Getting fitter

[bobcycle]

Ive been cycling to work after getting told off by my doctor for bad health. Its getting better the more i do it but its still hard.

He said i need to loose a few pounds as well sio what sort of food should i be eating a lot of and what should i be cutting out?

I have to admint to being a slave to the car for the last couple of decades and not doing much either so that has helped me get fat and unfit. I dont want to be skinny or anything just fitter on the inside and stay around longer if you know what i meen.

 

[Boozo]

What to eat

Afternoon

Eating correctly is about knowing the different food groups, carbs, proteins, fibre, sugars, fats, etc. I suggest, if your a bit lost with this to learn a few foods for each and build your knowledge as you go.

Basically, what I've learnt is that it's about eating the right food so it provides the right balance of energys. For example note the difference between a morning started on a sugary cereal like sugar puffs and a morning begun with say Musley. Your sugar levels shoot up with SP's and then suddenly burns out at about mid morning/11 am-ish and you feel hungry, where as with musley you'll find you can normally last till lunch time, because the energy's are released slowly and provide an even delivery of fuel. So you've got a good start to the day. Cereals naturally have good levels of fibre (helps you go regularly, if you get my point). Adding nuts (plain not salted or honey roast), dried/fresh fruit (don't forget dried is concentrated in natural sugars so a smaller amount in comparism to fresh is good), seeds, honey if it needs sweetness, live yoghurt and even maple syrup for a treat are great ways to keep it different and get extra vitamins and minerals. One great recipe which is awsome, get a selection of nuts and seeds, toast in a hot dry frying pan (keep them turning and don't burn them), then remove from the heat and add some maple syrup (enough for it to clump up), heat until not runny but don't burn. It'll be very hot from the sugars, so don't burn yourself. Allow to cool and break bits into your cereal, it's really yummy.

For the rest of the day, use your five a day, any fruit or veg, but limit fruit because of the sugars. Dark green veg, tomatoes (smaller the better), Avocados, blueberries are all super foods. If you fancy an experiment, try a week of no red meat and no processed food (preprepared), you'll be amazed how good you feel - you never thought you were bloated! One easy thing, is to chop up root veg into 1cm cubes-ish, some onion, herbs and boil till soft. Nice served as a stew. If you like cooking experiment with different flavours and adding stocks and herbs, you'll be surprised how good it is. And don't forget the garlic, it's really good for you.

Limit your portion size, or eat until your comfortable and leave the rest. A small bowl of pasta (carb) is great just before a long cycle as it has slow release energy, but do it before rest (bed) and it'll sit on your thighs because you body can't burn it. If fact this makes logical sense, eat a larger meal at lunch when your bodies active and a smaller meal in the evening.

For your main evening meal chicken (no skin, or only as a treat) and plenty of fish. The oily ones like Salmon, Mackeral, Tuna, Sardines, Sild are all great for the Omega oils you keep hearing about.

The best advice I can give is only eat what you make or eat it raw, that way you know what your eating. Processed foods contain alot of salt and fats and these new hydrogenated fats, some of which have been banned in America, but not here. So, you be your own boss, as they say you are what you eat!

Good luck

Look forward to your feedback.

Boozo
No I'm not a dietician or stick thin, I just know what to do.

 

[WolfUK]

I'm in the same situation as bobcycle so thanks for the replies to this thread so far. Now, if only it was a few pounds I had to shed ... more like 30kg!

 

[Blue]

....

 

[Keith Oates]

Boozo, that is a very interesting post and something I shall use as a guide line to eating!!!!!!!

 

[starseven]

Hi Bob,

I know where your coming from and cycling is a good way of putting some exercise in your live.
My view is anyone considering a change of lifestyle needs to just get started, anyone middle-age and sedentary will feel so much better , mentally and physically in a the first week or so, that you will have all the encouragement you need.

Its so easy to say Ill do it next week or be put of by those around you , when the best thing is to just do it.(mm could be a sports company logo in that!).

With food I always struggle, I like exercise but I also like food.

My only two rules are to avoid any processed food because its basically poison, I would no more eat one of these "pierce foil and warm for 30 minutes" than stick a pen in my eye. Rule two , don't eat until your stuffed to the gills, you know the bloated post big fry up, roast feast feeling, its just energy sapping.

Other than that I will eat anything I fancy.

Its now a beautiful clear day outside, the suffolk countryside is calling, I think a quick 30 miles will be nice and when I get back Ill have some local bacon in a fresh roll, just the one though!

All the best Ian

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

a learning curve for me it is...for to long neglected my body have I. Big green and ugly am I. Thin fit and happy again shall I be. Easy when sun shines it is. Harder when rain comes it is. Watch to much star wars do I.

 

[got-to-get-fit]

big tall fat bloke ....one funny man is he!

 

[OldSeagul]

I have my breakfast after I cycle to work because I read that it helps to burn fat if you cycle on an empty stomach. It is also beneficial to eat carbohydrate within two hours of exercise to help rebuild the muscles and replace the energy lost whilst cycling.

I have a home made muisli which consists of rolled oats, sultanas, chopped pecan nuts, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds and soya milk. All are guaranteed to reduce cholesterol.

