I've been reading so much about the best exercises to do to lose weight - or just to keep a healthy lean body, whatever you want to do...
But do it slowly - keep it steady and if you want to go 'all out', only do it for 20 seconds at a time, perhaps 30, with a 20 second break and no longer then 7-9 minutes - this is called HIIT or 'High Intensity Interval Training' and it's all the 'rage' right now - but then, who cares? As long as it works for you - you can find scores of HIIT workouts on youtube - and it works well if you're fasting on some days and eating normally on others...
So yeah, I've been reading up on the 5:2 diet - this huge massive diet 'rage' that has overtaken the world - my only quibble is the eating 'normally' on the days you don't fast... That basically gives people a green light to eat whatever the hell they want, which is a big no no, still keep healthy, still pile yourself high in natural foods - nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruit... Sadly I still need to lose more weight, so I think I'm going to fast every other day, which I can easily do, as I need 500 calories (although I hate counting calories!) and I can do that easily with a smoothie for breakfast, miss out lunch (never hungry then anyway) and a small meal in the evening, I've got plenty of 5:2 recipe books to help me.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this post today - I think my head is just swimming with masses of information about everything and how most of it contradicts the others - I've been looking at the 'age defying diet' the one that speeds up your metabolism with weight training and a smoothie/healthy meal diet each day (a bit like the 5:2), but it has failed on me by citing 'low fat products' in the recipes - please please please DO NOT buy low fat products - what do you think replaces the fat? SUGAR! And loads of it too and if (RUNS TO THE HILLS SCREAMING), it's low fat, non sugar - then it's stuffed full of manmade yuck yuck yuck SWEETENERS - do not touch anything like that with a barge poll! I'm probably going to use these recipes in this book as they sound good, but use FULL FAT! I also stumbled over a book of healthy smoothies dictating/preaching you to buy low fat yogurt, skimmed milk... These people are insane, but then, these people are not from around these parts! ;)
Go steady? I contradicted myself with high intensity run yourself ragged 20 seconds bursts of exercise - sorry - I guess it's to do with the aerobic and anaerobic state - aerobic burns fat, anaerobic burns sugar, it's best to be always in an aerobic state and only power up to the anaerobic in the 20 seconds of hardest work - thing is, I also keep reading of the 'slow burn', the 'endurance' of cardio training - this is why I love running so much - I can control my speed, my tempo and where I run - I tend to take the same route, but I mix and match with interval training - so 20 second sprint burst, followed by 30 second recovery slow jog and then 20 second sprint burst followed by another 30 second recovery slow jog - 3 times in one set, 3 sets over my 1 hour and 20 minute usual 6 mile run...
I still think the best piece of advise I can give to anyone wanting to eat right and get fit is that you've got to be patient, not every diet or fitness is going to work for you - I've spent 3 years using myself as a guinea pig and for me juicing and blending works, running works, walking works, protein powders work (I hardly eat any meat) soups work for dinner - my problem is just keeping it going - I eat healthily all through the week and exercise too, come weekend, I want a glass of wine! The annoyance of being human I guess! I'll get there... But the next fortnight I shall try fasting and see if that helps. Stress is also another big part of weight gain, I seem to experience a lot of it in one form or another... Perhaps Yoga will be the answer? Watch this space!
Sorry for the waffle... Have a common blue butterfly photo from my garden to make it all better! ;)
xxx
