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About Laurin Conlin

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Are You Bloated or Are You Full?

The line between being bloated or being full can certainly be a fine one, and something that many clients struggle to distinguish. As a coach, if a client is dealing with chronic bloating and stomach distention that is absolutely something that needs to be addressed. But often times the bloating that a client thinks their dealing with is a normal, healthy response to eating enough food and they are simply full.

Why might someone struggle to distinguish between the two? There’s a handful of reasons.

You’re coming off of a diet

If you’ve just finished a diet phase, you’re used to eating less total calories and food volume because of the deficit. While our bodies are incredibly adaptive, it still takes time to adjust to the feeling of fullness after a diet. During this recovery period, clients will often times think they’re bloated when in reality they are actually just getting used to feeling the sense of fullness again. This is especially true the leaner you’ve gotten, like in a competition prep for example. And as with all dieting adaptations, like the longer the diet has been + the leaner you’ve gotten, the longer it’ll take to recover.

 

You’re recovering from years of restricting your food intake

If you’re recovering from chronic dieting, yo-yo dieting or any type of disordered eating, the feeling of fullness can in and of itself be a trigger. A sense of emptiness is actually something people learn to crave when they’re in these situations. Working with clients to understand that fullness does not mean you’re a failure, or that you overate or anything of the like is a critical step to normalizing this feeling. One part of this is physically adapting to eating more and feeding yourself more frequently; the other part of this is mentally accepting this as something normal versus something negative. If you’re struggling with this component, don’t feel like you have to hide it and certainly reach out for professional help if it has become consuming.

 

You think everyone (besides you) has a flat stomach 24/7

Social media can have you convinced that everyone besides you has a flat stomach 24/7, they never deal with bloating and they only have killer angles. Wrong. Logically speaking, most people are going to pick the photo or video to post where they look the best. And why wouldn’t they? No one chooses a bad photo on purpose (unless you’re trying to prove a specific point) so you can’t expect to look at a snapshot in time and think that represents how someone looks at all times of the day. Every single person, including you, has days where they feel great and other days where they feel like a bag of potatoes. Don’t let the internet convince you otherwise.

 

You might actually need to work on your digestion 

While the focus of this article has been about learning to distinguish the difference between bloating and fullness, this distinction is not meant to downplay the clients who actually need to work on their digestion. There are many clients who do in fact have digestion and bloating issues that need to be addressed. Digestion and the world of gut health is still a bit murky but the best place to start is to simply start journaling and tracking your responses to specific foods.

Do you bloat every time you eat a certain food?

Do you not have regular bowel movements because you’re dehydrated?

Do you notice distention from work or home stress?

How does your meal timing effect your digestion?

If you’re a woman, where are you in your menstrual cycle?

 

These are just a handful of questions to ask yourself and relay to your coach. Sometimes, you’re just having a day where you’re bloated. Other times there are very specific things that trigger distention and poor digestion. The only way to recognize those differences is to take note of your individual biofeedback and adjust from there!

 

While this isn’t something everyone experiences, distinguishing between being bloated versus being full is a real struggle for many clients. Recognize where that struggle is stemming from whether it’s a dieting adaptation, a negative mindset around the feeling of being full or if you are truly having bloating issues. Once you understand the root cause, then you can start in the appropriate direction to fix it.

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Personal Responsibility is Cool

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Victor Frankl wrote this in Man’s Search for Meaning, his harrowing account of life in the Nazi concentration camps. Frankl was also a brilliant psychiatrist and founder of logotherapy, a type of psychotherapy that stems from the belief that ‘striving to find meaning in life is the primary and most powerful driving force in humans.’ His teachings, among other great psychologists of his time, intrigued me to dive more into the realm of understanding and applying personal responsibility. 

First, let’s define personal responsibility.

 

Per the internet: Personal responsibility is the idea that human beings choose, instigate, or otherwise cause their own actions.

This seems fairly straight forward right? So, why don’t we all employ personal responsibility in all areas of our lives?

Like everything worth giving a shit about, personal responsibility is hard. It’s much easier to blame circumstances, or your genetics, or your relationships, or your job or that one thing that happened in 5thgrade… the list could go on forever. No one is immune to feeling sorry for themselves and we all play the victim card sometimes. But think about how disempowering is it to cast the blame on outside circumstances we can’t control when instead we could put our focus on what actions we do take or don’t take in our lives.

Personal responsibility effects every single facet of our lives. For the purposes of this article and within the context of coaching, I’ll cover a few instances we see this play out with clients diet, training and lifestyle.

One of the most common scenarios is someone who has a history of yo-yo dieting and has ‘tried everything’ without success. They will blame the specific diet for their lack of success, not their lack of foundational knowledge or poor habits. Surely, there are a handful of downright terrible diets. But outside of the extreme plans and methods, most people’s problems lie within the fact that they don’t have any foundational food education and continue to engage in poor habits that set them up for failure.

 

No meal plan or quick fix detox will fix that. Until you take responsibility for learning the basics, no diet will work and you will always be spinning your wheels.

 

The same could be said for getting consistent with training. It’s easy to blame being tired or being stressed with work. But is that really it? Or are you f**king around at night and have a terrible sleep schedule, which influences how you manage your work day, which creates unnecessary stress? Creating the right routine that works for your life and lifestyle is always the first step.

 

Dial in your nighttime routine. Set a literal bedtime if you find yourself staying up late and then rushing in the morning. Put away your phone and create the right environment to get quality sleep.

Decide when you’re going to train. Are you getting it done before or after work, and then adjust your schedule appropriately. It doesn’t matter when you train, but you need to be realistic about what you will actually get done.

Organize your work day so you get more done in less amount of time. If you’re consistently sleeping, training and eating right, you’ll also be much more focused and productive.

 

These are just a few, easy examples of how taking personal responsibility for your actions can completely reshape your life, your fitness and how you feel. It’s incredibly easy to slip into bad habits, but being healthy is not as time consuming as you might think The best lesson we can teach our clients is to be personally responsible for their actions to help them take back control of their health and create long lasting change, which is why it’s something we take seriously.

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How Long Should You Expect Your Contest Prep To Be?

The million dollar question every competitor asks is “How long will be my prep be this season?”

 

The short answer: However long it takes for your body to get stage lean.

The nuanced answer: It will depend on a multitude of factors including your offseason, dieting history and starting body composition to name a few.

 

How many times have you seen or heard of the standard ‘12 week competition prep’ from coaches within the industry? This used to be the gold standard but realistically, 12 weeks just doesn’t cut it for most clients. While I don’t love giving absolutes, I’d say generally speaking most of our clients prep for 16-24 weeks before their first show of the season. Often, this timeline is longer.

 

So, what might influence a clients prep length? Let’s dive into some of the factors.

 

Dieting History

The most important factor when considering a competition prep is a clients dieting history. Have they engaged in yo-yo dieting for years and are now deciding to prep? Have they gone through multiple, rigorous contest preps? Have they been overweight, are now weight stable and looking to get stage lean? Have they engaged in little dieting over their life? These questions completely change the length of a contest prep.

