Just had a lunch meeting with company directors, and my diet went out the window again. There was a huge array of sandwiches on offer, which meant that the wheat-free diet suffered in a major way. Then there were some very tasty chocolate brownies. I ate four. I could have had to be polite, but instead had four, as I am a fat pig.
On the bright side (of this week) my kung-fu master contacted me yesterday to ask when I will be training again. I have yet another cold at the moment, but hope to get back into training soon. Not everyone has the opportunity to learn the five point exploding heart technique from a kung-fu master, so I really should attempt to prove myself worthy and get my ass back in the swing of things.
Maybe tomorrow if I feel better.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Bruce Lee Fitness and Diet
There is no doubt that Bruce Lee is still the greatest martial artist of all time. Van Damme, Norris, Jackie Chan, Jet Li - they are all good. They all have their own unique styles and they have all produced some great films. But for dedication, and athletic appearance, Bruce Lee is still the best.
If you want to learn more about the man, how he ate, how he worked out, then head over to MotleyHealth.com, as they have a few good articles on Bruce Lee.
Search for Bruce lee diet for more results
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Time to get fit and lose weight, again
God damn it, it's 2009 already, and I am still a lardy ass. My biceps got bigger, which disguised my beer belly a little, but they seem to have shrunk once again. Maybe due to lack of quaffing.
Talking of quaffing, Terry Pratchett has Alzheimers, that is sad news. Was that new news in 2008? I think so. Great writer, hope he stays well long enough to write some more disc world novels.
So, what will I be doing in 2009 to get myself in shape? Maybe I will drink Wu Yi tea and eat Acai berries. Then again, maybe I will get real and realise that these are just stupid marketing tricks that dumb witted nonces fall for. I mean, how can drinking tea and eating berries make you lose weight? What a load of bull. Just because Oprah Winfrey endorses these products does not mean that you can throw all logic out the window. Instead, drink PG Tips and grapefruits. This will help you lose weight just as well. In fact, grapefruit boosts your metabolism, so that will actually help.
I may start the MotleyHealth daily weight loss diet. Here it is:
Wish me luck. String Vest really wants to get fit and lose some belly fat this year!!!!
Talking of quaffing, Terry Pratchett has Alzheimers, that is sad news. Was that new news in 2008? I think so. Great writer, hope he stays well long enough to write some more disc world novels.
So, what will I be doing in 2009 to get myself in shape? Maybe I will drink Wu Yi tea and eat Acai berries. Then again, maybe I will get real and realise that these are just stupid marketing tricks that dumb witted nonces fall for. I mean, how can drinking tea and eating berries make you lose weight? What a load of bull. Just because Oprah Winfrey endorses these products does not mean that you can throw all logic out the window. Instead, drink PG Tips and grapefruits. This will help you lose weight just as well. In fact, grapefruit boosts your metabolism, so that will actually help.
I may start the MotleyHealth daily weight loss diet. Here it is:
Breakfast: Start the day with muesli and a grapefruit
Morning snack: Cottage cheese makes a good morning snack as it requires not preparation.
Lunch: Extra hot mince beef chilli, with extra kidney beans. For dessert eat a fat free yoghurt.
Afternoon snack: If your energy levels start to wane, grab a bag of pistachio nuts and munch your way through them. This should keep you going through to dinner. Have a whey protein shake too.
Dinner: Soup of the day, followed by baked salmon served on a bed of watercress and rocket.
Post workout (any time of day): Whey protein shake.
Wish me luck. String Vest really wants to get fit and lose some belly fat this year!!!!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Beer Belly Boys Build Big Biceps and Lose Belly Fat
I was walking along the high street a few weeks ago and noticed my reflection in a shop window, and was shocked at how large my gut had got. I had noticed that my belt was a bit tighter, in fact I may have even loosened it a notch or two, but I really failed to notice haw fat I had got. So, I thought, Stringvest, you need to do something about this, you fat bastard. So what did I do? I hit the gym. And how did I train? Did I run, skip, row, swim? No, I lifted weights.
