Getting Fit

Back to work and training

Well, a new term which means back to work. Fitting in the bike has not been so easy. Running is easier as I can drop my youngest two at school at 7.15 am which means I can get to work before 8am and run around the track. I find the track boring but it is a good way to measure distance. This week I have run every morning except Tuesday when I ran in the evening and today which is a rest day. I have been trying to get my pace up but not sure how well I have done. My 5K is down to 25mins which is OK but I have been trying to improve my time of 12mins for 2.5K without success. I will keep on working at it! I managed a bike twice this week and still have the weekend when I will also practice transitions. I also managed a swim and have a lesson arranged for next week. I have also registered for the International Lanzarote Duatthlon 5Krun-20Kbike-2.5Krun based at La Santa. The event is next weekend, 22/01/11. I would love to do it in 1:30 but think a more realistic time will be 1:45 which will place me firmly last.

The diet has been going OK. My weight has remained static at 57.2 with a bit of a fluctuation down. I have been a bit naughty, too much bread and some nuts. Plus has 2 beers this evening but with all this training I need to up the carbs a bit. I am still below my target weight by about 4 kilos.

10 things you need to know about losing weight

The BBC broadcast a program called 10 things you need to know about losing weight (which at this date is still available on iPlayer).

The premise of the show was that a perfectly average weight looking guy found out that he actually had too much body fat which was endangering his health and so he wanted to find out how he could lose weight without excessive diets and exercise. Through a series of experiments (10 to be precise) he demonstrated how easy it can be to lose weight.

The key points are:

1. Don't skip meals. This causes a chemical to be triggered in your brain which makes you crave carbs.
2. Reduce portion sizes. It has been scientifically proven that if you reduce the size of your plate it will help reduce portion sizes which can help you eat 22% less.
3. Chose low calorie options. This small change can make a big difference as you can reduce calorie consumption by half.
4. Keep a food diary. I have written about this experiment involving actress Debbie Chazen on Plus Size Tall.
5. EAT MORE PROTEIN
6. Add soup to your diet. Soup keeps your stomach fuller for longer driving away food cravings.
7. Avoid too much choice
8. EAT MORE LOW FAT DAIRY
9. Exercise. The initial activity of exercise burns off calories however over the next 24 hours, once the calories are used up, the body uses up the fat as energy.
10. SMALL CHANGES TO ROUTINE

This program is interesting for all Dukaners as it clearly shows how the diet is helping us to lose weight. In particular points 5, 8, and 10. Here they are explained.

5. EAT MORE PROTEIN: By just adding 10% extra protein to our diet keeps us fuller for longer. It also triggers a hormone in our brain called PYY which suppresses hunger pangs.
8. EAT MORE LOW FAT DAIRY: Dairy calcium cannot be absorbed so it is excreted. It assists in absorbing fat from other foods. The addition of low fat yogurts, milk, and cheese will aid in the reduction of fat in your body by excreting it.
10. SMALL CHANGES TO ROUTINE: If your job involves sitting down for long stints, try and get up more. Get off the bus a stop earlier. Use stairs and not lifts or escalators. More moving around and increasing your heart rate will help you burn calories and lose weight.

Psychological tricks to fool your mind to think less is more

This is an article I wrote and published on www.plussizetall.com

Losing weight and eating more healthily is an annual favourite New Year’s pledge; here Professor Wiseman, Psychologist from the University of Hertfordshire, provides five psychological tricks to fool your mind into believing that less is more.



Psychological Trick 1. Using the theory out of site, out of mind, place all unhealthy food you are trying to avoid out of site by putting it in opaque containers and on a high shelf. Alternatively remove from the house all together.

Psychological Trick 2. If you are trying to cut down on alcohol drink the alcohol from narrow glasses. People measure the amount they are drinking by depth. By pouring a drink into a narrow glass you think you are drinking more than if the same drink was in a wider glass.

Psychological Trick 3. Make small changes to your routine to help you burn calories without even realizing it. Take stairs for example rather than the lift. Get off the bus a stop earlier and walk the rest of the way.

Psychological Trick 4. Serve food on smaller plates! Researchers in America have shown that a portion of food on a small plate looks more than the same size portion on a big plate.

Psychological Trick 5. Keep a food diary. A food diary honestly kept will show you what food you consume during the day.

