RISKS OF UNDER EATING

One of the hardest things that I've come to deal with in coaching and helping women lose fat and weight is that they do not eat enough. Meaning, I give them numbers: let's say 1600 for the first cut. I check their logs and they actually only eat 1200 or 1300. Typically- pairing it with a lot of cardio as well. I call this "my moms diet", because it's the same mindset that women had about fat loss when I was growing up. Cardio your way to thin.

First let's talk about dieting in general. When you diet- everything slows down. Fat loss slows, metabolism slows, BMR slows, hormones go crazy, hunger goes up, your body is in a high stress mode and your leptin levels rise as well as cortisol. Women especially can end up holding onto 10-15 pounds of just water from these stressors to their bodies.

Will low calories help you lose quicker? Yes of course! The bigger the deficit the more you will lose.

Then what's the problem? The problem is that you are going to hit a plateau eventually. Your body is going to get use to eating that amount, lets say 1200 calories, and it will adjust itself to that amount and you will stop seeing loss.

Well, what do you do when you that happens? Normally, we would go in and change your numbers and knock your calories down a little to get you moving again. So now you are going to be eating at 1100 (example only). You lose a few more pounds and hit another wall, and the cycle continues. How low are you willing to go? 900 calories? Then what? 500? When you begin cutting at such low numbers there is just nowhere to go when you stop losing. Not to mention it puts you at risk for nutrient deficiencies and eating disorders. Aids in hunger pains, deprivation, and a HIGH long-term failure rate. Because we can or wants to sustain 1000 calories a day long term? Increase in cortisol from the stress you are putting on your body from an extreme diet, and cortisol actually makes you gain a bit. In order to get moving again, you will then need to reverse diet for a while and then start all over which brings a lot of psychological stresses up.

And then there is what eating very low calories will do to your gym performance, strength, muscle and all around energy in general.

Now let's pretend that you eat the macros you've been given, hitting your 1600 a day. Eventually you plateau and need a change. Your new numbers are now in the 1500's. Then in the 1400s and then all of a sudden you're done with this cut cycle! You never had to go below 1400 calories, you're metabolism is not damaged and adjusted to super low calories so now reversing to eating in maintenance is going to be so much easier for you and without gain. You were never hungry and not deprived. You enjoyed meals and treats with your loved ones and have a lifestyle you can maintain- which means you have a high chance of being able to keep your weight off.

Listen to your coach. Follow the numbers and advice they are giving you. They want you to succeed as much as YOU want to succeed! You do not have to eat 1200 calories a day and no carbs to lose your weight and get to your goals!

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