Leigh Elder

I was talking to an Ironman and triathlon coach and competitor the other day, who says he has often wondered why so many competitors at events like the Taupo Ironman are overweight – despite all of the hardcore training.
He's just lost a significant amount of weight by upping the amount of protein, and mainly healthy fat, he eats and reducing simple carbs.
A great lesson for all exercisers, hardcore – or otherwise – is carbo-loading must be kept in perspective. And although hugely relevant, immediately prior to, during and after training or racing, it is a real trap for the rest of your day-to-day life.
A very unforgiving equation covers this – you need a certain amount of glucose from carbohydrate each day for energy. If you exceed this amount, excess is stored as fat. With our current reluctance to eat fat, many of us over-consume carbohydrates. Hey presto, our obesity and diabetes epidemics are flourishing.
So, yes, get those glucose stores powered up when you need it – and also ensure you get this crucial glucose equation right by eating a sustaining balance of protein, fat and carbs during the rest of the time.
I hate to see really dedicated exercisers still struggling with their weight. If you are one of these, try this for a couple of weeks – really cut back on simple carbs like bread, cereals (except bran and rolled oats), rice, muffins and fruit juice.
Focus on eating more protein and fat-rich foods like lean meat, fish, seafood, nuts, seeds and eggs. Eat complex carbohydrate-rich foods, like green vegetables (cut back on potato and kumara), and limit fruit to two pieces a day.
In my experience, these few changes may mean you are likely to be pleasantly surprised. Your feedback on this is appreciated.

Leigh is the founder of Eat for Keeps and can be contacted on
027 2941980, by emailing eatforkeeps.com@xtra.co.nz
or visiting www.eatforkeeps.com