they give you energy) – found in sugary and starchy foods like potatoes, rice, cereals, pasta, bread and some fruit and vegetables.

-          Proteins (they help your body grow & repair itself) – when it comes to choosing meat, keep the following in mind. Lean cuts are the better choice because they are lower in calories and fat. Lean meats include white meat poultry products without the skin, extra-lean ground beef, pork tenderloin, beef eye of round, veal cutlet, lamb shank, 95-99% fat free luncheon meats. Fish, shellfish, tuna, salmon and even tofu are other great sources of protein.

-          Fats (they provide energy and help in re-building) – found in dairy products, red meats, some poultry and fish. IMPORTANT: Let’s cap this at 40-50gr / day!

-          Fibre (helps you digest food) – found food like cereals, fruit, bread and vegetables.

-          Minerals – (1) Iron is good for the blood. (2) Calcium is good for your bones. (3) Magnesium is good for your nerves. Minerals are in lots of foods but are especially in fresh fruit and vegetables.

-          Vitamins e.g. vitamin A, B, C, D, E - (they’re good for keeping your body healthy) – particularly good for your skin, bones and teeth. Vitamins are mostly found in dairy products (eggs, butter and milk), fresh fruit and vegetables.

In order for me to change my physical appearance I need to build lean muscle mass. If you’re still reading, you do too. To do so, it's essential to combine (1) an adequate calorie intake with (2) a solid muscle strengthening program. Once again, we need to get the right balance here! Not only is it essential to eat the right foods but we also need to slightly adjust our lifestyles to be eating at the right times. Now, it’s a good thing if you love food and enjoy eating (if you don’t please email me directly. I can help you!) because from now on you get to eat all day. I know this sounds strange but trust me, rather than having 2-3 large meals, lets switch to an all-day snack eating style. From now on we’ll be having Breakfast, Morning Snack, Lunch, Afternoon Snack, Dinner, Late Night Snack. That’s right! Below are some ideas and suggestions for what to have once for each of those meals.

Breakfast Meal Options:

-          Egg whites, or 1 hard boiled egg whites, whole wheat bread, jam or peanut butter

-          Yogurt, milk, cereal (whole wheat grain cereals – multi grains is the best option)

-          Lean Meat on whole wheat bagel or bread / toast

-          Protein shake or yogurt smoothie

-          Low calorie protein meal replacement bar

-          Banana, apple, small carrots, pears or orange

-          Water – ½ - 1 pint

Morning Snack:

-          Low calorie protein meal replacement bar or post workout protein shake

-          Yoghurt smoothie or yogurt with granola / fruit

-          Celery sticks with ranch dressing (low or no fat)

-          Assorted Nuts and berries mix – 1 cup

-          Beans and brown rice / celery sticks and peanut butter & milk

-          Fruit options – 1-2 cups of honeydew / watermelon  and/or mango

-          Water – 1 pint / or green tea (hot or cold)

Lunch:

-          Green leafy lettuce Salad with roasted chicken or tuna fish

-          SubWay Sandwich (6 inch)

-          Vegetable beef stew

-          Whole wheat pasta and arrabiata sauce

-          Sushi roll (8 pcs)

-          Spinach Salad with almonds, strawberries, lean meat

-          Cold water (1 pint) / or hot water & lemon juice

Afternoon Snack:

-          Fruit salad - variety

-          Two slice ham and cheese roll

-          Can of tuna with water

-          Milkshake or protein shake

-          Chopped chicken with hard-boiled egg and lettuce or rice

-          Yoghurt smoothie with protein powder

-          Water – 1 pint / or green tea (hot or cold)

Dinner:

-          Chicken/ lean meat, tuna/other  fish sandwich on wheat bread, no mayonnaise

-          Mixed salads with variety of vegetables – green leafy lettuce, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, onion

-          Chicken, asparagus or broccoli, brown rice, wheat bread – fruit dessert

-          Veggie or Turkey burger with lettuce, tomato onion – mustard – no mayo

-          Lean sirloin, green or lima beans, salad, whole grain garlic bread

-          Broiled Fish, steamed brown rice, salad

-          Cold water (1 pint) / or hot water & lemon juice

Late Night Snack:

-          Water - make up for missing glasses at end of the day to be better hydrated tomorrow

-          Whole wheat bagel

-          Whole wheat toast

-          Low / no fat popcorn

As you can see, there are plenty of choices out there! I promise you, stick to the 6 rules posted in my post titled Adjusting Your Lifestyle while enjoying these 5-6 meals daily and YOU WILL SEE AMAZING RESULTS!!! If you have to swerve off the road, always remember our overall goal is to limit fat grams to under 50gms a day and lower carbs to as needed for pre – post workouts.

