Loose weight

Loosing weight and eating as much as you can of what you like is many people's definition of paradise. You must understand that our bodies were not designed to sit at a computer, in a car or in front of a television. We are designed for movement and thinking. The brain alone can burn as much energy as the body and the muscles need protein. We are always fearing that tomorrow we might not have anything to eat. In the olden days there were no fat people unless they were carried around in a sedan chair. So how can we use our bodies now like our ancestors did?

We need as much movement as time allows. The journeys to work, shops, school and to friends are the opportunities to work by walking or cycling. In traffic it can be quicker on a bicycle than in a car.

Unfortunately nearly all politicians worship combustion engines. Only the Netherlands really appreciates the priority of bicycles. Judge governments by what they do, not what they say.

To really loose weight as we promise you need three weeks at least cycling, walking, canoeing or whatever is your sport. Ours is cycling. You ride all day. At night you are camping or in an hotel. You are hungry and you eat as much as you can. In the first week the cycling increases your appetite and you put on weight. You are building up muscle which weighs more than fat. All you do is ride, eat and sleep. By the second week your metabolism realizes it has to change. It gets rid of the fat it does not need because it is confident you will take in as much as possible at every meal. Energy is consumed within an hour or two. Stored fat is a burden and the body sheds it. By the third week the process is well under way. Your muscles are stronger and your appetite has selected what the body needs much of which is carbohydrates. Instead of being on the banned list, heaped plates of spaghetti become essential. Your brain is telling you what to eat. You will fancy an orange. Your brain knows you need vitamin C. At last your brain and body function as they should.

Just a word or warning; you will still have cellulite. All the general fat will go. To release the cellulite you need shockwaves.

For us, cycling is the answer. For you it could be running or walking. It does not matter which. All exercise is necessary. In celebration of the greatest cycle tourist of the last fifty years we have published a book,"The Legend of Ian Hibell". Do what Ian does and you will have no fat problems. We know Ian well. He is an ordinary fellow, short and strong. When he is at home in England he gets fat because he likes his food. Then he sets off on another tour and the fat falls away. Few of us have the time to escape. That's a pity. Life should be a mixture and, yes, you can loose weight by eating as much as you can of what you fancy.

Fried eggs and pizza: Phelps's secret diet

Thursday, August 14: The big news from the Olympic pool today is that Japan's Kosuke Kitajima has won the 200m breaststroke, making it his second gold after winning the 100m breaststroke on Monday; Frenchman Alain Bernard has sneaked victory over Australian world record holder Eamon Sullivan in the 100m freestyle final; and China's Liu Zige has broken the world record to winning gold in the women's 200m butterfly. But the really big news is that we now know what American Michael Phelps - who was not swimming in a final today, but will be again tomorrow - eats every day to give him his extraordinary energy. According to a report in the New York Post, the 'half-man, half-fish' swimming sensation, with five golds already and aiming for eight, eats a staggering 12,000 calories a day. Breakfast is three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise. He follows that up with two cups of coffee, a five-egg omelette, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar and, just to be sure, three chocolate-chip pancakes. For lunch, he downs a pound of enriched pasta and two large ham and cheese sandwiches - white bread, not brown, and slathered with mayonnaise. He washes that down with 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks. For dinner, he loads up on carbs to power the following day's exercise (five hours minimum). He eats another pound of pasta, an entire pizza and takes in another 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks. Phelps's remaining targets at these Games are the 200m individual medley on Friday and the 100m butterfly and 4x100m medley relay on Saturday. As he told NBC television this week, "Eat, sleep and swim. That's all I can do. Get some calories into my system and try to recover the best I can."

FIRST POSTED AUGUST 14, 2008.