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Here are Two rules on drinking more water and restricting your caffeine to the morning

No caffeine after 3pm. Let’s be clear. Caffeine is a type of stimulant. Most of us want to kick-start our day with a strong tea or coffee. Again, moderation is the key. One proven fact is that caffeine de-hydrates your body faster. So again, just as with any alcohol that you are tempted to drink, try to always have two glasses of water, for every cup of strong tea or coffee that you consume. Another proven effect of caffeine is to stimulate insulin production, so that your system is then working over-time to process your blood sugar and get needed glycogen into your muscles. But it takes unused glycogen out of your muscles faster too. So you will feel hungrier, faster. The more coffee you have in the morning, the worse your hunger before lunch. And the bigger the temptation to load up your lunch, over the threshold fist size…

So cut back on the coffee and keep some nuts handy if you are feeling that 11am blood sugar low. There are some who also say that a little caffeine in your system can aid the fat-burning process during training. But even if you have an evening training ride or race, do not have normal tea or coffee after 3pm, or there will be too much caffeine in your system – and your sleep is likely to be affected. Late afternoon try to drink organic fresh mint tea, or lemon and ginger. Avoid Earl Grey, which can be high in caffeine. Then in the evening, make your own fresh mint tea in a pot (you can buy the leaves fresh growing in a pot from any supermarket). Camomile tea is also good for relaxing your body and mind, particularly after evening training, again to suppress appetite. But only one cup is recommended, even then only if you are not under any other sort of medication or anti-depressants. Please take medically qualified advice if you have any concerns.

When possible, drink a half litre of water every half hour. Water is really important during a fat-burning regime and so good for you to detox the system. Obviously this may not be possible if you are travelling, or unable to get to a bathroom in close proximity. But when you have a fixed day at home or in your office, just get into the habit of sipping on water. Keep a glass of tap water continually topped up. Unless you have any concerns about acidity, keep a few slices of lemon or lime in your water glass too. Plus add a few extra squeezes of the fresh lemon juice. As well as essential pampering of your very precious and beloved liver, this water concentration can act as mild appetite suppressant. You have to really concentrate to keep this intake going. But try to do it at least three days per week. Again, don’t go crazy. Never go over five litres a day if you have any sort of concerns or history with kidney or bladder problems. It will really help you forget about the taste of your favourite alcoholic drinks too.

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When eating, focus on enjoying 

the nourishment as slowly as possible.

This just needs concentration. But it is often not 

that simple. You were probably told by your loving 

parents or grandparents to chew your food slowly 

with your mouth closed. They were so right. 

Obviously! But think about how you eat now. Do you load your fork with another mouthful, 

before you have chewed and swallowed the 

current mouthful? Stop it.

Wait. Concentrate.Think about what you are tasting and chewing. 

Don’t read the newspaper or your emails! Don’t 

watch TV. Honestly, this is really important. Just focus on the nourishment. And do not put the 

next mouthful even onto your fork or spoon, until 

you have swallowed what you are eating now. Wait 

to think about the nourishment that you have just 

tasted. Then have a glass of water. Then put the 

next mouthful onto your fork or spoon. You will have to concentrate hard. But why should 

food be boring?

You will be amazed at two things:

• How much LESS that you need to consume, to 

feel full

• How the wrong fatty foods start to taste 

distinctly unhealthy, immediately, so you feel 

guilty about consuming more of them

Work at this rule. Apply it to every meal - and soon 

a fist-sized potion will become entirely adequate. Apply it to snacks too. One nut at a time. One small 

portion of that chocolate bar at a time. Most bars 

have small squares. So eat that one square at a 

time - and focus on ENJOYING it. Very slowly. Make sure you have that sip of water, fresh fruit 

juice or fruit or fresh mint tea between EVERY 

mouthful. Master this rule and you are well on your way to 

your weight loss goals.

Keep a Food Diary and 

measure your weight loss just once each week, when 

you get up on Monday mornings

This is so important. In our view, successful weight 

loss is:

• 50% strategy 

• 10% awareness

• 20% patience

• 20% enjoying it!

