Sunday 2/23

Hey, ladies!

Just a reminder…

If you haven’t gotten your mid-challenge body composition analysis done, please make sure you do!

We’ve seen some GREAT results in just a few weeks. Lots of body fat percentages are down and muscle mass percentages are up… your efforts are clear!

Now, if you had a not so great scale reading this time around, then keep in mind:

1.) It’s literally just numbers. If YOU feel strong, healthy, and confident, then THAT’S what is important.

2.) There is still plenty of time left in the challenge to see positive changes, but, more importantly, the end of the challenge is simply just a date. This is a lifelong journey of change, improvement, and growth. Keep moving forward always!

3.) Take a look at the past few weeks and honestly ask yourself if you’ve been consistent in the gym and if you’ve consistently been eating well (especially this one!). If you say yes to both of these, then ask yourself some other questions about your lifestyle the past few weeks… have you been getting good/restorative sleep, have you been combatting stress well, have you been active outside of the gym, etc. All these things can either positively or negatively affect us!

Nonetheless, we’re proud of everyone so far for staying the course. This is just the start!

Sunday Q&A

Dairy - low fat vs full fat?

Let me ask you a question…

Can you think of 1 whole food that has had something taken away from it and, as a result, it became superior to the food in its whole state? (I can’t.)

Take an apple for example: When an apple is stripped of everything but its juice, we’ve essentially turned it into sugar water. In its whole form, an apple is much more nutrient dense AKA superior.

Now, let’s talk dairy…

Calories aside (we’ll get to that in a minute), I would always recommend full fat over low fat/non-fat.

Why?…

Full Fat: has all the essential nutrients - fats, proteins, carbs

Low Fat/Non-Fat: (comes from the “fat is bad for you” era) has been stripped of essential nutrients

Now, if we’re talking calories…

Obviously full fat has more calories.

So, if you’re someone who regularly eats a nutrient dense diet, but you’re caloric intake is a bit high for the goals you’ve set for yourself, then making the switch from full fat to low fat/non-fat could be a great option for you. It’s a simple swap to help lower your overall calorie intake without compromising your nutrient intake too much since you eat a nutrient dense diet already.

On the flip side, if you’re someone struggling to consume enough calories and you currently consume low fat or non-fat dairy, then switching to full fat could boost your calories and nutrient intake without adding food volume.

How much protein can your body handle at once?

This is individual.

Everyone is different.

The amount of protein Individual A can handle in one sitting compared to Individual B could be vastly different.

For most, the main issue with consuming “too much” protein is we can overwhelm our digestive system.

So, if you commonly deal with digestion issues like bloating, inflammation, constipation… then you may be over doing it.

Digestion issues are unfortunately common, but absolutely not normal. If you experience symptoms that you feel are directly related to your protein intake, then I would recommend 2 things:

1.) Distribute protein amounts more evenly throughout your day (don’t pack the majority of your protein in 1-2 meals)

2.) If #1 isn’t effective, you may want to try gradually cutting back protein until you reach a point where your body can handle the protein amount (bloating and inflammation is reduced and bowel movements are regular).

If you still experience digestion issues, then you may be dealing with some other underlying issues. In that case, we may recommend getting in touch with a functional nutritionist to help you discover the root cause of your digestion issues. (This is with the assumption you consistently eat a nutrient dense diet, but still experience symptoms.)

Remember…

A good goal, to start, is to aim to hit your body weight (or a realistic goal body weight) in grams of protein daily. Now, this doesn’t mean this is the exact amount of protein you necessarily need. It is just a starting point for an individual.

For some, they may do better with less protein overall (somewhere between .8 and 1 gram per pound of body weight).