Since I began this weblog in January '08 I have had numerous emails, a lot congratulating me on my progress which are very much appreciated.
I have also received many questions based on the same subjects so I have put together a frequently asked questions page. Please bear in mind this is about me and what works for
me, so of course I'm not claiming it to be accurate, I am still learning and making plenty of mistakes. Should you have
any questions for me not listed please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Q. Your site is quite an inspiration, how do you get motivated?
A. Just looking back at old photos of myself is enough! But daily motivation comes in the form of mini challenges, everyday at the gym I try to set a new goal,
just one more rep, an extra 100 calories or 50 more sit ups. For everyone else I would say that if you are truly determined, and you really want to lose fat,
or if you have been told to turn things around sooner rather than later because your health may suffer then there's no point putting things off, if you want to change
then start today! Don't forget making little changes count, you need to set
yourself a realistic goal with loads of little goals along the way. I know
its a cliche, but if you keep a POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE at all times and
always think ahead to your goals (i.e. washing your car with your top off,
looking good, family BBQ's, feeling good etc) you WILL achieve what you set
out to do. Challenge yourself and win!
A. I have made quite a considerable change to my diet. KFC, McDonalds, BK, and SUBWAY no longer exist in my vocabulary! This is where you are slipping up BIG TIME.
They might taste nice, but they are LOADED with FAT and SATURATED FAT (the stuff that kills you).
I think I have had two burgers since January and that's because I treated myself and the other time I did not have any choice.
I thought I would seriously miss these, but to be honest with you - I can now see them for what they are. Giant FAT pills with hardly any positive nutritional value whatsoever!
Your evening meals sound ok, if you have been good all day, there is no real reason to change these.
However I would suggest one thing. Keep an eye on your portions, try halving the size, buy a smaller plate if necessary.
Slow down and chew your food more too, this signals the body that you are eating more and therefore the body thinks its full sooner.
If roasting, use olive oil and steer clear of deep fried chips, stick with homemade oven cooked potato wedges and keep the skin on! Yum!
Watch your toppings too. There's no point choosing a healthy jacket potato if you going to load it up with butter and mayonnaise.
Choose a tuna topping, buzz in a bit of chilli powder to spice it up a bit.
A. I do still drink alcohol, my original plan was to cut it out completely, I probably will if I cannot get to that body fat percentage I'm after!
To be honest with you, alcohol was my biggest downfall and even though I have not cut it out completely I have cut down considerably and the difference
is amazing. If you fancy a tipple, don't drink loads of lager (one can of stella is about 250-300 calories), one or two is ok, but move on to the
shorts - brandy or vodka is better with only around 50 calories in a shot. If you want coke with it, try coke zero - no calories or sugar whatsoever,
but tastes just the same. Wine is nice too, but drink one or two glasses again. I now only drink at the weekends and not as half as much as I used to.
A. I try to drink around 2 litres of water a day. If my pee isn't clear, then I'm not drinking enough water! Apart from water I drink black coffee with one sugar 1-3 times a day.
There is no need to stuff it with cream, full fat milk, chocolate etc. Although coffee isn't a calorie sin, its best to stop drinking it mid afternoon to get the body in wind
down mode for a good night's sleep.
A. No nibbling on crap and no drinking milk before bed. This is another very bad example of where your weight is coming from.
Think of is this way, you eat food to help you move, exercise, think and get on with day to day duties. So when you eat before before bed,
all that energy you have just supplied your body just sits there doing nothing while you sleep, so your body goes ok he doesn't need this right now,
lets store it for later, and the best storage it has is of course fat! AND WHAT MAKES THIS WORSE, you are eating RUBBISH and fatty foods before bed.
Your body fat store is lurving you mister - cut this out immediately.
Now I understand that evening hunger pangs are a nuisance, I still get them now.. Obviously if you are going to snack, try some fruit, nuts or if
you must have some form of sugar, try weightwatchers toffee desert - very nice and they are not loaded with calories and fat, but remember to eat this
at least 1-2 hrs before bed, earlier if possible? Still the best way to avoid this is to eat more (healthier) during the day and therefore your body will not be so hungry
later on. It may take a little while but your body will get used to this. And remember, sometimes its easy to mistake being thirsty for hunger,
try a pint of water during the evening, just might do the job.
A. Yes, although they are not 100% accurate (no bathroom scales are), they are good for following trends in my body weight and fat percentage. I intend to purchase
some body fat measuring calipers in the next few weeks so I can take more accurate body fat readings.
A. Contrary to the belief that working out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is the best, I have always opted for the post work (9-5) workout. It has (so far) worked
for me very well. I did try the first thing in the morning routine but had a very dizzy spell straight afterwards which put me off. I had not loaded on carbs the night before, this could have been
the problem.
A. Not everyone is the same, what works for one person will not work for
another, but the basic fundimentals will always remain the same. Keep in a
calorie deficit and you WILL LOSE weight, eat more calories than you need
and you will GAIN weight. Looking back for me I probably only ate around
300-500 cals more than I should of, doesn't sound too bad, but I
ate these added calories everyday, this helped me gain 2.5 stone in 18 months.
It works exactly the same way when trying to lose the weight, you only have
to consume 300-500 (or about 20%) less calories per day than you need, do
this everyday and the weight will come off, throw in some exercise of
course and you'll become a fat burning machine. The all important bit of
this, is to stay consistant, its no good if you eat bugger all one day then
blow out the next, your body is likely to go into starvation mode and store
even more podge. This is only good when trying to break a plateau! You need to
find out what your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is, try google and
use this as a guide to work out how many calories less you need to eat.
A. I use Hydrolised Whey Protein, Multivitamins, Fish Oils, Flaxseed & Starflower Oils (Omega 3,6,9), Vitamin C and
L-Glutamine supplements in my diet.
A. I tend to use more free weights than the machines at the gym. I find the machines lock you into one position and therefore are aimed only at one set of
muscle groups. Using the free weights I can exercise more than just one muscle group at a time. I also find that I am more prone to injuries
when using the machines. There are a few machines I use for my back and legs like the seated leg curl, leg and back extensions.
Regarding my cardio work, I use pretty much all the machines that are available. The stationary bike has become a favourite for HIIT training, while the treadmill
has become the number one for top calorie burning, endurance and the now famous "one treadmill mile". The cross trainer and rower are also excellent for burning
calories quickly too, the rower in fact is the only cardio machine that gives your back a good work out.
A. I like the runner too, but unfortunately I tend to get shine splint a lot, so my running has decreased quite a bit. That said I still do
occasionally get a stitch and when it happens it is very annoying. The pain is caused by a spasm of the diaphragm muscle, as you run this muscle
gets pulled upwards and downwards with quite a bit of force, thus sometimes can cause the pain your experiencing. Try breathing more deeply
or stopping the running if this happens, give it a while then try again. I have been told the best way to avoid this is to stretch and warm up more before the exercise, drink more fluids and avoid eating too close to the
start of your workout.
