Some Nutritional Basics
Ok, so I don't know what level you guys are at with the whole nutrition thing, so i'll just start with the basics & build on that. I've noticed with some clients that a few basic changes to their diet has revolutionised their life and meant that they are losing 1kg a week without much effort. Please bear in mind i am not a qualified nutritionalist, blah blah.. see disclaimer. :-)
Right - So on the surface its a simple equation Calories in > Calories out = put on weight. Calories in < Calories out = lose weight. While this is true, it also makes a difference what calories you are putting in. Eg. A cream bun versus tuna salad.
Please be aware I disagree with 'diets' and the main reason is that they just DONT work. Research says that of all the people on diets only a paltry 2% are successful on an ongoing basis. That is appalling! The other thing is that the whole concept of dieting implies that its something you 'do' for a period of time until you achieve the goals - then of course you can relax again and let it all hang out. ahh... self-defeating. I'm a strong advocate for examining and where necessary changing your eating habits, because if this is to work for you it needs to be a 'lifestyle' change where you take on a new way of eating that becomes how you eat.
An Experiment
For the last 3 months whilst taking Kettlebell Classes - I've also been paying attention to my diet. So i've gone for more foods which have a low glycemic index, and of course which are less processed. As part of this process I've cut out the biscuit & cake 'snacks' and replaced them with fruit & my favourite Almonds! Its gone well and i notice the difference.
That said i've come across an interesting 'way of eating' which I'm going to give a shot. Its called the "The Warrior Diet" by Ori Hofmekler. (See link below)
I'm not sure how it'll go as i gather he's reasonably controversial. That said i do 'instinctively' agree with some of what he says in his book so far - so why not :-) He's a bit OTT - I think that's an OK thing!
Follow me & find out how it progresses
Warrior Diet Update
Here's some more information on how it works
The Warrior diet is broken down into two phases; the Undereating and the Overeating Phase.
The undereating phase is from when you wake up through to the evening – the overeating phase is actually the evening meal.
Here’s a breakdown (taken from the book) to help
Foods & Supplements for the Undereating Phase
* Live (raw) fruits & vege’s
* Freshly prepared fruit & vege juices
* Yoghurt, pesticide-free whey & milk-protein shakes, poached or boiled eggs.
Optional
* Handful of raw almonds (starting in the afternoon)
Supplements recommended:
* Multivitamin & Minerals
* Probiotics
* Estrogen inhibitors
* Liver detoxifiers
* Blood sugar stabilisers
Optional:
* Grapeseed extract
* Ginseng
* Ginger
* Tyrosine
* SAM-e
* Enzymes
* Prostate healing herbs
Part II
Here’s an excerpt from the book “... for all those guys who ask me, “Just tell me what i can eat during the day & what i can eat at night”
* Eat raw fruits, vegetables, and light fresh protein (yogurt, kefir,eggs, nuts and seeds, protein shakes) during the day – all food groups at night.
* Drink plenty of clean, pure water throughout the day.
Mornings through to Noon:
* Water – drink at least 1 glass of water upon awakening (plain or with lemon) (Water with Lemon in the morning is supposed to greatly help your calcium uptake - R)
* Coffee or tea
* Fruits – fresh & raw
* Juices – freshly prepared from raw vegetables or fruits. I mean really fresh, those made to order in a blender or juicer, not prepared or bottled juices.
* Small servings of light fresh protein food, such as plain yogurt, kefir, poached or boiled eggs, as well as whey and milk protein shakes.
Noon through end of day:
* Coffee or tea
* Small servings of protein
* Fruits – fresh & raw
* Juices – freshly prepared from raw vegetables or fruits. (eg. carrot, beet, parsley, oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, blueberries, apples.) (Personally i'm a big fan of carrot & apple with a little ginger - R)
* Miso soup
During the adaptation period, and days that you feel deprived:
* Green salad with little or no dressing
* Protein – pesticide free whey and milk protein shake would be the best protein choice during the day.
* Or you can opt for lean protein (no more than 6 ounces) such as sashimi, eggs, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, or whey ricotta cheese. Don’t mix proteins; have only one per snack.
* Raw nuts: A handful of raw nuts, preferably almonds, instead of lean protein during the afternoon hours.
Evenings
The Warrior Diet is based in the principle of eating one large meal per day, preferably at night. During this meal you can eat as much as you want from all food groups (protein, fat, and carbohydrates), as long as you follow the Warrior Diet rules of eating:
1. Start with leafy green vegetables (such as romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, arugula, parsley, endives).
2. Continue with protein (such as fish, seafood, eggs, beans, cheese), cooked vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, squash, mushrooms, eggplant, beet greens, kale, collard greens), and fat (such as essential fatty acid oils, olive oil, almonds, avocado, butter).
3. Finish with Carbohydrates (such as brown rice, potatoes, corn, yams, quinoa, barley) or alternatively finish with raw nuts or seeds (such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds).
4. Stop eating when you feel much more thirsty than hungry.
Before your workout:
Water
Coffee or tea
Protein shake (pesticide free, fast assimilating proteins such as whey and milk)
(I don't take protein shakes before a workout - as i've read some research that would suggest that if you want to keep the weight off - then only have the protein shake after. - R)
After:
One litre of water, during & after
Multivitamin and minerals
Protein shake (same as before but larger serving)
There you go! Interesting I hope. I'm still not doing this properly, as I haven't finished reading the book! :-)
But it has been completely fine so far. I don't find myself flagging during the day & if I do then I grab a fresh squeezed fruit juice or a handful of almonds & I'm rip-roaring again. Yes, it does take a period of adaption as you get used to the rhythm and I had quite a few hungry 'afternoons' there.
I admit I haven't fully committed myself to it yet - as I'm still wondering about the wisdom of stuffing yourself at night time! I'll keep you posted!