Going shopping for food, planning meals and going out to eat should be enjoyable but also in line with your goals.  Use this guide to ensure you stay on track, particularly if trying to boost energy levels or lose weight.

Consider the following at every meal time, especially main meals:

1. 1. Food choice

This is really where the battle is won and lost.  Ingredients should be as natural as possible coming from vegetables, lean protein and whole grains.

Use lean protein as the main part of any meal (See below).  Avoid fast releasing foods like cereals, breads and processed foods as much as possible, as well as all other high fat and high sugar foods. They cause a massive rise in blood sugar levels, inhibiting weight loss and wrecking energy levels.

1. 2. Portion size

No matter where you are eating, portion size is absolutely essential.  Even a highly processed meal can be damage limited if you reduce portion size.  Ideally use a small plate or bowl to gauge portion size.

Along the same lines, eat your food slowly chewing it well and stop eating before you feel full.  This tends to increase energy levels and reduce calories very effectively.

1. 3. Always include lean proteins

This includes lean meats like chicken and turkey, fish, dairy, nuts, peas and beans.  These foods are lower in fat and higher in protein which ensures a slower release of energy.

1. 4. Stay keep starters and extras to a minimum

A perfectly balanced meal can be ruined by adding bread from the bread basket, alcohol and dessert.  If you have to, have fruit or something more natural as an extra.

1. 5. Eating out

Eating out can mean starters, extras, desserts and alcohol.  Foods are often fried or cooked in creamy sauces or high in fat.  Look out for these and choose wisely.  Lean protein and vegetables is the best way as always and remember to keep portion size right down.

You have to be determined to do your best.  How you eat has a huge impact on life and means the difference between success and failure!

Simon Lesser offers Personal Training in Bournemouth, provding a quality service in exercise, nutrition and therapy.  More info can be found at www.simonlesser.co.uk

Find below a perfect sample, 8 week running program taking you from standing to about 5k distance!This is ideally done 2-3 times per week.

Technique

• Run heel to toe, nice and quiet
• Keep shoulders, arms and hands relaxed, using them subtly to propel you
• Keep relaxed upright posture

The program

• Week 1 Run one min, walk 90 seconds. Repeat eight times.
• Week 2 Run two mins, walk one min. Repeat seven times.
• Week 3 Run three mins walk one mins. Repeat six times.
• Week 4 Run five mins, walk two mins. Repeat four times.
• Week 5 Run eight mins, walk two mins. Repeat three times.
• Week 6 Run 12 mins, walk one min. Repeat three times.
• Week 7 Run 15 mins, walk one min, Run fifteen mins.
• Week 8 Run 30 mins continuously.

Good luck.  No excuses, just get out there and do it!

How a food releases it’s energy, very simply depends on it’s composition.  Simply put, carbohydrate ased foods tend to release their energy fairly quickly, particularly the more processed sugary kinds.  A higher fibre content will slow things down here as fibre takes longer to digest.  Protein and fat take even longer to digest and release slower.

The key is to add protein to main meals to slow the release.

Simple tips for slow release (low glycaemic) eating

• Porridge is good, try not to overcook it, as it releases slower when more grainy.
• In fact, this is the case with most veggies as well, eat them raw or steamed when possible
• Apples and pears are the slowest releasing fruits to snack on.
• Try eggs for breakfast (not fried!)
• Aim to go for bread free lunches on some days, opt for fresh protein  salads instead.
• Don’t be scared off by fats.  Include good fats such as oily fish, nuts, seeds or olive oil.

Simon Lesser works as  a full time Personal Trainer and Sports Therapist in Bournemouth.  He works with a range of clients from a private  gym in Bournemouth, Dorset – for more information call 07748 914368 or visit simonlesser.co.uk

Following exercise the key for a lot of people is recovery and as quickly as possible.  We look towards the next Personal Training session, run on Bournemouth beach, cycle ride in the new forest, whatever it may be.  What we eat generally is really important and following exercise is essential.

After training, the body is dehydrated even if we have drunk well before and during exercise.  Glycogen (energy) stores tend to be very low, (particularly after a session with the Personal Trainer!) and the muscles are in a state of shock. The key is the immediate 20 minutes following exercise.  At this point the body will take in nutrients multiple times faster than at any other time.  It makes sense for that reason to eat and drinks before hitting the shower.

So what works!? Well, as opposed to other time, fast releasing energy is great as it drops straight in.  If this is accompanied with a small amount of protein to help rebuild the muscles then even better and of course drinking plenty of water is great!

Some people use a simple sports drink with some added protein.  There are drinks mix products on the market that contain fast release carbs and some protein as well as other nutrients.  Some people even go by some milk with sugar mixed in, or even a milkshake!

Whatever your post training meal may be, ensure it is taken 20 minutes following exercise. Then look to eat a normal meal about an hour later.  Ultimate recovery, made simple!!

Simon Lesser works as a Personal Trainer in Bournemouth, Dorset specializing in fitness, sports massage and weight loss.  Details on Personal Training and Sports Massage can be found at www.simonlesser.co.uk

For many people having a Personal Training session can provide the accountability needed.  Checking in once or twice a week is often enough to keep you motivated and on track.  The quality of a client’s exercise dramatically improves, learning the right techniques and intensity is always the way to get results.  This takes practice and an experienced eye.

