Diet and Training Plan Advice

xxdilemmaxx

Hi all,

I am heading on holidays in a month and am trying to get into some sort of shape for it. Am not overweight but have that wobbly unfit look about me at the moment. I am f, 5ft 7 and weigh just under 10 stone.

I am planning on doing some sort of training five times a week and was wondering what would be the best training plan to make a dent in such a short space of time. I have gym membership (which I'm not using) and live close to a park with a running track (1k track). I do like running but as I haven't ran in months I'd say it will take me quite a while to build it up again.

Am also looking at making big changes in my diet. Here is current daily diet:

Breakfast

Slice of wholegrain toast with butter and jam or a cereal and fruit juice or smoothie

Lunch

Toasted sambo with tuna, cheese and salady stuff or
Baked potato with cheese and salad or
half portion of whatever is on the dinner menu in canteen in work

Dinner

I like to cook so would generally have homemade spag bol, or maybe chicken stir fry with noodles or rice or chilli with wrap. Have a chinese takeaway at weekends (losing this with immediate effect!)

Snacks

My downfall - bar of chocolate or maybe popcorn or crisps or on bad days a chocolate muffin!

So, was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a diet and fitness plan that will give me pretty quick results (I know there's no miracle fix). Think there are way too many carbs in my diet but would it be a good idea to cut down drastically if I'm going to be training hard? Am heading back to the gym after work, was thinking of doing some weights then spending 20 mins on cross trainer, 30 mins on treadmill?

Thanks all!

xxdilemmaxx

Anyone any tips?

metamorphosis

xxdilemmaxx wrote: »

Anyone any tips?

My advise would be to read the stickies here and in the nutrition and diet forum. You will get a fair idea of what you need to change. The bar of choc is not your only downfall!

Google interval training and HIIT to formulate some ideas. Look at exrx.net under weight training

Sorry i know its a very quick reply but im off. Will reply in more depth tomorrow

Red Cortina

I have changed my diet myself pretty drastically over the past few months and have gone from approx 10 stone to 9 and a half stone with the help of a personal traininer.

What I was told to do first of all was change my breakfast. I now try to eat protein in some shape or form and some type of veg every morning. (I am sure that the experts who are members here can offer you reasons why your breakfast isn't as optimal as it could be.) And I have eventually cut all wheat products out of my diet.

I then started doing resistance training, which has seen me gain some lean muscle mass.

Don't know how much help that info is but overall I have to say that working with my personal trainer has been a real eye opener and I have learned so much from him.

Red Cortina

ULstudent wrote: »

My advise would be to read the stickies here and in the nutrition and diet forum. You will get a fair idea of what you need to change. The bar of choc is not your only downfall!

Google interval training and HIIT to formulate some ideas. Look at exrx.net under weight training

Sorry i know its a very quick reply but im off. Will reply in more depth tomorrow

Some excellent advice here. Didn't see it before I posted...

xxdilemmaxx

Thanks for ur replies, I know the chocolate isn't my only downfall!! What protein could I eat for breakfast, I don't like eggs, is there anything else I could substitute? Not mad about porridge either but I guess I could give it a go - seems like more of a winter brekkie though!

Back from the gym and feeling the pain already

Could only manage to run for about 10 mins which is sould destroying as I used to be quite good, had to speed walk the rest

Will google interval training now, thanks again

Red Cortina

xxdilemmaxx wrote: »

Thanks for ur replies, I know the chocolate isn't my only downfall!! What protein could I eat for breakfast, I don't like eggs, is there anything else I could substitute? Not mad about porridge either but I guess I could give it a go - seems like more of a winter brekkie though!

What I eat for breakfast varies: last night's dinner (ie chicken stir fry) or tin of salmon/tuna with salad or mackerel with stir fried veggies or eggs. Those choices might not be for everyone...

xxdilemmaxx

Well, I've read through the stickies and am still unsure as to what a good daily menu would be.

If anyone has time, would they mind posting a typical (good days) diet?

So far had yoghurt, nuts and fruit for breakfast, lunch is prawns in (tiny bit) of extra low fat mayo, slice of brown soda bread and big salad. Dinner is chicken stir fry with loads of veg and some noodles. Is this ok? Not sure what to snack on as don't want to have too many nuts!

Bepetki

xxdilemmaxx wrote: »

Well, I've read through the stickies and am still unsure as to what a good daily menu would be.

If anyone has time, would they mind posting a typical (good days) diet?

So far had yoghurt, nuts and fruit for breakfast, lunch is prawns in (tiny bit) of extra low fat mayo, slice of brown soda bread and big salad. Dinner is chicken stir fry with loads of veg and some noodles. Is this ok? Not sure what to snack on as don't want to have too many nuts!

It's not too bad. You would really need to avoid the mayo and dairy if you are looking for quick results. I see a nutritionist and although I know very little about you I'll give you an idea about my diet.

First of all, I'm a 37 year old male, 5'8", weighing in at about 12.5 stone (79kg). I'm too heavy at the moment and am aiming to get to 11.5 stone (c. 73 kg). I was, at my leanest, just under 12 stones (76 kg) this time last year.

