“I am trying to BURN calories, I am not going to EAT ANY!”
In this type of thinking, you see your body as a balance sheet. Calories are being used, calories are being eaten. You picture your cells bringing out a calculator at the end of the day and deciding how many fat cells to create.
That is not what is happening.
Every cell in our body is a living thing running on chemical reactions and it is NEEDY! It wants to function well and thrive! It gets pissed off, depressed and goes into low power mode when it can’t deliver the work it needs to keep running (decreased metabolism).
But your cells are resourceful and made for survival. They will find the energy somewhere. Likely from breaking down your healthy muscles to build and repair muscles and tissues that need help (you become weaker).
At the end of the day, when you finally fold and eat because you have been starving, your body stores as much as possible to prepare for the next famine.
So, net result – you worked out hard and starved yourself for half of the day to end up weaker and fatter.
Better plan:
- Eat quality nutrients throughout the day (especially some carbohydrates before the workout and protein after).
- Exercise hard.
- Be sure to get your sleep so your body will repair.
In this case:
- Fat is burned during the workout.
- Muscle is created with proper nutrition and rest.
- The body is lower in stress hormones because it feels nurtured and supported.
Boy do I know executing this simple plan is not as easy as it sounds. We get pulled in all kinds of directions due to external stressors and emotional ties to food, but if you can continue to re-focus your efforts on these three key principles, it will pay off in the long run.
Check out the recipes of my site for food inspo, grab my free macronutrient cheat sheet AND my FREE Meal Planning Hacks eBook, or let me help you figure this out in an effective and efficient way with some coaching.
Here is my famous Powerup Protein shake. It is loaded with veggies and protein, perfect for after a workout!
