Give Your Body the Right Fuel

Many come off cycle after cycle of yo-yo dieting.  We get used to restricting calories.  Is this what is best for our body?  Restricting calories can have the opposite effect you are looking for.  What should your calories be everyday? Try using this calorie caculator. It could be much more than you think.

It is important that you look at your body as your vehicle.  It is the vehicle that will take your through this life. We ask ourselves next what are we going to put into our vehicle?  Compare your body to your car.  Would you fill your gas tank full of oil or run around on empty fumes?  No! Start looking at your food everyday as “your vehicle fuel”. It will change the way you identify with your eating patterns and what you chose to put in it.  I personally run my vehicle on high premium healthy fuel.

There are two areas of concern.  Eating the wrong things and putting too much bad fuel can cause sluggishness, weight gain, depression and many related health factors; there is the issue of eating too little calories and running on fumes.

While I understand the need to fast from time to time for religious reasons, an extended calorie restriction that is over a long period of time has risks involved.

According to Everyday Health, in addition to sabotaging your weight loss efforts, eating too few calories can also harm your health. When your body goes into starvation mode, you are at increased risk for the following:

    • Abnormally low blood pressure and slow heart rate
    • Heart rhythm abnormalities
    • Electrolyte imbalances, especially potassium deficiency
    • Gallstones
    • Hair loss
    • Brittle fingernails
    • Loss of menstrual periods in women
    • Soft hair growth over entire body
    • Dizziness
    • Trouble concentrating
    • Anemia
    • Swelling in your joints
    • Brittle bones
    • Depression

Know that starvation mode will reduce your metabolism and cause you will plateau. If you are using that as a method to lose additional weight, typically you will see this within a week to 10 days, even on a fast. There is also the risk of binge eating due to the inability to maintain at that level for long periods. If you are wanting to lose by restricting calories, reduce them 200-300 calories and burn more calories than you consume. The average calorie recommended intake is at least 1200 and typically runs between 1500-2000 calories per day depending on your age, weight, height and activity level. My best advice to you is do not starve yourself. Learn to have the right relationship with food and begin to think of your body as your vehicle. Now, what are you going to put in your tank today?