If someone has extensive dieting history, in any capacity, that client will need to prepare for a longer prep and a longer recovery after that prep. Not taking adequate time in between preps is hard on everyones body, but especially those with longer dieting histories. Think of each diet as having a compounding effect on your metabolism.

 

Starting Body Composition

Where a client is starting their prep will inevitably influence the length of their prep. There are some clients who naturally sit at a lower body fat. These clients understandably have shorter preps. But notice how I said *naturally* sit at a lower body fat not ‘force themselves to sit…’ because that has very different effects.

 

Staying too lean for your own personal body in the offseason will take a toll in a few ways:

  • Your prep will be much harder because you’re already fighting your body from the start.
  • Your offseason will be less productive because you won’t have been able to build and recover optimally.
  • Your hormonal status will be off from the start (more on this below).

 

In short, 12 week preps and ‘staying X pounds above stage weight’ is generally poor advice.

 

Muscle Mass

While this is related to body composition, I wanted to highlight a distinction here. Having more muscle mass will generally lead to a better prep. Lean body mass is not only more metabolically active, but it’s also what gives competitors the winning shape you see on stage. Yes, low body fat is part of it but this is bodybuildingmeaning if you want to have the ideal physique for you division, you’ll likely need more muscle.

Spoiler alert: This is why offseasons are so important.

 

Lifestyle Factors

Another aspect to consider for prep length is your lifestyle. Do you have a high stress job? Are you back in school? Do you have a family? There are a whole host of lifestyle factors that need to be considered. Just because you have a lot on your plate does not mean you can’t prep, it simply means we need to be smart about programmed deloads, diet break weeks and generally taking a slower approach.

 

Hormonal Status

Having healthy hormones effects both female and male clients, but female clients typically get hardest from dieting adaptations. This is especially true if someone’s dieting history is longer and/or they’ve done multiple preps. Getting stage lean is very hard hormonally and can skew factors high or low, creating issues with clients cycles, mood, fat loss and muscle gain.

 

The best way to stabilize hormones is to simply take time away from a diet. I probably sound like a broken record about taking a long offseason but it’s that important! After you’ve taken adequate time off, worked up calories to an appropriate level and gotten to a comfortable body fat for your personal body, you’ve likely stabilized your hormones. In the advent you still feel off and/or if you’re a female with an irregular cycle, blood work is necessary to see what is imbalanced. Without blood work, you’re simply guessing.

 

When you consider all these factors, the harsh reality is that your prep will likely be slower or longer then you’d like.

While it can be a tough pill to swallow at first, consider all of the positives of a longer prep: You’ll be able to retain lean body mass more efficiently meaning you’ll be in a better position metabolically and bring a better physique to stage. You’ll be able to maintain optimal hormonal fucntion for longer, versus a crash diet with tons of cardio. You’ll be able to still train hard and maintain a social life. And last, but certainly not least, you’ll have an overall healthier system that will allow you to thrive for years during your competition preps and outside of them, too.

 

Set yourself up for success by committing to a quality offseason. If you need help, we’d love to guide you through this journey! Apply for coaching here and get connected with a coach to discuss your goals.

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Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)

The condition known as the “female athlete triad” has been acknowledged since 1997 and is characterized by a set of three medical conditions: inadequate energy intake (with or without disordered eating), amenorrhea (the absence of menstruation), and decreased bone health.

 

In 2014, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced what we now know as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), which is a more comprehensive, and more inclusive condition as it can be diagnosed in both males and females. RED-S includes a series of impairments such as the above mentioned with female athlete triad (metabolic dysfunction, amenorrhea, and decreased bone health), along with reduced cardiovascular health, decreased protein synthesis, and a weakened immune system.

 

Why does this Happen?

RED-S can occur as a result of many factors such as the desire to enhance performance with inadequate nutrition, poor coaching, weight cycling, and overtraining. While there is limited research on RED-S due to it being a relatively new diagnosis, it is important to be aware of the consequences of underfeeding, overtraining, etc. in sport. Even if an individual does not present with all of the above-mentioned characteristics of RED-S, they could still be experiencing this deficiency, and an appropriate intervention must be implemented.

 

Mending the Issue

The importance of fueling the body correctly, experiencing signs of functioning hormones (having a period), maintaining bone and heart health, optimizing protein synthesis, and maintaining a strong immune system cannot be overstated. As coaches, we often have to have the hard conversation with clients that some of the methods they have been implementing for years (whether it be undereating, overtraining, etc.) must come to an end in order to reestablish health.

 

If you are currently experiencing any of the above-mentioned issues, it is highly likely that it is time to make a shift in your approach. Being that falling victim to inappropriate coaching is a risk factor for developing RED-S or for the deficiency persisting, it is of the utmost importance that you solicit the health of a qualified individual (or interdisciplinary team) in order to correct these adverse effects.

 

Your health is number one, do not let anything you see on social media tell you otherwise. Undereating and overtraining will not lead to you a long or healthy life. Be smart and listen to your body, you know when something isn’t right, and it is your job to be proactive with your health.

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When is Overeating Warranted?

Not sure if I can call this title clickbait per se, but it’s certainly not an article you’d expect to see from most online coaches. But that’s exactly why I wanted to write an article on it because it’s such a nuanced discussion. A short post wouldn’t do this topic justice.

 

First, let’s define overeating for the purposes of this article:

Overeating would be considered anytime someone actively chooses to eat past their normal calorie goals with intention. These meals are typically calorie dense.

 

Notice how I used the words ‘chose to eat’ to distinguish it from binge eating. Binge eating is very different than overeating. Bingeing certainly has a physical component i.e. generally a lot of calories but also has the accompanying mental component i.e. felt compelled to eat, felt out of control while eating.

So, why am I even bringing up overeating? When would this even be relevant? Doesn’t living a healthy, balanced and flexible lifestyle mean you never have to overeat?

 

Yes, and no.

 

Yes, because if you are truly satisfied with what you’re eating and you have a great relationship with food, the chances that you want to overeat are much less. No, because sometimes… well you just want to eat (more than normal) based on the circumstance.

You might want to try a new restaurant that just opened up.

You might want that ridiculous burger and fries from your favorite spot.

You might want to celebrate with some friends and grab one too many drinks.

 

Regardless of the specific reason, there will be times in your life where you will choose to eat more than normal simply because you want to, not because you were pressured to eat more or because you felt compelled to binge. Knowing how to navigate these situations will set you up for success and will completely change the narrative from an uncontrolled binge fest to a fun night out.

 

From my coaching experience, these are three most important components that warrant overeating:

  1. The client didn’t restrict beforehand.
  2. The client didn’t binge after.
  3. The client didn’t look at the meal as something that was out of their control.

Now, let’s break those down.

 

Not restricting beforehand

Like most words, ‘restriction’ (within the dietary community) has many connotations. Restriction to one person might look like eating their normal high protein meals but keeping the carbs and fats tighter, while restriction to another person might look like fasting predominantly all day before their meal. The former is a great approach, and one we recommend, the latter is not.

Physiologically, going into any meal starving is setting you up for poor decisions. Mentally, it creates a negative mindset around any sort of ‘off plan’ eating which is the exact downfall of dichotomous thinking in general. So yes, I encourage employing some moderate restriction before you know you’re going to eat a large meal but don’t fast the entire day out of fear.

