7 ways to know your nutrition plan is working.
You may decide to change how you eat for a multitude of reasons. Usually, losing body fat is always mixed in there somewhere.
There may be other reasons that you will say out loud to other people, but deep down the fat loss is what drives us.
Should it?
While having a weight loss goal is fine, you should never lose sight of the other benefits that come from modifying how you eat.
In many cases, these other metrics are more important than losing fat.
Here are ways to know your nutrition plan is working for you without having to step on the scale.
1. You feel satisfied after meals
Does it ever feel like you’re hungry all the time?
Would you think I was crazy if I suggested that you could feel satisfied and still drop some lbs?
While that may seem some far-fetched fantasy, it is rooted in reality. If you are following a solid plan, dropping fat and feeling satisfied can coexist.
“As we digest our food, the gut sends signals to the brain about how much energy we’ve consumed to trigger satiation (the feeling of fullness) so we know when we’ve had enough.”
Processed foods are hyperpalatable. They are meant to be consumed quickly which will lead to overconsumption and you feeling full but not satisfied.
Try this. The next time you have a processed food like cheese puffs or cookies or anything like that, chew it a bunch of times. I mean more than 15.
What people often notice is that the more you chew a processed food the worse it tastes. Gobble them down quickly and it is all good.
Conversely, if you chew whole foods more, their flavor is maintained and often enhanced by chewing.
2. You have more energy
Even when you try to eat well, getting lots of different foods, it is still pretty easy to be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals.
If your diet consists of a fair amount of processed foods, you are probably more deficient than not.
If you can’t remember a time when you didn’t feel exhausted, this could be you.
“Maybe your brain and body are getting too much processed food and too much sugar; maybe you’re borrowing energy from the future with stimulants.
Even small deficiencies in certain nutrients can drain your energy and fog up your focus.”
Unless you have been tested and know that you have a specific deficiency in one or more vitamins and minerals, focus on eating a variety of fruits and vegetables instead of supplementing.
Here is how some vitamins and minerals can contribute to you having more energy and why they are so important.
Vitamin B1 & B2: We need thiamine (B1) to convert carbohydrates into energy (ATP). Riboflavin (B2) helps release energy in the Krebs cycle (the process by which our bodies generate energy).
Vitamin B6: We need vitamin B6’s active form pyridoxine-5′-phosphate (PLP) to make the amino acids L- tryptophan and L-dopa into the feel-good neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, both of which are important for cognitive function and focus. Vitamin B6 is also important for our cells’ mitochondria (power plant), helping to regulate the enzymes we use to draw energy from food.
Vitamin B12: We need vitamin B12 to protect and preserve the myelin sheath, which covers neurons and helps conduct the electrical signals sent around the body. B12 helps make neurotransmitters and metabolize fats and carbohydrate, your main energy sources.
Vitamin C: We need vitamin C to make carnitine, which transports long-chain fatty acids to the mitochondria to be used for energy. Vitamin C also helps us produce catecholamines, a group of hormones and neurotransmitters (such as adrenaline [epinephrine] and dopamine) that are usually stimulants.
Magnesium: We need magnesium for metabolic reactions, especially those that convert food into energy. Having more magnesium seems to improve cognitive abilities, while not enough seems to make cognition worse. Without enough magnesium in our cells, insulin doesn’t work as well, which makes it hard for us to use glucose. Many enzymes that help us convert food into energy need magnesium.
Calcium: Calcium helps to turn fatty acids into energy; it helps to modulate ATP production (aka our bodies’ fuel). As with magnesium, without enough calcium, our insulin may not work properly. Insulin is one of the main hormones of blood sugar regulation, which affects our energy levels.
Zinc: Zinc is a trace mineral, so we don’t need a lot, but we definitely need some. Zinc contributes to at least 100 enzymes in our body, many of which have to do with energy metabolism. When zinc is low, we don’t secrete as much insulin (which then causes problems with glucose metabolism); nor do we metabolize lipids (fats) nor protein well. If we don’t get enough zinc, we don’t get proper energy from food nor build proteins / muscle.
Water: Our brains depend on electrolytes — dissolved ions of minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium — to work properly. We need to carefully balance our electrolytes and fluid to send chemical and electrical signals in the brain (aka neurotransmission). If we get enough water, we maintain that balance. If we’re dehydrated, our brain (and our thinking) suffers.
3. You’re sleeping better
Sleep is one of the most undervalued tools we have to take care of our bodies. Everyone speaks of its importance yet no one is getting it right.
Most people don’t even know how tired and sleep-deprived they are, because their normal is so messed up. Once they make some minor changes, they can look back and realize what a dumpster fire their sleep routine was.
If you diet too stringently, over-train, under-recover (which is very common), or amp yourself up with tough workouts, you may not sleep well.
“You may drink too much alcohol and caffeine. You may not get enough protein (to make the right neurotransmitters), nor enough vitamins and minerals (ditto).
