Over the past 2 weeks we have had an influx of around 11 new Bootcamp clients.

The best bit about new clients joining the group is i get to work with new people, new routines, new challenges and get to put my coaching skills to test.

We work with everyone on a 1-2-1 basis when it comes to nutrition and of course we see patterns with people.

The most common pattern we see amongst new clients is the lack of food they consume when weight loss is the primary goal.

Does this surprise me

NO

You see, for the past 30+ years we have been brain washed by the “diet” culture and its forced people into confusion when it comes to foods to the point they eat very little expecting to lose weight in the process.

I can tell you one thing as a coach, its fantastic helping people eat more to lose weight.

Now, when it comes to helping people eat more to lose weight, its all about eating the right things.

Its not simply about them just eating more

Lets start by talking about the knock on effect of eating too little each day

>Your body starts to store Fat instead of burning it

Your body uses carbohydrates and fats as energy. Now, in the absence of carbs it will use any carb stores it has as energy and once depleted, it will start to use your fat stores for energy.
Now that sounds amazing doesnt it, and people generally think eating no carbs automatically means you will burn the fat.
Now, that’s true in once sense but around 7-10 days of no carbs for energy and the body will in fact start to shut you down rather than continue to burn the fat.
Without getting scientific on you, your fat is basically an emergency store for survival.
Think of being stranded on a desert island with no food, your body will start to eat away at its own fat for energy and to survive.
No in real life, what happens is, you will stay low carb, you will lose weight initially, 7-10 days time you will start to feel very light headed and even dizzy, like you are going to pass out. The more active you are, the worse this will get.
Its the body saying it does not have enough energy for your day to day routine and it wants carbs. It will make you feel awful.

How anyone follows a low carb diet 100% of the time is beyond me, they must feel awful.

>Your hair, Nails and Skin deteriorate

Yep, through a lack of nutrients the health of your skin, nails and hair will reduce.

>You will feel tired and run down

Again, through a lack of energy and nutrients your body will feel shattered and tired all of the time. You will also find you catch every cold going as there are a lack of nutrients to help build your immune system.

These are generally the main side effects people see, there are others but i want to just get the point across in this post.

Now, how do you know you are under eating?
Generally if you feel any of the above or maybe you are fighting that constant hunger feeling day to day?
Maybe you have suddenly stopped losing weight?

Now the major factor we have not discussed is metabolism.

The faster your metabolism, the faster you burn carbs, fats etc

Under eating will slow your metabolism down in a big big way.

So, where do you start with sorting this out?

First things first, make a note of how often you eat each day.

A general start with clients is we work on getting 5 meal times worked into there day, sometimes 6 if we can.
You will aim to eat Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and 2 snacks.

You will aim to get a decent hit of protein in your 3 main meals (meats, fish, lentils, pulses)
Your snacks will be cleaner than normal (no crisps, cakes, chocolate bars etc)

Sounds simple right?

Until you try to put it into practice.

This is where our 1-2-1 caching comes in.

Now, for the sake of this blog i will give you some meal suggestions at the bottom to get you started.

So what benefits will you notice from upping your food intake (if you have been under eating)

>A huge increase in energy
>Healthier skin, nails and Hair
>A faster metabolism which means you should start to lose weight a little easier
>Fuller for longer with less hunger pangs

Here are some tips on meals you can be aiming towards eating. Dont stress over times, just aim to get the meals in when you can and take some time to implement this as your body may not be used to the amount of food.

Breakfast Options

2-3 Eggs (Fried, Poached, Scrambled, Omlette) Serve with green leafy veg if you can)
Porridge