 

Not bingeing afterward

Another common issue we see with dichotomous thinking around food is the inability to regulate food intake even after someone is full. Using the above example, if you go enjoy a burger and fries you’ll like be full when you get home. So why are you going to the pantry to grab a snack or raid the freezer? If you’ve done this, you are not alone, but it’s something that needs to be worked on.

This type of “fuck it I’ve blown my diet” thinking is a hallmark of an unhealthy relationship with food. In this situation [ occasional, planned overeating ] clients who eat said meal and then continue their day or night as normal, with no subsequent bingeing, often suffer from no negative psychological issues from the meal where they overate.

 

Didn’t look at the meal as out of their control

Out of the list, this is the most important component by far. Whenever a client looks at something as out of their control, there are negative consequences. In the context of food, viewing it as ‘out of their control’ takes away the power from the client and gives it to food.

 

Food does not control you. You are always in control of what you eat or don’t eat.

 

This can be a huge hurdle for many clients, and something that might take months, and even years to correct, but always viewing yourself as in control of what and how much you’re eating is absolutely essential for a healthy relationship with food. This also allows the occasional celebratory meal out or epic brunch without deleterious effects afterwards.

 

I’ll close out the article with an example of what this looks like in practice. Say for example I’m visiting a city I love with great food, somewhere like Chicago or Vegas. Not every meal will be an extravagant spread of high calorie choices, but you bet your ass I’m going to eat a few big meals and have a few drinks (okay, a lot of drinks… you guys know how I roll). I don’t unnecessarily restrict before the trip or start to binge after and I certainly go into meal feeling empowered with my choice on what to eat at each restaurant. Remember, everything you eat is a choice.

 

Struggling with knowing how to balance your intake without going to extremes is hard and is something that takes a lot of deep work to correct. This process is something Team LoCoFit works hard to educate and coach our clients through. If you need help on this journey, apply for coaching here. We look forward to helping you!

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Anorexia Nervosa

As we know from the Team LoCoFit newsletter article on Binge Eating Disorder (BED), eating disorders are psychiatric conditions that present with severe derangements surrounding eating behaviors that ultimately lead to psychological as well as physiological damage.

Anorexia Nervosa (AN), which literally translates to “without appetite,” is an eating disorder with an etiology rooted in self-starvation, excessive dieting, severe weight loss and distorted body image with the underlying fear of gaining weight or being “fat”. Individuals with AN typically display characteristics of low self-esteem, the desire for perfection, and obsessiveness. AN has one of the highest death rates of any psychiatric disorder, so it is of utmost importance to receive a diagnosis and seek help from an interdisciplinary healthcare team in order to treat this disorder.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) an individual must meet the following criteria in order to be diagnosed with AN:


  1. Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements leading to a significantly low body weight in the context of age, sex, development trajectory, and physical health.
  2. Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight
  3. Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of seriousness of the current low body weight. 

** low weight/underweight can be defined as a BMI of less than or equal to 18.5
 
It is important to acknowledge, however, that even if not all of the above criteria are met, and individual could still present with a serious eating disorder. There are actually two subtypes to AN: restricting type and binge-eating/purging type. Restriction relating to food intake, and purging relating to either self-induced vomiting or purging with excessive exercise to “burn off” calories. 
 
There are specific emotional and behavior warning signs and symptoms that may be apparent in those with AN, along with physiological symptoms that are induced by the self-starvation/aggressive restriction. An individual who is struggling with AN may present with the following:

  • Preoccupation with weight, food, calories
  • Commenting on feeling “fat”
  • Development of food rituals
  • Severe and selective restriction of food intake 
  • Feeling the need to “burn off” food
  • Making excuses to avoid mealtimes or to avoid having to eat in a social setting
  • Intense fear of gaining weight
  • Strong need for control 
  • Decreased ability to regulate internal temperature (ex. feeling cold all of the time)
  • Bowel irregularities
  • Cognitive impairment (ex. brain fog)
  • Fatigue 
  • Mood swings
  • Loss of menstrual cycle

 
As is the case with BED, an interdisciplinary team is required in order to provide and monitor all medical, nutritional, and behavioral aspects of recovery. Treatment for AN will include the implementation of structured mealtimes, consumption of small frequent meals, and gradually increasing calories in roughly 100-200 calorie increments in order to avoid refeeding syndrome. The ultimate goal during treatment will be to increased intake while simultaneously decreasing energy output until the goal weight has been achieved. 
 
To conclude, I will use the same statement from the BED newsletter because it is incredibly fitting across the board of all eating disorders.

“If you or anyone you know feels that this article is relatable, it is crucial to seek help from a team of professional healthcare providers. Eating disorders appear to have a low reported incidence rate not because they are not abundant in our society, (especially with the rise in social media) but because so few individuals decide to seek treatment. Just because not everyone is telling their story or making their struggles known does not mean they are not living it. It is scary to take the dive toward reversing behaviors and ways of thinking that have become so instilled, it can feel like you are losing control. The reality is that there is nothing braver than facing your inner critic head on and rewriting your story, and you have the power to do so whenever you decide.”

 

If you are interested in learning more about eating disorders, make sure to check out our article on BED as well as episode 33 of the RoundTable.

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Balancing Your Goals with Your Social Life

Being extreme, on either spectrum, towards your diet or training program is actually quite easy. Bringing your Tupperware to a dinner or skipping a party because you need to lift… easy. Saying F it and eating everything in sight at a family dinner or missing a workout because you’re hungover… easy. Actually being balanced with your goals is much, much harder. But harder does not mean impossible – we actually work through this with clients all the time!

 

Like anything, this takes a nuanced approach for each client situation.

 

The spectrum of rigidity to flexibility is 100% dependent on the clients goals and the timeline of said goals.

 

Is the client a month out from a physique competition?

Is the client cutting weight for a performance event in a few weeks?

Is the client making the last push on their fat loss phase?

 

These extreme situations call for more rigid measures, particularly the first two. If you’re in these situations, sticking with your plan and enjoying a social event without eating is totally possible. Remember, you’re socializing to be (hopefully) social, and not just to eat.

But outside of these extreme situations, allowing for more flexibility when parties or dinners come up is a key aspect of our coaching. Being flexible, enjoying a meal and a few drinks within moderation is what Team LoCoFit is all about!

Below are a few tips to help you through the rest of the summer, whether you’re traveling or enjoying social events.

 

Dining at a restaurant

One of the worst things to do before eating out is to essentially fast all (or most of) the day. You know that feeling when you go to the grocery store hungry and start buying random snacks?? That principle applies here too, except with appetizers and maybe one too many drinks. Eating your normal meals before (or after, if you’re grabbing breakfast or brunch!) is crucial for you to make good decisions when you’re eating out.

Also, perpetually fasting before you eat out at a restaurant reinforces the idea that restriction is necessary if you’re going to enjoy a meal out. It’s not and that shouldn’t be part of your thought pattern if you want a healthy relationship with food.

When it’s time to order, center your meal around a high protein option and be moderate with your portions on sides. If you’d rather have a few drinks, be lighter with the options you order. If you’d rather have dessert, skip the drinks. If you decide to have both, own the decision and enjoy the meal without any added guilt.

