Dieting!

Four weeks ago I started what has to be honest one of the most challenging things I have ever done! Knowing that a photo shoot for my website is approaching I decided to diet down using a pre competition bodybuilders type diet to shed 1.5 stone in 7 weeks and boy has it been tough! I'm 4 weeks in now and have already reached my target weight of 14.7 and am still dropping! The weight has slowed down a little now but I'm sure by the end of it I'll end up a lean 13.7. Body fat levels have dropped from 16% down to 8% now with abs coming through nicely.
Each day it is a mental battle to resist certain foods and to keep up with the training when carbs are cut each week but it has given me a new respect for those who do this regularly to compete on the stage.
Not only that dropping from 16 stone to under 14 psychologically is hard- you feel that all the hard work you've spent building yourself up is going to pot- something I hadn't expected. I'll before and after pics when the diet is completed and let you judge for yourself!

Nutrition Pre during and Post Workout

This week I've seem to had many clients confused by exactly what they should be consuming pre, during and post workout.What you consume before your workout will have drastic effects on your training performance. You should be eating 2-4 hours before training - this meal should be comprised of both carbohydrate but also protein. In terms of how much carb you should be consuming you should aim for around 1.5 - 2 grams per kilo of bodyweight of low G.I carbs- i.e porridge,mixed beans,brown rice etc. Your protein consumption should be around 30 grams with this meal too.
Immediately before exercise I recommend consuming 30 grams of high G.I carbs from a liquid source- this doesn't have to be a sports drink but can be for example orange juice,40 grams of raisins, a banana etc- but I tend to opt for a 30 gram energy gel just for ease of use.Remember that you must consume fluid when consuming solid carbs though. If you want to really maximise your performance studies have shown that consuming protein with this carb pre workout hit improves greater endurance and strength than carbs alone and can minimise protein breakdown following exercise.So for instance many times i'll have pre workout gel and also 30 grams of whey protein mixed with 300ml of water before training.
During exercise
During exercise if your are training for the optimum time of 45-60 minutes and your pre workout nutrition has been spot on your shouldn't need to take anything in but water. If however you are training for over this period it is essential that you refuel after the hour each 30 minutes with a 30 gram carb hit ideally in liquid or gel form for easy absorption.With intense training your carbohydrate store will be depleted and studies have shown protein(muscle and organ) breakdown increases by 30% if carbohydrate stores are not in sufficient supply during training- so basically all that hard work is going to nothing and is in fact a detriment to your training.
If you are following a calorie restricted diet for weight loss then you should up you protein intake so that the body has a freely available source of protein to use instead of muscle tissue.
Post workout
Look for about .8gram per kilo of your bodyweight in carbs so for a 75kg man thats about 60grams of carbs. Go for a hit of about 30 grams of protein too. This should be consumed immediately after training while you are still sweating- and so your metabolism still at its peak. If you are really not one for shakes then a pint of skimmed milk and a banana will suffice.But what ever it is you must take this in or again you are severely hindering your recovery and training goals.
After this you should be eating one of your main small balanced meals within about 1-2 hours after this post training snack.
Until Next week Stay Strong
For Personal training in Brighton