If done improperly and to extremes, dieting and training can actually make you gain fat or make it very hard to lose in the long term. The problem is that for several years after a drastic diet the body responds in ways to prevent the situation from ever happening again. While it takes some time for the body to reprogram itself like this, there is also immediate metabolic issues from undertaking poor diet and training strategies. The result is after a drastic diet or post-contest a previously normally functioning metabolism starts to malfunction, or shuts down completely. This sets off a number of negative hormonal events, as well as various potential metabolic dysfunctions. The individual then gets fat even on controlled calories and carbohydrates. Should this person desire to lose weight again or compete, he or she will likely be prescribed even more cardio and caloric restriction because the body is being unresponsive and so extremes are all that is left to do which will make things even worse. Anyone who has ever heard me talk knows the dangers of extreme caloric deprivation combined with more exercise leads to eventual metabolic stress and dysfunction. The result is that within a few years, individuals (especially women) are out of the sport and getting fatter and fatter each year, even though they stay on consistent diet and training protocols. Discussions with colleagues and their own observations show I am not the only one noticing this pattern. One of the problems has been that it goes relatively undiagnosed when taken to a physician. Blood tests reveal that everything is normal, but as a professional, I know everything is anything but normal. Staying on a properly controlled diet, and a training and still gaining weight, fat, bloating, or cellulite is not normal and is a problem. But unfortunately there is no observable evidence. So doctors who know little about training adaptations and effects send these girls away telling them all is normal and nothing is wrong, yet everything points to the opposite. So make sure you listen to your body and if it is giving feedback cues to back off or stop but you just keep pushing you may suffer later for it. This is definitely where properly placed and timed re-feeds (calorie spikes) are a must and needed to keep thing up and running. Choose who you listen to wisely-Allen Cress
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 21:04:05 +0000
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