 

Attending an event

The same rules apply for an event like a BBQ or celebration: Eat beforehand! This is actually even more important at an event because there will likely be tons of food there and out for many hours. I.e. grazing central. Eating beforehand will make sure you don’t show up to the party and bulldoze the chips and dip.

One simple but easy thing to do also is to bring something! Ask the host what they’ll be having and what you can contribute. This way you at least know one side that will be there in case all other options are choices you’d rather not eat or don’t necessarily align with your goals.

When it comes time to eat, scope out all your options first. Again, center the meal around protein and pick a few favorites that you see set out. Plate a meal and sit down to eat it versus grazing all day on snacks.

 

Traveling

When traveling, you may or may not have kitchen access. If you do, it’s incredibly easy to make good choices even while on vacation. Stock up on your essentials at the store and continue to eat mostly high protein, nutrient dense foods.

 

Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you need to mainline pastries and vodka.

 

Pack your daily supplements and protein powder, drink lots of water and eat quality meals. When you do that 80% of the time, enjoying a calorie dense dinner or a few drinks on the water fit in perfectly.

If you don’t have kitchen access, don’t worry! Yes, it’s harder to make quality choices when you eat out the options are there; you just have to order them. Structure most of your meals around high protein, moderate carb-fat choices and choose one of the meals to be a bit more indulgent than the others. Typically when I travel, this is what I’ll do: Eat mostly ‘normal’ meals earlier in the day and then be a bit looser with my choices at dinner.

 

Discussing your goals with family and friends

To round out the discussion about balancing your goals with your social life, we can’t ignore the pressure or misunderstanding that family or friends often have towards your goals. This can be especially hard if you’ve had any eating issues or disorders in the past.

Number one, you need to explain why you have certain goals and what you’re actively working towards. People often judge what they don’t understand, so if they don’t understand what you’re doing or why you’re doing it, they may innocuously cast judgment on said goals.

Next, try and see the critiques from a detached perspective.

 

Are you being overly rigid when you don’t need to be?

Are you judging your family and friends for their goals without realizing it?

Are they harshly criticizing you without understanding your intentions?

Are they simply just not going to support your goals no matter what?

 

These are hard conversations to have, with yourself and with others, but they are necessary. Sometimes we don’t realize how we’re projecting ourselves onto others; and vice versa. Ultimately, some of your closest friends or family won’t understand your goals and that’s okay. As long as you’re not patronizing or harming them, continue to hit your goals and just smile and nod.

Having a rich social life doesn’t mean you have to trash your diet or training goals, but it does mean finding a particular balance that works for you in this exact moment with your exact goals. Like everything else, this takes time and focused work but it’s possible to do both.

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Minerals

Last week we covered vitamins that tend to spark questions in regard to supplementation. Today we will take a look at some of the most common minerals and why they are important, particularly for their roles in bone health, muscular contraction, and hydration during these summer months!

 

Calcium

Calcium just so happens to be the most abundant mineral found within the body. Often when we think of calcium, we think about how this minerals aids in creating and maintaining strong bones. While this is certainly one of calcium’s major responsibilities (99% of calcium is stored in the bones and teeth), it is also necessary for nerve and cardiac function, muscular contractions, and blood clotting. The DRI for males ages 19-70 is 1000 mg/day and for females ages 19-50 it is 1000 mg/day, then increasing to 1,200 mg/day for ages 50-70. Common food sources of calcium include yogurt, cheese, leafy greens, and sardines. If you are deficient in calcium, you are at increased risk for osteomalacia and osteoporosis.

 

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that is required for DNA/RNA synthesis making it crucial for energy production. 50-60% of the body’s magnesium is stored in the bones. Additionally, magnesium citrate may be helpful for those experiencing constipation as it can help to relax smooth muscles. In fact, if you are deficient in magnesium you may experience some muscle spasms, tremors, and/or irritability. The DRI for magnesium for men is 420 mg/day and 320 mg/day for females. You can consume magnesium in your diet by way of nuts, seeds, and grains. Magnesium will be most often be food in plant foods.

 

Sodium

Sodium is a well-known mineral in the world of athletics for its role as an important electrolyte to replenish during training, particularly in these hot summer months. Sodium is responsible for regulating muscular contractions, maintaining proper nerve function, and aids in maintaining appropriate blood pressure levels. If your sodium intake is lacking you may experience fatigue, dizziness, or confusion. The DRI for sodium for both males and females is 1.5 g/day which can be consumed via table salt, canned foods, and many processed foods.

 

Potassium

Last but not least we have potassium, which is another major cation found in the intracellular fluid along with sodium. Potassium is necessary for muscle contraction and if you are deficient, you may find that you are experiencing muscular weakness. The DRI for both males and females is 4.7 g/day and can be consumed through the diet with food such as potatoes, yogurt, tomato juice and fish.

 

While this is not an extensive list of minerals, they are typically the ones that we are coaches are looking out to make sure that our clients are consuming adequate amounts of in order to maintain appropriate bone health, help generate appropriate muscle contractions, and regulate hydration status.

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Normalizing Your Hunger Cues

Learning to listen to your hunger signals takes constant work.

A common question clients ask is “how long will it take to normalize my hunger signals?” As always, context is king and there’s several factors that impact your hunger cues. In this article, we’ll dive into the three main time points: While dieting, immediately post diet and once you’ve recovered from a diet phase. 

Hunger cues while dieting

There are two hormones that are responsible for hunger, or lack thereof, and those are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is commonly referred to as the satiety hormone because of its role in, you guessed it… satiety! Leptin is actually mediated by your fat cells meaning the more fat you have, the more leptin you have. Conversely, the less fat you have, the less leptin you have. This is part of why when your body fat has dropped you have what many would describe as an insatiable hunger.

Ghrelin is commonly referred to as the hunger hormone because it actually influences your hunger. Ghrelin is secreted in the gut when it senses a lack of food. And for good reason! Our bodies have gone through many thousands of years of evolution. If we didn’t have a mechanism to tell us ‘you need to eat’ we would have become extinct long ago.

Understanding these two hormones, we can better understand how a calorie deficit will produce hunger. A deficit will typically be a combination of lower caloric intake (i.e. your diet) and a higher caloric output (i.e. cardio, NEAT and potential training changes). That deficit will trigger ghrelin to rise, creating more hunger signals, and while body fat goes down, leptin will drop too; meaning you’ll be less satiated.

So are we totally f***ed or what?? Not totally. But understanding that hunger is a normal part of a diet is crucial.

Consuming more fluids (through water, coffee, teas and flavored drinks) as well as increasing the volume of your food (think more vegetable or lower calorie substitutes) can manage hunger in the short term. But to be honest, the best ‘hunger hack’ is to accept that it’s a part of the process and actually lean into the hunger.

It should go without saying that competition levels of leanness will make hunger much, much worse. Anyone who has ever prepped will tell you that the last few weeks you have this deep, insatiable hunger. The leaner you get means that leptin will drop even lower and the deficit you’re creating to reach that stage ready look will inevitably increase hunger. This is why we as a team promote taking long offseasons to normalize hunger and your relationship with food (more on that later) so that when we do decide to diet, clients are fully ready to embrace the hunger and other diet side effects they typically feel.

