Having The Right Kit

SELF DISCIPLINE RULES

If you are lacking in self discipline, maybe you need a computer telling you what you already know. You're not exercising enough. You're eating too much. You're eating the wrong food. Wearable tech. It's all the rage these days! I'm a big fan of the old fashioned methods myself. So unless you can afford a wearable device - and this site has a whole list of them, try using some of these lo-tech methods I use every day.

Don't just count your steps....make your steps count:
It's been shown in studies (watch this program if you can get it), that a smaller amount of high intensity exercise, can shock your body into action and increase your metabolic rate, burn fat and improve your cardio/Vascular fitness levels. It's called High Intensity Training or HIT. I don't record my steps. I know when I've been sedentary and when I'm walking. This smart TV show from the BBC informs us that even by speeding up your walking pace a bit (speeding your heart rate), you can lower cholesterol and burn more calories. So make the steps you take really count! It's really simple...just walk.

– Walk fast everywhere you go
– Don't take the lift and walk up/down the stairs
– Never stand on the escalator
– If you want to really make steps count - do them 2 at a time
– To improve core strength, don't hold the rail (have your hand hovering above the rail ready in case it's needed) and try to keep your upper body engaged through your core as you steadily climb 2 steps at a time
– For even greater cardio fitness - do as I do and run the escalator two steps at a time!

Remember to breathe deeply, so you're not gasping for breath at the top and be extra careful not to trip, and take care to be aware of what's going on around you - especially when quickly crossing the road. I've gone even further with this attack on stairs and told myself that I'll take two steps at a time for as long as I can into old age for a measure of my physical strengths!

Counting Your Calories
I find a really great way to keep an eye on what we eat, is to take pictures of every meal. When I started off doing this, I quickly realised how big my portions were. I also noticed that I was finishing every meal, no matter if I was hungry or not. I've come from working class roots and this must have been instilled in me by my parents and grand parents from an early age. No waste. Not leaving the table until the plate was clean and praise for completing over my brother who was a bit of a fussy eater!

So, now I make smaller portions. In fact, I half everything with my partner, who is 8.5-9 stone/120lbs or roughly 55kilos. So mealtimes, I'll still finish my smaller plate of food and because I'm like a dog, be watching as my partner leaves some choice morsels of food on her plate. The rule is that we always start together, and if there's food left when she's finished eating (which is always long after I have finished), I can have it. Chances are, that I'll get those tasty morsels if I time it right - BUT, after a couple of minutes of finishing my food. I'm done. My hunger has past. And even though I have this no wasted policy, it's not my plate. I still feel that deep rooted satisfaction that I've finished my food and if I really am that hungry, I can always go back to the cupboard and get myself a snack.

Smart Snacks
Having snacks is fine - providing they are good snacks but if you eat smart and often, you don't really need to eat much between meals unless you're in a physically demanding job or exerting yourself with a physical activity. I used to tell myself that elevensy's and 3 o'clock snacks were needed every day but realised I'd just formed a habit so I stopped having them. If I felt the urge, I had another glass of water instead. However, there are times when you feel a bit low in energy, so I find that having a handful of nuts on hand normally does the trick, so there's always a selection of nuts in the house and I have some mixed nuts in my bag at work. I like pistachios - it's a smart nut to have around. Because the effort it takes to open them means I get bored before I get full. We always have a bit of cold meat around in the house too. A little bit of turkey or ham & cheese (cheese is my chocolate remember?) on a rice cake will easily satisfy a hunger pang. If you've managed to watch the BBC documentary, you've also learned that eating more proteins like meats, fills you up quicker and for longer. I avoid sugary snacks because I can't stop eating them once I've started as they seem to make me even hungrier. I make a point of not having any sweet snacks in the house but I do like digestive biscuits, so those and cheese are my treats and I'll rarely have them unless I've been exercising. We also have a bit of fresh and dried fruit kept in the house/sports bag but I'll usually only eat when exercising again.

Another snack that I carry in my sports bags are protein bars. I know they're processed foods - but they are good for immediately after or during a bit of intense exercise like mountain biking or climbing or after a tough session at the gym if I'm unable to eat something fresh within 30 minutes of exercise.

Making the right food choices

I'm keeping it fairly simple with food, and I can feel the benefits paying off already. When the spring comes, I'd like to be in a better position to step up the diet, so I've signed up to get a 30 day Paleo challenge sent to my phone every day to see what it's about and I'm reading Rob Wolf's book on Paleo this week too. I'll come back to this tomorrow.

Back to kit....

I'm off to boxing now - but before I go...just to say I'm also trialing a new deodorant, a nifty little bike mud guard, sports training bands and a sports recovery/drink called Argi+.

I'll come back to these products at a later date when I've had some usage to to feed back on the results.