This one’s for all my ladies...
We see photos all the time on social media of women showing off their BEST physique.
The more shredded someone gets, the more they post pictures of themselves and their bodies.
Let’s be clear, I am NOT saying one shouldn’t hype themselves up for physique achievements they’re proud of.
I am all for people feeling awesome and confident 🏻 I’ve posted like that too!
HOWEVER, This often gives women a FALSE belief that’s it’s healthy to consume 1200-1500 calories a day all year, and that it’s sustainable to shoot for 14-16% body fat...
And I feel I have a responsibility to educate women on what’s REALISTIC and achievable year-round.
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The girl on the left took some dope ab pics for a while, but she also:
❌ Was eating 1600 calories a day for months.
❌ Became hypothyroid.
❌ Had unregulated adrenals and high stress.
❌ Experienced menstrual cycle changes and longer cycles.
❌ Had low progesterone.
❌ Had zero libido.
❌ Started having insomnia.
❌ Hated going for walks, just wanted to stay couch-locked.
❌ Abused caffeine for energy.
❌ Developed anxiety for the first time in my life.
❌ Became anti-social because everything was exhausting.
❌ Had brittle nails and thinning hair.
❌ WAS FREAKING HUNGRY!
And I wasn’t even THAT shredded...
I had a biggg ole wakeup call and realized that:
✅ Having functioning thyroid hormones
✅ Managing stress
✅ Sleeping well
✅ Feeling fed
✅ Having a great sex life
✅ Having a normal menstrual cycle
✅ Protecting my fertility
✅ Staying off of medication
✅ Feeling like the best version of myself daily
Were a hell of a lot more important to me than how many ab lines I had!
Is it wrong to want to lose weight and gain definition?
No!
But is it wrong to think you can look like bodybuilding competitors during their preps year-round?
YES!
Healthy, targetable body fat percentages for women who exercise regularly and are into fitness are 21-24%.
Women who are professional athletes for a living can be 14-20%.
Essential fat for SURVIVAL for women is 10-13%.
It is also considered perfectly healthy for women to be 25-31% body fat, it’s not until we are 32% or higher that we are considered overweight.
Did you know men in fitness can maintain 14-17% body fat healthily all year round?
Yup, it’s just reality.
But you CANNOT compare yourself to your male counterparts-YOU ARE A WOMAN AND YOUR BODY HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS!
There’s a lot more to life than being shredded
EXTREME & CHRONIC (note these words) Dieting comes with a cost
Educate yourself on what is healthy, safe, and attainable for your body and set your goals from there, not from the high def, edited pics you see of fitspos in their absolute prime online.
And remember, being shredded ALL year is not sustainable or healthy, so it’s important to learn to love your body in all of its phases!
If you need help figuring out how to adjust your fitness and nutrition plan throughout the year, sign up for one on one coaching where we create programming customized for your body and its individual needs.
- Dala
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