Tuesday, July 10, 2007

A few training tips

2 weeks ago, when I had 4 weeks left til "the big day", I signed up at Gold's Gym. Desperate? Perhaps.

I signed up for 8 training sessions with a 21-year old trainer named Will. He just graduated from college with a degree in personal training, and he is trying to kick my butt. This is good.

I am noticeably sore today from the lunges I did yesterday with 10 pound weights in each hand.

Probably the best part about training with Will is some of the health tips he talks about while I'm sweating on the elliptical.

- Cook your pasta al dente. It will have a lower glycemic level than if you cook it all the way through.

- If you're trying to lose weight, don't eat starchy carbs at dinner. Eat vegetables (those are fibrous carbs) but don't eat pasta or potatoes or bread.

- Eat the starchy carbs in the first part of your day so you'll burn them off throughout the day (toast, oatmeal during breakfast)

- It's only safe to lose 2 or 2.5 lbs per week.

- Eat every 3 hours, or 5-6 times a day to keep your metabolism up. You burn calories when you eat.

- Skipping meals does not contribute to weight loss. Your body goes into shock mode thinking it's starving, and then stores the fat instead of releasing it.

- Avoid sugar and white bread! I now use stevia in my coffee. (Can be found at Whole Foods and some taste better than others. I like NuNaturals).

- Drink plenty of water, as it aids in metabolizing fat.

- Fruit is good. Grapes, bananas & watermelon are highest in sugar. Berries are great, as they have fiber in them.

- Avoid fruit juice - too much sugar in it.

- Eat as much salad as you can! Easy on the dressing, unless it's olive oil and lemon. I've been eating lots of salad with romaine lettuce, tuna, olive oil and lemon, avocado...

- Avocado is a good fat!

- Cardio for 35 minutes, (not including a 5-minute warm-up and 5-10 minute cool-down) 4 x's a week!

- Be active!!

- Sweat! It helps get the toxins out of your body.

- Having muscles burns fat! The more muscle you have, the bigger metabolic engine you have, and the easier it is for your body to burn calories.

More to come...

5 comments:

missmobtown said...

Great tips. I'm trying to cut back on meat intake as well and be a five-day-a-week vegetarian. Actually I'm trying this for awhile: http://www.nosdiet.com/

Except I'm sort of changing out the "Seconds" for "Sodas", because how bad could seconds of cauliflower be for a person?

Also, tons of walking.

That's my plan, but I think a 21 year old drill sergeant would help me out as well!

Jamie Welsh Watson said...

That is fabulous Catherine! I checked out the website - that is really cool and I love the simplicity of it. It slightly reminds me of something I was told once..."Never eat anything that comes packaged in a plastic bag". (ie chips, candy...)

Seconds of cauliflower can't be bad, you are so right. The vegetarian thing is good too, because wait until I tell you about something I did last Friday where I found out about undigested red meat. I'll tell you in person to spare the other readers.

Jessica Nichols said...

Jamie, please tell about the red meat thing.

missmobtown said...

yeah, jamie. the people want to hear about the meat.

sulu-design said...

Ah, yes, all good advice. I've changed my eating habits drastically over the past year, and another tip that I'd add to the list is to eat little meals all day long. I find that eating five or six times a day helps me to control my portions because I'm not starving when mealtime rolls around. Best of luck to you during your four week countdown!