3-2-1 Diet update – It’s been ten weeks...

Ok, I think I am getting to grips with this! I got this diet advice from nutritionist Becky White at http://www.onesixeightfitness.com It took a while and I have been speaking to some others on twitter who tried it too. I have been following it 10 weeks now. (If you have been reading my food diaries, http://www.melanieryding.co.uk/#/last-weeks-trainingdiet/4542843916 you will know I am better at it sometimes than others!) In 10 weeks, I have lost 10 pounds! This has not been a steady 1lb a week mind you, so do bear that in mind. This is without calculating, keeping a strict diary, nothing like I have been doing with weight watchers in the past.

This is what I concluded: the rules for my success seem to be thus:

1.      The first week, you will see BIG losses, 4.5lb for me, but this will be a one off!

2.      Avoid diet foods, low fat options, check labels, and avoid things with added sweetener (aspartame) go for full fat options. Sounds mad, I know, but I have been told that the body processes natural sugars much better, and tends to store artificial sugars as fat.

3.      I ALWAYS do a training session before breakfast, 1hr maximum, any intensity – yes, I have even managed track sprint repeats before breakfast! This is your main fat burning session, no other in the day will fat burn as well as this one.

4.      I ALWAYS have a black coffee and a piece of fruit when I get up, before a train. Black coffee staves off hunger pangs, the fruit kick starts the metabolism

5.      If my morning session is more than an hour, I take a snack with me.

6.      I always have porridge for breakfast afterwards (2 sachets of oats so simple) it seems big, but it needs to be your bulkiest meal of the day

7.      My lunch is medium sized, never bread, usually pasta salad, chicken, ham, etc and fruit.

8.      My tea is always light, maybe fish, chicken, stir fry, etc, bulked out with veg.

9.      This is the last meal of the day, I eat very little afterwards.

10.   When I’m hungry between meals, I snack on fruit, dates, apricots, and drink black coffee.

11.   Always do a training session BEFORE meals not after, this maximises fat burning.

12.   My training and meals are now focussed and balanced around each other. Eating is fuel for training. Training happens before meals, to help increase fat burning (except on race day!)

13.   Always look at the bigger picture. This is a lifestyle change, don’t focus on this day, this weight, this week. Look at the wider story. Like I said, the 10lb didn’t come off in a steady 1lb a week fashion!

       Working on my diet this way I have found I have much more energy for training than trying to count the weight watchers points. I am happier and less hung up on weight loss.

I can’t recommend it enough, I honestly can’t, specially for athletes who are trying to lose weight, I know how hard that balance is, believe me!