Dieting: Keeping a Diary

Here is my two cents on keeping a diary for your diet.

What is the point of keeping a diary? Doesn't it just entail an extra chore to the already arduous task of dieting, and doesn't it act as a reminder of the constant calorie counting, exercise regimes, weight controlling, etc.?

In the past I never ever kept a diary for gym, dieting, or anything like this. Now I keep one and I've lost more weight than I've ever lost before on any regime.

This isn't to say that I never lost any weight before keeping one, or that a mere collection of papers is the key separating success or failure.

What a diary DOES however do is provide you a little reference point to life, and creating a friendly habitual activity for the day. Looking back through your diary shows your story, a record of what has happened to you since you started it - in my case what I have eaten and how much I weigh every Monday, along with a couple of one-line anecdotes here and there on the topic (and occasionally off-topic, as tends to be my habit).

For every day practicality, a diary can serve as your little policeman. Each time you eat something, you MUST write it down (or take a photo if you're using the picture method), and when it's documented it's harder to deny it (the law student in me coming out a little there).

Low calorie ink

Looking at what I ate, and knowing I'll have to write down anything else I eat provides a check that makes me feel less inclined to shovel more food in the general direction of my face. It also allows me to try and maintain a balanced diet, filling in what things I should eat when I am lacking in them, or cutting down on what I have already had nearly enough of.

A factor I find that is really helpful with this diary is if I look back I can see the ups and downs of my diet, and from that obtain the resolve to persevere and improve. It's also fun to read my little notes and remember when and why I wrote them! When I see how long I've stuck to something, and I see what I have achieved in that time, I feel proud of myself and know I am on the right track, and I hope the same applies to anyone else who attempts this!!

Image sources: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/diary/images/11202659/title/tom-riddles-diary-photo; http://www.clipartof.com/portfolio/prawny-vintage/illustration/vintage-black-and-white-girl-tearing-up-a-book-1115190.html

Barefoot Running: Day 2/21

An update to yesterday (written this morning just after waking up) - I feel a slight tenderness on right foot on the right side of the ball of my foot... which seems to have mostly gone away in the time it took me to finish this blog post. I suppose I should take it easy today, but knowing me that will most likely not happen.

Today's running was not in my hometown, but over at my girlfriend's, a suburban town in the centre of the island. I ended up running around the university track, and then walking a fair amount of the way home barefooted.

WOW did my lower calves ache. I see what people mean about not used muscles becoming used again. As for the bottom of my feet, I couldn't hack going round the track for more than one lap with just my bare feet - it's rough, pitted, and full of loose gravel, stones, and there's the occasional area of lumpy concrete. However, just inside the large 0-shaped track is a grassy area with a convenient path through, which was ideal for running the rest, spending my breaks walking slowly along the thin, little wall separating the grass from the track (about half the width of my foot) practising my balance.

• 7 laps (about 3.08km) with 2 short breaks - I estimate it took me a little over 15 minutes to complete this!

So from my last post I thought I'd do some more homework so I can perhaps try to rationalise why barefoot running is enjoyable and seems to provide better performance. As we can see in the below videos, the way most people in trainers run involves taking a long stride with a straight back perpendicular to the ground, landing heel first and then continuing. If we observe barefoot running however, people take shorter strides, landing on the balls of their feet and curving down.

Try pausing throughout this video and you'll see my description is not far off.

Here we can REALLY see the differences put into action with the running styles. Look at just how differently the two move, build aside:

And now for the nitty gritty! Why is this different style supposed to be more beneficial?

As is explained in this video, we can see a demonstration of how exactly the way you move affects your body. Heel striking is a direct vertical force to your leg, whilst when touching down ball-first the force is diverted. Also, as I mentioned in my first blog post, you feel more tactile response from your feet actually touching the ground as opposed to touching a cushion touching the ground. This allows you to adapt your movement to balance and flow more easily.

A personal benefit I found was a good kind of soreness, 'a pleasant burn' in the lower back of my calves. This I suspect is because they tend to be so little used!

