CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 10: PUTTING IT ALTOGETHER As we come to the final chapter, we'll have an overview by way of a reminder. In the first chapter I began by telling you that because of factors like lack of exercise and the general sedentary lifestyle we live today, many of us feel the need to lose some weight and to get fit. I then shared my own story of how I lost a substantial amount of weight in a relatively short space of time and got fit and strong keeping the pounds off to the time of this writing (2014) We saw that many people today have no real idea about diet or fitness although in their heart of hearts many long to understand and to benefit. I explained that the good news is that anyone who really desires to do so can achieve success. You might remember I mentioned the mythology and mystery that has surrounded this subject for so long. The simple truth is in order to lose weight you need to burn off more calories than you consume. It's that simple! I mentioned that no amount of dieting will help in the long run if the person refuses to have any form of exercise. It just doesn't work. You might lose a few pounds here and there but without exercising it will be a short-lived a project. I challenged you to take a look in the mirror and to superimpose an image of the you that you long to be. Now, let's take a look at chapter 2 and recap what we learned there. Chapter 2: I mentioned that as you persist in your training, you will find your energy levels dramatically increasing. We will have a more positive outlook and better quality of sleep. We also began to look at diet. The diet in the Western world leaves much to be desired! I then gave a list of the many diets (or some of them anyway) that are around today. You'll remember I mentioned vegetarian diets, low carbohydrate diets, crash diets, and many others. I mentioned that I had personally tried many over the years and found, for me anyway, that the best diet was plant-based with very little meat. The" Hallelujah Diet "which I mentioned was my diet of choice. But I want to point out that I have no connection with the company other than to read their occasional literature. I greatly respect Rev Malkmus, who has done intensive research into the subject of a natural diet, but that's as far as it goes. In this writing, my concern is to encourage and advise only. I am not trying to be some kind of dictatorial "Guru". The importance of water -- hydration was covered. To reiterate; one of the most common failings in diet and exercise control is a lack of understanding of the importance of water to health. I'll go even further; it is vital! Try to drink a minimum of five glasses a day and more in really hot weather. Chapter 3: By the third chapter, we got down a little bit more into the nitty-gritty. You stepped on the bathroom scales and checked your weight. Then hopefully you put on your trainers and went running. Just gently to begin with. Then we went on to walking briskly and then alternating with short easy runs. You probably felt a little stiff and tired after the first day but that is quite normal. The early stages- just like baby steps are always the hardest. I mentioned running stance, keeping erect looking straight ahead and moving in an easy flowing manner. You do this for 10 days at least. And then you get more ambitious. Once more I reminded you to hydrate well. Perhaps carry a water bottle. I then suggested that now was the time after about 10 days, to begin to pick up the pace a little bit of sprinting. You might remember that according to experts one minute of high-intensity running can help you lose up to 60% more calories than would happen through steady jogging. The next suggestion was to create for yourself -- or download from a running website such as Runners World a training log. These are very handy to have because they help you to keep track of your progress or lack of it. I still have mine from many years ago. Most instructive! I talked about the importance of making time for your running and training. Many of us are busy these days there never seems to be enough time in the day. But ask yourself, how much time you spend watching TV or reading the newspaper? We need to motivate ourselves to get up and do it! We will find the time if we really try. Chapter 4: You are starting to get really serious now. If you have been following my suggestions up to now you should be losing around about a pound a day of weight and feeling much more energetic. In Chapter 4 we looked stretching exercises. And noted how many runners and keep fitters generally overlook the importance of stretching prior to and post exercising. I then gave you a series of exercises. Seven steps which I hope you found helpful. We concluded the chapter by talking about various injuries that can occur through running and many other sports unless we take care to stretch and warm-up. Chapter 5: We looked being sensible and running safely. There were eight steps given. These were basic tips and hints that any runner would find very useful. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of following these basic rules. Unfortunately, most people live in urban societies which necessitates using footpaths and roads and other areas where traffic abounds. It's good to see many more cycle tracks being developed these days because these are ideal for running and walking in relative safety. The same is true of parks and open areas for leisure purposes. These are welcome developments. We looked out the importance of just simple things like checking our shoes are tied, leading family know where we're running to, always running facing traffic and never with our backs to it, watching for potholes and uneven road surfaces. We explored the importance of carrying identification such as a driving licence or medical insurance info etc. etc. Not to run alone night but to run where possible with others. This is especially important to you ladies. Carrying a small torch is helpful too. Another often overlooked tip is to never run whilst listening to music on your iPod. Running on the road being distracted is not a good idea! Being alert for other road users and carrying cash or cash card is also another sound idea. All this advice is to help you as it helped me to run safely and happily. Chapter 6: In the sixth chapter, I talked about the power of psychology. Naturally, we all agree about the importance of exercise otherwise you wouldn't be reading this book. However, it is not only the body which benefits but also the mind and yes even our emotions. It has been said as was mentioned, that running is least 90% mental. Amazing but true! You may recall a personal anecdote I shared with you about my anxiety prior to running my first race. But by putting the whole thing into perspective I was able to overcome fear. I found it was the fear of failure that was the culprit. I talked about the flow of endorphins that course around the body via the bloodstream causing what is called a" runners high". I also spoke about stress and how we deal with it and also the fact that running is an excellent way to lose those feelings of stress and attain a peaceful state. You could call it the "meditation of running." Running can control our moods. To quote from the chapter "Good physical training is important, but what goes on in your head will determine whether you'll win or lose, whether you'll be able to break through a psychological barrier or not-and whether you'll hold a medal in your hand and smile with satisfaction the end." Chapter 7: I gave an overview of sports clothing and shoes in this chapter. We saw that it is essential to get the right shoes for you. The correct footwear is crucial to ensure as little injury as possible. If you are a new runner you want to start as you mean to go on; my advice -- don't cut corners when it comes to the right running shoes. The importance of getting the correct size for your shoe was emphasised and a few tips are given. It was pointed out you may recall that oddly enough many people do not know accurately their own shoe size! This is a fact. In part two of the chapter, I covered clothing and accessories. You'll remember I spoke about dressing for weather conditions- the sort of clothing to wear and the sort of clothing you should not wear. I talked about for the ladies, of course, good supportive bras etc. and what to look for. Chapter 8: This chapter contained information about running with others as well as solo. I gave five reasons to run with the company and why it is my preference. To recap a little, we touched upon the fact that when running alone we have the benefit of having a little me time, where space can be given for our minds to run free -- to be wild and creative! Peace away from the hustle and bustle. As well as the creative flow, there is the spiritual side; if we are religiously inclined we can pray or quote scriptures or put our thoughts on things above. I covered listening to music-being careful whilst wearing iPods, to be aware of our surroundings. We looked at how we can enjoy the beauty of nature when we run through parks, trails and moorland. The beauty of running is being able to experience the joy of the countryside whilst taking in lungfuls of fresh air! There's nothing like it. I closed the chapter by giving five reasons to run with company. There was safety, companionship, encouragement, racing and of course fun. Chapter 9: The penultimate chapter in this book focused on how I lost 10 pounds in seven days with raw food juices coupled with a running regime. I spoke about the importance of drinking fruit and vegetable juices to top up the nutrition of the highest calibre. This gives the energy to exercise so that you are not starving hungry all the time. There is a modicum of discipline required. There is a certain truth in "no pain no gain" popularised by the weight loss videos of the 80s with Jane Fonda. It does take effort but it's well worth it! The formula- if I can call it that -of my method, is outlined really in chapter 9. Please reread it carefully. It will pay big dividends if you put it into practice. My wish for you is that you achieve your dream of a healthier, happier more vibrant life. Thanks for taking this journey with me. Let me know how you're progressing. If you benefited from reading this e-book, do me a favour and tell your friends on your social media. It would mean a lot. Look out for more books from "BitesizeBooksPublishing.com" soon.