Eating plans..

[Jhutch]

A quick google brings up this page which might be of some help?

Q+A: What are the benefits of fizzy drinks? - Runner's World Nutrition

The punchline seems to be that the absorption is the same but the carbonated stuff is more likely to lead to discomfort.


On a personal level i have found that having a fizzy drink in a drinks bottle (while cycling) is a bad idea. If you have the top on then the constant shaking leads to it becoming VERY fizzy Leaving the top off does allow the gas to escape but unfortunately can lead to some of the drink escaping too (although when this sprays onto your legs on a hot day it isnt such a bad thing).

[Lory]

The pounds just fell off. I've gone from 14 stone 2, to 13 stone 1 with little or no effort

This drop in weight.... It didn't happen to coincide with meeting a certain forumite, did it?

:EDIT: Almost forgot - Well Done Lory too

Thanks, although I've fully aware I've still got a long way to go

p.s. I looked up the Siri skinfold chart and I don't understand a word of it Where's ESG, (the maths genious) when you need him?

http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache...gl=uk&ie=UTF-8

And finally...low fat = low taste. The flavour will have been removed. They put in loads of additives to make them taste better...most of which are sugars. Excess sugar is stored as fat. So diet drinks, low fat cheese, milk etc...pretty useless.

Ah ha, the low fat stuff i've been buying (like very low fat phillidelphia cheese) tastes pretty much of nothing .. so its probably OK

and finally, I think I might have to tick another box on the poll... I found myself buying Green Tea with enchinacia today Have I officially become a 'health freak' now?

[Gav]

This drop in weight.... It didn't happen to coincide with meeting a certain forumite, did it?

Spooky that, but I don't think it has anything to do with her calling me 'porky fat b4stard' or refusing to feed me.

Joking aside, I had to go for a general check-up when I changed doctors and they reviewed my diet and exercise and insisted that I must be eating more crap than I admitted to.
I told DT about and she suggested the diary, so yes it did happen about the same time.

[Jamie]

My diet is horrendous! (come to think of it, so is my spelling of the word! - cba to look it up)

During the week I've eaten 5 pizza's, huge ammounts of garlic and chips and tons of chocolate and sweets!

That's usually the general gist of my diet, except when I'm home I usually eat more pasta than pizza... and less garlic!

I don't eat Veg at all! I eat some fruit but generally avoid it if possible! I live on sweets and chocolate, of course, you weekender goer's already know that

I wish I could eat Salad and Veg and all that healthy stuff but eating it makes me want to vomit!

[Dizzy]

p.s. I looked up the Siri skinfold chart and I don't understand a word of it Where's ESG, (the maths genious) when you need him?

http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache...gl=uk&ie=UTF-8

I was really hoping that you wouldn't need to ask that question

The Siri equation:

Density (g/cm3) = c-m (logES)

c and m = standard age and sex-specific co-efficients
ES = sum of all four skinfold measurements (mm)

Once density has been calculated:

Fat % = [(4.95/D)-4.5] x 100

D = Density

I will have to have a search for the age and sex co-efficients if you do want to calculate it this way.

[Lee Bartholomew]

During the week I've eaten 5 pizza's, huge ammounts of garlic and chips and tons of chocolate and sweets!

As BlueEyes will tell you, I live mainly off Pizza and Haribo.

I am struggling at the mo to put weight on. I lost a stone at Southport (which isn't unusual for me to do at weekenders) but never put it back on.

Now trying to put on weight be eating healthy.

[Jhutch]

My diet is horrendous!

During the week I've eaten 5 pizza's, huge ammounts of garlic and chips and tons of chocolate and sweets!

Garlic is actually supposed to be good for your heart
Benefits of Garlic in Heart Disease

although its not the most sociable food

[Beowulf]

p.s. I looked up the Siri skinfold chart and I don't understand a word of it Where's ESG, (the maths genius) when you need him?

more than one maths wiz these days

1.099421-0.0009929*(S3SKF)+0.0000023*(S3SKF)²-0.0001392*(age)

Now Sigma3SKF is just the sum of the three skin fold thickness's (triceps, suprailiac, thigh in this case)

Having a look at the XLS it seems pretty straight forward. You measure the thickness's at the various locations, type in your age, male or female for sex and the xls does the calc for you. You then take the results from the table down the right hand side. Then you take that value and on the second page input your age, and this score and it gives you your body fat %age..

[Lory]

My diet is horrendous!

I live mainly off Pizza and Haribo.

I am struggling at the mo to put weight on.

