How good you eat doesn’t matter…

In this week’s blog post, I want to help you better understand the link between diet and getting results, and why how good you eat doesn’t matter as much as you might think.

A yo-yo weight

I’ve always prided myself on being a healthy eater, but what I realize now is that how good you eat doesn’t matter as much as you think. As a kid I grew up with a garden, dinner was always balanced with a lean protein, vegetable and starch, and I had to clear my plate before I could have dessert – making sure I ate all the “good stuff” first. In college I did my best to carry-on the good eating habits my parents had taught me, and although I wasn’t perfect I definitely ate healthier than the majority of my peers.  Plus, I hit the gym regularly to offset my indulgences. But my weight was always up and down despite my healthy eating and exercising habits.

As I entered my mid-twenties I was determined to get my weight under control and have the body of my dreams, so I signed up for my first yoga competition. I cut calories, I trained harder than ever, I ate small meals throughout the day and I drank gallons of water.  My daily food intake usually included oatmeal and berries, yogurt and berries, a protein bar or shake, and chicken breast with a vegetable such as broccoli or zucchini for lunch and dinner. Super healthy right? And on competition day I was the smallest I had ever been, a lean 110 pounds at 16% body fat that only lasted for a few days. Sure I looked great on stage, but the second I relaxed on my diet and training routine after the show I ballooned back up and weighed more than I did before training for the competition!

Consequences of weight fluctuations

Along with the rebound weight gain, my fatigued and seasonal allergies intensified.  I could barely keep my eyes open in the afternoon after having a double Americano and the second the seasons changed my head would fill up with fog, congestion and pain from earaches. At the time I didn’t connect the dots between my fatigue, weight gain and seasonal allergies so I just kept trucking along and decided it would be a good idea to do another fitness competition to get my weight back under control. This time instead of cutting calories so drastically I tried carb cycling, meaning I would eat less than 50 grams of carbs per day for 3 days then I would have a high carb day of 120 grams, and repeat.  My food included way more protein and vegetables, and way less fruits and grains. I did more weight lifting and I pushed myself even harder. My muscle gains were great.  I stood on stage at a lean 130 lbs and 16% body fat, feeling good in my body but still struggling with fatigue and allergies. But just like before, my results didn’t stick.  Most of the weight came back, I was still tired all the time and plagued with severe seasonal allergies.

Searching for answers

I questioned myself, and all that I knew about diet and exercise.  I was the healthiest person I knew but I didn’t feel or look like it. I went searching for answers and that’s when I started to realize how good you eat doesn’t matter as much as you think. When I found the Nutritional Therapy Association (NTA) course, all of the pieces fell into place. I studied fitness, nutrition and health in college but not a single class addressed the actual functional components or importance of diet, rest, exercise, stress reduction and supplementation and how all of these pieces worked together like the NTA course did.

What I came to find is that…Your diet is only as effective as the rest of your lifestyle. You could be the healthiest eater in the world but if you’re burning the midnight oil, over or under exercising, and dealing with a ton of physical and emotional stress, your healthy eating efforts fall to the wayside.

The body as a network of systems

The body is a complex network of systems that all work together.  If you want your healthy eating habits to be effective for weight loss, increasing your energy or resolving other health issues, then you need all systems online and working right. You have to learn to value sleep and stress reduction as much, if not more than, diet and exercise. Focusing on diet alone may get you some results; maybe you’ll lose a few pounds, notice a small increase in your energy or some symptom relief but eventually progress comes to a halt unless your lifestyle also supports your healthy eating habits. For example, one night of poor sleep or going to bed late can have significant impacts on your body’s ability to balance blood sugar and your hormones, both of which directly correlate with weight gain or weight loss resistance. Over exercising or exercising too intensely when you’re body is already depleted and tired also directly impact hormone balance, which will dictate your weight.

And then there’s emotional stress...

 When you’re stressed, your stress hormone cortisol goes up and surges in cortisol have been linked to weight gain right around your midsection (the “spare tire” effect). I was guilty of all of these things.  I stayed up late, worked long days at a stressful job and constantly pushed my body beyond its limits when it came to exercise, and my functional lab tests showed it! My cortisol was out of control, my sex hormones were low, I had a congested liver and some pretty nasty bacteria growing in my gut. It was no wonder why I felt fat, tired and broken down even though I was eating healthy!

How did I finally get my weight and allergies under control, and my energy back once and for all?

I shifted my focus to be equal parts diet, rest, exercise and stress reduction by:

1. Paying more attention to what foods made my body feel good

2. Setting a goal to be asleep by 10pm at least 5 nights per week

3. Incorporating 1-2 days of restorative exercise such as beach walks and yoga

4. Creating a daily mindfulness practice using a variety of meditation and breath-work tools

5. I also worked on restoring function to the different systems of my body using functional lab testing as my guide.

Now my healthy eating habits are as effective as they can be, and one or a few days off my normal eating routine doesn’t throw me completely off course. I’ve seen a similar story over and over again with the clients who have come through my health coaching practice. They’ve tried various diets such as Paleo, Whole30 and Keto but get little to no results because it’s the only thing they’ve been focusing on, and their lifestyle wasn’t supporting the expected results of their eating habits. But once we run some functional lab tests to identify their healing opportunities and get them on a more personalized plan with a balanced focus, the weight starts falling off, their energy instantly goes up and any other health issues start to diminish or go away completely.

If you’re frustrated with the lack of results you’ve been seeing from your healthy eating habits, then let’s explore what’s holding you back! Schedule a FREE Discovery call with me today and let's find the missing pieces to your health puzzle!

Disclaimer: This post is intended for inspirational and informational purposes only, is not a substitute for medical advice, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. Consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your routine.