Hi - I'd really appreciate some help with my diet.

I'm currently just starting out in Triathlons - so I'm doing a fair bit of cardio (at least an hour every day) but not much weights at the moment.

I want to get really lean and toned.

recently I have put on about 5kg - and it just wont budge!

I weigh 57kg at the moment but I'm only 158cm - and usually weigh 51-52kg. - And I'd really like to get back down to that weight - or at least stip the excess fat.

My current diet:

Breakfast - cappuccino (full cream), banana, apple

snack - 1 piece of fruit

Lunch - can of tuna, 4 thin rice cakes, tomoato

snack - apple, hot drink (instant coffee with milk) - maybe some rice crackers

Dinner - is usually protein and salad ie. tuna, eggs or chicken

(I also sometimes pig out on lollies - but I'm well aware how bad that it)

Can anyone give tips or advice as to exactly what I should be eating meal my meal - in order to strip fat and get lean???

thanks Jess

Hi Jess
You need to think of your food as fuel. It can still taste great but you need to create a constant steady energy source for your body.

When you have a meal such as coffee and fruit (sugar] your body is getting a short hit hard hit of energy, like an explosion, then running on empty again. You repeat this several times a day. Each time you're body is sent into a panic from this quick hit and is more likely to store these calories as fat (for when its on empty again].

Consider how you could make your meals more balanced by choosing a protein source, fibrous vegies and or legumes and some good fats.

Some folk would never give there coffee away and that's fine, but if you are relying on it for energy rather than food then you're doing your body a disservice and its less likely to do what you want.

Rather than giving you a diet to follow I have made a 3 lists choose something from each list for each of your 5 meals. For your first meal of the day and the one after you exercise add something from the starch list. Restrict the fruit to these meals too.

There is even a time for lollies! Save them for before your hardest cardio training sessions each week. have a few snakes or whatever sugary treat you want and use this as FUEL for your workout.Otherwise with the lollies, what I do is just say. Ill have them on Friday, or a few days away. By the time that day comes around I usually forget I wanted that treat, because I didn't buy it, and just keep going.

protein (100-125g raw]
Chicken
White fish-inc.Tuna
Oily fish= protein+fat
Kangaroo
Emu
Lean beef, lamb, pork
Skinless duck breast
Turkey Breast
Eggs=protein+fat
Egg whites
Tofu
Tempeh
Beans=protein+fibrous veg (even make into dips like hummus]
Buffalo

Fiborous Veg (150-250g]
Broccoli
Snow |>eas
Alfalfa Sprouts 

Artichoke Hearts 

Arugula 

Asparagus 

Bamboo Shoots
Beet Greens 

Bock Choy 

Brussels Sprouts 

Cabbage 

Cauliflower 

Celery 

Chard 

Chicory 

Chives 

Collard Greens
Cucumbers 

Eggplant
Endive
Escarole 

Fennel 

Kale
Leeks 

Lettuce
Mushrooms 

Onion 

Capsicum
Radicchio 

Radishes 

Rhubarb
Sauerkraut 

Scallions 

Spinach 

Tomato
Water Chestnuts 

Zucchini

Fats (a serve is....]
1 Egg yolk
12g nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, macadamia etc] UNSALTED is much easier to quit
12g nut butter
12g seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower, sesame....}
1ts olive, macadamia, fish oil, flax, coconut
12g DARK chocolate (lindt 85% or green and blacks 85%]

Starches
Rice crackers (ewwww}
Sweet potatoes
Regular potatoes
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Oats
Brown Rice
Soba Noodles
Wholemeal pasta


Uses as many herbs and spices as you want to make your food interesting. Soy sauce, sugar free (queens brand] maple syrup and Ayam Lite Sweet chilli sauce are also my favourites! Watch out for bottled sauces with sugar content.

Have fun with your food and let it be your fuel.

Michelle

Great advice as always Michelle!