What If More Food Was the Missing Piece?
"I thought I was doing the right thing, eating clean, working out hard, staying disciplined... but what I was really doing was undereating and overtraining."
That's what one of my clients told me after six months of working together, and it stopped me in my tracks.
The Perfect Storm of Good Intentions
This client came to me after years of following every piece of fitness advice she could find. She was the epitome of dedication:
Tracking every calorie with military precision
Never missing a workout, even when exhausted
Eating "clean" foods only
Pushing through every barrier, no matter how her body felt
From the outside, she looked like the perfect fitness success story. But inside, she was struggling.
Her body wasn't changing despite months of effort. Her energy was consistently low. Her mood had taken a nosedive. And worst of all, she was starting to believe it was all her fault.
"I couldn't understand why my hard work wasn't paying off," she told me during our first call. "I thought I just needed to try harder, be more disciplined."
The Hidden Truth About "Trying Harder"
What we discovered together was that her metabolism had been suppressed for years. The combination of chronic under-eating and intense overtraining had created the perfect storm for metabolic adaptation.
Her body, in its infinite wisdom, had slowed everything down to match her low caloric intake. It was holding onto every calorie, conserving energy wherever possible.
The very strategies she thought were helping her lose weight were actually keeping her stuck in a frustrating plateau.
This is more common than you might think. According to research from Precision Nutrition, many people who have been dieting for years experience some degree of metabolic slowdown.
The Counterintuitive Solution
Here's where it gets interesting. Instead of cutting calories further or adding more cardio (which would have been the traditional approach), we did the opposite:
We increased her food intake.
I know, I know. It sounds backwards. When you want to lose weight, eating more food seems counterintuitive. But here's what happened:
Phase 1: Metabolic Restoration (Months 1-2)
Gradually increased her daily calories by 300-400
Focused on nutrient-dense, whole foods
Reduced training volume by 30%
Prioritized sleep and stress management
Phase 2: Smart Progression (Months 3-4)
Added strategic strength training
Continued eating at maintenance levels
Monitored energy, mood, and recovery markers
Started seeing improvements in strength and energy
Phase 3: Sustainable Fat Loss (Months 5-6)
Created a small, strategic caloric deficit
Maintained higher protein intake
Kept training challenging but sustainable
Results started happening naturally
The Real Transformation
The changes weren't just physical (though those were incredible). The mental and emotional transformation was even more profound:
"I've gained muscle, built real strength, and finally started seeing results without burning out."
"I'm no longer afraid of rest days or eating more food."
"I actually enjoy my workouts again instead of dreading them."
"I have energy to play with my kids after work."
"I can go out to dinner without anxiety about 'ruining my progress.'"
She didn't just change her body composition. She reclaimed her relationship with food, exercise, and her own body.
Why This Approach Works
The science behind this transformation is actually quite straightforward:
Metabolic Flexibility: When you feed your body adequately, it learns to trust that food will be available. This allows your metabolism to function optimally rather than in conservation mode.
Hormonal Balance: Chronic under-eating disrupts hormones like leptin, ghrelin, thyroid hormones, and cortisol. Adequate nutrition helps restore this balance.
Recovery and Adaptation: Your body needs energy to build muscle, recover from workouts, and maintain all its essential functions. Without enough fuel, progress stalls.
Psychological Freedom: Breaking free from restrictive eating patterns reduces food obsession and all-or-nothing thinking.
Red Flags You Might Be Under-Fueling
If any of these sound familiar, you might be experiencing the same issue my client faced:
You're tired all the time, especially in the afternoon
Your workouts feel harder than they should
You think about food constantly
You get cold easily
Your mood is consistently low or irritable
You've been dieting for months/years with minimal results
You can't seem to build or maintain muscle
You feel guilty about rest days
You're afraid to eat more, even when hungry
The Path Forward
This client's story isn't unique. I've seen this pattern over and over again with women who come to me feeling broken, when really they just need to nourish their bodies properly.
The solution isn't always more restriction or harder workouts. Sometimes it's about:
Eating enough to support your goals and your life
Training smart, not just hard
Prioritizing recovery as much as you prioritize effort
Trusting your body's signals instead of fighting them
Building a sustainable approach that you can maintain long-term
Your Next Step
If this story feels uncomfortably familiar, you don't have to keep spinning your wheels alone.
The missing piece in your transformation might be simpler than you think—but it requires the courage to do something different than what you've been told.
Ready to discover what your body actually needs?
Take my Metabolic Assessment to get clarity on whether under-fueling might be holding you back. This comprehensive assessment looks at your energy levels, hunger patterns, workout performance, and other key indicators to help determine if your current approach is supporting or sabotaging your goals.
Because here's what I know: You're not broken. You're not lacking willpower. You might just need someone who understands that sometimes the solution is the opposite of what diet culture taught you.
About the Author: I'm Megann, a coach who specializes in helping women break free from the diet-exercise-restrict cycle and build sustainable relationships with food and fitness.
