Achieve Your Goals In The Gym With A Strong Nutrition Program
From Experience, We Can Tell You That Your Diet Is The Key Factor Which Will Determine How You Look And Feel.
Maybe You've Struggled For Years On Conventional, Restrictive Style Diets?
You Know How It Goes, You Cut Back On Food, Move More And Initially See Some Weight Loss...
Before Long, You Hit A Brick Wall With Progress- Notice You May Have Lost Weight But Don't Feel Any More Toned...
Feel Low On Energy, Get Poor Quality Sleep, constantly feel Bloated, Cravings Kick In And You Fall Off Track
Quickly, The Weight Piles Back On (And Then Some) And You're Back To Where You Started- If Not, Worse Off.
It's Frustrating, It's Confusing And It's NOT YOUR FAULT.
Over The Years We've Coached Over 5,000 People From Around The Stirling Area To Improve Their Body, Health, Fitness And Confidence
The Number One Thing We Help Them Fix To Get Results Is Their Nutritional Habits
The Role of Restrictive Dieting
As a seasoned personal trainer & Body Transformation Coach right here in Stirling, Scotland, I've encountered numerous clients troubled by one particular issue:
The body's starvation response, especially in relation to restrictive dieting.
Let’s explore this topic, shedding light on why this happens and how it affects your fitness goals...
The Starvation Response Unpacked
So, what exactly is the starvation response?
When you significantly cut down your calorie intake or skip meals throughout the day, your body perceives this as a signal of potential food scarcity.
In response, it triggers a survival mechanism - the starvation response.
This response is your body's way of conserving energy (or body fat) when it fears that food might be in short supply.
Because your body will be working to store fat as an energy reserve, the source of energy expenditure will change and that's where the problems start...
The Connection with Restrictive Dieting
Restrictive dieting is often the main culprit behind triggering the starvation response. When you drastically reduce your calorie intake, your body doesn't differentiate between a diet and actual starvation. It simply reacts to what it perceives as a threat to its survival.
This response involves slowing down your metabolic rate - the rate at which your body burns calories. This slow down means your body becomes more efficient at conserving energy, leading to fewer calories burned, which can be counterproductive to your fitness goals.
Due to the body’s shortage of energy, it becomes more concerned about “hoarding” energy than anything else… What does that mean?? Essentially your body will start to increase it’s natural fat stores and therefore hold on to more body fat- Not great when you’re trying to get in shape!
The body’s preferred source of energy expenditure will usually be body fat, however, when we’re running on a heavily restricted diet the body dips into crisis mode, It’ll instead start to eat up our muscle reserve (which will technically result in weight loss)
Ever heard of the term “skinny fat” or felt a lot of looseness around the stomach? Chances are, that’s whats going on…
Muscle retracts and lose body fat will be stored on top
So, How Do You Check If Your Body Is In Starvation Response??
Aside from relating to the above, There’s often a few telltale signs we can use to determine whether or not our body’s starvation response system is switched on outside of a consultation process...
You Become Unresponsive To Diet & Exercise
Cravings For Sugar, Carbohydrates or Caffeine
Low Energy/Fatigue yet get poor quality sleep
Feel Bloated, Especially Around The Mid-section
Often Experience Rebound Weight Gain After Dieting
If This Sounds All Too Familiar, Do Not Panic!
You cant take some relatively simple steps to take your body out of starvation response, increase your metabolic rate and in turn, get the results you want!
4 Key Strategies to Maintain a Healthy Metabolic Rate
incorporate Strength
Training: One of the best ways to counteract the metabolic slowdown is through strength training. Building muscle increases your resting metabolic rate, meaning you'll burn more calories even when you're not actively working out.
Step Away From Restrictive Dieting
Restrictive dieting is the cause of the problem. Not The Cure. If You Aren't fuelling your body sufficiently, your body will drop it's metabolic rate and dip into starvation response.
Find out your body's unique energy requirements and nourish it with whole, natural foods. This will allow your body to regulate it's natural fat stores and dispose of any excess baggage along with a whole other list of benefits including hormone balance, gut function and energy
Ensure Adequate Protein Intake
Protein is essential not just for muscle repair, but also because it has a higher thermic effect. This means your body uses more energy to digest protein than it does for fats or carbohydrates. Eating enough protein can thus help keep your metabolism active.
Keep Moving
While structured exercise is important, general physical activity throughout the day also contributes to a higher metabolic rate. Simple actions like walking, using the stairs, or standing up regularly can make a significant difference.
The Role of a Personal Trainer
Understanding and managing the body's starvation response can be complex. This is where working with a personal trainer or coach can be invaluable.
If they know their stuff, the trainer can offer customised advice and support, ensuring that your diet and exercise plan are not only effective but also sustainable.
This guidance is crucial in avoiding the pitfalls of restrictive dieting and maintaining a healthy metabolic rate.
the key to avoiding the starvation response and metabolic damage lies in a balanced, well-thought-out approach to fitness and nutrition.
Steer clear of extreme diets and focus on a combination of strength training, balanced nutrition, and regular physical activity.
And remember, Stirling's personal trainers, including myself, are here to support you on this journey. Let's keep that metabolic fire burning strong together!
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