As a nutrition coach, my job varies greatly from client to client. But whether I’m helping my clients gain strength or recover from incredible athletic performances, improve their health metrics, lose weight, improve their relationship with food, or add muscle to their body, it all comes down to nutrient-dense Eating foods makes you feel more confident in your body. While the internet can be a helpful resource for finding ways to achieve these goals, nutrition advice loosely given on social media can be misleading and even harmful.
Nutrition can be confusing, emotional and overwhelming, but with the right information you can improve your health, body composition and your relationship with food. Seek the help of a healthcare professional before making any major changes to your diet, and always approach diet with self-love. Read on to learn five general pieces of “advice” that I wish all women knew weren’t true.
While the goal is often to look better and feel more confident, eating less is usually not the way to go. Changes in body composition are facilitated by gaining muscle while losing fat, not just fat loss alone. To build muscle, we need to nourish the body to support its muscle growth. To change body composition, think about what your current diet looks like and restructure it to use more proteins and fewer processed foods – not fewer calories.
For active people looking to improve their body composition, a good rule of thumb for proper protein intake is one gram per pound of body weight, consisting of lean protein sources such as chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, tofu and seitan. Opt for whole and unprocessed carbohydrates like oats, sweet potatoes, rice and whole-grain bread. Also include fats like avocado, nuts and seeds, natural nut butters and extra virgin olive oil. To achieve optimal health – including changes in body composition – we need to improve the composition of our calories rather than reduce them.
While TikTok is great for getting recipes and cleaning hacks, just because an influencer praises a particular diet or fitness routine doesn’t mean it will work for you. We all have completely different metabolic needs, lifestyles and activity levels, so there is no one-size-fits-all way to eat or exercise. While some bodies respond well to high-fat diets like keto, others report feeling sick on the same diet. Some people choose to meal prep and carefully track their macronutrients, but for others that takes too much time and work. Most endurance athletes require a high-carbohydrate diet to replenish their glycogen stores, while powerlifters require a high-protein diet for muscle repair. Energizing your body in the healthiest and most efficient way requires an individualized approach. Work with your doctor, nutritionist or trainer to find the best fitness routine and diet for your body.
Of course, drastic weight changes can have more serious causes (always report drastic weight changes to your doctor!). Fluctuations between 5 and 10 pounds throughout the month are not only normal, but healthy, which is why I tell my clients not to get hung up on a number (and maybe stop weighing yourself! ). Since our bodies undergo constant hormonal changes due to our cycles, the scale will constantly fluctuate. Between PMS-related water retention, bloating, and constipation, our bodies (and their weight) will forever fluctuate. Fluctuations in body weight do not reflect a change in your body composition.
Although it can be frustrating to feel like your body has changed, I always remind my clients that this is only temporary. Put aside clothes that make you feel most comfortable during this time of the month (high-waisted leggings or flowy dresses over skinny jeans, please) and skip activities that might make you feel bad, like doom scrolling and yourself weigh .
You should always listen to your body and eat when you are hungry. However, if you’re constantly reaching for snacks throughout the day, you’re probably not eating enough at mealtimes. Think of it this way: When you go on a road trip, the first thing you do before you set off is fill up the gas tank so you can drive as long as possible without having to stop. When there is only about a quarter of the tank left, it’s time to think about refilling.
The same goes for our meals: we want to fill up the tank (i.e. fuel our body) so that we can last about four to six hours (or until we’re hungry again, although the timing can vary depending on our activity level). where we are in our menstrual cycle or whether we were in a calorie deficit the day before) without having to think about refueling. And as soon as we run out of energy, we should think about our next meal. Additionally, hunger signals (and not boredom or habit) indicate that it is time to eat again. Try eating larger, more filling meals with higher protein content, and be mindful of where you snack out of boredom or habit (e.g. while watching TV at night or during a break from work).
It is rare that I have a client who is getting the right amount of protein in their diet. And since protein is the building block of muscles and the biochemical catalyst for hormone production, it is vital to our holistic health and well-being. Signs that you aren’t getting enough protein include lack of satiety from meals, brittle hair and nails, frequent bouts of illness due to a weakened immune system, muscle weakness, and stress fractures.
Consuming proteins from a combination of animal and plant sources is essential for a strong body, but you don’t have to be a slave to the food scale to meet your protein goal every day. Aim to consume about four to six palm-sized servings of protein each day in lean meats such as chicken or turkey, eggs, fish, tofu, seitan, beans, lentils, and other protein-rich sources. Check out these high-protein breakfast recipes, tips on how to get 120 grams of protein per day, and how to eat more protein without eating meat.
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