Eating tricks...

Question
Hello Iain,
I have a couple of questions for you on two different fronts. One is, a problem I have with even starting weight loss, is portion control and speed of eating. When I am hungry I eat. And I tend to woof it down like most burly hungry guys. I've heard to eat slower and you will get fuller, but it doesn't work for me. How can I discipline myself to eat smaller portions and eat slower?
On a different front, I saw an infomercial online about dieting that said the opposite of what I have traditionally thought to be healthy. This ad said that whole wheat breads and pastas and orange juice are all sources of excess sugars and thus are worse for you than regular versions of these things. For years, i have been getting sandwiches on wheat bread, subs on wheat, buying whole wheat pasta, all in the thought that it was better for me. Is their ad claim true? I can't seem to verify it anywhere or refute it for that matter. Also, any tips you might have for an almost 40, 240 lbs, 5'11" guy to lose some weight because my doc said too and would help with high blood pressure, cholesterol and elevated blood sugar levels. My family history is of heart disease etc, Aunt has diabetes, Mom has hypoglycemia. On my current path, it doesn't look good so i want to lose some weight and improve some areas I have been neglecting for the last decade or so. Thank you.

Answer
Hi,

To lose weight and control eating, you need to split your meals into  6-7 small meals a day. That way you wull conastantly have a flow of food into your body.

Yes,whole wheat products have sugars but their form is complex carbs, so they break down slower than simple cars ( sweet tasting). Complex carbs help to sustain exercise.

To enjoy life to the fullest you need to be aerobically fit, have good flexibility and a strong skeletal structure.  

In order to fully get the benefits of aerobics, flexibility and weight training you need to join a gym to:-

A) Get the correct instruction for working out,
B) Get the correct advice for exercises from a personal trainer
C) Get access to many different machines to build up your complete body fitness from strength, aerobic fitness to core inner strength to stretching and balance exercises.
D) General motivation from like minded individuals.

You need to get a balanced workout for all muscle groups. All muscles work together in the body and all need even amount of training. And don抰 forget stretching is important as weight lifting can reduce flexibility.

As for aerobics I would try to use the treadmill or bike 4-5 times a week to help burn up fat. And then use the weights 3-4 times a week to help build strength and muscle.

Also ask for a body fat % test yet? This will help to give you goals to achieve for fat levels, so you can see that you are putting on muscle and not fat/water etc?that way you will increase muscle mass and also reduce fat (fat under the skin) to show off muscularity.

Try to consume foods low in fat, low in cholesterol, low in salt and low in added sugars. Include lots of complex carbohydrates (such as whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta), fruits and vegetables. This type of diet will help you control your blood sugar level, as well as your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. For the liquids you can consume sports drinks that have a high amount of a complex carbs like Maltodextrin.

I would stick to no more than about 1500 - 2000 calories a day but as I said make sure they are low fat and high in complex carbs...

You need to east lean protein like chicken, turkey, pork and lean beef. Also you will need energy in the form of complex cars, like whole meal pasta, cereal, and grains. Also any sports drink that has maltodextrin and where 70% or more of the carb content is not sugars.

Thanks.  

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