Symphony2 Member

No! These are the carbs you're after - they're good carbs. Your diet should consist mostly of these so you're absolutely on track. Don't change that. When people talk about too many carbs, they're talking about processed carbs found in pasta, rice, bread and carbs overloaded with sugar - in biscuits, cake etc. (with no…

Short answer is no. Cardio training will purely increase your heart rate and release those feel-good endorphins - unless you're endurance-training, in which case muscles will eventually get that overload. Otherwise, in order for those muscles fibres to increase, your muscles need to overload - and quite heavily overload.…

Hiya. I'm an ultra-runner. Don't be fooled by the 'carb-loading' myth, whatever you do. Yes, by all means, have a bowl of pasta - but only a little more than you would normally eat. If you want to 'carb-load', just tuck into a couple of extra portions of vegetables and an extra couple of pieces of fruit. That's it. Take 40…

It's definitely a texture thing .... try making it less gloopy (with extra milk or water). I throw a handle of blueberries into mine before I microwave it - adds a 'different' texture - then I sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top! Have you tried the fruity Alpen porridge? It's much sweeter than plain oats and works well with…

Yes, you definitely need to add them. They are not 'free' at all (that's a marketing ploy by big weight loss companies to make sure you don't lose too quickly LOL). Fruit is packed with sugar (allbeit 'good' sugar) ... and remember that losing weight is all about balanced nutrition - eating loads of fruit and veg is simply…

Hello there, Firstly - just to repeat what someone else has said - if you really want to lose weight, skipping meals is the worst thing you can do. The body just doesn't work that way - although it appears to be logical in your head!! I suggest you go here: http://www.sparkpeople.com/index_uk.asp - Whereabouts are you?…

My favourite breakfast is strawberries/raspberries/tinned fruit (whatever ...) topped with yogurt, a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of mixed nuts and seeds. A smoothie is also a fantastic breakfast - but remember to throw in a tablespoon of protein powder - it'll set you up for the day and you won't be hungry.

Everyone loses weight at a different pace - never compare yourself to anybody else - just keep checking that the numbers are still going down. If it's too slow, have a look at the balance in your diet. You can eat all the healthy food you want but if the balance isn't right then you won't kick the pounds. For example, if…

Hiya, You're being very hard on yourself. If the rest of your eating is clean then all you need to do is concentrate on those oatmeal packets and the chocolate. Do you eat milk chocolate? In which case, clear out the cupboard NOW ... and go buy some really dark chocolate (above 75% cocoa). Wean yourself onto this for your…

It's a brilliant regime and totally cleans the system - you will be bounding with energy within a week! I LOVE it. I don't stick to it all the time - it doesn't fit brilliantly around family - but I do a couple of weeks of it every now and again. It's just so clean, it's wonderful. There are some fabulous Paleo books about…

Don't worry. You don't need to think about gels for anything less than half a marathon - and not even then!! Entirely optional. Unless it's hot weather you don't even need to drink water on a 5k. It's more important to hydrate beforehand - once you're thirsty it's actually too late - so drink up beforehand, enjoy your runs…

Hi there, Not sure what workout you're doing but sounds like it's not achieving the best results for you at the moment. What's the purpose of your workout? To burn calories or to tone up (in other words - have you quite a lot of weight to lose or only a few pounds?) If you've quite a lot of weight to lose then I would…

A good juicer is expensive but don't worry too much about the 'big names' (I went through two Phillips and they were supposed to be 'fab' and they both broke)! Do the research and look at prices (on ebay too) and simply make sure that (a) you can juice whole fruits in them and (b) the revs are AT LEAST 1000. That's the…

Doh! What does NSV stand for, please? easilyconfused.com :) (Could you message me in case I can't find this topic again? yay! ) (not very computer savvy - sorry):embarassed:

Hun, when your head's in the right place your body will follow. Where you are right now is not a good place at all and the best you can do is lots of positive 'mental' exercises and give yourself time to sort things through. The most important is to stop being so hard on yourself. Stop beating yourself up over your weight…

