Why Eating More Might Actually Be the Answer

 

This one is for the woman who feels like she is doing everything “right” and still feels stuck.

The workouts are happening. The calories are being watched. Portions are smaller. Dessert is skipped. The discipline is there. And somehow, energy feels low, cravings feel louder, workouts feel harder, and progress still feels like it is not moving.

So the next thought is usually, “I just need to be stricter.”

But girl, what if eating less is not what your body needs right now?

In this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about why eating more might actually be the answer, especially if your body has been running on too little for too long. This conversation is not about eating everything overnight or ignoring your goals. It is about learning how to fuel your body in a way that helps it feel strong, safe, supported, and ready to respond again.

What’s Discussed:

  • Why eating less is not always the next best move

  • How under-fueling can show up in your energy, cravings, workouts, and recovery

  • Why consistency can feel harder when your body is not properly fueled

  • What a reverse diet can help you do after eating low calories for too long

  • Why protein is one of the simplest places to start

If this episode made you realize you are tired of guessing what your body actually needs, Macro Counting Made Simple is the best place to start. Inside, I teach you how to calculate your unique macros based on your body and your goals, so you are not pulling random numbers from the internet or trying to figure it out alone. Head to macrocountingmadesimple.com to learn more.

If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 549: Everyone's Talking About Reverse Dieting, But Do You Actually Need One? It is the perfect next listen if this episode got your wheels turning about reverse dieting and how to do it the right way.

If you want more from me, be sure to check out…

Transcript

(0:00) Hey, hey beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you (0:06) but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter.

(0:13) I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. (0:19) Stay tuned if you're ready to Embrace Your Real. Let's get it, let's go! (0:33) Hello and welcome back to another bonus episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast.

(0:37) Today's episode is for the woman who feels like she's doing everything right but her body is still not responding. (0:43) Like you're working out, you're trying to eat clean, you're watching your calories, you're saying no to the extra snacks, (0:47) you're skipping dessert, you're keeping portions small, and yet you still feel stuck. (0:51) Maybe your energy is low, maybe your workouts feel harder than they should, maybe your cravings are out of control at night, (0:56) maybe it's your weight and that's not budging and no matter how much or how disciplined you're trying to be, it's just not moving.

(1:03) I know that that can feel so frustrating because the advice that we hear all the time is just eat less and move more. (1:09) But what if for your body right now, eating less is not the answer? (1:12) What if eating more is actually what your body needs in order to feel safe and energized and strong and responsive again? (1:19) Now I know that that can sound scary, especially if your goal is fat loss. (1:22) So I kind of want to walk you through the three reasons why eating more might actually be the thing that helps your body start working with you instead of feeling like it's fighting against you.

(1:33) And we're just going to dive right in. (1:35) So let's kind of dive and start with why eating more might actually be the answer to you seeing better results. (1:42) So reason number one, your body needs enough fuel to function well.

(1:46) Your body is not just using food for workouts or steps, it's using food for everything. (1:51) It needs energy to support your hormones, digestion, brain function, recovery, sleep, mood, metabolism, daily movement. (1:59) So when you are constantly under eating for too long, your body is going to start adopting.

(2:03) That might look like feeling tired all the time. (2:06) It might look like being cold or moody or hungry or wired but exhausted. (2:10) It might look like your workout suffering, your recovery taking longer, your body holding on to weight even though you feel like you're barely eating.

(2:17) And this is where so many women get stuck. (2:19) They assume that the answer is to eat less but the body is already trying to conserve energy. (2:25) So when you push even harder, it's oftentimes just creating more stress on your system.

(2:30) Eating more can help your body get the fuel that it needs to feel safe enough to stop conserving so much energy. (2:37) Reason number two, eating more can help you build and maintain muscle. (2:41) So if your goal is to look leaner, stronger, and more toned, muscle matters so much and building muscle requires fuel.

(2:48) You cannot expect your body to build strength, recover from workouts, create muscle definition if you're constantly underfeeding it. (2:56) Strength training is the signal but food gives your body the materials to actually respond to that signal. (3:02) And this is one of the biggest mindset shifts I want you to make.

(3:06) A lean, strong body is not built by constantly trying to shrink it. (3:11) It's actually built by giving your body enough of what it needs to train hard, recover well, and build muscle over time. (3:17) When you eat too little, your workouts will oftentimes suffer.

(3:21) You might not even be lifting as heavy or progressing in your workouts or recovering well enough to actually see the results that you want. (3:28) So sometimes eating more is not a step backwards. (3:31) It's actually what is going to allow you to finally train with the intensity and consistency that your body needs.

(3:39) Reason number three, eating more can make consistency easier. (3:43) And this one is huge because so many women think that they lack discipline when in reality they're just underfueled. (3:49) When you're not eating enough, it becomes so much harder to stay consistent like your cravings increase, your energy drops, (3:55) your patience gets shorter, your motivation disappears, your body starts begging for fuel, (4:00) and eventually willpower is not going to be enough.

(4:03) And that is when you feel like you're falling off track. (4:06) But the truth is the plan might have just been too restrictive to begin with. (4:11) Eating more can help you feel more stable.

(4:13) It can reduce the extreme hunger, the late night snacking, the weekend overeating, and the constant mental battle around food. (4:21) Because when your body is properly fueled, consistency feels a lot more doable. (4:27) And I want you to hear this.

(4:28) Meeting more food does not mean that you failed. (4:31) It means that your body is communicating with you. (4:34) Now all that to say, I don't want you to hear this episode and think, (4:37) okay, great, I'm just going to go from eating 1,200 calories that I've been eating, you know, (4:41) for the last six weeks to now eating 2,200 calories tomorrow.

