Categories
Food Guest Bloggers Healthier Lifestyle

Summertime

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

It’s almost summer time and all the gyms around Kuwait are packed! People have locations to travel too, beaches to swim in and jet skis to ride, but you got to look good doing it. What’s the sure-fire, shortcut approach and rapidly fast solution to all this? A truckload of performance enhancers, dietary supplements and A LOT of chest and bicep exercises! That was the norm back in my university days, but people now demand abs too; but no legs, definitely no legs. They are evil and such a pain in the butt when exercised.

The summertime crowd is a lot more demanding and highly impatient in comparison to other seasonal clients. They expect so much in such little time. Moreover, they tend to quit early if extreme results are not presentable within 72 hours, literally. This is how a typical meeting with an average “I need to look like 50 Cent within a month” client:

Client: “All I’m looking for is definition. I need to tone my arms a bit, expand my chest and work on my abs. As you can see, I’ve got the jello jiggles all around dis area yo.”

Me: “How long do I have in order for to make these changes?”

Client: “Brah! I’ve got a month and I’ll be hittin’ da beaches of Ibiza. If things don’t work out with da visa (that rhymed, dude must be a rapper), I’d might extend it for another month and go to Sharm.”

Me: “What you’re asking for is a shortcut, which is highly unlikely since you’ve got no muscle for me to tone and a spare tire around your waist.”

Client: “NO YO! I’ve heard Core Fitness does wonders. I need to lose all of this and gain poundage’s all ova my upperbody. Wam, bam, do me SON!”

Me: “Uhh, no, we don’t offer doing anyone, we just provide you a diet plan, a workout plan and absolutely no happy endings.”

Client: “And yo, no legs. I’ve got more jiggle than Santa Claus lying around this lower area as you can see, so no leg workouts whatsoever. I don’t want to be looking like an Egyptian belly-dancer yo.”

Me: “I hope you realize you’re whiter than I am. Anyways, cutting out legs isn’t a good idea; it’s literally half your body. If you want those changes, you have to give us a minimum of 2 months. It’s a lifestyle.”

Client: “Dude, I’ll pop pills! I’ll drink dem powders! What’s dat white stuff called? Crac….I mean creatine? Yeah, I’ll give that a try!”

Me: “No. What’s your current diet like?”

Client: “I’m not a breakfis’ person, so screw dat. At around 11 am at work, I pass by a Starbucks and order a triple-shot-venti-half-caf-half-decaf-French-roast-2 caramel pumps-extra-whip-non-fat-mocha-with-extra-foam……Oh, and a low fat muffi’. At home, I eat pretty much what I want and for dinner, strictly fast food.”

Me: “I swear to God, if you don’t stop talking like that I’m going to punch you on the face.”

Client: “Ok man, jeez…so I’ll give you two months. Does that work for you?”

Me: “Two months, our workout routine and a strict diet plan should do.”

Client: “Ho-nee FUT! DUDE, DATS INCWEDIBUL! You ma boi!!!”

Me: “Get the f%$k out.”

Health and fitness is a lifestyle. If you want to look good and feel good from this day onwards, you need to understand that it requires a lot of effort at first, and once you get used to it, it’ll be like breathing air and drinking water.

Reality

For every goal you set, commitment must be taken into consideration; the greater you want the end result to be, the harder you have to push yourself to achieve it. For example, in order for me to maintain the current weight and body fat percentage I am on, I’d have to consume a specific amount of calories, weight-lifting poundage’s, and rest and recovery. Since summertime is approaching, my meal plan has to be a lot cleaner, sometimes tasteless and slightly low in calories, with the addition of cardiovascular activity. If I expect a leaner set of abs, I need to put in the effort in order to achieve this.

A lot of you have slowly introduced this lifestyle and are witnessing good results. If you’ve currently stopped producing any significant results (i.e. fat-loss or muscle-gain), your eating and training habits have to be a lot stricter, which may include cleaning out or adding in calories; this is only assuming you’d want more results.

The Diet Plan

Below is a basic diet plan for anyone overweight. I’ve listed 3 options per square meal, ranging from Good to Great. The snacks stay the same.