While a large number of calories are needed to fuel both the workouts and tissue repair and muscle building, it is crucial to eat the right combination of calories to encourage muscle gain. More good news here, once you’ve built lean muscle you will need to consume a high amount of calories to keep muscle.

The above ideas should get us started for now and there is more to come. Firstly, let’s get into a good rhythm of regularly exercising (see How Often Should I Train) and we’ll be able to gain muscle and lose weight. Eventually we’ll be able to eat pretty much all day without putting on weight. That’s right – put the weights on the barbell/dumbbell (not on the body) while eating all day. Just remember small portions. Graze away!

Upcoming nutrition posts will include advice on identifying and picking healthy options at restaurants. I’ll also suggest some quick, easy and healthy meals you can cook at home at home. Keep checking in!! For now, I have to focus on training every other day. Eating right will just come naturally. 

If you don’t have enough time to eat healthy, stop watching TV!

Workout Number 1 – Chest and Triceps

Before we get stuck into it, I’d like to thank my good friend Nick. Nick is a qualified personal fitness instructor with a passion for exercising second to none. A lot of my training knowledge, workout ideas and facts about nutrition in this blog, I’ve picked up from him and then tailored to my own needs. He now lives in New Zealand which means we don’t see each other as regularly as I’d like to. I’m happy for him because he is very happy but I miss you buddy. I can’t wait to get some hardcore training sessions in when you’re next in London.

Alright, we’ve talked the talk. Now, it’s time to walk the walk!! Today is the first day of the rest of your life. We were always going to have to start the workouts eventually so let’s get right into it. Depending on your goal, the workout routine will look different for each and every one of you. You can join my training plan absolutely for free. Alternatively, email me with your goal and timeline (i.e. half marathon race in April, full marathon race in June, want to lose 20 lb by May, etc.) and I’ll put together a specific workout tailored just for you. My aim is to get fit, ready for the beach and into shape by July.

Back to the workout … Here’s what I’m doing. My weight sessions are divided into 3 different muscle groups. Number 1 – Chest and Triceps, Number 2 – Back and Biceps and Number 3 – Legs, Shoulders and Abs. As a bonus, we will train abs every time we exercise but #3 will have a special focus on core conditioning, i.e. working that abdominal strength.

All exercises are designed for maximum effect with limited effort. By linking muscle groups in the same workouts we’re aiming to work out everything at the same time. For example, your chest is a bigger muscle than your triceps so we’ll be focusing on that first. By the time your chest is tired, chances are your triceps will be quite shaky already. Then we finish off the triceps with one last exercise. In the early stages, you’ll find your triceps will weaken first, or at least before your chest. That’s a good thing. Every time it rebuilds itself it will grow stronger. We need your triceps strong so we can get your chest tired. Everything is linked.

Before lifting any weights, always warm up! You are not saving time by skipping the 5 to 10 minutes jogging to increase body temperature and a bit stretching. You’re more likely to injure yourself which will put you out of the game for several weeks and needless to say, you’ll miss out on achieving your goal. Always warm up!!

Warm Up: 5 minute jog

Warm up: Push Ups -  do as many Push Ups as you can. Repeat once

3 x 10 Flat Benchpress, Barbell

Step 1: Lie on your back on a bench with feet firmly rested on the floor.

Step 2: Firmly grip the bar with an overhand grasp ensuring the wrists are straight.

Step 3: Brace your abdominals to maintain a straight back. Extend your elbows, thereby lifting the bar off the rack.

Step 4: Position the bar over the chest. Breath in slowly while lowering the bar to mid chest level. Don’t jerk and/or swerve helplessly. Stay in control, you direct the bar.

Step 5: Lower the bar until your elbows are at right angles (aim to align the bar so it sits on a line drawn connecting your nipples, never actually rest it on your chest).

Step 6: Pause briefly, breath out and push the bar back upwards, by extending the arms at the elbow. Repeat 10 times.