(4:46) That is not what we're doing. (4:47) If you have been eating low calorie for a long time, jumping straight into eating a lot more (4:52) can really make you feel uncomfortably, both physically and mentally. (4:56) Your digestion might feel off.

(4:58) You're going to feel bloated and you might panic because the scale changes. (5:02) And emotionally, it can feel really scary if you've spent years believing that less food equals more progress. (5:07) Here is where a reverse diet can be extremely beneficial.

(5:12) A reverse diet is when you slowly and intentionally increase your calories over time, (5:17) instead of making a big jump. (5:19) And the goal here is to help your body adjust, support your metabolism, (5:23) and also improve that energy and build more food freedom (5:27) without feeling like you're completely losing control. (5:30) You might add a small amount of calories each week or every couple of weeks (5:34) and really pay attention to how your body responds.

(5:37) Maybe that means adding more carbs around your workouts. (5:40) Maybe it means increasing your portion sizes slightly. (5:43) Maybe it means adding a more balanced snack into your day.

(5:46) The goal is to not rush it. (5:48) The goal is to really rebuild trust with your body (5:50) and give it more fuel in a way that just feels more manageable. (5:54) And even if the idea of eating more feels scary or uncomfortable, (5:58) I want you to start here.

(5:59) I want you to focus on hitting your protein goal first. (6:02) You do not have to overhaul everything overnight. (6:05) You don't have to suddenly eat a ton more food.

(6:07) Start by making sure that you're eating enough protein consistently (6:10) throughout the day because protein is going to help support muscle, (6:14) recovery, fullness, blood sugar balance, and body composition. (6:17) It is one of the best places to start (6:19) because it gives your body something that it truly needs (6:22) without making the process feel overwhelming. (6:24) So before you worry about adding more of everything else, (6:27) I need you to ask yourself, (6:28) am I getting enough protein at breakfast? (6:30) Am I getting enough protein at lunch? (6:31) Am I getting enough protein at dinner? (6:33) Am I spreading it throughout the day (6:35) instead of trying to cram it all in at night? (6:37) Because sometimes that one shift alone can make a huge difference (6:41) in your energy, your hunger, your cravings, and your workout.

(6:44) So here's what I want you to take away from this episode. (6:46) If you feel stuck, the answer may not be more restriction. (6:50) It may not be more cardio.

(6:52) It may not be cutting out another food group (6:54) or punishing yourself harder. (6:56) Your body may just need more fuel, (6:59) more fuel to function well, (7:00) more fuel to build muscle, more fuel to stay consistent. (7:04) But you don't have to go from eating less (7:05) to eating a ton overnight.

(7:08) You can take the slower route. (7:10) You can reverse diet. (7:11) You can gradually increase.

(7:12) You can start with protein. (7:14) You can let your body adjust. (7:15) And most importantly, you can stop treating food (7:18) like it's the enemy of your results.

(7:20) Food is not something that you have to earn. (7:22) Food is what helps your body show up, recover, (7:25) rebuild, repair, and thrive. (7:27) So if eating more feels scary, (7:29) I need you to start small.

(7:30) Start with protein. (7:31) Start with consistency. (7:32) Start with reminding yourself (7:34) that fueling your body is not giving up on your goals.

(7:37) It might be the thing that will actually (7:39) finally help you to reach them. (7:41) If you are totally unsure and you're like, (7:43) okay, I want this reverse dieting thing, (7:45) but I have no idea where to even start. (7:48) I don't even know what my protein target should be (7:49) or my calorie should be.

(7:51) This is exactly what my MacroKenny Made Simple program is for. (7:54) Inside, I will teach you how to calculate (7:56) your unique macros based on your body, your goals, (7:59) so that you're not guessing or pulling some random number (8:01) off the internet. (8:02) If you want to learn more, (8:03) you can go to MacroKennyMadeSimple.com. (8:06) Again, that's MacroKennyMadeSimple.com. (8:09) And if this episode got your wheels turning (8:11) about reverse dieting, (8:12) I actually have an entire episode dedicated to it.

(8:15) It's episode 549. (8:17) Everyone's talking about reverse dieting, (8:19) but do you actually need one? (8:20) In that episode, (8:21) I really break down what reverse dieting is (8:24) and actually meant to do (8:25) and the exact step-by-step method (8:27) to do it the right way. (8:28) I will add that to your queue next (8:30) and link it in the show notes below (8:31) so that you can be sure to check it out.

(8:34) All right, that is all that I have for today's bonus episode. (8:37) Please remember, (8:38) fueling your body is not falling off track. (8:41) Sometimes it's the very thing (8:42) that will help you to get back on track.

(8:45) I love you so dang much. (8:46) I mean it, and I'll talk to you in the next one. (8:57) All right, sister.

(8:59) That's all I got for you today, (9:00) but I have two things that I need you to do. (9:04) First thing, (9:05) if you are not already following me on the Gram, (9:07) be sure to do so with Julie A. Ledbetter. (9:09) Yes, it's with an A in the middle.

(9:11) For that daily post-workout real talk, (9:14) healthy tips and tricks, (9:15) and honest accountability to keep your mind (9:17) and heart in check. (9:18) The second thing, (9:19) be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts (9:22) to never miss an episode. (9:24) Thank you so much for joining me.

(9:26) It means the absolute world, (9:28) and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. (9:30) The most beautiful women that I have met in my life (9:33) are the ones who are completely confident (9:35) and secure in being authentically themselves. (9:40) Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface.

(9:43) So go out there and embrace a real, (9:46) because you're worth it.

 
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