Written by Peter from 'The Why in You'
Imagine we came to you to grant you one wish. One wish to do whatever you want (apart from getting more wishes, that’s not an option).
“What would you do?”
This is a question I give to each and every client I have the privilege of working with, and each of them has a quick response, and it is so often “Lose weight!”
Then I ask them another one…I ask them if the wish they make will address everything else in their lives?…
…most ponder this question for a moment, and then they re-think their wish!
You see, here's the thing. When it comes to food, nutrition, fuel, whatever you want to call it, there first needs to be an understanding around what our food actually “does” for us.
We spend waaaaay too much time being concerned with if something is “good” or “bad” for us, (oh and by the way, nothing is bad for us, when taken in isolation!) whether it might make us fat or put on weight, and we spend nowhere near enough time thinking about or understanding that the food we eat is the fuel which keeps us alive.
Think about a car with very little gas in the tank, and then plan a 500 mile journey.
The car would never make it!…and yet so many do just this to our bodies everyday.
Let me frame something in a simple way. When it comes to food…ANY food that we consume will add weight to the body! Of course it will, because the very act of consuming anything that has a mass, will contribute to the body and its already existing mass.
So does that mean we can’t eat anything?…of course not!
So what do we do?
I get so many questions from clients and friends and family members saying “Why do I feel bloated when I have bread/pasta/eggs/meat/dairy/fruit?”…the list is endless.
The reality is that when we eat, our body goes through a whole bunch of processes in order to digest, utilise nutrient, distribute elements, break apart fibre for transportation, and a whole bunch of other stuff, but ultimately the mass which is our food ends up mostly in our stomach (that bit of our body which we all breathe in when we try on those jeans we really like.
But here's the fact…It HAS to go there because our stomach acts as kind of a cement mixer, which is part of the body breaking down our food/distribution and that whole cycle.
So it stands to reason that if something (our food) goes to a place in our bodies which was not as full (our stomach), then of course it is going to feel fuller.
But it doesn’t stay there, right?…we don’t stay feeling full forever, because by some magical biological engineering, our body performs its magic and distributes it, leaving us eventually feeling less full.
The REAL confusion comes when we pay attention to so much of the misinformation regarding food and nutrition, and we begin to look for weight loss in the form of extreme diets, on-trend nutrition plans, disruptive or worse yet, restrictive food plans, in the hope that we can lose weight.
Confusion lies in that term “weight loss”. Now, this is not to say that weight loss isn’t a very real goal for many people. I work with clients who need to lose weight through a health concern, and this involves a much deeper dive into the body and the potential strain the body can be under if this isn’t achieved. But for the purposes of this article, I want to dive into the often misuse and misunderstanding of the word “weight loss”.
If you were offered the chance to look exactly how you want, fit in the clothes you wanted to, feel healthy, non sluggish, BUT stay the exact same weight….would you accept this, even though your weight stayed the same??
“Fit in my clothes, or smaller ones?”…The answer is probably yes!
This can happen, so it isn’t about weight loss, it is about changing the body and its composition. It is about understanding your own body and its specific requirements for fuel, for rest, for hydration, for life. All this can be achieved when we begin to better understand our own body and how it works.
Many of us look at quick fixes, at radically changing our patterns in the hope that magical steps forward can happen, but the challenge lies in all of these being consistent… for the rest of your life.
Are you really in a place where you’re ready to accept that something you liked, or did, or enjoyed, won’t happen again?
Did you know that poor quality sleep, not enough hydration, hectic schedules, too much exercise, too little food can actually significantly contribute to the body maintaining weight, and even gaining weight?
Ketosis, intermittent-fasting, paleo diet, calorie counting, are probably all phrases you may have heard and are certainly on-trend, but the question still has to come back to “why” do these appeal (if they do), and “what” are you looking to achieve? Would something else potentially serve you better?
The reality is that we are incredible pieces of biomechanical engineering, and can thrive if a few simple things are done consistently. When we learn about ourselves, how we perform, work, function, then we can better understand whats best for us moving forward.
By moving, eating, connecting and recovering in a way that suits us the best, and is optimum just for us, no one else…just us…and we do this consistently…then we can truly thrive.
The world of nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated, and yet it can become just this way. So sometimes we have to look elsewhere for support, for guidance and be pointed in the right direction, a direction which is right for us.
After all, any change outside of an intentional, supportive community can be challenging, but none of us need to get through this life on our own. So reach out to Caroline and her team, as you can always feel confident that they are there for you, and have your back!.
Thanks for taking the time to read the blog.
Peter
About the Author
Peter is the co-founder of the Health and Wellness business “The Why In You”, and is a registered member of The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). A qualified YMCA Level 3 Personal Trainer, he holds a Level 3 Award in Instructing Outdoor Fitness, and is a qualified nutrition coach, holding the Pn Certified Coach Level 1, awarded by Precision Nutrition.
Peter has presented nutrition and wellness seminars throughout the UK, Dubai, Brussels and Ireland, and works as an expert and trainer for International Wellness Expert, Jessie Pavelka.