You see, I have a theory. In men, beer bellies are really the norm, onlt freakishly thin guys have six packs. So my master plan was thus: to build up my biceps and shoulders, to make my gut look smaller. If people see my huge arms (and biceps seem to be almost as easy for me to grow as a belly) then their gaze will not fall so rapidly to my fat beer belly. So I dedicated the next few weeks to working my biceps, triceps and shoulders to build my upper body. I decided to do a little research, and came across an article on how to lose belly fat. Already I see good results, my arms are bigger, and my gut has even got a little smaller due to me following the rules in the said article. So things are moving in the right direction. Already I have managed to tighten the belt, and maybe in a few more months I will be back to my old slim self.... maybe!
You see, I have a theory. In men, beer bellies are really the norm, onlt freakishly thin guys have six packs. So my master plan was thus: to build up my biceps and shoulders, to make my gut look smaller. If people see my huge arms (and biceps seem to be almost as easy for me to grow as a belly) then their gaze will not fall so rapidly to my fat beer belly. So I dedicated the next few weeks to working my biceps, triceps and shoulders to build my upper body. I decided to do a little research, and came across an article on how to lose belly fat. Already I see good results, my arms are bigger, and my gut has even got a little smaller due to me following the rules in the said article. So things are moving in the right direction. Already I have managed to tighten the belt, and maybe in a few more months I will be back to my old slim self.... maybe!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Too many burgers
Well, I have probably spent most of the time since my last post eating burgers and drinking beer, and not a great deal of time exercising. But it is a new year, so time to make that effort - over the top for the last push - well, last until next year......
So it is back to the gym, pumping iron, hop, skipping and jumping to a fitter me!
Wish me luck.
Gonna do press ups now! G'me tweny! Count!
So it is back to the gym, pumping iron, hop, skipping and jumping to a fitter me!
Wish me luck.
Gonna do press ups now! G'me tweny! Count!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
OK, I need to blog more! This is supposed to be a health and fitness blog.
I have just realised that I have really been neglecting this blog, and seeing that I am housebound right now, this is a perfect opportunity to give some advice to my fellow bloggers and readers alike. Christmas is fast approaching, and for many that means that you will be eating and drinking more than at any other time of the year. If you do not "celebrate" Christmas, then this advice will still apply to you anyway! Personally I prefer to call Christmas the mid-winter feast, as I believe that that is what it was called before the Christians hijacked it from the pagans way back when. And as it falls at midwinter (22nd December) and I and my family generally feast, and never go to church, then Christmas is a name that should be dropped. But I digress. This is a health and fitness blog.
The following advice is what I generally attempt to do to get fit and lose weight.
Exercise more and Eat Less
OK, this is two things, but this simple advice is so important I felt that it should be mentioned in one hit.
Being a healthy weight is really very very simple. To lose weight, you eat less than your body needs (which is much less than your body desires).
To gain weight, eat more. To maintain a healthy weight, you eat just the right amount. The key thing to remember is that everyone is different. So just because your slim best mate eats the same as you and never puts on weight does not mean that this simple equation should be dusputed. Everyone has different metabolic rates, different daily habits, different diets etc. For instance, you may think that your best friend eats the same as you, as when you are out, you eat the same. But your slim best mate may have a smaller breakfast, and light evening meal. They may walk several miles to meet you, or may visit other friends and family in the evening and walk or cycle to see them. And they may be slightly more muscular than you are, which will help to increase their metabolism. What I am saying is, just because you think that someone else eats the same as you and they are not overweight, or obese, then the likelyhood is that you are wrong on the main assumption, and also you do not live the same life generally.
So, "great advice String" I hear you shout - but how is it done?
