The Fitness thread

wibbly said:
I think some of my problem is trying to stick to the Slimming World diet, I'm just not eating enough at times and running out of energy. Last night I had a relative blow out for me and felt much better for it this morning.
:)
Click to expand...

thing about that is the whole slimming world premise is that you eat big meals and just avoid eating crap , so if you aren't eating enough you aren't doing the diet/food optimisation right - talk to your consultant

Rice , Potatoes, and pasta are all syn free sources of carbs for example
 
Week 1 of couch to 5k finished... struggled a touch this morning, not entirely sure why... still, onto week two after my night shifts
 
I've just eaten a whole 1kg tin of quality street - I guess I could call it carb loading if If went for a quick run :lol:
 
Yikes! I think if I ate that much, I'd be too stuffed and tired to get out of my chair to even bother going to the gym.
 
I've certainly reduced my intake of refined carbs and sugars, including bread (maybe once a fortnight), potatoes (ditto), pasta (used to be twice weekly, now once weekly); rice - have never been a fan. It's never filled me up. Stopped all biscuits, crisps, sugary fizzy drinks (I treat myself to a sugar-free fizzy drink and a chocolate bar once a week). Never liked cake but would eat it if it was there - stopped that too.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Funny, I've stopped eating all of those....
Click to expand...

the basic slimming word premise is its better to fill up on that sort of thing than to diet and then snack on crisps and chocolate. My missus has lost about 3 stone doing slimming world so it does work.
 
big soft moose said:
the basic slimming word premise is its better to fill up on that sort of thing than to diet and then snack on crisps and chocolate. My missus has lost about 3 stone doing slimming world so it does work.
Click to expand...

Yeah that kind of makes sense.

Pasta etc lot better than crisps or chocolate. Not as good as quinoa or sweet potato.

A primal eater will be along soon to explain that those are bad for you too :)
 
big soft moose said:
the basic slimming word premise is its better to fill up on that sort of thing than to diet and then snack on crisps and chocolate. My missus has lost about 3 stone doing slimming world so it does work.
Click to expand...

About the same for me too. Basically I've never eaten so much! I'm just lazy optimizing with the extras so tend to stick to 3 meals a day.
 
Sweet potatoes are a relatively new discovery for me and taste a lot more interesting than the usual potatoes. Love making wedges with them.
 
Somebody should set a new challenge soon (Phil). But an easier one. I think the last one frightened people off.
 
omens said:
I've certainly reduced my intake of refined carbs and sugars, including bread (maybe once a fortnight), potatoes (ditto), pasta (used to be twice weekly, now once weekly); rice - have never been a fan. It's never filled me up. Stopped all biscuits, crisps, sugary fizzy drinks (I treat myself to a sugar-free fizzy drink and a chocolate bar once a week). Never liked cake but would eat it if it was there - stopped that too.
Click to expand...

This is a good article explaining carbohydrates:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates-full-story/

I don't know ANY endurance athletes who try to cut down on carbs in their diet, because the right kind of carbs allow a steady supply/release of fuel/energy for your body.
If an ordinary, sedentary person stocks up on carbs (any kind of carbs), then they will put on weight because they are not exercising to burn the carbs off and they turn to sugar, which in turn changes to fat stored in the body.
 
VirtualAdept said:
Week 1 of couch to 5k finished... struggled a touch this morning, not entirely sure why... still, onto week two after my night shifts
Click to expand...


I followed a similar plan when I started running back in early 2011. The common mistake to make is going a bit too fast on the running sections. Just slow down a bit. The important bit early on is the variety in pace, not really the outright intensity.

Also, be aware that you cardio-vascular performance may improve more quickly than your body adapts to the running so even if you feel capable in the mid to later stages of the plan to do more, be cautious as you could run yourself into an injury as I did, (with the help of the wrong running shoes).

I stuck at it and have been a regular 3 to 5 times a week runner ever since and absolutely love it.

Good luck with it.
 
Phil Young said:
What did you eat prior?
Click to expand...

Nothing, I was in a massive rush so stupidly got up, got dressed and went...