Upon Waking: 500ml of Water

Breakfast: (15-30 minutes later):

Good: Egg McMuffin + Small McDonald’s Orange Juice

Better: Subway 6′ Wheat, 6 slices of Turkey Breast, Veggies, 2 slices of White Cheese, 2 lines Dressing of Choice + KDD Orange Juice

Great: LOFAT Wholegrain Tortilla Wrap: Egg White Omelet OR Turkey + LOFAT’s Grapefruit Juice

(500 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Snack: (3-4 Hours later):

1 Red Apple OR 2 Kiwi OR 4 slices of Pineapple OR 1-Cup of Strawberries, Blackberries or Raspberries + 1 teabag of Green Tea

(Roughly 150 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Lunch: (3-4 Hours later):

Good: McDonald’s Double Burger (1 packet of ketchup if necessary)

Better: LOFAT’s Beef Burger

Great: Salad Creation: Full Creation, Romaine Lettuce, Alfalfa Sprouts, Olives, Green Bell peppers, Grilled Chicken or Turkey Slices (ask for extra) and Carb Free Asian Sesame Ginger Dressing. Ask them to chop your salad; tossing is gay.

(400 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Pre-Cardio: (3 hours later): 1 teabag of Green or Black Tea

Immediately After: Any cardiovascular activity for a minimum of 30 minutes + 500ml of Water

Post-Cardio: 1 Red Apple OR 2 Kiwi OR 4 slices of Pineapple OR 1-Cup of Strawberries, Blackberries or Raspberries

(Roughly 150 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Dinner: (3-4 hours later, optional if you’re not feeling hungry):

Good: 1 order of Shish Tawook + Fattoush w/out croutons

Better: Nando’s half-chicken (Skinless) + Fresh Green Portuguese Salad (Dressing: Apple Cider Vinegar + Lemon, this is homemade)

Great: LOFAT’s LOCARB Chicken, Turkey or Roast Beef Wrap. Ask for extra meat.

(400 calories)

  • The plan above is roughly 1,600 calories. All macronutrient requirements are available, including 3 liters of water.
  • You may include 1 serving of diet 7-UP per day, preferably at dinner since sugar cravings tend to be at their highest at that time.
  • Red Pepper sauces (Tabasco, Crystal, Red Rooster, etc) may be used liberally throughout all meals.
  • The cardiovascular activity has to be vigorous in nature, i.e. fast-paced walking (or HIIT), soccer, basketball, squash.
  • DO NOT skip any meal or snack, except for dinner.
  • Females: ditch the juice at breakfast and opt for the GREAT option at lunch.
  • Males: If results have slowed down, clean your meals by choosing the GREAT options and excluding the juice at breakfast.

The Mass Gaining Plan

The plan below is for gaining lean muscle-mass. I’ll be differentiating between dietary supplement users and non-users.

Upon Waking: 500ml of Water

Breakfast: (15-30 minutes later):

Non-Users: 4 scrambled eggs, 1/2 cup of Oatmeal, 1 banana, 250ml of Skimmed Milk

Users: 3 scrambled eggs, 1 scoop of Whey Protein Powder, 1/2 cup of Oatmeal, 1 banana

(600 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Meal 2: (3 hours later)

Both: 8 oz. Grilled Chicken Breast, 1-cup of brown rice OR medium baked potato, green salad w/ 1 tbsp of Olive Oil

OR

Sandwich: 4 slices of Turkey Breast (or Roast Beef), 2 slices of Low-fat Cheese, 2 pieces of wholegrain bread, 1 tbsp of Ketchup for taste

(500 calories)

In Between: sip on 500ml of Water

Lunch: (3 hours later)

Repeat Meal 2 (500 calories)

In Between: sip of 500ml of Water

Pre-Workout Meal (3 hours later)

Non-Users: 3 egg whites, 250ml of Skimmed Milk + 1 tbsp Black Coffee, 1/2 cup of Oatmeal

Users: 1 scoop of Whey Protein Powder + 1 tbsp of Black Coffee, 1/2 cup of Oatmeal

(300 calories)

30-45 minutes Later: WORKOUT + 1 liter of Water

Immediately After: (No more than 30 minutes after the workout)

Non-Users: Subway 6′ White Bread, 6 slices of Turkey Breast, 2 slices of white cheese, veggies, 3 lines of dressing (500 calories)

