So in the last section (Fat Loss Effects Part 1) we talked about how even in the healthy part of fat loss you don’t feel so sun-shiny great. Now we are going to talk about what happens when you take this effect to another level or allow it to go on for too long.

Some clients have come to me having been in on a diet in one form or another for the majority of their life. They have had short bouts of breaks, but for the most part life for them has been a never-ending bulk-and-a-cut cycle (whether or not during the heavy-eating they were lifting…that’s another story). Still though that feed and then don’t feed pattern is ingrained into their natural habit and activity. Combine this with training and we receive a ticket to overtraining.

Now before I dive right in, yes, I am mixing. This is not a conversation about overtraining, meaning I am assuming training. Note that most of the following problems can occur by eating a low caloric diet for too long if you aren’t training AND some of these problems can present themselves if you aren’t taking good training rest even if your feeding is on point.

Good? Moving on.

If you don’t feed your body well enough for an extended period of time what do you think is going to happen? What if you decided to drive your car with little to no oil day after day after day? Stuff would start wearing down, wouldn’t it? It wouldn’t be functioning right. The concept is really pretty simple, people: drive hard, fuel hard.

CAN’T CHEAT THE BODY. Go ahead though, defy the law. Here is what to look for if you do.

* Sudden inability to complete workouts
* Feeling unmotivated and lacking energy
* Increased susceptibility to colds, sore throats and other illnesses
* Loss in appetite
* Decrease in performance
* Insomnia
* Achiness or pain in the muscles and/or joints
* Fatigue
* Headaches
* Elevated morning pulse

In short you don’t feel so hot and why should you, your running on empty over and over again. Did I mention how not good for fat loss this is?

So what is the best method to assure yourself that you are training for fat loss, but not burning yourself out?

How do we gauge the middle ground that leads us to the ultimate goal we have?