First thing to do, if you are serious about losing weight and getting fit, is to monitor what you eat. If necessary, keep a food diary. This should include everything that you eat, not just main meals. And everything that you drink too. So if you keep a diary for 2 weeks, make sure every fizzy drink, glass of wine, biscuit and peanut is noted down. It all adds up.
The purpose of this exercise is to highlight exactly what you are eating too much of. When I did this to help lose weight, I realised that i was eating too many pastries. I would never have realised without the food diary. Several times a week I would eat pies with a pastry topping (work canteen provided these) or cakes, sausage rolls, pork pies etc. So these were the first things to cut out.
Make sure that you eat a healthy breakfast every day
A healthy breakfast is very important. It kicks your metabolism into action first thing in the morning, meaning that you burn more calories. It also provides you with plenty of energy, meaning you are less likely to snack in the morning before lunch. And as we all know, snacking usually involves high sugar and high fat treats. Also, a healthy breakfast can provide essential nutrients at the start of the day. So porridge, or muesli, with extra servings of fruit is a great way to start the day. If you eat toast, make sure you always buy wholemeal/granary bread, as white bread is a waste of time and money. If you prefer your old salty sugary cereal, at least use honey instead of sugar to sweeten it further. Eat enough so that you do not crave any more food until lunchtime.
Exercise
Exercising is essential to losing weight. Although it is possible to lose weight by starting a very restrictive diet, exercise helps by making it easier to lose weight, and also ensures that you become fitter and therefore also healthier. People with active lifestyles live longer and have more fulfulling lives than couch potatoes.
Exercising can come in many forms though. Walking is probably one of the best forms of exercise. Everyone should be able to find the time to walk, whether it is walking to the shops, to school, or to work. If you daily routines do not provide the opportunity to walk, e.g. you live too far from shops, schools, work etc. then park further away that normal. From my experience parking costs more closer to stations etc. and sometimes you can find free residential parking if you look hard enough. This may be 20 minutes walk from the town centre, but this will mean you will walk for 40 minutes a day, and greatly improve your health.
Consider joining a local exercise class, or even a gym. Small exercise classes are usually better for keeping you motivated, and you can also meet new people, make friends etc. Large commercial gyms can be quite cold and impersonal at times, so only join these if you are sure that you can motivate yourself to keep going. Large gyms make their money by getting people to sign up at the start of the year, and then not returning. If you join a large gym and then nver go, they will not notice. If you join a small class and suddenly stop going, they / the instructor may call you to see what's up. This could be all you need to get back.
And a note to instructors / teachers: keep in touch with your students / members - call them or write to them if they stop going. They may need you to motivate them a little.
OK. That's all for now. If i carry on writing I will break rule number one, which was to have a good breakfast. Speak with you soon!
The following advice is what I generally attempt to do to get fit and lose weight.
Exercise more and Eat Less
OK, this is two things, but this simple advice is so important I felt that it should be mentioned in one hit.
Being a healthy weight is really very very simple. To lose weight, you eat less than your body needs (which is much less than your body desires).
To gain weight, eat more. To maintain a healthy weight, you eat just the right amount. The key thing to remember is that everyone is different. So just because your slim best mate eats the same as you and never puts on weight does not mean that this simple equation should be dusputed. Everyone has different metabolic rates, different daily habits, different diets etc. For instance, you may think that your best friend eats the same as you, as when you are out, you eat the same. But your slim best mate may have a smaller breakfast, and light evening meal. They may walk several miles to meet you, or may visit other friends and family in the evening and walk or cycle to see them. And they may be slightly more muscular than you are, which will help to increase their metabolism. What I am saying is, just because you think that someone else eats the same as you and they are not overweight, or obese, then the likelyhood is that you are wrong on the main assumption, and also you do not live the same life generally.
So, "great advice String" I hear you shout - but how is it done?