3 x 10 Incline Benchpress, Barbell*

Same as Flat Benchpress, Barbell except adjust the back rest of the bench on an incline

3 x 10 Decline Benchpress, Barbell*

Same as Flat Benchpress, Barbell except move the back rest of the bench on a decline.

*During Incline Barbell and Decline Barbell, you'll be significantly lowering your weights (vs flat), reduce your weights by about 30%.

3 x 10 Benchpress, Dumbbell, Inclined

Same as Incline Benchpress, Barbell except use dumbbells on a high incline. This will also target the front of your shoulders.

You’ll be wondering, how heavy you should be lifting. This will differ from one person to another. To estimate what you can personally lift is difficult to say for me. You will have to do two things. (1) Estimate how long it’s been since you’ve lifted any weights and guess what you can lift now. (2) Keep track and use the first sessions to get a gauge on what you should be lifting next week and in the coming weeks. You’ll be doing this same exercise routine again in one weeks’ time so you need to remember what you were lifting. Keep a score card and note your progress. Particularly during your first session but always keep in mind, if you’re lifting heavy you should always have someone spot you. I recommend you lift as heavy as possible for you but go for slow, smooth and controlled motions, always staying in control of the bar and dumbbells. You want to feel your muscles having tired after completing the third set, i.e. completing the last 4 reps of the third set should be a struggle.

Undoubtedly, these four chest exercises targeting slightly different muscles around your chest will have taken it out of you. By now, both your chest and triceps should be sufficiently weakened and you should really struggle on the last set. Push yourself as hard as you can. When you think you can’t do that last reputation to finish the set, do another rep. You can! If you don’t have someone to spot you, hang up the bar/dumbbells with your last efforts. Let’s finally finish off this muscle group with a quick superset.

3 x 10 Dumbbell Flies + Triceps Dips (Super-Sets)

Step 1: Take hold of a dumbbell in each hand and lie back on a bench. Firmly place feet on the floor.

Step 2: Ensure alignment of the spine by bracing the abdominals and back muscles. Ensure your full back is in contact with the bench.

Step 3: Extend arms and position the dumbbells together directly over the middle of the chest.

Step 4: Fix the elbows, with a slight bend

Step 5: Gently lower the arms to the horizontal position either side of your torso, whilst maintaining fixed elbow position with a slight bend until the shoulders are fully extended.

Step 6: Raise the arms back to the original position by horizontally flexing the shoulders whilst maintaining the fixed elbow position. Repeat 10 times (Flies).

Step 7: Immediately move off the bench and into the next stage of the super-set, release dumbbells and position your hands shoulder width apart on a stable bench.

Step 8: Move your backside in front of the bench with your legs bent and feet placed about hip width apart on the floor (straighten your arms and keep a little bend in your elbows in order to always keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints).

Step 9: Slowly bend at elbows while lowering your upper body down towards the floor until your arms are at about a 90 degree angle. Always keep your back close to the bench.

Step 10: Pause briefly, breath out and slowly push off with your hands, and press yourself straight back up to the starting position. Repeat 10 times (Dips).

We’re almost done. Let’s finish with an abdominal workout and we’re golden for today! Go for as many reps as possible and push yourself as hard as you can. I mean that, keep pushing! This one really needs squeezing! Keep going! One more round. Come on!

- Jack Knife Sit-Up / V-Up (to failure)

- Ab Crunches / Sit-Up (to failure)

- Alternating Superman (to failure)

- Plank on elbows and toes (hold for 1 minute)

Repeat twice.

The overall workout duration should be between 50mins – 60mins. Give yourself approx. 30-45 seconds rest between the sets and you can complete the full cycle in the given time. For the first 7 weeks, we will stick to 3 x 10 reps. See my previous post on Adjusting Your Lifestyle - “I’ve decided to split up into 3 x 7 week long training camps”. During the second 7 week camp we will increase this to 3 sets of 12 reps for each exercise.

Once you’ve completed todays training session, you should immediately replenish the broken down muscles with a protein supplement (a review of several supplements will follow in future posts). Following your workout, you have a 30 – 90 minute window where (1) you need to give back to your body what you just took out of it and (2) you will still be burning calories. As I already mentioned, a lot of future posts will include info on nutrition so keep coming back. My favourite post workout meal is pasta and Bolognese. I normally never eat pasta, except on days when I train. If you’re ever going to eat pasta, now is the time. Don’t go crazy though – no more than half a cup. Focus on getting enough protein. Another favourite and an even leaner post workout meal is pasta with chicken with side salad. Go for 250gr of juicy boneless, skinless chicken breast, half a cup of pasta, with a cucumber, tomato, basil and feta cheese salad on the side.

