AVOID PILING ON THE POUNDS THIS WINTER I had a question from a good chum about winter eating and how to avoid getting fat: “Hi mate, why is it when the nights draw in and it gets cold comfort food seems so much more appealing, and what can we do over the winter to avoid gaining those extra pounds?!” Firstly, let’s get one thing straight: winter (and particularly Christmas) is a time for indulging. Enjoy it. If you’re going to binge on Ben and Jerrys cookie dough, don’t feel guilty about it. Savour it, love it – heck, smear it all over yourself if you’re that way inclined, just don’t beat yourself up about it. We often resort to comfort foods during winter because of a lowering in mood over the darker months (that SAD syndrome). The types of food that we class as ‘comfort’ are usually high in sugar, bad cards and fat – all of which elevate our mood…temporarily. It’s my firm belief that pounds are added over the winter not so much through a change in diet but more due to the lessened hours of activity. Understandably, getting out for a run or cycle in the dark, chilly hours we’re now experiencing is not fun. My best piece of advice for staying in shape over winter is actually to just embrace the new season. Enjoy it. So what, it’s a bit darker, no need to get sad about it (think about poor Norway: with 20 hours darkness per day, they have it worse. So, until my Page’s popularity has spread to outer Scandanavia, it could be worse for all of you). My top 10 tips to reduce the likelihood of those extra pounds finding their way to your love handles are: 1. Embrace the season: Once you actually get out and train in the elements, two things happen: 1. You realise that actually it’s not so bad after all, and 2. You feel like Rocky Balboa training in the snow and rain, and who doesn’t want to feel like Sly Stallone? Trust me. You also get more bang for your buck because your body has to work harder in colder climes to keep warm so you’ll burn more calories. 2. Get a gym membership: Most gyms require a minimum commitment of 3 months. Perfect. Sign up now for Nov, Dec and Jan and that’ll see you through the worst of it. If you’re not a regular gym goer, 3 months is a short enough time that - as long as you make it interesting - you can make significant gains without boring yourself. Come to think of it, I know a PT who can give you some time efficient, effective training plans... 3. Don’t regard New Year as the start of a new campaign: Every year you get the classic “Holy Hell it’s January 1st and I’m the size of a whale, I’m off to train 20 hours per week”. Needless to say, this isn’t sustainable. Viewing Jan 1st as a “new leaf” often results in us allowing ourselves to really ‘make the most’ of December and throw back that 10th Ladbomb, when perhaps 9 would have been plenty. By using Tip #2, you won’t really notice January 1st as a significant day in terms of lifestyle changes, because you’ll already be on a decent track with no need to change anything. We have enjoyed Christmas and possibly over-indulged a wee bit, but we’ve also got a semi-structured routine going, so just crack on with what we’re doing. 4. Choose your snacks wisely: Snacking is good, just pick the right stuff. Some of the best are: nuts (any kind, but don’t go too crazy on the peanuts); fruit (snore, yes, but good source of fibre and they fill you up); beef jerky; avocado; dark chocolate (75%+ cocoa) and smoothies (I’m going to post a recipe for my fave tomorrow). 5. Drink more water: When we’re cold, we tend to drink less water compared to summer. Next time you feel hungry, down a pint of water and wait 10 minutes…chances are you’ll have satisfied your “hunger”. 6. Make the most of the sun: Yup, most of us have bade farewell to the glorious yellow blob in the sky for the foreseeable, but who gets a lunch break at work? Before you reach for the Sunny Delight (do they even still make that stuff?) to get that hit of Vitamin D, head outside instead. Actual real sunlight (not bottled) is a fantastic source of Vit D which not only elevates mood but is also known to relieve hunger pangs and is a great source of calcium. 30 minutes is all you need, so get out there. Better still, run in it. 7. Exercise intensively: This is a key one. For those capable of pushing themselves, this is a time efficient, highly effective way of burning calories: Tabata training. Anyone who’s done it before will have just shuddered. It’s tough, because it needs to be done at very high intensity for it to work. But, it takes just 4 minutes to give your metabolism the hoof it needs and also raise your EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) which means you’ll burn calories for up to 36 hours AFTER you’ve finished exercising! Value for money, I’d say. Here’s how to do it: Step 1: Get on the rowing machine Step 2: Set the machine up to interval training so you’re ‘on’ for 20 seconds and ‘off’ (resting) for 10 seconds. Step 3: Start rowing like you’ve got a rocket up your arse – for 20 seconds Step 4: Gasp, gurn and cry – for ONLY 10 seconds Repeat Steps 3 and 4, 7 more times to make a total of 8 repetitions. This makes 4 minutes work total. Here it is on vid: youtube/watch?v=7XCQPDO9CSs This really is savage and you have to go all out. It’s so intense it tends to ruin the rest of your gym session (if done properly) so do it at the end before you hit the shower. N.B. Please, please do not row with crap technique. We all hate it and it looks ridiculous, so do it properly. Have a gander at this video if you’re unsure: youtube/watch?v=GrWEZbhpkoA 8. Keep a food diary: I get all my new coaching clients to complete a food diary for 7 days, honestly jotting down everything they consume. It’s amazing how even the most conscientious eaters find they include a large amount of something or other that adds to the waistline. Either complete one and evaluate it yourself – you’ll find you can pick bits out yourself - or send it to me for comments and recommendations. 9. Increase your protein intake: A couple of pointers here. Most of us eat enough protein in their dinner, but are less likely to get enough at breakfast. Apart from being useful for muscle maintenance and development, protein staves hunger off much longer than high GI carbs such as white toast or cereal. Ditch the Sugar Puffs for 3 of my favourite breakfasts: i. Natural Greek Yoghurt with a heap of mixed nuts, raisins, blueberries and a drizzle (so Jamie Oliver) of honey. ii. Scrambled eggs with bacon, served on wholemeal toast. iii. Oats (good slow-releasing energy source) with nuts, banana and honey. 10. Don’t stress about it: I don’t know anyone, even highly trained athletes, who don’t put on a couple of pounds over winter. By following the above, as closely as you’re willing, you should add less than you normally do. Embrace the winter. It’s lush and cosy, but even more lush and cosy when you’ve been out in the elements earning it! Hope thats of some help, James (Sorry for rambling so much)
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 19:25:45 +0000
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