Some tips from Adrian to get you started

 

If your reading this it means that you are considering losing a few pounds to not only help your waistline but to raise money for some of the children we support.

So you want to lose a few pounds? Well, to start with, I am not going to tell you what to eat and what not to eat. I think that we all know the things that are not good for us but, because we crave them, or have become used to them, we tend to eat them anyway.

So I am first going to give you some visual things for you to keep in the back of your mind the next time you have a meal or go shopping to buy food. Something I always try to remember is what a trainer friend of mine once told me, and I am sure you have heard before, "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT". Every time I go shopping, or I eat out, I look at the menu or the things I buy and imagine the type of food I am going to eat. Maybe it is something you might like to try to first train yourself into a simple way of seeing what foods can help you shed the pounds or put them on.

• If you want a doughnut, a pastry, a pie, or anything that looks doughy first look at the shape of it and imagine that shape as you.
• If you crave lots of fatty fried foods, think what bowl of lard looks like and imagine that clinging to your body
• If you like lots of pasta and breads think of a bowl of dough or cooked mushy pasta, and imagine what it feels like to touch. Even better keep a bowl in your fridge and test the theory.

IMPORTANT: when I train for something, the most important thing for me is to really see what I’ve eaten and how many calories I burn in a day. You can never really know how you progress without charting how you eat. So we have provided a chart for you, similar to what I use.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

At the end of each week take a look at your chart and see what items you have eaten that you could reduce or change in some way. And don't forget.... SNACKING IS IMPORTANT!!

Ideas - Eating habits

The way you eat will also determine how successful you are at losing those pounds.

The first thing I do every day is to drink a glass of water and take some vitamin C. (I take other vitamins but that choice is more for individuals.) Water helps you re- hydrate your body in the morning and gets it started so, by the time you eat breakfast 20 minutes later, your body is already running, helping you burn the calories quicker. Think of your body like a car, when you put the right fuel and oil into it, it will run well. If you don’t, it won’t work. Your body is much the same. Good food in the morning will make you less tired and more alert. I know a lot of people say, “I just have a coffee and piece of toast or a muffin”, but think about it. Your body is made of protein and water, all you have done is given it caffeine to get it going and a starch to add to the sludge at the bottom of the tank.

The way I try to eat and, I admit it doesn’t always work, but if you have a structure it is easier to live by, is Eat;

....BREAKFAST LIKE A KING
Important because it fuels you for the day i.e.: One whole wheat pancake with banana and maple syrup. Porridge with honey and fruits.

....LUNCH LIKE PRINCE
You should be in your stride by lunchtime so you can have a fully rounded meat and vegetable meal to fuel the rest of your day.

....DINNER LIKE A PAUPER
Later, you are getting slower and less energetic so your body is using less fuel, so give it less.

And SNACKS....
Now think of a train. When you eat, your body produces enzymes to break down the food. If you feed it only twice or three times a day, it shuts down between meals and has to start up again producing those enzymes. The train takes time to get out of the station. If, however, you are snacking in between meals, your body is already in production and, therefore, will burn the calories more efficiently.

Ideas - Types of food

Now you can choose how quickly you want to lose weight but, either going hardcore and trying to change your entire diet (harder to do) or follow a couple of things I have listed below.

VERY IMPORTANT
Eat more vegetables, not ones that have been overcooked but also raw veggies. If they are tasteless then add some herbs, or Olive oil and vinegar, or what I sometimes do is mix lemon and half a teaspoon of honey then pour it over steamed vegetables.

WEEK 1
Cut out breads, doughy stuff, and pastas the first week or at least halve what you normally consume. Try not to eat any carbohydrate after 6pm.

Substitute chocolate and sweet things for fruit with yogurt. There are also a lot of snacks that can be healthy but make sure to look at the sugar content. Fruit is VERY important because, not only will it cut down your sugar intake, but it is important for a better immune system, digestive system etc. Make a fruit salad and keep it in your fridge for a couple of days. That said, eating fruit on its own in the morning will not sustain you. It burns through your system very quickly and you will be hungry within the hour.

When you get a sweet craving, eat a fruit salad instead. You could include.

Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew Melon, Guava, Papaya, Apples, Oranges, Bananas (though these brown when refrigerated), Strawberries, Raspberries or Blueberries

WEEK 2
Cut down or cut out fried foods. Grilled or baked is just as good.

WEEK 3
Cut down foods with lots of sauces that probably contain a lot of salt in them.

WEEK4
Cut down or cut out more things you cut down on in WEEK 1 and 2.

Ideas - Snacks

You should snack often on good things between meals. In the morning, put a plate of snacks in your fridge that you have made or put them in a container and take them to work with you.

1. Peanut butter is something that can be eaten on almost anything. This is because it has a flavor that goes well with both sweet and salty things. So either get chunky or smooth, natural peanut butter with no salt (for instance from Whole Foods) and add it to items such as:

• Salt free crackers
• Apples
• Carrots
• Celery
• Bananas

2 A tin of Tuna (in water) mixed with Olive Oil, a little Balsamic Vinegar, a little pepper and any other spices you want. Put in the fridge or take it with you to add to salt free crackers, celery, carrots etc. If you want to add a little taste at first then use low fat Mayo but try alternating between the two so that you don't have too much mayo as it is not really that good for you.

Exercise

In this day and age of computers, we have stopped moving more than we ever did, so getting some sort of exercise is not only important for weight loss but also for our health. Joints, bones and your entire body will work better with some form of exercise.

Okay, we all know everyone talks about going to the gym but not everyone has the time. So if you don't, then go for a walk or run around your neighborhood. Stretch those muscles that may sit around for a long period of the day. If you don’t move, you will eat more than you burn and you know what happens then. You put on weight. A walk in a park or hike along a beach will not only be healthy but also make you see things you may have missed that have always been in front of you. Gradually does it here though, don’t over do it at the beginning because you will either get bored quickly or be in a lot of pain. You will find you will get stronger in time and burn off more as your body adjusts to the exercise.

ABOVE ALL, REMEMBER NOTHING HAPPENS OVERNIGHT AND DON"T TRY TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU ARE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. IN THE LONG RUN, YOU WILL GO BACK TO WHERE YOU STARTED AND ALL YOUR HARD WORK WILL HAVE BEEN FOR NOTHING. IF YOU CHANGE SLOWLY YOUR BRAIN WILL CHANGE YOUR HABITS AND IT WILL BE EASIER TO KEEP THOSE POUNDS OFF FOREVER.

I hope you have fun on this quest of yours and hope to hear about your results in a few months.

Regards,