Understanding Your Nutrition Goals

Are you sabotaging your progress by not understanding your goals?

While some of you are looking to achieve a lean and toned physique, others may be looking to level up their training and performance goals - or a combination of both! No matter what your fitness or physique goal is, it is important you also understand your nutrition goals and how it can influence your results. 

It's also important to note that everybody's body is different and everybody’s goals are different, so creating a plan specific to you is so important!

👇 So let's break it down further...

Choosing Your Goal

Always make sure your goals are aligned with what you are wanting to achieve, not copying someone else’s goal, or aiming for what you think you should be aiming for. 

Think 6 months, or 12 months ahead and then work backwards from there. Remember, physique-based changes take consistency and discipline over longer periods of time so we want to make sure we have a clear goal in place to work towards from the beginning!

We encourage you to also explore healthier habits and lifestyle goals alongside physique-based goals because as we know, all the daily practices add up.

Now, let’s explore our nutrition goals in more detail.

Muscle Gain

Consider aiming for a minimum of 12 weeks in a muscle gain phase - the longer the better here! Prolonging your muscle gain phase allows you to build more sustainable changes and optimise muscle growth through consistent progressive resistance training.

During muscle gain, we want to focus on incorporating a calorie surplus alongside progressive weight training. Our Bikini Build Program, Strong Program, Fit Program, Build A Booty Program, or Power Program are ideal choices for this muscle-building period. 

Ensure you meet your increased calorie requirements to support gains by following our tailored Meal Guides. As you progress and build muscle, you may even require a further calorie increase to continue to support lean muscle growth.

Read more about Eating for Muscle Gain.

Maintenance

We encourage jumping to maintenance whenever you want to, and for however long you want to! If you are new to your health and fitness journey or returning after a long break, this is a perfect place to begin. Establishing a maintenance level is important before jumping into any specific goals, or if you are in between goals, this is also a great place to transition to. 

Striving for a physique-based goal year round may not be sustainable or healthy for everyone. If you have been previously chasing fat loss or physique-based goals and are starting to feel a little burnt out, we would encourage you to consider whether coming back to your predicted maintenance range for a while.

Sitting here in maintenance is also a great time to reassess, establish your routine and healthy habits that will contribute to your overall health and fitness journey when you decide to layer on and level up!

This is not to say you can’t make progress when sitting at maintenance though. All of our Programs and Challenges are suitable to undertake when sitting at maintenance, so if you are still looking for the mental challenge without worrying about the challenge of calories and macros, this is perfect for you!

Both

The goal of ‘both’ is designed to place you in a mild calorie deficit to encourage sustainable body fat reduction, while preserving your hard earned muscle mass. It’s important to note that we cannot efficiently build muscle in a calorie deficit, however, this goal may preserve your muscle mass and give the appearance of increased muscle definition due to a reduction in body fat over time. 

The Both goal is intended to have you just below your maintenance calories, so like a fat loss goal it’s important not to stay here for too long and risk metabolic adaptation - ie. adapting to a lower amount of calories. We recommend sticking to the goal of ‘both’ for no longer than 12 weeks at a time. 

When selecting the goal of ‘both’, it's a perfect time to blend resistance training exercises with cardio sessions and making sure you are hitting your macros and calories closely for best results.

Lose Body Fat

For those of you who are primarily focused on reducing body fat or overall weight loss, this goal is for you! Although it is important to remember, this goal involves a significant calorie deficit and should only be adhered to for 8-12 weeks at a time as the body will naturally adapt to a lower calorie intake over time and we want to prevent this from happening.

Consistency in nutrition plays a crucial role in achieving weight loss, and that's where our Meal Guides come to the rescue. When undergoing a significant deficit for weight loss, it’s important we are adhering to our calorie requirements closely for best results. We've taken care of all the hard work for you, making your weight loss journey smoother and more enjoyable than ever with our Meal Guides.

The key to sticking to this goal successfully is making sure you have just enough fuel to maintain your energy levels, concentration, hunger and keep up with your training. If you feel you are really struggling in any of these areas, it’s time to reassess and slightly increase your deficit until you are at a level that's comfortable for the duration of your deficit.

Read more about Eating in a Calorie Deficit.

Longer Term Mindset

Rather than constantly jumping between short periods of fat loss and muscle gain with each program or challenge, consider dedicating longer focused periods to each. This approach allows your body to adapt, optimising the benefits of each phase and promoting a more sustainable, long-term transformation!

Please also don’t forget to set non physique-based goals along the way and establish healthy habits that work with you and your lifestyle. These all contribute to progress and help you show up as your best self which helps push you closer to achieving goals and maintaining them in the longer term.

Your Journey, Your Goals

Your fitness journey is a personal adventure, and at Move With Us, we're here to support you every step of the way. Whether you choose muscle gain, both, maintenance, or lose body fat, remember that each goal is a step toward becoming the best version of yourself. 

By focusing on specific aspects during dedicated periods, you enhance the effectiveness of your efforts, promoting a sustainable and transformative journey. Celebrate every achievement, no matter how big or small, on the path to a stronger, more confident you!

If you’re still not sure on your next steps from here and need some help navigating your goals post-Challenge, please reach out to our team of dietitian’s who are always happy to help ❤️