Most of my clients are busy, active women (some men too) who work out hard and try to eat clean, yet they don’t feel and look as fit as they should for how hard they work.

And about 95% of them come to me undereating without realizing it. 

And I feel for them because, not only have I been there myself, but undereating is actually what’s keeping them stuck, negatively impacting their health and even their day to day quality of life.

Wanna know the first step I take with these types of clients?

It’s first getting them to eat more food.

As you might guess, this can feel scary for many of them. But from my experiences in my own life and in coaching others… 

Increasing food this time of year in the fall or early winter is often the easiest time to do it mentally because you know it will be awhile before you rock swimsuits, shorts, and tanks again.

This is exactly why nearly a year ago I decided to start eating more, focus on building muscle, and take the time to set myself up to do a healthy fat loss phase in the spring. I also started working with a nutrition coach again to take the emotions out of my own diet… because yes, eating more can be scary even to me!

• You’ve been dieting or trying to lose weight for 3-4 months or longer.
• You rarely have a workout where you feel good or see progress.
• You don’t feel your best day to day (tired all the time, not sleeping well, etc.)
• You have hormonal imbalance symptoms like thinning hair, low libido, horrible PMS or no period.
• Your fat loss has plateaued and your calories are already low.

If you can relate to any of the above, I encourage you to consider taking a break from trying to eat less and dedicate this last quarter of 2020 to eating to get as healthy and strong AF.

Just imagine how much better you’ll feel and — if fat loss is a goal you have — how much better results you’ll see come January or whenever you diet next because your hormones and metabolism will be in a much healthier place.

• Aim for a generous protein portion of about 4-6 oz (or 6-8 oz for men) at each meal plus one to two protein-rich snacks each day. 
• Work towards eating a generous serving of veggies at each meal and a few servings of fruit daily.
• Include a healthy fat at each meal and aim for a variety of sources like avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds, coconut oil or manna, and grass-fed butter.
• Incorporate clean “starchy” carbs, especially around workouts, like rice, potatoes, oats, quinoa, and gluten-free pastas.

Once you can check off all of the above, start to slowly increase portions, mainly from carb and fat sources. 

As always, if you need help with determining if you need to eat more, how much to eat, or how to best increase calories for your specific diet and goals, you can book a free Nutrition Strategy Session here.