‘You look like you’re starting to gain weight’
This was the first comment I remember growing up, that triggered my desire to lose weight.
Funny thing, looking back, I actually wasn’t overweight. Maybe I started to ‘fill out’ a little on my athletic frame, but I was definitely not overweight.
The point is, it didn’t matter. It’s how I perceived it. Heck, someone planted the seed that I was fat and as a young girl, that didn’t feel good.
The next thing I know, I was looking at ways to lose weight. I clearly remember overhearing a conversation from a teenage girl sharing her secret to staying slim – eat less.
So, that’s exactly what I did. Except, I took it too far (which you will soon find out)…..
EAT LESS EXERCISE MORE – THE OLD MODEL TO LOSING WEIGHT
Way back in the day (I’m allowed to speak that way now that i’m 50 yrs old), eating less and exercising more was the old model to losing weight.
OLD MODEL = EAT LESS EXERCISE MORE (EL EM)
For me, as an athlete, exercising more was already under the hat. Eating less wasn’t. Growing up I simply ate what I wanted or whatever my Mom served.
Shout out to my Mom for cooking all those home cooked, healthy meals!
My point is, I never gave nutrition any thought, what-so-ever. Like most kids I guess.
EL EM = SKINNY FAT
I had a goal of losing weight and now armed with a strategy to execute. Eat less and exercise more (EL EM).
Just as a performance athlete gets better with their game, I conditioned myself to become very good at eating less while keeping up with my athletics. I think as a trained athlete, that’s just what we do. We know, and often even expect, some pain and suffering. It’s all part of the game.
This was how I went from being Fit and healthy to being Fit and NOT healthy.
I became a skinny fat.
It’s not through lack of will power or being lazy! The problem was that I took the complete WRONG approach to losing weight.
While that strategy DOES work, it’s all in how you use it. Eat less and exercise more is a definitely a useful tool for weight loss, but only in short duration. There is a ‘build up’ phase that needs to happen in conjunction with this. AHA!
The light turned on when I learned this concept.
Starving myself, feeling tired and pushing myself to overcome it was tough and stupid, but I’m definitely glad it happened.
I say that because it taught me what NOT TO DO TO LOSE WEIGHT, and since then, I’ve been able to help countless people avoid those same mistakes.
Fit n Healthy can be simple! You just need to know what to do.
NEW MODEL = EAT MORE AND STAY LEAN
Today, I’m going to share with you 1 of the 3 keys that I used to get myself back on track, in less than 2 months.
Feel free to use it and help yourself get lean or someone else you care about to get in better shape too.
1st Key to Getting Lean:
AVOID WEIGHT LOSS MISTAKE #1: To lose weight, take in less calories then you expend out (EL EM), long term.
Weight loss mistake #1 means, cut the amount of calories you take in each day so that it’s less than your caloric expenditure for the day.
We’ve already learned the long term consequences of this approach to weight loss.
For me, I actually felt skinnier in the first couple weeks, but then after a while, things seemed to slow down (including my brain and energy). It was as if I got “stuck” at the same weight. So I tried even harder. Sucked it up and dropped even more weight.
Unfortunately, I also started to drop my beautiful golden blonde hair and muscle at the same time. My hormones started to plummet and I ended up losing my normal, healthy menstrual cycle. I later found out I was losing my bone mass too.
As a result of EL EM (long term), my hair started falling out, my menstrual cycle stopped, and my bones started to break down.
The Doctor’s diagnosis of Osteoporosis was a turning point for me.
After my initial shock, I took a step back and dove into figuring out WHY my body was breaking down.
I relentlessly searched for answers to how I was going to build it back up – in a healthy way.
Eating less for that amount of time, was clearing NOT the answer to long term weight loss or health.
My quest then became – what IS the answer to getting Fit AND Healthy without deprivation, starvation and suffering?
WHY EL EM doesn’t work for long term weight loss.
To make it super simple, the food you eat basically brakes down into units of energy (namely electrons).
Our body creates energy from stored energy, food and sunlight.
And this leads us to one of the biggest misunderstandings when it comes to losing weight:
If you’re reducing both your caloric intake and sunlight exposure to BELOW your energy requirements for the day, then you are going to literally have LESS energy for your body to operate with than it needs.
This is going to cause you to be more tired, more hungry, cranky and in the end, less attractive and not someone to be around.
Sure, your body has stored energy (in body fat), and that’s what we are attempting to ‘burn’. But staying inside and eating less will cause your body to fight back!
EL EM causes your body to adapt by lowering your metabolism. The body is wise and lowers your ability to ‘burn calories’ because there aren’t much coming in!
Your body adapts to EVERYTHING you do.
This is what led me to the game-changing information that helped me adjust to what I was doing and transition to what my body really needed.
Hormone Balance.
Food and sunlight, is simply information given to the body.
What CONTROLS the body’s use of it, is our hormones.
Hormones are basically like chemical messengers that transfer information from one place in our body to another.
Our hormones regulate what the energy we take in, actually does.
Your hormones literally determine whether your body stores fat or burns it. Period.
The simple truth is, we are all the same, but different. While we all need much of the same ‘inputs’ to be Fit n Healthy, our bodies will act completely different based on your hormonal function.
THIS is how some people can eat more and stay lean. It’s all because of what hormones are being released and when!
Make sense?
The solution to getting lean, is up regulating your fat burning, health enhancing hormones and down regulating the ones responsible for fat storage and disease.
That is exactly what I did. I ate (and still eat) a lot more food. Foods that are delicious, nutrient rich, and very satisfying. No deprivation, no struggling, and no suffering! I strive to get outside for at least 1 hour a day and .I am as Fit and Healthy as ever before.
I’ve reversed my Osteoporosis condition, my bones are strong, menstrual cycle is healthy and golden blonde hair is back!
In the next few blog posts, I’m going to share specific things to balance your hormones, be an efficient fat-burner, recharge your energy and rebuild your health too!
I’ll share with you right now, that it’s going to involve eating MORE food. You too can eat more and stay lean.
I know it sounds crazy, but I’ll explain soon, so just be ready.
Remember, don’t settle for a partial solution, you deserve better! It’s about getting the right information, taking action and putting in the right inputs – the body will do the rest and reward you with a Fitter and Healthier Body!
That’s what I call working with the body instead of against it. Fit n Healthy Made Simple (is my new model).
In the meantime, I will get you the right information soon, so keep an eye out for it.
Struggling to get Fit n Healthy? I would love to create a Personalized Nutritional Plan for you. Get one on one help
Whether it’s to drop some extra weight, balance your hormones, build some sexy muscle or even just do a whole body tune up!
Simply go here to learn more and get started NOW. Click on Get one on one help
What’s it going to cost you if you don’t take action now?