Monday Monday! Another week of making changes + moving mountains. How’s it going for you? I am over here hiking mountains on the weekends and moving mountains during the week 😉
Let’s dive into the meat of this email (nutrition pun intended?!). Today’s content is all about: Metabolism… Read on for some answers.
In my nutrition coaching private practice I often see active people bust ass + not eat enough food. They have a history of endurance (ultra-runners, marathoners, cyclists, etc), CrossFit, Orange Theory, HIIT, Boot Camps, and often train 5-6x/week with no rest days (insert: face cringe)! And on top of over-training, these people are chronically under-eating. This can be intentional or unintentional. It’s not uncommon to see people eating 1200-1800 calories/day (when they often need to be crushing >2500+ calories/day). I once met a grown female eating a measly 900 calories. I ate that in breakfast alone today!
And sometimes these people are GAINING weight. Can you relate?
What gives?
Chronic cardio + dieting + restriction leads to Metabolic Adaptation/Homeostasis. Basically this means that your body is smart and adapts and becomes efficient and learns to get by with less and less fuel. And when fuel is low, your body will deplete hormones (thyroid + sex hormones). Did I mention how important the thyroid and sex hormones are for optimal health, performance, and fat loss? The thyroid is the primary regulator of one’s metabolism. It control everything from your energy, body temperature, and weight. While sex hormones are key players for our mood, energy, body composition, and ability to build strength and muscle.
Signs you might not be eating enough:
•Blood sugar swings
•Mood swings, anxiety
•Chronically feeling cold
•Always hungry
•Never hungry
•Poor Sleep- difficulty fall/stay asleep
•Inability to gain muscle/lose fat
•Not seeing strength gains/PR’s
•Decreased motivation to train
•Absence menstrual cycle, irregular cycles
•Low energy
•Low hormone levels, infertility
•No sex drive, (males: lack of morning wood)
•Hair loss
•Regularly getting sick, injured, slow recovery
•Subclinical thyroid levels
So what do you do if you think you fall into this category?
You’ll want to work with a qualified Registered Dietitian Nutrition Coach (https://coachingwithabby.com/about/) that has experience with Reverse Dieting. This is the actually the opposite of a diet (but it’s not Intuitive Eating). We work together to gradually add calories to get you to calorie/weight maintenance (no gain/loss) to support hormones and biofeedback. We will hang at a level that reverses symptoms and allows your body to feel safe and then can have a conversation about creating a deficit.
Be on the lookout for next week’s article on what to expect when you do a Reverse Diet and more specifics around how to do this (even if you don’t have a coach).
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Just remember that struggling in silence is never fun. Reach out to myself or our community for support.
Do you struggle with overtraining/under-eating? Hit REPLY. Let’s chat, 100% free. I would love to support you on your journey and talk with you about your goals and my nutrition coaching programs.
Fuel your dreams!
Coach Abby
Registered Dietitian Nutrition Coach & Personal Trainer