I weighed in at 14.7 stone (93 kg) a year and a half ago, went to a nutritionist and dropped a bit - this was in order to bring my cholesterol down from a whopping 8.5. I did it and lost the weight as an added bonus.

I was on a high-carb/ low fat diet.

Morning: Porridge with honey and/ or a home made smoothie. I tend not to have the smoothies any more as they come with more problems than they solve, but for the weight loss period they were effective. Sometimes, if I knew I wouldn't be able to eat until lunch or after I'd try and get some McCambridges Wholemeal bread into me x 2 with Flora and Jam.

Pre lunch: Skinny Latté and an oatmeal bar (the Kelloggs raisin bake was perfect to stave off hunger). Maybe a banana or some other piece of fruit.

Lunch: Normally on the fly from a deli counter - Brown bread sandwich, no butter, turkey (preferably carved as the other stuff is just pocessed mulch), with lettuce tomatoes and red onion - alternating with mixed peppers etc. Water x .5 ltr.

Dinner: Just remember... FRESH FOOD. It's your best friend. Get yourself a pepper, slice off the top, shove in cous cous, spinach, chopped carrots, y'know, go nuts! If weight training get a good portion of LEAN meat in. Turkey, chicken, lean mince (tip: Ever cooked a Spaghetti Bolognese with turkey mince? Gorgeous!)

Anyways, dinner should be reasonably light, but satisfying enough to fend off the late night cravings. Try to ensure that you get the following:

Protein - Anything with a face... chicken, beef, lamb etc. Just make it lean. Why put an animals fat into your body? The more fat on your meat = the more fat you'll carry around you.
Carbohydrates - Don't worry about what Atkins and all those scare mongers say about carbs. If you are active enough carbs are an ideal source of medium term energy. Think pasta (wholegrain), one baked potato (with skin for added nutrients), rice (again, go wholegrain). Just don't heap it on. Contain your portion sizes and give yourself the 20 minute rule... you won't go hungry. Vegetables are also carbs - Make sure you get a couple of pieces of broccoli, carrots, peas, cauliflower etc... anything as long as it's fresh. Try to steam your veggies - it retains the nutrients much more effectively than boiling or baking. Try to make sure your vegetable portions are a little bigger than the protein/ starchy carbs (pastas/ potatoes) on your plate.

Last but not least. Avoid desserts. If you must, snack on popcorn with no butter. Or home baked, wholegrain breads or barnbrack or something.

Like I say, I'm no nutritionist, but the simple formula worked for me. Fresh foods, low fat and good old sweaty excercise for 40 mins every other day washed the weight off me in months.

Oh, and my cholesterol came down to 4.3!

B.

PS When stir frying - Use RAPESEED oil (as opposed to grapeseed). It is the oil with the lowest cholesterol amount in it AFAIK.
PPS I just lashed this reply out. I'm sure it'll be open to scrutiny. There was a lot more involved, but this is just a quick guide to demonstrate how I faired.

xxdilemmaxx

Thanks for the info Bepetki, I found that really helpful! Think I'm already down a couple of lbs and it's only been a few days!

Got my gym programme last night and was wondering if anyone had any comments on it - it seems a bit hardcore to me but maybe that's just because I'm unfit!

Warm-up - 10 mins on bike, keeping rpm above 80

Weights - amn't able to remember the names of the machines but it includes:
Ab crunch
Lat Pulldown bar thing
Bicep curl,
Tricep curl (?)
Leg press, and also the opposite one where you're pushing the weight out with your legs
Chest press

2 sets of 20 reps for weights.

I also have to do a workout using the fitball - squats, waist twist etc.

Cardio - they have given me 25 mins on the treadmill, running 2 mins at 8k, then 1 min at 7k and alternating each. After that it's 15 mins on the crosstrainer, alternating between 2 mins forward and 2 mins backwards.

What do you all think, is this a good programme?

corkcomp

xxdilemmaxx wrote: »

Thanks for the info Bepetki, I found that really helpful! Think I'm already down a couple of lbs and it's only been a few days!

Got my gym programme last night and was wondering if anyone had any comments on it - it seems a bit hardcore to me but maybe that's just because I'm unfit!

Warm-up - 10 mins on bike, keeping rpm above 80

Weights - amn't able to remember the names of the machines but it includes:
Ab crunch
Lat Pulldown bar thing
Bicep curl,
Tricep curl (?)
Leg press, and also the opposite one where you're pushing the weight out with your legs
Chest press

2 sets of 20 reps for weights.

I also have to do a workout using the fitball - squats, waist twist etc.

Cardio - they have given me 25 mins on the treadmill, running 2 mins at 8k, then 1 min at 7k and alternating each. After that it's 15 mins on the crosstrainer, alternating between 2 mins forward and 2 mins backwards.

What do you all think, is this a good programme?

its a typical beginners program TBH, id say stick with it for a month and review stats?