ChrisJ_SLH said:
I followed a similar plan when I started running back in early 2011. The common mistake to make is going a bit too fast on the running sections. Just slow down a bit. The important bit early on is the variety in pace, not really the outright intensity.

Also, be aware that you cardio-vascular performance may improve more quickly than your body adapts to the running so even if you feel capable in the mid to later stages of the plan to do more, be cautious as you could run yourself into an injury as I did, (with the help of the wrong running shoes).

I stuck at it and have been a regular 3 to 5 times a week runner ever since and absolutely love it.

Good luck with it.
Click to expand...

I've definitely been moving faster than I was, though I'm quite careful to keep it reined in.

Something I have been finding is that, during the runs the muscles in my calves and along my shin hurt quite a bit, seemingly from the impact with the ground... I've so far put this down to me being fat.
 
VirtualAdept said:
Nothing, I was in a massive rush so stupidly got up, got dressed and went...
Click to expand...

That'll be the reason then. I'm forever telling people; the biggest influencing factor in fitness is the ability to produce energy. When you eat carbohydrate pre workout, you are giving yourself the best chance of improving your fitness. When you don't, the best you will achieve is mediocre.
 
Last edited:
Phil Young said:
What do you run in now Chris?
Click to expand...

I'm running in Mizuno Wave Inspire 9's at the minute. Medium support (I'm an over-pronator), but light cushioning.

They're great but due to my body mass (fortunately mostly lean these days) and distance they're only lasting around 200 mile a pair (about 4 months). I might try the Wave Nirvana's next (medium support and more cushioning), although they are due to be replaced by a new model early next year apparently.
 
Last edited:
VirtualAdept said:
Nothing, I was in a massive rush so stupidly got up, got dressed and went...

I've definitely been moving faster than I was, though I'm quite careful to keep it reined in.

Something I have been finding is that, during the runs the muscles in my calves and along my shin hurt quite a bit, seemingly from the impact with the ground... I've so far put this down to me being fat.
Click to expand...

The shin pain is not unusual when you first start, nor are sore calves. Make sure you warm-up well but be careful with stretching before runs as you can tear things and make it worse if you are cold. Save the thorough stretches until afterwards and ice your shins and calves to reduce soreness.

Try and take notice of how your foot is landing too, if you are heel striking then you bio-mechanics aren't getting a good chance to do their job and absorb the impact. Most of it is down to the shoe cushioning which if you are heavy at the minute will be stressed.

Your body takes a bit of time to adapt and ironically I found that the shin pain subsided when my distance increased.

I'm assuming you did go and get some decent shoes from a decent running shop that does gait assessment? If not, do it!
 
Phil Young said:
That'll be the reason then. I'm forever telling people; the biggest influencing factor in fitness is the ability to produce energy. When you eat carbohydrate pre workout, you are giving yourself the best chance of improving your fitness. When you don't, the best you will achieve is mediocre.
Click to expand...


Makes perfect sense... I read that I need to leave 2 hours between eating and running... so I'm assuming that'll mean no early morning runs for me:shrug:
 
VirtualAdept said:
Makes perfect sense... I read that I need to leave 2 hours between eating and running... so I'm assuming that'll mean no early morning runs for me:shrug:
Click to expand...

2 hours isn't really necessary, an hour after something light is probably enough. Try it and see how you feel.

Having some available energy is important, but you don't need loads for a short 5km run. A decent sized banana 30-45 minutes before you head out first thing in the morning should be adequate.
 
ChrisJ_SLH said:
I'm running in Mizuno Wave Inspire 9's at the minute. Medium support (I'm an over-pronator), but light cushioning.

They're great but due to my body mass (fortunately mostly lean these days) and distance they're only lasting around 200 mile a pair (about 4 months). I might try the Wave Nirvana's next (medium support and more cushioning), although they are due to be replaced by a new model early next year apparently.
Click to expand...

I have a pair of nirvana 7's. Most comfortable shoes I own. I'm a neutral gait so it's neither here nor there. The main difference between the two is the upper - a lot more comfortable on the nirvana.
 
ChrisJ_SLH said:
2 hours isn't really necessary, an hour after something light is probably enough. Try it and see how you feel.