First thing to do, if you are serious about losing weight and getting fit, is to monitor what you eat. If necessary, keep a food diary. This should include everything that you eat, not just main meals. And everything that you drink too. So if you keep a diary for 2 weeks, make sure every fizzy drink, glass of wine, biscuit and peanut is noted down. It all adds up.
The purpose of this exercise is to highlight exactly what you are eating too much of. When I did this to help lose weight, I realised that i was eating too many pastries. I would never have realised without the food diary. Several times a week I would eat pies with a pastry topping (work canteen provided these) or cakes, sausage rolls, pork pies etc. So these were the first things to cut out.
Make sure that you eat a healthy breakfast every day
A healthy breakfast is very important. It kicks your metabolism into action first thing in the morning, meaning that you burn more calories. It also provides you with plenty of energy, meaning you are less likely to snack in the morning before lunch. And as we all know, snacking usually involves high sugar and high fat treats. Also, a healthy breakfast can provide essential nutrients at the start of the day. So porridge, or muesli, with extra servings of fruit is a great way to start the day. If you eat toast, make sure you always buy wholemeal/granary bread, as white bread is a waste of time and money. If you prefer your old salty sugary cereal, at least use honey instead of sugar to sweeten it further. Eat enough so that you do not crave any more food until lunchtime.
Exercise
Exercising is essential to losing weight. Although it is possible to lose weight by starting a very restrictive diet, exercise helps by making it easier to lose weight, and also ensures that you become fitter and therefore also healthier. People with active lifestyles live longer and have more fulfulling lives than couch potatoes.
Exercising can come in many forms though. Walking is probably one of the best forms of exercise. Everyone should be able to find the time to walk, whether it is walking to the shops, to school, or to work. If you daily routines do not provide the opportunity to walk, e.g. you live too far from shops, schools, work etc. then park further away that normal. From my experience parking costs more closer to stations etc. and sometimes you can find free residential parking if you look hard enough. This may be 20 minutes walk from the town centre, but this will mean you will walk for 40 minutes a day, and greatly improve your health.
Consider joining a local exercise class, or even a gym. Small exercise classes are usually better for keeping you motivated, and you can also meet new people, make friends etc. Large commercial gyms can be quite cold and impersonal at times, so only join these if you are sure that you can motivate yourself to keep going. Large gyms make their money by getting people to sign up at the start of the year, and then not returning. If you join a large gym and then nver go, they will not notice. If you join a small class and suddenly stop going, they / the instructor may call you to see what's up. This could be all you need to get back.
And a note to instructors / teachers: keep in touch with your students / members - call them or write to them if they stop going. They may need you to motivate them a little.
OK. That's all for now. If i carry on writing I will break rule number one, which was to have a good breakfast. Speak with you soon!
Chipped fibula has slowed my progress
To try to get extra fit, I went along to a kick boxing class on Thursday, and managed to twist my ankle, resulting in a chipped fibula. So I am on crutches now, and will not be able to do any cardio exercise for some time. So my plan to get in shape before Christmas has failed! Hopefully I will be back in the kick boxing class in the New Year, but I will not be doing so many of the jumping turning kicks.
Maybe I will be able to get back to the weight gym (my garage) soon for some bench presses, shoulder presses and seated curls. Not sure what else I will be able to do while my ankle is so stiff and swollen ! Oh well.
Must not let a small injury setme back. I must keep focussed! Very difficult though when I am under Doctor's orders to do nothing and put my feet up. Nothing to do but watch TV and eat!
Friday, October 06, 2006
Compund weight training
I have discovered compound weight training ! No more isolation exercises!
These compound exercises, or total body exercise movements, really help to get you trim and in shape. Cleans, squats, bench press, rows, they really help lose the pounds and tone up the whole body. Try them out.
Cheers,
SV.
These compound exercises, or total body exercise movements, really help to get you trim and in shape. Cleans, squats, bench press, rows, they really help lose the pounds and tone up the whole body. Try them out.
Cheers,
SV.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
