Pilates Fitness Friday: Are We Obsessed with the Wrong Things?

Bare feet stand on a digital scale showing 68.2 kg, symbolising balanced body composition.

It’s Fitness Friday and let’s be honest. Most people still head to the gym with one goal in mind. To lose weight. But here’s the question. Is losing weight really what we need? Or are we missing something much bigger when we reduce our health and fitness down to the number on the scales?

You’ve probably heard it said that 95 percent of what we look like comes down to nutrition. That means our food choices play a far bigger role in how our body looks and feels than any workout we do. Pilates teachers know this instinctively. You can spot a client who eats to nourish their body because their energy, focus and recovery are on another level.

But what does that really mean for our approach to food?

Calories – Are They the Full Story?

We’ve become so obsessed with calories that we often forget what they actually are. Calories are simply a measure of energy. Eat more than your body burns and you gain weight. Eat less and you lose it. It sounds simple but this approach ignores something important.

It ignores what those calories are made up of.

Macronutrients – The Bigger Picture

This is where macronutrients come in. Protein, carbohydrates and fats all play very different roles in your body.

• Protein builds and repairs muscle, keeping your body strong and functional.

• Carbohydrates fuel your movement and support brain function.

• Fats are essential for hormones and overall health.

Two people can eat the same number of calories but look completely different depending on their macronutrient balance. One might have more lean muscle, the other more stored fat. So it’s not just how much you eat, it’s what you eat that matters.

Micronutrients – How You Feel and Perform

Then there are the micronutrients. These are the vitamins and minerals that don’t get nearly as much attention but have a huge impact on how you feel and perform.

Think energy levels, immune health, focus and even mood. A client can hit all their calorie and macro targets but if they are low on micronutrients they may still feel exhausted, struggle to recover from sessions and plateau in their results.

This is where eating a variety of whole foods comes in. Colourful fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, quality proteins and healthy fats all bring these essential nutrients into play.

Rethinking Fat-Free and Low-Calorie Trends

We’ve spent decades avoiding fats and chasing low-calorie options. Yet the body needs fats for hormone production and brain health. Cutting them too low can actually slow metabolism and make it harder to shift weight in the long term.

The same goes for overly restricting calories. When the body does not get enough fuel it holds on to fat stores and starts breaking down muscle tissue instead. That is the opposite of what most people want.

So What Do We Really Need?

The goal should not be skinny. The goal should be strong, energised and balanced. Nutrition that supports this includes:

✔ Enough protein to repair and maintain muscle

✔ A mix of carbs and fats for energy and health

✔ A colourful variety of foods for vitamins and minerals

As Pilates teachers we can help our clients see the bigger picture. Remind them that Pilates tones and strengthens the body but the work they do in the kitchen will show those results on the outside.

Final Thought

We are more than the number on the scale. True fitness is about how we move, how we feel and how well our body performs every day. Let’s shift the conversation from restriction to nourishment. From weight loss to body composition. From obsession with calories to creating a body that is strong, capable and full of life.