My Forum

Thanks a lot for all the tips! I wasn't expecting so many so fast!

Mary-Kate Arthurs wrote (see)

Hi Matt I like to have a small bag of popcorn to snack on especially a healthy brand I came across in Tesco called Propercorn, you can get a mix of sweet and salty, sea salted or worcester sauce flavour. They are low cal and good source of fibre and protein although the more I rave about them the more people tell me that they are not a fan of popcorn but i am addicted at the moment.

Thanks I'll check these out

Tom77 wrote (see)

According to this, high sugar is anything with more than 15g of sugar per 100g. So your Frusli bars would count as high sugar. Although I've just had a look at the Nutri-grain bars I've been eating and they're much worse (18g in a 45g bar).

Probably best to work out how much sugar you eat per day, I don't think the odd high sugar snack is going to kill you if your diet is otherwise good.

I was verging on addiction of NutriGrain Elevenses until very recently but then I realised how much sugar they had! Hence me switching to slightly healthier alternatives

Lå®Ð䮧€ wrote (see)

Why do you need snacks?

Maybe you should sort out the psychological problem you have before reinforcing it by attempting to justify it with "healthy" food?

I eat Ready Brek for breakfast to calm down sweet cravings but I'm too greedy to stick to just meals unfortunately

Dave The Ex- Spartan wrote (see)

Yeah, you're supposed to be working not snacking.....

Lå®Ð䮧€ wrote (see)

Most places I've worked wouldn't let you eat at work if you wanted, or sit down.

Haha, this is the wonders of being self-employed and working from a shared office! It makes my healthy-living routine a million times easier

Although the main meals I eat are quite healthy (normally chicken & veg or tuna jacket potato) I could really do with snacks to nibble on while I'm at work!

As well as eating fruit, I've recently been munching on cashew nuts as I hear they are a good healthy snack and high in protein.

Perhaps I've been quite niaive however to think that some cereal bars are okay too? I've recently been eating Frusli bars (around 2 or 3 a day when I'm in work):

- http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=257718823

But apparently their sugar levels are really high. I personally didn't think it was *too* bad compared to the RDA, but I'm far from an expert

What does everyone else think? As much as I like nuts and fruit, I wouldn't mind having snacks that were a tiny bit more exciting!

Also I was thinking of going with yoghurts but even they seem to have high sugar content?

I've been suffering a groin injury for the last 6 months, but after spending the last couple of months visiting physio I've recovered massively. Unfortunately I may have a labral tear but I'm waiting to see a specialist to diagnose whatever the problem is exactly.

I'm still not 100% and running is still virtually out of the question apart from mellow jogging on the treadmill purely to strengthen my hip.

Anyway, in terms of fitness, I've been recently doing HIIT on the cross trainer at the gym. Normally I *hate* the cross trainer and only use it to warm up, but I've realised it can be quite satisfying when I use it with my legs-only as opposed to arms and legs.

What I've been doing is 6 mins of HIIT around 3 times per week. I do:

• 1min steady (arms & legs, barely any effort)
• 1min hard (legs only, giving it everything I've got)

...and then repeat another 2 times.

Although only 6 minutes, I am completely destroyed after it. In fact I'm pretty sure its been giving me way more of a workout than when I used to spend 25mins on the treadmill or jogging outside!

Today my legs felt like they were going to give way as I was leaving the gym and thought I might fall down the stairs on the way out (perhaps Im slightly overdoing it? Who knows ha!)

Anyway, what are your thoughts on HIIT routines? Should I do it for longer than 6 minutes? On a different machine perhaps?

Bear in mind my hip isn't yet recovered enough for me to have a proper cardio workout through running... and I HATE using the bike at the gym maybe a spin class might be an idea though...

Any advice would be great!

Runners Therapist wrote (see)

Cross trainer should be fine.  Don't use the sit-down Adductor or Abductor machines at the gym - they don't strengthen your muscles for running!   If running involved spreading your legs in and out while being in a sitting position then it would be ideal.  As it is it doesn't and you could be be making issue worse!   Try one leg squats and side steps (hops as you get stronger) and multi-directional lunges - they will all strengthen your aductors and gluts in the way they need for running.

Thanks however I was just doing lower and upper body workouts in general really, not so much to help with running exactly. I just tend to do a bit of running to help keep fit

Thanks for the tips. I think one of the main reasons I might have suffered another groin injury was probably down to using the 'Hip Adductor' at the gym.

My adductors would feel really sore for a couple days afterward but I just thought it was normal and continued with other exercise (e.g. running)... bad idea I imagine!

I just wasn't sure if it could be a bad idea me using the Cross Trainer at the minute though? I've been injured for quite some time, and although I feel virtually fine most of the time and when walking etc, I now feel so paranoid about setting my injury off again.

I know I'm definitily not fit to start running again but I'm hoping using the Cross Trainer mainly with my upper body should be okay?