Changing Nutrition without Burnout

Why Altering Nutrition Needs to Happen for Success

While exercise and physical activity are fantastic for creating a calorie deficit, they often come with fatigue and an increase in hunger. So, if a person begins working out for the first time and doesn’t make any adjustments to their nutrition, they’ll likely see some improvement in body composition—but can also run into issues like increased hunger, fatigue, or low energy throughout the day.

This is where manipulating nutrition intake becomes incredibly valuable. By adjusting the frequency of meals, improving quality, or simply adding more fruits and vegetables, a person can create a larger dietary deficit and increase the amount of time they feel satiated.

While this is a useful strategy, it’s often overdone. Many people take an all-or-nothing approach, which leads to calorie cuts that are too extreme (causing low energy and motivation) and unsustainable (for example, if someone never plans meals, asking them to now plan every one can become an extra stressor). As much as your clients may love fitness, it’s not their job. They have careers, families, and social lives. Forcing drastic nutrition changes can quickly lead to burnout. This is especially overwhelming for corporate professionals or busy parents. That’s why small but meaningful adjustments to a client’s nutrition often result in far more sustainable and enjoyable success.

How I adjust nutrition

Identify eating patterns

I start by asking the client to walk me through a typical day of eating—with no judgment. They may or may not be aware of any nutritional missteps, and judgment could cause them to hold back. During this time, I’m noting their meal frequency, portion sizes, food composition, and how they feel after each meal.

Get the client's input

Once I’ve gathered that initial info, I ask the client where they feel their most unproductive meal is. This helps me understand how they view their own nutrition and gives them a chance to select their own priorities. Typically, the meal with the biggest margin for error is also the easiest to improve, especially since the more we improve something, the more our returns begin to diminish. For example, if a client struggles to eat a proper breakfast and ends up overeating later in the day, that’s where we’ll focus first.

Let the client decide the adjustment

After identifying the meal with the most room for improvement, I ask the client how they would like to address it. This allows them to come up with their own solution, rather than having me impose mine. When someone feels like an idea was their own, they’re far more likely to follow through. It also gives them a greater sense of control and boosts their self-efficacy.

Wait 2–4 weeks

Once the client chooses their preferred adjustment, we wait. Change takes time—especially when it comes to body composition—and if we modify too many things at once, it becomes impossible to know what actually worked. The goal is for these changes to be subtle enough that they don’t disrupt the client’s daily life.

Try it yourself

Try the steps in this article for yourself, and see how it goes. If it your change works, keep it. If it doesn’t try altering another variable.

In the Bay Area and want to train in person, or are interested in joining my remote training, reach out to me using the form below, or send an email/text. Let’s get you to your goals sooner!