Source: BBC, Psychological tricks to keep you on your New Year diet

Good tips for the Dukan Diet too!

Arrecife Marathon

On the 30th November I took part in the Arrecife Marathon running the 10K (just over). It was a really good day. The kids also took part running in the kids race which was 1K. The organisation of the event was really good with the roads in Arrecife closed and feeding stations throughout the course which was run primarily along the coastal path and around the Charco. After the run food and drink was provided although the only thing I fancied was a chocolate ice cream!! I managed 1 hour which put me in the middle of my age group so not too bad. Especially as I have only been running since October.

New Year 2011

Goodness, I have not posted for a while. Happy New Year and hope Christmas was a good one.

So, how have I been doing? Well, I am on consolidation weighing 57kg which is just shy of 9 stone at 8 stone and 13 pounds and 21.56 on the BMI scale. I have gone down as much as 56.8kg and up to 58.5kg, depending on what has been happening, such as Christmas and New Year!!

My brother came to visit on the 17th December for the weekend which coincided with a works dinner so that was a meal out, followed by another meal out the next day, followed by more drinks the following day! Not to much damage I am pleased to report and I was not watching what I was eating. The following Wednesday was another staff do, more drink and food...then of course the Saturday was Christmas Day. LOTS of drink and food!! Tried to be careful the following week but as I am off work, school hols, it has not been easy. And of course, new Years Eve more food and drink. But so far this week have done OK.

Have also been able to up the training thanks to the Xmas break. Before Christmas my runs have included 3 interval training sessions a week on the track, 1 5K run at home, and 1 10K run at home. Plus 1 swim a week. I have also got on the bike, and at the beginning fallen off more times than not and had plenty of tantrums. However, over the break I have become more confident, can go down hills, do junctions, and get off without falling. Yipee!! So, I have managed 25K rides fairly competently but now need to pick up the pace. In the last 2 days I have done a run, swim, and bike. today is a rest day and I am knackered!! Back on the bike tomorrow for what will be for me some daunting hills. And will also have to put a run in. The Duathlon is on the 22nd January and am a bit nervous I am not up to it but I will keep going.

Consolidation

Well, I started consolidation on the 6th November. My weight being 60.1. I started with a celebration meal which was pasta and for lunch had a cheese sandwich. The next day I had put on a kilo, ouch! However, it was also my TOM so I think that is why. My weight stayed the same for several days and then went down to 60.3, 60, and finishing on Saturday, a week later, at 59.6.

The next day it went up to 60kg where it remained until Thursday when it went down to 59.8. then on Friday to 59.7, finishing today at 59.2, 2 weeks later. However, today I have had unbearable headaches due to a virus and working on my PC all day and I have given in and taken throughout the course of the day 2 large pain killers. I can feel the water retention already! have had a green tea though. Will have another later.

During the weeks I have had mainl salad and I have planned the evening meals to include soup, chicken, mince etc. The usual really only with veg. My protein only day is a Monday as that will work out better for training and the events which are always at the weekend. Starch day is a Wednesday (pasta) and celebration meal is a Saturday (also pasta, I love pasta! but a bit of a pudding too). I must admit to a vodka - large - on a Friday and a glass of wine with my celebration meal on a Saturday.

So, that is food mapped out.

I am running at least 5k 5 times a week, up to 10k. I have also started interval training. I am only swimming for 1 30min session a week which is not enough and want to increase that but with the weather turning colder the sea is not an option at the moment and the pool is expensive. Need to work that one out. As soon as I have mastered the bike I will start training on that too. On Tuedsays I work out on the free gym equiptment at the local beach and  I still try and walk every day.

So, this blog is going to turn over to my training efforts for my planned events. They are:

• The whole sea swim season next year
• Arrecife Marathon next weekend, just the 1/4 or 10K
• Duathlon on the 11th Jan (if I can ride a bike by then!)
• The Volcan triathlon which I think is in May
• The wine run in June
• Music Marathon 20k in October
• and maybe, just maybe, the Ocean Lava 1/2 iron Man in September
• Finally for the year 2011 the whole Arrecife Marathon

Day 120 on the Dukan Diet

Well, today I weigh 60.7kg which means I have reached my target weight and 6 weeks ahead of schedule. Hmmm. Well, I will not go onto consolidation until the weekend as long as weight has not gone up....