Low carb diets have been popular for the last 10 to 20 years or more, however they may not be all that safe. Reducing carbohydrates have been a huge weight loss fad for the last few years, but some things should be considered before starting on them. Low carbohydrate, or ketogenic diets, deplete your body of its natural storage of glycogen. Glycogen is a polysaccharide that is stored in the liver and muscles to be used as energy. It is the sugars in carbohydrates such as pasta that provide an energy boost, so that is why marathon runners 'carbo-load' before a race.

When you deplete the amount of glycogen in the body, you are dehydrating it, which causes the scale to drop significantly in the first stages of a low carb diet. While the dieter thinks they are losing weight, what they are actually doing is dehydrating their body and depleting it of muscle mass. This quick loss is what makes it so popular, but the results are actually deceptive.

As a result of lowered glycogen in the body, the dieter may feel fatigued, and may actually be uncomfortable when exercising. This further confuses them because the dieter, who is possibly increasing their activity through cardio-vascular exercise, figures the fatigue is as a result of the exercise, but what they are actually feeling is the loss of glycogen to the body.

When losing weight and doing cardiovascular exercise, your energy should be increased rather than depleted. When the dieter feels fatigued they are likely to quit exercise, which is counterproductive to their weight loss. This can also affect the dieter’s metabolism which actually is counterproductive to dieting.

If the body suffers too much glycogen depletion it may go into atrophy. Atrophy is the result of lost muscle glycogen and is the shrinking or reduction of muscle mass. This further causes less drive to exercise, and can lead to the inability to maintain muscle tone. Obviously, if you are trying to improve your physical condition and appearance, the last thing you want to do is reduce your muscle tone.

The solution? When trying to lose weight, eat a healthy balanced diet, which includes complex carbohydrates such as wholewheat pasta or rice, not white bread and cakes. Carbs should account for no more than 60% of your daily intake.

As information has begun to trickle through that Greg took an early victory at the Helsby four villages the odds have changed. We now have a race on our hands.

Both men very aware of the training still required but also aware of the old saying:

‘It is better to lose the battle yet win the war!’

An insider from Tim’s training camp commented that Tim was unaware that Greg was at the event as Tim was concentrating on keeping his heart rate below 100bpm for the entire run!

Team Pyeman came straight back and pointed out that although Greg looks like he will need CPR at the end of a run he still has a bit left in reserve just in case.

Both Men have been said to be studying their training heroes in theses last 12 weeks; Tim has been watching Marathon Race meets Iron Man winners and understanding the mental focus of the great Lance Armstrong. Greg has been watching Eddie Izzard DVDs because apparently he did a few runs lately. He has also been studying the movements of Big Bird from seseame street who has the same size legs as him.

Sunday saw the body solutions runners take the Helsby Half Marathon by storm!

Helsby four villages as it is known is a cheeky little number with twists and turns and just when you don’t need it, a roller coaster of hills in the last 3 miles. But this didn’t stop the team battering the lanes, dodging the ice and finishing heads held high to receive the free bottle of beer at the end, my kind of race!

With only 13 weeks (unlucky for some!) to go until the London Marathon, both Tim and Greg are stuck into their training. Chomping away at the miles, it has been estimated that by the time the guys set off at the start of the Marathon they will have already run over 1200miles each that is the same as running from Lands End to John O Groats and then back to Liverpool again!

If you want to get behind the Lads and support them in their training please feel free to donate either personally or corporately at:

www.virginmoneygiving.com/pyeman

www.justgiving.com/tim-barrett

Here is an uncomfortable fact. 63% of men and 53% of women are now overweight or obese. That is half the nation. Worrying isn’t it? Even more worrying than that, is the fact that the fastest growing groups of obese people are children and women in their thirties. Children no longer eat healthily or keep active. The 'play station generation' are caught up in lazy parenting, junk food diets, lack of PE in schools and the plain acceptance that it’s 'normal' to have their belly hanging over their trousers and stretch marks like a pregnant mother of twins. Anyone reading this may think I am being a bit harsh, but the harsh reality is that we are setting up an entire generation of kids with serious health problems in the future. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease and infertility to name but a few conditions. And yet the solutions are really quite simple. Eat good food, enjoy food, just don’t eat too much of the wrong stuff. Limit fast food. Move more, get out with your kids, take them swimming or for a simple walk in the park. If your kids don’t enjoy the usual sports (football, rugby, ballet, swimming), find something that they do enjoy. It might be a martial art (great for confidence), cricket (very English!), mountain biking or skateboarding or even something unusual like fencing or trampolining. Whatever they choose, go with it.

