Megan Leigh: Reverse Dieting for Weight Loss #91

Megan Leigh (@megan_mefit) has a Bachelor of Science from the Radford University in Foods and Nutrition. She is a Certified Personal Trainer (NASM), HMCC, FMNS, Corrective Exercise Specialist (NASM), TRX and has been working in health and fitness for over two decades. Through these experiences she has learned a lot about herself and what her job means to others. Megan’s coaching programs, aims to upgrade your mindset, overcome disappointments, obstacles, perceived failures, and challenges, by doing so her clients create a sense of self efficacy. Coupled with providing education that facilitates a sustainable foundation of knowledge, creating healthy habits that turn into a consistent routine and therefore lasting results.

In episode 91, I speak with Megan Leigh about the lessons she has learned as a fitness competitor, popular fitness myths, how reverse dieting can be good for weight loss. Megan also touches on what body neutral fitness is.

I came across Megan’s Instagram page a while ago now (highly recommend following her) and I knew that I had to invite her on the podcast so she could share her incredible message which centers a lot around shifting away from the diet mentality, over exercising, the need to earn your food and really learning to love your body. I find this topic so important because many people are falling into the trap the diet and fitness industry and the media have created. We constantly chase perfection and desire to alter our bodies because we live with this feeling that we are not good enough. We want to be a smaller size, a lighter number on the scales. The diet industry survives and thrives if we continue to feel and think that we are not good enough.

Often, the desire to follow a new diet starts off innocent and harmless, but it can sadly escalate into an eating disorder for many. The National Eating Disorders Association reports that 35% of “normal dieters” progress to pathological dieting and that 20-25% of those individuals develop eating disorders.

​Here's what we discuss in the episode

• Megan shares her fitness/health journey coming from a fitness/bodybuilding competition background. She discusses the health repercussions competing can cause
• Popular fitness myths
• How to avoid bad fitness advice
• How reverse dieting can be good for weight loss and for building a better relationship with food
• Body neutral fitness

I am so grateful to Megan for sharing her journey and providing great actionable tips and strategies. She is such an honest and caring person. I really hope you learn and gain some value from this episode.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favourite podcast platform.