Tammy Hembrow: Ditch Restrictive Eating for Your Dream Body

Fitness influencer has opened up about the dangers of 'restrictive eating', warning women that cutting calories in a bid to achieve a lean physique could actually be stopping them from getting their dream body.

The mother-of-three shared the candid advice in a video on Tuesday, encouraging her followers to focus less on being 'skinny' and more on building a strong, healthy body.

'Here is why you restricting your calories and your diet may be what's stopping you from seeing the results that you want,' Tammy began.

The influencer explained that many women fall into the trap of believing 'less food, more cardio' is the secret to looking toned, but insisted the opposite is often true.

'I think we've all been there as women, you want to be skinny or you want to be more lean and toned, so you think less food, more cardio, more restrictive,' she explained. 

Tammy continued: 'When in reality, this can be the exact thing that's stopping you from getting the results you want.' 

The reality star went on to debunk the idea of 'toning', explaining that the sculpted look many women aspire to actually comes from building muscle.

According to Tammy, eating enough food is essential for muscle recovery, energy and performance in the gym.

'To build muscle, one, you need to be eating enough. You need to be eating enough to recover properly,' she said.

'You need to be eating enough to be able to put in energy into your workouts. Otherwise, if you're not getting enough calories, if you're not getting enough nutrients, your workouts are going to suck. You're not going to be building any muscle.'

While restrictive dieting may initially lead to weight loss, Tammy warned it often comes with long-term consequences including exhaustion, cravings and binge eating.

The social media star said she felt it was an important message for young women to hear, particularly amid the pressure to achieve unrealistic body standards online.

'The goal should be to build a strong, healthy body that burns energy well, that performs well, that feels good,' Tammy added.

'Trust me, I want you guys to be feeling and looking good, so let's not restrict our bodies and let's actually fuel them.'

Tammy is the founder of exercise and diet planning app TammyFit.