It’s not comfortable, but wishing or hoping that it will go away won’t help and will actually put more emphasis and distress towards your hunger. If you listened to either of our podcasts on anxiety (Part I, Part II) you’ll learn that wishing to be ‘anxiety free’ is not only not possible, but damaging. Hunger works the same way! The more you focus on it, the worse it will feel.

Hunger cues immediately post diet

Immediately post diet, you’re not going to be satiated regardless of how much you’ve eaten. This will be exasperated by competition levels of leanness. Remember, the leaner you are the lower your leptin levels since it is mediated by body fat. Even though your diet is technically over, the next several weeks will still a challenge.

How many weeks does ‘several weeks’ actually mean though? It will depend on each client but typically we see the first 4-12 weeks post diet to be the weeks where you are recovering from a diet. The leaner you are, the longer the recovery will be. Of course, there are exceptions but generally speaking recovery is once again, body fat mediated.

A few ways to manage hunger during this time are to immediately bring up your calories. You still want to do this in a controlled manner, but only adding something small like 10g of carbs of 5g of fat here and there won’t do much to actually signal recovery from a dieting phase; especially a harsh dieting phase. Another thing to keep in mind are the habits you developed during your diet. If you’ve been on track with prepping a few meals in bulk, getting in over a gallon of water and being on a proper sleep schedule while dieting, don’t throw that out the window just because you’ve finished your diet. This is the time to continue to those quality habits!

The last thing to understand during this period is that you will still be hungry. Yes, this sucks. Yes, this is annoying. Why on earth should hunger stay high post diet? Because #biology – sorry, blame the cavemen. Like I mentioned before, embracing this as part of the process doesn’t take away the hunger but it certainly makes it easier to manage.

Hunger cues removed from a diet

After you’re removed from a diet and the immediate post diet period, normalizing hunger signals is crucial. It’s common for people to say things like “I’m always hungry” when they’ve had an extensive dieting history. And while yes, some clients will have larger appetites than others no matter what they do, there are often reasons why your hunger cues are dysregulated.

First, a history or disordered eating or very strictive bouts of dieting can virtually eliminate normal hunger signals. Even if the bouts of dieting are followed by bouts of overeating, not having consistency will keep your body in a state of distress.

Something that we see far too often is clients trying to stay too lean. Too lean, for you as an individual, means your body still senses that you’re not in a comfortable place and signals to your body that you need to gain fat. This means you’ll experience things like fluctuating energy levels, dysregulated hormones, lack of recovery from training and you guessed it… increased hunger.

Diligently tracking macros 24/7 can also create problems in some clients. Overly neurotic tracking can destroy hunger signals if you only eat to fill macro targets. Many people will stop eating meals and instead graze and plug in food as they go. This leaves many clients out of touch with their hunger signals.

Lastly, and potentially most importantly, not giving yourself enough time out of a deficit to actually normalize your hunger signals. This is a continuous process that you need to work towards that will take longer for people who have dieted most of their life.

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Vitamin Supplementation

As coaches, we often receive questions about vitamin supplementation. While in some situations vitamin supplementation may be warranted, more often than not you can reach the appropriate Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) by way of the foods you choose! This I not an extensive list of the vitamins, but below are some of the ones we get asked about most frequently within our work.

 

VITAMIN A: DRI FOR MALES: 900 mcg/day; FEMALES: 700 mcg/day

Function: Vitamin A is most notably known for its relation to vision, but this vitamin also aids in immune function, is used for skin conditions, and supports reproduction. Within the human diet, 2 forms of Vitamin A can be found; retinol and carotenoids (orange/red).

Deficiency may result in: reversible night blindness, dry eyes, scaly skin (hyperkeratosis), keratin buildup in the eyes which are known as Bitot’s spots, and loss of vision.

Toxicity may result in: dry skin, abdominal pain, vertigo, and jaundice

Sources: sweet potatoes, carrots, peppers, spinach, and fat-free milk

 

VITAMIN C: DRI FOR MALES: 90 mg/day; FEMALES: 75 mg/day

Function: While Vitamin C is best known for its role in preventing scurvy, it is also required for collagen production. Vitamin C may help improve immune function and prevent infection. Additionally, this vitamin functions as an antioxidant and can increase the absorption of non-heme iron in the diet!

Deficiency may result in: scurvy, poor/delayed wound healing, may decrease copper absoption.

Toxicity may result in: Diarrhea and the formation of kidney stones

Sources: Citrus fruits, peppers, broccoli and brussel sprouts

 

VITAMIN D: DRI FOR MALES AND FEMALES AGES 9-70: 15 mcg/day

Function: Vitamin D is needed for healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D can also play a role in neuromuscular and immune function as well as in reducing inflammation.

Deficiency may result in: In infants, rickets can develop. In adults, oteomalacia can develop.

Toxicity may result in: High levels of calcium in the blood, anorexia, and nausea/vomiting

Sources: Sunlight, cod liver oil, tuna, egg yolks, salmon, and cheese.

 

Vitamin B12: DRI FOR MALES AND FEMALES: 2.4 mcg/day

Function: Critical for red blood cell formation, can help prevent pernicious anemia, needed for maintenance of the nervous system, DNA synthesis, and growth.

Deficiency may result in: Macrocytic, pernicious anemia. Vegans will need to consume B12 from fortified foods and/or as a supplement.

Toxicity may result in: N/A

Sources: Vitamin B12 is found primarily in animal products. Some common examples are organ meats, dairy, eggs, fish, and beef.

 

There is a magnitude of opportunities within the diet to obtain all of the vitamins that you need and in the appropriate amounts. If you feel that you may be deficient in any of the above vitamins, it is important to consult with your physician and explore getting labs drawn in order to identify if there is in fact a deficiency present before jumping into supplementation!

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Using Anxiety To Your Advantage

“I just wish I wasn’t anxious all the time.”

“If my life was less stressful, things would be better.”

“This [ insert new challenge ] is just too hard. I feel more comfortable doing what I was doing before. Can we go back to that?”

 

Have you ever said any these statements or something similar? Maybe you’ve said all of them. I know I certainly have and I’ve coached countless clients who have said these exact words, too. Stress and anxiety feel hard which makes us feel like we should eliminate them. But we can’t and thinking we can (or should) is far more harmful then actually addressing them head on.

 

I’m an anxiety prone individual. I’m always trying to do more, always thinking ahead and often times deal with crippling anxiety about the worst possible scenarios. You could also label me as a high stress individual, a perfectionist, a neurotic type A personality and an aggressively judgmental person towards myself and my actions. Excellent combination, I know.

 

And while this might be my default mode, what was making it worse was my perception that this was actually a bad thing.

Conventional wisdom says this that stress is bad and stress is killing us. There’s tons of research on it and people are always complaining about being stressed so these statements must be true, right? Wrong.

 

Your stress perception is what is hurting you, not stress itself.

 

There’s actually mountains of evidence to show:

The most stressed people are also the most fulfilled people.

