Summary of Calorie and Carb Cycling by Metabolism and Hormone Support for Women:
The idea that more exercise and less food is always better for improving body composition, health, and fitness is not necessarily true. Too much exercise and dieting can lead to burnout, exhaustion, and neglect of important areas of life. Additionally, it can cause metabolism to slow, hormonal imbalances, and an increased risk of injury. As such, it’s important to consider a more sustainable approach to achieve health and fitness goals. For women over 35 with hormone imbalances, perimenopausal symptoms, or wanting to see changes in body composition, coaching programs may be beneficial.
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The Downfall of “More is Better” Approach to Diet and Exercise
When we start a new workout routine, or make changes to our diet, it can be tempting to want to go all-in, and do more to see results faster. However, this “more is better” approach can actually harm our progress and overall health. Here are four reasons why this approach may not be sustainable in the long run:
1. Doing more isn’t sustainable long-term
Although increasing the amount of exercise you do or reducing your caloric intake may lead to initial weight loss or gain in muscle mass, you can run out of steam quickly. It’s easy to burn out, get exhausted, and see a decline in productivity when we dedicate too much time to exercising and dieting. This also impacts other areas of our lives like our relationships and careers.
2. Your caloric intake and output can start to work against you
When we over-exercise, we either undereat or overeat, both of which can negatively impact our progress. Undereating can lead to a loss of lean muscle mass, decrease in exercise performance and recovery. Overeating can lead to a plateau in progress or even an increase in body fat. Balance is key, and healthy eating habits are crucial for progress.
3. Metabolic adaptation
A low-calorie diet can lead to the metabolism adjusting to the lower calorie intake. This reduces the number of calories burned, which can lead to weight/body fat gain. Going too extreme with diet and exercise can also reduce active thyroid hormone, decrease sex hormone production, and raise adrenal stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones have an impact on our body composition, hunger, energy levels, cravings, and motivation to exercise.
4. Increased risk of injury
Overdoing it at the gym can increase the risk of injury. If you overdo high-intensity training or never take a rest day, you may experience chronic muscle soreness, fatigue, and joint pains. This can be a problem because we can sometimes tune out our body’s signals and worsen injuries.
What can you do?
If you’re a woman over the age of 35, diagnosed with hormone imbalances such as low thyroid or perimenopausal symptoms like weight loss resistance, or want to see changes in body composition, coaching programs can be beneficial. A fitness coach can help you create balance in your approach, which gives you a sustainable method for long-term progress. They can also hold you accountable and adjust your workout plans and nutrition guidelines to address your lifestyle needs.
Don’t forget to join the closed Facebook group, Metabolism and Hormone Support for Women to get connected with others seeking health and fitness guidance.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the “more is better” mentality when it comes to exercise and diet may offer some results in the short-term, but it’s not sustainable long-term. It’s essential to create a healthy balance in your approach and listen to your body cues to help you reach your goals safely and effectively. Remember that it’s not all about the scale and take pride in progress made outside of just weight loss goals.
Coaching programs like Cfitness Online Training can guide you towards healthy, long-term success while giving you important feedback on your continued journey towards your fitness goals.
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