Hunger and Emotions
If you’ve ever tried a fad or “quick fix” diet, then you were most likely living in a world of restrictions. A world of “do’s and dont’s”, “good and bad”, or “eat less and workout harder”! If you can resonate with any of those situations, KEEP READING! (If you can’t, that’s FANTASTIC, but someone you probably know has so you might as well keep reading too!)
Here’s the issue with restricting how much you eat. First of all, when you go full restriction mode, you create an environment where food becomes a negative experience. Food can fuel our bodies. It alone is not inherently bad. In fact, food can do so many wonderful things for your body. Whole foods:
provide energy (both lasting and immediate)
have immune-boosting properties
create a way to connect socially
can help provide building blocks for our muscles, organs and every cell
Secondly, when you restrict to an extreme (let’s take that awful 1200-calorie diet that I still hear so many women are trying to maintain) your body will quickly feel that restriction as a negative response, and your flight or fight hormone, Cortisol, will kick in and start protecting your body. How does it protect? Fat storage! So you are not only feeling HANGRY, but stop seeing results quickly! You plateau or even gain weight!
Finally, when you restrict yourself you find that not only do you feel hungry, but your emotions are more of anger, fatigue, confusion, and tension. So when you do finally eat, your reasonable decision-making processes are distorted and it’s way easier to overeat. Furthermore, since your blood sugar levels are so imbalanced from a consistent source of energy (food) your cravings for more sugary foods increase and it will likely be more challenging to avoid these cravings! Food restriction or skipping meals can also lead to self-esteem issues. For instance, if you workout daily, but are not seeing results, it most likely has nothing to do with your exercise and movement habits but that lack of energy you are giving your body. That combined pattern is signaling to your body to STORE and save energy. Making small adjustments to your routine will rewire the messages your cells receive.
So what is the solution?
STOP Restricting! Eating only 1200 calories a day is not going to get you the long-term results you crave! Your body needs way more energy than that. I do offer Personalized Nutrition plans with all of my coaching packages. If my coaching schedule is full, I offer a 60-minute call with a personalized plan AND coaching session to get you started. Reach out to me to see what your best options are.
Learn to eat consistent meals. This is the first step any of my clients take when they have been in restriction mode. It doesn’t have to be fancy or even be your ideal nutrition, just eat consistent meals. Focus on quality sources of protein and healthy fats if you can so you can gain the sustaining energy your body needs. Plus it helps to reduce sugar cravings!
Start with 1 meal that you are certain you can eat consistently. Set an alarm if you need help with reminders. Create a plan to ensure you have food to eat at that time of day and get creative. Try that for a few weeks and continue to add as you feel more confident. If you don’t like to cook, there are so many healthy options out there for meal delivery: Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, FACTOR_, & Green Chef are just a few of the BEST options out there.
Think on a continuum. You don’t have to do it all at once, but learning to adjust your focus for the season of life you are experiencing, your time commitment, and readiness to begin will help you take small steps toward your goal and stay on track.
Try focusing less on restriction and more on adding foods that support your goals. (Produce is also a great place to start.)
Remember, you don’t have to do it all at once. But if you’ve been restricting your food for awhile, feel unmotived to make change, and have no clue where to begin, try these 5 steps to get started and start tracking your progress. You can get where you want with your health, if you approach it in small, meaningful steps! You’ve got this friend!