Whether you see stress as a challenge or a threat influences your physiology, down to the hormones you secrete.

You can utilize stressors to your advantage to be more productive.

…and much more.

 

This goes against the narrative that the media and poorly understood science have shoved down our throats for the past several decades. To them, more stress = more problems so less stress = less problems. This has harmed people from being able to utilize stress for their benefit and actually come out on top.

Psychologists have used many phrases to describe ‘being good at stress’ such as grit, learned optimism or having a growth mindset. But one phrase that really stood out to me when learning more about stress perception was hardiness, or what Salvatore Maddi defined as the courage to grow from stress.

 

In a study were Maddi followed workers at the Bell Telephone Company during a particularly tumultuous year he categorized what stood out about the people who thrived during stress versus those that completely burned out. Below is an excerpt from The Upside of Stress where I first learned about this study (and so many more amazing pieces of literature on stress perception):

 

“First, they thought of stress differently. They saw it as a normal aspect of life, and they didn’t believe that it was possible or even desirable to have an entirely comfortable, safe life. They were more likely to acknowledge their stress and less likely to view every struggle as a catastrophe headed towards a worst-case scenario. They believed that difficult times required staying engaged with life rather than giving up or isolating oneself. Finally, they believed that no matter what the circumstances, they must continue making choices – ones that could change the situation or, if that wasn’t possible, that could change how the situation affected them.”

 

The same principles effect how we perceive anxiety. How common is it to hear people wishing away their anxiety and labeling it only as a negative? Yes, it can absolutely be negative and impair every aspect of your life, work and relationships. However, wishing that it will go away will do nothing for your anxiety.

 

The only way to deal with anxiety is to actually learn how to cope with it.

 

But before we understand how to cope with anxiety, we need to understand what it is and where it comes from. It’s not enough to say “I have anxiety, I want to fix it,” You need to know what triggers your anxiety before you can manage it.

This is where the uncomfortable work starts – when you actually sit down and face your triggers instead of shutting down just thinking about them. If I’ve seen a consistent pattern with a client where they have an anxiety provoking situation trigger poor coping mechanisms like overeating, or drinking, or emotionally resorting to negative self-talk, we have to work to find the root of that issue.

Sometimes it’s as simple as reflecting on your triggers and discussing it with a trusted coach or mentor; other times it requires deep therapy. Regardless of what approach is necessary, facing the challenge head on instead of running from it is absolutely required.

 

If you want to learn more about anxiety, check out our two part series on the Team LoCoFit Roundtable where Laurin and Rick Junge, our licensed mental health consultant, talk about anxiety (Part 1) and coping strategies for it (Part 2).

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Prepping For Pregnancy

It is crucial to develop the habit of doing things each day that your future self will thank you for.

This concept can range from something as simple as prepping your food the night before so that you don’t have to take time to do so in the morning, to something more impactful such as preparing your body and mind for pregnancy. Whether you are interested in becoming pregnant in the near future or not, understanding how your current lifestyle influences your ability to carry out a healthy pregnancy and ultimately delivering a healthy baby is of utmost importance. Additionally, if you are leading a healthy lifestyle before and during your pregnancy, you are setting yourself up for success in the post-partum period both physically and mentally.

 

Normal gestation and normal birth weight

Normal gestation consists of 40 weeks which are split into 3 trimesters. The 1st trimester is from weeks 0-12, the 2nd trimester is from weeks 13-28 and the 3rd trimester is from weeks 29-40.  Each of these trimesters will demand nutritional protocol to go along with appropriate weight gain, physical activity and supplementation. Ideally, we want the baby to fall within the 5.5-8.8 lb. range, as this is what is considered “normal birth weight”.

 

Weight gain during pregnancy

A common misconception is that women will undoubtably gain a significant amount of weight during pregnancy due to cravings, reduced physical activity, etc. The reality is, however, that there are specific amounts of weight that are deemed appropriate for each trimester based off a woman’s BMI prior to pregnancy, none of which go over a 40 lb. weight gain. The following are the weight gain recommendations for each BMI category:

  • Underweight (BMI < 18.5) = 28-40 lb. total (1.0 lb. per week during 2nd and 3rd trimester)
  • Normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9) = 25-35 lb. total (1.0 lb. per week during 2nd and 3rd trimester)
  • Overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9) = 15-25 lb. total (0.6 lb. per week during 2nd and 3rd trimester)
  • Obese (BMI >/ = 30.0) = 11- 20 lb. total (0.5 lb. per week during 2nd and 3rd trimester)
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If a woman is underweight prior to pregnancy it can lead to complications including but not limited to a preterm baby, very low or low birth weight baby, trouble with feeding and lactation, higher risk for infection, and developmental delays. If the mother is obese prior to pregnancy it can lead to complications including but not limited to a large for gestational baby, macrosomia, increased risk of experiencing trauma during birth (vaginal and C-section), and higher risk of childhood obesity/metabolic abnormalities. If you are interested in becoming pregnant, falling within the “normal” BMI range would be the ideal scenario as it has the least amount of risk factors for the mother and baby. For a lot of our competitor population, this may mean taking the required time off from dieting in order to regulate the menstrual cycle as well as to add on any necessary weight in order to support pregnancy.

 

Energy needs during pregnancy

I would now like to debunk the myth that women who are pregnant need to eat double the number of calories because they are “eating for two”. During the first trimester, energy needs to do not change from prior to pregnancy. Once a woman hits the 2nd trimester, she requires an extra 340 kcals/day and in the 3rd trimester that increases to 452 kcals/day. In the grand scheme of things, an extra 340-452 kcals/day through weeks 13-40 is not a whole lot. Think about it, that could be an apple with peanut butter and some vegetables with hummus.

 

Macronutrient and fluid requirements:

  • Protein requirements during pregnancy are set at a baseline level of 1.1g/kg but may need to be increased depending on the activity level of the woman.
  • Carbohydrate intake should be no lower than 175g/day.
  • Fats do not have a specific gram recommendation, but fats chosen should contain mostly Omega-3 fatty acids (650 mg) with a minimum of 200 mg DHA.
  • Fluids: Aim for about 3L per day in order to support amniotic fluid, increased plasma volume and to help reduce the risk of experiencing constipation or a UTI. Women should consume no more than 200 mg caffeine per day (whomp whomp)

Making sure that you are eating getting adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, omega-3’s and fluids are all things that you can implement prior to pregnancy in order to make a smooth transition into pregnancy.

 

Foods to avoid and/or limit

There are some foods that are deemed as harmful to consume during pregnancy. Women who are pregnant should avoid unpasteurized cheese and milk, cold lunch meat, any hot dogs, eggs, or poultry that are not cooked to the appropriate temperature, and fish with high mercury content such as tilefish, shark, swordfish and king mackerel. It is important to note, however, that low mercury containing seafood consumption is encouraged (8-12oz per week) due to the omega-3/DHA content. If you are going to consume tuna, limit that to about 6 oz per week. Again, if you are someone who is interested in becoming pregnant, it would be a good idea to start implementing these diet changes (if applicable) prior so that there is no transition necessary.

