Weight management

Step one: Have a complete medical check

Step two:  Exercise:

Exercise and food consumption are the most important facets of weight loss.  Aim for 45 mins of exercise three times weekly with your heart rate at 65% of your Maximum Heart Rate [MHR=220-age in years].  If you’re unable reach this level due to a medical condition, walk for one hour at least five days per week.

Step three - Food consumption: THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP!

One theory amongst the myriad of weight loss theories advises to consume less food - but by doing this you are slowing your metabolic rate and causing weight gain.  Eating smaller, quality meals will increase your metabolic rate and allow for faster weight loss. Aim for five small meals a day.  If you find it difficult to do so then purchase a protein meal replacement shake.  A protein shake that has high protein and is low carbohydrates.  Consume a third of body weight in grams per serve of protein Eg. If you weigh 60 kg divided by 3 = 20 grams of protein per serve.

Some suggestions for your five small meals:

Meal One:

• One cup of oats or muesli.  Add one teaspoon of flaxseed oil rich in omega 3 essential fatty acids; or
• 2-4 poached eggs on dark rye or sourdough bread; or
• 2 pieces of fresh fruit. [The fruit must be in season to ensure you're getting adequate amounts of nutrients]

Meal Two:

• 100 grams of tuna, chicken breast, turkey or cottage cheese with spinach, rocket, avocado, tomato and alfalfa in a low carbohydrate wrap; or
• 100 grams of brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and walnuts; or
• 20 grams of whey protein or soy protein with no more then 5 grams of carbohydrate and less then 3 grams of sugar - mixed in water.  Do not use milk as this has high sugar content and saturated fat which leads to increased body fat levels.

Meal 3:

• 100 grams of chicken breast fillet with spinach leaves, broccoli, onion, ginger; or
• 150 grams of flavoured tuna or salmon with avocado, spinach, tomato, rocket, bak choy, capsicum with wholemeal or pita bread; or
• mixed greens salad with egg, tuna, chicken or mixed nuts and seeds; or
• homemade soups eg lentil, pumpkin, minestrone, chicken.

Meal 4:

• vegetable juices e.g. beetroot, carrot, spinach, celery, ginger, tomato; or
• multi grain crackers with avocado, tuna or salmon; or
• high protein, low carbohydrate shake made with water; or
• a handful of nuts and seeds.

Meal 5:

• stir-fry with mixed vegetables, tofu, fish fillets, or chicken or lean red meat; or
• grilled fish, chicken breast, lean red meat with a side salad. (Use any dressing except those with a cream or heated oil base.)

NOTE: In your meals, avoid using cows' milk as it contains high amounts of lactose, which is a sugar that can not only cause bloating, tooth decay, abdominal pain and diarrhoea but which has been linked to heart disease and development of Type 2 diabetes.

Supplements

Supplements are required if you discover an inability to meet the required levels in your basal eating plasma, or supplements can be shown to provide additional benefit to you.

1: Multi Vitamins

Because of the stress an athlete’s system is placed under as a result of diet and exercise, a multi vitamin should be the number one supplement in any athlete's diet and is essential for:

• assisting growth and repair of tissue;
• breaking down carbohydrates into glucose;
• breaking down fats;
• toning the intestinal wall;
• increasing the metabolic rate;
• enhancing the immune system;
• promoting healthy cells.

Suggested dose: Take one tablet in the morning and one at lunch time - with food.

2. Thermogenics/Fat burners

Weight loss supplements are commonly used by athletes to alter body composition. The main aim is to reduce body fat levels, while preserving lean muscle and increasing the basal metabolic rate.

Key active ingredients in a thermogenic:

• Citrus Aurantium/Bitter Orange which increases the metabolic rate, increases energy and suppresses appetite;
• Guarana is a herb that contains guaranine which has a similar chemical structure to caffeine.  It reduces fatigue, increases energy and suppresses appetite;
• Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) assists the removal of bad fats and increases the uptake of good fats. It also contains caffeine as a key active ingredient to increase endurance and stamina;
• Willow Bark contains a natural form of aspirin with thermogenic properties;
• L-carnitine promotes fat transport and increases cell energy and stamina thus providing increased endurance, particularly useful for those who have a family history of heart disease.  A dose of 1000 mg in the morning and twenty minutes prior to exercise is recommended.
• L-tyrosine stimulates adrenaline; increases alertness and thyroid function and will assist weight loss;
• Essential Fatty Acids [flaxseed, fish, borage and wheat germ oils]:
• improve insulin;
• reduce bad fats;
• stabilise blood sugar levels;
• increase oxygen consumption;
• reduce water retention.