Users: 2 scoops of Whey Protein Powder + 50g (2 1/2 tablespoons) of Glucose-D (ask for it at any supermarket) (400 calories)

In Between: sip of 500ml of Water

60 minutes later (for USERS ONLY):

8 oz. Lean Red Meat, medium baked-potato, veggies (550 calories)

In Between: sip of 500ml of Water

Dinner (3 hours later):

Non-Users: 8 oz. Lean Red Meat, veggies

Users: 2 scoops of Whey Protein Powder + 15 pieces of Raw Cashews

(350 calories)

  • The plan above is between 2,700 – 3,300 calories depending on the user. All macronutrient requirements are available, including 3 liters of water.
  • You may include 1 serving of diet 7-UP per day, preferably at dinner since sugar cravings tend to be at their highest at that time.
  • Red Pepper sauces (Tabasco, Crystal, Red Rooster, etc), and Sea Salt may be used throughout all meals.
  • Weight-lifting has to be VERY intense and vigorous, lasting no more than 60 minutes.
  • DO NOT skip any meal or snack.

For anyone interested in attaining a healthier lifestyle, try out one of the detailed diet plans above. Once fat-loss or muscle-gain has stopped OR issues of food preference arise, kindly post up a comment on 248am so that I may help, and others may also benefit.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

58 replies on “Summertime”

Fahad: What do you think of the possibility of both gaining some muscle mass and losing weight at the same time? I was able to do that somewhat by doing resistance and weights, taking in lots of protein and having an overall calorie deficit. Would a calorie deficit mean the muscle gain would be a lot less than potential?

I think I’m gonna join your gym soon!

How much do you guys charge?

Untrained individuals who start resistance training can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

The two goals are at odds with each other for more advanced trainers, however by quickly switching focus ‘recomposition’ can be achieved.
For example an adavanced trainer could alternate 4 days of dedicated fat loss dieting and training with 3 days muscle building. Very complicated (if you are willing to give it a try The Ultimate Diet by Lyle McDonald is a very good book).

Best to keep it simple.

Fahad,

My daily plan, following which I’ve gone from 116 to 109 in 20 days is very similar. I was just wondering the lack of dairy products in your weight loss plan, they are essential, no? I limit my dairy intake to 250ml low fat milk with my weetabix in the morning and a slice or two of 0%fat cheddar cheese with my lunch if i’m making a salad roll.

so yeah? is dairy that bad for weight loss or what?

Great: Salad Creation: Full Creation, Romaine Lettuce, Alfalfa Sprouts, Olives, Green Bell peppers, Grilled Chicken or Turkey Slices (ask for extra) and Carb Free Asian Sesame Ginger Dressing. Ask them to chop your salad; tossing is gay.

It’s also disgusting. Tossing Salads is not so fun.

Ed,
Working out on a calorie deficit will lead to over-training due to under-eating at a later stage, and results wouldn’t be as expected.

The whole idea of gaining lean muscle mass is to provide your body with much needed nutrients/calories to ensure optimal muscle growth without fat gain. However, there are methods in achieving both muscle-gain and fat-loss:

1) Eating above maintenance “clean” calories, with the inclusion of 30-45 minutes of cardio 3 x a week. (this is what I personally do, with the exclusion of cardio since my metabolism is high).

2) Carb-Cycling. Carbs fuel the process for muscle growth, so consume a “high to moderate carb” meal plan on your training days and a “low carb” meal plan on your non-training days to emphasize fat-loss.

Muscle growth needs all macronutrients to develop properly; you cannot emphasize on 1 macronutrient (i.e. protein) and exclude the others.

We charge based on your physical goal and all memberships are 7 weeks long:

KD 90 for 2 x per week
KD 135 for 3 x per week
KD 180 for 4 x per week

Once you decide to join us, ask for our offers; the more weeks you sign up for, the cheaper the rate.

Basit,

Dairy helps with weight loss.
A recent study by Faghih et al concluded that “Increasing low fat milk consumption significantly reduces the general and central obesity beyond a low calorie diet”.

Obviously if you have a genuine milk allergy you will a. know about it and b. avoid milk.

But bodybuilders get I little ‘funny’ about milk, thinking it may make them look ‘smooth’. They spend too long looking in the mirror.

Basit,
The inclusion of dairy is great, but I’d rather keep it at a minimum when dieting.