Make sure you get some rest tonight. You should be physically tired and sleeping will not be a problem tonight. When you wake up tomorrow, you will be feeling sore. This state is called DOMS (no joke) which stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. This is basically the stiffness felt in muscles for several hours and days following unaccustomed and strenuous exercise. You will get used to feeling like this. This is what we’re working towards during every training session. As you get stronger, it will be tougher for you to break down muscle and achieve this feeling. Also, in a few weeks you will enjoy feeling like this much more.

These workout results (DOMS) may sound extreme but believe me you will feel better for exercising. Yes, you will feel both physically better as well as mentally sharper. And this is after only one session. Wait till we’ve done this for a couple of months – you will feel better than you are feeling today! Don’t forget to stretch out regularly particularly in the mornings after waking up and at night before going to bed.

Adjusting Your Lifestyle

Depending on how many weeks you have available to get to your desired result we’d need to adjust the training intensity and nutrition plan. Everything will depend on your goals, dedication, determination and discipline. From personal experience best results are achieved over a 8-12 week period. Seeing that I have exactly 24 weeks until my birthday I’ve decided to split up into 3 x 7 weeks training camps with a week of rest at the end of it.

Again, depending on your goal even a single 7 week training camp is plenty of time to get in shape. Feel free to email for personal consultation. Let me know what your goal is and how much time we have. I am happy to put together a plan for you anywhere in between 4 weeks (tough/high intensity/limited result) and 26 weeks (moderate/disciplined/significant results).

Regardless of the training duration, the scientific and disciplined approach to preparation and ultimately your achievements and results will come down to a few rules. The following 6 rules are by no means the be all and end all. They are only supposed to serve as guidelines. However, I promise you, the more closely you stick to them the more drastic your physical transformation will be. I’ve designed these ultimately keeping in mind that we all have a social life and of course want to keep it.

Rule # 1: You start treating your body well from now on. Please consider everything you consume from now on, i.e. drink, eat, smoke has an effect on your body. So keep in mind, what you put in you will also get out. Replacing chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks with nutritious food such as vegetables and fruit will allow you to train harder.

Rule # 2: We train 7 days every fort night, no exceptions.  In order to keep a social life, I’d recommend training Sun-Thu, resting Fri-Sat, but I leave that up to you. If you’re planning to train on Wednesday, then during the day get invited to a dinner, just say you can’t make it, you already have plans. You might say something like: “Would love to, hey can we go tomorrow Thursday?”

Rule # 3: No white bread, no beers and under no circumstances any pizza, not even a slice. OK, zero beers is impossible but keep it to a minimum. If you just drink one or two days per week, you’ll still be consuming too many but at least you give your body enough time to focus on what we need it to … grow! After 4 pints, consider switching to slim line G&Ts or white wine spritzers. Say goodbye to those late night kebab (I’m the kebab king and if I can do it means you can do it). In fact no eating after drinking, not even a snack. Pound a pint of water and go to bed. Breakfast is just around the corner!

Rule # 4: You must have a big breakfast as soon as you wake up/get into work. You need energy. Rather than having big lunches and dinners, switch to snacking all day. Cut out the fats. If there is a diet/light/zero/fat free option, go for it. Make sure you eat a lot of meat, chicken is the leanest meat out there, so start loving the chicken! You will need to get a protein supplement, it’s practically impossible to eat enough protein without those.

Rule # 5: Drink lots of water – You want to aim to drink between 3-4 Litres every day. It may seem a lot but you will also be sweating a lot. Keep hydrated!

Rule # 6: Rest – Aim to get up to 8h every day. More if you can.

These rules may seem very strict. As I mentioned, it is totally fine to swerve off the rules every now and again. But, for best results try to stick to them as much as you can. I tend to keep to them as well as possible. And if I’ve had a couple of good days, I treat myself to something small and tasty. This way I don’t totally starve myself of everything and it feels good to come back to the routine/discipline again.