Having some available energy is important, but you don't need loads for a short 5km run. A decent sized banana 30-45 minutes before you head out first thing in the morning should be adequate.
Click to expand...

2hrs is a good time.

Bear in mind WHY you eat pre workout, to use the energy from the food. There are a lot of variables but 45-1hr and it's most likely either still in the stomach or just hit the small intestine. Then when you start your exercise blood diverts away from the digestive system to the working muscles and further digestion is done at a much slower pace.

2hrs is enough for those carbs to be fully digested and stored as glycogen ready to used during exercise.
 
Phil Young said:
2hrs is a good time.

Bear in mind WHY you eat pre workout, to use the energy from the food. There are a lot of variables but 45-1hr and it's most likely either still in the stomach or just hit the small intestine. Then when you start your exercise blood diverts away from the digestive system to the working muscles and further digestion is done at a much slower pace.

2hrs is enough for those carbs to be fully digested and stored as glycogen ready to used during exercise.
Click to expand...

Speaking from having the (dis)advantage of being a type 1 diabetic....

If I do a morning run, I usually have something very light (usually a nana or a small portion of muesli) with a reasonable dose of (bolus) insulin around 45 minutes before I head out. I can see the blood sugar rise quite quickly (20 to 30 minutes after eating) by testing.

When I started I made the mistake of assuming that I would need less or no insulin (injected) for a morning run, especially if I didn't eat anything. I was confused by the very high blood sugars after getting back. After some thought I realised it was quite obvious, my body was releasing glycogen but I didn't have sufficient insulin in my system from the background basal dose to utilise it. Hence, I ran terribly and had really high blood sugar afterwards.
 
ChrisJ_SLH said:
Speaking from having the (dis)advantage of being a type 1 diabetic....

If I do a morning run, I usually have something very light (usually a nana or a small portion of muesli) with a reasonable dose of (bolus) insulin around 45 minutes before I head out. I can see the blood sugar rise quite quickly (20 to 30 minutes after eating) by testing.

When I started I made the mistake of assuming that I would need less or no insulin (injected) for a morning run, especially if I didn't eat anything. I was confused by the very high blood sugars after getting back. After some thought I realised it was quite obvious, my body was releasing glycogen but I didn't have sufficient insulin in my system from the background basal dose to utilise it. Hence, I ran terribly and had really high blood sugar afterwards.
Click to expand...

One of the variables that plays a heavy part is the amount of food already in the stomach.

Upon rising you have an empty stomach and it's not necessary for carbs to be there for long since they aren't digested here.

You will see see a rise in blood glucose after exercise because you require it due to physical exertion.
 
Phil Young said:
You will see see a rise in blood glucose after exercise because you require it due to physical exertion.
Click to expand...

That was just the problem, I needed it but didn't have the insulin to utilise it. I was seeing bg levels of >15mmol/l.

Over the last couple of years it has been interesting seeing how running efficiency has changed. The first 10km I did I needed two gels to keep my blood sugars up. As I've got fitter and developed, I can quite happily do 16km on just one now and finish with a reasonable blood sugar level.
 
ChrisJ_SLH said:
That was just the problem, I needed it but didn't have the insulin to utilise it. I was seeing bg levels of >15mmol/l.

Over the last couple of years it has been interesting seeing how running efficiency has changed. The first 10km I did I needed two gels to keep my blood sugars up. As I've got fitter and developed, I can quite happily do 16km on just one now and finish with a reasonable blood sugar level.
Click to expand...

You wouldn't need insulin when exercising. Glucagon/cortisol/epinephrine & testosterone are all responsible for bringing BG levels up during exercise. This would be the reason for low insulin levels because it's not needed. Even of you ate during exercise, insulin levels would only rise slightly because it's not needed.

The other and more simple explanation for that is you have become more fit and what was hard now isn't as hard and your requirements for glycogen isn't as much since you can rely on aerobic metabolism where fats are plentiful.
 
Phil Young said:
You wouldn't need insulin when exercising. Glucagon/cortisol/epinephrine & testosterone are all responsible for bringing BG levels up during exercise. This would be the reason for low insulin levels because it's not needed. Even of you ate during exercise, insulin levels would only rise slightly because it's not needed.