Dairy contains lactose, a sugar found in milk & milk products. In order for our bodies to break down lactose, we need an enzyme called “lactase”, which starts to decrease after the age of 2.

Lactose can cause:
•abdominal pain
•abdominal bloating
•gas
•diarrhea
•nausea

The above are signs of lactose intolerance. Many of the people I sat with have witnessed the above symptoms (some minimal). After excluding it from their diets, they felt much better overall.

Personally, I think milk sucks. I’m very allergic to it; symptoms include acne, mood swings, gas and diarrhea.

Fahad,

When I said lots of protein I meant a protein heavy diet with all other nutrients included too but with a net calorie deficit.

When you devise your training plans, how many times do you work specific muscle groups per week?

If someone takes up 4 times a week, will they work on the same muscle groups more than once?

Also. What about lactose free milk?

Ed,
I need to know more details in regards to your diet. Would you kindly post up your diet plan for me.

If you train a muscle group to it’s fullest potential and capacity, you don’t need to work it out for than once a week.

Training plans are devised based on your lagging muscles. For example: 6 months ago my back and overall shoulder development were lacking. Based on a 4 day split, I prioritized both these muscle groups by putting them ahead of the rest [and after a rest day]:

Day 1: Back / Biceps
Day 2: Chest / Calves
Day 3: REST
Day 4: Shoulders / Triceps / Traps
Day 5: Legs / Calves
Day 6 & 7: REST

Growth is stimulated at the gym; but actual growth is through proper nutrition, rest and recovery.

Lastly, lactose-free milk in Kuwait isn’t lactose free; it simply contains lactase enzymes that help you digest the lactose.

A half-assed approach if you ask me, but it’s still a better alternative.

Dear Fahad,

Great post as usual.

I have two questions.

During the nutritional consultation, would you be able to devise a plan for someone who does not want to give up the usual kuwaiti lunch and the occasional junk food dinner? I know this would not be optimal and would hinder both fat loss and muscle building but i dont mind that.

Second what are the effects of smoking on the diet and muscle building?

Anony,
Thanks 🙂
1) I’ve devised diet plans for people with nothing but junkfood all day long, so it’s very possible.

2) Great question. To all the smokers:

a) Smoking reduces fitness levels through respiratory-system damage. This means that you cannot train as long, and the quality of training you engage in is compromised.

b) Smoking reduces oxygen availability to the muscles during exercise. Less oxygen delivery to your muscles leads to less blood volume; that blood volume contains the muscle-building nutrients you’ve been consuming all day long.

C) Smoking not only reduces an individual’s capacity to perform the work required to obtain a great physique, it also directly prevents cellular growth and restricts oxygen and nutrient uptake.

D) Lastly, smoking significantly suppresses the appetite; you won’t have that necessary hunger to eat the foods that you need to grow on.

Suggestion: stop smoking a minimum of 2 hours before and after training.

Better Suggestion: QUIT!

@Fahad – Thnx alott…thats pretty much what i wanted…Trust me ill be coming to Core Fitness for strenght and conditioning if i join any MMA tourney…the only thing i see in the gyms of kuwait are weights and more weights…c’mon…wer are the other stuffs for extreme cardio?!?!?!…shheesshh…only a few gym and i mean very few gym provide that option

@Fahad – 1/2 or 1 Cup Oatmeal,1 banana, some berries, 1 scoop whey protein, Water…hows that for a protein shake?

and tell me sumthing about multi-vitamins..ive been seeing many people adding that to their protein shake…

Fahad,

Could you give us a meal plan with recipe examples since I don’t like to go out to restaurants much, and if I do I’m very picky. The ones you mentioned dont make it in my very short list.

I use the new Kuwait Flour Mills Bran arabic bread, unfortunately it doesnt come with calorie data, do you know approximately how much that would be ? Tortilla wraps are the worst calorie dense breads known to man.

Thanks !

nahin123,
Hey buddy, my apologies for not getting back to you. I got a lot of inquiries in regards to the above, so I hope this article answered any questions you have.

Keep it at 1/2 cup oats; everything else looks solid. Not a fan of eggs? You need those 3 whole eggs.

Centrum’s A-Zinc should do the trick, one with breakfast and one with your last meal of the day.

