Eat more and exercise less...
...that can sound almost frightening for many fitness-oriented people at first.
With this article and Ali's success story, we want to show you that it's worth to take a look at new nutritional principles and to think outside the box.
Ali is a young man, ambitious in sports and an occasional eater. I was allowed to see him 5 weeks ago when he decided, out of interest and curiosity, to start the new nutritional consultation with us.
In the first session he told me that he wanted his body to be the way it used to be. He is specifically interested in his physical potential, in which he still sees room for improvement. He would like to train more, but after training he feels completely drained for a long time, both mentally and physically.
Together we found out that there are still a few superfluous "love handles" visible. We were able to confirm this impression with measurements on the body analysis scale and a caliper.
Using a specific questionnaire and the results of the measurements, I was able to explain to him how much training or stress his body can afford without it becoming counterproductive. In addition, it quickly became clear that his physical potential was being increased by the food intake as well as by his mindset.
Based on the collected data, I created a specific nutrition plan, which is adapted to his goals and his current life situation. It came as a surprise to Ali that he should exercise less and eat more food. Eating consistently throughout the day and preparing meals were new to him.
5 weeks and 3 consultations later, Ali weighs 3.5kg less. The measurements show the pleasing result of losing 3kg of fat while maintaining muscle mass. Most of the fat was actually lost in the abdominal area - the so-called visceral fat. The abdominal circumference has decreased, the waist circumference even by 4cm. The Caliper measurement shows a reduction of 30% on the abdomen.
Ali was pleased with the significantly reduced hot or hunger attacks that he normally had after heavy physical or mental stress.
But how is that possible?
We find the answer to this question in the body. For years, Ali's metabolism was overwhelmed by the stress affecting the organism. We often fall victim to our meritocracy and the resulting mindset of a "head through the wall" mentality.
Anyone who potentially has an above-average cardiovascular system or pays too little attention to the body's signals is more prone to overexertion. This physical overload leads to an overload of the entire metabolism and thus has a negative effect on the development of the body, which is equivalent to a lack of training or weight loss success. If the overloading of the system is combined with a negative nutrient balance, there is an increased risk of inflammation, which has a throttling effect on the metabolism.
In this case, the new nutrition plan and an adjustment of the stress on the body was an investment in the metabolism - thanks to the adjustments, it was finally able to regenerate. This is equivalent to a recovered system, which can now metabolize fat much better.
After a short time, Ali is satisfied and feels comfortable in his body again. Both through the change in diet and through self-reflection on his weekly load, I am convinced that I can celebrate many more successes with Ali - sustainably and without any yo-yo effect.
Yours,
Marco - Expert for preventive and sports nutrition