Besides fat loss, there are several symptoms of being in a calorie deficit that many people don’t know. So today, we’re talking in depth about all of them, how a sustained deficit can seriously affect your sleep quality, sex drive, emotions, and energy, and how we can approach these goals with respect for ourselves and our bodies.

We also talk about how we are a partner with our body on any transformation journey, and how treating our body like the enemy is only detrimental to our success. We talk about why it’s important to keep a healthy and reasonable baseline of activity during a dieting phase, even though the purpose of movement isn’t to burn calories. We answer the question: should you track calories burned or trust your fitness tracker? We chat about metabolic adaptation, broken metabolisms, TDEE, the power and magic to be found in maintenance.

We also talk about how our mood is affected in a deficit, and how we can be overly critical of ourselves while in a deficit… and more.

“The longer people stay in a deficit, the more their personality starts to change. I think it should be glaring. If you don’t notice that change, you probably haven’t experienced maintenance. You probably need to have some self-examination and maybe get a little real with yourself, and get into maintenance.”

- Iris Deadlifts

“People get overly critical of themselves when they’re in a deficit. If you’re a chronic dieter, you never really learn what you’re like outside of a deficit… how it is to not feel that little slight pang of hunger all the time or what a true good night’s sleep is like.”

- Brooke Madigan

This week on Tater Talks: Two Bitches Talk Fitness:

·      Symptoms of a calorie deficit

·      Approaching these things with respect for ourselves

·      A sustained deficit can affect your mood, sleep, libido, and energy

·      How our body is not the enemy

·      Why it’s important to keep a healthy baseline of activity in a calorie deficit

·      Metabolic adaptation vs a broken metabolism

·      Should you track calories burned?

Resources Mentioned:

·      Self-Compassion as You Start Your Health and Fitness Journey

·      LiftingLindsay on where 1200 calorie diets came from

·      Brooke Madigan on Instagram

·      Iris Deadlifts on Instagram

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Tater Talks: Two Bitches Talk Fitness, where we challenge the common understanding of what it means and what it takes to be fit and healthy! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Thank you!

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media and join us on Instagram (@getyouabrooke & @irisdeadlifts).