Three Questions...

WindSock

First off- I'm Pregnant. Well, I look like I am (but I am definately not! :eek: )

I have just started to get into a routine of sit ups.
How many should I do?
I found one of those sit up aids in the wardrobe which is great. I can feel it working on my belly without the strain on my neck and back.


I have started snacking on some dried fruit as it is convenient to carry around in my handbag all day. Is this ok, or bad?

My metabolism has gone out the window, it seems for the last 3 yrs (I'm now 26) I bought a lemon in the shop to have with water, I was told this will help. Is this true, if so how?

That is all for the moment.

cavanmaniac

On the situps thing, I'm afraid you won't shift the flab with just sit ups alone. What will happen is that while you will certainly build your ab muscles, the layer of fat will remian on top of the new muscle - ab crunches work the muscle ok, but can't do anything about the fat.
What DOES shift the fat is a combination of cardio exercise, which burns body fat, along with a modified healthy diet, information on which you can find in the stickies at the top of the page. Only then will the fat disappear allowing your abdominal muscles to break the surface and see the light of day.

I can't help on the dried fruit and lemon thing but my inkling is that dried fruit might be full of sugar. Someone will no doubt clear that up for you shortly though...

WindSock

Thanks for that. Also another question for metabolism, are chillis any good? I heard spicy food is good (and I know excercise is too, but I'm just wondering food wise)

ali.c

eating smal meals regularly (every 2-3 hours) throughout the day boosts your metabolism. So will lifting heavy weights. and drinking green tea.

Cant say that i have seen a decent reference for anyting else tbh.

Dried fruit is full of sugar, un roasted un salted nuts would be better IMO.

Honestly though you if you want to lose the weight you will have to look at your whole diet

WindSock

Why are roasted peanuts bad? Have they got oil on them?

Pherekydes

boreds wrote:

Why are roasted peanuts bad? Have they got oil on them?

Peanuts are about 50% fat.

All's good in moderation, and they are full of protein.

MrPinK

boreds wrote:

Thanks for that. Also another question for metabolism, are chillis any good? I heard spicy food is good (and I know excercise is too, but I'm just wondering food wise)

Correct. The chemical that makes chilli hot, capsaicin, will give your metabolism a bit of a boost.

hunnymonster

TBH though, if you are expecting chilli's or green tea or most other foods to actively help you lose weight but super charing your metabolism I don't think you'll like the results. Yes they may give some small boost but the basic maths of calories out exceeding calories in still holds. Read the stickies, eat a clean diet and you should see the results you want.

WindSock

Yes, but I just want to eat the right foods too. ones that will give me a boost will be a bonus.
Any more answers on dried fruit and sit-up amounts?

tribulus

boreds wrote:

Yes, but I just want to eat the right foods too. ones that will give me a boost will be a bonus.
Any more answers on dried fruit and sit-up amounts?

Dried fruit okay as a snack, getting some protein in each snack would be better, read the stickies for examples.

Sit-ups - fairly crappy, you'll end up doing50 at a time doing little for development and unless you're diet is sorted you'll still have fat over you're abs so any development won't show through.

davyjose

boreds wrote:

Why are roasted peanuts bad? Have they got oil on them?

Basically when you add heat to oil it does funky things to the molecules, ergo they're not as healthy. I don't profess to know why, or how, I just know they're less good for you.
Edit: And peanuts (all nuts) have oils/fats in them

hunnymonster

davyjose wrote:

...... add heat to oil it does funky things to the molecules....

I'm going to ahve to get this into the next lecture I give on this topic. I like "funky things". Mind you, the result of that is I would get 50 essays telling me about funky monkey nuts.... maybe not.

nesf

davyjose wrote:

Basically when you add heat to oil it does funky things to the molecules, ergo they're not as healthy. I don't profess to know why, or how, I just know they're less good for you.

To the best of my knowledge:

When you heat up oils past a certain point transfats start forming from unsaturated fats. Basically taking good fats and making them into really bad fats.

The key is the temperature this happens at, and this is why normal olive oil is better for cooking that extra virgin olive oil (the temperature for the transfats to form is higher for normal olive oil and the temperature involved is higher than anything normally found on a pan or wok in a normal kitchen).

tribulus

/\ /\

Yep, We need cis-fats not trans-fats.

If you see something has anything "hydrogenated" in it, I'd get an alternative.

In a similiar vein we need L-amino acids not D, bah stupid enantiomers.

nesf

tribulus wrote:

If you see something has anything "hydrogenated" in it, I'd get an alternative.

simu criticises me for being too "right wing" in my thinking but I'm confident that the market will sort out the hydrogenated fat problem once the hysteria about it in the media grows loud enough. Similar to the whole CFC thing. It just takes a good while for information to be filtered "downwards".

Andrewf20

Consider involving squats in your exercise. They are a pain to do (not literally hopefully!), but they are known to boost heart rate & metabolism no end. They involve a fair amount of technique, so Id advise an educated spotter to help you hone the correct technique.

I hate doing them, but I am well proud once I worked thru a few sets.