If you have any questions (no matter how detailed they are) feel free to ask away.

________________

Marzouq,
LOL I’m trying to exemplify the ultimate stereotype of our current generation; unfortunately, they talk like that and think like that.

People need to be a lot more realistic when setting their goals; sacrificing longevity for rapid results isn’t the way to go.

Realist & Everyone who has the same inquiry,

Sure thing. In regards to what I wrote above, give me your exact preferances and I’ll be happy to provide you with the exact ingredients, in their appropriate portions and caloric value. Moreover, try to be very detailed.

justanotherone,
Much appreciated 🙂
______________

FJ Bliss,
Masha’Allah 3ala your metabolism is all I can say :P.
______________

RT,
Thank you! Nothing yet, but we’re getting there 🙂

Fahad,

I’ve tried core fitness before and was extremely impressed with the results.

I am thinking of joining again, but i have only certain days and times that i prefer, so i was wondering if it is possible to call you guys up and check if those slots are available?

@Fahad – I hate milk to for the fact that i get gas after i consume even a glass.But i want STRONG Bones. Is there any other remedy for this??

I got a post relating why Hemp protein should be preferred to Whey Protein. Its a long article but worth reading 🙂
https://www.proteinbreakthrough.com/

Is there any diet plan that can increase the flexibility of your muscles ?? If yes, what does it mainly consist of

Thanks !

wow i went today, i could not reach teh abs part, is that bad esp. since it was my first time, where they are just checking stuff and all ;/

and what about the people who want to eat home made food ;/

thanks 🙂

Dear Fahad, Mango season is fast approaching and I’ve booked two boxes of mangoes from my mango guy. Will two mangoes for dinner every night be ok?

Thank you

😀

@bodie.. i didn’t google it.. unfortunately i already know what it means lol.. and Chris Rock def does rule!

nahin123,
Have you tried the Lactose-free Milk by Al-Maraie?
Foods that are also high in calcium include:
•Salmon
•Tofu
•Sardines
•Collard greens
•Spinach (Dark leafy greens in general)
•Okra
•White beans
•Baked beans
•Broccoli
•Peas
•Sesame seeds
•Almonds

Don’t forget that you also need a sufficient amount of vitamin D to help calcium absorption.
Foods that are high in vitamin D include seafood and mushrooms.

The link you sent me is purely a marketing scheme to promote a product. However, it is infact a complete source of protein and contains the entire amino acid spectrum for muscle growth (amongst other functionalities).
Personally, I haven’t tried it and I’ve heard it tastes like crap. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

Flexibility is achieved in training. After weight-lifting and drinking or eating your post-workout meal, dedicate 10-20 minutes of full body stretching.

thek5,
That was the assessment; they went light on you :P. It gets worse for a week, then evens out when your body grows accustomed to it.

Schedule an appointment with me by notifying the receptionist and I’ll customize your own diet plan based on your goal.
__________________

Mark,
Two mangoes right after your workout would be a lot better :D.

Fahad,

I was wondering if you guys offer nutritional consultation services. I live in Lebanon right now for university but i was wondering if I could come by, next time I’m in Kuwait, for one lesson and get a nutrition plan made up for me towards reaching a realistic goal by the summer. I already work out and etc; all I need is a good meal plan to go with it. As I mentioned in a comment from a previous article, I’m facing a plateau and I really think a good change in my diet will do the trick. Looking forward for your reply.

Hello,

First of all, I’m so glad that people are looking for a better and healthier lifestyles more and more each day. Like seeing, reading and hearing about people wanting to change their whole lifestyle to actually be healthy not just to look “hot” makes me happy!

Thank you for being a contribution and an easy yet awesome source of information to the readers! I bet you’ve changed lives! Sounds cliche, eh? But true. Believe me, because I’ve had someone that gave me lots of information, knowledge and advice that changed MY life and I’m so grateful to her.

I have a few of questions for you!
Do you have any educational degrees in this? Like, did you major in nutrition/dieting for your studies? (I’m curios haha, and if you actually answered this before.. I’m sorry, might’ve missed it!)

When did this “interest” begin? I mean getting so into this kind of business or industry even. Like is it a long-run family business or were you overweight in high school? I mean, what is that something that got you into this! (Curiosity killed that maskeena kitteh! xD)

What do you think of the diet pills? (“6abe3iya – tsid el shaheya”, usually they import them from china. Or those medic pills that “burn?” fat.)

