Cal was working diligently to lose weight. He was doing cardio 5 times a week and cutting his calories greatly. However, after a few weeks of losing weight, he hit a plateau. Additionally, the weight he had lost seemed to be more in the upper body, with little lost in his target area, the waist. To make matters worse, after starting off strong for a few weeks, he was feeling like garbage every time he worked out, dreading another overly tiring run.
After a few months of this, Cal sought my help. I reviewed and then discussed the health history and goal sheets I had him fill out. Then reviewed his cardio workouts regarding frequency, how hard it felt to him, heart rate, miles per hour, calories expended, and duration. Finally, I examined a detailed nutritional analysis based on a week’s worth of days eating/drinking, breaking down calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, fiber, meals, meal times, water intake, even sleep as it pertains to energy. What I found was very surprising to him, but not at all to me, knowing how easily people are duped by bogus diets and exercise misinformation floating around cyberspace these days.
Cal had a host of nutritional deficiencies, including calorie, carb, and water intakes that were far too low for the energy he needed not just for exercise, but for his daily activity level in general. Sadly, he was following an ultra-low calorie diet that was not only far too short of the energy he needed, but more importantly was dangerously low for many health reasons. His diet, debunked by reputable nutrition institutions but lauded by higher profile, quick-hit, supplement selling gurus, was placing him at a caloric intake below his resting metabolic rate; only enough calories to maintain him safely if he was a vegetable lying in bed all day.
As a result, Cal’s cardio was miserable because his carbs, the primary source of energy for working out, was too low. His weight wasn’t going down anymore because his dreadful caloric deficit was shutting his metabolism – and thus his calorie burning throughout the day – down to a crawl. And he was losing in the wrong places because the low calorie, low carb diet promotes muscle and water loss. If you’re on too low of carbs, like Cal was, your body can turn to protein for energy, which you don’t want to use for exercise, since it’s needed to maintain muscle.
So, I had a long, productive talk with Cal. We covered a lot more than just the calories and carbs, since such a diet often brings about all sorts of other deficiencies and issues as well. And I showed him the results of hundreds and hundreds of clients I’d worked with over the years who had spectacular success in crushing their goals way more effectively – and enjoyably – than those following hack diets. Instead of giving him a generic calorie range without any thought whatsoever to the individual’s needs like so many diets, I measured his body fat and lean mass percentages, and coupled with a review of his daily activity levels, determined a calculated daily caloric range that put Cal in a deficit to lose weight, while still having enough energy to actually get something positive out of the exercise he was doing. I also figured out a host of other percentages specific to his needs, including how much protein to consume daily, percentages of carbohydrate and fat to aim for, and ounces of water to consume. After seeing some results the healthy way, Cal soared to the goals he craved, as opposed to limping along a dreary path, craving everything he’s not eating and hiding from exercise like it’s death incarnate.
For help with your nutrition specific to your goals, calorie range, energy needs, and health concerns, give me a call at 925-930-7560.