So, to track your loss of 0.5 kilo or one imperial lb 

per week, write down your progress. We don’t want to encourage starving yourself and training for hours through a weekend, to stay on 

track. In fact you’ll then break a few other rules…

But seriously, your weight can fluctuate all through 

the week depending on your hydration, activity, 

calorie intake, etc. So sticking to a Monday morning 

weigh-in keeps a consistent measurement. Also, remember to praise yourself and celebrate, if you have lost that bit more. This could be treating 

your self to something. Anything. Except alcohol. That will just make the weight all go back. Faster than you can say Cabernet Sauvignon.

Also, a daily food diary really gets you aware of 

how you are still eating a lot of wrong foods. But 

don’t beat yourself up too much. Just cut back on 

fats or bad carbs through the following week. And when you do feel that you’ve binged, also write down what you were thinking. Remember 

how you felt, both before and after the binge or treat. Then next time you feel like that second or third biscuit or chocolate bar, try to focus on thethoughts that you had, AFTER you let things slip the 

last time..

Really focus on this and you will have a stronger mindset. Read your food diary when you wake up too and focus your thoughts on how you will feel 

when you beat that sportive standard time, or win 

an uphill sprint against your club-mates, or are first 

up your toughest killer hill climb or training test.

Eat with the end result in mind. Remember, you are 

in control.

New Exclusive Advice On Fitness For Body And Mind

How Can You Take One Giant Step to Fitness? Cut Out Alcohol

Rarely touch alcohol - maximum five units per week and never after 6pm. You must respect your metabolism and work with it - not against it. This doesn’t need a Doctorate in Nutrition. Nor deep scientific knowledge. Just discipline. As a serious athlete or cyclist, you commit to a disciplined training regime. You value your health and fitness. You want to feel like an Elite rider or top Triathlete, every time you train. So why not follow the same discipline with controlling your weight and alcohol consumption? And what a difference climbing hills! It’s amazing. Unshed those kilos and you fly up those killer climbs. You recover quicker at the top. You feel so much better that you could go back down and climb that hill again! Seriously. When you cut out alcohol and lose that weight you will think how ill-disciplined you were, to leave it so long, before taking action. And it’s not about fads like Atkins or G.I. or others. It’s about balance, moderation and getting into good habits. Habits so good that you can reward yourself regularly - even to the extent of a bar of chocolate any afternoon! Provided, of course, that you are following the rules carefully, like no other carbs after 6pm.

So we have put together key rules for an active sports person to lose 10 kilos in 5 months - or about an imperial pound in weight every week. These reflect varied pieces of information, advice and learning, over thirty years of fighting excess weight. The key is to keep the rules, all the time. And cut out alcohol. Then you’ll feel great. Rarely hungry. And fly up the hills as if they did not exist! Follow

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So reducing alcohol consumption is critical. Even better, just give it up completely. Try to combine this with a life-changing event like a new job, a new home move, or a new relationship. Seriously, this gives you an alternative focus and keeps your discipline. You will find, after a few days, that when you have beer or a glass of wine, that you can really taste the alcohol in it. The flavours that you thought you were yearning for are just not there. They are overwhelmed by the alcohol itself. Why is this so important? Because you must respect the importance of a properly functioning liver. A healthy liver is essential to process your weight loss and regulate your whole body’s digestive balance, especially glycogen. The second you consume alcohol, then your liver switches into self-preservation mode, to get the impurities out of your body as fast as you drank them in! What happens? Well clearly all the other liver activities move back down the queue. So other toxins from training take longer to process out. And other fats in your system take longer to burn. Go to bed at night after a few glasses of wine or beer and you can say goodbye to any weight loss benefits for a couple of days. Yes, it is that important.

But what happens if you slip back into some sociable drinking? A Sunday lunchtime pint is sometimes fine. Or a glass of wine with a good meal. But, if you are serious about weight loss, make sure that you always dilute one glass of an alcoholic drink with at least two glasses of water. The effect will be amazing on your general well-being too. Better sleep, better skin and better late-night abilities for conversation - or other activities that need a healthy body! But don’t some people advocate that a daily large glass of red wine is good for your health? Sure they do. For the fruit and the tannins. But not for the acidity and the alcohol. Better to purchase a really good juicing machine. Then make the most amazing fresh fruit juice cocktails. But again watch the high sugar content, too late in the evening before bed. Remember a pint of lager has the same sugar content as doughnut coated with icing. How many Elite Cyclists or Top triathletes win races by stuffing themselves with Krispy Kremes?

New Exclusive Advice On Fitness For Body And Mind