Last week, I decided to relive some of my youth and pay a visit to Thorpe Park with one of my best friends. Don't get me wrong, I'm no thrill seeker, far from it infact!
The last time we visited a theme park was probably around 10 years a go when we were alot younger and since then I had discovered I suffer from motion sickness so why in god's name would we want to go to possibly the worse place in the UK for bringing on motion sickness?
The answer?
Because it's FUN!
No scientific reason just good ol' plain fun.
We had both decided a while back that there was a lack of fun in our lives and that we'd been working way too much and not scheduling in enough fun so we thought we'd change that and set off for Thorpe Park in Surrey, UK.
I knew the individual rides that would bring on my motion sickness and the ones that wouldn't (and no, I didn't spend all day on the tea cup ride with all the 5 year olds!)so it was just a case of avoiding them.
Surprisingly, roller coasters don't bring my motion sickness on so we spent pretty much most of the day going on all the roller coaster rides enjoying all the highs and lows.
(Infact it was actually my best friend who was feeling sick by the end of the day!!!)
Anyway, enough talk of all this sickness! Sorry to bring it up (sorry, couldn't resist that one)
So what the hell has my trip to Thorpe Park got to do with your fatloss plan? I hear you ask.
Relax, I'm getting to that : )
Well, whilst we were cueing for Collasus, Thorpe Parks' biggest rollercoaster ride, I watched the ride from start to finish, how it would go slow then fast, high then low, how it would corkscrew then twist and turn and it reminded me of your fatloss plan.
How you could be on your very own ENERGY roller coaster!
What do I mean?
Blood Sugar Levels
Your blood sugar levels play a huge role in your fatloss plan. If you can keep them regulated and steady throughout the day then this will help you dramatically with keeping your body fat levels down.
On the flip side to that however, if your blood sugar levels are up, down and generally all over the place then your more likely to plateau with your results or worse still, actually PUT ON weight.
So how does this work?
Let me shed some light on this...
When we eat our body converts our food into sugar (or glucose). Glucose is our main energy source and can affect how hungry and how energetic we feel.
Our pancreas creates a hormone called insulin that transports blood sugar into our body's cells where it is used for energy.
When we eat food that is quickly processed into blood sugar (sugar, soda, pasta, white bread etc.) the pancreas goes into overtime to produce the insulin necessary for all this blood sugar to be used for energy. This insulin surge tells our body that plenty of energy is readily available and that it should stop burning fat and start storing it.
However, the greater concern with the insulin surge is not that it tells our body to start storing fat. Whatever we eat and don't burn up eventually gets turned into fat anyway.
The greater concern is that the insulin surge causes too much blood sugar to be transported out of our blood and this results in our blood sugar and insulin levels dropping below normal. This leaves us feeling tired and hungry and wanting to eat more.
You're on your very own energy roller coaster and it's not at Thorpe Park!
Not good huh?
The unfortunate result of this scenario is that it makes us reach for sugar to pick up our energy levels and the cycle repeats all over again.
So how can we stop this?
It's simple (although not always easy!)
By eating the way mother nature intended us to thats how!
Unfortunately, there is so much hidden sugar in our western diet these days that its hard to know what products have and haven't got sugar in them so I've devised a 4 step plan to help you know what to watch for when your buying your food.
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates can be metabolized very quickly and are therefore most likely to cause an insulin surge.
Simple carbs include the various forms of sugar, such as sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar, yep if you snack on nothing but fruit all day then this will affect your fatloss plan), lactose (dairy sugar), and glucose (blood sugar). Watch for the "-ose" ending.
Hidden Sugar in Processed Foods.
Watch for "hidden" sugar in processed foods like bread, ketchup, salad dressing, canned fruit, pasta and soups.
Sugar in Beverages.
Be aware of the amount of sugar in beverages, especially coffee and coke etc. It can add up quickly, and most such drinks aren't filling.
Cereals claiming less sugar
Many newer cereals do contain less sugar, but the calories, carbohydrates, fat, fiber and other nutrients are almost identical to the full-sugar cereals. The manufacturers have simply replaced sugar with other refined, simple carbohydrates and will leave you no better off than before!
So there you have it, apply all 4 steps and you will certainly see an improvement in your blood sugar levels, which means your energy levels will improve and more importantly, your fatloss success will kickstart too!
And if you haven't downloaded it already yet then my Fatloss report "9 Powerful Ways To Losing Bodyfat" looks at stabilising your sugar levels and achieving maximum fatloss in just 60 days.
Sam Winkworth
The South-Easts Leading Personal Trainer
www.samwinkworth.ning.com
No comments:
Post a Comment