 

Vitamin and mineral requirements

There is an increase in the recommended intake of most vitamins and minerals during pregnancy. Below are the recommended intakes (total between both food and supplements each day) for vitamins and minerals that should be increased during pregnancy:

  • Vitamin A: 770 micrograms/day
  • Vitamin B12: 2.6 mcg/day
  • Vitamin C: 85 mg/day
  • Folate: 600 mcg/day
  • Iodine: 27 mg/day
  • Zinc: 11 mg/day

If you are consuming a diet that is high in whole grains, there is a possibility that you may be lacking calcium due to the phytates present in whole grains. Discuss with your doctor if a supplement may be needed, or it may be that you need to reduce the consumption of whole grains.

 

Nearly all of the above-mentioned suggestions and requirements are things that can be implemented today that will have a profound impact on the health of mother and baby. For the requirements in the 2nd and 3rdtrimester that may not be applicable yet, it is still important to be educated so that when that times comes the necessary adjustments can be made to make sure that the mother and the baby are supported throughout the entire term. Following these recommendations should not only aid in making the pregnancy and birth go as safely as possible but will hopefully make the transition into the post-partum period much smoother.

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Top 20 Book Recommendations

If you’re reading this article, chances are you enjoy reading and actively engage in it multiple times per week, possibly even daily. Reading is a fundamental way to continue your education, broaden your scope and allow you to push expand your current viewpoints on topics. And while audio learning has taken the world by storm through podcasts, YouTube and audiobooks, a physical copy of a book will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

While we likely agree that reading is amazing, finding credible and useful books can be a challenge. There’s nothing worse than reading a book where you felt like you wasted your time and didn’t learn anything. Although I’d argue that it’s never truly a waste of time to learn something even if you disagree with the topic or how the information is presented; that sharpens your knowledge from a different perspective and also teaches you how not to speak or present information. I’ve found this is a useful approach for most situations in life. 

In any case, I didn’t put together a list of unhelpful books, or at least that wasn’t my intention. I’m frequently about what books I recommend so I wanted to put this list together in one central place.

 

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but rather a list of 20 books that fit the following criteria:

  • The author took challenging or complex topics and distilled the information into an easy to understand writing style.
  • The author is either an expert in said field (through education and/or experience) or they interviewed and wrote about experts.
  • The book offered many valuable takeaways, not just a few lackluster points.

 

You’ll notice that this book list mainly focuses on psychology, leadership, business, productivity and personal development, with only one nutrition book making the list. To be blunt, most published nutrition books are hot steaming garbage. Trash. Like literally throw them in the trash. The nutrition book landscape is filled with gurus and extreme diet advice, often not backed by any real science.

 

Of course, this is a sweeping generalization but for the vast majority of nutrition books I’d say it’s accurate. To learn more about nutritional science focus your efforts on published research, subscribe to a research review like MASS, attend seminars from experts and check out our Science Simplified series on our website where coach Gill breaks down a research paper into a digestible and applicable article.

 

Life gets busy and we often find ourselves putting reading on the backburner. I can say with full confidence that the times that I’m actively learning and reading are the times when I’m my most productive and happiest, too. Even if it’s 10 pages a day, getting into the habit of daily (or close to daily) reading will change your life.

Now, go grab some new books and get your nerd on!

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Binge Eating Disorder

Eating disorders are characterized by a derangement in eating behaviors that result in physiological and psychological impairment.

Roughly 90% of cases of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN) are diagnosed in white females who live in Western societies. Of all of the eating disorders, Binge Eating Disorder (BED) has the highest incidence rate. Athletes have a higher risk of developing eating disorders than the general population, particularly in sports that require a weight class and/or are judged based on aesthetic (i.e. bodybuilding, wresting, gymnastics, etc.) with a 33% increased risk for males and 62% increased risk for females.

The psychopathology associated with eating disorders include body image disturbances such as an unhealthy obsession with weight, body composition, denial of the severity of the issue, and an increasing fear of gaining weight even if the individual in underweight. AN along with BN have been recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for decades, but it wasn’t until the release of the 5th edition, the DSM-5, in 2013 that BED was acknowledged as its own eating disorder instead of being classified under a generalized umbrella of Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS).

 

According to the DSM-5, BED is defined as “recurring episodes of eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would eat, with episodes marked by feelings of lack of control. A binging episode is characterized by the DSM-5 by both of the following criteria:

  • “Eating in a discrete period of time (ex. within any two-hour period) an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances”.
  • “A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (ex. a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating”.

 

Other characteristics commonly associated with BED include eating at an accelerated pace, eating to the point of feeling physical discomfort, eating alone due to embarrassment, and eating even when not physically hunger.  In order to be diagnosed with BED, a binging episode must occur at least 1x per week for 3 or more months or 2x per week for 6 months.

 

Individuals with BED may have low self-esteem, body image disturbances, inability to function appropriately in social settings, and/or reduced pleasure sensitivity. Additionally, obsessive-compulsive and anxiety disorders commonly accompany eating disorder. Many individuals with an eating disorder will fluctuate back and forth through the various eating disorders, so just because one is diagnosed with a particular ED does not mean they are confined to that diagnosis indefinitely. Because recovery from an eating disorder can take years and is a result of so many factors ranging from physical to mental issues, it is vital that outside help is elicited.

 

Treatment for each eating disorder will require assistance from an interdisciplinary team in order to provide medical, nutritional, and psychiatric/behavioral treatment. The priority for treatment will be to focus on normalizing eating and maintaining a healthy weight. For BED, much of the treatment can be achieved in an outpatient setting. The interventions will be adjusted per the individual’s specific abnormal eating behaviors but will likely include meal planning, re-learning hunger and fullness cues, body acceptance, and physical activity for pleasure vs. punishment. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven to be an effective part of the treatment process as it has been proven to achieve remission from BED in > 50% of those diagnosed.

 

If you or anyone you know feels that this article is relatable, it is crucial to seek help from a team of professional healthcare providers. Eating disorders appear to have a low reported incidence rate not because they are not abundant in our society, (especially with the rise in social media) but because so few individuals decide to seek treatment. Just because not everyone is telling their story or making their struggles known does not mean they are not living it. It is scary to take the dive toward reversing behaviors and ways of thinking that have become so instilled, it can feel like you are losing control. The reality is that there is nothing braver than facing your inner critic head on and rewriting your story, and you have the power to do so whenever you decide.

To recover from an eating disorder is to get your life back. It is a long road full of ups and downs, but the reward of achieving food freedom is worth more than one can put into words.

 

 

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How To Overcome Food Focus

“Hunger levels are fine. I’m noticing I am not really thinking about food a whole lot which is insane because I used to ONLY think about food.”

I read this statement from a Team LoCoFit client last week and was smiling from ear to ear. Why? This might seem like such a small win, but it’s an influential win. Food focus is exhausting and crippling and doesn’t just effect a client’s relationship with food; it also effects how they interact in social situations and the self-confidence they possess.

 

What is food focus?

Food focus will be defined here as a preoccupation with food, quite like the name implies. But this goes beyond a standard “I’m hungry and I’m thinking about food” response and dives deeper into the realm of control and obsession to the point of negative consequences. Negative consequences that start with a lack of flexibility with your diet, that lead to not being able to eat food you haven’t prepared, that eventually leads to you avoiding all social situations where food is involved.