Hi there, Why so many calories? And why 1 lb? Watched The Biggest Loser recently? It's so RIGHT!!! You could be losing up to half a stone a week perfectly healthily on those calories. The 1 lb and 2 lb per week ratios are set by big weight loss companies to make sure you keep coming back (and their diets are set to ensure…

Right! Said I'd be back .... yes, some comments about durability in the mag I was talking about. Do you really want the fivefingers or is it the barefoot feel you're after? The top 'fivefingers' shoe for barefoot feel is a Fivefingers Bikila (according to magazine testing). Otherwise, the overall 5-star barefoot shoe is…

I think you're worrying over nothing and starting to obsess - which will only get you worked up and you'll start to not enjoy your food or your meals any more - and THAT'S what's important. If you're a top-level athlete then your coach will be able to put you straight. If you're not a top-level athlete but are simply…

Ooooo this last month's Trail Running magazine has an article on the different vibrams and I clearly remember some of them being far less resistant than others so I think this is a weakness in the brand you have but otherwise, unfortunately, completely normal. I'll try and remember to look out that article for you and pass…

Let's get one thing straight - you DON'T NEED A GYM!!! It's the biggest excuse ever LOL You have everything you need at home. Start with pure bodyweight - squats, lunges, crunches, Russian twists, plank, push-ups, dips - do 12 of each x 3. If you want to add more resistance, use a towel to do pull-ups and for chest flies,…

Regardless of your weight loss requirements, 1200 cals/day is the lowest you can conceivably go on a 'balanced' diet and lose weight while remaining healthy - in other words, if you eat fewer than 1200 calories/day you will always be missing out on vital vitamins, minerals or will be in protein deficit ..... any of which…

One whole egg and 2 extra whites, spinach, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, red pepper, mange touts and chick peas. Keeps me going all the way to dinner :)

Avoid anything 'fat free' - the sugar content is always huge (check out all those 'fat free' yogurts and compare). 'Sugar-free' is a marketing ploy - if something 'needs' sugar, then it needs it - if it's sugar-free as advertised, then it's been substituted with something else. Stop looking at the marketing rubbish and…

These 'set' machine calorie-counting thingies are there to do what they do best - to be 'top of the market' in their calorie-burning quotas - so I tend to ignore what any machine tells me I'm doing - or at the very least err on the side of caution and subtract at least 100-150 calories from what they say. To be honest, if…

Wheat. As soon as I cut down bread, white flour, pasta, rice and most of all those so-called healthy cereals like Weetabix (packed with sugar) ... my energy levels soared and that helped my motivation so much that I just got on a roll and kept going - couldn't believe the difference. Even now - if I have a date coming up…

Squats and lunges are the best exercises to get those glutes (bum muscles) firing and working properly. And if you've got stairs in your house or office - then spend 20 minutes or half an hour going up and down them (no - simply climbing them as part of your day or instead of using the lift/elevator is no use whatsoever!…

I think part of the reason we (note, I say 'we' because I'm sure there are plenty of us lol) binge for the weekend is because we put ourselves under so much stress during the week - and socially, in our world, we've been brought up in a mental 'cycle' that weekends are for pigging out!! The whole Sunday lunch/dinner thing…

Hi ajd, Just seen your post. How did YOU get on with the SSS? I did mine on Monday - didn't make the 1000 cals but it was fine for my first one. Now I know what to expect, I have a plan for the next one and will hit the 1000 for sure. We're in Week 2 now - but how are you getting on? Nutrition going well? Weigh-in day…

Absolutely not!!! It's true that you cannot spot-reduce, but if you have solid, firm muscles UNDERNEATH the fat, once your nutrition kicks in and the pounds come off, the lean muscle that you've built up by doing those crunches is what's going to give you that 'spot-reduction' kind of look!! In fact, crunches and plank are…

There's a world of difference (literally) between treadmill running (which does everything for you) and running outside (where you have to actually move all your joints yourself)! The treadmill sets your pace, it's springy, you don't have to push off your toes to propel yourself forwards ('cause you're not going anywhere)…