Improve Your Fitness Results

Improve Your Fitness Results

You’ve been working out diligently, eating healthy, doing all the right things, but not achieving the results you thought you would. What gives?

There are multiple reasons why this may be the case, including under-consumption of calories, over-consumption of food, inaccuracies of calorie intake, lack of protein, routines that aren’t conducive to the image you desire, expectations outweighing reality and the list continues.

Here are some tips to start noticing those desired changes:

1. Adequate calorie intake. In our culture, “less” became the message, especially if you’re a woman. In our field, “less” can actually be detrimental, not only to your health but to the results you want. I see a lot of people who are under-consuming calories in the drive to lose weight and some people need that. If you’re overweight or have high body fat, a calorie deficit is required to initiate weight loss. If you’re a healthy weight with healthy body fat, less calories will not necessarily do you any favors. Ensure that you’re on track with accurate and adequate calorie intake for your individual situation. 1200 calories a day is not enough for any adult, nor is it sustainable.
2. Protein. Eat protein as a part of each meal and aim for smaller amounts in snacks. Protein is essential for muscle protein synthesis or the growth of muscle tissue. If you’re working for that toned look, protein and strength training are necessary components to achieving that. Building balanced meals will also keep you satiated. General recommendations for protein intake are anywhere from 1.2-2.4 grams per kilogram of body weight. Yes, kilograms. Chat with your nutrition team for individualized needs.
3. Accuracy of calorie intake. As humans, we tend to grossly underestimate calorie and nutrient intake when we blindly eat. Before meeting with clients, I ask them to write down everything they eat and drink each day before our meeting. This is an eye-opening exercise for many, and oftentimes they see what’s going on before we even sit down. The inconsistency and inaccuracy of food consumption leads to yo-yoing. Big things I often see are free-for-all weekends, alcohol consumption and high calorie meals lacking in nutrients. Some days you may be consuming upwards of 3,000 calories, while others may be closer to 1,400 calories. Tracking calories is not necessary but awareness of what you’re eating daily is important to making lasting changes.

These suggestions just scrap the surface. Nutrition recommendations require an individualized approach, not a one-size-fits-all. For the healthy individual, it’s easy to make recommendations for one’s goals. When you throw in any health issues, these recommendations will change to focus on improving your health and help you see results.

If you’re not seeing the results you desire, contact your nutrition team. We would love to help you!