Fuel Your Fire
Yes, It’s True! Eat MORE – Get Lean & Lose Fat!
I get it, you want to lose weight or cut body fat so you eat less. Of course if you cut calories, your body will drop fat, right? WRONG! In fact, eating too few calories and not fueling your body can actually backfire and sabotage your goals.
Overly restricted calories on a regular basis or simply skipping a meal has one result: Your body will be forced to make a choice: get rid of fat or lose muscle. Your body will choose to drop calorie-burning muscle rather than fat, every time. You will slip into starvation mode and your body will simply say “I don’t know when I am getting food again, so I’ll just store this fatty goodness for later.”
One of the most dramatic body composition changes I have made….GASP….. adding another meal to my day! I was at a plateau in my training and my body composition, a trusted coach suggested I add a post workout shake to my day — I dropped 2% body fat in four weeks and PR’d my snatch within two weeks! My story isn’t outside the norm! I have the honor of working with so many women who experience the same type of results. Add food – drop weight or body fat. Ladies, it’s time for a mindset shift – you need to eat to fuel your metabolic engine!
Is your goal to lose 10-15 lbs , get “more toned,” have more energy in the afternoon, or figure out how to resist the bag of chips or pint of ice cream? It all starts with fueling your body with enough food to turn on your metabolism. We want your metabolic engine burning FULL SPEED and that takes fuel, aka food.
How do you know if you need to eat more to meet your goals?
Write down what you eat each day – You need to know (not guess or think) what you eat! Food logging for a few days to get a real snap shot of how you are fueling your body.
Calculate your RMR (resting metabolic rate) is – this is the bare minimum you need to fuel your body for the day. BEFORE activity like CrossFit, chasing kids, active work roles, etc! *your CrossFit Central coach can help you get this number by doing an INBODY scan with you*
What can you do to start revving up your metabolism NOW?
Focus on Protein: Eat at least 100 grams of protein within a day.
Fuel your body post-workout: Eat food or protein shake within 30-45 minutes of your workout.
Eat 4-6 times a day: Do not wait until you are hungry to eat, set a schedule to eat something every 3-4 hours.
*these are generalized guidelines specific to women
Think of your metabolism as a fire, when you eat more, your fire burns hotter. By adding adequate food the roar of the fire will burn hotter and longer. Your body will start to use fat stores more effectively, rather than holding on to fat for a rainy day. As you become a fat burning, metabolic machine you will enjoy more consistent focus and energy throughout the day – you’ll burn fat – and your body will have the fuel it needs to begin adding the lean muscle that you are working so hard for!
Lisa has been in the fitness industry for over 18 years. She is a CrossFit Central Women’s Only Coach, a CrossFit Games athlete, and is certified in many areas including nutrition, endurance, mobility, gymnastics, strongman and more. Lisa holds regular nutrition workshops to help educate people on food quality, quantity, timing and correct portions for each individual. If you want to know more about how you can fuel yourself for specific goals be sure to check out her next Nutrition Workshop! benderthiel.com | Contact: lisathiel@crossfitcentral.com