What do you recommend for the older group (Age of 50+) if they were overweight and have some difficulties staying on a risky diet or working out. (Knee, back and body problems.)

And the most important question of them all, when is the female Core Fitness branch is opening!? Yallah, I want to try it! 😛

Lots of questions, sorry.. <.<
Thank you so much!
Anwaaaaaaar.

Mk,
Most definitely ensha’Allah. In regards to the “when”, all I can say is soon :).
________________

Anwaar,
Wow, thank you very much! What you’ve said literally made my day 🙂
I’ll be happy to answer your questions:

Numbers 1 & 2 can be answered here https://248am.com/fahad/kuwait/an-overweight-introduction/
It’s a post I wrote introducing myself, and I hope you enjoy it!

Number 3:
There are a lot of diet pills out there, some with amazing potential and others with marketing hype backing up their claims. Here is an appropriate way to approach this:
1) Stage 1: Design a nutritional plan to help you lose the fat. (This stage could last up to 3 months, minimum of 1. Let the diet do its job first).
2) Introduce exercise once fat-loss has slowed down. (Another 1-3 months depending on how much fat you lose)
3)Once you’ve lost the majority of fat, you’re bound to have stubborn fat lying around. EVERYONE: THIS IS WHEN YOU START USING A FAT BURNER. In combination with the diet and exercise you’ve been pursuing for a minimum of 3 months, a fat-burner will do exactly what you want it to do.

Everyone makes the mistake of using every advantage they have from the beginning. Be patient and take it SLOW. Your main goal should always be towards permanent fat-loss and not temporary weight-loss.

Types of diet-pills:
1) Appetite suppressants (7boob etsid el shaheya): AVOID. The side effects far outweigh the benefits, including headaches, dizziness, terrible mood swings and nausea (low3a). Products include “Zain El Ataat” and “Green Coffee”.

2) Fat-Burners/Thermogenics: Everything you drink, eat and/or generally consume has a side effect. This group of diet pills are what I prefer because they contain researched and proven ingredients for fat-loss. Products include “Lipo-6”. Avoid caffeinated drinks.

3) Diuretics: Water-loss pills, temporary, effective and dangerous if consumed without a sufficient supply of water.

All of the above are available for use at any health store or pharmacy. DO NOT depend on these products to reach your fat-loss goals; your main foundation should revolve around a good diet plan and exercise. Any shortcuts will be short lived and temporary. Lastly, the consumption of water is very important when consuming these pills since they’ll be stressful on your internal organs (kidneys and liver).

The above is a brief explanation on the subject at hand. I’ll hopefully be tackling it in the future.

Number 4:
Dieting in general should not be risky. People associate dieting with starvation and nutrient loss, which is definitely not the case.

Dieting is a LIFESTYLE, specifically a healthier lifestyle that’s disease, illness and injury free. People over the age of 50 (and under) are currently suffering from illnesses that were caused by obesity. Obesity is a gateway to other diseases, illnesses and injuries including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, lower back and knee pains, amongst other things.

Our senior citizens are currently suffering because they have terrible lifestyles, and since they’ve been on it for over a long period of time, they won’t move a muscle unless they’re borderline DYING. Unfortunately for some, it may be too late.

Number 5: SOON 😀

Fahad,
Do you guys include Caveman training session in your workouts too?? cuz dat is the most extreme workout..DAAYYMMNNN

Lactose-Free MILK !!! WOW thanks for the info Fahad. Ur a life saver 🙂

Oh this post is amazing.

Fahad, this question might not be your similar to others.
In all the posts you have mentioned, most of your dietary plans come from food companies or for people who eat out on a regular basis. For me however, I eat homemade everyday. Some people see it as a plus and others just diss me for that.

I know that my nutrition is not perfect but i avoid simple fat as much as possible. Also I have Indian food (i am indian) with no spices, because my family as Zero Tolerance Policy on spicy foods 🙂

Would you help me in that section in telling what kind of food should i be eating or telling my mom/cook at home to cook. Thank you

Another important question that i forgot(Again)

You suggest us to workout only for 60 minutes.But i will be in the gym for around 2-3 hours min. So what should i do? Eat more or just do what you mentioned?

nahin123,
I’ve studied Caveman Training, but it needs specific equipment (i.e. a huge tire, sledge hammer, etc) and a large space to accomplish; which we will do at the new much larger branch for men.

