Diet IS The Key – What I Learnt This Week
Posted on 16 October 2008
This week has been pretty cool, I just started a full-time job (hence the lower rate of blogging) It has made me realize a few things and I have come across a few pretty cool articles across the web which I will go over (so please check some of the links they are not affiliates just stuff I read this week and found interesting)….
Working makes Working out Hard
Having a full time job makes fitting in exercise pretty hard especially when your used to doing it first thing in the morning and you have to be at work for 8AM. Hence this week I was forced to improvise with my workouts.
The first thing I attempted to do was keep up walking as much as I could trying to fit in at least 30 minutes throughout the day. This definitely kept me feeling energetic and lively, I achieved the walking through simple things:
- Getting off the bus on the earlier stop.
- Taking a short walk at Lunch (After eating to aid digestion)
- Taking the stairs
Its the little things that count and they really add up throughout the day, plus they help keep you feeling good.
On days I knew I couldn’t workout I also squeezed in 100 pushups before leaving the house, usually upon waking within 20-30 minutes. I just threw these in while waiting for the kettle to boil or brushing my teeth. Fit it in, it helps loads and allows you to awaken your body and give it a good hormonal signal.
Two of the evenings I managed to get in a workout, this was perfect as I arrived home late evening and hadn’t eaten since lunch so I felt fresh and light (ready to roll with the workout) one evening I did some Kettlebell stuff (swings and cleans) plus a short run. Yesterday evening I went to the local park and did 5 sets of sprints coupled with a short playful run (throwing in side steps and jumps) The workouts were short and intense….. These workouts both took me under 35 minutes from start to finish, some people spend that long traveling to and from a gym!!
Eating
Working reminded me the importance of eating a light breakfast; Its no coincidence the mornings I felt best came after having a piece of fruit and a black coffee for breakfast. Some days I would grab a pear or another apple around 11AM with a green tea. The mornings I did this my energy was sky high and my mental mindset was positive, most importantly I felt good.
The days I had a more substantial breakfast I felt heavy, more tired and less outgoing. This re-affirms my position on having a light breakfast unless you have been working out fasted….. Obviously I experienced some hunger pangs but they passed very quickly and I was left feeling great. Something to note is its far far easier to stay light in the morning when your busy at work as oppose to sitting around at home.
Lunches were always High Protein and relatively low carb; Things like Bacon, Egg and Avocado Salads or Salad Nicoise, some days a Chicken Tortilla wrap. Occasionally with another piece of fruit and a green tea. These lunches kept me going no problem until dinner and kept me feeling sharp and light throughout the afternoon (essential when starting a job). Just try and minimize grains at lunch they will have you feeling sapped of energy!
The biggest thing in a new job is the social aspect of eating; In a nutshell don’t be embarrassed to eat healthy good food in the presence of your co-workers, regardless what they eat just don’t judge them for their diets and expect the same in return.
Diet is the Key to an energetic and healthy mind and body.
Small Things
Make sure you soak up the sunlight/daylight when working, one thing that made me feel noticeably dozy/spaced out was working in a small underground classroom surrounded by projectors and noisy machinery without a trace of sunlight. A cool article about Vitamin D which you get from sunlight or cod liver oil cropped up this week check it out…..
Also If you ever have trouble waking up in the middle of the night unable to get back to sleep (as I do) check out this article could solve your problem…..
Green Tea really is a potent metabolism booster in my opinion, every time I drink a cup of quality green tea I notice I will get noticeably hotter; I am sure the stuff does a world of good for other things too; I have heard its a potent anti-estrogenic which is pretty cool.
Comment by Keith Norris
16 October 2008
Welcome to the jungle, kid. My recommendations are thus:
1. Maintain a mindset of “adapt and overcome”. The working-world life will constantly try to interfere with your “healthy” life.
2. Try to get your workouts in first thing in the morning. If you wait ’til later in the day, some crisis will inevitably intercede.
