Have you ever come to a point when you wondered why you suddenly started to gain weight? You’ve been eating the same way you always have but all of a sudden the weight begins to pile on.
What changed?
Many of my former athletes reach out to me asking for advice on their diets.
Yes, there are many hormonal changes that happens in life so I’m not going to focus on that area just yet. But what I will talk about is your level of activity.
You see, in the case for my former college athletes it comes down to some sort of change in their life.
Athletes who’ve spend majority of their years playing sports, training, exercising, practicing, and all sorts of other things are used to having to take in a certain amount of nutrients in order to perform.
Simply put, think of food as fuel.
It takes fuel to run, jump, throw a ball, swim, and it even takes fuel to think.
Let’s turn it into an even BIGGER picture.
Imagine your body as a car.
Nothing like an American Muscle
You gas up the car to make sure it works properly. When that Gas Tank light comes on to warn you gas is low, not only are you bummed because gas prices suck but your car is telling you it needs more fuel.
Now, you are standing at the gas station to fill up your tank (If you ever visit Oregon though, do not fill up your own tank, that’s a big no, no. You are not allowed to fill your own tank. It’s kind of nice though.)
Anyways, so there you are filling up your tank. It’s going and then you hear a click, but you want to top it off. So you let out a little more gas, a little more, a little more, and them WHAM! You spill all over the place, gas is on your car, all over your feet and slippers. One big mess.
That’s what happens with your body when you eat more than you need.
One big mess.
So if you’ve been used to taking in a certain amount of food, which is fuel, during your years of sports and being constantly active then find yourself working a desk job, your diet needs to change too.
It’s a new lifestyle.
If you continue to keep fueling your body as if you are still playing a sport and having to go to mandatory workouts and practices, then guess what will happen. Total spillover.
Your body is a machine. You need food in order to function properly but if put too much fuel into any machine, all you do is create a mess.
This doesn’t only go for athletes. This is for everyone.
Let’s say you are someone who exercises all the time but then suffer an injury and you are out for weeks. During those weeks you eat the same amount of food you would if you were working out. Spill over.
Or, you go from working a construction job busting your butt all day, then get promoted to a desk job but you still enjoy the frequent plate lunches and happy hour. Guess what? Exactly. Spill over.
Got it? Get it? Right on.