Your question:
By 60 minutes I mean strictly weight-lifting; abdominal and cardiovascular exercises are not included.
Weight-training more than 60 minutes is counterproductive and should not be practiced.
Since you’re into the MMA scene, both your cardiovascular and muscular endurance are being tested and enhanced, so you’re good to go.

However, I’d advise you to drink 12oz. of Gatorade or Coconut Juice throughout your training routine, to aid in energy and electrolyte/nutrient loss.

Yousuf M. and EVERYONE ELSE,

Glad you liked it:)

The above dietary recommendations are set as a DEFAULT. I cannot guess what everyone eats on a daily basis or their preferences in food.

Personally, all my meals are homecooked. It’s cheaper, catered to my needs and I won’t be worried whether or not the person I talked to on the phone listened to my “1 tablespoon of Olive oil PLEASE!”

If anyone (including Yousuf) needs any help in setting up a meal plan, please provide me with your current dietary needs ON THIS POST (no emails). Please be as detailed as possible.

To answer your question Yousuf, yes it would be a pleasure to help you out (and others) if you provide me with the necessary details. 🙂

Thank you Fahad for your wonderful post and thank you Mark for sharing it on your blog.
I work full time (9:30-6pm)in addition to being a mom (cooking and/or shopping at night). I eat mainly healthily cooked meals but my weakness lately has been eating a lot of chocolate at night which made me gain around 5-6 kilos I need to take off badly. I have a good appetite so reducing the portions is very difficult. I started using an appetite suppressant a few days ago to help me control my portions and cravings, so far its helping a lot.
I want to know if the plan i started on is good so I won’t end up wasting my energies and high hopes for achieving my goal.
I wake up at 7:30 (only possible after I started sleeping at 12) I drink 500 ml as u suggested and starting baby steps in my building’s gym. I am doing 20 minutes on the treadmill increasing intensity every time (alternating walking, running, slopes etc..).After that I use the “crazy fit” for 10 minutes for some reason it feels like it tones, then I have to get ready to head to work. At 10AM I have an apple and/or banana, cup of tea with Splenda and a 5 grain 90cal bar (trail bars). At 1:30pm I have lunch i cooked myself ,then a cup of green tea. I take Extra gum if I get bored to not think of chocolate. At 8 or 9 after I finish cooking for the next day I have 2-3 rye crisp breads (Wasa) 35cal each with fat free philadelphia, 2 slices of turkey, & I sprinkle ” 7abbit el baraki” for taste. Then I have my “Quiet night” Lipton tea, 1 pill of probiotics and water.My water consumption is almost 2L per day.
Am I on the right path considering the limited time I have for myself?
Thank you so much for all your information.

sous,
Your welcome and thank you! 🙂

Your routine looks solid for the amount of kg you want to lose, but you’re under eating! You work 8+ hours a day, plus kids and a husband. You need food to energize your entire stressful day. Here is what I think you should do:

7:30 – 500ml of Water + Green Tea or Black Tea

0-30 Min Later:
WORKOUT + 500ml of Water

10:00- Breakfast
1 Apple (preferably Red) + 1-2 boiled or scrambled Eggs (w/ salt)
(225 calories)

12:00 – Sip on 500ml of Water

1:30 – Snack
1 Chocolate Bar (I’m serious. ENJOY LIFE!) + Green Tea
(Keep this at 200 calories)

3:00 – Sip on 500ml of Water

5:00 – Lunch
You haven’t specified what you eat, but I’d recommend a protein salad (chicken, fish or beef) w/ lemon, 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar and 1 tbsp olive oil.
(300 calories)

7:00 – Sip on 500ml of Water & Green Tea if you’re not sensitive to caffeine at night.

8 – 9: Dinner
Ditch the Wasa (rye crisps) and replace it with lettuce (as much as you want). 4 slices of turkey, 2 tbsp of fat-free philadelphia cheese and 7abat el baraka (feel free to add olives, zaatar, any herbs or spices). Wrap the turkey in lettuce and use the philadelphia cheese as a dressing. You may also add other veggies including tomatoes, cucumber, etc. Add salt to taste.
(300 calories)

*Consume the sugar-free gum right after a meal and not between meals.
*Try to consume at least 2.5 liters of water per day.
*Stick to your workout routine and try to make it as intense as you possibly can handle.