You may also have disrupted hormones (such as cortisol, growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone) from stress and poor eating habits, all of which are important for good and restful sleep.”
How does nutrition help encourage better sleep?
Fresh, whole foods contain more fiber, protein, and healthy fats, which require more time and effort to digest than the refined carbohydrates that make up the majority of processed food. This keeps you satisfied longer, stabilizing your blood sugar and various hormones needed for good sleep.
Tryptophan, an amino acid in high-quality protein sources, is a precursor to serotonin, which gets converted into melatonin to encourage sleep.
Balancing your energy intake alone can lead to better rest if it helps you lose excess body fat. (Excess body fat can make sleep uncomfortable because of heartburn, lack of mobility, sleep apnea, and other obesity-related problems.)
4. Your clothes feel just a little looser (or tighter)
Trying on a piece of clothing that used to be snug and have it go on and fit you well is a very uplifting experience.
A couple of years ago, my wife and I were getting ready to head out to a Christmas party. I basically wear pajamas to work each day, so it had been awhile since I put on a button-down shirt.
The first one I tried on was too tight in the shoulder and chest. So was the second. And third. And fifth.
None of my shirts fit me anymore. Now, this might sound like a nightmare scenario but I had been consistently lifting five days per week for almost a year.
Apparently, it had been a long time between me getting dressed up. Although this was frustrating (we have to go out and buy a shirt on the way to the party), it also validated all of my hard work.
How your clothes fit (looser or tighter) can tell you a lot about what you are doing and if it is working.
5. You’re in a better mood
Are you often described as a curmudgeon? Maybe a little too surly for most people?
Maybe Scrooge was neglecting his recovery too much.
Your nutrition could be playing a greater role than you realize. Wouldn’t that be great? Maybe you are special and people really do like you.
While being “hangry” is a real thing, I am talking about chronically not eating enough of the right things and having it impact your ability to socialize with other humans.
“You may also not be your best self when you’re deprived of the nutrients your brain needs to keep you sailing on an even emotional keel, without crashing into the rocks.
The connection between our food, neurotransmitters, and blood sugar regulation means that how we feel depends a lot on what we eat.”
Eating too much sugar may make you depressed. One large study on subjects from six different countries found that eating a lot of sugar and feeling depressed were closely related. This may be from chronically elevated insulin — the body’s continuous attempt to clear the constant onslaught of sugar from the bloodstream may cause mood crashes.
Having enough omega-3 fatty acids seems to put us in better moods. Include more nuts, fish, and seafood (like salmon, sardines, mackerel, crab and oysters) in your diet to get these happy healthy fats. (Bonus! Oysters are a great source of zinc too.)
Consuming too much vegetable oil, hydrogenated fats and trans fats may worsen our moods. These omega-6 fats make it hard for our body’s to process omega-3 fatty acids. Low levels of omega-3s are linked to symptoms of depression, being crabbier, and even being more impulsive. (Which can mean poor food choices — a vicious cycle.) Omega-6s may also increase inflammation, which can affect our brains. Many neurodegenerative disorders and mental health issues are linked to brain inflammation.
Eating lean proteins including chicken, turkey, and fish increases your consumption of tryptophan. Tryptophan is a building block of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps us feel relaxed and happy.
6. You’re stronger and have more endurance
This one should not come as breaking news to you. Eating better will help with daily activities but your performance with exercise or other hobbies will also get a boost.
You may be able to lift more weight, feel less sore after a workout or be able to crush more yard work and ask for seconds.
Instead of leaning on more coffee or an energy drink in the afternoon, you smash through the 2:30 feeling.
Often, people do not realize how lousy they felt until they make these changes and can look back to see the difference.
7. It feels more like a lifestyle than a “diet”
This is one of the most important ideas as it helps to create better habits and long-term sustainable results.
“Diets” are a chore. They’re another to-do that you superimpose over your busy life, and another boring, strict, overly complicated task you can’t wait to quit.
Once your willpower runs out from white-knuckling the diet, you will over consume all of those “forbidden” foods.
Any weight you lost will come back and it usually brings some extra with it.
If you are following the right kind of plan, it integrates into your life. You learn how to eat better and are able to apply those skills to any situation.
You can go away on a vacation and know how to splurge a little with food without going crazy.
You know how to go out to a restaurant and eat what you want without losing track of your goals.
You can enjoy holidays and parties with family and friends without worrying and stressing about trying to follow some strict food guide or meal plan.
If this sounds like a better way to work on your nutrition, EBM’s Nutrition Program is just what you need.
It is not a diet.
It is almost like an anti-diet.
The program works on improving your habits and behaviors around food so you learn how to eat better without having to focus on restricting foods and willpower.
If you are tired of traditional diets and are looking for a better way to nutrition, EBM’s Nutrition Program is just what you need.
Until next time,
Dr. Tom
Reference: https://www.precisionnutrition.com/ways-to-know-if-your-nutrition-plan-is-working