Your just a couple of bloody no good Ectomorphs, the pair of you

Seriously though, Woodface, have you tried those 'supppliment' drinks, like 'build up'?
Nestlé UK - BuildUp Range

[Lee Bartholomew]

Your just a couple of bloody no good Ectomorphs, the pair of you

Seriously though, Woodface, have you tried those 'supppliment' drinks, like 'build up'?
Nestlé UK - BuildUp Range

Was going to try some next time I go shopping. They are exactly the same as slim fast, exactly the same stuff.

[Lory]

Lots of gobble de gook!

I'll just send my measurements to you, when the calipers arrive then, shall I?

[Barry Shnikov]

Fried spam fritters

That's torn it.

Now I have to go to the shops on the way home and buy eggs, milk and spam...

[Caz]

As BlueEyes will tell you, I live mainly off Pizza and Haribo.

I am struggling at the mo to put weight on. I lost a stone at Southport (which isn't unusual for me to do at weekenders) but never put it back on.

Now trying to put on weight be eating healthy.

Haribo is an essential food item isn't it? along with carbohydrates etc etc

I live on pasta, pizza, sweets, vast amounts of chocolate (which I shouldn't do really) any anything unhealthy i can get my hands on normally!!

I like woodface also struggle to put weight on... lost an awful lot of weight recently due to personal stress but am happier as i am now with my weight and don't particularly want to put any more on

[Lynn]

And finally...low fat = low taste. The flavour will have been removed. They put in loads of additives to make them taste better...most of which are sugars. Excess sugar is stored as fat. So diet drinks, low fat cheese, milk etc...pretty useless.

Agree re this, I tend to prefer to just eat less of the 'regular' version than buy the 'low fat' as the taste just isn't the same.

Regarding acidic foods, years ago due to sinus trouble I was recommended to avoid acidic foods - some obvious - oranges, tomatoes and fizzy drinks - but also all dairy. Is the lactic acid in dairy absorbed differently?

I've recently lost weight*, this is the second time that has happened to me after just one week in Spain. When I'm in Spain I tend to eat a lot of fresh, raw vegetables and salad, fruit, fish and olive oil. Definitely less carbs, though I did have some pizza and pasta. I know I'm more active as well, but I wasn't doing that much walking/swimming/dancing, just a little. So diet clearly does have an impact!

*Only a little bit, just enough that I notice, others might not.

[ShinyWeeStar]

As BlueEyes will tell you, I live mainly off Pizza and Haribo.

I am struggling at the mo to put weight on.

My diet is horrendous! (come to think of it, so is my spelling of the word! - cba to look it up)

During the week I've eaten 5 pizza's, huge ammounts of garlic and chips and tons of chocolate and sweets!

That's usually the general gist of my diet

Aw, no fair - wish I could live off pizza and chocolate and Haribo and still stay slim!

[Icey]

Aw, no fair - wish I could live off pizza and chocolate and Haribo and still stay slim!

I just have to sniff the Haribo and I can't get into my jeans

[frodo]

what:
Ah ha, the low fat stuff i've been buying (like very low fat phillidelphia cheese) tastes pretty much of nothing .. so its probably OK

If you look at the numbers on the side of the box even 'extra light' Phillidephia has a quite decent fat content, so if that doesn't taste of anything might as well go for something properly very low fat.

[SteveK]

Sports drinks....Contain lots of sugar i.e. Lucozade etc. They are also carbonated....this causes the acidity within the body. Don't ask me how...I'm not a biologist or a food scientist...I'm a PT.

It will leach calcium (A massively underated mineral within the body) and if you want major scare tactics...could lead to osteoporosis.

The reason the Tour Du France boys 'drink' sports drinks...they probably sponsor them...It'd also be worth investigatin to see if the drink in the bottle is waht it says it is outside the bottle.

I have never actually liked drinking fizzy sports drinks while exercising - the fizziness can make your stomach feel a bit off. I dont know what TdF cyclists take but my friends who did a lot of cycling normally drank this

Science in Sport Go Sports Drink from The Outdoor Shop

which is none fizzy as far as i can remember.

The acid in (some?) sports drinks can also damage the enamel on your teeth

Proper sports drinks aren't fizzy; the rate that professional cyclists consume them, they'd be burping all the way up the mountains.

Carbonic acid (carbon dioxide dissolved in water) is a fairly weak acid; it's the sugar that is bad for teeth rather than the fizzyness. Professional cyclists definitely do drink sports drinks - stuff such similar to JH's link above, rather than fizzy stuff like lucozade etc.