If you have any questions in regards to the above, feel free to ask away.
Good luck!

Fahad sugar free gums have a high glycemic load. With regards to glycemic load would it really make a difference in any diet or its just pure BS ?

Realist,
Sugar-free gum does not contain any sugar, but has artificial sweeteners which do contribute to your daily carbohydrate count. Moreover, they aren’t high glycemic at all; not even normal gum is HIGH-GI. It contains too little sugar to spike insulin.

The glycemic load does make a difference with people who are insulin resistant (pre-diabetes) and people who are already diabetic. In terms of dieting, the less insulin spikes, the more efficient fat-loss gets.
____________

Ali from Bahrain,
Thank you! Will keep them coming ensha’Allah :).

I have a question for you:
Is your name Ali Amini?

Hey fahad sorry for a late reply.
I currently do not precisely know what you require but the following information might help you. I will later tell you what food do i eat mostly over a period of a week.

Weight: (As of yesterday) 71 Kgs
Height: 174 cms
BMI : 23.5

On a normal weekday:
6-7am : Cold water 2 glasses, 1 bowl corn flakes (mix match of many types but mostly frosties)

Lunch skipped sometimes or does not have a specific time but ranges from 1pm-5pm, Includes:
Chicken, Mutton, Daal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal) all with Chapati (I stopped taking it with any sort of oil/ghee) And all of the food is cooked using Olive oil instead of Sunflower/Ghee. 1 bowl Caesar Salad.
If i am in University, i have a turkey/chicken/veggie/halloum sandwich

Dinner: Rice mostly with chicken,or soup, or mutton.

I know this is terrible diet plan but since there is a great chance of you devising a plan for me (people like me) I hope i can stick to it and make myself better.

No Fahad, my name is Ali Khalaf. Enshallah i will pay a visit to Core Fitness and be able to meet you on my next trip to Kuwait. Best of luck.

hello!

great post! i was wondering how flexible it is and if you could give us a few alternatives for each meal.

i’m 181cm, and weigh around 70kg. I work out regularly and i’m looking to gain weight/muscle.

Here’s my current diet, and it would be great if i can get your feedback on it:

Morning: Banana or apple + a chocolate bar
Snack: almonds, apple, or banana
Lunch: Chicken sandwich or Turkey Sandwich
Snack: Chocolate bar or banana
Snack: 2 minute noodles
Dinner: chicken breast or beef steak or a home made burger

As you can see, it lacks creativity 🙂 my challenge is to find something to snack on that i can carry to the office easily.

So regarding your diet plan, I have a few questions:
– If i don’t have time for eggs in the morning, can i subsitute that with something that i can grab and go and eat on the way?
– For the snacks, what alternatives can i have? it would be great if there’s something that i can carry and keep at the office.
– What kind of food should i be looking for/avoiding if i want to work on my abs?
– Can nuts/almonds/cashewnuts be a meal on their own?
– When you say “lean red meat”, which part of the cow is that? i just need to know what to tell the butcher 🙂
– is youghurt good?
– how do you feel about the 2 minutes noodles? they’re really practical!

looking forward to your reply 🙂

thanks!

Hey, I have become obsessed with your blog in the last 3 days and have finally decided to create a stricter diet and exercise more. I am not extremely overweight but I would like to lose 5 kilos in the next couple of months. I already follow most of your rules but I am also going to add more tea to my diet (knew the health benefits but needed someone to throw them in my face); the only concern I have is that I don’t think I should eat 1600 calories a day. I weigh 52 kilos now and I am about 5’2-5’3.

A lot of my extra weight is stored in my stomach and back area as well as my chest and I have pretty toned arms (I am content with them and work an active job). I am also content with my legs; I would just like more stomach and hip definition.

I have no problem sticking to the diet I just don’t think I can eat that much in one day! I drink a lot of water and stay away from most processed foods. Also can you give me a more detailed exercise plan? I find gyms intimidating :/

Thank you and I hope to hear from you!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *