Was Fat, Now Healthy - What Does Tim Bean Have To Save About Staying Fit?

Tim Bean has been in the fitness industry for 15 years now.  Before this time he was in danger of dying a very young man.

Tim Bean was 26 when he received a written medical warning from his doctor.

“You know at work when you get a written warning twice, then you get the sack? Well if you get two written medical warnings, they read the second one out at your funeral.”

Bean weighed more than 115kg, his cholesterol and blood pressure were sky-high and he was told he might not make it to 30.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4211469a20517.html

How to live a long, healthy life (the gospel according to Tim Bean)

• Don’t eat deep-fried food.
• Take multi-vitamins every day.
• Eat a small portion of lean red meat twice a week.
• Eat at least six cups of vegetables a day.
• Drink no more than four glasses of alcohol a week
• Exercise every day for at least an hour a day. Bean recommends full-body weight lifting and an hour of agressive cardio (like running) three times a week, with a bit of yoga thrown in for balance and suppleness.
• Don’t diet. “Weight-loss programs are all rubbish. All you need is a strong will.”

There you have it.  They are some pretty easy rules which I would tend to agree with in general.  It is important to remember that we don’t need to stick to any diet 100%.  An 80-20 or 90-10 split is fine and will not affect your overall goals.  For instance, eating deep-fried food once or twice a month will not change your physique (unless your body fat level is unhealthily low).  If you’re having 5 meals a day, then you can afford at least a couple of meals that are essentially cheat meals.

The last point, ‘don’t diet’ is really a misuse of words - the previous points make up a diet!  I think what he is getting at is that he has never had any success with branded diets and is trying to help others steer clear of wasting time and money doing the same.   I would rephrase this point to say that a lot of diet/weight loss plans are rubbish, so if you do go on a diet make sure it is based on fact, not marketing hype.

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