I once trained a young girl who weighed more than my husband (14 stone). She was barely in high school. Despite every attempt to improve her lifestyle, I only saw her for 2 hours per week. Desperately, I tried to work with the parents, looking at diet, fitness testing, getting them on board in every way. Yet because they were paying me to get her fit, I think they just relinquished all responsibility for her health. Since becoming the mother of two myself, I know that I would do everything and anything in my power to keep my kids happy and healthy.

Finally, children DO NOT need sports/energy drinks in their packed lunches or after school unless they are actually going to do some real activity. Otherwise, we are just loading them up with calories. However, children do need to be kept well hydrated and eat little and often.

So, what will you do to ensure that the next generation live long healthy lives?

Back to work and back to training. Although those of us who have entered races in the early part of this year have had no time off!

 

With the london Marathon only 15 weeks away Both Tim and Greg have been battling the bad weather to keep up with their strict training programes. The boys have been so licra clad in the snow and ice, that at times they have been mistaken for spiderman and the silver surfer! Still, the very thought of not getting the times that they have set themselves for the big race has helped to focus their minds and made them push on.

The next few months are very busy with the Helsby Running Club 4 village race on Sunday the 17^th of January and then the first ever UK Kilomathon, that’s 26.2 kilometers (16.3 miles, the perfect race distance for the human body) between Nottingham and Derby on Sunday the 17^th of March, this is 7 weeks prior to the race.

 

We will keep you posted for information on how to get involved with sponsorship and tickets for the Winners Dinner to help celebrate after the marathon, Body Solutions style!!!

In 17 weeks time the Ironman takes on the Commander in Body Solutions' first head to head marathon! Two men one, one goal; to beat eachother in a race of 26 miles across London.

Each week insiders from each camps will keep you posted on each mans progressas their training is ramped up a gear, in this race there is only one title... the winner!

Keep following the blogs as we count down what will prove to be an exciting start to the year. Look out for your chance to get involved, corporate sponsorship, free virgin marathon wear and the 'Winners Dinner' all to come!

Stand By!!

It's that time of year again, mince pies, tinsel, mistletoe and hours spent rushing around shops desperately trying to find inspiration to save your loved one the ordeal of opening up yet another packet of socks! Fret no more, for Body Solutions is here to save the day! Check out our Christmas offer here. 

 

Its seems like everytime we blink someone else completes a race, hits a goal or smashes a personal best! Well this time its Robyn Curwen and her mum who we'd like to say a massive congratulations to. After seeing all the hard work that Robyn has put into her training and how far she has progressed in the last year, we couldn't be prouder. She completed her first 10k race in just 58 minutes with her mum coming in at just 1hr 3m, she wasn't far behind! Great work girls.

Rose Egan, a long term client at Body Solutions completed the Venice marathon yesterday with an incredible time of just 04:09hrs!! We are all extremely proud of her achievement and knew she would make us all proud. Well done Rose!

 

Everyone at Body Solutions would like to say a huge congratulations to Jane Roberts who has just completed her first Ironman competition. Tim Barrett, her personal trainer, is very proud of Jane as this is the first Ironman finisher he has trained. This is what Jane says:

"This has to be my greatest sporting achievement so far. At no point through the Ironman race did I think "Why am I doing this?" even though I fully expected to ask myself that question more than once! The whole experience was just absolutely amazing. The only thing I regret in it all is not hearing them say "You are an Ironman" when I crossed the finish line! I was so absorbed in high-fiving everyone and enjoying myself as I crossed the line that I just didn't hear anything. Will just have to do another one!!"

Well done Jane, another great achievement!