Yes, you read that right.
On paper, all we need for weight loss to occur is to be in a calorie deficit.
Friendly reminder: smaller doesnt = healthier, Rilling says.
Photo:adobestock/fortyforks
For years, IthoughtI had been eating plenty to fuel my 6-day-per-week strength workouts.
Hey, I had adesk job, after all.
Still, I watched the scale stall and then continue to fall.
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I was spinning my wheels for more than 18 months.
Or maybe the cultural messages of 1,500 calories is plenty!
subtly made their way into my internal chat.
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Or possibly I just didnt dedicate enough time or energy toplanning mealsand snacks.
Regardless of the reason, I was shocked to learn that I wasnt eating enough.
Turns out, Im far from alone.
There is a lot of misinformation surrounding howand how muchto eat in modern society.
Thats right: Individuals who want to lose, gain, or maintain weightallbenefit from eating enough.
to get to achieve weight loss, you better eat enough calories.
With Colleens coaching, Ive gained 7 pounds in 10 months, including a full pound of muscle.
As females, we get told from a young age to eat less and take up less space.
We need to fuel our bodies to perform and reach our goals, says Rilling.
These are all important components to building a strong and healthy body.
We need to stop telling women that they need 1,200 calories per day.
So what is enough?
Activity level, age, and personal health goals will factor into what your ideal calorie andmacroranges should be.
To determine your target, its wise to consult with a registered dietitian for a personalized recommendation.
For each goal, it’s crucial that you figure out the appropriate number of calories.
Want to gain weight and gain strength?Gaining weight, especially muscle, can be a full-time job.
Gaining muscle is very energy-dependent.
It’s really hard to put on muscle and gain strength when in a deficit.
Eating enough ensures that we can make enough energy to build muscle, says Ligos.
to get a baseline.
Apps likeMyFitnessPal,Macros, andFood Diarycan help you crunch the numbers.
This will be handy to know so it’s possible for you to chart your path forward.
A little planning can go a long way to help make changes sustainable, says Ligos.
Try 1 cupcottage cheesetopped with 1 cupraspberriesand 13 cupgranolafor 48 grams of carbs and 31 grams of protein.
Adding calories to current meals and snacks can be as simple as increasing the portion size.
An extra 100 to 200 calories per meal can result in an extra 300 to 600 calories per day.
Sample One-Day Meal Plan for Building Strength