Carbonic acid is a much weaker acid than stomach acid, so I just don't understand how the minimal amount of dissolved carbon dioxide could possibly leach calcium or cause acid conditions within the body? I understand that this isn't your area of expertise, but it would be helpful to understand the original thinking behind this, and persuade me that it isn't just an urban myth, and it's still safe to drink Irn-Bru for hangovers.

[ALexyMiss]

6. Nutrition. The biggy. Diets are rubbish! Any diet, pick whichever one you like...they are all rubbish. The first 3 letters of the word spells DIE..so how good do you think that will be. 'Balanced diet' suggests even quantities of carb's, fat's, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water...not going to happen. Nearly all diets utilise a calorie controlled theory. Controlling calories and reducing daily intake too much results in something called the Starvation Response...which ultimately leads to weight gain! The general trend in the uk is for a high carb diet...places like France have a higher fat diet...who has the highest incedence of coronary heart disease, us or the french? Answer...us! Is a high carb diet any good for you? Well that depends on your make up, however, one thing is for sure, any time you eat carbs your pancreas is having to work hard at sustaining blood sugar levels. Eat carbs and prepare for the mid afternoon slump of energy! Now, I'm not sugesting you cut them out altogether, just maybe reduce them and give your body a chance. Another one for you, why don't people eat more saturated fat...that will have a far better effect of stabilising blood sugar. (waits for the barrage of high cholesterol, heart disease and weight gain abuse ). Oh yeah, the Chinese have the lowest risk of CHD...and an extremely long life expectancy...yet they cook most foods in saturated animal fat? So who's telling the truth?

8. Water is good...obviously. About 2ltrs per day is adequate, with another ltr per hour of hard exercise. Sports hydration drinks - rubbish. They turn the body acidic which leaches calcium out of bones to redress the acid-alkali balance. Don't bother with powerade, lucozade or any other ade, water is the daddy. If you want flavour add a pinch of salt and squeeze some fresh lemon or orange juice into it. hey presto an isotonic sports drink.

Hey guys, thanks for all the great advice! Couple of questions I had based on a book I've read recently:

6. The carbohydrate/fat debate.
a) According to this book, it's ok to eat good (i.e. low GI*) carbs, particularly for breakfast, but you should never combine carbohydrates with fats (which happens to rule out most protein). You should just eat them on their own or with vegetables. The reasoning is that carbs result in insulin, which would result in storing any fat that was consumed at the same time. However, if you eat just protein and vegetables, (as it recommends you do for lunch and dinner), no insulin is produced and so the fat will not be stored.
b) The book also says that the whole calorie 'theory' is rubbish and based on a few not very scientific experiments. For example, it quotes that in an obese population, only 15% overeat (2800-4000cals per day), 35% eat normally (2000-2700 a day) and 50% eat little (less than 2000 a day).
c) It also says that eating fruit is good, BUT that you should always try to eat fruit on a relatively empty stomach. Otherwise, it says, the fruit will sit on top of the other food in your stomach and turn to alcohol.

What are people's thoughts on this?

8. Water. Agree, nearly every weight-loss method, recommends drinking plenty of water. However, the book I've just read, says you shouldn't drink it just before or during a meal as it dilutes the gastric juices which 'upsets' the digestion process. It recommends to just drink in between meals.

??

Good luck to everyone who are on trying to lose weight!

[Jive Brummie]

The GI diet is good in theory. In as much as it gets the individual thinking about food selection, what is good what potentially isn't etc.

However the Glycaemic Index also suggests that a Roast Parsnip GI 97 is worse for you than chocolate? It just doesn't quite add up.

The GI is basically a reference table of foods that are compared to Glucose and it's effect on blood sugar and it's release into the blood stream. It's graded numerically. Glucose is 100, everything else is graded from that.

Incedentally Alcohol has an even higher GI of approximately 110. But you might find it not included on most lists. This is because it is digested in a different way to most other foods, nutrients etc. Alcohol absoprtion begins in the stomach...other 'stuff' is more intestinal.

The main thing with food and exercise is that it's better to have an open mind rather than a set list of do's and don'ts. What works for some may not for others and thats what makes us all so very individual and special.

My advice would be to try different things. Yeah the saturated fat scenario sounds ridiculous because it goes against they grain of everything the government might advise (not that they have an alterior (sp?) motive for anything ) and so we poo-poo the idea. Ask yourself if you ever done it before? If not then how can we say that it will or will not work. My job as a PT is to prescribe health, fitness and lifestyle ideas and measures that I know work. I know because I've either done them myself or others have done them before me. As I said though, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for eveyone...it's just trying to find the right thing for you...

Have fun healthy people.

JB x