One of the topics in my personal training coursework dealing with nutrition addressed vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Diet is a large portion of fitness. You can lift or run all day, but you’re still going to be unhealthy and you’ll never meet your fitness goals if you don’t put in the fuel and nutrition that your body requires to run well and to heal and grow. Twinkies do not produce lean muscle and you cannot get everything you need to survive by eating the same salad for lunch everyday, the same English muffin for breakfast, and the same dinner every night. But how do you know what you lack? Well, that is where medical professionals come into play.

I personally deal with being anemic and I have to keep tabs on that with quarterly blood work. But I felt really drained for a few weeks — think first trimester exhaustion, complete with crying, but I am not and was not pregnant. I addressed this with my doctor at my last checkup. She ordered tests for my thyroid and iron levels and a few other possible deficiencies. I got a call the next day explaining that I needed to pick up prescriptions for iron supplements, Vitamin D, and to purchase an OTC B12 supplement to be taken daily. When my blood work was posted and I could read the results, I was shocked. My D was waaaay too low.

So how did this happen? Who knows. It could be fallout from something that my body did or did not do after my tonsillectomy, or due to all the rain that has prevented me from running outside (which is not my favorite location, anyway), my devotion to using sunscreen (I burn easily), or the lingering intestinal effects caused by my body’s going through C Diff* a few years ago making it difficult to absorb necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. It doesn’t matter, really. What matters is that I needed to get these things under control, and fast. Vitamin D deficiencies are linked with inability to process minerals, causing anemia, rickets and other low mineral diagnoses; there is a correlation to an increased risk of cancer; cardiovascular disease, and don’t forget cognitive impairment and depression. Yikes, right?

Well, my mind went back to the textbook for the personal training certification, in which the practice of getting a doctor’s diagnosis for any deficiencies before drafting nutrition programs was stressed. Why? Because anemia causes fatigue. Because there are a multitude of other deficiencies that make certain dietary restrictions impossible or others that make certain restrictions a requirement. When helping clients to plan their nutrition to see the outcomes (gains and/or losses) that they need, deficiencies and the way these cause the body to react to physical exertion and training need to be addressed. There is not one-size-fits-all nutrition program/diet for any specific outcome. Lactose intolerance? Caseine intolerance? Celiac? Anemia? Difficulty absorbing Vitamin B12? Or too much of anything (iron or calcium, as a few examples)? These could interfere with progress toward fitness goals and with overall health.

My point with all of this is that until you get all the information, you cannot construct a nutrition plan to help you to reach your goals or to maintain the goals you have set. So get to the doctor, get the blood tests run and make your plans based on where you are right now. The setbacks caused by your body not being able to process enough oxygen can undermine your cardio, and bone deficiencies require treatment. The fatigue from an iron deficiency is real and has a physical and chemical basis, so this needs to receive treatment or progress cannot be made. High cholesterol? Yeah, we have all read the reasons why this needs to be addressed: heart attacks are not pleasant and often lethal. Low Vitamin D? That causes a negative effect on a person’s mental health, as well. Talk about not wanting to lift . . . or run . . . or get out of bed. Impairing mental function is unsafe and frustrating, as well.

Go ahead and schedule that doctor appointment now so that you have the information to construct a nutrition plan (‘diet’ if you must call it that) that addresses your needs. Deficiencies don’t inspire the weight loss people seek, and can inhibit it, so don’t even let your mind go down that path. Get your blood drawn and tested and use that information to improve your health and work toward your goals. In the event that I was still too verbose: Schedule an appointment with your doctor and request blood work now.

After you have the information you need, then you can see how you need to change what you eat to be healthy and fit and to create the physique you want. And if it is determined that nothing is amiss? Then congratulations! You are in the position to basically use a template with no adjustments to work toward achieving and maintaining your goals.**

*As your fellow human, I advise you to research C Diff and do all that you can to avoid it. Trust me, it is miserable (and can be life-threatening). The pain is excruciating.

** These levels can and do change. Please see your doctor at least once per year to keep track of these levels and any that I did not mention.