We work from a Private Personal Training Studio in Bournemouth offering a range of services in fitness and nutrition.  Whether you want to lose weight, get fit, improve body shape or simply get healthy we have a package to suit.  We offer a free consultation including fitness assessments.

See the website for contact details  www.simonlesser.co.uk

Train in a group

For example, joining a local running club or going cycling with others can often be enough motivation to keep you going.  It really can be soul destroying on your todd, and this may be the extra motivation you need, even if you’re afraid to let others down that’s great.

Buying the right gear

Generally, exercise shouldn’t be about all the gear (and no idea) but buying a few winter essentials can make outdoor training more enjoyable.  Winter baselayers will keep the warmth in and keep you dry, a superb option.  Some decent waterproofs help, as well as decent gloves and headgear.

Be flexible with exercise

Check the weather often to choose the best times to get out, but be willing to be flexible.  If it’s chucking it down all morning then see if you can wait til later.  If all else fails have a gym program as a back up.  Remember its your fitness that will benefit come spring next year.

Also see the other article on winter training.  http://www.simonlesser.co.uk/articles/winter-training

Simon Lesser works as  a full time Personal Trainer and Sports Therapist.  He works with a range of clients from a private  gym in Bournemouth, Dorset – for more information call 07748 914368 or visit simonlesser.co.uk

Often it’s a case of  “Oh, I’ll just stop eating bread” or “I’ll just eat this food every day”.  This can be a mistake and lead to bad habits.  In truth breakfast and lunch tend to be quick to prepare and there is plenty of choice out there.

The key is to find 3 or 4 varied but healthy options.  For example breakfast wise you may decide for a natural muesli, scrambled eggs on toast or porridge with honey.   This eliminates the boredom factor and in theory you would have the same healthy breakfast twice a week.

Simply a case of replacing bad choices with good choices – and clearly being prepared and buying the food in for the good choices!

Very simple psychology!

Actually, it never really is that bad!  I have seen many people actually start running from scratch in the middle of December.  For many, daylight can be a limiting factor and this is where the gym comes in handy.

The cold months are a handy time to be down the gym doing some resistance work, be it strength work or working on muscular endurance.  Even a simple 20-30 minute routine of weights can make all the difference 2-3 times a week.  The benefits from resistance training can be easily maintained through the rest of the year.

By adapting the training slightly and doing some indoor training you are much more likely to continue, and actually the change in routine is good for the body.  Finding a local circuit training class, spinning or indoor sport such as squash are also recommended.

On those really mucky days, where the thought of going out running or cycling in the rain is too much, simply take the day off.  It’s much better for moral to do it the following day!

Simon Lesser works as  a full time Personal Trainer and Sports Therapist.  He works with a range of clients from a private  gym in Bournemouth, Dorset – for more information call 07748 914368 or visit simonlesser.co.uk

When we exercise we produce lactic acid and other waste products as a by-product.  The higher the heart rate we train at the more waste products we produce.  This continues all the way up until we can work no more, the muscles start screaming at us and we simply have to stop.

Normally the lactic acid in the muscles is recycled and in fact used to fuel the muscle.  The ‘red line’ lactate threshold is basically the point where the body cannot recycle these waste products as quickly as they are being produced.

How to find lactate threshold.

If have worn a heart rate monitor during a competitive race such as a 10k run then the average heart rate during the session will give you a decent idea of your lactate threshold.

Lactate threshold can be done in a Sports Lab by a professional with great accuracy as they take drops of blood and measure during a graded test.

Lactate threshold can also be estimated by self testing.  This is best done in your chosen sport.  Find a fairly flat road or track (for a running/cycling), trying to keep the variables as low as possible.  This means looking at time of day, weather, wind, kit etc  Aim to be well rested when you perform this test.

This is a tough test so warm up for 15 minutes.  Then simply work hard pushing the heart rate at ‘red line’ pace for 20 minutes.  Naturally if you go too fast you have to slow down, but at this point, keep an eye on heart rate.  You may find for example, a certain heart rate that is fine, and literally a few beats above you cannot maintain,  The average heart rate over the 20 minutes will give you a good idea of lactate threshold.

The job of insulin is to take the sugar out of the blood and store it in the body, as energy to be used later but it mainly gets stored as fat.  A terrible thing for those of us trying to lose weight.  In addition, the higher the sugar levels in the blood, the more insulin is released.

Once this insulin is released it circulates and actually continues stop any fat being released from the fat stores for the following few hours.  It essentially dumps energy as fat and keeps it there, turning the body into a ‘fat storer’.

Interesting reading, but bad news if you like sweet foods.  The key is to choose slow releasing carbs, proteins and healthy fats which release much slower causing less insulin to be released.

Simon Lesser works as  a full time Personal Trainer and Sports Therapist.  He works with a range of clients from a private  gym in Bournemouth, Dorset – for more information call 07748 914368 or visit simonlesser.co.uk