The other and more simple explanation for that is you have become more fit and what was hard now isn't as hard and your requirements for glycogen isn't as much since you can rely on aerobic metabolism where fats are plentiful.
Click to expand...

Phil, did you miss the post when I mentioned I was Type 1 diabetic?

I don't make any of my own insulin any more, without it the carbohydrate metabolism is a bit knackered to be frank.

The high blood sugars aren't the issue, without the insulin the body can't effectively utilise them for energy.
 
ChrisJ_SLH said:
Phil, did you miss the post when I mentioned I was Type 1 diabetic?

I don't make any of my own insulin any more, without it the carbohydrate metabolism is a bit knackered to be frank.

The high blood sugars aren't the issue, without the insulin the body can't effectively utilise them for energy.
Click to expand...

Nope I didn't miss it, slightly forgot it partially during my last post...

Anyhow, your synthetic insulin will be doing the same job with your dosage anyway so assuming you use it as you should and of course you do...we can discuss the mechanics of nutrition and metabolism like anyone else.

Your insulin will deposit the glucose as glycogen and the other hormones I mentioned will be bringing it up during exercise.

Am I missing something? You was wondering why your levels were low???
 
Phil Young said:
Nope I didn't miss it, slightly forgot it partially during my last post...

Anyhow, your synthetic insulin will be doing the same job with your dosage anyway so assuming you use it as you should and of course you do...we can discuss the mechanics of nutrition and metabolism like anyone else.

Your insulin will deposit the glucose as glycogen and the other hormones I mentioned will be bringing it up during exercise.

Am I missing something? You was wondering why your levels were low???
Click to expand...

Lol. Slightly misunderstanding. I think we are agreeing vehemently!

I wasn't wondering why my insulin levels were low. I just figured out that I needed to take more insulin before exercising hard (in conjunction with taking on carbs).

This ran somewhat counter-intuitively to the generalised advice which I guess is given to those with a more sedentary lifestyle which was basically that (moderate) exercise will lower your blood sugar.

This is true, but extra carbs from whatever source (external or internal) need insulin to be used by the body.
 
andy700 said:
This is a good article explaining carbohydrates:
Click to expand...
Look, it's not that I don't understand any of this stuff. I do.

When running, most of the initial energy is provided by the glucose in the bloodstream. When that runs low, glycogen from muscle (and liver) will be utilised. Fat will also be utilised but depending on the exercise, the amount of glycogen and fat used will vary.

If all I wanted to do was to become fitter, a better runner or an athlete, preloading carbs is fine. Appropriate postwork out carbs also maximises glycogen levels for the next time.

I need to lose bodyfat. Hence I'm happy to sacrifice performance for reduced calorie intake.

The protein shake isn't for running, it's for the immediate repair of muscles following weightlifting. The postwork out meal is carbs + protein + fat. I drink plenty of water before and after, but never during exercise.

I've long stopped using refined carbs as my primary source of carbs and switched to fruit/veg/oats/pulses for my carb intake.

In total, I've lost something like 20kg over the last six months or so. I have just another 10kg to aim for.
 
ChrisJ_SLH said:
Lol. Slightly misunderstanding. I think we are agreeing vehemently!

I wasn't wondering why my insulin levels were low. I just figured out that I needed to take more insulin before exercising hard (in conjunction with taking on carbs).

This ran somewhat counter-intuitively to the generalised advice which I guess is given to those with a more sedentary lifestyle which was basically that (moderate) exercise will lower your blood sugar.

This is true, but extra carbs from whatever source (external or internal) need insulin to be used by the body.
Click to expand...

In the storing phase yes - you are right to adjust your dosage. I was talking about the phase of re-synthesising that stored glycogen as glucose.

Either way, my point still remains that one needs to remember all the variables when eating carbs pre-workout and to make sure what's eaten will be available for it's intention. This could be 45mins during a fasted state, or 3-4hrs if the meal is a later in the day where protein/fat has been eaten closely or is also included in the meal.
 
Insanity: Done.

Next up: P90X2 (the circus skills edition).

This afternoon I shall be mostly eating a great big piece of chocolate cake and making a plyo box.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top