Firstly, we want to emphasise that there’s so much shit out there on the internet that tells us 101 different diets we should be on, what foods are “fat burners” and all that crap – so I don’t blame you for now knowing much about it when you almost don’t know what to believe.
But the foundations of nutrition? They’re actually pretty simple once you’ve been educated. And it’s not your fault that you haven’t been!
Common Issues from Lack of Nutrition Knowledge
1. A Mindset Of “The Less You Eat, The More Weight You’ll Lose”
This can of course lead to a snowball effect of poor decision making when it comes to our eating habits, leading to a very restrictive way of eating.
You can start to be more mindful of your eating habits without restricting yourself by scanning foods into MFP or even just checking labels – understanding WHAT is in foods and balancing your meals with a source of protein / carbs / fats.
2. Effects Of Our Menstrual Cycle & How This Can Also Affect Our Eating Habits
The lack of education we have around our cycles, let alone our PERSONAL cycles makes me so sad! Not only does it affect our hunger levels throughout the month, but also our bodyweight fluctuations & inflammation (which we all know too well).
The best thing you can do for yourself is to start tracking your cycle and all the symptoms that come along with it! This will allow you to understand your body better and be a little less hard on yourself when the same patterns occur each month.
3. The Commonality Of Bodyweight Fluctuations And Why It’s Okay
Sis, your body is going through so many changes every single month, the least we could do is cut it a break when our bodyweight goes up a kg or two before our period.
Not only that, but understanding that certain things such as your hydration levels, the amount of sodium you eat, the amount of carbs you eat (each gram of glycogen comes with 3g of water attached), your stress levels, how heavy/hard you trained, the list goes onnnnnn!
So understanding this can make it a lot less disheartening when we do see those fluctuations week to week.
4. Not Understanding The Power Of Reverse Dieting & Periodised Nutrition Phases
An example of what can happen if you’re trying to lose weight without reverse dieting.
This might then possibly lead to fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, reduced energy levels, irregular menstrual cycle, reduce chances of fertility, lower immunity/increased risk of illness.
Let’s dive into another example of someone who is guilty of yo-yo diets vs someone who has reverse dieted.
Some Key Things To Take Away
Constantly changing your diet and doing random 8 week challenges won’t show you long term results. What will give you the results you’re after, is being educated around sustainable change that aligns with your goals.
Essentially, our point is that eating “less” isn’t always the answer to your goals! Nutrition doesn’t have to be overwhelming either so we hope this helps as a starting point! You don’t have to constantly eat less food to achieve your body composition/physique goals. Trust us. Your body will thank you.