I will be writing a lot about nutrition in the coming days so keep checking in. We’ll be looking at what to order when out in restaurants. Also, advise on preparing healthy options at home and what you need to shop and should always have at home.

Happy Saturday! Enjoy that beer!! When you eat, appreciate every last bite.

How often should I train?

It’s rude to answer a question, with a question but in this case it’s the right thing to do. How long is a piece of string? There are several factors that determine the answer to this age old question. Never the less, it is a very valid question.

Ultimately, our bodies react differently to exercise, nutrition and rest. Some people have a very fast metabolism. Others only need 5h of sleep per day. Then there are the ones who never or only need to train once a week and can eat whatever they want and still look trim. Luckily, that last bunch are in a very small group.

We’re different and some things may work better for you but not for others. The key thing to remember, as with everything in life, the correct balance goes a long way. I can confidently say, if you train for 2h every day of the week you will not see significant results. You will be over training and your body will most likely go into shock. You’d never give yourself enough time to mend and repair those muscles. This means you will not get stronger and will not see the desired results. Additionally, the stress this puts on your joints and tendons means you will most likely get injured. Finally, the lack of a personal life means you will give in eventually. Think balance!

It doesn’t have to be that hard. And when it comes down to it, it’s reasonably easy to determine how much exercise a person needs. Now, you will need to adjust your lifestyle a bit to see results (my next blog post will focus on that) but lets start off with 1h high intensity every other day. During each session, we will train different muscle groups to ensure we’re giving that group enough time to recuperate. Once we’ve built a muscular base we will up the intensity of the workouts. We’re aiming for 7 workouts per fortnight (future posts will include different muscle group training sessions). 

Related to how much exercise is required I also want to cover ‘discipline’. One of the most important attributes anyone needs in order to succeed is an open mind towards the various disciplines that can assist them in their development.  One of the central areas of discipline is diet and nutrition.  I will soon be posting an outline of a broad but strict diet plan. If adhered to, my recommended amount of exercise will be sufficient. 

Fit By July 2012

Sorry for the long silence – I wonder if anyone even checks in after such a long absence. While I’ve been away, I’ve had a bit of time to think about what I actually want to write about here. I’ve come up with a thought/an overall idea that will allow me to blog, write and even tweet more regularly.  

Allow me to set the scene: Later this year, in July to be precise, I will be celebrating my 31^st birthday. In the past it has been a goal of mine to be in the best shape of my life on my 30^th birthday. While I achieved that goal but in the second half of 2011 I’ve let standards slip. I continued with basic exercising but my heart wasn’t in it. I started to eat less disciplined, old habits crept in and I lacked a clear goal and aim. Physical exercise with the sole purpose of maintenance is not rewarding. Now, I not only want to get back to how I looked in July 2011 but go one better.

I genuinely enjoy physical exercise and the buzz it gives me. I like pushing my body and mind into places I’ve never thought possible. Endorphins’ rushing to my brain give me a sense of achievement and satisfaction that doesn’t compare to anything else. It helps me feel energetic and enthusiastic. Physical exercise also benefits other parts of life. If I don’t exercise regularly my character changes; I constantly feel tired, get antsy, snappy and have no patience. I can’t relax and unwind yet feel lethargic. I’m basically not myself if I don’t exercise. And I’ll happily admit, I’m also shallow enough to like the results. But let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to look their best.

I’m lucky enough that I don’t need anyone to motivate me, at least not these days. But I think this is exactly where a lot of people struggle. Get and stay motivated! My goal is to whip myself in shape, document and share my journey and hopefully motivate some people along the way.

Through trial and error I’ve designed perfect, quick and easy workouts. Yes, I’ve made mistakes, injured myself and through that learned what to do and more importantly what not to do. You don’t have to make these mistakes, I’ve already made them for you. No more physiotherapy and painful rehab, learn from my mistakes and train safely. I’ve seen results, like when I lost 27kg (from 112kg to 85kg) in 5 months and I’m happy to share all my secrets for free! Come and join me on a journey to looking and feeling better. Follow my personal journey here and get free workouts with different goals, nutritional advice (those tasty alternatives + cook your own quick meals & advise on what to shop to prepare them), exercise playlists and much more. And don’t be afraid to ask for help and share your own stories on #FitByJuly . That’s right, we’ve got our own trending Twitter hashtag!! So come on! Join in and above all, enjoy it!