I advise doing your own research and trying it out for yourself. If you aren't at all used to travelling barefoot I then I would advise erring on the side of caution! It's difficult to just make the change like it's nothing. Your movement style needs to shift, and the soles of your feet need to toughen and get used to different terrains. In later posts I will talk about how what I believe good preparation is, but in the mean time I would like to accrue some experience so I can obtain empirical knowledge as well as theoretical.

Concluding thoughts:
I think overall this seems to be doing me good. My form is much better, I am running more distance in less time, and am able to run for a greater amount of time. I don't quite have the iron soles I need to tackle the track yet, but the grass is brilliant. Having said all this, I am dreading waking up tomorrow to sore, aching calf muscles... it's for a good cause, right? :(

Here is the book that has really catapulted barefoot running to the forefront of discussion - Born To Run

I may purchase a thin pair of Roman sandals (possibly furthering the Jesus Christ look) for rougher terrain, but for now me + nothing seem to be working out pretty well.

If you want to know more here's a debate on the subject

Dieting: Days 1-40 (An Unintentional Quasi-Paleo)

I can with confidence say that I can imagine what Jesus Christ may have felt not having bread for 40 days.

This of course fully compliments the long-haired 'n' beardy look I am currently rockin' (all these hip apostrophes ' ' '!)

A right looker this one!

Dogma \m/

Perhaps I am exaggerating slightly, however the temptation of it being easily within reach does indeed press on one's mind!

"Man shall not live on bread alone," (Matthew 4:3) - or at all in my case!

I started off my diet 40 days ago, weighing in at 109.6kg (241.6lb). I was sick of all the diets I had (admittedly less than whole-heartedly) tried out, and I thought I'd try my own, eating healthily and in moderation, on a principle of balancing carbohydrates, proteins, and other basic needs in each meal. In addition I have each day drank 3 cups of green tea with lemon (which, like all other tea, I HATE, even after 120 cups - making me the worst half-Brit ever) and a cup of warm honey with lemon before bed.
I have now just passed my FIRST goal, weighing just under 100kg (220.5lb), following a diet of my own invention... or so I thought.

Having discovered the website I shall most likely rave endlessly upon in this blog, www.nerdfitness.com, I located a diet I had heard the name of before, and decided to look at to sate my curiosity. I looked here, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/, which talks about the Paleo Diet.

Once again I was caught in intrigue reading. The diet had been working very well so far. I felt more energetic and motivated, and a confirmation of my idea was just what I needed as I hit the slowing point in my weight loss.

The idea goes like this - our species emerged approximately 200,000 years ago. The agricultural revolution occurred some 10,000 years ago. Most of our time, that is about 190,000 years, have been spent developing as hunter-gatherers, and thus while our society has changed to what we have today, our dietary expectations have not shifted with the necessary rapidity. Therefore we our bodies are not yet fully used to grain, sugar-based, and, debatably, dairy products.Thus, some believe we should revert, at least in part, to a more primitive diet to suit our more primitive bodies, consuming the products or those similar to those which our ancestors would have had.

This diet has a particular focus towards lowering the amount of carbohydrates consumed daily. I have included for those interested more about this theory with more in depth and scientific explanations.
http://thepaleodiet.com/the-paleo-diet-premise/; http://thepaleodiet.com/research/

This diet, like all, has not gone without criticism. From its inception in the 1970s several points have been made (in articles such as http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-paleo-diet-half-baked-how-hunter-gatherer-really-eat/):

• We have indeed evolved in the last 10,000 years (lactose tolerance, blue eyes, malaria resistance)
• We do not know completely know what the diet of man back then was (though researchers have made many advances on this front)
• The food available now is not the same as it was then (mutations, agricultural breeding)

Reviewing these points, they do indeed have merit to them, but they seem to be rather extreme, or refer to extreme cases. As an amateur I think it is fair to say that the idea of the Paleo Diet is over all a good one, though like our bodies it perhaps needs modification - but then again, does not every diet need to modified according to the person following it? 

Recipes

What can I eat??

