Are You Eating Enough?

I have the pleasure of training and coaching people all over the world to achieve their goals. Goals vary from weight loss, weight maintenance, weight gain, strength & conditioning, flexibility & mobility, aesthetic goals (often for weddings or holidays or photoshoots) training after injuries or exercising to gain better physical and mental health.

Goals vary.

But let me tell you what should not vary when it comes to fitness and health priorities.

Nutrition.

Whatever your fitness goal, you must still eat a balanced diet in order to achieve your desired outcome. Yet, this seems to be the hardest part for a lot of my clients. Sticking to a consistent balanced nutrition plan seems to get in the way. Yet this is the only way you will achieve long-lasting results.

When I say ‘bad diet’ I am not solely referring to junk food (highly processed or saturated foods) specifically. That part is obvious. I am referring to bad as under-fuelling when it comes to training and exercise.

Let me tell you why this is important.

It does not matter if you are trying to lose weight or gain muscle. You cannot achieve these goals if your nutrition is not on point.

Here are 2 common scenarios I see.

1)      Weight Loss Goal

Many people believe that the only way to lose weight is to restrict food. Or to consume a very low-calorie diet in order to achieve weight loss. They may skip meals or avoid food groups altogether. Often carbohydrates are deemed as the enemy and left out completely. You may achieve the weight loss, but at what cost? Why skip calories just to gain the following side-effects: low energy, poor sleep, bad moods, weakness, fatigue, poor performance training wise and low immunity, putting yourself at risk of catching every bug that comes around?

If you under-eat, you will under-perform. You will always be holding yourself back from your full fitness potential. You might find you are able to achieve weight loss, but your body will not necessarily be healthy. You do not need to skip meals in order to lose weight. You should not avoid eating after a training session, because you think you will put back on what you just burned off. This is counter-productive and not necessary. Food is fuel for the body. It has a direct impact on how you look and feel. Cutting out food groups and restricting yourself to very low-calorie diets can have serious consequences, such as causing depression, weakness, vitamin deficiencies, fatigue, impact to organs and muscle function, digestive issues and other chronic illnesses, such as autoimmune diseases.

To achieve weight loss in a healthy and sustainable way, focus on creating a small calorie deficit. This means expending more energy than you consume. Weight loss can be achieved through marginal changes to portions or increasing daily activity levels. For example, swapping full fat milk for semi-skimmed milk in your daily coffee. Or eating 1-2 biscuits versus the entire packet. If you are mainly sedentary in the daytime, consider taking the stairs at work versus the lift. Try going for a short walk on your lunch break instead of spending it at your desk. These small daily habits will add up to make a big difference when it comes to overall energy expenditure.

Your body needs energy to repair and grow. Lack of fuel can result in a dip in blood sugar, causing dizziness and fatigue. You cannot demand medium or high output from your body without adequate fuel.

2)      Strength Gain Goal

If you are currently on a strength training program and looking to get stronger overall, or perhaps trying to grow a particular muscle group (typically I experience females trying to grow their glutes and males trying to develop chest & back) then consuming sufficient calories is important.

Very often I work with female clients who wish to have ‘a bigger bum’ but they cannot get their head around the reality that in order to grow and get stronger, they need to eat a diet rich in protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Some avoid carbohydrates fearing they will get fat. Not realising that carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body and needed as part of a healthy balanced diet. If you wish to grow a strong pair of glutes, you must eat sufficient food in order to achieve results.

I regularly get inbound inquiries from people wishing to look more ‘toned’. When I explain what this entails, it is typically met with looks of fear or apprehension. ‘Toned’ is not a type of muscle. You cannot build a ‘toned’ muscle. Muscle is muscle. To look more ‘toned’ requires building muscle and reducing body fat. To build muscle you need to lift weights or do some form of resistance training and eat well. Consuming more protein will also support this specific body composition shift. Yet people think if they just consume less food, they will look more ‘toned.’ This is not the case.

I have worked with clients who wanted to become bigger (muscle mass) or stronger, yet outside of training sessions were not putting in the work required to achieve those goals. Think about a car. If your car has no petrol, it will not run. Simple as that. You cannot expect a specific output, without sufficient input. The same applies to the body. If you exercise and run on empty, then your body will not give you the output you desire. You would not run your car on empty and expect it to work. So, why do it to your body and expect a different result?

You cannot grow or get stronger if you operate on low fuel. If you undereat, you will underperform. If you put in work at the gym, then skip meals afterwards and half-ass your nutrition during the week, you will not achieve the performance or aesthetic goals you desire.

In summary…

Whether your goal is to lose weight, maintain weight, or gain weight, nutrition is the deciding factor as to whether you will achieve your goal. Eat well to feel well. Your diet can help to improve your mental and physical health. Eat a nutritious diet to improve your overall immunity and ability to fight off bugs and diseases to live a longer life. Eat well to make your bones stronger and to support your brain function. A balanced diet plays a vital role in your health and happiness.

Prioritise your fitness and health by combining exercise and a balanced diet to look and feel your best.

Not just for now, forever.