When we begin the conversation about weight loss and body composition changes, (losing fat and increasing lean muscle mass) the absolute beginning starts at how much food we are putting into our body. Undoubtedly, the American culture has a skewed perception of portion sizes and therefore, we often ingest much more calories than we actually need.
It goes without saying that the food we eat fuels us. For those of you who are athletes or training for pretty much anything, you know how much your daily nutrition matters. Even if you know you eat the right foods, consider tracking. Look at the breakdown of macro-nutrients in your diet. More and more experts talk about the benefits of being metabolically flexible as a means to *bonk-proof yourself. By training after fasting (this can be in the morning with no breakfast) and eating a lower carbohydrate diet, you can get your body used to using fat as fuel and well as glucose.
Tracking is easily accomplished by using an application such as My Fitness Pal or My Plate. Performing this over the course of a week will give you an idea of what you are taking in and how that is associated with your current activity level.
So this week why not track what you eat. Write it down, or download one of the aforementioned apps to do this. You don’t have to change anything just yet, just track.
*In the US when we talk about bonking, we typically mean when your body no longer has glycogen (stored glucose) available in the muscles and liver. Glycogen is usually primary fuel source for endurance athletes. . It feels like a sudden and overwhelming feeling of running out of energy.