My first fat loss phase in over two years.

You have heard me say it a million times over, we cannot diet year-round. Chronic dieting is so common especially among women. The truth of the matter is we would have more success when we do diet if we give our body time to recover and prepare for the next diet phase.

I haven’t worked one on one with a nutrition coach in over a year. At the time, we were reverse dieting and finding a new maintence. Prior to that I had dieted down quite successfully but did not reverse after and truly didn’t have a good exit plan from my fat loss phase. We should all have an exit plan after a fat loss phase. Staying at your lower calorie numbers is not the answer, neither is jumping right back to where you were.

After some time working on building muscle, long bouts of time at maintenance calories, and a few 2-3 week mini cuts just to give my digestion and waistline a break I decided it was time for me to start a fat loss phase. I am up about 10 pounds from my last cut almost three years ago and my hope is that this time around my efforts will reveal more muscle. Yes, ladies I intentionally gained weight! This can be a goal and should be a goal if a strong muscular body comp is the goal. With my recent shift, away from CrossFit to strictly weight lifting, with 1-2 cardio sessions, the timing seemed right to work on body composition changes.

We all have this idea that cutting weight will reveal the body composition we have in our heads, but truthfully if you don’t strength train and work to build muscle the end result or “goal weight” won’t really match up with the picture you have in your head. Yet another reason to STOP chronically dieting down and start strength training. 

I have hired a coach again and I am so relieved to hand over the control on my own nutrition. Making decisions in regards to my clients nutrition everyday has put my own goals on the backburner. I believe in coaching and believe even though I “know what to do” and can certainly set my own numbers we all need that outside objective voice and accountability to make the best decision for us. 

Earn your time in a fat loss phase. Even if you have a lot of weight to lose. Take your time, take diet breaks, re feeds, and spend time at maintence calories, and then return to your deficit. It may seem counter productive to eat more food when dieting but giving your body those breaks will help keep the process moving for long term weight loss.

This first week I am JUST below my maintence and I am already down a few pounds. Remember our bodies adapt and the minimum effective does is always the best option. Over a 12-16-week fat loss phase you have to leave yourself somewhere to go. All the more reason to hire a coach and get an outside opinion. #HIREACOACH #BECOACHABLE