It can be so frustrating to feel like you’re losing and gaining the same 10-20 pounds over and over. And it happens to so many of us. In fact, 50% of people who go on a weight-loss journey end up gaining 11 pounds above their starting weight within five years of going on their diet. If you’ve experienced this, I want you to stop blaming yourself. Because you’ve been given the wrong information and the wrong guidance for years.

For years, possibly your whole life, you’ve been told that the way to change your body composition and the way to be healthy is to eat less and move more. But it’s not that simple. And thinking that it is can lead to shame and self-blame when that simple formula doesn’t work.

Why don’t restrictive diets work?

It doesn’t work because your body is complex and has evolved to survive. Not just survive. Your body has evolved to be homeostatic, to keep everything balanced. So when your body receives less energy from food, it will work towards homeostasis by using less energy.

Let’s say that you got on a low-calorie diet. It will work for a while. When there’s a stressor like calorie reduction, at first your body will freak out and speed up. But your body will learn to run on less calories, and your weight loss will plateau.

So then let’s say that you take up running to burn more calories. Again, you might see short term weight loss, but in the long term, that grind will backfire and cause you to gain even more than you’re trying to lose. Your thyroid hormone output diminishes your muscle. Your body will start to burn muscle for energy instead of fat because it doesn’t see muscle as important as fat for survival. It also doesn’t see logical thought as necessary for survival, so you’ll start to go through your day tired, sluggish, and with a brain fog.

What’s the alternative?

It’s time to completely rethink how you’re fueling and working your body! Living with a body that’s in survival mode isn’t sustainable and it isn’t healthy. The key to a healthy, fit body is to get out of the “eat less, move more” mentality and begin to eat well and build strength.

If you’ve gone through a long period, or even a lifetime of severe calorie reduction, it might take some time to get your metabolism back on track. But you can take steps right now to get your body out of survival mode, out of starvation mode, and into a healthy mode where you feel healthy, strong, and full of energy. And that is absolutely sustainable. 

3 Steps to getting your body out of survival mode

If you’re ready to get your body and your metabolism out of survival mode, you have to communicate to your body that the period of scarcity is over. There are three really simple ways to start doing this:

First, eat. As women, we’re told our entire lives that we’re eating too many calories, but the truth is that most women aren’t eating enough. Now, I’m not telling you to run out and get a Big Mac and fries. I’m telling you to fuel your body. Eat at regular intervals so that your body isn’t triggered back into survival mode. Eat high-nutrient, high-fiber, and high-protein foods. The goal isn’t to eat less, the goal is to eat better.

Next, strength train. Building muscle boosts your metabolic rate. Lifting weights regularly will improve your heart health, keep your joints lubricated and feeling good, improve your posture, minimize overall ‘life’ injuries, regulate your hormones, and increase your energy! Just to name a few things.

Finally, hydrate. Your body is 60% water. When you walk around dehydrated, your body slows down and doesn’t function as well. Drinking enough water (around 90 oz. per day) will allow your body to burn energy more efficiently, remove toxins, and reduce hunger confusion.

After you take those first steps, reach out to me. Your body is complex and I can help you navigate all of the elements that go into making your metabolism function at its best. You deserve to feel healthy and energetic. So give me a call and let’s get you out of survival mode!