Tenderise well with your club

I have been following something similar to the Paleo Diet - a low carbohydrate intake with small portions which I eat fairly frequently. The meals include plenty of green veg, a protein source, and a fruit in or accompanying it. However, I am not so stringent and have included on occasion certain things which do not follow it such as rice, crackers, pasta (perhaps once till now), beans, legumes, and a few other things here and there which vary from the prescribed diet. One of these others is a once-a-week 'naughty', when I get to have something bad at a meal per week (eg: a small dessert/Sunday lunch with my family (Mum's wonderful roasts o.o)/going out for a drink)

I would advise following the base diet, and then supplementing or altering it in moderation with sensible things (i.e. not putting a big mac in between two sticks of celery).

http://thepaleodiet.com/recipes/ - One of the more reliable sources
http://paleogrubs.com/paleo-diet-recipes - Very easy to navigate
http://www.pinterest.com/catiehays/paleo-diet-recipes/ - Always budding with new ideas
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/healthy-recipes/special-diets/paleo-diet/ - Reliable and you can branch from this
http://www.paleoplan.com/recipes/ - Easy to navigate once again; well organised

I will update in future posts with some recipes of my own!

I do not believe in extremes in general. Follow your diet, whichever one works for you, and don't be afraid to alter it as is necessary for you. Remember to keep yourself informed and educated, and look at both sides of an argument before starting a new health option!

In the end your steadfast dedication is the only thing which you CANNOT afford to change in your diet!

*Insert bedrock joke*

If you feel I have made any mistakes in my facts please feel free to let me know!

Image sources: http://www.project-reason.org/forum/viewthread/25570/; http://thatwemaygrowingrace.blogspot.com/; http://www.crossfitliberation.com/nutrition/; http://www.janetwise.net/zeitgeist-commentary/part-iv-punishing-eve-the-great-hoax-twisting-the-symbology-and-legends/; http://cardiologydoc.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/paleolithic-cave-man-diets/; http://paleoapproach.org/whatispaleo

Barefoot Running: DAY 1/21 & Intro

A preliminary big thank you to www.nerdfitness.com once again for highlighting this.

Last month I began to take dieting much more seriously, and had begun jogging a few times a week to compliment my new diet. Nike invested money and time researching the best ways to give my ankles (sprained once each) support, and I in turn invested a pretty penny (a thanks there to my dad, who I hope NEVER reads this post) on our family trip to Sicily buying my new replacement pair of basketball shoes, including special soles to take the shape of my feet .

Pretty sweet huh?

This evening I tried my first barefoot jogging session.

\Today's tools/

Now, I am not saying those are bad shoes or anything - they do the job they are meant to do well. Time will tell whether I am right in thinking this is not the job for me though.

Earlier this week I happened across a post (http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/11/04/barefoot-running-the-great-debate/). I highly recommend reading this in depth analysis. I was intrigued - I walk around barefoot all the time at home, and am often unshod in my garden and while camping, and enjoy doing so, so this idea not only made sense but was encouraging. I had to give it a try!

The special shoes concerned me in that they were not only expensive but I doubted I could find a pair on the island (though I have yet to check), but I was frankly too eager to care, so this evening I went down for supper (frittata slice, orange, strawberry low-fat yoghurt) in a pair of jogging pants and a light hoodie (which I was also wearing for the first time, having always gone in t-shirts and shorts regardless of the seasons) and bare feet.

To save you an inspiring narrative of my first steps on the cool tarmac beneath my earnest feet I'll give you a breakdown. I'm not a very good jogger, I never have been. I could I suppose vainly say I am built as a sprinter, but I think it's because I possess more than my fair share of unfitness. However, tonight I can say that I am proud of myself for the good run I had. A brief analysis:

• More surefootedness and tactile response
• Easier posture maintenance (which usually gives me a lot of trouble and wastes a lot of breath)
• Greater comfort to my ankles (during and after the jog)

Perhaps I had just rested well, or maybe it was because I had eaten the right things that day, but I felt more focused, I ran further (3km) and for longer (perhaps 15+ minutes) than I have run in a great long time, and funnily enough I was not as tired as I normally am. NB: The figures are just estimates. I will be more accurate in future!

One appreciated shower later here I am writing about it (my first blog no less!). It's only the first day, so I cannot say for certain which is better, but this was certainly a good beginning!

P.s. In case anyone is wondering, I have not got a single mark on my either of my feet!!

This shot took forever for dilettante cameraman to take