Buy yourself some dried beans (butter beans, harricot beans, chick peas) and put into a small slow cooker with sliced onion, chopped celery & carrots and crushed (or very thinly sliced) garlic for a good high fibre meal on an evening. Steam some new potatoes etc to have with it. Add cornflower to the gravy to thicken it after you have romoved the beans & veg.

Eat lots of fruit every day - bananas are good for an afternoon snack. Fruit does contain sugar, but it is natural and therefore good for you - better that the white processed stuff. Don't use sweeteners, get used to drinks etc. without them.

At the end of every month, give yourself a treat like a meal out with friends where you can eat what you like, though you'll probably find yourself unconsciously choosing the healthier options.

If you go on a diet, it means that you will eventually come off one - really you just want a change of lifestyle that you can keep on with for the rest of your life, which will be a lot longer than it would have been before.

Good luck.

 

[Slim]

Bob,

I'm not very good at the food/diet stuff. My own diet has simply been a case of eating less crap/junk/chocolate! It sounds simple enough to do, but I get cravings like you wouldn't believe if I go without chocolate for a couple of days.

Take it from an expert (enthusiast) try dark chocolate - around 70% solids. Relatively speaking it is lower fat and has less sugar than the Cadbury's crap. You'll also need less of it to get the choccie hit. I have a hard time persuading people that I can make a bar of chocolate last a whole week.

My sig' is the voice of experience.

 

[col]

Great advice here,but i have found that high carb,high protien low fat is the way to go for myself,i keep it simple so there is not much preparation to do,but it works for me,the basic rules i follow are
4.5 grams of fat or less per 100 grams,
a third or less carbs which sugar per 100 grams(ie if there are 60 grams of carbs,20 of which sugars or less thats fine)
just take a quick look at the label and look for "typical values" and see what it says for those two per 100 grams,iv lost a stone over the last four weeks this way without being physical,and have a day off a week to enjoy what i fancy,also the odd time ill partake too .
If you like i will post a list of things that can be eaten,and the good thing is you are never hungry or lack energy,or loose muscle mass,the hard part is when you start missing your fave foods and resisting ,but you dont have to stay on it all the time,just enjoy your faves one day then go back to these things the next day,this is how iv lost my wieght so far.

 

[ufkacbln]

I found my biggest problem was irregular hours.

A couple of times a week I have an 05:00 breakfast, and an hour's commute to start work at 06:30.

It is then a long time to "Lunch" when everyone esle goes at 12:30.

I found that despite best intentions I was eating at about 10:30 (MY lunch break) and then hungry again watching everyone else eating at 12:30.

My biggest investment though was a heart rate monitor. Being able to measure the effort put into commuting, and then raising the heart rate so I burned more calories was a big bonus.

You think an 80 minute long commute of about 12 miles in traffic expends a lot of energy, but there is a lot more work that can be done - I have taken 20 minutes off since February. and almost a stone and a half.

 

[SamNichols]

Generally speaking, unless you are really pushing it hard with exercise, then protein isn't the most necessary thng. There are a great number of academics who call the Western obsession with protein - 'the protein imbalance'; generally speaking we, in the Western nations tend to eat protein far too often than we actually need it. You can easily get away with protein once a day if you are doing very regular exercise, if not then twice/three times a week. I try to keep away from red meat when i do eat protein, due to the higher fat content. Fish (grill a sardine, stuffed with some thyme and garlic - yum!), tofu (marinade it in soy sauce, ginger and if you're daring then some thai fish sauce; otherwise it is just texture), beans (don't get scared by dried beans, just soak them over night, tip the water away, then boil them for an hour. My 5 bean chilli is legendary), or if you want it then Quinoa (it's a little like cous cous, but has 18% protein). Also, some nutrionists recommend that for a quick measure, your protein portion should be as big as the palm of your hand.

But, don't get hung up on the food, eat your vegetables, limit your fat content and keep away from pre-processed food. Mix that with exercise, and the weight will fly off (my dad's lost a stone in weight by doing daily exercise and hasn't changed his diet whatsoever - except for cutting down on booze).

 

[col]

Well done on the results cunobelin,i understand what your saying with the times you can eat,i do shifts that have dinner time at nine in the morning,so i can identify with you there,its a nightmare sometimes.
Samnichols,thats great advice,i agree with everything you say,but with protein what the body doesnt need it gets rid of(if you know what i mean ) but having protein in a meal helps stop the hunger pangs setting in too early too,it wont cause harm to you so its something not to worry about as far as i understand.here is a list of things that i eat as my main part of the diet i am following at the moment

Breakfast,porridge(made with semi skimmed milk,or water if you like)
weatabix,(semi skimmed milk)
scrambled eggs(once or twice a week)

other meals, jacket spuds(no sauces or mayo,)
cooked veg (no limitation on amount)
tuna(in brine drained)
chicken(skinless boiled or grilled)
fresh fish (as above)
Rice (i like uncle bens micro bags,some flavours go over 4.5 grms fat rule)
salad stuff(no dressing)
fruit(apples oranges pears,one banana a day)
pasta(no sauces)
baked bean
tinned tomatoes
This isnt everything but you get the idea,if some thing is a little dry you can add the juice from tinned toms or bean if it suits,and like you said no sugar

 

[Fnaar]

I'm a lucky bu99er! I eat like a horse, cakes, etc you name it, and I've always been slim