TV health gurus Nicki Waterman and Amanda Ursell are here to help you stay in shape with the latest news and advice
I did it!
Name: Heidi Mitchell
Age: 25
Before: 19st, size 26
After: 9st, size 10
Heidi, a mum of two and an insurance agent from south-east London, was so horrified by seeing her holiday snaps she finally accepted her need to lose weight. Heidi says: ‘I’m just 5ft 1in so I knew at 19 stone I was too big, but I hadn’t realised the scale of my problem until those horrible pictures.’
Amanda says: ‘Heidi would have a fried egg sandwich for breakfast followed by three packets of crisps mid-morning. She ate chips with bread for lunch, biscuits mid-afternoon, and had a dinner of chips and sausages, with a cheese toastie at bedtime. All this was washed down with a litre of cola. Her portions were huge and she consumed over 4500 calories each day. She swapped this
for a bowl of low-calorie cereal with a chopped apple and a sliced banana at breakfast, chicken wrap and apple at lunch and a dinner of grilled mackerel with salad. All her cola was traded in for water. This lead to a loss of two to three pounds each week. After losing 10 stone in five years, Heidi wanted to maintain her slim body by using a product called Perfect 10 to help metabolism.
Nicki says: ‘Heidi had a cross-trainer but never used it. I advised her to take things slowly and build up her fitness with a combination of lifting small weights at home (using cans of baked beans for instance), and to log on to a site called www.strongwomen.com to learn some simple strength training exercises. I also suggested she invest in a low-impact exercise DVD and that she progressed to short, sharp bursts of exercise on her cross-trainer as her fitness improved. As she lost weight, I advised her to walk lots and visit the local swimming pool.’
Heidi says: ‘I used to feel paranoid people were staring at me, but now I feel great and love going out. However big you are, trust in the fact you can lose weight. I know from experience it is possible if you want it badly enough.’
How can I get my husband to lose weight?
Q: I really want to lose weight
this year, but my overweight husband doesn’t feel the same – he’s very inactive and eats lots of fatty foods. How can I get him to join me?
Claire, 48, Newcastle
Amanda says: ‘I think this requires some covert swaps and clever disguising on the food front to get healthy without him realising. For example, you can make favourites like spaghetti bolognese with extra lean mince and dry fry your onions; chilli con carne with more red kidney beans and less meat or toad-in-the-hole with lower fat sausages. A friend
of mine started decanting semi-skimmed milk into
a whole milk plastic carton, and her other half didn’t realise until she came clean six months later. With puddings you can serve baked apples and bananas with custard made with skimmed milk; both are delicious comfort foods with half the calories of traditional stodgy puddings. My advice is to make changes without making a song and dance about it.
Nicki says: ‘You can encourage and invite your husband to workout with
you; however, it ultimately has to be his decision (so you could plant the idea in his head and then make out it was his idea). Here are some ways you might be able to persuade him:
- You can spend more quality time together Plan a workout time that fits both your schedules. You’ll reach your fitness goals, without sacrificing that one-on-one time every partnership needs.
- You’ll share a common interest The possibility for new, unique activities is endless and helps keep things exciting.
- It will improve your love life Exercise produces chemicals in the brain
that evoke feelings of happiness, reduce stress, and also increase libido. Several studies show men and women who exercise regularly report better, more frequent sex with their partners.
Why not sign up for a class together – bring out the child in him by suggesting sports like martial arts, indoor climbing and fencing. Enjoy the great outdoors such as hiking and recreational cycling – you could even break up the journey with a healthy pub lunch.
Tried and tested: Fencing
Tester: Phil Tristram
I’ve always fancied a go at fencing. I was brought up watching programmes like the The Flashing Blade on TV (badly dubbed kids series from the 1970s), and loved watching all the swashbuckling, witty ripostes and sword action. Today famous fencing fans include Madonna, while films like Pirates of the Caribbean have boosted its popularity. As the sport is all about very controlled, considered, elegant movements, it keeps you mentally, as well as physically, fit, plus it’s also very sociable. I had a one-to-one session with my Hungarian coach Gabor at The London Fencing Club. First I had to don a special protective jacket (and later a mask). Then it was onto the footwork, with feet position and posture crucial. Next Gabor taught me how to move forwards and backwards, and finally how to lunge. There are three types of fencing: using foil, sabre or épée. Each have different target areas: the foil is mainly directed at your opponent’s chest, while the sabre can score on the head (though don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt!) and arms. The épée’s target is the whole body. As fencing’s mainly done with bent legs, I really felt it on my thighs and bum; it’s also great for toning the stomach. By the end of the session, I was soaking wet and felt like I’d had a proper workout; this isn’t a gentle sport! It’s great exercise for both men and women of any age – you don’t need to be big or strong, but you do need fast reflexes and good co-ordination. I found it tremendous fun, and am definitely going to book myself onto a beginner’s class. Fancy a duel, anyone?
- For more information, visit www.londonfencingclub.co.uk.
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