By Aubrie Pohl
Think about a specific nutrition “rule” or “guideline” you follow.
Where did you learn it?
Was it from someone else or your own experience?
What effects have you noticed?
Were you overeating or undereating?
One of the most frequent requests I receive as a trainer/coach/friend/yogi is to create an exact meal plan one can follow.
If I could calculate the amount of hours I have spent on trying DIFFERENT plans on my own body, it would probably be well over 1,000.
The human balance is in a constant state of chaos.
Something that worked 5 years ago for you, might not even affect you now.
I’ve thought hard about how to summarize the essential tips on how to find a perfect balance in your life between fitness, food, and hydration to make it seem really easy, but I concluded that that’s almost impossible.
What is possible?
Creating a deeper relationship with yourself.
The perfect plan for you might not be completely clear to you at the moment, but with a daily check-in to your own body, you will develop a plan that best suits your needs, energy levels, and lifestyle.
First Things First, Eat Clean.
Our body is only as efficient as the nutrition we supply.
If you are not eating clean, it will be difficult to figure out if you are under fueling or over fueling.
Eat clean FIRST, and usually that will help you tune in to your body’s needs to fuel correctly.
A few major guidelines can help us make steps towards success!
1. Whole, unprocessed foods will deliver the most macronutrients and micronutrients for our system to reach its optimal level.
2. Notice how your body responds after certain foods.
3. Try eliminating gluten for a week, dairy for a week, meat for a week, and focus on how your energy levels change. Sometimes we have food intolerances that we do not even know about!
4. Drink half your weight in ounces of water.
5. Eat out less and cook at home more, where you have complete control of all ingredients and portion sizes.
Eating clean helps your body clean out the processed junk and start fueling on foods that will help you flourish!
Small changes over time WILL add up to make a big difference towards improving your quality of life.
Under Fueled and Under-performing
When our body isn’t supplied with enough proper calories (energy) we experience symptoms of under fueling.
Our body fails to thrive.
Mood changes like irritability, depression, and the inability to concentrate can affect us in our daily lives outside the gym.
During our workouts, every energy system gets drained.
You feel weak.
You can’t last a whole workout without feeling depleted.
You’re losing weight.
The thought of aerobic capacity seems like a monotonous task.
You’ve lost motivation.
These are all signs that your body is not being properly fueled.
Over Fueled and Overflow
If our body is prospering from clean foods but reaches its caloric (energy) intake capacity, we will start to experience symptoms of over fueling.
Yes, you can get too much of a good thing.
The energy we put into our bodies and the energy we expend are measured in calories.
You feel heavy and sluggish when you walk.
Your strength increases.
Your aerobic capacity has downgraded and you undergo labored breathing.
You gain weight.
A surplus of calories can help the body increase musculature strength, but giving the body more than it can absorb for energy will keep it functioning sub par overall.
A Constant State of Flux
Since we are continuously learning, shifting, developing, and rearranging our lives, our bodies get sent through those same phases.
Some days might have more movement than others.
Some days may have more rest.
If our lives are full of fluctuations, shouldn’t our diet be the same?
Our bodies will most certainly tell us we should eat more on days with more movement, when we are burning more calories (energy).
On days we rest, we do not need as much food (fuel).
Knowing the difference between hunger, when our body NEEDS fuel, and appetite, when our minds WANTS food, is the key to developing the deeper relationship to our internal world.
Take the time every day to let your thoughts settle, and notice if you have any signs of under fueling or over fueling.
Over time your body will reach a comfortable fuel balance, and you will experience peak performance, enduring energy, and a greater quality of life.
Did you like: “What happens when we are overeating and undereating?”
Read More from Coach Aubrie…
3. Eating cereal, bagels and other starches and sugars for breakfast. Starts the sugar roller coaster that repeats all day to keep energy. Convenient quick breakfast foods are typically loaded with sugar and are the worst way to start our day. Ideally you would have a breakfast higher in protein and healthy fats, like eggs, avocado, good meats, veggies or similar.
9. Mindless snacking in front of the tube. The average American watches 4-5 hours of television everyday. Many of us, mindlessly eat in front of the tube, meaning we tend to eat way more than if we were actually paying attention to what we were eating. Plus, most snacks are worthless calories anyway. Avoid snacking between meals and best to get the sugars and starchy snacks out of the house period.