3. As much as practicable, bring your own food to work.
4. Read Theory to Practice every day for advice from a guy who has spent years navigating this terrain!
And, yeah — trying to fit in a blog or two per week on top of everything else is quite a challenge in and of itself.
It’s tough following through with the lifestyle, and it’s certainly a potent challenge — but it is doable.
Comment by Chris
16 October 2008
@ Keith: Awesome stuff, I love your blog and have picked up so much useful stuff from it so thanks again. I think I will start taking your advice on bringing my food in with me it works out cheaper and makes things a lot easier….. Thanks for checking in and I look forward to your next post!!
Comment by Methuselah - Pay Now Live Later
16 October 2008
Chris – great link on the sleeping problem – I am going to try going to bed later as per the advice in the article.
I’ve been fitting gym in with work for about 9 years now and agree totally with Keith – first thing in the morning is the one time nothing can interfere with because by definition it happens first! You are already down with the improvisation concept so you are in a great position to always get something in when you feel you need it. It’s people who think they can only workout if they go to the gym that tend to struggle when work gets in the way.
Comment by Rusty - Fitness Black Book
19 October 2008
Chris,
Great point about Green Tea. This is one of my favorite diet aids. Whenever I want to get sharper this helps me limit my food intake while giving me a steady supply of energy.
The craziest thing about green tea is that I swear it works best when you drink it hot. It seems to cut the appetite better. I’m not sure if this is just the case with me or if others have found this to be true as well.
I also completely agree on staying light in the morning. I have no idea how people have energy after eating a big breakfast. I am becoming a bigger fan of your site every time I visit.
Comment by Chris
19 October 2008
@ Rusty: Thanks for stopping bye, My take in hot green tea is that the thermogenic properties of the stuff work at their best when they are drunk hot. All I know is a good green tea really amps up my bodies temp…..
Staying light in the morning is amazing, a bowl of oats makes me want to go to sleep….. Give me a small natural protein bar (greens plus protein is my favorite) and a piece of fruit with an Espresso and I am on fire until lunch….
Comment by susan
20 October 2008
I never have really gotten into green tea because I drink one cup of coffee in the morning and thats it for caffeine…
Comment by Tom Parker - Free Fitness Tips
20 October 2008
Totally agree with you Chris. Working full time does make exercising very difficult to fit in. I find that if I take my gym clothes to work and then go to the gym straight after work I can do it. If I go home first then my chances of going to the gym are almost zero.
Also gotta chip in on the green tea debate. I’m quite a recent convert but I find the stuff fantastic. It’s so refreshing and is a great alternative to coffee (I can’t manage more than two or three coffees per day). Plus, drinking it regularly throughout the day allows you to have small breaks from your desk, rest your eyes and stretch your legs.
Comment by Chris
21 October 2008
@ Susan: I am the same way unless I really need more, one coffee in the morning is more than enough…I will happily sip on Green tea or Rooibos for the rest of the day. It keeps my head clear and energy steady….
@ Tom: I like your gym trick I may have to consider doing it myself as your right; once I get home a workout is doubly hard to fit in as all I feel like doing is relaxing…..
Comment by Pills Bury - Free Quick Weight Loss Tips
23 October 2008
There are many great weight loss tips out there. Healthy living certainly is a simple equation of a few factors. Diet, exercise, rest, and a positive mindset
Comment by Andrew R
31 October 2008
With regards to Keith’s #3 statement: I would have to say that you should make this a must! Make it a part of your daily routine. Bring a cooler, pack your 2-3 meals for the work day, be that guy, whatever it takes. Cause if you get out of the habit, you’ll start letting those excuses take over.
A few months ago I was working an 80 hour a week job, 7 days a week. If I didn’t at the very least bring a salad in a tupperware container and a protein shake (I did eat out to grab a sensible lunch from time to time), I found that things started down a slippery slope, and it wasn’t pretty!!
Trust me when I say it, Keith is right
All the Best,
Andrew R
Go Healthy Go Fit