The Case For Eating More
The phrase ‘calorie deficit’ is all over social media these days as the key to everyone’s physique goals, but what if this was wrong? Maybe it’s even uncomfortable to read that you might need to spend time outside of ‘dieting’ to achieve the physique of your dreams? The intention of this article is to explain why perpetually trying to diet is actually hindering your physique progress and how eating more will be the key to your physique success over time.
Let’s start with what physique goals typically entail. The women that come to us seeking body transformation results are primarily looking to lose body fat and increase muscle mass. We hear this often referred to as, “I want to be leaner and more toned”, or “I want the X frame bikini body”. There are a number of critical components to building this kind of physique, of which fat loss, induced by a period of time spent in a calorie deficit, is only a small part.
The components to building this ‘goal’ physique for most people are:
Fat loss phase(s): generated through eating in a calorie deficit whilst also attempting to retain as much muscle mass as possible, by prioritising resistance training, protein intake and being strategic with how aggressive the deficit is.
Growth phases: Where fat gain is monitored and the focus is on strategically over-feeding with the purpose of increasing muscle tissue.
Maintenance phases: Where a person is eating at energy balance, prioritising performance and lifestyle factors so as to support their physique, performance and of course, the rest of their life (including mental health and body image).
Now that we’ve laid out the phases that build dream physiques, you’ll have noticed that 2 out of the 3 phases require eating at least at a maintenance energy intake, if not more. This is in stark contrast to the calorie deficit holy grail which is championed within the fitness industry as the singular option for physique success. It’s also one of the biggest mistaken assumptions made by the women that come to us. That is, that losing fat is the only thing that matters. Rather, fat loss phases are just one piece of the puzzle. Building muscle and learning to eat at least at a maintenance energy intake to support a lifestyle consistent with your physique goals long term, are critical pieces as well.
Where to from here? You might not like this recommendation because it’ll likely push you outside of your comfort zone, but the fastest way to get over your fears of eating more is to just start. Remember:
“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten” — Tony Robbins
If you identify as:
perpetually trying to diet;
unhappy with your current physique;
lacking in muscle definition; and
wanting to lose body fat, but your ability to stay consistent sucks
Then time spent at least at a maintenance energy intake is going to be a game changer for you. Taking your focus off of losing fat for a period of time will end up getting you closer to the lean and toned physique you want in the long run than never ending attempts at under-eating will. By intentionally eating more than deficit calories for a period of time you’ll fixate less on restrictive eating patterns, likely feel more satiated and have a better shot at building muscle tissue — which in itself is an energetically costly process.
With all this being said, knowing that the most logical path to reach your physique goals is to stop dieting for a period of time and actually start eating at least at your maintenance energy intake often brings up fears of gaining body fat and particularly for our female clients, seeing scale weight increase. Even though you know you need to start eating more, it still feels scary. Whilst the practical recommendation is to start by eating at your maintenance calorie intake for a period of time (and by definition this means your weight will roughly be maintained, if we see increases over time you’d by definition be in a surplus), it will be useful to show you a real life example of what eating more over time looks like to help diminish your fears.
This is what one of our clients said before she started coaching with us:
“I was also a restrictive eater, always “hangry”, eating no more than 1300–1450 calories a day. This lead to binge eating on the weekends…then feel shockingly guilty, embarrassed by my lack of self-control and frustrated as to why I could be so “good” during the week only to blow it all on the weekends. I was irritable and tired all the time.”
Since coaching with us, she says:
“I am now eating more than ever (despite my initial hesitations)… and now know that there is no such thing as “bad” foods.”
And here’s a visual representation of what the ‘before’ (on the left) and the ‘now’ (on the right) looks like for our client, eating an extra 600 calories per day, minus the weekend binge eating.
This story isn’t just confined to our clients. I have also experienced the benefits of eating more both mentally and physically too. I intentionally decided to stop trying to eat less and instead spent 6 months eating at maintenance and in slight surplus (even at my heaviest weight ever). This process not only changed my physique by assisting me to efficiently build muscle mass, but also shifted my perception of self. I went from being fixated on scale weight and body size as a means of establishing self-worth, to a woman who is confident, strong and body-shame free.
If after reading this, you’ve identified that you too are stuck in the mindset that the only way to reach your physique goals is through a calorie deficit, and fat loss phase after fat loss phase, without substantial breaks in between - we hope that this article has shown you that there is a better way to do things.
A good place to start to work out your own maintenance energy needs is our article Making Macros Simple.
Otherwise, if you’d prefer our expert coaching services for assistance, you’ll find our coaches here.