This has sadly been the reality for so many people, including myself.

 

How does food focus develop?

So where does this food focus develop? Clients can rarely name one single event that singlehandedly changed their relationship with food. Rather, it’s a history of negative situations or remarks that have a compounding effect. Just like no one wakes up one day with a full blown eating disorder, no one wakes up with crippling food focus.

 

A client might have had disordered eating patterns or even be suffering from an eating disorder.

A client may have familial trauma as it relates to food; from reinforcing remarks to be a certain size, or encouraging dieting at a young age, or even watching their relatives diet unsuccessfully for years.

A client might have unchecked control issues or other obsessive tendencies that have manifested into food issues, too. Food is used as a control mechanism by many.

A client might have worked with an overly rigid coach who did not put their health or best interests first and actually conditioned the food focus.

 

Regardless of how it developed, doing the work to free yourself from the restraints of food focus will be hard work; particularly the longer you’ve been effected by it.

 

Working through food focus

First things first, you have to realize that food focus is a something that needs to be addressed. I can tell a client till their blue in the face that they’re exhibiting disordered patterns but until they are ready to dig deep and do the work to fix it, they’ll find every excuse why they shouldn’t act on it.

This doesn’t come from a place of judgement, as I’ve been in this situation more times than I can count (especially as it relates to my relationship with food) but as an honest assessment of the mental space you need to be in to make this change. 

The next step is to figure out where the system breaks down and where you struggle with food focus. Is it your body image? Is it the desire for control? Is it your outlet for other life stressors? Getting to the root of where you struggles actually stem from is the best, and only, place to start. Otherwise you’re simply covering up a deeper issue that will bite you in the ass later, and likely worse.

After you’ve figured out where you break down and what is reinforcing the food focus, you can start slowly correcting those habits and behaviors. Psychologists use a technique known as exposure therapy where you slowly introduce the anxiety/fear producing stimulus. I do something similar with coaching and food focus by slowly adding in (or subtracting) negative habits that continue the food focus.

Every clients process will look different but doing this work is crucial, regardless of long it takes. When you think of your future self, most people don’t envision themselves having a miserable relationship with food and their body image but you certainly will if you don’t actively work on your food focus.

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Food Allergies vs. Food Intolerances

When it comes to food allergies and food intolerances, we as coaches often find that there is either a lack of education surrounding the terms, and/or a psychological component which leads an individual to assume that they have one or the other when they may not. To clear the air considering that both of these are very real and serious, I would like to discuss the differences between food allergies and food intolerances, common signs and symptoms of each, suggested methods for managing symptoms, and whether or not you should spend your precious resources of time and money to get an allergy test done.

 

What does it mean to have a food allergy?

In simple terms, a food allergy is an immune response occurs when an individual consumes an offensive food that triggers the release of histamine and serotonin, ultimately resulting in an allergic reaction ranging anywhere from mild to severe. In most cases, symptoms of the allergic reaction will appear relatively immediately. Acute responses will occur anywhere from 1 minute to 2 hours (most common), while delayed responses will occur anywhere from 2-48 hours. The top 8 allergens which are required to be labeled on all food products per the Food Allergen and Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 are: peanuts, tree nuts, soybeans, wheat, milk, eggs, fish, and crustacean shellfish. These 8 allergens make up roughly 90% of all food allergies.

 

What are the signs and symptoms suggestive of a food allergy?

Typical signs and symptoms include nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, abdominal bloating/pain, cramping, hives, throat tightening, and asthma.

 

How should I manage a food allergy?

Avoid any and all foods that cause an allergic reaction.

 

What does it mean to have a food intolerance?

Contrary to food allergies, food intolerances do not involve the immune system (non-immunological) and there is no immediate reaction. Food intolerances can occur for a variety of reasons such as the body is unable to digest or absorb a specific food or even just a specific compound of a food. Common examples are food intolerances are lactose and gluten. Now, food intolerances are tricky because there is a large psychological component that can come into play here. You can absolutely think yourself into having a food intolerance.

 If you believe that you will have an adverse reaction to a specific food, you probably will.

That does not mean you are actually intolerant, but rather that maybe you have some food fear (ex. afraid to consume carbohydrates so you convince yourself that you have a gluten intolerance, or you are afraid of dairy and tell yourself you can’t have it or else your GI tract will be wrecked). Deeming yourself as intolerant does not mean that you are, you may just need to work on entering meals in a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state, and all will be well. Now, if you are going into meals cool, calm and collected with zero though about a food impacting you negatively (just as one example), it is possible that there may be an intolerance present.

 

What are the signs and symptoms suggestive of a food intolerance?

Some of the signs and symptoms of food intolerances overlap with food allergies, but again, intolerances present much more gradually then food allergies. Common signs and symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and gas.

 

How should I manage a food intolerance?

It may be necessary to avoid the food(s) that cause a reaction. For example, those with lactose intolerance should avoid products such as milk, whey and butter. It should be noted, however, that certain fermented foods may be tolerated such as yogurt. If your dairy intake is lacking due to lactose intolerance, you may consult with your physician about incorporating supplements to make up for some of the vitamins and minerals that will be missing from your diet.

Because food intolerances are not as “dangerous” as food allergies, it can be worth experimenting to see if the intolerance reaction can be managed by simply reducing the frequency with which you eat a specific food. For example, if you feel whack every time you drink milk but you consume cheese and whey protein powder as well throughout the day, it could just be the fact that you are consuming lactose containing products 3 times each day and not because you have an issue with milk. Journaling and reflecting are incredibly important in order to have records of the foods you are eating and how you feel before/during/after so as to analyze any trends that may be occurring.

 

Should I get a food allergy test?

The skin prick test, which has been the most common to come up with clients, can identify a food allergen but cannot diagnosis what type of food allergy it is (IgE, Mixed IgE, non-IgE). What seems to happen to those who get allergy tests done via skin prick is that the results come back with an excessive amount of foods that they are “allergic to” and “can’t eat”, when in reality it may just be that the cumulative effect of the frequency with which they eat the food is what is showing up on the test. All to say that it’s possible that if someone is having wheat bread for lunch and wheat pasta for dinner, or eggs for breakfast every day of the week, there may be a cumulative effect making them more sensitive to that food and if they just dial back the frequency that it is consumed, they would be more than fine. The gold standard for allergy tests it what is called the Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Food Challenge which masks food in gelatin capsules. Additionally, the hydrogen breath test can be utilized to help detect if there is any malabsorption of carbohydrates. I personally do not have clients get skin prick tests because I find that simply working through some elimination style methods such as low FODMAP accompanied by journaling can find the culprit(s), if any.

 

In conclusion, food allergies and food intolerances are real and should be managed appropriately. It is imperative that people have the proper knowledge of these terms before they begin eliminating foods completely from their diet. If you believe that you have a food allergy or intolerance, it is crucial to work with a professional in order to figure out the best way for you to proceed with your nutrition to make sure that no offending foods are being consumed and/or to figure out how to incorporate specific foods in a way that will eliminate any sort of intolerance reaction.

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